The trip down the mountain was rather quiet.
Lei Ruolan seemed to be deep in thought--or perhaps it was turmoil. Her brow was deeply furrowed as they hiked the snowy paths.
When they returned to the sect and went to tell He Yongliang about their activities, Qiu Yunru kept his mouth mostly shut.
In his past life, he'd been called "too soft" by everyone. His mother would scold him for trying to pick up injured birds by the road, and his friends disapproved of how he was so quick to forgive bullies. Of course, as he grew older, Qiu Yunru stopped forgiving bullies and cruel people, and merely kept a polite face so as to diffuse situations, forgiving them outwardly and judging them inwardly.
The reason for his softness was because he had always been the most susceptible to one emotion:
Pity.
When he saw a bird squawking by the playground in a pile of blood, he couldn't help but cry and run over, even as his mother screamed at him about disease.
When a bully's parent made them come to his house and apologize, he couldn't help but look at the bully's humiliated expression and pity them for being under their parents' wrath. So, he always forgave them to make their life easier.
Truly, he had been a crybaby-bleeding-heart all his childhood, weeping at the smallest of things! His parents had even thought something was wrong with him!
Now, Qiu Yunru couldn't help but be overwhelmed with both guilt and pity for Lei Ruolan as they knelt in front of their Shizun to relay their mission.
She had been beaten by her father, ignored, humiliated, and had gone unloved.
No wonder she was so competitive! What kid wouldn't be, if they thought it would get their father to give them one look of pride?
So, he sealed his lips and let Lei Ruolan do all the talking. When Lei Ruolan was done explaining the mission's happenings to He Yongliang, Qiu Yunru finally piped up:
"Lei-shijie was truly admirable, Shizun. Her swordsmanship is so advanced that she killed the Burrowing Groundworm in a single strike. I aspire to have such a level of skill."
"Ah, is that so? How impressive! Ruolan is highly skilled. Tell this Shizun--what sort of strike did you use?"
Lei Ruolan's cheeks blossomed pink.
When they were done relaying the mission, Lei Ruolan turned on Qiu Yunru outside of He Yongliang's study.
"What are you trying to do?"
"...Ah?" Qiu Yunru put on a face of convincing confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean! Complimenting me in front of Shizun! What are you..."
She huffed. Then she turned away, ears red.
"Whatever. It doesn't matter." Then, as though grating out rocks from between her teeth, she added: "Thanks."
Qiu Yunru didn't even get the chance to say anything else before she stormed away!
________
Back in his room, Qiu Yunru lay on his bed with a comfortable sigh.
How much he preferred to guard the warm brick bed!
After a while of happily hugging his pillows, he remembered that last Wind Fruit. It had fallen at his feet as they exited the cave at the top of Li Hua Mountain. He took it out of his bag and ate it; just like the others, it was sweet and tangy, though a little bitter.
As the juice flooded his tongue, the game menu blared in his face:
CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS! CONGRATULATIONS! 3/3 Wind Fruits consumed. Three Fruits Hunt Quest Completed! Rewards Unlocked! Thank you for your participation!
Various rewards scrolled across the screen:
Full Lightness Skills Unlocked!
Temporary Lightning Speed Cultivation Improvement Unlocked!
Intermediate-Advanced Alertness Unlocked!
Qiu Yunru was satisfied with this. With full lightness skills, he would be able to jump and run like a proper cultivator of legend, event though he hadn't yet developed a golden core. In addition, he should train hard over the next few months while this temporary cultivation speed-up feature lasted. Perhaps he could make it to Golden Core status by summertime. Lastly, with more advanced alertness, he could better detect approaching enemies, overhear conversations, and sense spiritual and demonic qi!
His body itself felt lighter. Qiu Yunru flexed his fingers contentedly.
How nice it was to have a strong body!
Why he was feeling so grateful today, he wasn't sure. He wouldn't complain!
However, there was one thing that was strange. No matter how much he scrolled through the game menu, there were no notifications involving that Character Friendship Level Increase Quest.
Was it that, just as in the base game he'd played in his past life, he wouldn't know what level of closeness he had reached with Lei Ruolan? Although it didn't matter too much, he was a little disappointed. He had made so much progress, and yet there wasn't even an achievement to show for it. Ah, well!
Suddenly, he found something. It was from earlier that day, and it had been buried among Wind Fruit and Reward notifications. As he read it, he grew more and confused.
UPDATE! Apologies to all players. This Character Friendship Level Up Quest has been cancelled. Our Character Friendship Levelling System is not yet functional, and we have found many bugs. Players will have to continue building relationships of their own accord until the system is released!
...Of their own accord...?
Qiu Yunru choked a little.
After a year of trying to get in Lei Ruolan's good graces, it was allowing her to slaughter monsters at her own whim and giving her a compliment in front of their Shizun that had made things better?
Qiu Yunru wanted to cry a little. He laid back on his bed and sighed.
People really were strange. He had never been good at getting close to many people in his past life, and the same was true now. Perhaps it was that he hadn't really done anything different, and rather Lei Ruolan herself had changed.
As he pondered this, Qiu Yunru began to feel uncomfortable. Should he really be thinking in this way?
Wasn't every NPC here puppeted by an individual AI?
Feeling uneasy, he turned over and pulled his pillow over his head. Such thoughts wouldn't do him any good. After all, if he aimed to live a peaceful and solitary life as a great cultivator, he wouldn't have to worry about interacting with NPC's for too long. It was better to just sleep.