Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal?

Chapter 36: Variety Show

"Senior, I have made my own decision—I wish to return to Qingyun Sect tomorrow."

After Lu Changtian left, Li Qingran returned to the cabin, knelt down before the ceiling, and remained in that position without rising.

"I am not a foolish, stubborn child, nor am I holding onto any misplaced gratitude toward Qingyun Sect or Chixiao Peak. But they have become obstacles on my path of cultivation. I must personally sever them to continue forward and live up to your expectations."

Her head was lowered, and her tone was sincere.

She knew Qingyun Sect was a den of dragons and tigers, yet she had to enter.

She also understood that, from her Senior’s perspective, he likely wouldn’t want her to return. He might even become suspicious of her motives. She had already received too much kindness—if she went back to Qingyun Sect now, wouldn’t she be an ungrateful wretch?

So, she waited. Waited for his decision.

If he permitted her to return, she would go. If not, she would stay.

Chen Huai’an thought for a moment, then pressed the communication talisman and said, "It’s fine. Only the one who ties the knot can untie it. Since this all began at Chixiao Peak, it should end there. You handle it yourself—I believe in you."

Inside the cabin, Li Qingran waited a while before a voice as ethereal as drifting clouds finally echoed in her ears.

【When joy peaks, sorrow follows. One must understand the ebb and flow of fate. Every cause has its effect, every bite and sip predestined. This is your burden to bear. Go.】

Li Qingran carefully pondered ‘Chen Huai’an’s’ words, her heart trembling.

Then, she bowed deeply once more. The hesitation in her gaze disappeared, replaced by unwavering determination.

"Junior Li Qingran thanks Senior for his guidance!"

【Mm. Before you leave, I bestow upon you a gift.】

Whoosh—!

A flying sword appeared on the table, its sheath pure white like moonlight, its tassel crimson like flowing blood.

【This sword is called Su Xian. It is a top-grade magical flying sword. I noticed that your previous sword was broken—take this as your protection.】

Li Qingran held Su Xian Sword in her hands, a deep warmth surging in her heart, touching her beyond words.

She wiped away the tears in the corners of her eyes, embraced the sword, and bowed respectfully.

"I will not disappoint you, Senior!"

---

【Hello, is this Mr. Chen?】

"I am."

【We have a variety show and would like to invite you to participate. Would you be interested…】

"What kind of scam call is this?" Chen Huai’an frowned and hung up immediately.

He was already troubled about how to help Li Qingran survive tomorrow’s ordeal. He was nearly out of money, and this damn game was sure to find a way to force him to spend more. He had no time to waste on scam calls.

In the past, he might have spent an hour lecturing these scammers about life and philosophy.

The phone rang again.

Chen Huai’an looked at the caller ID and smirked coldly before answering.

Fine, you refuse to drink the toast and insist on drinking the penalty cup? Today, as Immortal Chen, he had intended to lay down his blade and spare some souls. But since these scammers were practically throwing themselves onto the blade, he might as well have some fun!

【Mr. Chen, please don’t hang up. We’re not a scam. We’re from an outdoor variety show called Adventure with Celebrities. We saw your vlog about your challenge on Mount Tais, and our director is very interested in you. We’d like to officially invite you to join our show. We have quite a few popular young actors and idols participating, and our ratings on Mango TV are excellent. If you join, it’ll be a great promotion for your livestream account—you’ll gain a huge fan base. It’s a win-win!】

Chen Huai’an narrowed his eyes, sensing that this was no simple matter.

He immediately turned on his hotel computer, searched online, and found that the show did indeed exist—and it was actually quite popular.

The show’s basic format involved taking a group of young celebrities and putting them through extreme outdoor challenges—hiking, diving, bungee jumping, wilderness survival, and more. It was perfect for crafting an adventurous, brave public image for the stars.

Of course, it also exposed the ones who were pampered and spoiled.

But why were they inviting him? He wasn’t a celebrity.

Still puzzled, he opened his livestream account—only to be completely dumbfounded.

The vlog he had casually edited had over a hundred million views, more than seven million likes, and an overwhelming number of comments and private messages. The sheer volume had even caused his backend to lag.

"Holy sh*t! I went viral?!"

Chen Huai’an gawked at his follower count, which had surged to 270,000.

This was the power of the internet.

He couldn’t help but sigh.

Fate was fickle. No wonder so many college graduates nowadays wanted to become influencers.

After all, working a regular job for some boss was a dead end. Becoming an online personality, however, at least had a sliver of hope. The key was that self-media covered a wide range of interests—you could do what you loved. If it made money, great. If not, life still wouldn’t feel meaningless.

His vlog was trending alongside another hot topic—The Mirage of the Ritual Ascension at Mount Tais.

Experts had already provided an explanation: a film crew in Shanghai had been shooting a historical drama, and atmospheric optical phenomena had projected their scene onto the summit of Mount Tais. To prove this, they even presented a drama crew supposedly filming The Ritual Ascension of Mount Tais.

Chen Huai’an took one look and instantly knew they had cobbled this crew together at the last minute.

The ‘emperor’ they cast did wear a dark imperial robe and was indeed handsome, but his aura was utterly lacking.

To put it bluntly, it was the difference between a mudfish and a true dragon. No comparison.

Other trending topics related to his vlog were calls for cancer awareness, encouraging patients to fight bravely, and so on. All of them had high engagement.

Now it all made sense.

His livestream hadn’t sold products or begged for donations, and his vlog hadn’t been a sob story. From start to finish, his content embodied an unyielding fighting spirit.

It wasn’t that fundraising or selling products was wrong—many seriously ill patients relied on those methods for medical funds. But audiences had become desensitized. Scams were everywhere, eroding people’s sympathy.

In contrast, his livestream and vlog were a breath of fresh air. They crushed everything else in the same category. With a little push from the platform, he had exploded in popularity.

His content had only been out for three days—there was still massive potential for growth.

That variety show was clearly trying to ride the wave.

Hah. A ‘win-win’? More like they were trying to milk him for free exposure.

Damn capitalists—rotten to the core!

"I’m not interested in joining any variety show," Chen Huai’an rejected flatly. "I just want to peacefully live out the rest of my days."

The person on the other end of the line chuckled, seemingly expecting this response.

【Mr. Chen, who wouldn’t want a chance at treatment? If you agree to participate, we’ll pay you 500,000 yuan in appearance fees!】

"How much?!"

Chen Huai’an’s eyes instantly turned into two golden coins.

【500,000 yuan. It’s a buyout fee for this season. We film three episodes per season. Whether you appear in later episodes or not, once you sign the contract, the money will be transferred to you immediately.】

Chen Huai’an forced himself to calm down.

Half a million. That was the appearance fee for some second- or third-tier celebrities.

The producers were clearly serious about capitalizing on his viral fame.

After all, many rookie actors had to pay to get onto variety shows—getting an actual fee was rare.

【So, Mr. Chen, what do you think?】

Chen Huai’an had always believed in win-win situations.

A broad smile spread across his face. "Sounds great! So, what’s the theme of this episode?"

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