Chapter 36: Variety Show

"Senior, Qingran has decided on her own to return to the Qingyun Sect tomorrow."

After Lu Changtian left, Li Qingran returned to the room, bowed toward the ceiling, and remained kneeling.

"Qingran is not a stubborn fool, nor is she clinging to any gratitude for the Qingyun Sect or Chixiao Peak. It's just that they have become obstacles on my cultivation path. I must personally sever these ties to continue my journey and live up to Senior's expectations."

Li Qingran spoke with her head lowered, her words sincere.

She knew the Qingyun Sect was a dangerous place, but she had no choice but to face it.

She also knew that, from Senior's perspective, he likely didn't want her to return to the Qingyun Sect. Such a move might even raise suspicions. She had already received so much kindness, and now returning to the sect might make her seem ungrateful.

So she waited, waiting for Senior's opinion.

If Senior allowed her to go, she would go. If not, she would stay.

Chen Huaian thought for a moment, then pressed the communication talisman and said, "It's fine. The one who tied the bell must untie it. Since this matter began at Chixiao Peak, it should end there. Handle it yourself. I believe in you!"

In the cabin, Li Qingran waited for a while before a ethereal voice reached her ears.

**[When joy reaches its peak, sorrow follows. The rise and fall of all things are predetermined. Every action has its cause and effect. You must bear the consequences yourself. Go, and do what you must.]**​

Li Qingran carefully pondered "Chen Huaian's" words, her heart trembling. She bowed deeply, her previously hesitant gaze now firm.

"This junior, Qingran, thanks Senior for the guidance!"

**[Hmm, before you go, I bestow upon you an item.]**​

Swish—!

A flying sword appeared on the table, its scabbard as white as the moon, its tassel as red as hot blood.

**[This sword is named 'Su Xian.' It is a top-grade magical flying sword. I noticed your original sword was broken, so take this one to protect yourself.]**​

Li Qingran picked up the Su Xian sword, her heart touched once again, overwhelmed with gratitude.

She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, hugged the sword, and bowed deeply in thanks.

"Qingran will not disappoint Senior!"

**[Hello, is this Mr. Chen?]**​

"Yes, it's me."

**[We're calling because we'd like to invite you to participate in a variety show. Would you be interested…?]**​

"Where did this scam call come from?" Chen Huaian frowned and immediately hung up. He was already worried about how to help Li Qingran overcome the upcoming ordeal tomorrow. With no money left, this damn game would surely find a way to force him to spend. He didn't have time to deal with scam calls. In the past, he might have spent an hour messing with them, but not now.

The moment he hung up, the call came again.

Chen Huaian looked at the caller ID, a cold smile curling his lips as he pressed the answer button.

Fine, they didn't want to take the easy way out. Today, the Immortal Venerable Chen had planned to put down his blade, but since these scammers were rushing to meet it, he wouldn't hold back!

**[Mr. Chen, please don't hang up. We're not scammers. We're from an outdoor variety show called 'Adventure with the Stars.' Our director saw your vlog about the Mount Tai challenge and is very interested in inviting you to join the show. The show features many popular young stars and has a great viewership on Mango TV. Participating would also help promote your live-streaming account and gain you more fans. It's a win-win!]**​

Chen Huaian's eyes narrowed as he realized this wasn't as simple as he thought.

He quickly opened his laptop and searched online, finding that the show did exist and was somewhat popular. The show's premise was taking a group of popular young stars on outdoor extreme challenges, like hiking, diving, bungee jumping, and wilderness survival. It was a great way for these celebrities to build their personas.

Of course, some pampered stars might also reveal their true colors during these challenges.

But why would they invite him? He wasn't a celebrity.

Chen Huaian opened his live-streaming account and was stunned. The casually edited vlog he posted had over 100 million views, with more than 7 million likes. The comments and private messages were so numerous that the page took forever to load.

"Damn! I'm famous?"

Chen Huaian stared at his 270,000 followers and let out a belated sigh of realization.

This… this is the power of the internet.

He couldn't help but shake his head in amazement.

Timing and fate—now he understood why so many college students wanted to become influencers.

After all, working for a boss was a dead end, but being an influencer might offer a glimmer of hope. The key was that the self-media industry covered a wide range of fields, allowing people to do what they loved. Making money was a bonus, but even without it, life didn't seem meaningless.

His vlog had multiple related topics, one of which was the hot search topic 'Mount Tai Mirage.' Experts had already explained it, saying a film crew in Shanghai was shooting a scene that, through some complex optical phenomena, was projected onto the summit of Mount Tai. To prove this, the Shanghai crew even pulled together a makeshift team filming a 'Mount Tai Ceremony.'

Chen Huaian clicked on it and immediately knew the crew was hastily assembled.

Although the actor playing the emperor wore a black robe and looked handsome, his aura was worlds apart.

To put it bluntly, it was the difference between a mudfish and a dragon—no comparison.

Other trending topics included calls for cancer awareness, support for cancer patients, and encouragement to face life bravely, all with high engagement.

Seeing this, Chen Huaian understood.

His live streams didn't involve selling products or soliciting donations, and his vlogs didn't exploit tragedy. From his streams to his videos, he embodied a spirit of positive resistance. This wasn't to say selling products or raising funds was wrong—it was an important way for many patients to get treatment. But people had seen too much of it, and with scammers everywhere, sympathy had been worn thin. In this context, his content was a breath of fresh air, instantly overshadowing others in the same niche. With the platform's push, he naturally went viral.

His videos and streams had only been up for three days, and there was still room for further growth.

The variety show must have noticed this and wanted to ride the wave.

Hah, what a "win-win." They just wanted to get something for nothing.

As expected, capitalists are ruthless!

"I don't want to participate in any variety shows," Chen Huaian immediately refused. "I just want to live out the rest of my time in peace."

The person on the other end seemed to have anticipated this response and chuckled.

**[Mr. Chen, who wouldn't want a chance to treat their illness? If you attend this show, we'll pay you 500,000 yuan as an appearance fee!]**​

"How much?!"

Chen Huaian's eyes instantly turned into two golden eggs.

**[500,000 yuan, covering your appearance fee for this season of our show. We usually film three episodes per season. Regardless of whether you're needed for subsequent episodes, the money will be transferred to your account as soon as you agree to participate and sign the contract.]**​

Chen Huaian took a moment to calm down.

500,000 yuan—that was the level of appearance fees for many second- and third-tier celebrities.

The show's producers were clearly serious about capitalizing on his popularity.

After all, many new artists had to pay to appear on variety shows, let alone receive appearance fees.

**[So, Mr. Chen, what do you think?]**​

Chen Huaian had always believed in win-win situations. He smiled brightly and said,

"I think it sounds great. Can you tell me what this episode is about?"

**[Hiking up Tianmen Mountain. A professional mountaineer will accompany us. Besides you, we've invited five other celebrity guests, ranging in popularity. You'll appear as a special mystery guest. If you agree, add me on WeChat, and I'll send you the electronic contract right away.]**​

"Agreed, completely agreed! I love being mysterious! Hehe!"

Chen Huaian's sinister grin didn't fade.

After hanging up, both parties were satisfied.

Chen Huaian looked at Li Qingran, who was meditating diligently in the game, and felt a mix of emotions.

Although he had spent a lot of money in this game, seemingly crazy, without the motivation and opportunities it provided, he wouldn't have the 500,000 yuan now. Neither the 'Mount Tai Mirage' nor the 'Late-Stage Cancer Challenge' alone could have made him famous. It was the combination of the two, along with his accident on Mount Tai, that created his current explosive popularity. And that's why the variety show was willing to pay him a high fee to appear.

Cause and effect—truly marvelous!

After signing the electronic contract and submitting his bank account details,

Chen Huaian saw the 500,000 yuan appear in his account. Despite everything, a glimmer of hope for life surged within him.

Who wouldn't want to live if they could?

100,000 yuan was a drop in the bucket against cancer, but 500,000 yuan might offer a real chance.

He immediately put on his clothes, took a taxi, and went to the hospital where he had previously been examined.

The attending physician followed the normal procedure and performed a biopsy for a follow-up.

In the diagnosis room, Chen Huaian and the doctor silently looked at the X-ray images on the computer, the atmosphere heavy.

"Are you sure you just climbed Mount Tai and then had a fracture?"

The doctor turned to him with a grim expression, his brow furrowed.

"Yeah, I didn't do anything else," Chen Huaian replied, his heart sinking at the doctor's expression.

The doctor sighed.

"I've never seen anything like this before," he said, pointing at the X-ray images, his tone filled with disbelief. "In less than a month, your cancer has spread from your leg and pancreas to your entire body, even forming tumors in your brain… Normally, cancer cells need nutrients to reproduce and spread, but yours seem to have gained an enormous amount of nutrients in an extremely short time, leading to explosive growth. It's unheard of, truly unprecedented."

Chen Huaian said dryly, "So, in the end, there's still no cure, right?"

The doctor gave him a complicated look and sighed.

"Young man, didn't you say you earned 500,000 yuan? Spend the rest of your time enjoying life. As long as you don't break the law, do whatever you like. Make sure to stay happy every day…"