My Golden Core is a Star, do you call this cultivating?

Chapter 306: “I Was Just Joking, You Actually Took It Seriously?”

In the Mingwu Martial Arts Hall, the place was decorated with lanterns and streamers, as if they were preparing for a celebration.

And in a way, it was indeed a celebration.

Xu Tiehua from the Mingwu Martial Arts Hall had made it to the top ten in the city-level competition of the Martial Arts Tournament for the first time.

At this moment, Xu Tiehua was quite proud of himself.

Though reaching the top ten might seem trivial for someone of his status, it was still a notable achievement.

It was like a mayor winning third place in a city-level calligraphy competition; it was definitely something to brag about.

The other two contestants stood behind Xu Tiehua, their eyes filled with admiration.

"Congratulations to Senior Brother Xu for making it into the top ten, it's truly something to celebrate," Lin Feng praised.

Yang Jiang also smiled and said, "Within ten years, Senior Brother Xu might reach the peak of martial arts and win the national Martial Arts Tournament!"

Upon hearing this, the other students felt a sense of admiration.

Winning the national Martial Arts Tournament was a great temptation for them.

Becoming the champion would bring considerable benefits, even worth over a hundred million.

There would be all sorts of endorsements, fame, and even invitations to sit with nobility, among other perks.

For Xu Tiehua, fame was even more important, as it would benefit his future career development.

"Ten years is too long," Xu Tiehua couldn't help but sigh.

The martial arts circle was too small, and the prospects were limited.

He wouldn't spend another ten years in this circle.

One or two years to win a title among the top hundred martial artists in the country would be enough.

The martial arts circle offered limited help to him.

"If I had ten years to win the national Martial Arts Tournament, I would definitely take it!" Lin Feng laughed.

"Your ten years are not the same as Senior Brother Xu's ten years. Brother Xu plans to enter politics in the future. He won't waste another ten years in the martial arts circle," Xing Yu said.

The others nodded in agreement.

In Qin Yuan Nation, the promotion of officials didn't rely heavily on seniority.

After cultivating a reputation for some time, the nobility could enter officialdom.

Currently, Xu Tiehua was in that phase of building his reputation.

"Senior Brother Xu, do you plan to go into politics or join the military?" Wang Shiqiao asked curiously.

"Join the military!" Xu Tiehua replied firmly.

"Joining the military? That’s too dangerous. The world is not peaceful right now. With the war between Wugui and Yuelang, who knows when the conflict might spread to our country," Lin Feng said with concern.

To him, joining the military was nowhere near as safe as entering politics.

After all, gunfire was ruthless and could strike at any time.

Yang Jiang, however, had a different view: "There’s fortune in danger. With the war on the horizon, there are plenty of opportunities to make a name for oneself.

Next time we meet Senior Brother Xu, we might have to call him General!"

"Joining the military is indeed risky. I heard a rumor recently that a few days ago, a military base in Wugui, with a whole regiment stationed there, was completely massacred," Xing Yu said with a complex expression.

“Haha, are you talking about that video of a single sword destroying a military camp? I saw that too. It's ridiculous! The special effects look like they cost fifty cents; it’s so fake!” Wang Shiqiao said loudly.

She was always at odds with Wugui, so it was normal for her to come across such videos.

"Your sources are too dubious.

An entire regiment being wiped out, and I haven’t heard any official reports?" Lin Feng clearly didn't believe it.

After all, Yuelang was a military ally of Qin Yuan Nation. If Yuelang had achieved such an exaggerated feat, the news would surely be reported extensively by Qin Yuan Nation.

But right now, there wasn't any news about it at all.

Everything was just hearsay.

“It does sound exaggerated. I also saw that video, and I can confidently say that we don’t have any weapons in Qin Yuan Nation capable of that effect,” Xu Tiehua said.

Since he intended to join the military, he was well-versed in Qin Yuan Nation's advanced weapons.

No weapon could create such an effect.

Turning into a blood-red giant sword and smashing down wasn’t something even the Sky Eye's attacks could do.

“I saw comments saying that someone secretly became an immortal behind our backs!” Wang Shiqiao laughed.

Everyone was staying up late, metaphorically "cultivating immortality," but someone had actually succeeded in real cultivation.

The other students didn’t quite understand, as they hadn’t seen the video.

A group of students chatted idly for a while.

Lin Feng and Yang Jiang tactfully avoided mentioning Qi Yuan, who had deserted them last minute.

The atmosphere in the martial arts hall was joyous and harmonious.

Suddenly, someone called out to Wang Shiqiao.

“Sister Shiqiao, someone’s looking for you.”

Wang Shiqiao turned around and saw the receptionist.

Before she could move, Xing Yu teased, “Is she bothering you again?”

Wang Shiqiao's face showed a helpless expression. “Probably, ugh, what a nuisance!”

Xing Yu couldn't help but laugh. "What nuisance? It could be a good fate!"

“Shut up, I’ve always had normal tastes. They have to be handsome!”

“She’s not handsome?”

“Even if she’s handsome, she’s still a woman!” Wang Shiqiao said indignantly.

A year ago, she was hanging out at a nightclub and met a good-looking guy. They drank a little, and things got heated.

But at the hotel, she found out that the other person was missing a certain something.

Wang Shiqiao certainly wasn’t interested after that.

She was straight.

She flatly refused.

She thought that was the end of it, but then, a few days ago, she ran into that "handsome guy" again.

That "handsome guy" pursued her relentlessly.

She was getting annoyed.

But she still had to meet her.

After all, she had just learned that her parents were old friends with the person's family.

Reluctantly, Wang Shiqiao walked out of the martial arts hall, cursing under her breath, “These plastic surgery clinics are really unethical these days, turning a woman into a man. Got me into such a mess!”

Stepping out of the hall, the sky was clear, and the sun was particularly dazzling.

Wang Shiqiao looked at the buzz-cut figure not far away, a helpless expression on her face. "Zhao Di, what do you want from me?"

In front of her was Zhao Di, the "handsome guy" Wang Shiqiao met at the nightclub.

She was wearing a blue robe, flat-chested, with a rugged look on her face, appearing very much like a man.

“Xiaoqiao, don’t resist me. I just want to be friends,” Zhao Di said in a neutral voice.

Wang Shiqiao couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Yeah, right, she thought.

Friends? Just wanted to sleep with her, that’s all.

She knew that line all too well.

“In a few days, Auntie’s art exhibition will begin. Why don’t you invite me along? I know some wealthy businessmen who are very interested in art pieces,” Zhao Di suggested.

In five days, Wang Shiqiao's mother would be hosting an art exhibition. Zhao Di wanted to attend to show support.

As the hostess, Wang Shiqiao had to attend.

Hearing this, Wang Shiqiao was even more displeased, her anger flaring up for no reason.

She was used to being carefree and hated such underhanded coercion the most.

Why not just come directly?

“Sorry, I don’t feel like going to my mom’s art exhibition. I’d rather it had no guests at all so she’d give up on her artistic dreams and just go home and play mahjong!” Wang Shiqiao said angrily.

Zhao Di realized her mistake and quickly said, “Xiaoqiao, I’m sorry, don’t be mad.

Look, I’ve brought you a gift.”

Zhao Di said as she took out a bag, opened the leather pouch, and revealed a broken sword.

“I saw you liked this sword last time, so I got it for you,” Zhao Di said proudly.

Last time, when Wang Shiqiao was strolling through an antique market, she fancied a broken sword.

But someone else bought it first. She offered three times the price, but the other person refused.

At that time, Wang Shiqiao was quite disappointed.

Zhao Di happened to witness the scene.

So, she coerced and tempted the person into giving her the sword.

Now, she was presenting it as a gift to Wang Shiqiao.

Looking at the broken sword, Wang Shiqiao’s eyes lit up with surprise, but then she grew angry. “How did you get this sword?”

Honestly, she didn’t like Zhao Di very much and resisted her advances, not just because Zhao Di was cross-dressing as a man, but more because she felt she and Zhao Di were not of the same circle.

Although Wang Shiqiao saw herself as a bad person, lacking morals.

However, she would never use her family background to bully others or break the law.

Zhao Di was clearly different. She had heard that Zhao Di, in a jealous rage, once broke a man’s legs.

And she used her powerful family background to escape legal punishment.

She did not approve of Zhao Di’s behavior.

This broken sword was likely obtained through Zhao Di's threats and inducements.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Di’s expression turned cold, and she seemed a bit annoyed, losing her patience.

She grabbed Wang Shiqiao’s hand, a cold look on her face. “This sword...”

But before she could finish, a voice interrupted.

“Wang Shiqiao, what a coincidence, seeing you as soon as I arrived. It looks like my luck is good today.”

Wang Shiqiao turned her head to see a well-built young man with a smiling face approaching with a gift box in hand.

Seeing Qi Yuan, Wang Shiqiao’s eyes showed a hint of joy, but then she became conflicted.

Clearly, Zhao Di was already angry with her.

If Xu Tiehua had come over at this moment, she could have boldly brought him over to help her out.

But it was Qi Yuan who came. She was afraid of causing Qi Yuan unnecessary trouble, especially since Qi Yuan came from a humble background. If Zhao Di held a grudge against him, it could become quite difficult.

“You’re back?” Wang Shiqiao struggled but couldn’t break free from Zhao Di’s grip. She didn’t struggle again and instead said, “Qi Yuan, Senior Brother Xu Tiehua made it to the top ten in this Martial Arts Tournament. They’re celebrating inside. You should go check it out.”

She wanted to keep Qi Yuan away from her trouble.

“Oh, he made the top ten? It seems our Mingwu Martial Arts Hall is full of hidden talents.

But I came here today specifically to see you,” Qi Yuan said, waving the delicately wrapped box.

Robot No. 1 had carefully wrapped it, using a pink theme. The pink ribbon was tied into a bow, looking quite cute and girlish.

“This, a gift I’m giving you, is worth a million!” Qi Yuan said, waving the gift box, a smile in his eyes.

He had two tasks to do at the martial arts hall: first, find Wang Shiqiao to collect the million yuan; second, inform the hall master that he would rarely come for training in the future.

“A million?” Wang Shiqiao was taken aback.

Had Qi Yuan suddenly wised up?

Was he giving her a gift?

If it were in the martial arts hall, her first thought would be that Qi Yuan was plotting something, and her second thought would be feeling flattered.

Qi Yuan had always been straightforward, so probably no tricks, just being friendly.

But right now, it didn’t seem appropriate.

Zhao Di was also curious, looking at Qi Yuan with a hint of hostility in her eyes: “Xiaoqiao, is this your suitor? Quite handsome?”

Everyone was an adult; giving gifts meant either asking for a favor or courting someone.

Zhao Di naturally thought Qi Yuan was courting.

“I wonder if I’m privileged enough to see this million-yuan gift?” Zhao Di asked.

She immediately saw that Qi Yuan's attire was quite ordinary, and while the packaging was fancy, it was clearly cheap.

She didn’t believe there was anything worth a million inside.

Wang Shiqiao obviously understood Zhao Di was trying to trouble Qi Yuan, and she quickly said, “This is my gift. When I open it is up to me.”

She wasn’t giving Zhao Di a chance to scold Qi Yuan.

At this moment, Qi Yuan said, “Let’s open it now. I need you to confirm it because I’m in a hurry to leave.

I’ve been traveling for days, too tired, I need to go home and rest.”

Because after resting, he needed to continue his journey to take the test for the Martial Arts Tournament with Yang Shan.

“Huh?” Wang Shiqiao was puzzled, unsure what Qi Yuan was up to. “Are you sure you want to open it now?”

“Sure, why not? There’s no one else here, and no surveillance cameras, it’s fine.” Qi Yuan looked confident.

At the moment, the three of them were in a corner of the martial arts building, with almost no one around.

Wang Shiqiao was a bit bewildered, feeling that Qi Yuan’s words were odd.

Zhao Di reached out and took the overly feminine gift box: “Let me open it for you. Let’s see what a million-yuan gift looks like!”

Zhao Di placed her hand on the ribbon, and instead of forcefully tearing it, she untied it.

Her face showed curiosity.

Wang Shiqiao was even more curious than Zhao Di.

It was strange enough that Qi Yuan was giving her a gift.

And it was worth a million?

Seconds passed, and Zhao Di opened the package. She caught a faint scent, a mix of a light odor, a slight bloody smell, and a hint of salt.

She fully opened the package.

Instantly, a large severed head, bloody and fresh, appeared right before her eyes.

"Ah!"

She let out a scream, dropping the package to the ground.

She looked at Qi Yuan, her face filled with utter terror.

At that moment, she was extremely frightened. Without any hesitation, she turned and ran away.

The broken sword in her hand fell to the ground, and she didn't dare to pick it up.

That was a human head!

It was a real human head!

Carrying a human head as a gift on the street, what kind of ruthless person was that?

Better run first!

As for Wang Shiqiao’s safety, she didn’t care at all.

At that moment, Wang Shiqiao’s mind was blank.

She stood there in a daze, her limbs numb, unable to move.

“You... you...” She looked at Qi Yuan, unable to form coherent words.

“You like the gift, right? Look how excited you are, you can’t even speak,” Qi Yuan said, understanding her perfectly.

She was stuttering, surely moved to tears by his gift.

Wang Shiqiao’s legs were numb, her heart pounding with fear. She was so angry that Zhao Di didn’t drag her away when she left.

In front of her, Qi Yuan now seemed like a psychopathic killer.

“Alright, I’ve given you the head. Isn’t it time you paid me the million?” Qi Yuan extended his hand.

This was a million! You could buy thousands of bowls of beef noodles with it. No way he could let it go to waste.

At that moment, Wang Shiqiao was completely stunned.

She even imagined that Qi Yuan was extorting her.

Holding a severed head and demanding a million.

Although she couldn’t quite understand, anyone who saw this head would probably pay up.

“I’ve sent my bank account number to your phone. Remember to transfer the money,” Qi Yuan said.

Seeing Qi Yuan’s sincere expression, Wang Shiqiao could only nod.

At this point, would she rather give him the head back?

“Why do you look so reluctant?

Do you know how much effort it took me to get this head?

I traveled all the way to Wugui Nation, searched all the military bases there, and finally found this guy who insulted you for a month. Then... I cut off his head.

Do you know how much risk I took? My heart was in my throat when I passed the security check.

Just a million yuan, is that too much?” Seeing Wang Shiqiao’s reluctance, Qi Yuan continued, pouring out his difficulties.

Wang Shiqiao was stunned.

The one who insulted her for a month?

Could it be?

She forced herself to look directly at the bloody head. When she saw the familiar face on it...

Wang Shiqiao's eyes widened: "That's him... that's him..."

She recognized it. This head belonged to the Wugui officer who had argued with her online for a month!

His head was now in Qi Yuan’s box.

This unbelievable event left her bewildered.

Suddenly, she remembered her conversation with Qi Yuan a few days ago. Qi Yuan had said he was in Wugui Nation.

She also remembered that a few months ago, she had joked with Qi Yuan.

She said that if Qi Yuan could bring her the Wugui officer’s head, she would give him a million.

Now, it all made sense.

Hmm... Qi Yuan had brought the head.

At this moment, Wang Shiqiao felt like crying but had no tears. She was also filled with anxiety.

I was just joking, but you took it seriously?

She was very thankful that her joke had been a modest one.

What if she had made a bigger joke? Who knows what Qi Yuan might have done?

At the same time, she was full of questions about how Qi Yuan had done it.

After all, the other person was a Wugui officer.

Moreover, the video had shown that he wasn’t just any officer, but also had noble status.

How could someone stationed in a military base be killed by Qi Yuan?

Seeing that Wang Shiqiao wasn’t speaking, Qi Yuan quickly added, “Although I might have exaggerated a bit, that’s pretty much the gist. The million can’t be less.”

This was Qi's style of reasoning.

Wang Shiqiao looked at Qi Yuan, swallowing hard: “I’ll transfer the million to you right away.”

A million wasn’t a lot for Wang Shiqiao. She could scrape it together.

After all, seeing the head right in front of her, how could she not pay?

If Qi Yuan cut her head off and put it in that box, how unjust would that be?

She decided that in the future, she needed to be careful with what she said to Qi Yuan. She couldn’t just speak carelessly.

No, she should try to stay away from Qi Yuan altogether.

“Keep the head safe. No seven-day return policy or refund!” Qi Yuan reminded seriously.

Seeing this, Wang Shiqiao could only nervously close the box, holding the gift with a look of despair: “Alright.”

“Huh, whose broken sword is this? Who dropped it? No owner?” Qi Yuan’s gaze fell on the broken sword on the ground. He bent down to pick it up, “Since it’s unowned, it’s mine now.”

Qi Yuan was in a good mood, feeling like his luck was great today.

Not only did he earn a million, but he also got a broken sword.

For him as a cultivator, this broken sword was insignificant.

But for Qi Yuan as a martial artist, it was somewhat valuable.

Hearing Qi Yuan’s words and watching his performance, Wang Shiqiao didn’t dare refute: “Yes, it’s unowned, so it’s yours now.”

Qi Yuan comfortably pocketed the broken sword, then said, “Let’s go back to the martial arts hall.”

Holding the gift box with the head inside, Wang Shiqiao nodded blankly.

At this point, she didn’t dare refuse Qi Yuan.

Even if Qi Yuan asked her to strip naked and run around, she would grit her teeth and agree.

Following behind Qi Yuan, holding the gift box with the head inside, Wang Shiqiao was filled with confusion.

Soon, they both entered the martial arts hall.

Xing Yu’s gaze drifted over, looking surprised. She glanced at Qi Yuan, then at Wang Shiqiao, smiling, “Oh, who gave you that gift?

From the look on your face, you don’t like it?

If you don’t like it, just throw it away!”

Hearing her friend’s words, Wang Shiqiao panicked: “I like it, I really like it!”

“It’s a gift from me,” Qi Yuan said casually.

Xing Yu looked surprised: “You wooden block... finally opened up and gave Xiaoqiao a gift? Xiaoqiao, come on, let me see what it is!”

Xing Yu said as she reached out to touch the gift box.

Wang Shiqiao hurriedly backed away: “Don’t!”

Seeing this, Xing Yu wisely refrained from prying, instead laughing, “Could it be one of those gifts that make a girlfriend cry with emotion?”

Wang Shiqiao didn’t answer but agreed in her heart. She was indeed moved to tears, and didn’t dare move!

After saying goodbye to Wang Shiqiao and the others, Qi Yuan went to see the second senior brother of the martial arts hall.

His intentions were clear.

Now that he had reached the peak of martial arts, there was nothing more he could learn from the hall.

So, he was here to inform the second senior brother that he would rarely come in the future.

“Oh, fine, you’re a student here, you’ve paid your fees, you can do what you want,” the second senior brother chuckled, not rejecting Qi Yuan’s request, “By the way, you missed this Martial Arts Tournament. It’s a pity, Xu Tiehua performed well and got ninth place!”

In the martial arts hall, everyone praised Xu Tiehua but didn’t mention the specific ranking. They just said he was in the top ten because he was ninth.

“Not bad, full of talent,” Qi Yuan casually praised.

The second senior brother sighed with regret, “It’s a shame you didn’t come. If you had participated, we would have had four people from our hall. Maybe we could have qualified for the team event.”

Qi Yuan shrugged: “A friend of mine got into trouble, I had to go abroad.

When you see Xu Tiehua later, please tell him for me.”

Qi Yuan had some tact.

Although he had a certificate for mental illness, he still had to play the part of a polite madman.

He had stood Xu Tiehua up, so he had to apologize.

However, he probably wouldn’t be coming back to the hall, so he asked the second senior brother to pass along his message.

“Hmm, it’s no big deal, just a small thing.

Looks like you’ll have to wait until next year to have a chance to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament and see the world,” the second senior brother continued, “But next year, you might already be a martial artist. You might even achieve a good ranking.”

Qi Yuan shook his head: “Why wait until next year? I’m still going to participate in this year’s national Martial Arts Tournament...”

“Haha... and win the championship, right!” the second senior brother laughed.

Qi Yuan's boast about winning the national Martial Arts Tournament had spread throughout the hall, but no one took it seriously.

Seeing the smile in the second senior brother's eyes, Qi Yuan couldn’t be bothered to explain, nor would he.