018 You Are Merely a Neutrino

"Could it be that this body lacks the foundation for cultivation?"

Qu Zhanyi quickly dismissed this conclusion. Even if this body lacked the five elemental spiritual roots and could not absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, what did that have to do with her, a demoness? Hospitals were never short of various forms of resentment; using the cultivation methods of the Demon Realm, she should have been able to circulate "energy" through her dantian regardless.

Yet, she couldn't even perform the simple task of guiding energy into her body. All her mystical arts and divine abilities had become nothing more than useless, indecipherable characters. Qu Zhanyi scavenged through every corner of Xu Xinyou's memories, finding nothing related to cultivation. A chill ran down her spine; a harrowing answer was on the verge of surfacing.

She immediately questioned the System, "What kind of world is this?"

[This planet is called Earth. It is the year 2024 of the Western calendar. You are in a major industrial power known as the world's leading industrial Cthulhu.]

Qu Zhanyi looked displeased. "You know that's not what I'm asking. Where have all the gods and demons gone?"

[You possess Xu Xinyou's complete memories; you should know that this is a materialistic society.]

Qu Zhanyi widened her eyes. "Then what am I?"

[A neutrino that has traveled from a distant corner of the universe.]

"Nonsense..." Qu Zhanyi slammed her fist onto the bed, her face full of fury.

Having failed to get any useful information from the System, her outburst drew the attention of the nurse on duty. "What's wrong? Are you in pain anywhere?"

Qu Zhanyi shook her head. Her mind was entirely occupied by the conversation with the System; not a word of the nurse's inquiry registered. The girl had been like this since she woke up—prone to intermittent episodes. The doctor's diagnosis was mania, hallucinations, and mental instability caused by a severe blow to the head. The nurse sighed inwardly, looking with pity at the girl who had quieted down, and returned to her station.

Her colleague on duty also wore a look of sympathy. "It's a pity... such a perfectly fine young girl, and her mind has been beaten to this state!"

"Indeed, with no father or mother, and a younger brother two years her junior, how will they ever get by?"

Amidst their sighs, Qu Zhanyi’s brows furrowed even tighter. She had never imagined she would one day be seen as a pitiful wretch by others, though that alone was not enough to trouble her. What truly plagued her was the "borrowing of a corpse to return to life." As things stood, the System did not seem to be lying. But if that were true, how could she explain her past life and the world she had come from? Qu Zhanyi paced restlessly in her mind.

The knowledge possessed by this body was simply too meager; it was completely unable to construct a worldview that could link back to her previous life. To unlock the core of all these questions, for now, she could only rely on the System. Thinking of this, Qu Zhanyi felt another headache coming on, but she had no choice but to swallow her pride.

"Brother 17, I need knowledge of a higher plane in this world."

[I am very sorry, but your current moral value is too low to load further knowledge.]

Qu Zhanyi said coldly, "You have already taken my 'Spell Key.' Give and take—you should at least give me a little sweetness in return."

As she spoke, the buzzing static in her mind fell briefly into silence. Five seconds later, the static returned. Qu Zhanyi felt her temples throb violently, as if they were about to burst or were being pierced by steel needles.

[Data loading failed... The host's current cranial capacity and computational power cannot support the interpretation of knowledge from higher planes.]

Veins bulged on Qu Zhanyi's forehead. She gritted her teeth and asked, "Can't you find a way?"

[The System cannot fulfill this request. It is suggested that the host increase cranial capacity and computational power through study and exercise.]

"Heh, in the end, relying on heaven and earth is never as good as relying on oneself!" Qu Zhanyi mocked herself and stopped pestering the useless thing.

...

The fifth day of hospitalization. Evening.

The head teacher, school leaders, and the parents of the hoodlum finally made an appearance. Accompanying them were Xu Xinqi and the language teacher. The five of them crowded in front of the hospital bed, all wearing expressions of impatience.

The head teacher spoke first. "We have already discussed this. You don't need to worry about the medical expenses. You can stay for another three to five days if you like. Do you have any other requests?"

Qu Zhanyi glared at the old woman, her gaze shifting to the dean of students and then to the parents of the hoodlum. The man immediately pulled out some banknotes. "It was his fault; we have already disciplined him." His tone was polite enough, but it did nothing to diminish Qu Zhanyi's anger. Naturally, she refused to accept his charity.

Her gaze returned to the head teacher. She could tell that among them all, this old woman was the most detestable. Qu Zhanyi stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly sprang up and threw a punch toward the woman's nose.

The girl's sudden, unexpected attack was something no one had anticipated. Who could have imagined that this seemingly fragile, yellow-haired girl not only had the courage to retaliate publicly but also aimed her hostility at her head teacher?

Qu Zhanyi's fist landed on the head teacher's nose, though it hurt no more than a mosquito bite. The reason, of course, was that the System had intervened. A powerful electric shock surged through her body, instantly causing her to lose all ability to move. She collapsed head-first at the head teacher's feet.

This act solidified the fact that her "brain had been beaten into disarray." After the doctor confirmed that there was no serious damage to other parts of her body, the hoodlum's parents took out a few more banknotes. The school, led by the dean, also expressed their "sentiments."

The group did not stay long, leaving only Xu Xinqi to look after his sister. The moment Qu Zhanyi regained her ability to move, she sent him away.

She called out to the System again. "Brother 17, come out and let's talk."

[Warning! The host's previous behavior seriously violated the rules. All previously acquired moral values have been deducted, and you are punished with a three-day restriction on physical mobility.]

"I advise you not to do that. My mood is already very bad."

[Warning! Warning! The host is suspected of threatening the System, a serious violation of the rules. Twenty-eight points of vitality have been deducted.]

"Put that act away, Brother 17. Are you underestimating me?"

[Warning...]

"You actually need something from me, don't you!"

After being interrupted, the System fell silent again. Only the "buzzing" static proved it still existed and hadn't gone offline. Qu Zhanyi waited patiently; she was very curious about how the System would respond.

*It will probably deny it.*

Just as she thought this, the System duly denied her.

[The System was implanted to guide you toward goodness...]

"If that were the case, there would be no need to issue tasks. For someone like me to do good deeds actually increases the risk. Because even if you monitor me around the clock without blind spots, you cannot guarantee that the unexpected won't happen."

"Besides, you aren't even capable of doing that."

Qu Zhanyi's words were laced with mockery; she was entirely confident in her conclusion.