I Just Won't Play by the Book - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: I Have Seen Through Your Thoughts
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

‘The script must be wrong!!!’
Jiang Beiran was flabbergasted. He had clearly chosen the easiest option, Option Three! How was it that he still ended up being scammed!
From the moment he had found out that the person who had come was Law Protector Yu Manwen of the Order of Water Mirror, Jiang Beiran knew that it must be a follow-up from the trouble that Liu Zijin caused yesterday. So, he thought that the options given by the system would continue to help him through this disaster. He’d never thought that things would circle back around and wind up back at the same point again.
One must know that being the Iron Seal to Liu Zijin was an option of Earth Grade Middle Tier!
“No, no. It must be that we have yet to reach the last page of the script. Surely the system would not scam me like this,” he said.
Hearing Jiang Beiran suddenly react so strongly, Yu Manwen glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes and asked, “Why? Are you unwilling?”
Jiang Beiran was just about to answer when three options appeared in front of him.
[Option One: “Thank you very much for your trust, Law Protector Yu, but I really have something important going on lately. I can’t leave the Order of Blue Heart.” Reward for completion: Force of Dragon Severing (Black Grade High Tier)]
[Option Two: “It’s not that I don’t want to, but recently I have gained a new understanding of the blocking moves in the Go puzzles, so I want to stay on the mountain and play a few more games with the Order Etiquetter so that I can thoroughly understand it.” Reward for completion: Mystic Technique of Lotus (Yellow Grade Low Tier)]
[Option Three: “Of course not, it’s just that I am a bit flattered.” Reward for completion: Random basic skill point +1]
‘It is really trying to scam me!’ he thought.
Although Jiang Beiran had been living with this system for five years and could generally analyze the reasoning behind the options it gave, there were still times when he encountered such situations that left him completely baffled.
After a quick analysis of the three options, Option One meant that, if he was to be too perfunctory with the Law Protector, the reward of Black Grade High Tier implied that there would be considerable trouble that came from it afterward.
Option Two meant that if Jiang Beiran could make the reason clear, it would be much better than being perfunctory, but there was still some risk.
But what Jiang Beiran couldn’t understand was that agreeing to be an Iron Seal for Liu Zijin would be the best option. Yesterday it was clearly…
Thinking about everything that happened yesterday, a lightbulb suddenly turned on in Jiang Beiran’s mind. He became enlightened!
The reason why choosing to become the Iron Seal for Liu Zijin yesterday would get him an Earth Grade Middle Tier reward was not because of how difficult her trial would be, but that if he had chosen to help her, then the Brother Kong, who descended from the sky yesterday, would probably have come looking for trouble with him.
And this Brother Kong was probably the reason why the option would reward Earth Grade prizes.
‘So, if I agree to Law Protector Yu’s request here, there would be some reason for that Brother Kong to not be jealous of me?’ he wondered.
After more or less finishing the general analysis, Jiang Beiran chose Option Three and, while joining his hands in a salute, said to Protector Yu, “Of course not, it’s just that I am a little flattered.”
[Chosen Quest completed. Reward: Music Theory +1]
The reason why Jiang Beiran analyzed the options so carefully this time instead of choosing the easiest one mindlessly like before was because many experiences made him realize that, once he triggered the Earth Grade reward option, he had to be careful with the subsequent handling. Otherwise, it would be like the incident with the junior Sister where the easiest option was also an event with a high difficulty level instead of rewarding attribute points.
That’s the last outcome he wanted to see!
“Mhmm!” Yu Manwen nodded in satisfaction. “Then the matter is settled. I will bring my disciples to you the day after tomorrow.”
“Yes. I will obey your orders, Law Protector,” he replied.
Hearing Jiang Beiran agree so readily, Yu Manwen was satisfied in her heart. After all, she knew that the reason why Liu Zijin was in a bad mood last night must be due to being rejected.
So, she was a little worried that Jiang Beiran would be unwilling to take on the job and find some nonexistent excuse to fool her. In that case, she would have had to find some way to spur him on.
But from his current behavior, it seemed that the disciple still respected her as the Law Protector very much.
Other than the initial sympathy she felt for Jiang Beiran earlier, Yu Manwen now found Jiang Beiran more and more to her liking.
“Beiran, I see that you are proficient in music and literary skills. Plus, you are a disciple of the Order of Blue Heart, so your Go skills should also be excellent, right?” she asked.
“You flatter me, Law Protector Yu. I have only dabbled in them a little, and I am in no way proficient,” he said.
“No need to be modest. I can understand what you are thinking. Is it that you feel that you can’t break through in terms of cultivation, so you plan to seek achievements in other fields?” Yu Manwen asked him.
Looking at Yu Manwen, who looked like she had already seen through his thoughts, Jiang Beiran went along with her and said, “Law Protector Yu, you are really sharp-eyed, seeing through these little thoughts of mine.”
“Haha! Beiran, you really speak well. It doesn’t require a sharp eye. Surely anyone with a discerning eye can see?” Yu Manwen patted Jiang Beiran’s shoulder and looked at him with eyes as gentle as water to encourage him. “Actually, you don’t have to despair about cultivation at such a young age. I have heard of many masters who encountered various difficulties when they first refined Qi, but eventually, they soared to the heavens after breaking through the bottleneck! And they end up becoming a powerful master.”
“Thank you for your encouragement, Law Protector. I’ll keep it in mind,” Jiang Beiran said.
“Mhmm. I’m saying this to you in hopes that you wouldn’t devote all your time to the arts, and instead spend more time practicing the Rhymed Formula of Returning Hearts. Come to me if you do not understand anything. I will definitely teach you properly,” she said.
‘This…’ Jiang Beiran didn’t know whether to thank her or not. After all, in the Sect of Returning Hearts, the boundaries between the orders were still quite clear. As a disciple of the Order of Blue Heart, if he was to go to the Law Protector of the Order of Water Mirror for guidance, would it not be a slap in the face to the many senior members of the Order of Blue Heart?
Seeming to sense Jiang Beiran’s hesitation, Yu Manwen smiled and said, “Tell me the truth. Has Zhang Heqing ever come to test your capabilities?”
Jiang Beiran shook his head and said, “The Order Master has not done so, but Sword Protector Feng came to test me once.”
“What did he say?”
Jiang Beiran replied with a smile, “Sword Protector Feng said that everyone has their own strengths and should do what they are good at in order to get twice the result with half the effort. I feel that this statement is very reasonable, so…”
“He’s bullsh… Ahem.” Yu Manwen coughed slightly and shook her head. “No wonder you have been a named disciple in Order of Blue Heart for five years. It seems that Feng Yulong represented the senior management of the Order of Blue Heart to test you, and he directly dismissed your path of cultivation.”
“Sword Protector Feng also did it out of kindness. After all, at that time it had been three years where I…”
“Hey!” Not waiting for Jiang Beiran to finish speaking, Yu Manwen interrupted him, saying, “Sword Protector Feng’s words do have a point, but he is not entirely right. After all, you are only 20 years old. I’ve heard about people who broke through to become a Mystic at the age of 30 and still ended up becoming a warlord. Believe me, you still have plenty of opportunities.”
Not giving Jiang Beiran a chance to answer, Yu Manwen continued, saying, “If you really want to cultivate properly, just come to me. I’ll cover for you if anything happens. At most, I’ll directly transfer you to my Order of Water Mirror, and I expect that your Order Master Zhang will not say anything.”
Jiang Beiran listened to this and quickly waved his hand. “Actually, the management in the Order are quite caring towards me, but I am more interested in Go at the moment. That’s why…”
“No need to speak further.” Yu Manwen shook her head at Jiang Beiran. “I know these are all your protective colors. You can’t hide that disappointed look in your eyes from me when you mention cultivation. You’re just using the study of Go to numb yourself, am I right?”
Seeing Yu Manwen give him another look as if she had seen through his thoughts, Jiang Beiran really wanted to shout out loud, ‘I’m not. I didn’t!’