I'm Ximen Qing, living in a ghost story!

Looking at the rudimentary system interface, Ximen Qing understood.

His body is not that of the Ximen official in the broader sense.

Instead, it was Ximen Qing, the R-level hero in the pay-to-win Water Margin card game he developed and maintained.

Perhaps it was because the computer exploded or because of some guy's prank, but in any case, he has now merged with everything about Ximen Qing.

Possessing the passive skill "Absorbing Yin to Replenish Yang"—Ximen Da Guanren can enhance his strength by absorbing the power of female opponents.

As for arriving in this seemingly paradoxical world of Liaozhai, that was a choice made by the game system.

Because this world is "beset by a demonic star, rife with sins, and in dire need of 108 heroes to save the world and avert disaster."

In fact, Ximen Qing still hasn't figured out whether this is the world of Liaozhai, the world of Water Margin, or a fusion of the two worlds.

After all, he hasn't encountered any of the heroes from Water Margin yet.

He was bound to the system of the terrible game he played before he transmigrated.

It's just that it probably suffered too much damage during the time travel, retaining only the most essential functions—

Pay-to-win system and gacha system!

As expected, the core of all games isn't gameplay, but rather spending money!

First, let's talk about gacha. Gacha allows you to draw all the characters in the Water Margin world, as well as their skills and items.

The characters in Water Margin are divided into four levels: R, SR, SSR, and Golden Legend.

Drawing an R-rank card grants the corresponding hero's equipment and some of their passive skills.

For example, Ximen Qing's "absorbing yin to replenish yang" was, of course, mostly about equipment.

From Hu Sanniang's bellyband and Gu Dasao's foot-binding cloth to Yang Zhi's ancestral sword, it all depends on luck and probability.

SR-level cards are even better, mostly consisting of active skills for various heroes and various magical artifacts.

For example, Lu Zhishen's monk's staff, or Dai Zong's divine speed technique.

The drop rate for SSR-level cards is very low. Drawing an SSR-level card can yield various heroes' "Star Fate" and divine/demonic skills.

For example, Wu Song's "Human Tai Sui God" skill, and each of you has your corresponding Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Star fate.

The highest-tier gold legendary card can directly summon the corresponding character, thus becoming their "lord".

Doesn't that sound amazing?

Even the lowest-tier R-level cards can yield equipment and passive skills for the corresponding hero—that's incredibly generous!

Haha, that would be too naive.

According to Ximen Qing's memory, he clearly remembered that the unscrupulous boss had adjusted the drop rate to be outrageously low.

The gacha pool isn't just limited to these few hero card tiers; it also contains many "thank you for your patronage" cards and junk.

You can even draw things like "a tattered kitchen knife from a soldier of Liangshan Marsh" and "fake medicine sold by General Li Zhong, the Tiger Slayer".

It was brimming with malice.

At this point, the pay-to-win system was launched.

The resource you spend money on is called "Soul Points".

In the past life, it was naturally RMB, but in this world, soul points require real ghosts and spirits to purchase.

In short, this system works by absorbing spirits and ghosts to gain soul points, and then using that points to draw prizes!

Ximen Qing had just drained Qing'er dry and only then accumulated one soul point.

He even had reason to suspect that the game system brought him to this world because there were many demons and monsters in this world of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.

Just looking at the familiar interface on his retina made him feel a sense of suffocation.

However, feeling the power surging within him, he breathed a sigh of relief.

No matter what, a cheat code is a cheat code!

If Ximen Qing's passive skill hadn't been activated in time, he would have already lost his life.

Not to mention that he has now drained that "Qing'er" dry, and a warm current is flowing in his lower abdomen.

"But this second level of the Acquired Realm... I don't remember the original game having this thing?"

Ximen Qing scratched his head.

I'm about to take a closer look and open that newbie gift pack while I'm at it.

New player gift pack, get 10 free draws!

However, before he could even start the lottery draw, a commotion and footsteps came from afar.

From afar, several nosy scholars spotted Ximen Qing standing in the woods and exclaimed, "Found them! They're here?"

Whoosh!

Dozens of men and women who were attending the poetry gathering rushed over here in a swarm.

Ximen Qing scratched his head. "Is there any excitement to watch?"

Turning his head, he saw Qing'er lying dead on the ground.

Looking down at himself, he saw that he was covered in mud and had clearly been through a battle.

Holy crap?

It seems, it appears, it's probably...

Is this commotion my doing?

Unfortunately, by the time he realized it, it was too late.

Sure enough, as soon as the crowd rushed over, the leading scholars saw Qing'er lying on the ground, her face ashen, and immediately shouted to the back, "Help! Miss Qing'er seems to be dying!"

"What? Miss Qing'er!"

"I haven't even spent a romantic night with Qing'er yet! Damn it!"

"Look, I knew something was wrong with the sound! It's definitely a sudden stroke!"

A group of literati and poets angrily gathered around Ximen Qing and surrounded him.

Two men mustered their courage, squatted down, and checked Qing'er's breath. They were so frightened that they backed away repeatedly.

"Someone's...dead! Report it to the authorities!"

At this moment, someone finally noticed Ximen Qing standing nearby and asked, "You! Who are you? I don't remember your name being on the list for the poetry gathering! How dare you commit violence in the sacred ground of the Confucian Temple?"

Looking calmly at the old scholar who was asking him questions, Ximen Qing brushed the dust off his clothes and said, "Before asking others, shouldn't you introduce yourself first? And stop calling me a murderer! I'm an exorcist, the savior of you people!"

As he spoke, Ximen Qing squatted down, turning Qing'er's already bluish-black face up for everyone to see, saying, "Look closely! How can a person's face turn this black right after death? Don't you all have any common sense?!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the surrounding crowd grew even more shocked. The old scholar, who had been standing there, took several steps back, his nostrils flaring, and shouted, "Hey! Where did this villain come from, knowing so much about corpses! He must have killed many people! He must be a notorious bandit! I've already sent men to fetch the guards and officers outside. You can't escape now!"

"Holy crap?"

Upon hearing this, Ximen Qing could no longer contain himself.

He stepped forward, grabbed the old man, and slapped him twice, yelling, "You old bastard! I've put up with you for ages! You're the one causing trouble! Do you have a problem with me?"

"you!"

The old scholar, seeing stars after being beaten, was about to speak.

Then a commotion was heard outside.

A scholar, drenched in sweat, ran back, shouting, "Something terrible has happened! All the constables at the temple gate have been transferred away; they say a murder has occurred down the mountain!"

"Huh? A murder case? There's another murder case besides this place!"

Everyone around was stunned.

Ximen Qing, however, threw down the old scholar he was holding and went to the messenger, bowing his head to ask, "Where did this murder come from?"

The man, bent over and panting heavily, didn't even look at Ximen Qing. He simply pointed into the distance and said haltingly, "I heard it was a poetry contest between two people. One of them couldn't win, so he killed the other!"

"Um?"

Ximen Qing's eyes widened, and he quickly darted out.