“Get lost.”
Senior Brother Li stumbled back several steps. The person standing before him was absolutely not the “useless waste” Shen Zhuo he knew!
Trembling, he hauled up his limp junior brother from the ground, his voice laced with unmistakable panic. “Go, quickly! Shen Zhuo has gone mad!”
Shen Zhuo watched coldly as the two stumbled away, their faces twisted in terror as if fearing he might give chase. He had no such intention; instead, he stood still, closing his eyes to inspect his internal state.
Within his meridians, a wisp of spiritual energy, thin as a strand of silk, was circulating with great difficulty. This thread of energy was incredibly weak, incomparable to his original overflowing spiritual power; it was so frail it felt as though it might dissipate at any moment.
How ironic. To think that he, a great cultivator of the Tribulation Transcendence stage, had fallen so far that mere Qi Refining disciples dared to bully him at his doorstep.
Shen Zhuo slowly opened his eyes, his fingers lightly brushing the hilt of his sword. A flash of reminiscence flickered in the depths of his gaze. The priority now was to restore his cultivation as quickly as possible.
For some reason, he suddenly thought of his natal spiritual sword that had accompanied him for many years. In this unfamiliar world, he wondered if he could still find it.
[Ding! Target detected. Routine Mission activated.] [Routine Mission: Kiss Xie Yuan (0/15)] [Mission Reward: Each kiss restores 1% of cultivation.]
Shen Zhuo: ?
The veins on Shen Zhuo’s forehead throbbed. “Aside from making people kiss, does this broken system of yours have any legitimate methods for cultivation?”
[This is the fastest method calculated by the system to conquer the mission target.]
Shen Zhuo could not help but sneer. “And if I insist on not doing it? Are you and the Heavenly Dao going to threaten me with punishment again?”
[Routine missions are not mandatory; the host may choose freely.] [Friendly reminder: Abandoning the mission will result in the loss of a 15% cultivation restoration reward. Please choose carefully.]
Shen Zhuo calculated the situation. The 1% he restored earlier had barely brought him to the first level of Qi Refining. There are ten levels of Qi Refining in total. To break through to Foundation Establishment after the tenth level requires not only the accumulation of spiritual energy but also a stroke of karmic insight. However, if he had the 15% reward from this mission, reaching Foundation Establishment would be more than enough.
Sensing his wavering thoughts, the system immediately announced: [Ding! Target Xie Yuan’s current location detected: The east wing of Shuyou Pavilion.]
“You certainly are attentive,” Shen Zhuo let out a soft huff of disdain. “However,” he paused.
Why would he need to seek out Xie Yuan? Reaching Foundation Establishment would take him, at most, seven or eight years on his own. To force himself to flirt with Xie Yuan for a bit of cultivation was simply absurd. He would rather take it step by step.
“Little Zhuo?”
Just as Shen Zhuo was concentrating on where to go to cultivate, a clear, gentle voice drifted from behind him. Hearing this voice, the gloom between Shen Zhuo’s brows instantly vanished. He turned around, his eyes lighting up involuntarily as they reflected the newcomer’s figure.
“Brother Pei!”
Pei Chuan watched the youth walk quickly toward him with sparkling eyes. He could not resist reaching out to pat the boy’s head. “Why aren’t you calling me Senior Brother? Such a distance between us.”
Shen Zhuo’s body stiffened. “Senior Brother?”
[Ding! Character Lore Prompt activated.] [The original host was brought back to the Xuanyun Sect as a child by Pei Chuan and his master. He belongs to the same sect and grew up by Pei Chuan’s side.] [Suggestion: Maintain the character persona to avoid arousing suspicion from important figures. If your identity is exposed, the consequences will be unpredictable.]
Shen Zhuo gazed at the man before him. Dressed in a plain white robe adorned with indigo cloud patterns, his features were as beautiful as a painting, as warm and refined as jade. He gradually overlapped with the memory of the sword cultivator who had once ventured alone into the Demon’s Den.
In his past life, when they first met, Pei Chuan had charged single-handedly into the Moyuan Underground Palace, seeking to slay the Demon Lord to avenge the immortal sects. That battle was a defeat, of course, but because Moyuan spared him on a whim, admiring his bravery, Pei Chuan survived. It was that very survival that eventually cost Moyuan his life. After returning, Pei Chuan united the remnants of the immortal sects and, years later, struck Moyuan down.
Shen Zhuo had escaped Moyuan’s prison on the eve of that final battle. He never expected that the Heavenly Dao would let him start over and grant him the opportunity to be Pei Chuan’s junior brother.
“What are you dazed for?” Pei Chuan flicked Shen Zhuo’s forehead with his finger.
Shen Zhuo snapped back to reality. The savior of his past life had become his senior brother in this life. Such an arrangement by the Heavenly Dao was indeed interesting.
Shen Zhuo rubbed his forehead where Pei Chuan had flicked it and looked up with a smile. “Senior Brother.”
“Mm.”
Pei Chuan withdrew his hand, his gaze sweeping over the messy footprints nearby. “I clearly heard voices just now; why is it only you left? Did someone come to cause trouble again?”
Shen Zhuo smiled, his gaze fixed on Pei Chuan. “It was nothing. They have already left.”
“You,” Pei Chuan faced him, adjusting his sleeves. “Whenever there is trouble, you can always call upon me or Master to seek justice for you.”
“Just minor matters, no need to trouble you, Senior Brother.”
Pei Chuan suddenly fell silent, staring intently at Shen Zhuo. After a moment, he retracted his sharp gaze and said calmly, “In the past, you would seek me out with red eyes over the slightest grievance. Today, you seem like a different person.”
Shen Zhuo’s breath hitched as he remembered the system’s warning. Meeting Pei Chuan’s eyes, he spoke slowly, “Senior Brother, I am all grown up now. I cannot be a crybaby forever, can I?”
“You, always trying to be strong.” Pei Chuan gave a soft laugh before continuing, “Did you not say you found a lead regarding Master Jian’s jade pendant?”
Jade pendant? A flash of confusion crossed Shen Zhuo’s eyes. He secretly summoned the system to ask about it.
A prompt sounded in his mind: [Importing memories for the host.]
Instantly, fragments of unfamiliar scenes flooded his brain. This morning, the original host found a note by his window. A fellow disciple claimed there was a lead on Master Jian’s jade pendant in the woodshed, specifically warning: “The information is sensitive, do not tell Senior Brother Pei,” luring the original host to the meeting alone.
The original host suspected nothing. What followed was the predicament Shen Zhuo faced upon waking up. The handwriting on the note was sloppy and the logic full of holes; only the original host, protected under Pei Chuan’s wing, would have believed it blindly.
He continued to question the system: “What exactly is Master Jian’s jade pendant?”
[The Jian family’s heirloom jade pendant was stolen. The head of the house offered a reward of ten thousand gold pieces and sent out invitations seeking help from immortal sects. Cultivators from various sects have gathered at the Jian residence. The Xuanyun Sect Leader sent Pei Chuan to handle the matter, and the original host followed the senior brother in charge for experience.]
Having clarified the situation, Shen Zhuo met Pei Chuan’s gaze frankly. “I did not find it.”
“No matter.” Pei Chuan brushed his sleeve, his tone calm. “Those two junior brothers have crooked hearts; stay away from them in the future.”
Shen Zhuo carefully observed Pei Chuan’s expression. Pei Chuan remained unperturbed, as if making casual conversation, yet his words clearly indicated he had seen through the trap set today. It seemed that while the original host thought he was keeping it from Senior Brother, his Senior Brother had been protecting him from the shadows all along.
Fortunately, Pei Chuan likely had not seen the moment he struck.
“I will listen to Senior Brother,” Shen Zhuo replied with his head bowed, appearing as obedient as usual.
Pei Chuan’s gaze suddenly landed on his shoulder. “Why are you covered in so much dust?”
Shen Zhuo looked down; indeed, a large patch of his clothes was gray with dust, likely from the woodshed. He surreptitiously hid the sword-cut on his arm and brushed himself off casually. “I probably grazed something by accident just now.”
“Go back, change, and rest for a bit,” Pei Chuan said, withdrawing his hand. “I am going to see Master Jian.”
“Alright.” Shen Zhuo turned to leave but was stopped by the voice behind him.
He looked back; Pei Chuan’s eyes flickered as if he wanted to say something. Shen Zhuo’s heart tightened, wondering if any of his words had betrayed him.
However, Pei Chuan simply reminded him: “There is rice porridge simmering on the stove. You have not eaten since morning; remember to have some before you rest.”
The two walked out of the courtyard together. When they reached the hanging gate, Shen Zhuo stopped as if possessed and looked back. The eaves of the three-story building fell into the dark shadows of the afternoon sun, and an indescribable sense of unease coiled in his heart.
Shen Zhuo could not help but wonder if that building was connected to the missing jade pendant.
Never mind, he shook his head inwardly. He had no interest in helping Master Jian find a pendant; getting involved in this mess was not his wish.
“What is it?” Pei Chuan followed his gaze.
“Nothing,” Shen Zhuo retracted his gaze and walked faster to keep up. “Just looking around.”
At the fork in the road, they parted ways. Shen Zhuo followed the original host’s memory toward the guest courtyard arranged by the Jian family. Rather than wasting energy searching for a pendant, he yearned to find a quiet place for closed-door cultivation.
He did not even need to look far; the Xuanyun Sect was the perfect place. In his previous life, he had also started his cultivation there. Not only was the spiritual energy abundant, but he was familiar with it; it was truly the best location. However, he did not know if Pei Chuan would be suspicious if he suddenly suggested going back early. It would be better to stay here until Pei Chuan finished the business with the Jian family. It would only be a few days.
Just as the thought settled, the mechanical voice in his mind rang out again without warning.
[Ding! Main Story Mission updated.] [Mission 2: Find the Jade Pendant.] [Mission Reward: 3% cultivation restoration. Failure Penalty: Every time you use spiritual power, you will trigger half an hour of Heavenly Tribulation Heart-Devouring pain.]
Shen Zhuo came to a dead halt. “Did you not just say I could choose my missions freely? Why is there a penalty for failure now?”
[The previous one was a Routine Mission, which the host can choose freely. Finding the jade pendant is a Main Story Mission; please complete it actively.]
Shen Zhuo frowned, confused. “Is not the main mission to conquer Xie Yuan?”
[Yes, host. This jade pendant is of great significance to the target, Xie Yuan. Helping Xie Yuan find this item can significantly increase the target’s favorability.]
Shen Zhuo had just begun to harbor a rebellious thought when the system continued its announcement.
[Host detected with intentions of slacking off. If the host refuses to complete the Main Story Mission, the penalty will be enforced. The host may attempt to mobilize spiritual power to verify.]
“You!” Shen Zhuo felt a surge of inexplicable fury.
Just as a sliver of spiritual light condensed at his fingertips, a sharp, sudden pain erupted in his heart. He let out a muffled groan, instantly releasing the energy from his fingers.
[The host is urged to complete the mission as soon as possible.]
Shen Zhuo had no choice. His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. After a long silence, he spat out a single word through gritted teeth. “Fine.”
[Mission accepted. Please act quickly, host.]