After filtering out a lot of duplicate and unreliable information, Yan Qi, who had taken on the form of a virtual diva, quickly gathered details on the hundreds of cultivation methods and thousands of spells circulating in this world.
Once she transmitted all this data back to her computer, Yan Qi, having completed her task, disconnected from the internet and returned to her room.
Reverting from her virtual diva form, she turned on her computer and opened the files containing the information she had collected.
With a thought, she transformed into the Daoist Empress Daoyan and settled into her computer chair.
“Good. Now, let’s see if this world has any reliable cultivation methods,” she mused silently before diving into the documents on her screen.
Thanks to the supreme talent for cultivation she possessed as the Daoist Empress, Yan Qi could tell at a glance whether the methods and spells she had gathered were genuine or not.
Before long, she had dismissed nearly all the cultivation methods and spells she had collected, leaving behind only one viable method and a handful of useful spells.
“I never expected this world to actually have a real cultivation method—though it’s just a few pages?”
Staring at the photos displaying only the cover and a few pages of the ancient-looking manual—Tranquil Heart Qi-Gathering Technique—Yan Qi felt both surprised and puzzled. She had only been checking out of curiosity, never really expecting to find anything.
Following the markers she had left in the document, she traced the source of these photos.
“So this cultivation manual is actually a product listed for sale on an old books website?”
Discovering that the manual was being sold on an online marketplace, Yan Qi was taken aback. But remembering that this wasn’t a cultivation world, she quickly understood and didn’t dwell on it.
Without hesitation, she scrolled down to check the item’s sales status.
“Hmm… already sold?”
Seeing the “Sold Out” label on the product page, she frowned.
Unwilling to let the only legitimate cultivation method she had found slip away, she immediately took action.
Transforming back into the virtual diva, she infiltrated the bookstore’s backend to search for the transaction records related to the manual.
“Here it is.”
With her powerful computational and retrieval abilities, she quickly located the relevant transaction logs.
“The buyer is from Shanghai, named Ma Fangfang. WeChat ID is… IP address is…”
Reading through the records, Yan Qi swiftly noted down all the buyer’s details. Once she was sure she hadn’t missed anything, she exited the bookstore’s system.
Just as she was about to use the buyer’s IP address to pinpoint her location and “follow the internet cable” to find her, her computer—which she had tweaked slightly—suddenly sent her a vibration alert.
Recognizing this as a signal that her parents had returned home, Yan Qi had no choice but to abandon her plan to immediately head to Shanghai, track down Ma Fangfang, and secretly photograph the manual.
She quickly disconnected from the internet, reverted from her virtual diva form, and returned to her usual appearance—a white-haired, red-eyed little girl.
“Mom, Dad, you’re back!”
As soon as she descended the stairs, she saw her parents entering with groceries and greeted them cheerfully.
“Yeah, we’re back. By the way, did you get enough rest?”
Yan Zhenyi placed the groceries in the fridge and, upon hearing Yan Qi’s greeting, responded while also asking with concern.
“I rested really well,” Yan Qi replied with a smile.
“Xiao Qi, did you see the note I left for you on the coffee table?”
Her mother, Li Caifeng, who was sitting on the sofa, asked.
“Mm, I saw it. Thanks for your concern, Mom,” Yan Qi answered promptly.
Hearing this, Li Caifeng understood what she meant and replied, “It’s nothing. That’s what a mother should do.”
Yan Qi smiled at her, then noticed her father heading to the kitchen to cook. Remembering how he had been severely burned just yesterday—even though he was fully healed now—she hurried over and said,
“Dad, let me help with cooking. You and Mom should rest on the sofa.”
But Yan Zhenyi declined her offer. “No need. Since I don’t have work for the next week anyway, let me cook for you two.”
Still uneasy about letting her father handle cooking, Yan Qi insisted, “But Mom told me you got hurt yesterday.”
“Hurt? Well, I did get a minor injury, but I’m completely fine now. So let me cook,” Yan Zhenyi said, maintaining the story he and his wife had agreed upon—not revealing that he had nearly died from his injuries.
Knowing the truth but unable to expose it due to the identity she had used at the time, Yan Qi sighed and compromised.
“If you’re so set on it, at least let me help with chopping the vegetables. That way, I can still be part of it.”
“Alright then, thanks for the help.”
“Thank you, Dad.”
With that, Yan Qi entered the kitchen and worked alongside her father to prepare lunch.
After some time, the clatter of cooking and the rich aroma of food filled the air, and soon, their meal was ready.
As she ate with her parents, savoring the delicious dishes they had made together, Yan Qi patted her slightly rounded belly with a contented smile.
But she didn’t let herself linger in that happiness for too long.
Soon, she got up to help her mother clear the table, then carried the dishes to the kitchen.
“Mom, did Jiejie call you and Dad yesterday?”
Suddenly remembering her older sister, who was away at university, Yan Qi wondered if she had called home after hearing about the incident in Fangfeng City yesterday morning.