Isn't This a Game? Why Are You All Cultivating for Real!

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: How Did I Become a Maidservant?

Xu Qingchuan clearly didn’t care about the Insect Repellent Bag.

After taking it, he just gave Song Jiulai a disdainful glance before returning to his room.

Song Jiulai went back and closed her door as well.

She slapped the scorpion sleeping on her wrist. "Look what you’ve done."

The scorpion, however, didn’t even budge from the slap.

System: "Why are you hitting your child?"

"..."

Song Jiulai sighed. "System, why do I feel like your... data’s mental state is getting a little unstable?"

System: "Isn’t that normal? You’d go crazy too if you had to talk to hundreds of ducks every day."

"..."

It was obvious the System was suffering from burnout after dealing with hundreds of people at once.

Song Jiulai: "Then what are you going to do when you have to chat with thousands, or even tens of thousands, of players?"

System: "Split into multiple system personalities. The cold system, the tsundere system, the domineering system, the ruthless system, the sexy—"

"..."

’It’s over. It’s already broken.’

Nothing much had happened in the Secret Realm so far, so Song Jiulai could only wait quietly for the wedding to begin on the third day.

During this time, she had also wandered around the town and seen a few other Cultivators who had entered the realm.

However, they didn’t interact with Song Jiulai, and she didn’t mind.

She did manage to get some information about the two previous brides.

Qin Yongkang’s two previous wives were both from out of town, but no one knew their specific origins.

Shortly after marrying into the Qin Mansion, they were both said to have died from illness.

Their funerals were also arranged single-handedly by the Qin Mansion’s head maid, Little Cui.

Song Jiulai said, "Why is it Little Cui this, Little Cui that? Does she really have that much power?"

Even though Little Cui was Qin Yongkang’s personal maid, shouldn’t arranging a funeral for the mistress of the house be handled by Qin Yongkang himself?

Song Jiulai asked the blind old woman before her about Little Cui. The old woman, not knowing Song Jiulai was from out of town, sighed endlessly. "That girl, Little Cui, has been at the Qin Mansion since she was a child. She was also the one who went to pick up the two previous mistresses."

After gathering this information, Song Jiulai returned to the Qin Mansion, her focus no longer on Qin Yongkang.

She said to the System, "Why do I feel like the key to this whole problem is Little Cui?"

They hadn’t even seen Qin Yongkang’s face yet.

But this Little Cui seemed to be everywhere.

System: "I think so too. Why don’t you go look for her?"

Unfortunately, she lived in the main courtyard.

And for some reason, she hadn’t come out at all for the past two days.

Song Jiulai suspected she was the one her scorpion had bitten.

Xu Qingchuan next door was as quiet as a mouse, making it feel like there was no one else in this Secret Realm at all.

When the third day arrived, it was finally the night the wedding banquet would officially begin.

The Qin Mansion was decorated with lanterns and streamers early in the morning. Guests came and went for the free-flowing banquet, and amidst the lively atmosphere, Song Jiulai noticed the obvious tension on the faces of Xu Qingchuan and the other Cultivators.

After all, the outcome would be decided tonight, and no one knew what they would face.

According to tradition, the bride and groom would appear to greet the guests tonight.

Little Cui did appear during the day. There was nothing strange about her; she was still all smiles as she greeted the guests.

When night fell, Song Jiulai still had no idea how the bride would be chosen.

But just as she returned to her room, her stomach full and round from the first round of the feast, she suddenly felt drowsy.

An uncontrollable wave of sleepiness washed over her.

When she managed to lift her eyelids again, a jolt shot through her entire body.

She was standing in a courtyard hung with red lanterns, holding a tray with a pot of wine and a bowl of sweet rice balls.

Someone in front of her was speaking to her. "The bride must be hungry. Quickly, take something to her to tide her over."

Song Jiulai looked up and saw a matron.

She had seen this matron before; she was the woman who had spoken a word to Little Cui on the first day.

Seeing Song Jiulai just standing there, the matron’s willow-leaf brows shot up. "Get in there! What are you standing around for?"

Song Jiulai reined in the turbulent waves in her heart and immediately replied, "Yes."

’What’s going on?’

’Weren’t we supposed to become the bride?’

’How did I end up a maid?’

The System tutted. "I knew it. Qin Yongkang’s taste is perfectly fine. You didn’t become the bride; you became a maid."

"..."

’Why does that sound so infuriating?’

This was the main courtyard they hadn’t been able to enter for three days. Only one building stood out, so there was no need to guess which was the main house.

Besides, the matron herself was standing at the entrance talking to her.

It was obvious where she needed to go.

There were no guards at the entrance to the main house. Song Jiulai walked in, carrying the tray.

She saw that her clothes had been changed into a maid’s uniform, somewhat similar to Little Cui’s but not as exquisite.

She figured she was just one of the generic NPC maids, like an ’Extra A’ or ’Extra B’.

’Could the other Cultivators have been turned into maids and guards too?’

All sorts of thoughts flashed through her mind as she entered the main hall and found it empty.

Now it would be hard to find the bride’s room. Song Jiulai was at a loss, but thankfully, the System proved reliable at the crucial moment. It said: "There’s an aura upstairs."

The way it said that made it sound like the person upstairs was barely breathing.

Song Jiulai was a little worried about running into Qin Yongkang at a time like this, so she focused all her senses, remaining extremely vigilant of her surroundings.

Fortunately, she had stored her things in the Sect warehouse and not in a Jiezidai.

Her greatest reliance was the Disposable Magical Treasure she had bought.

If this Secret Realm turned out to be dangerous, she would have to use it, no matter how reluctant she was.

She made her way upstairs. The layout of the ancient pavilion wasn’t that complicated, and she easily found the bride’s room on the second floor.

It had to be the most luxurious and conspicuous one.

It even had a large, open-air balcony in the middle with a fantastic view.

KNOCK KNOCK. Song Jiulai spoke softly, "Madam, I’ve brought you something to eat."

There was no answer from inside.

So Song Jiulai pushed the door open and went in.

Inside, sitting by a large, ornately carved bed at the back of the room, was indeed a bride with a red veil covering her head.

’Following the normal progression, the bride at this point should be one of the selected Cultivators, right?’

’Could it really be that Xu Qingchuan?’

Song Jiulai tried again, speaking tentatively, "Madam, I’ve brought the sweet rice balls in for you..."

Hearing this voice, perhaps finding it a bit familiar, the bride by the bed suddenly and rather brazenly yanked off her veil.

A face as beautiful as a flower paled in shock upon seeing Song Jiulai. "How is it you?"

Song Jiulai was just as shocked. "It really is you!"

Well, I’ll be. Xu Qingchuan really did become the bride.

But you had to admit, with that face as pretty as a flower and a touch of makeup, he was as beautiful as an internet celebrity.

He was far more convincing than Song Jiulai’s face, at least.

As for the fact that he was a man?

That wasn’t important.

If Qin Yongkang himself wasn’t picky, what right did anyone else have to be?

Xu Qingchuan was even more shocked than Song Jiulai had imagined. He looked at her in disbelief. "How did you become a maid?"

Obviously, their faces hadn’t changed, only their roles.

Song Jiulai felt a pang in her heart. She had only become a maid; was that really so surprising?

"So what if you’re the bride? You think you’re so great?!"