Chapter 409: The Joker's Gambit and the Undying King's Secret
"Young man, how could I lie to you? This was half a month ago."
The old village chief frowned, his weathered face a canvas of deep lines as he became lost in thought. "I remember at that time, Xu He and a few young men from the village climbed the mountain and accidentally fell off a cliff. Everyone in the village was frantic and searched for several days." He paused, taking a long drag from his rustic pipe, the smoke curling into the humid mountain air. "Fortunately, news came back later that Xu He was fine and had been rescued by a benefactor. He must be enjoying life in the city now."
A cascade of notifications, cold and indifferent, flooded Long Hao's mind, each one a hammer blow to his carefully constructed confidence.
[Ding! Child of Destiny Long Hao is dumbfounded, plundering +9999 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! Child of Destiny Long Hao's investment plan initially thwarted, plundering +100000 Destiny Points!]
'Fell off a cliff? Rescued by a benefactor?'
The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Long Hao's mind, once a fortress built upon the unshakeable foundation of future knowledge, was now riddled with cracks. He felt a cold dread seep into his bones, a feeling far more terrifying than any physical threat. This wasn't supposed to happen. In his previous life, the story of the Xu Family's true and fake young masters was a sensational piece of news that had dominated headlines for weeks. There was no cliff, no mysterious benefactor—just a straightforward, dramatic reunion a month from now.
'Did this happen in my previous life?' he frantically searched his memories, his brain feeling like a scrambled archive. 'No... no, it absolutely didn't!'
He forced the tremor out of his voice, trying to appear casual as he pressed the old man for details. "Old village chief, what benefactor rescued Xu He? Where is he now?"
"Who knows?" The old village chief shook his head, a puff of smoke punctuating his words. "That child Xu He hasn't returned, and his mother, Wang Qin, hasn't come back either. Probably followed her son to the city to enjoy a better life." He then gave Long Hao a warm, rustic smile, completely oblivious to the young man's inner turmoil. "Young man, it's mealtime. Would you like to eat at our family's farmhouse restaurant? All our food is healthy and organic, much better than that processed stuff you get in the city."
"No, no need." Long Hao shook his head repeatedly, his throat suddenly tight. The very thought of food was nauseating. How could he possibly eat when the future he knew was unraveling before his very eyes?
He offered a hasty goodbye and descended the mountain path, his steps heavy with a disquiet he couldn't shake. The scent of damp earth and wildflowers, which should have been refreshing, now felt cloying, suffocating. Each crunch of gravel under his shoes echoed the fracturing of his certainty.
'The true young master of the Xu Family, Xu He, wasn't he supposed to be taken away by the Shanghai Xu Family a month from now?' Long Hao's thoughts raced, a frantic torrent of confusion and doubt. 'That incident was front-page news! I saw at least a dozen articles about it while scrolling through video feeds. It was a massive story!'
He remembered the details with perfect clarity. Twenty years ago, the Xu Family's nanny, Wang Qin, in a desperate and selfish act, had swapped her own infant son, Xu Ping'an, with the family's true heir, Xu He. The result was a cruel twist of fate. The fake young master, Xu Ping'an, was raised in opulent luxury, a prince in a gilded cage, while the real young master, Xu He, grew up catching fish and chasing birds in this remote mountain village, his birthright stolen from him. The stark contrast in their lives was the very soul of the drama, a story that had captivated the public.
'I remember it so clearly,' he insisted to himself, his fists clenching. 'How could it be different? How could Xu He fall off a cliff and be taken away by some unknown benefactor?'
A wave of panic washed over him, cold and sharp. He had been reborn two and a half years ago, armed with a powerful system and visions of the future. He was supposed to be the master of his own destiny, the ultimate player holding an unbeatable hand. But now? The script had been rewritten without his permission.
First, Su Hongmian, the ice-cold CEO who was destined to be single for years before falling for a different protagonist, somehow already had a boyfriend—that enigmatic and infuriatingly powerful man, Shen Anyu. Now, Xu He, a key piece in his early investment strategy, had vanished from the board entirely. The changes were no longer minor deviations; they were fundamental alterations to the timeline.
He stopped, breathing heavily, and leaned against an ancient tree. 'Long Hao, Long Hao, don't be discouraged,' he chanted internally, a desperate mantra to ward off the encroaching despair. 'It's just the butterfly effect. Some small changes were bound to happen. It doesn't matter. Rebirth plus the Investment Return System… that's like holding both the Big and Small Jokers in a card game. The advantage is still mine!'
After a few deep breaths, the frantic beating of his heart slowed. His confidence, though shaken, began to mend itself. He was still a prophet. He still knew things no one else did.
'Fine. Xu He might have been taken back by the Xu Family early, or maybe some other force took him. It changes the timing, but not the core players.' A new plan began to form, a flicker of excitement replacing his fear. 'I'll go directly to the Shanghai Xu Family's villa. I can investigate the situation there. And maybe… maybe I can even meet the future Immovable Bright King, Xu Ping'an!'
The thought sent a jolt of renewed purpose through him. Xu Ping'an was an even bigger prize than Xu He.
'He's a future giant,' Long Hao mused, a smirk finally returning to his delicate face. The intoxicating feeling of holding secrets of the future was a drug he couldn't resist. 'Besides me, a reborn soul, who could possibly imagine that the future Undying King is, right now, just the Xu Family's fake young master? A pampered fraud who, in a month's time, is supposed to be disgraced, disowned, and kicked out, becoming the laughingstock of Shanghai?'
The fake young master, a spoiled brat cast out into the cold, would somehow transform into the Undying King, a powerhouse of unimaginable resilience.
'The Immovable Bright King, Xu Ping'an,' Long Hao recalled with a sense of awe, his eyes gleaming with longing and anticipation. 'His power is unfathomable. It was said that even a peak Heavenly Human realm expert, a being who could level a city block, couldn't harm him in the slightest with a full-force attack. Instead, the power would rebound and destroy the attacker.'
That was the legend. A man who could not be harmed.
'However, Xu Ping'an never actively attacked anyone; he only passively counterattacked. That's why he earned the title of Undying King, with its Buddhist undertones—a compassionate heart, an unshakeable will.'
He was an even more terrifying and valuable figure than the Asura Demon King, Chu Yun, whom Long Hao had also planned to invest in.
'If I can get to him now, while he's at his lowest point… If I invest in him…' The possibilities were limitless. He wouldn't just be soaring; he'd be rewriting the heavens themselves.
Decision made. Long Hao strode to the side of the mountain road, his thumb out, a fire of ambition reignited in his soul. He quickly hailed a taxi and barked his instructions, his destination clear.
He was heading straight for the airport, and from there, to the Shanghai Xu Family Villa.
Inside a black, custom-built Maybach gliding silently through the city streets, Shen Anyu listened to Long Hao's fervent inner monologue through a nearly imperceptible nanite monitor. A low, amused chuckle escaped his lips.
'Xu Ping'an? The Undying King? A compassionate heart? Unshakeable?'
He almost burst out laughing. The naivety of these so-called protagonists was truly a source of endless entertainment. Long Hao, with his fragmented memories of the future, saw a profound, enlightened warrior. Shen Anyu, with his complete, almost omniscient knowledge, saw only the crude mechanics of a System-granted cheat.
What Long Hao called a "compassionate heart" was nothing more than a simple inability to initiate an attack. Xu Ping'an's power was a simple, albeit powerful, Damage Reflection Aura. It was a purely defensive, passive ability. He couldn't attack because his power literally didn't allow for it. He was a living mirror, a human shield, and nothing more.
In terms of true combat prowess or martial skill, Xu Ping'an was utterly unqualified. He was a brawler who had stumbled into possession of an invincible turtle shell.
Shen Anyu found it hilarious that such a one-trick pony could have earned a title as grandiose as the "Undying King." He had to admit, the boy was impressive in his own way—not for his power, but for his accidental marketing genius.
One had to understand that in the Yanxia Martial Arts World, or the far more brutal international Dark World, titles were not given lightly. They were earned through blood, terror, and obvious strength. Only those who were paragons among Grandmasters, or even fearsome entities at the Heavenly Human level, could claim a title and have it recognized. Anyone who self-proclaimed a title without the power to back it up would be ridiculed, challenged, and ultimately crushed.
The "Undying King" was no ordinary title. It carried weight, an implication of immortality and supreme defense that would invite challenges from every corner of the globe. And somehow, Xu Ping'an had pulled it off.
Shen Anyu's gaze shifted, his consciousness tapping into another feed, another one of his monitored pawns. The scene instantly changed.
[Battlefield, Western Continent]
The air was thick with the stench of cordite, iron, and fear. Xu Ping'an charged forward, a lone figure moving through a storm of lead and fire. Bullets from assault rifles zipped through the air, creating a deadly hail that should have torn him to shreds. Instead, they slammed into his body with dull, metallic thuds before ricocheting back with even greater velocity.
Mortar shells screamed down from the sky, exploding around him. Shrapnel that would have dismembered an entire squad of soldiers simply bounced off his skin, carving bloody furrows through the very mercenaries who had fired them. He was a walking calamity, an unstoppable force crashing through their defensive line.
Flesh and blood blossomed in the air as his enemies were killed by their own redirected attacks. The battlefield became a macabre art exhibit of his unique power.
"Monster! This man is a monster!"
"Run! For God's sake, run!"
A group of battle-hardened mercenaries, men who ate death for breakfast, broke and fled, their faces pale with abject terror.
"Hmph. A bunch of weaklings." Xu Ping'an stood amidst the carnage, his chest puffed out, high on the adrenaline and the intoxicating feeling of invincibility. He had single-handedly broken an enemy stronghold.
"Ping'an, you did great."
The moment he heard that clear, melodic voice from behind him, the domineering warrior vanished. He instantly transformed, his proud posture melting away as he turned with the eager, tail-wagging enthusiasm of a husky. A wide, foolish grin spread across his face.
"Leilei," he said, his voice soft and almost pleading. "I made such a great contribution to the Dark Shadow Society this time. I can definitely join your squad now, right?"
Standing before him was a tall, stunningly beautiful young woman with a high nose bridge and an exotic charm that set her apart. Xu Ping'an felt his heart ache with a desperate, all-consuming adoration.
His life had been a nightmare. Ever since the truth about his birth was exposed, he had been kicked out of the Xu Family, cast aside like trash. Though his birth mother, Wang Qin, tried to care for him, how could he, who had known nothing but luxury, ever be reconciled to a life of poverty? Fueled by resentment, he had tried to use his Damage Reflection Aura in underground boxing matches to earn money, but his lack of control led to him grievously injuring his opponents. His mother had to pay a million Yuan in compensation, plunging them further into debt.
As the saying goes, when a person is unlucky, even drinking cold water can get stuck in their teeth.
To make matters worse, he was framed for the murder of Zheng Qingqing and became a wanted fugitive. Unable to go home, unable to return to school, he was forced to hide in the city's sewers like a rat. In a moment of weakness, he had crept back to the Xu Family estate, just wanting one last glimpse of Xu Ruoshui, the girl he had always considered his sister.
Instead, he had witnessed Shen Anyu and Xu Ruoshui standing together, an intimate and harmonious picture as they met with his former parents. The blow was devastating. In his distraught state, he was spotted by the police and a desperate chase ensued.
Just when he thought his life was over, at his absolute lowest and most defeated moment, he met her. Feng Kelei. The best girl in the world.
She hadn't despised him for the sewer filth that clung to his clothes. She hadn't recoiled from his stench. Instead, she had bought him a hot, crispy grilled fish. That meal, eaten in the stinking darkness of the sewer, was a delicacy Xu Ping'an knew he would never forget for the rest of his life.
'Leilei must be an angel sent by Heaven to save me!'
Naturally, he had pledged his life to her, following her without question and joining the Dark Shadow Society.
'With my Damage Reflection Aura, I will make great contributions!' Xu Ping'an vowed silently, his eyes shining with devotion as he looked at her. 'I'll rise through the ranks, become a high-ranking member of the Dark Shadow Society, and then… then I will marry Leilei!'
Back in the Maybach, a predatory smile played on Shen Anyu's lips.
'If Xu Ping'an knew that the Dark Shadow Society is my subordinate force, and that his beloved, angelic Feng Kelei… is actually a very cute boy… tsk tsk.'
He could almost picture it. The moment of revelation. The shattering of that desperate, pathetic faith.
'Wouldn't the Undying King turn into the Undying Demon King?' he thought, thoroughly entertained by the psychological torture he had in store for yet another one of this world's "protagonists."
Just then, the car slowed to a graceful stop. The driver turned, his voice respectfully breaking the silence.
"Young Master, we've arrived at the Xu Family!"
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