How to Bring Common Sense to Xianxia World

Wei Chen was confused. He looked at the two, about to ask, but the answer came in the next moment.

“Yes, I thought so as well. That bastard must have used me as a living beacon. He pierced my brain to use as a signal, my heart for control, and my dantian as the fuel for the signal,” Lian Cheng said, then paused.

“Now… it is clear that he deliberately sent me here.”

After saying that, he let out a sigh. “I don’t know what his aim is. That bastard’s cultivation method taps into the river of fate. He does not act in ways we can normally anticipate.”

“Elaborate…” Wei Chen said, his fingers slowly tapping on the table.

Lian Cheng glanced at him. Hesitation and reluctance showed in his eyes.

“That bastard was… eccentric, to say the least. Sometimes, his allegiance did not even seem to be to himself. At times, he deliberately sabotaged his own faction, sending people to their deaths. For example, there was a general who served him loyally.

“He was loyal to a fault. That general did not seem like a threat to him. In fact, it was because of this general that he could contend for the Immortal Emperor’s throne. That general survived a suicide mission, but instead of receiving praise, he was decapitated and killed in front of everyone.”

“After that, his realm fell into chaos, but he let it be and disappeared to who knows where. Then, after several centuries, he reappeared as a simple merchant in the lower realm, concealing all of his cultivation and showing no intention of reclaiming anything, even though he had the power to do so.”

Lian Cheng paused, took a sip of tea, then continued.

“There was another time when he adopted a son, raised him, and taught him everything until the boy became the founder of a powerful sect. At the peak of his adopted son’s life, he annihilated the entire sect and killed his son with his own hands.”

“That bastard was also known in the Immortal Realm as the greatest backstabber. No one wanted to ally with him, but when he came to propose an alliance, no one had the resolve to refuse either. He was simply too strong, and what he offered was too great.” Lian Cheng stopped and let out another sigh.

“That’s about everything. Even now, I still don’t know what his ultimate goal is,” Lian Cheng concluded.

“Um…” Yan Rongjun dragged out her voice, trying to process it. “Isn’t that guy just… a psycho?” she asked.

Lian Cheng shook his head. “That bastard might be heartless, but he is not a psycho. He does not seem to take any pleasure in what he does. How should I put it…” He paused, trying to recall.

“That bastard is more like a heartless mechanism. Like a windmill or a waterwheel that does what it must, no matter what. Someone who believes the end justifies the means. But the only thing I see are the means. I still have no idea what his end goal is,” Lian Cheng said.

“This is just my guess, but…” Wei Chen started. “Since you said this guy invests a lot in fate-related stuff, is it possible that every action he takes is guided by the future he sees through his cultivation?”

“For example, in a general case, he might see that a certain person will become one of his enemies in the future, or at least play a crucial role in creating one. That is why he kills that person. As for his adopted son, maybe his son’s sect will recruit one of his greatest enemies in the future, so he annihilates the sect and kills his adopted son,” Wei Chen said.

“Then why doesn’t he just go and kill his enemy directly? If he knows someone will become his enemy, why does he need to act in such a roundabout way?” Lian Cheng asked.

Wei Chen thought for a moment, organizing his thoughts before replying. “I don’t know the real reason, but I can think of two explanations.”

“First, his future sight, prophecy, or whatever it is, might not be omnipotent. He may know that his enemy will come from a certain sect, or only vaguely predict that the sect is the source of his greatest enemy, but he cannot pinpoint the exact person. The same goes for his general,” he said, then continued.

“Or second, I have heard that mystics cannot foresee their own future. But since he is that powerful, maybe he can get close. For example, he might foresee a third party who will become the key factor leading to his death or misfortune.”

“He cannot see his enemy directly because that would be a second party. But his enemy’s teacher? That is a third party. If he can only reach that level of prediction, it would explain the cases of his general and his adopted son,” Wei Chen explained.

After listening to Wei Chen, both Lian Cheng and Yan Rongjun felt as if they had discovered a new side of this foul-mouthed man in front of them.

Especially Yan Rongjun. She looked as if she had just discovered a new continent.

“Ohhhh…. I didn’t think you were this smart.”

Wei Chen: …

“Anyway…” Wei Chen ignored the comment and continued. “That’s just what I think. Whether that is the real reason or not is still up for debate. After all, I am not that guy, and this is just my best guess.”

Lian Cheng fell silent, his hand on his chin as he thought about what Wei Chen had said. He applied Wei Chen’s theory to everything he remembered about his nemesis, the Fate Weaving Sovereign, and realized that it could explain almost everything.

He had been too focused on his nemesis’s end goal, and not the deeper reasons behind his actions, or what compelled him to act the way he did.

“Your theory… might be closer to the truth than anything I have considered before,” Lian Cheng muttered.

“So… what now? Are you going to seal me? Since killing me would cause trouble for your master,” Lian Cheng asked.

“Now… I have a proposal. You work for the Underworld, under my jurisdiction. In return, I will speak with my boss and try to let you stay in this world. Since the Lian Cheng of this timeline is already dead, and you are not a Death Cheater, just a victim thrown into this mess, I think I can work something out for you.” Wei Chen paused, then leaned back against the chair and let out a sigh.

“But… this is only my offer. The final decision is still up to the higher-ups.” He looked Lian Cheng straight in the eyes.

“Will you agree to it?”

Hearing this, Lian Cheng could not help but let out a sarcastic smile.

“Heh… as if I have a choice…” He paused. “Fine. I agree. What do I need to do?”

Wei Chen smiled. “Just help me with some documents.”

“Documents? The Underworld has documents? Isn’t it supposed to be like… just a thought, and everything moves according to the will of the Lord of the Underworld?” Lian Cheng asked. To him, this sounded ridiculous. Weren’t beings of that level supposed to simply issue a command through thought, and have reality itself obey?

Hearing this, Wei Chen could not help but grin. This guy sounded just like him when he had first arrived.

“Dude… let me tell you something important.” Wei Chen paused, leaning forward.

“Even in death, you can’t escape bureaucracy.”

After that, Wei Chen worked on the documents with Lian Cheng, while Yan Rongjun, feeling bored, simply teleported back to the Thousand Treasure Pavilion headquarters to play with little Ningning.

— Meanwhile – ???? —

Under an artificial red sky, within a burning hall, flames scorched the ground along with the charred corpses lying across it. A man’s silhouette walked through the wall of fire without any sign of injury or burns.

The man was dressed in luxurious robes, layered with red armor adorned with flame patterns. If Wei Chen or Yun Feng were here, they would have recognized him.

It was Zhang Tianlong, the man Yun Feng once respected during the competition. His face was stoic and determined.

He walked toward a large throne within the burning hall. On the throne sat an old man, half of his body burned away, yet still showing traces of bleeding flesh, his cultivation barely resisting the flames.

“Did you ever think you would end up like this, Shen Tianqing? Do you regret what you did to my mother?” Zhang Tianlong asked, his face devoid of emotion.

“Hahahaha! Yes! I regret it! I regret listening to that bitch who told me to eliminate your mother!”

At those words, Zhang Tianlong’s mood seemed to lift slightly. The corner of his lips curved, as if he were about to smile.

“But… most importantly… I regret not killing your mother while you were still in her womb! I thought you might be useful, since you carry my blood!”

At that sentence, Zhang Tianlong’s expression froze. His face darkened as he raised his hand.

Boom!

With a single thought, a burst of powerful flames incinerated Shen Tianqing along with his throne, reducing them both to ashes.

“Is it finished?” a feminine voice asked from the entrance of the burning hall.

“It is done…” Zhang Tianlong replied, without any trace of happiness.

“Then… it is time for you to repay us, Underworld Palace. Shen Tianlong,” the feminine voice said.

“Do not call me by that name!” Zhang Tianlong’s voice hardened as he looked past the wall of fire toward the silhouette at the entrance.

“Scary~ Whatever your name is, just don’t forget our agreement… otherwise…” With that, the owner of the voice disappeared into the flames outside the hall.