Shu Wanzhao’s waist was firmly locked by a large hand, forcing her to lie sprawled against the man’s chest as she struggled in embarrassment.
But his hand was like an iron clamp—no matter how she twisted and turned, she couldn’t budge it even a fraction.
He had lost consciousness.
And, illogically, in the second before he passed out, he had locked her firmly against him.
As if afraid she would kiss him and run off without taking responsibility.
He had absorbed Demonic Qi, and the Demonic Qi inside his body was wreaking havoc on his meridians, his consciousness sinking into slumber. At this rate, never mind Falling into Demonic Possession—even surviving would be a struggle.
Xie Hansheng was one of the key male leads in this novel. If he died at the very start, how could she complete her mission and go home?
The thought of her family learning of her death, heartbroken and grief-stricken, made her expression shift again and again. She hurriedly raised her hand and slapped his face.
Her small hand smacked down with crisp, rhythmic sounds.
“Second Senior Brother, don’t scare me! Wake up, quick!”
“You can’t die—open your eyes and look at me, okay? If you die, what am I supposed to do?”
“At least tell me how to absorb Demonic Qi. Worst case, I’ll absorb it back!”
She called out to him again and again, her voice unconsciously tinged with a sorrow that others would find hard to understand—like someone who had lost everything and was desperately trying to win it back.
System: [He probably wouldn’t have died, but if you keep hitting him, he just might. Besides, you’re just a side character—you don’t need to care whether he lives or dies. I’ll notify you if there’s a problem.]
Before Shu Wanzhao could respond, a furious shout came from not far away:
“Shu Wanzhao, you beast! Let go of Second Senior Brother!”
Shu Wanzhao froze. She looked up with tear-filled eyes to see several figures flying toward them on swords, streaking across the night sky like shooting stars, full of hope.
She vaguely felt that those people looked familiar. Thinking about it, weren’t they the disciples who had gone on missions with her in the original owner’s memories, only to part ways on bad terms?
They weren’t the Sect Leader’s direct disciples, but ordinary disciples.
After they had split off from Shu Wanzhao, Second Senior Brother had given them a few instructions for the mission and then disappeared without a trace.
They had finally finished the mission, but Second Senior Brother still hadn’t returned.
Thinking he might have gone to find Shu Wanzhao, they didn’t wait where they were. Instead, they returned to the spot where they had parted ways with her.
Cultivators had better eyesight than mortals, and sure enough, from a distance they could see two figures tangled together.
Who else could it be but the missing Second Senior Brother and Shu Wanzhao?
Damn it—they could hear the sound of slapping even from far away. What was Shu Wanzhao doing?!
They had always hated Shu Wanzhao, and at this moment, the anger in their hearts surged up instantly. They charged over with fierce, aggressive postures, ready to start cursing.
But when they got close, they saw Shu Wanzhao’s fair little face streaked with tears, the corners of her eyes flushed red, lightly biting her slightly swollen lower lip as she pleaded pitifully, “Second Senior Brother has been invaded by Demonic Qi.”
Quick—save him!
The curses died in their throats. By seniority, Shu Wanzhao was a direct disciple, so they should call her Junior Sister.
But they had never approved of Shu Wanzhao’s ways.
They always called her by her full name.
Just like now, when a female disciple named Lan Fang was the first to snap back to her senses, loudly accusing: “How could Second Senior Brother have gotten Demonic Qi out of nowhere? Did you drag him into this? Get off him right now and stop getting in the way!”
The people in the cultivation world were fierce too—even fiercer than the System.
Shu Wanzhao silently lay on top of the corpse-like Xie Hansheng, poked at the big hand around her waist, and muttered in protest: “Why are you yelling at me? If you’ve got the guts, go tell him that.”
Only then did everyone’s gaze fall on her waist.
Their first thought was: that waist is really slender.
This little terror was usually all claws and teeth, acting like she could uproot mountains and dominate the world, but thinking about it now, she was just a young woman who had just come of age—the same age as them.
And right now, one palm of Second Senior Brother’s hand could completely cover her willow-thin waist, so slim it seemed like Second Senior Brother could snap it with a single hand.
For the first time, they realized that when she wasn’t being domineering, she was actually kind of pitiful.
Somehow, they stopped cursing and stepped forward to help, trying to pry her out of Second Senior Brother’s grip.
But unexpectedly, even unconscious, Second Senior Brother was as stubborn as a mule. They pulled and yanked, but simply couldn’t pry her free.
Meanwhile, Shu Wanzhao was being delicate—every little touch made her cry out in pain, saying her waist was about to break.
In the end, everyone wore grim expressions as they formed a sword formation, grabbed Xie Hansheng’s limbs, and carried the conjoined pair back to Wolongzong together.
Wolongzong didn’t have many disciples, but not too few either. Since the female lead hadn’t appeared yet, it was still in its early stages, so the sect wasn’t particularly powerful—at best, it was mid-tier.
It wasn’t until the side character wrecked them and they fell apart, turning dark, that each of them became a powerhouse in their own right.
So for now, Wolongzong was situated on a small mountain with mid-grade Spiritual Qi.
With no elders left, only the Sect Leader, a few direct disciples, and about a hundred ordinary disciples remained.
Usually, the Sect Leader was absorbed in cultivation, Second Senior Brother led the disciples on missions, Third Senior Sister Shu Wanzhao was basically useless, and the youngest junior brother was never seen—spending his days eating, drinking, and having fun. Only the Senior Grand Disciple managed the sect’s internal affairs.
The disciples who had gone on the mission returned like a flock of beaten roosters, their heads hanging low, and placed Shu Wanzhao and the others in the Second Senior Brother’s room, waiting for the Senior Grandmaster to come and save them.
But the Senior Grandmaster was busy and couldn’t come for a while.
The female disciple Lan Fang was rather impatient. She glanced at the two on the bed, then shot a glare at Shu Wanzhao. “What could be more urgent than a matter of life and death?”
Shu Wanzhao felt a bit wronged by the glare and silently buried her head against Xie Hansheng’s chest.
One disciple replied, “It’s also a matter of life and death. Our Sect Master has come out of seclusion—that should be good news—but somehow, he suddenly suffered a severe injury. The Senior Grandmaster is busy helping the Sect Master heal, so he probably won’t be able to come for a while.”
Shu Wanzhao had a vague, strange premonition and couldn’t help asking, “When was he injured?”
“Two hours ago.”
“…”
Two hours ago?
Wasn’t that exactly when she had been injured?
Suddenly, a ding-dong sounded in her mind.
[Congratulations, Host, for achieving the honor of injuring your Master through Pain Transfer, laying the foundation for your Master’s future loss of cultivation base. Please keep up the good work.]
Shu Wanzhao: “…”
Pain Transfer would shift the damage she received onto a random lucky person. It seemed that her Master, whom she had never met, was very lucky indeed.
She calculated—if she followed the script and ruined herself in the future, would the Master be ruined along with her?
And then the mission would be easily completed?
At that thought, Shu Wanzhao felt a little excited.
The System poured cold water on her: [Your Master won’t necessarily be able to bear your damage every time. This skill is random—it could also be your Senior Grandmaster, Second Senior Brother…]
Fine.
Shu Wanzhao pressed her lips together, hung her head low, and continued watching the other disciples fuss over Xie Hansheng.
Xie Hansheng’s eyes were tightly shut, his face cold and grim, and even his lips were faintly tinged with purple.
The temperature in the room dropped to freezing, and then Shu Wanzhao was glared at twice more.
“It’s all your fault. If you hadn’t thrown a tantrum, the Second Senior Brother wouldn’t have been hit by Demonic Qi. Just wait—we’ll report this truthfully and let the Senior Grandmaster discipline you properly.”
Senior Grandmaster?
Shu Wanzhao seemed to think of something, and her pretty face turned pale.
If there was one person in the entire Sect that the original owner feared most, it was none other than the Senior Grandmaster.
The Master had indulged her too much, which made her lawless, and the Senior Grandmaster, who managed the Sect’s internal affairs, might look decent, but he punished people ruthlessly.
She still had to go through a plot where she got whipped.
Wouldn’t the Senior Grandmaster beat her to death?
But what was her persona right now?
She had to act arrogant! She couldn’t reveal any cracks.
Anyway, the Senior Grandmaster wouldn’t be here for a while. Shu Wanzhao gritted her teeth, raised her head with a deliberately arrogant air, and, egged on by the System, gave them a fierce glare.
“Who’s afraid of him? We’re all the Master’s disciples. Why should I be afraid of him? What right does he have to punish me? You don’t believe me? When the Senior Grandmaster comes, I’ll show him what’s what!”
The moment she finished speaking, for some reason, the disciples fell silent.
She thought they were stunned by her acting, and Shu Wanzhao inwardly wagged a little tail that didn’t exist.
It seemed she had the potential to be a villainous female supporting character.
The System had chosen the right person—she’d definitely nail this plot.
The next second.
A gentle voice came from the doorway, growing closer, “What does Junior Sister plan to do to Senior Brother?”
Shu Wanzhao’s body trembled.
Who… who was coming?
The System thought the idiot Host still hadn’t figured out the relationships and helpfully reminded her:
[Your Senior Grandmaster—the one you just insulted.]
“…” System-ge, you…