Chapter 487: Talents Rise in the World, Qi Yuan's Strategist!

Chapter 487: Talents Rise in the World, Qi Yuan's Strategist!

Qi Yuan stared at the old man.

Hidden information was also revealed to him at this moment.

[Chen Kangbao, 67 years old, once an Artisan, frail and weak.]



This pale-faced old man, named Chen Kangbao, was actually an Artisan.

Qi Yuan was quite surprised, "You're an Artisan, can you refine magical artifacts?"

Artisans were usually held in high regard, and even if they went insane, they wouldn't be sent to the Insane Institute; instead, they would be treated as living Buddhas in their homes.

Could it be that Chen Kangbao, like him, was also framed and sent to the Insane Institute? After all, looking at Chen Kangbao from left to right, he seemed a bit eccentric in his speech, but he wasn't actually sick.

If he was considered sick, then how would Zi Yuan Daxue be classified?

"Divine Lord... this old man's memory gets bad when he's hungry." Chen Kangbao hunched his body, looking as if he truly regarded Qi Yuan as a divine being.

"I'm not a divine being," Qi Yuan refuted.

At this moment, he had only just reached the Purple Mansion, and he couldn't even be considered a Yin Immortal.

How could he be called a divine being?

The pale-faced old man smiled, "This old man understands. When a divine being descends to the mortal realm, they lose all their powers and must hide their identity! Young Master, this old servant..."

Chen Kangbao looked at Qi Yuan and also changed his address, seemingly genuinely wanting to help Qi Yuan conceal his identity.

However, at this moment, his neck stiffened, and it seemed like he wanted to say something important.

"Take your time, speak slowly," Qi Yuan said.

"This old servant... when I'm hungry, I lose my wits," the pale-faced old man said through gritted teeth. After he finished speaking, Qi Yuan could clearly see that his expression was somewhat distorted, and black lines appeared in his veins.

"You truly live up to your name. To be honest, I'm a bit hungry too. Let's go to the kitchen."

Qi Yuan stretched his lazy body.

Now that he was in this game, he was merely an ordinary mortal.

In fact, his physique was much weaker.

If he encountered a strong man, he might be able to defeat him with his combat skills.

But if it was a Weapon Master or a Demonic Spirit like Guiling, his thin arms and legs might not be enough.

"Let's go, Young Master. I know where the kitchen is!" Chen Kangbao seemed to quickly immerse himself in the role, stealthily leading the way in front, guiding Qi Yuan towards the kitchen under the cover of darkness.

The night at the Insane Institute was especially dark, with only a few large red lanterns hanging along the road.

The entire Insane Institute was silent, making it all the more eerie.

Especially Chen Kangbao, his face was already very pale, as if he had applied powder, and when he passed by the red lanterns, his face could scare even the cute Sadako.

Along the way, Qi Yuan saw a few truly insane people.

One was sleeping hanging on a tree, and another was fishing in the middle of the night, clearly not normal people.

Soon, Chen Kangbao and Qi Yuan arrived outside the kitchen.

Qi Yuan paused, "If we sneak in like this, won't we be thieves?"

"Young Master, the food in the Insane Institute is meant for us to eat. We're just eating it early!" Chen Kangbao said, drooling from the corner of his mouth.

He did seem genuinely hungry.

"You make some sense," Qi Yuan nodded in agreement.

The kitchen door was locked, but for Qi Yuan, opening a lock was not a problem.

The two of them entered the kitchen, and Chen Kangbao began eating like a starving ghost, devouring various steamed buns and cold rice.

Qi Yuan took a few sips of porridge and ate some food, already feeling full.

But Chen Kangbao was still eating like a glutton.

After about a quarter of an hour, Qi Yuan looked at Chen Kangbao and said calmly, "Have you had enough to eat?"

Chen Kangbao's belly was now round and bulging, and those who didn't know might think he was six months pregnant.

"Following the Young Master means having food to eat, hehe... I'm about three-quarters full." Chen Kangbao burped and then said, "Young Master, now that we've eaten, it's time to... get to work!"

Chen Kangbao's face was serious, but his pale face was quite eerie, making him look like a clown when he spoke.

"It's indeed time to get to work. I need to play the role of a superfluous son-in-law well, and also... Kitchen Knife and Divine Arrival."

The superfluous son-in-law and kitchen knife were easier to manage, but playing the role of Divine Arrival, Qi Yuan had no idea how to even start.

The most urgent task, hmm... was to return to Jiazan Prefecture.

But now, because he was accused of "defiling" the widow Liu, he was sent to the Insane Institute.

There was definitely a conspiracy behind this.

What was the conspiracy?

Qi Yuan pondered for a moment and felt a headache coming on. He looked at Chen Kangbao and asked casually, "Old man, are you smart or not?"

Chen Kangbao patted his belly when he heard this, "I'm very smart when I'm full!"

"Let me test you. What is 97 multiplied by 97?"

"9409!" Chen Kangbao answered without hesitation.

Qi Yuan's eyes lit up, "A talent! Old man, your IQ is impressive! If I were to give this question to clear-eyed university students on Bluestar, they certainly wouldn't be able to solve it so quickly.

If Zhuge Chancellor had ten thousand university students, the Northern Expedition would be a success! You're better than university students. Your brain has great potential. Are you interested in becoming my strategist?"

Chen Kangbao drooled, "I'll do it if there's food!"

"Agreed!" Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

When playing a game, having teammates is essential.

With Chen Kangbao's quick calculations, he could be the team's intelligence expert, and Qi Yuan only needed to focus on killing and leveling up.

Chen Kangbao glanced at Qi Yuan and secretly asked, "Young Master, regarding your bird, should it be placed on the left or the right?"

"What bird?" Qi Yuan was taken aback.

Then he realized that Chen Kangbao was looking at his crotch.

He understood what Chen Kangbao was referring to.

"Well..." Chen Kangbao raised an eyebrow, "Young Master, I am your strategist, and you are my lord. For the sake of respect, your bird cannot be placed on the same side as yours!"

"..." Qi Yuan was speechless.

However, upon thinking that talented individuals often had their quirks, Qi Yuan accepted it.

"When speaking in the future, avoid being so vulgar," Qi Yuan added.

"Yes, as you command!" Chen Kangbao bowed, "Since I have gained the Young Master's trust, I must also help you overcome difficulties.

Now, the Young Master and I are trapped in the Insanity Asylum. We need to kill the director to escape! That guy, the director, has done all sorts of evil deeds, and his head is full of pus!"

Mentioning the director, Chen Kangbao's hatred made his teeth itch, and his eyes also showed a hint of fear.

Clearly, this director's reputation in the Insanity Asylum wasn't good.

"Oh, just say whatever you want," Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered to think.

As a qualified lord, he only needed to make decisions.

After all, his eyes, ears, nose, and other senses could help him make the right judgment.

"I've formulated a detailed plan!" Chen Kangbao said earnestly.

Qi Yuan's eyes lit up at this.

"Talented individuals are indeed talented, just like me, possessing excellent qualities. Before taking action, they formulate plans," Qi Yuan praised, "Let's hear this plan of yours."

Chen Kangbao, upon receiving the praise, revealed a proud expression.

"Before making the plan, we need to understand the enemy.

Although Director Zhou is small in stature, he keeps a ferocious aberrant beast dog in his yard. This dog once swallowed a robust man whole." Chen Kangbao mentioned this with a face full of apprehension.

Qi Yuan, drawing from the memories of the wealthy son-in-law Qi Yuan, also knew about these creatures.

These creatures were born from the pollution of demonic spirits, terrifying beasts that devoured ordinary beasts.

Most of them were bloodthirsty, feasting on flesh.

One could say that no matter how skilled Qi Yuan was, encountering such aberrant beasts, he might not be a match.

The gap in strength and speed was too vast, and it even included a difference in supernatural abilities.

"If I encounter that dog now, I estimate a 30% chance of survival, and a 70% chance of it being full," Qi Yuan said honestly.

His thin arms and legs were no match.

How could a small dog defeat a large one?

Chen Kangbao looked at Qi Yuan and asked, "Young Master, can you recover your spiritual power?"

"Yes, but it takes time," Qi Yuan replied truthfully.

Although he couldn't cultivate, he could still level up.

"In that case, the plan is divided into three steps.

First, I'll secretly lure the large dog away with a bone, allowing the Young Master to sneak into the director's room and kill him, taking the beast control token."

The beast control token was a device used to control the aberrant beast.

"Second, we'll use the director to find the real culprit and release the dog to kill them!

Third, we'll return to Jining Prefecture, seek the protection of the Shen family, and clear our names!" Chen Kangbao said earnestly.

It was evident that this plan of his was well-thought-out, utilizing the "luring the tiger away from the mountain" strategy, a "brilliant" scheme.

"Brilliant!" Qi Yuan praised.

Chen Kangbao was taken aback.

Meow, meow, meow!

Could it be that the divine being's true form is that of a cat?

He had a new realization, secretly noting it down.

"The plan is good, but there's still room for improvement. If we add a time limit and a backup plan, it might be even better," Qi Yuan, seeing that Chen Kangbao was a promising talent, shared his own plan, hoping for Chen Kangbao's growth.

"As the Young Master says, it was a lack of consideration on my part," Chen Kangbao said, bowing with reverence.

In reality, he was aware of all that Qi Yuan had mentioned, but he intentionally kept silent.

As a subject, if one wasn't a bit foolish, how could they highlight the brilliance of the divine being?

"The plan is complete, and now I need to enhance my strength."

Suddenly, Qi Yuan raised his head.

Slap!

A crisp sound echoed.

"You've killed a mosquito, and your experience has slightly increased," a cold, mechanical voice sounded.

Chen Kangbao looked at Qi Yuan, blinking in confusion, but soon he praised, "Young Master, you're indeed a heavenly deity incarnated, a single slap can kill a mosquito!"

"Ahem, this is nothing," Qi Yuan coughed, "Also, don't mind this voice.

"When I came to this world, I didn't have a system, so I pretended to have one for safety."

"Let's go to the pond, where your experience will increase," Qi Yuan suggested.

If Qi Yuan had an experience bar above his head, he could see a slight increase in his experience.

Although Chen Kangbao didn't fully understand, he was very supportive and followed Qi Yuan.

The two arrived at the pond.

This pond was located within the Insanity Asylum, and at that moment, a fisherman was fishing there.

In the secluded Insane Institute, the occasional death of a person or two was of little consequence. The place was even referred to as a 'small government office' by some.

Some families, having lost their sole breadwinner, would send their widowed mothers and orphaned children to this institute.

And then, there would be another body in the pond.

Old Chen Kangbao, the fisherman, had already hooked several corpses this year.

"Slap!"

Qi Yuan stood by the pond, wading through the muddy water, holding a lantern in one hand and swatting mosquitoes with the other.

The lantern's light attracted numerous insects.

Mechanical, emotionless voices echoed through the air.

"You've slain a mosquito. Experience bar slightly increased."

"You've squashed a moth. Experience bar slightly increased."

At this moment, Qi Yuan transformed into a mosquito-slaying warrior, relentlessly attacking the insects.

Chen Kangbao stood nearby, seemingly intently catching mosquitoes.

Simultaneously, on the wall, two figures stood watching Chen Kangbao from afar.

"Old Chen... Sigh, it seems he's truly gone mad," the scholar in the Confucian robe spoke, his eyes filled with resignation.

The other figure exuded an air of superiority, either due to their high position or noble status.

"If we don't let him help, how can Valiant Dragon Xuan Yuan be repaired? And what about the demonic spirits of Ye Mountain Lake?" the youth in black asked, his eyes showing a hint of reluctance.

Valiant Dragon Xuan Yuan was a powerful magical artifact.

However, this artifact was damaged, its power reduced to a mere fraction of its former glory.

Currently, the demonic energy in Ye Mountain Lake was rampant, and the various powers in Jiangzhou were helpless against it.

If Valiant Dragon Xuan Yuan, this powerful artifact, couldn't be repaired, the demonic energy would run rampant in Jining Prefecture, resulting in heavy casualties.

The youth in black contemplated this, his expression turning awkward. But as he heard something, his face darkened even more, "What audacity! To let Old Chen call himself a servant!"

"A madman doesn't even know what he's doing. Why bother finding fault with him? As long as Old Chen is happy, that's all that matters." The Confucian scholar spoke.

"Master, should we bring Old Chen back with us?" the youth in black asked.

After all, living in the Insane Institute was, in his opinion, a disgrace.

"This used to be Old Chen's home. In his old age, staying here... it's not a bad thing," the Confucian scholar sighed. "Moreover, there are many eyes on me. If someone finds out about me, and Old Chen is still alive, he'll never have peace for the rest of his life. Why bother?"

As the Confucian scholar spoke, his gaze turned somber, and suddenly, he seemed to realize something, letting out a sigh.

"Thirty thousand scholars hidden in the mountains, with loyal hearts as bright as the night's chill."

The Confucian scholar spoke, then left with the youth in black.

Although Old Chen was insane, no one in the Insane Institute could harm him.

If he were to leave with them, even if Old Chen had contributed greatly to the country, he might become a pawn in someone's hands.

This was something he didn't want to see.

So, he could only secretly leave.

At this moment, Qi Yuan's gaze turned towards the direction of the wall, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"As expected, my strength is too weak. If someone were to secretly watch me washing clothes, I might not even notice."

After killing so many mosquitoes, Qi Yuan's strength had increased slightly.

His level had finally reached Level 1.

He was no longer the powerless Qi Yuan; he now had some strength.

"Young Master, I've caught quite a few mosquitoes."

At this time, Chen Kangbao rushed over, his hands clasped together, holding mosquitoes buzzing inside.

On his aged hands, one could see the large welts from mosquito bites.

"Not bad." Qi Yuan reached out, pinched a cross on the mosquito bite on Chen Kangbao's hand, then squeezed the mosquitoes to death.

"You've killed a swarm of mosquitoes. Experience bar slightly increased."

[You've reached Level 2, and your physical qualities have improved.]



Qi Yuan's voice, accompanied by the game's voice, echoed in the air, and a delighted expression appeared in Qi Yuan's eyes.

"Now, I finally have some strength."

Although he had only leveled up twice, Qi Yuan's improvement was significant, at least compared to his previous self.

The current Qi Yuan, with a single swipe, could probably kill a leopard.

"Young Master, should we execute the first step of our plan? I'll lure away the Institute Director's dog, and you can kill the Director," Chen Kangbao suggested excitedly, eager to try.

At this moment, a mocking voice sounded.

"Two madmen are plotting to harm me here. How interesting."

In the distance, an old man walked towards them, leading a black and white dog.

The dog's fur was black and white, its size comparable to a teenager, and its eyes radiated bloodthirst, as if it was eyeing Qi Yuan and Chen Kangbao with ill intent.

It licked its wide tongue, and a pungent stench filled the air.

This dog... was quite a dog!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end