Chapter 75: The 1200 Combat Power of the White-Haired Ugly Woman

As they turned the corner, the clamor gradually grew louder. Looking closely, it turned out to be a group of cultivation novices hawking their wares at makeshift stalls. But that was not what caught Qi’s eye. His gaze fixed upon a white-haired... ugly woman sitting at the very front of the market.

It was from her lips the singing drifted, ethereal and sorrowful, each word steeped in a tragic story. Her silvery white hair swayed in the wind, trailing behind her like mist; her plain white dress evoked a lily blooming in a secluded valley—yet the pistil of this lily exuded a faintly unpleasant scent.

A grotesque black mark marred her face, stretching from her left cheek across her mouth and nose, winding up to the tip of her right brow. Her eyes were dim and lifeless, as deep and still as an ancient well, reflecting nothing of the world around her. She could not see the bright colors of this world.

This was a woman with a story. If not for that face, Qi would have turned away at once, for she was too dangerous. Yet her mournful song ignited the agony buried deep within Qi’s heart, wrenching it forth and laying it bare under the scorching sun. Still, he could not stop listening. Though the pain was sharp, the resonance with his own emotions allowed him to recall bygone days amidst the suffering.

Atop the heights of immortals and demons, the way is boundless.
With a flick of the fingers, immortals and demons appear.
Arts and swords, life and death hang by a thread.
Before the jade falls, white hair soars to the sky.
Alone in shape and shadow, one dares to ask the heavens:
Why can’t immortals and demons love each other?

As her white hair drifted past, the bustling cultivators gradually fell silent. In the world, only the solitary white-haired figure remained, growing more distant with each step.

“How sad—she’s so pitiful,” whispered a young girl.

---

His reflective glasses concealed the look in his eyes, hiding whatever emotion flickered there. Expressionless, he turned his head to see little Mikoto, eyes brimming with tears, watching the white-haired woman recede until she vanished from sight.

“Did you understand what she was singing?” Qi adjusted his glasses, his voice flat.

“Wasn’t it Chinese? I can speak English, French, Italian, and a few other languages too. In Academy City, the level of one’s abilities matches their grades, and as one of the seven Level 5 electromasters, I was at the very top of my class...”

She rambled on, her pride momentarily pushing aside her sadness.

“By the way, haven’t you been talking a lot more than yesterday? According to my calculations, you’ve already spoken over three minutes more than yesterday,” Qi remarked, stepping forward as they wandered among the busy stalls once more.

“Really? It seems this body is quickly adapting to this world. And maybe it’s just my imagination, but I feel my physical strength and control over electromagnetic forces have also improved,” Mikoto exclaimed, waving her small pink fists in delight.

“Let’s see what your combat power is now.” Qi’s ear twitched as he discreetly pressed a hidden button on his glasses—the cold data flickered across the lenses.

“Huh? Your glasses can do that too? Like the scouters in Dragon Ball? ‘There’s a strong energy in the southwest, power level over twenty thousand!’ Can you say cool lines like that?” Mikoto reached out, eager to snatch Qi’s glasses, her eyes shining with curiosity.

“Uh, you’ve seen Dragon Ball too? It’s something like that. Here’s the result: your combat power is about twelve hundred. Judging from your lightning yesterday, your attacks didn’t seem to increase your power, maybe not even reaching combat level. Were you holding back, or have you not tapped into your full strength?”

“Only twelve hundred? What about you? And the other cultivators around here? What’s the combat power for cultivators at different stages?” Mikoto was a little annoyed at Qi’s stinginess, reaching repeatedly for his glasses, though in terms of pure strength, she was no match.

“Mine is hard to measure. And don’t trust these numbers too much—some people’s power doubles or even multiplies several times during battle, and some can’t even be measured by the device. Cultivators can also deliberately hide their energy, making scouters practically useless. So don’t rely on science in the world of cultivation—cultivation itself defies science.”

“You didn’t answer any of my questions! And is there another scouter like that? I want to try it too—it just looks so cool.” Mikoto rubbed her little hands, red from being slapped away, eyes brimming with tears. After all, she was in a baby’s body; she attributed her teary eyes to overactive tear glands.

“You can’t wear this. As for the surrounding cultivators, those at the third level of Qi Refining have combat power between twenty and twenty-five, fourth level between thirty-five and forty. Only from the sixth to seventh level does it increase by ten, otherwise it’s just five per level. Some individuals might be a bit higher due to superior techniques,” Qi explained as he browsed the stalls.

“None even reach a hundred. That’s so weak. By the way, can we ask about what happened in Lijiang City? The cultivators here seem different from the commoners,” Mikoto remembered her original purpose, giving Qi’s head a little pat.

---

“Don’t be hasty. Cultivators aren’t known for their kindness; they won’t share information with strangers unless you pay with spirit stones. But I have a better way. For now, let’s stroll around these stalls and shops. It’s just like a flea market, isn’t it?” Qi removed his glasses again; after all, it wouldn’t do to haggle with cultivators with a blank expression, cool as it might be. More importantly, glasses didn’t exist in the cultivation world. Cultivators might mistake them for magical artifacts, and a fight could break out over a misunderstanding, which would be ridiculous.

“All right, let’s just wander around then.” Mikoto was already perched on his shoulder, eagerly looking around.

As they inquired about prices, Qi became increasingly aware of the black-heartedness of the prices in the Qi Compendium. A low-grade spirit stone could only be exchanged for a single yuan, yet an ordinary mid-grade flying sword cost barely over two hundred spirit stones, whereas the Compendium demanded at least a thousand yuan for the same item.

The same price as that frying pan from last time. Damn, why is the frying pan now ten thousand yuan? Has the madman returned?

—First-time redemption of non-native items enjoys a ninety percent discount, whether it’s a frying pan or universal plain glasses.—

What a shrewd business model—give you your first taste for cheap, so you can’t help but want more. Aren’t they worried I’ll just redeem a huge stock the first time? But buying in bulk is wasteful, and besides, the real profit is in volume. That madman could have made a killing in business.

“Whoa, what... what are those? How can there be so many unknown adorable creatures in this world? They’re so cute!”

Turning, Qi saw that Mikoto had already leapt off his shoulder and was racing excitedly toward a nearby stall.

(Is Christmas Eve yesterday or today? Sigh, I’ve already prepared the oil drum and torches. See you at our place tonight.)