Rags to Riches: The Rise of a Dual-Talent Prodigy-Chapter 471 - 465: Because I Am Unworthy

Xi Pingzhe indeed had exceptionally good luck.

He was just a simple Beast Master, without any special awakened abilities. In most cases like this, one would only gain strength or speed defense awakening, but he awakened to Elemental Power and the Support Eagle Eye Skill, which can be said to have been showered with the favor of the God of Luck.

Plus, with the extra rewards dropped, an A-level Ice Wings that can both fly and accelerate—how is this different from drawing a golden legend from a pool?

Qian Qi was practically green with envy.

But now was not the time for envy and jealousy. The Magic Locust Tide was attracted by the body of Qingshan Xuediao and began frantically gnawing at it. Seizing this opportunity, she quickly left the instance with Su Ang and Xi Pingzhe.

Outside the instance, Qian Qi was not in a rush to leave. Instead, she fidgeted with the camera, waiting for something.

As the first person escaped from the instance, a few B-level Awakened followed suit. Even Leng Yuntian and Yan Shuiyue safely exited the instance and returned to the real world.

Everyone was more or less injured and was taken away by ambulance from the hospital base in charge. The Beast Taming Association and the Ye Family Army responsible for Song City arrived late, bringing along Fire Contracted Beasts to clear out the remaining Demon Locusts in the city.

"There are still 8 people inside who haven’t come out, could you lend a hand?" Seeing someone who looked like a Commander from the Ye Family Army arrive, Xi Pingzhe hurriedly waved and shouted.

The Commander walked over, glanced at Qian Qi, seemingly recognizing her as the one who led the Magic Locust Tide into the instance, and his expression showed a bit more respect, "Please wait a moment, this matter is significant, I need to report the situation to my superiors."

The superior he was referring to was, of course, Ye Yaoshi, the Ye Family Master.

But for some reason, after hearing something through his earpiece, he turned to Qian Qi with a troubled expression, "I’m very sorry, we have not received any rescue orders."

Qian Qi was taken aback for a moment and slightly lowered her eyes.

Beside her, Xi Pingzhe realized what was going on and couldn’t help but exclaim, "Why is there no rescue? They are still in there! They are heroes who saved millions!"

"All the Magic Locust Tide is currently in this A-level instance, as you know, an A-level instance is vast, and its inherent dangers are unspeakable. To sacrifice more A-level Awakened to save 8 B-level Awakened..." The Commander shook his head regretfully, "The superiors would never allow it."

"Of course..." The Commander relayed the conversation from the earpiece, his calm tone subtly tinged with a deathly chill, "We will certainly hold a memorial for the heroes’ sacrifice, letting the whole world know of their brave feats."

Xi Pingzhe’s face turned ashen, and he stumbled back a step.

He suddenly realized that maybe it wasn’t fair to blame his mother’s death on his father’s lack of strength, but rather these people... who simply didn’t value the life of a hero.

They thought the sacrifice of heroes was expected.

If one day his mentor also sacrificed for the salvation of the world, would they also hypocritically bestow some empty accolades upon her grave, only to immediately forget her?

Yet, he felt he had no right to question anything.

Just as they chose to sacrifice a few to save many, his mother too had chosen the same, without even asking those being sacrificed if they were willing.

At least, the people in the instance were willing, they knew what they were facing, yet they continued without hesitation.

Therefore, they were the ones who deserved to be rescued...

"If you’re not going, I will go myself!"

Xi Pingzhe turned and ran towards the instance exit in large strides.

Even if he could save one, even just one...

But after just a couple of steps, someone grabbed his collar. Xi Pingzhe turned his head, his eyes suddenly red, pleading, "Master, let me borrow your combat armor for a while..."

"Your master isn’t in a hurry, why are you?" Qian Qi spoke with a plain tone, revealing no emotion, "Alright, wipe your tears. You probably got quite a bit hurt hitting the boss in the instance; go find medicine in the ambulance and patch yourself up."

Xi Pingzhe wiped his eyes but realized he had no tears at all.

He forced a smile that looked worse than crying.

"Give me the combat armor, I’ll go rescue." Qian Qi extended her hand, touched the video she just recorded on the Light Brain, but ultimately said nothing.

She knew very well that even if she anonymously sent this video out, Ye Yaoshi would simply push this Commander to the forefront, claiming it as his personal decision.

Even if netizens dug into the details, it would ultimately change nothing.

But...

She wasn’t a saint either.

Su Xingchen had hinted to her before that the president of the Awakened Association, Wei Bisheng, was likely part of the Ambition Faction. Since Ye Yaoshi dared to speak such shameless words, she didn’t mind letting Wei Bisheng stir up some trouble for him.

To make the other side uncomfortable, even slightly, was something she found satisfying. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

She opened the chat box with Wei Bisheng, filled with messages from him asking about the progress of the Essence Demon Medicine preservative, none of which she had replied to.

After sending the video over, she saw him typing a response.

[Hey sucker]: What are you trying to do by sending this?

[I am your uncle]: I can’t stand Ye Yaoshi

[Hey sucker]: ... Are you trying to make me take the blame for free?

[I am your uncle]: [Sent a grinning emoji]

[Hey sucker]: ... Alright, I’ll handle it.

[Hey sucker]: But Little Qian, why didn’t you reply to my previous messages?

[I am your uncle]: Because I’m not worthy [Grinning emoji.jpg]

[Hey sucker]: ???

Wei Bisheng was about to say something when he noticed she had gone offline at lightning speed.

Wei Bisheng: ...

No one! No one had ever treated him like this!

Wei Bisheng laughed angrily and slammed the table in frustration.

Meanwhile, Qian Qi closed the Light Brain and re-entered the instance with Su Ang.

After a day and night’s hard work, Qian Qi finally dragged back a person and half a corpse.

According to Xi Pingzhe, only two Awakened had come out during this time.

Which meant that two people were still missing in the instance.

At this point, it was likely impossible for them to be alive, unless they found some exceptional stronghold comparable to S-Class armor to endure the prolonged self-devouring, decay, and extinction of the Magic Locust Tide.

But that seemed nearly impossible.

Clenching her fists tightly, Qian Qi thought, this was the sacrifice of four people.

Perhaps in the eyes of the Seven Great Families, the sacrifice of four B-level Awakened was far more cost-effective than sacrificing one S-level Awakened, even a huge gain, but in Qian Qi’s eyes, even the death of one B-level Awakened was a loss.

She just didn’t have a better solution, she had exhausted all possibilities, and ultimately realized she could only focus the sacrifice on the B-level Awakened as much as possible, rather than on the ordinary citizens.

She and Ye Yaoshi weren’t all that different.

With a sigh, Qian Qi went to the car. The prolonged tension and lack of food left her extremely fatigued, longing only for sleep.

And with that sleep, she slept for a full day and night, a total of 20 hours.

Xi Pingzhe was scared to the point of almost crying out his lungs, but fortunately, the doctor said she was just overly exhausted and not in any life-threatening danger, which prevented Xi Pingzhe from becoming the second person to faint.

When Qian Qi woke up in the hospital, she found herself surrounded by familiar faces.

Su Ang was nowhere to be seen as he was not present, Sheng Qing and Xu Jinghong had returned, Xi Pingzhe, Yan Shuiyue, and Leng Yuntian were all there, and a white gift box was placed on the bedside table with a half-broken white chrysanthemum in it.

She rubbed her temples and sat up, "How long have I slept?"

"A day and a night!" Xi Pingzhe rushed over but was afraid of his noise causing Qian Qi a headache, so quietly he whimpered, "I thought Master you might be gone!"

"That long." Qian Qi hadn’t slept such a long sleep in ages. She opened the Light Brain and glanced at it; it was indeed the third day.

"Where is Su Ang?" she asked instinctively.

Xi Pingzhe pursed his lips but still answered, "He is outside speaking with Commander Su."

This Commander Su was, of course, Su Xingchen.

Unexpectedly, he was there as well, Qian Qi nodded. After chatting with these people for a bit, she asked about the chrysanthemum and the gift box, "Who brought this? What’s with the half chrysanthemum?"

Implying she’s half-dead?

"No idea." Xi Pingzhe disdainfully brushed off the chrysanthemum and then handed the box to Qian Qi, "I stepped out to use the restroom, came back, and it was already there."

Qian Qi curiously opened it, and the next second rubbed her face in speechlessness, knowing who it was from.

Inside the box was a postcard with a message: "Thought you were a goner, prepared a chrysanthemum to express my sympathy, but didn’t expect you to survive, too wasteful to throw it all away, sending you half~—Yan"

Damn Nangong Yan, what a nasty mouth.

Qian Qi tossed the postcard away and was pleasantly surprised to see what the gift was, "Has this guy done it so quickly?"