33: Chapter 33: Settlement cleared? I'll go withdraw money in real life!

[The second life simulation has ended.]

[Beginning settlement...]

The text on the panel appeared line by line.

Shen Ji leaned against the earthen wall of the woodshed.

His consciousness was pulled back into his physical body.

The excruciating pain of spiritual energy rupturing his body still faintly rampaged through his bones and blood.

Killed by his own replenishment.

This way of dying was somewhat humorous.

Shen Ji's eyelids twitched.

[Distributing settlement rewards...]

[1. Cultivation inheritance.]

[Detected that the cultivation realm at the end of the simulation was "Qi Refining Level 7 Peak", fully inheriting cultivation.]

[Current cultivation: Qi Refining Stage 3 Peak → Qi Refining Level 7 Peak.]

Vast spiritual energy materialized out of thin air and dissolved within his dantian.

It traveled through his meridians for a circle.

Shen Ji inspected his dantian internally.

The abundant new spiritual energy filled every part of his body.

Crossing from Stage 3 Peak to Level 7 Peak would require decades of bitter cultivation for anyone else.

For Shen Ji, who had returned to reality, this saved countless amounts of time.

[2. Trait inheritance.]

[A total of 28 years in this simulation, 28 traits obtained, of which 9 were duplicate traits and have been automatically merged.]

[A total of 19 inheritable traits have all been stored in the trait library.]

The light screen flickered.

Text scrolled out.

[White traits (13): Iron Head Technique, Energetic Upon Waking, Nimble, Night Vision, Cold-Resistant Constitution, Early to Bed and Early to Rise, Not Seasick, Expert Weeder, Skilled Childcare, Tough, Fast Runner, Tailoring (Beginner).]

[Green traits (5): Glib Tongue, Expressive, Water-Walking Lightness Skill, Hair Like Green Snow, Immune to All Poisons (Limited to mundane poisons).]

[Blue trait (1): Boyfriend Strength MAX]

[Purple trait (1): Blessed with Many Children.]

Shen Ji scanned these nineteen traits.

He was silent.

A pile of junk.

The only purple trait, [Blessed with Many Children], was a huge trap.

In the simulation, this thing did indeed bring a massive amount of spiritual energy feedback.

But it also came with ten spendthrift children with all sorts of antics.

He exhausted himself trying to clean up their messes.

In the end, he was "filially killed" on the spot by the feedback brought about by this group of "good sons" breaking through.

Whether to bring this trait in the next simulation was something he still had to consider carefully.

His gaze moved downward.

He scanned the personal attribute panel.

[Luck Value: 128.]

Unchanged.

It was still the value before entering the simulator.

The luck from breaking through five thousand in the simulation and invoking the Heavenly Dao's infusion had all been cleared to zero.

Shen Ji cursed inwardly.

A loss.

Over five thousand Luck Value.

If he had utilized it reasonably before dying to assist his own cultivation, Foundation Establishment would have been within reach.

Instead, all his time was poured into that bottomless pit of a family.

He calmed his mind and sensed his physical body.

The top-grade Water Spirit Root aptitude that was infused when his fifth son, Shen Yun, was born in the simulation.

In reality, it was still a Half-Step Spirit Root that struggled even to sense spiritual energy.

The simulator could inherit cultivation and inherit traits.

But it could not change his Spirit Root aptitude.

The cost of trial and error for this simulation was too high.

Essentially, his cultivation was too low, and his foundation was too thin.

A small horse pulling a big cart, leading to an immediate crash.

He had to be steady in the future.

Shen Ji stood up.

He brushed the grass scraps off his body.

The woodshed was filled with a musty smell of age.

He reached into his bosom.

It was empty.

Previously, to complete the simulation guidance mission, his seventeen Low-Grade Spirit Stones and several hundred copper coins had all been given away.

Now.

He was even poorer than before entering the simulator.

"Creak—"

Pushing open the broken door, Shen Ji walked out of the woodshed.

Outside the communal sleeping quarters.

Several laborers who had just finished work were gathered by the well, drawing water.

Xiu Yun was there too.

Upon seeing Shen Ji, he immediately squeezed out a smiling face and came up to him.

"Yo, the great philanthropist Shen has come out of seclusion?"

Xiu Yun nudged him with his elbow and lowered his voice.

"What kind of madness were you having yesterday? You spent half a year's savings just like that?"

Several surrounding fellow workers looked over in unison.

With different expressions.

Old Zhao and Zhang Tiezhu, who had received money, showed gratitude but dared not speak up.

Those who hadn't received money all wore mocking expressions, looking at him like a fool.

"Did your brain get smashed by a rock? With that spare money, you could have gone to the black market to buy a Strength Pill; wouldn't it be better to move a few more carts of ore a day?"

"Generous when poor, what for?"

Shen Ji walked to the well and picked up the water ladle.

He poured a ladle of cold water directly over his head.

Water droplets slid down his chin.

He didn't answer.

His heart ached whenever he thought about the money, and he couldn't be bothered to speak.

Xiu Yun pursed his lips.

"Fine, do whatever you want. Steward Wang was called into the inner courtyard by Young Master Ling Xiao again today and won't be back for a while, so we can just take a break."

Ling Xiao.

Wang Mazi.

Shen Ji's action of wiping his face paused.

In the first simulation, it took three months to make a connection with Ling Xiao.

In the second simulation, with cultivation to back him up, he violently pried open Wang Mazi's mouth in one night.

Now.

He had no money in his pocket.

He had the cultivation of Qi Refining Level 7 Peak.

He had the intelligence obtained by risking his life in two simulations.

When poor, one must think of change.

If you lack money, go find money.

In the outer courtyard, the only person from whom he could most quickly squeeze out profit.

Shen Ji casually threw the water ladle back into the wooden bucket.

Water splashed everywhere.

Amidst the surprised gazes of the laborers, he strode forward.

He walked straight toward the outer courtyard steward's room.

The spiritual energy of Qi Refining Level 7 flashed through his leg bones and vanished, his footsteps so light that not a speck of dust was kicked up.

Xiu Yun was stunned by the well, watching Shen Ji's back, suddenly feeling that his back exuded an indescribable coldness.

"Hey!"

"Where are you going? That's Wang Mazi's territory!"