I Just Won't Play By The Book
chapter-37

‘Could this be the reason why the system asked me to come and help? This Li Fucheng has a protagonist template that could help me somewhere in the future?' Jiang Beiran thought to himself.

After coming to such a conclusion, Jiang Beiran suddenly felt that the person in front of him looked a lot more handsome than before.

Fang Qiuyao's tears came up again after listening to Li Fucheng's story. The look in his eyes, especially when he and Tang Tingshuang looked at each other, made Fang Qiuyao feel that such love was really too wonderful.

But once she thought of the senior Brother's words about how only fools and idiots believe in such stories, Fang Qiuyao held back her tears.

Jiang Beiran naturally saw Fang Qiuyao's behavior and laughed slightly in his heart before saying to Li Fucheng, "So, Brother Li, you have come all the way here to prove yourself by building a career in a foreign land?"

After hearing this, Li Fucheng clenched his fist and nodded vigorously. "That's right! I want to impress all those people who once looked down on me!"

‘Impress, sure…'

Jiang Beiran thought to himself that this person was, after all, the son of the leader of a demonic cult. Shouldn't he be making those who looked down on him pay the price instead? Why did he sound like a good student when he opened his mouth?

But Li Fucheng had just finished speaking when he suddenly became deflated. His expression fell somewhat and he said, "However, I couldn't even beat those countryside gangsters just now. How can I talk about building a career? Alas…"

Seeing Li Fucheng take the initiative to mention it, Jiang Beiran then asked, "I wonder how you got into conflict with those thieves, Brother Li?"

Hearing Jiang Beiran's question, not waiting for Li Fucheng to speak, another girl behind him said, "It was all my fault…"

But Tang Tingshuang immediately shook her and said, "Sister Ni, that was not your fault. You do not need to blame yourself."

"So… what actually happened?" Jiang Beiran asked curiously.

The girl who was addressed as Sister Ni first looked at Li Fucheng, and only after seeing the latter nod did she say to Jiang Beiran, "So, here it goes. That day, I passed by a field and found a few gangsters bullying an old farmer. I couldn't take it so I taught those two a lesson. After that, I didn't think about it again. Who knew that they had called for helpers to ambush us halfway? If it wasn't for you guys, Brother Wang, I would have really made a big mistake."

‘Taught… two gangsters a lesson!?'

Jiang Beiran was confused. Were they really living up to the title of the disciple of a demonic cult by doing this!?

After ranting to himself in his heart, Jiang Beiran suddenly felt enlightened again.

‘He grew up in a cult, but acts upright and righteously, and is kind and generous. He really is the like the template of a protagonist!'

Once again sure of his thoughts, Jiang Beiran stepped forward and said to Li Fucheng, "Maybe your father is not as cold as you think, Brother Li."

"Huh?" Li Fucheng's expression was dumbfounded. He was somewhat confused as to why this Brother Laowu, who had never met his father before, would suddenly say this.

Jiang Beiran looked at Li Fucheng and the five companions behind him one by one before saying, "If my guess is not wrong, this is not the first time that you all have been targeted by thieves for helping other people, right?"

"Uh…" Li Fucheng hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded, saying, "Yes."

"Then answer a question of mine. Is this the first time that you and your companions have gone on such a long trip, Brother Li?"

"Yes. We all grew up in the Church on the mountain, practicing hard every day, and we rarely go out," he replied.

"Then do you think that the reason why you were able to safely travel all the way from Huainan to Rivernorth despite all of you being first-time travelers is really that you are capable enough?"

These words struck Li Fucheng like a thunderbolt, and he suddenly understood many of the strange things he had encountered on the way.

"Third Uncle! It must be Third Uncle following us!" he said.

‘Huh?'

The answer was so unexpected that it almost threw Jiang Beiran off. He had thought that Li Fucheng would first think that his father was protecting him, but never thought that a third uncle would pop up.

"And this Third Uncle is?" Jiang Beiran asked.

Li Fucheng suddenly looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle after listening and said, "Third Uncle… Third Uncle is the only person in the whole Church who still treats me well."

After saying that, he let his emotions brew for a while before continuing. "Since he knew that I was a totally useless idiot in cultivation, my father soon gave up on me completely. He also distributed all the cultivation resources that originally belonged to me to my other siblings.

"But Third Uncle is always encouraging me. He not only taught me to practice every night but also gave me a lot of herbs, hoping to transform my physique. But unfortunately, I am too weak, and after learning for a long time, I still made no progress. However, not only did Third Uncle not dislike me at all, but he also searched various cultivation methods for me to let me try each of them. When I got ridiculed by the congregation, Third Uncle would also help me teach them a lesson. And, and, Third Uncle he…"

Listening to Li Fucheng speak more and more while becoming more and more excited, Jiang Beiran's expression grew stranger and stranger. Finally, Jiang Beiran could not help but ask, "Who is this Third Uncle of yours? Why does he treat you so well?"

"Eh?" Suddenly interrupted, Li Fucheng was momentarily stunned. He then replied, "Third Uncle is my father's brother. He watched me grew up and has always taken care of me and my mother. On that note, I also dragged my mother into this. Because I cannot cultivate my father treats her coldly as well. Alas… "

‘Hey! Wait, wait! I don't even know where to start commenting now!' Jiang Beiran thought.

The more Li Fucheng said the more Jiang Beiran felt that his father, the cult leader, had most likely been cheated on. He even felt that the reason Li Fucheng's father disliked him was most likely not because he was a useless idiot…

Seeing that Li Fucheng was still going to continue reminiscing about how Third Uncle used to take care of him and his mother, three options suddenly popped up in front of Jiang Beiran's eyes.

[Option One: Remind Li Fucheng to think carefully about why Third Uncle is so good to him. Completion reward: Maha Finger (Earth Grade Middle Tier)]

[Option Two: Silently continue to listen to him. Completion reward: Impenetrable Defense Technique (Black Grade High Tier)]

[Option Three: Go along and praise Third Uncle for being a good person. Completion reward: Random basic skill point +1]

‘D*mn!'

Jiang Beiran, who knew he couldn't just continue to listen, hastily selected Option Three. He interrupted Li Fucheng and said, "It sounds like this Third Uncle of yours is indeed a very good man."

Having said that, he also looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle and said, "Actually, like you, I, too, was born with a physique that cannot cultivate. I also have an uncle who has always taken care of me. Without him, I am afraid I would have died long ago."

Then, Jiang Beiran also told touching stories revolving around this uncle of his. Basically, the core message was to express that all uncles were like this and that Li Fucheng should not think too much about it.

It wasn't until the system prompt [Chosen Quest completed. Reward: Poisonous Magic +1] popped up that he finally felt relieved.

But before Li Fucheng reacted, Jiang Beiran's five Sisters could not hold it in any longer. A long since tearful Fang Qiuyao said in a hoarse voice, "Bro… Brother, I did not know that you have such a hard life these years."

At the same time, they also understood why the senior Brother was almost unknown in the sect despite being so capable. It was because he was born into a useless body and simply could not cultivate.

Looking at Fang Qiuyao's tears that couldn't stop flowing downward, Jiang Beiran sighed silently.

‘Fine. I guess what I've been teaching this whole journey is all in vain.'