Chapter Fifteen: The Supreme Decision—Ruling Heaven and Earth, Determining Life and Death

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(Couldn’t send it last night, so this is an extra chapter to make up for yesterday.)

In the midst of crisis, Qi Ling had a sudden inspiration. She quietly modulated her own voice to sound similar to the girl’s and quickly said, “It’s nothing. Just now, a bug flew onto my face and startled me.”

“You’re such a big kid, still afraid of bugs? Honestly.” Ayase’s mother didn’t suspect a thing, and her footsteps gradually faded away.

Qi let out a breath of relief, noticing the girl staring at him in astonishment. He spoke calmly, “If you don’t scream or struggle, I’ll let you go. I have no desire for this awkward situation. If you agree, nod your head.”

Ayase nodded hastily. Judging from the current situation, the other party didn’t seem intent on harming her; otherwise, he wouldn’t be behaving so properly, only restraining her hands and mouth, his gaze fixed only on her face.

Seeing her nod, Qi relaxed a little, but to be sure, he added, “If you shout or do anything unnecessary, I’ll… tie up your whole family. Don’t doubt my abilities. Look at the wall over there.”

With that, he released her hand and flicked his wrist toward an inconspicuous corner of the wall. With a soft “thud,” a tiny hole a few millimeters wide appeared. It wouldn’t be noticeable if one wasn’t looking for it, but Ayase, who had been staring that way, saw it clearly.

A look of disbelief once more appeared in her eyes. Only now did she recall the strange manner in which this young man had appeared. The last remnants of defiance evaporated. Seeing this, Qi slowly let go of her hand. When he saw the girl standing rigidly still, he turned his back to her to avoid any further embarrassment.

“It’s inconvenient to talk here. Where is your room? Once you’re dressed, I want to ask you a few questions—perhaps even ask for your help.” As Qi calmed down, the memory of the scene he’d just witnessed flashed through his mind, and for once, a blush crept up his face.

With her back turned, Ayase wondered if she should take the opportunity to knock him out. But recalling how terrifying he was, she dismissed the idea. Since her chastity was no longer in imminent danger, it was best not to risk it.

When he asked her, she reluctantly told him where her room was, and then, to her surprise, noticed that the boy’s ears had turned red. Only then did she remember that she’d been fully exposed before him. Her face flushed crimson, and she quickly ran over to the bathtub to cover herself.

But today seemed to be her unlucky day. Too flustered and distracted by embarrassment, she slipped and fell flat on her back, letting out a cry of pain. The noise drew Qi’s attention; he turned around and was once again stunned by what he saw.

By some misfortune, the girl was sprawled on the floor, legs spread, facing him directly. With his sharp eyesight and perfect memory, he took in every detail of the scene, etching it deep into his mind. Qi hesitated—should he go help her up? She seemed to have fallen hard, but if he tried, she’d surely accuse him of being a pervert.

While he hesitated, Ayase’s mother reappeared. “Ayase, what happened? Did you fall?” Her footsteps were approaching rapidly. If she saw this scene, the consequences would be unimaginable. Qi had no choice but to dash to the window, but having never seen such a window before, and in his anxiety, he couldn’t open it—nor could he break it without making a scene. His panic only grew.

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Ayase, recovering from the pain, also heard her mother’s approaching footsteps. She knew full well that if her mother saw this, her life would be over. With a father serving in the House of Representatives and a mother who was the head of the parent-teacher association, her family enforced strict discipline.

If such a scandal got out, both parents would be tarnished and their enemies would use it against them. Her family would be ruined. Elevating the matter in her mind to a full-blown family crisis, Ayase hurriedly called out, “Mother, I just slipped—nothing serious!”

“Judging by your cry, it sounded pretty bad. Haven’t I taught you? As a daughter of the Niigata family, you must always act carefully and with dignity. I’m coming in to check if you’re hurt.” As the door opened, Ayase’s mother appeared in the doorway.

“No!” Ayase watched in despair as her mother stepped inside.

“What do you mean no? Are you embarrassed to let your mother see you now that you’ve grown up? Why are you still lying on the floor? Get up, that’s so undignified!” Her mother rushed forward to help her up.

Ayase’s eyes widened as she saw Qi silently climb down from the bathroom ceiling and slip out without a sound. Spider-Man? “Ayase, what’s wrong? Don’t scare your mother,” her mother said, noticing her daughter’s stunned expression.

“I’m fine, Mother. I just slipped, that’s all…”

Once out of the bathroom, Qi exhaled in relief and carefully made his way to Ayase’s room. The room was small, furnished with a bookshelf, a wardrobe, a desk, and a bed. The shelves were packed with books, and the wardrobe and desk were covered with plush toys, giving the space a distinctly girlish atmosphere.

Qi didn’t care much for such things. Upon entering, he simply sat cross-legged on the floor. In the original time and space, he had acquired his own exclusive cultivation technique, personally created for him by the gods. The thought alone filled him with excitement.

Searching his mind for the technique, the golden characters “The Primordial Method” expanded in his mind, filling him with an awe-inspiring sense of power. The opening words read: “Master of Heaven and Earth, Arbiter of Life and Death.” Just reading this, he felt an overwhelming sense of dominion and majesty.

Even with Qi’s composure, his emotions were stirred. After those six words came the instructions for cultivation, but Qi found that he could only see the introductory section on energy gathering; the rest was shrouded in mist, unreadable even to him.

Only after reading a few cultivation novels in the coming days would he realize that “The Primordial Method” offered only instructions for cultivating energy, with no mention of offensive or defensive techniques. The introduction was just those six vague words; the effects and results of cultivation were left unexplained. When he had asked the god about this, he’d received a dismissive reply: “Too much trouble to explain. Only you can practice it anyway; just figure it out yourself.”

But Qi wasn’t arrogant. He began cultivating according to the technique’s first stage. Whether due to his own talent or the method being tailor-made, he smoothly completed one full cycle of energy practice, and the internal energy in his body began to transform into spiritual power. He felt his body subtly changing under the influence of this energy.

After Ayase had dressed and endured a lecture from her mother, she walked into her room with a sullen face. The first thing she saw was Qi, sitting cross-legged and naked, eyes closed in meditation. Since he was sitting cross-legged, she got as much of an eyeful as he had earlier. Remembering how she’d been exposed and pinned against the wall in the bathroom, her cheeks burned red. Luckily, she didn’t know that her fall had left her even more exposed; otherwise, she might have charged at him in a fury, launching a spinning kick without hesitation.

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“Pervert! Degenerate! Attempted rapist! Exhibitionist! Creep! Put some clothes on, you bastard!” Ayase slammed the door, shut her eyes, and shouted angrily, though she dared not raise her voice too much.

Qi snapped out of his meditation. Even when not meditating, he could run the cultivation technique and increase his strength, though his focus was less intense and progress slower. Hearing Ayase’s tirade, Qi opened his eyes in confusion, glanced at himself, and his eyes widened—he was stark naked.

It was only then he remembered that, to escape from the cultivator who’d pursued him through the realms, he’d sent all his possessions into the Qi Tome. But why hadn’t he noticed this until now? Even given the recent chaos, it was impossible to forget something so obvious. If anything could distract him from such a thing, it would have to be someone with a truly twisted sense of humor…

A dark cloud gathered on Qi’s brow as he thought of a certain someone. Ignoring Ayase, who dared not look at him, he summoned the Qi Tome and, not knowing how to connect to it, pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall. Instantly, the connection was made, and a peal of wild laughter exploded from the other side.

“Because Lord God is rolling on the floor clutching his stomach with laughter, I’ll answer for him—guess who I am? Ha! Misaka’s secretly laughing inside, knowing the idiot across from her will never guess.” The voice of the Misaka girl came through.

So it really was that bastard god. He’d deliberately thrown him into the bathroom and then blocked his sense of embarrassment, all just for the sake of a joke? “Lady Misaka, do you still have the things I sent inside? Can I get them back?” Qi was still attached to the convenience of his storage pouch, especially since he needed something to cover himself now.

“You guessed I’m Misaka? Impressive. But to get your things back, you’ll need double the energy points! Misaka can’t help but feel ashamed of Lord God’s black-heartedness,” Misaka replied, her voice devoid of emotion.

That was at least useful information. Unfortunately, Qi didn’t have a single energy point at the moment, so he could only infuse spiritual power to exchange for his belongings. Meanwhile, Ayase, seeing that he made no move for a long time, grew furious.

“You there, you perverted exhibitionist! If you want to ask me questions or need my help, put some clothes on—right now, immediately, please!” she snapped.

“Even if you add a fierce ‘please,’ it doesn’t change your bossy attitude,” Qi retorted. “It’s not that I don’t want to wear clothes; I just don’t have any. I didn’t bring anything with me when I arrived—what do you expect me to wear?” Qi put away the Qi Tome and, in the blink of an eye, appeared behind Ayase before she could look up and glare at him.

“Huh? Where did he go?” Ayase exclaimed, looking around in surprise. The small room seemed to have completely swallowed up any sign of Qi.