You're Strong But Now You're Mine-Chapter 38: You Are My Calamity

In Le Yuxin’s plan, kicking Qian Yuya out absolutely topped the priority list.

After these days spent carefully (eating), meticulously (drinking), thoroughly (playing), and deeply (enjoying), Le Yuxin had discovered this world still held countless places beyond his wildest imagination, like the Backstream River where water ran backward, the hell where flames never went out even for a day, and the eternal maelstrom at the world’s end...

All of these places lay where hardly anyone ever set foot, because humans simply could not survive in secret realms that flew in the face of natural law. Ever since he realized this world still had such supernatural mysteries, a bold idea began to bubble up in Le Yuxin’s mind, "The world’s so big, don’t I want to see it all?"

He had been in this world for so long, Le Yuxin had already resigned himself. Although there was still that mysterious system panel and the "substitute on death" ability, Le Yuxin did not believe those things could help him return to Earth.

Even if it was possible, it would definitely mean Le Yuxin slaving away like a beast of burden, risking his life over and over, living through three million words’ worth of epic tales, holding sway over the world while beauties lay in his lap—only then would Le Yuxin get to bring the advanced spiritual power system back to Earth and kick off some story about spiritual revival...

That was just Le Yuxin’s fantasy after drinking too much honey Five-Flower Tea.

Most importantly, this system panel until now had only given him a "survive 15 days" challenge. God knows when the hell it would ever hand out a "return to Earth" quest—Le Yuxin wasn’t counting on it at all.

So, with all the splendor of the spiritual power cultivation system, did Le Yuxin have any chance of getting home?

No!

The spiritual power and combat technique of Huyao people might grant an individual might that surpassed the masses, but even the Grandmasters of history, the world’s greatest martial artists, the legendary combat tacticians, were still human, not gods—they weren’t breaking through space and time.

So, was there really not the slightest chance of going back?

Yes!

Among the multitude of secret realm rumors, Le Yuxin had found one called the "Divine Demon Well." Word had it that someone once passed through the Divine Demon Well and arrived in a strange land, where there were fire-breathing dragons, heroes who could let out a dragon’s roar, people who would hide themselves in tombs after death and, before long, rise up as living corpses. The chronicler even said he saw a dragon being killed—its corpse turning into golden light and absorbed by the dragonslayer, leaving behind only its ghastly white bones...

Although it sounded made up, and the records about Divine Demon Well were much fewer than those about other secret realms, who knew—maybe there really was a place where one could travel through time and space?

It was hope, at least, so Le Yuxin planned that, once the business with Star Engraving County was done, he would pack light and go see what this world had to offer.

Honestly, Le Yuxin was not even that into traveling, but there was no internet here. "Forget the net, there wasn’t even an outlet to charge his phone." He really had no choice but to get outside and move around.

More importantly, Le Yuxin did not want to deal with all the petty shit in reality anymore.

Huyao was about to split. The lords each had armies, the warlords controlled their own turf, the world was about to fall into chaos—and what did any of this have to do with him, a mere passing transmigrator?

The one who dreamed of contributing to the great cause of liberating all humanity was Lin Jinyao, and Qian Yuliu—it wasn’t Le Yuxin!

Besides, in these increasingly chaotic times, what use was an ordinary person who had never even read Guerrilla Warfare, Barefoot Doctor’s Medical Manual, or the Red Book? "Wouldn’t it be better to hole up in a tiny building and let the seasons pass me by?"

But whether he wanted to disappear into anonymity or wander the land seeing all its splendor, Le Yuxin first had to deal with Qian Yuya.

Whether out of moral guilt, emotional closeness, or their recent days of friendly exchanges, Le Yuxin just could not abandon Qian Yuya outright.

Thankfully, even that ghost Qian Yuliu knew he was in a high-risk gig, and tried early on to get Qian Yuya out of Star Engraving County. Now that White Night could arrange for Qian Yuya to go study in Yanjing under her care, Le Yuxin’s worries were finally solved.

Yet Qian Yuya actually said she did not want to leave Star Engraving County!?

"Why?" Le Yuxin blurted out.

"The medical department at Star Engraving Cultural College is good enough. I don’t need to go to Yanjing to study."

"Star Engraving’s medical department is decent, but Yanjing’s Royal Academy is top of the line! Do you know there’s someone in our Statistical Department named Lishijie? He graduated from the Royal Academy—he’s about the same age as your brother, but his ability blows your brother out of the water!"

Qian Yuya frowned and glanced at Le Yuxin, "Aren’t you my brother?"

"I... I mean I’m way worse than Lishijie." Le Yuxin had spoken without thinking, and instinctively slipped out of his Qian Yuliu persona. "There isn’t much difference in talent between Lishijie and me, honestly, maybe your brother... maybe even my hard work and talent are better than Lishijie’s. But just because Lishijie went to Royal Academy, his starting point was way, way higher than mine."

Qian Yuliu’s combat technique sphere had stalled out at the beginner level, and a major reason was that there just weren’t many powerful figures in the Star Engraving Military Academy—most of the instructors were only intermediate. Qian Yuliu’s real combat experience never got off the ground.

Word was that at Royal Academy, advanced students were everywhere and intermediates were a dime a dozen. If Qian Yuliu had gone to the Royal Academy, he’d at least have reached intermediate combat technique, maybe even brushed up against advanced.

"If you could go to Royal Academy, why stay in Star Engraving?" Le Yuxin just didn’t get it. "People climb up, water flows down. Don’t you long for the big city lights? Don’t you hope you’ll be a Royal Academy student someday?"

Qian Yuya shot back, "Then why didn’t you go to Yanjing?"

Le Yuxin was baffled, "Me? I already graduated. Yanjing doesn’t take old students..."

"You know what I’m talking about!" Qian Yuya suddenly slammed her chopsticks down, biting her lip and staring at Le Yuxin. "Mr. Gu—you remember him, right? He’s still teaching Divination at National Academy. The year you were applying to National Academy, I remember him coming to our house over and over to talk to you. I was little then, didn’t really get it, but I thought about it recently and asked him. That’s how I learned what really happened—"

"Mr. Gu said you were the most likely student in that cohort to get into Royal Academy on merit! You could have gone to Yanjing and sat the Royal Academy exam! You could have been one of the golden students at Royal Academy! You never had to stay in some backwater like Star Engraving County!"

Qian Yuya saw her brother’s lost expression and snapped, "Say something! Why aren’t you talking now? Weren’t you so chatty just now?"

Le Yuxin was truly confused—he was still rummaging through Qian Yuliu’s memories. Details this obscure, Qian Yuliu himself had probably forgotten. Digging them up was exhausting.

"Um... can I help you with anything?"

A female medical officer poked her head through the door, timidly. She was one of the duty officers in the inpatient wing; she’d happened to overhear shouting and come over to check, only to find the notorious "Qian Yuliu," the topic of everyone’s heated discussion, right there on the door plate... She could only pluck up her courage and ask at the doorway. If something happened, maybe she’d have time to run.

"Nothing’s wrong. Please close the door."

"Okay!"

With that interruption, Qian Yuya calmed down and tidied up the dishes, putting them back in the basket.

Le Yuxin finally found the corresponding scene in Qian Yuliu’s memories. When Qian Yuliu was seventeen, thanks to his outstanding grades, many teachers had urged him to go to Yanjing to take the Royal Academy entrance exam. Mr. Gu, the Divination teacher, especially had high hopes, even chasing Qian Yuliu down at his house to persuade him, offering to pay Qian Yuliu’s tuition himself.

But Qian Yuliu had refused, still choosing Star Engraving Military Academy for his exams.

Then he met people like Lin Jinyao there.

If back then Qian Yuliu had applied to Yanjing’s Royal Academy...

"If you’d gone to Royal Academy, everything would be different now..."

Qian Yuya said quietly, "You wouldn’t have joined a dirty place like Statistical Department, or stayed in this small place like Star Engraving County, let alone become so infamous..."

Le Yuxin was already starting to sense Qian Yuya’s real meaning. He sighed helplessly, "So with me as this bad example ahead of you, shouldn’t you all the more go to Yanjing?"

"But you only stayed in Star Engraving County for my sake."

Qian Yuya lowered her head, staring at the dishes in the basket. A tremor crept into her voice, "I’m the one who dragged you down."

"To take care of me, you gave up your own future and stayed here. If it weren’t for me, you’d be shining in Yanjing, not reduced to the Butcher of Star Engraving County."

Le Yuxin objected, "Oh come on, my genius little sister, this is what you call an overblown sense of self—like you’re the whole reason. I picked Star Engraving Military because it’s close to home and lets me sleep in. I joined Statistical Department because the pay’s high, the benefits are sweet, and I can push people around. It has nothing to do with you..."

"So what then?"

Qian Yuya suddenly whirled around to face him, eyes red and tears brimming. "You want me to take this dirty money, earned at the expense of your career and name, and then just run off to Yanjing alone? You think I can abandon the family I’ve known for years and start a new life somewhere else?"

"I can’t! I just can’t do that!"

"Staying in Star Engraving does nothing for you!" Le Yuxin scratched his head. "If you stay here, you’ll just be my weakness. If I ever get in danger—"

"If you die, I’ll bury you in the Qian family graves. If you’re crippled, I’ll look after you for life."

Qian Yuya immediately plopped several flags on Le Yuxin’s head, sniffed, and seriously said, "If I ever get dragged in because of you, I won’t hold you back."

Suddenly Qian Yuya lifted her skirt, startling Le Yuxin into staring hard, only to find out Qian Yuya was just pulling a dagger out from under her skirt.

She said resolutely, "My combat technique isn’t great, so if I get in danger and can’t get away, I’ll take myself out."

Le Yuxin looked at her expression—it didn’t seem like she was joking.

"Damn, he hadn’t realized Qian Yuya was this much of a saint—he never expected that she really held herself responsible for Qian Yuliu’s missed chances and all his sins, absolutely convinced that if not for her being his sister, Qian Yuliu could’ve had a better life."

So Le Yuxin tried a different tactic, "It’s not like you can’t come back from Yanjing. The railroad is so convenient—just buy a train ticket home each break, right?"

"I think that when I come back, all I’ll find is a burned-out home, with not even your ashes left."

As harsh as it sounded, Qian Yuya honestly might be speaking the sad truth—it really was the likeliest future.

"No matter what, I am staying in Star Engraving."

Qian Yuya put the dagger back under her skirt, saying, "Whatever happens, I’ll face it with you. If you ever wake up and leave the Statistical Department, I’ll be here to start over with you. If you stay stubborn all the way to the end, I’ll still help you take the consequences, for better or worse."

She paused, hesitated for a long moment, then slowly said,

"Qian Yuliu, you are my tribulation."