[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-survival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world":3,"chapter-survival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world-survival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world-chapter-88":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Survival Guide in a Mysterious World",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2299057,4497,"Chapter 88: Life-Buying Money","survival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world-chapter-88",88,"\u003Cp>Walking up to the second floor, Shi Yurou, who had been speaking with Lan Shiwen, trembled all over upon seeing Ning Zhe’s demon mask, her legs instantly going weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remembered clearly—it was Ye Yao who had lured the “God of Wealth” over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Yunying, having learned from his sister what had happened earlier, felt fear in his heart but still mustered the courage to step before Ning Zhe and said calmly, “Mr. Ye Yao, why did you take the copper coins from my sister’s bracelet? Those were left to us by our father. I ask you to return them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right. I took your sister’s belongings without cause. Even if I did it out of necessity to save my life, objectively speaking, I was wrong.” Ning Zhe nodded, then asked, “So what do you intend to do to me? What can you possibly do to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You…” Ji Yunying was left speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe glanced at the two remaining copper coins tied to Ji Yunying’s left wrist, and also noticed the single red cord still held by Shi Yurou—he understood: “After I left, the two of them encountered the God of Wealth, who took two copper coins from each of them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the second time Shi Yurou and Ji Yunying had met the God of Wealth; the first was the night before last, while keeping vigil for their father, when each lost one copper coin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no doubt that these peculiar coins—square on the outside, round within—were the key to survival under the God of Wealth’s rules. First encounter: one coin. Second encounter: two coins. How many will be demanded at the third? Three? Four?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Ning Zhe pondered, Lan Shiwen gently patted Ji Yunying’s shoulder: “Yunmeng Marsh will be sealed soon. The God of Wealth has gone out of control. If you two want to live, leave this place immediately and seek refuge in the city. This is no matter for mortals to meddle in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Lan Shiwen had also received word from Tu Yu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Yurou couldn’t help tugging at Ji Yunying’s sleeve, signaling him not to provoke Ye Yao, but her younger brother was still a hot-blooded teenager—how could he swallow his pride after someone had harmed his sister?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Ning Zhe stepped forward, his demon mask’s hollow eyes fixed directly on Ji Yunying with a pair of luminous, beautiful eyes, and said: “You may leave—but hand over your copper coins too. Otherwise, I won’t let you go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I warn you not to push your luck too far!” Ji Yunying finally snapped at the arrogance of this man, raising his right fist to strike Ning Zhe’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then a gunshot pierced his skull. Ji Yunying died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe knelt down, untied the red cord bracelet from Ji Yunying’s corpse, and took the two remaining copper coins into his possession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yunying…” Shi Yurou’s legs gave out and she collapsed onto the floor. Perhaps from sheer terror, she dared not let a single tear escape her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lan Shiwen sighed and shook his head: “If you wanted his things, just take them. Why kill him? Cleaning up is a hassle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lan Shiwen wasn’t particularly disturbed by Ning Zhe’s act of murder in front of him—both were Ascended Ones. Unless cornered, no Ascended One would ever attempt to kill another. He was safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You misunderstand. I didn’t want to kill him. Whether he lived or died, I truly didn’t care.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Ning Zhe threaded the four copper coins he now held onto a single red cord and tied it to his wrist, he said: “I didn’t kill him because he offended me. It’s meaningless to quarrel with a bratty child. I was… testing a hypothesis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A hypothesis about the Five Communications’ rules. You’ll see the result soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe wanted to test a hypothesis. Testing it required killing someone—either Shi Yurou or Ji Yunying, either one would do. He didn’t care. Ji Yunying happened to step forward. That was all. No other reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A hypothesis about the Five Communications’ rules?” Lan Shiwen adjusted his spectacles, shifting his gaze from the trembling, helpless Shi Yurou to Ji Yunying’s corpse, its brain pierced clean through by the bullet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe’s marksmanship was excellent. The bullet, with superior penetration, had drilled precisely through the center of Ji Yunying’s forehead, piercing both skull and brainstem, causing total, irreversible brain death—no chance of rescue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wu… wu…” Muffled sobs came from the balcony. Shi Yurou covered her face with both hands, weeping silently. Tragically, she dared not cry out loud, fearing she might anger Mr. Ye Yao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be like that. I’m not some monster who kills randomly.” Ning Zhe raised a finger to the grinning mouth of the demon mask and softly shushed: “Listen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of copper coins hitting the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crisp tinkling, then the faint hum of a coin rolling across a surface—as if an invisible coin had quietly fallen somewhere unseen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, as if time had reversed, the blood hole in Ji Yunying’s forehead vanished. His dilated pupils reformed. The vacant eyes filled once more with fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I warn you not to push your luck too far!” Ji Yunying roared, swinging his fist at the grotesque demon mask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe gripped Ji Yunying’s wrist and slapped his face with his other hand—*crack!*—leaving a bright red palm print. The force shook his skull violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have two lives left. I just killed one. Use the rest wisely.” Ning Zhe smiled gently, released Ji Yunying’s wrist, and turned to the stunned Shi Yurou: “You have three lives left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lan Shiwen fell silent for a moment, then laughed: “I underestimated you, Ye Yao. You’re a genius.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Flattery.” Ning Zhe stood up. “I have no interest in the Five Communications. I’m leaving soon. But before I go, I’m happy to tell you everything I’ve deduced about their rules—if you can pay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any Ascended One knew the value of the information Ning Zhe was about to offer. Lan Shiwen was no exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>=9+ Shu _ Ba\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you want?” Lan Shiwen asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Money,” Ning Zhe said simply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lan Shiwen was surprised, but replied: “Fine. Name your price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe shook his head with a smile: “I don’t want conventional currency or gold or silver. I want—life-buying money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The life-buying money of the God of Wealth, Wu Tong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… ” Lan Shiwen blinked in slight shock, then smiled: “Of course you’d see through it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lan Shiwen was a native of Yun Capital and had been close to Ji Bochang in life. He must have known the true value and purpose of life-buying money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that Lan Shiwen never took the copper coins from Shi Yurou and Ji Yunying, and remained unmoved when Ning Zhe took Ji Yunying’s remaining two coins, proved only one thing: Lan Shiwen likely had far more of them himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten life-buying coins. That’s the price for the Five Communications’ secrets. No haggling.” Ning Zhe’s tone brooked no argument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Agreed,” Lan Shiwen said without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, I underbid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1174,"2026-06-20T06:29:21.893Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6dbb62820f05f0baa43504aa26b89bfb0a09f9926e10f3050b787ecad5a840b3","survival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world-chapter-89","survival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world-chapter-87",353,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurvival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world-cover.jpg"]