Is this the future that I know of?

After all the stuff with Zhangsun Shan happened, I went back to my seat and quietly watched the next category's fight. However, I couldn't peacefully do so because one particular person was staring darts at me.

[Shall I do something about him?]

{Nah, let him stare. After all, he might be slightly shocked after what happened.}

With Zhangsun Shan staring at me, the next category's fight began. Although, I couldn't predict who is gonna be one of the finalists, I knew for a fact about the victor. So, if I was a betting person…

"Father, where's the betting station?" I turned to dad and asked. I know the winner of this tournament, so why don't I capitalize on it? Like, it's not gonna hurt me for having a bit more extra cash. Now, I could have betted on the other one as well, however the return would have been too low on that since everyone basically betted on Zhangsun Shan as well. However, I know for a fact that only a few people would've voted for Qiu Si, since no one believed her to be the dark horse who'd end up winning, so the return I'll be getting from that will be massive. I can't mess up a sitting duck of a chance like this!

"Hua, betting isn't that good, you know?" He spoke. He looked kinda disappointed when I mentioned betting. Maybe it was because he was worried about me going back to spending money lavishly. It really frustrated me. I really wanted to grab him and assure him that I will win this because I'm aware of the victor because I played this game, but he'll probably think that I've gone crazy. So, I decided to take a practical approach.

"I thought I should place my trust on my friend over there to win. So, this is just gonna be a gesture of my friendship with her." I pointed towards Qiu Si and blatantly lied.

"Oh, really? But don't bet too much though! I know you like your friend and all, but her winning chances are…" Father didn't speak any longer, maybe because he thought that maybe I'd think bad of him for badmouthing my friend. But, I understand his sentiment though. Like as of right now, no one expects her to win. So, how can I not capitalize on it?

"I understand, father." I stood up and headed towards the place he pointed to.

[So, how much are you gonna bet?]

{Hmm, how about everything?}

[Are you stupid?]

{Huh? Why? I know the victor. So, isn't it natural that I'm gonna bet it all on her?}

[You know the victor of the tournament in the game 'World of Cultivation'. But this is real life. And the future is not a stable thing. It changes constantly, so no fortune teller can ever accurately predict it. Like, aren't you the living example of how the future could fluctuate? Think about it. Your shenanigans back in the academy grounds till now… Does this happen in the game? No. So, with that changed, you really think everything will remain the same?]

{But, Qiu Si is one of the protagonists. She's supposed to win no matter what, isn't she?}

[Protagonist of the game world, not this one. Hell, if I point you to someone and tell them that you're the protagonist of this world, they'd have no choice but to believe it, since everyone is the main character of their own story. Hell, had you viewed the game in Wang Lei's perspective, you could've seen a tragic story of someone who died protecting his people and reforming the cultivation world. So, in that case, the protagonists that you know aren't really the protagonists, right? Once again, this is not the world you saw in the game anymore. This is real in every sense. They are not programmed, but live beings. So, give it a thought before you actually bet everything you have.]

{Hmm, you're right. How about I bet half then?}

[You won't go any lower than that, huh? I'm fine with that.]

So, I ended up betting half of the coins I had for Qiu Si. While I was walking back to my seat, I gave a thought about what Goldy said. Was I too lax about it? Like, sure, I know the absolute future… of the game. This isn't a game anymore. This is real life. The future I saw in the game might be one of the billions of futures that would have happened had I not interfered. Anyhow, the future that I saw in the game is no longer the future that I'm gonna witness. However, I do believe that the major events like the Taiyi sect's end will still happen. Can't actually guess if that event would be accelerated, but yea… it will happen. Anyway, I feel like I've been treating some people, especially the main characters of the game as the characters of the game. Like I'm kinda afraid what would happen if I actually interact with them. Isn't this a different timeline now that I've messed with it? So, would it cause any harm if I approached the main characters like the living beings that they are?

No… No matter what the case is, they're still the big shots of this world. I can't afford to approach them unless I want to expose myself to the populace. I'm fine with being on the sidelines and watching them battle. Yes… that's how it should be…

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Once I returned back to my seat, it wasn't just Zhangsun Shan who stared at me.

{Why are you staring at me like that. It's creepy.}

[Well, you seemed conflicted in your thoughts. So..]

{Damn, you can hear monologues as well?}

[Well, isn't it the same as thinking?]

{I guess?}

[Anyway, don't think too hard about it. It's probably hard to just take in the events happening beside you. Then do it slowly. You don't have to rush it. Although, it would be nice if you settle it within ten years before the damn God arrives! Other than that, take your time.]

{Sure… Process my shite before the world destruction happens. I can do that! But, for real though, you processed the fact that you are in a world which used to be a game world too quickly!}

[You see, not everyone's gonna be as smart and intelligent as me! Anyway, game world or not, this one we live is real and that's all that matters for me.]

{I see, I'll think so as well.}

While we had our little talk, the tournament proceeded as usual. And the focal point of the tournament was Qiu Si, who ended up impressing people with her fights and entered the finals. Like, it seemed that no one other than the members of Taiyi sect and yours truly believed in her victory. Thus, a lot of voices filled with agony could be heard every time Qiu Si's opponent lost.

Other than the betting people, even the big shots of major sects were concerned. Not only the Taiyi sect had a rising prodigy in Zhangsun Shan, but they also had a dark horse like Qiu Si. This really concerned the sects about their futures. With two bright people leading the helm of the future generation of Taiyi sect, they are bound to leave a great impact. Now that I think about it, the performance of the Taiyi sect in this tournament might have been one of the biggest reasons why no one came up for the Taiyi sect once they were down and out. In everyone's mind, Taiyi was a sect that should be eradicated. So rather than hating whoever did it, they silently thanked the perpetrators. These people should really be ashamed though. To think that these foul minded people sided with Zhangsun Shan during his fight with the Blood Moon Sect. Power hungry bastards!

[True that!]

{Damn it, don't go through my monologues.}

[But what you said is true though!]

{I know… I just don't want this one guy to constantly peek into my thoughts. Like what if I'm thinking foul about the Gods here? Won't you be pissed off?}

[Hey… You really wanna go on a war against Gods? Just you and me? I'll be down though. I'm already planning to kill one. So…]

{Damn it, I should've thought of a better example when talking to the freaking Gold Dragon who had already raised his hand against a heavenly being. And no, I'm not interested in picking a fight against them.}

[Just putting it on the table. Once you're willing, let's put a crusade on them instead.]

I simply laughed at the thought of taking on Gods because I'll never agree on such a thing. Anyway, the finals were up next. Qiu Si was pitted against once again, someone from the Tang sect. Like I know that the Tang sect's a big deal and all, but I never knew they were this big. I guess that's something different from the future that I know of. Anyway, the fight was gonna start and I was excited as to what she was gonna show to the audience.

#