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

Chapter 204: How Should This Problem Be Solved?

Damn. Isn’t this elementary school arithmetic?

Staring at the “mysterious, profound” stone tablet, Qi Yuan’s expression twisted into something indescribable.

No wonder no one had cracked it in ten thousand years. The so-called “divine symbols” were just a string of crooked Arabic numerals and basic operators: plus, minus, multiply, divide. In this cultivation world, recognizing them would be a miracle.

He was now certain: these three puzzles were left by a fellow transmigrator. And based on the handwriting—scribbled, messy, barely legible—it was probably a third-grader.

Did an elementary school kid transmigrate to the Primordial Era and become a peerless tycoon? That plot is insane. It would make a great novel.

Suppressing the urge to walk up and scribble the answer, Qi Yuan turned his gaze to the statue beside the tablet.

Compared to the crude math homework, the statue was a masterpiece. It depicted a young female cultivator in flowing robes, standing on auspicious clouds with a long sword in one hand. Her craftsmanship was exquisite, her expression vivid.

However, Qi Yuan detected a hint of… clear, unadulterated foolishness in her eyes.

Strangely, while her right hand held the sword, her left hand was raised, fingers spread wide, palm facing forward as if she were waiting for something.

Like she’s asking for five bucks.

How do I solve this?

While Qi Yuan pondered, a burly demonic cultivator shouted excitedly.

“I get it! This statue is the avatar of the Ruin Master! To solve the puzzle, we must show respect! We must perfectly imitate her posture to pay homage!”

The crowd nodded in agreement. Even the Mission Hall Master looked impressed. “A sound theory. Go up and try.”

“Yes, Sir!”

The cultivator borrowed a long sword from a friend and marched up to the statue. Under the intense gaze of hundreds, he struck a pose, mimicking the statue’s stance with painstaking precision.

Ten minutes later, his muscles were cramping, but the statue remained as still as… well, a stone.

“Fail,” the Hall Master sighed. “Next.”

The cultivator walked away dejectedly. “Maybe it failed because I’m a man? We need a woman! A shapeshifter!”

“I’ll try!” A bewitching female disciple stepped up. She used transformation arts to mimic the statue’s face and clothes, but she also failed.

Then, Ji Chan’er stepped forward.

“Uncle Shen, allow me.”

The crowd buzzed with excitement. Ji Chan’er cultivated the Illusory Yin Heavenly Demon Scripture. Her transformation skills were peerless.

She walked up, her figure blurring. In an instant, she became a perfect living replica of the statue—down to the texture of the skin and the flow of the robes.

“Amazing!”

“Senior Sister Ji is a goddess!”

Even the Hall Master nodded in approval. “Flawless. If this doesn’t work, nothing will.”

Qi Yuan smiled from the crowd, appreciating the view. Wow. I didn’t know Demoness Ji had this move. We should try roleplay next time…

But moments later, hope shattered again. Even the perfect copy failed to trigger a reaction.

Suddenly, Shen Xingxuan spoke up. Her voice was cold and calm.

“Uncle, I heard the Situ family tried everything—fire, water, lightning, blood. Nothing worked.”

“So, why don’t we try… sacrifice?”

The Hall Master blinked. “Sacrifice?”

“Yes,” Shen Xingxuan said, her eyes devoid of emotion. “If we execute a hundred living prisoners in front of it, perhaps the blood and death will awaken the spirit within.”

Qi Yuan frowned.

This little Golden Cat is ruthless. Sacrificing living people just to test a theory? Truly a disciple of the Demon Sect Leader.

The other demonic cultivators, however, looked excited. They licked their lips, eager for bloodshed.

“Not a bad idea,” the Hall Master mused. “But mortal prisoners are weak. We should use Righteous Cultivator captives…”

While they discussed mass murder, Qi Yuan stared at the statue’s open palm. A lightbulb went off in his head.

Wait. Open palm… fingers spread…

Is it… ‘Give Me Five’?

Or… High Five?

Lost in thought, he unconsciously took two steps forward.

That was a mistake.

Shen Xingxuan, standing at the front, spotted him immediately. Her pretty face turned frosty.

“Big Qi! What are you doing here? You are just an Outer Sect disciple! The Mission Hall is not a place for trash like you!”

Her voice cut through the hall. Instantly, hundreds of gazes locked onto Qi Yuan.