Is It Wrong to Bully the Novice Village for System Rewards?

“Connect Five?”

Father and daughter exchanged blank looks. Neither had heard of this profound Dao of strategy.

“Connect Five. It’s simple: we take turns placing stones. Whoever links five in a row first, wins.”

After a hasty explanation, Qi Yuan strode up to the Go board. He grabbed a handful of black stones in his left hand and white in his right, and began to play against himself.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

The stones landed with a rapid, rhythmic cadence.

Ji Shijie and Ji Chan’er stood frozen, dumbfounded. They didn’t know whether to intervene or call a healer.

By the strict laws of Go, this kid wasn’t just playing badly; he was desecrating the board. There was no structure, no territory, no eyes. It was pure chaos.

To Ji Shijie, who prided himself on being a master of the grid, this was torture. It was like watching someone use a priceless calligraphy brush to scrub a toilet.

“No, no, Nephew, you can’t place it there! Aiyah, my heart… you don’t even know how to capture!” Ji Shijie scratched his cheek in agitation, looking ready to jump in and flip the table. “Stop! For the love of the Dao, stop!”

He moved to intervene, but Ji Chan’er caught his arm.

“Father, we’ve been staring at this deadlock for days with no solution. Since Big Qi says he has a method, let him try. If it fails, we can just reset the board with spiritual energy.”

Ji Shijie hesitated, then sighed deeply. He turned his back on the atrocity, facing the wall to study a painting instead.

“Fine. Do what you want,” he grumbled. “Your father hasn’t eaten or slept in five days trying to crack this. If it were that simple, I wouldn’t be balding over it. The boy is just fooling around.”

Moments later, Qi Yuan looked up, flashing a dazzling, corporate-approved smile.

“Uncle Ji, Fairy Ji, mission accomplished. The game is over. White wins.”

He dusted off his hands, his expression oozing with sham humility.

“To be honest, I’m something of a ‘Connect Five’ Grandmaster back home. I’ve roamed the world undefeated. Solving a residual game like this? Mere child’s play.”

Hearing this, Ji Shijie instinctively turned around. He glared at the nonsensical pattern on the board, his face flushing with anger.

“My daughter trusted you, and you give me this gibberish—”

Hummm—

Before he could finish his tirade, the chessboard began to vibrate violently.

A brilliant light erupted from the grid. With a sharp crack, the wooden board disintegrated, stripping away layers of illusion to reveal a diamond-shaped object covered in dense, intricate runes. It lay quietly on the table, pulsing with faint power.

Ji Shijie’s eyes bulged. His jaw unhinged.

“Suc… Success? How is this possible?!”

Ji Chan’er was equally stunned. She tugged at Qi Yuan’s sleeve, her confusion palpable. “I didn’t know your Go skills were this terrifying. But what school of strategy is this? I’ve never seen such a formation.”

Qi Yuan maintained his cool facade, shrugging effortlessly.

“I told you. It’s not Go. It’s Connect Five. I’m actually surprised there’s another player in this world. If I ever meet the person who set this puzzle, I’ll have to challenge them to a best-of-three.”

He leaned over to inspect the diamond object, clicking his tongue.

“Interesting design. A quest reward for clearing the level. A shame it looks like junk, though. Not even a single Spirit Stone? The quest giver is stingy.”

Ji Shijie finally snapped out of his fugue state. He took a deep breath, forcing his racing heart to slow, and looked at Qi Yuan with a gaze that had shifted from skepticism to awe.

“Truly, the waves of the Yangtze River drive on those before them. The younger generation is formidable.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I never imagined the deadlock my father sent would be broken by you.”

Then, his expression turned solemn. He bowed slightly.

“Nephew, this ‘Connect Five’ you spoke of… could you enlighten me on its profundities?”

Facing his future father-in-law’s request, Qi Yuan naturally didn’t dare to slack off. He immediately poured out his knowledge, teaching the old man the forbidden arts of the “Open Three” and the “Four-Three Win.”

To ensure he left a good impression, he taught Ji Shijie a few unbeatable opening traps, leaving the old man nodding like a bobblehead in sheer admiration.

Not long after, Father Ji, now enlightened, cupped his hands toward Qi Yuan.

“Nephew is a talent of great wisdom. I have learned much. The Ji family will remember this favor. We will repay you generously in the future.”

He snatched the diamond object from the table.

“Since the puzzle is solved, I must report to my father immediately to discern his true intentions…”

Without giving Qi Yuan a chance to be modest, Ji Shijie rushed out of the study like his robes were on fire.

Once they were alone, Ji Chan’er looked at Qi Yuan, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a strange light.

“I didn’t expect your knowledge to be so broad. Bringing you back was the right choice. You’ve done my family a great service.”

She sighed, relief washing over her features. “If Father had gone to confront Grandfather in a rage, the consequences would have been unthinkable.”

Qi Yuan waved his hand, his expression calm. “Fairy Ji praises me too much. It was merely a lifting of hands; the merit is not worth mentioning.”

Then, a sly grin crept onto his face.

“However, if you really want to repay me… how about compensating me for that thing you didn’t agree to last time?”

“What thing?”

Ji Chan’er blinked. Then, realization dawned. Her face turned crimson, and she stomped her foot, a mix of shame and anger in her voice.

“You stinking scoundrel! You only know how to bully me! One more word and This Seat will tear your mouth apart!”

After flirting with the demoness until she was suitably flustered, Qi Yuan left the Ji residence in high spirits. He used the internal teleportation array to warp back to Blood Refining Peak.

When he arrived at Grade A Courtyard No. 1, the mountain of corpses was gone.

The courtyard had been meticulously scrubbed. The scent of blood was replaced by the fragrance of expensive incense, likely burned to mask the carnage.

He scanned the area and spotted a familiar figure standing by the gate.

The man had narrow eyes and rugged, ancient features that gave him a cold, predatory look. It was his old acquaintance, Situ Yun.

Situ Yun looked terrible. His face was pale, his aura unstable, and he was still wearing the battered robes of an Inner Sect disciple. He looked like a refugee.

But the moment he saw Qi Yuan, Situ Yun’s eyes lit up. He hurried forward, his tone warm and enthusiastic.

“Brother Qi! You’re finally back! You’ve kept your older brother waiting!”

Qi Yuan smiled slightly, gesturing for him to enter. “Apologies. I was delayed by some business outside. I hope Brother Situ hasn’t been waiting long. Please, let’s talk inside.”

“Brother Qi, you’re too formal!” Situ Yun waved his hand dismissively. “Your business is paramount. I came uninvited; I hope you don’t mind.”

Despite his jovial words, Situ Yun’s heart skipped a beat when he looked at the pristine courtyard.

This guy slaughtered his entire unit yesterday just because they ‘invaded his cave dwelling.’ He’s a total psycho. He wouldn’t pull that on me, would he?

He quickly dismissed the thought.

Damn it, I’m a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, not some Foundation Building trash. What am I afraid of?

On the other side, Qi Yuan frowned internally.

This guy used to be so arrogant. Why is he acting like a waiter hunting for a tip? Does he need a loan?

They entered the house. Before they could even sit down, Situ Yun smiled mysteriously.

“Brother Qi,” he said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I heard a certain someone offended you. How could your older brother sit by and watch?”

With a flourish, he pulled a bloody, severed head from his storage bracelet and slammed it onto the table.

“I went over today and slaughtered him myself! Just to help you vent your anger!”

“Huh?”

Qi Yuan jumped, startled. He leaned in and immediately recognized the wide, dead eyes staring back at him.

It was Jiao Guang, the steward from the Internal Affairs Hall who had tried to scam him earlier.

Qi Yuan stared at the head, his expression becoming complicated.

Sure, Jiao Guang was annoying. He was a petty bureaucrat who tried to hustle him. But he didn’t deserve death.

And now, Jiao Guang had died a miserable death, decapitated by a high-ranking disciple. If word got out, everyone would assume Qi Yuan ordered the hit.

Even if Situ Yun held the blade, the bill is going to be sent to my address.

Qi Yuan looked at Situ Yun, his eyes narrowing with displeasure.

You idiot. With ‘friends’ like you, how am I ever supposed to rebrand myself as a righteous cultivator?

Misinterpreting Qi Yuan’s silence as concern, Situ Yun chuckled darkly and patted his chest.

“Brother Qi, don’t worry about loose ends! To ensure the weeds were cut and the roots dug up, I tracked down all of Jiao Guang’s friends and family.”

He made a cutting motion across his neck.

“I wiped out his entire bloodline. I guarantee no one will ever come looking for revenge.”