CH 2

Not long after the voice faded, the man behind her resolutely drew the sword. The sword grazed her flesh and blood. When it was fully drawn out from her body, Qin Wan eventually reacted.

The pain was overwhelming. She encircled her wound and dipped to the ground, gasping for breath.

Jun Shu didn’t deceive her. The sword wound was not the most painful. The most painful thing was the curse on that sword.

Those spells were like tens of millions of locusts swarming and gnawing at the cultivation base on her body. She could plainly perceive the pain of muscles and veins gnawed by tens of millions of insects and ants. The severe pain blanched her face white. She arduously angled her head to glare at the mentally retarded person who went insane and stabbed her!

In her vision was the back of a figure with a white robe, plum blossoms were embroidered on the clothes. A layer of gauze enveloped him. The bloody hand firmly clasped the sword. The red color blooming in his stomach was like flowers, a gorgeous peony sprouting on the white clothes.

Qin Wanwan’s mind blanked for a second. She unconsciously blurted, “Jian Zhiyan?”

The other party did not reply. He turned his back to her and gripped his sword tightly, tenaciously fixing his gaze on the distance.

No one could perceive his peculiarity. Only he himself knew what kind of torment he was enduring at this very hour and moment.

Jian Zhiyan, or rather, Jian Xingzhi.

He was originally an Immortal in the Immortal Realm who had just ascended for less than 50 years. His Daohao[1] name was Sui Heng. He had been cultivating his Dao in a remote mountain since he was young. He went down the mountain at the age of 18. He used his sword to stir up hundreds of Sects. He proved his Dao through fighting. In less than a hundred years, he reached the state of  “Three flowers condensing onto the Head[2]” and soared to the Immortal Realm. After soaring to the Immortal Realm, to hone his sword, he began to fight in all directions of the Immortal Realm. Not a single person could fight him back. Ultimately, he encountered the most mysterious and legendary Lady of Jishan, Qin Wanwan.

Qin Wanwan lured the Heavenly Thunder to sneak an attack on him. The Heavenly Thunder fetched him to this world. He invaded this body called “Jian Zhiyan”, and a System called “666[3]” invaded his Shenshi[4].

The System explained to him that he was in the “Supporting Female Rebirth Counterattack” novel. His current body was the Male Pet of the said Supporting Female,  Qin Wan.

The only way for him to return to the Immortal Realm was to assist this Supporting Female to ascend.

For the sake of going back to the Immortal Realm to seek Qin Wanwan for revenge, he decisively agreed to cooperate with the System to assist Qin Wan to ascend.

He had inspected his body with his Shenshi. Although this body had almost no cultivation base, his Spiritual Roots were still there. Fortunately, the Shenshi in this body was his own Shenshi.  After ten years of Tribulation, with his ability, there should be no problem for him to send this woman to ascend with the treasure of Heaven and Earth.

Unexpectedly, the System not only asked him to help the woman ascend but also required that he must carry it out as “Jian Zhiyan”, which meant he could not go beyond the role of the original “Jian Zhiyan”.

And Jian Zhiyan’s role was only to be a tool. All he had to do was,

Stir troubles for Qin Wan, and made her solve it. Let her gain all kinds of opportunities.

Provoke men around Qin Wan, and made her aware of them. Let her gain all kinds of men’s admirations.

Wait for the last critical moment, and block the sword for Qin Wan. Let her succeed in ascending. 

As for the rest, it had nothing to do with him. For instance, in this scene, he merely needs to lie flat and wait for the woman to pick him up. 

How could he endure this?!

Wasn’t this the same as him being a good-for-nothing?!

He, Jian Xingzhi, even if he had no cultivation base, wouldn’t be a Soft Rice Man who could only rely on women!!!

Moreover, look at that Qin Wan who was shaking like a leaf just by pointing the sword at herself. If he let her ascend by herself, when would this task be done? In the year of the monkey[5]? The time she ascended by herself would never come.

So Jian Xingzhi made a decision and told 666 coldly, “I can complete the task by myself. You don’t need to tell me what method I should use.”

Then, he jumped to his feet and helped Qin Wan to stab herself.

He helped her with the lines she didn’t get to say.

He helped her with the plot she didn’t get to start.

His goal was to fast forward the task and make her ascend in ten years. When he returned to the Immortal Realm, he would hunt down the Lady of Jishan and crush her to ashes! Let her know that he, Jian Xingzhi, was not someone to trifle with!

Nevertheless, someone who broke the rules set by the System must be punished accordingly.

Thus, not only he had to endure the pain of a hole in his stomach, but also had to endure the “electric shock” delivered by the System to punish him. At the same time, he also listens to the system chirping, “Da Lao[6], just stop it. You are merely a green tea Soft Rice Man. You aren’t meant to do so much! The more you violate the character’s role, the greater the pain of this electric shock. She has done the plot of getting stabbed! Just lay down and let Qin Wan carry you down the mountain! “

System 666’s tone was sincere, but Jian Xingzhi was not touched a bit.

After cultivating for so many years, what was a mere electric shock?

Jian Xingzhi endured the pain caused by the electric shock and grinned mockingly in his Shihai[7]. “Merely relying on your so-called electric shock, you dare to stop Ben Jun[8]? Shut up and watch. I will carry Qin Wan down the mountain!”

666, “……”

Returning to the Immortal Realm to take his revenge against Qin Wanwan lingered on his mind and became his belief. Jian Xingzhi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He clenched his sword and raised his eyes to glare at Jun Shu who was in front of him. In a cold and detached manner, he called to Qin Wanwan, “Qin Wan, stand up.”

As he spoke, he painted an array in his sleeve with one hand and used the array to gather Qi into his body.

The perimeter darkened. The Spiritual Aura formed a vortex and came swarming towards him. Everyone’s complexion changed. Jun Shu narrowed his eyes at Jian Zhiyan and the grip on his flute tightened involuntarily

Qin Wanwan also noticed that the surrounding Aura was not right. She gained her ground and looked up at the darkening color of the sky at the speed visible to naked eyes. She side-eyed Jian Zhiyan’s back.

He was dressed in a long embroidered robe with a butterfly hairpin behind his ears. His wide sleeves rolled up in the wind and the butterfly hairpin wobbled. The sword was steady in his hand. With a sword pointing forward, his whole person was like a mountain,

He parted his mouth and his voice was mild. But, there was a bit of arrogance that was remarkably familiar to Qin Wanwan, “Stand up. I will take you away from here.”

“You pull…”

Qin Wanwan struggled to stand up. The sentence “You pull me” was still between her lips when a sneer broke in from the side, “What do you say you will do?”

Everyone’s gaze directed to the source of the voice and saw Jun Shu blocking the exit. 

He spun the Jade Flute in his hand and smiled condescendingly at ‘Jian Zhiyan.’ 

“If my memory serves me right, aren’t you just a slave bought by Wan’er? Brazenly attacking me,” Jun Shu’s face was icy. He raised his voice, “Who gives you the nerve!”

Qin Wanwan paused. She mulled over and decided to lay back on the ground.

The outcome was still far from sight. She didn’t have to stand up in such a hurry.

In case Jian Zhiyan lost the fight, there was nothing wrong with her laying still.

“You want to stop me?”

Jian Xingzhi heeded no care to Qin Wanwan’s action. His gaze at Jun Shu could be seen as ‘You want to suffer losses?’

He taunted in a devil-may-care voice, “Will you stop me by yourself, or will you bring others to stop me?”

The temperature sank. The wind roared, mingled with leaves. Qin Wanwan lay on the ground and curled up a litte more, making herself humbler. 

Jun Shu smiled with ire in his eyes, “Ben Shaozhu[9] doesn’t kill mortals.”

“You said that as if you have the ability to kill me?”

Jun Shu, “……”

“Draw your sword,” Jian Xingzhi spoke leisurely. His words were casual but it was downright insulting. As if he was a peerless master dismissing his opponent. “Otherwise, I’m afraid that you won’t be able to make a single move if I move first.”

All the people around gasped. Qin Wanwan and the System held their breath.

All in all, Jun Shu was the Young Lord of Lecheng, he was high above thousands of people. Meanwhile, Jian Zhiyan……

Qin Wanwan couldn’t help but double-check, “Isn’t he merely a Male Pet without a cultivation base?”

“Yes…?” The System hesitated, “Probably…?”

After all, the current Jian Zhiyan didn’t like an ordinary person at all!

Something’s wrong.

Everyone sensed that something was wrong with this Jian Zhiyan.

Though, no matter what was wrong with Jian Zhiyang right now, for Jun Shu, to dare say such words to him was the same as humiliating him. 

Jun Shu nodded his head, “Fine.”

In the end, he was thoroughly angered by him. The Jade Flute circled in his hand, “You wish for death. Then, Ben Shaozhu will fulfill you!”

Jun Shu shot towards Jian Xingzhi with his flute. On the other hand, Jian Xingzhi held the sword and pierced it towards Jun Shu.

The sword carried the intent of Thunder, bringing a furious storm on its path.

“Fuck.”

Qin Wanwan saw that Jian Xingzhi had the high ground. She sat up straight with hope shining in her eyes.

At this level, they could go down the mountain without hitch today!

Qin Wanwan gawked at Jian Xingzhi with admiration. However, at the moment when Jian Xingzhi was about to pierce Jun Shu, he seemed to be hit by 100,000 volts of electric current. 

His grasp on his sword loosened and he convulsed. He met Jun Shu’s Jade Flute head-on. Without any resistance, he was hit by the jade flute and knocked back. A loud “boom” cracked and his whole person crashed into the middle of the Judgment Stage, half-buried into the platform.

Then Jun Shu, like the devil, dragged him from the pit and kicked him up high into the sky!

‘Jian Zhiyan’ sprayed a mouthful of blood on the ground. Qin Wanwan trembled. She witnessed Jian Zhiyan kicked around by Jun Shu like a ball, flying around in the air until he finally hit the ground with a deafening “bang” and remained motionless.

The dust was blowing. 38 basted him in her mind, “I thought he was awesome! What a waste of time! Men are indeed only reliable when pigs can climb trees[10]! Host, stand up! Just continue the plot! Song Xinian and Shen Zhiming still have some affection left for you. Take advantage of this situation! Hasten up to sell miserable acts and bring him down the mountain!”

Qin Wanwan couldn’t speak. She stared blankly at Jian Zhiyan, who was covered with blood and twitching all over. She gulped. She weighed for some time and calmly lay back on the ground, gathering her clothes to obscure herself thoroughly.

“Host?! What are you doing? Stand up! If you let them take you away, they will dig your Longdan! Are you not afraid?! Are you not scared?!”

Footsteps came from the side. The System spun around in her mind, panicked.

Qin Wanwan curled up on the ground, shaking like a fawn. She shivered and pleaded to the System, “Don’t… Don’t talk… Let me think…”

She had to think of a way to hide the Longdan.

What could be done?

Among all the spells she knew, which spell could hide the Longdan in her body from even the cultivators in Tribulation Crossing Realm?

Qin Wanwan frantically worked her brain to her utmost to recall all the spells she had learned in the Immortal Realm.

After all, the Immortal Realm is the upper Realm of this world. Any spell from the Immortal Realm could be considered Heavenly-level Spell of this world.

As long as she could remember the right one, she could muddle through!

Which was it?! Which spell was suitable for this occasion?!

The sound of footsteps was getting closer and closer. Qin Wanwan prayed desperately to the Heaven and ups above.

At the same time, Jian Xingzhi was holding a frenzied quarrel with his own system, 666.

“I had told you! The more you violate the character’s role, the greater the pain of this electric shock! You violated the rules, how could I just let you be?”

“You call this ‘electric shock’?!” Jian Xingzhi yelled furiously, “Are you a Heavenly Tribulation or a System?! Even the Thunder I received when I ascended wasn’t this bad!”

“None of this matters now. You just worsened the situation. What will the Female Lead do now?”

666 was fuming, “This must be the butterfly effect! The Female Lead can’t stand up because of you! If the people discover the Longdan in her body and cut it off, the Female Lead will lose her chance to ascend!” 

“Isn’t it just a Longdan. I have a measure.”

The moment the words were out of Jian Xingzhi’s mouth, he evidently felt the pain of the electric shock lessen. He inhaled slowly. He lay down on the ground, stained his fingers with blood, and began to draw symbols on the palm of his hand.

Qin Wanwan was still immersed in her own thinking when she abruptly felt a small stone hit her.

She opened her eyes and caught sight of a hand raised with difficulty in the deep pit.

The palm of that hand had symbols painted in blood on it, like a flag and a beacon, illuminating the way for Qin Wanwan!

The instant she saw the symbols, an inexplicable Spiritual Power flowed into her body from the center of the eyebrow. Qin Wanwan immediately realized what it was.

It’s “Returning to Dust”!

One of the most commonly used hiding spells in the Immortal Realm. As its name, “Returning to Dust”, this spell would turn everything into ordinary things, like dust, hiding it in plain sight.

This kind of spell didn’t require much Spiritual Aura. It focused more on proficiency. In the lower Realm, hiding the Longdan in her body using Returning to Dust was the best solution!

She’s saved!

Qin Wanwan was ecstatic. The spell slowly disappears from Jian Xingzhi’s palm. The disappearing symbols represent Qin Wanwan receiving the power of the spell.

However, only halfway through the disappearance, a shoe embroidered with silver dragon patterns appeared. It gracefully and forcefully stepped on the hand that represented her hope, making a crisp sound of broken joints.

Qin Wanwan, “……”

Jian Xingzhi, “……”

Qin Wanwan’s gaze trailed all the way from that shoes to that shoes’ owner’s face. She saw Jun Shu holding the Jade Flute in his hand with a smile. He gently asked her, “Wan’er, have you figured out how to save Yueli?”

Qin Wanwan didn’t make a sound. She covered her wound, eyes glazing. She nervously used her Shenshi to observe the “Returning to Dust” shrouding her Longdan. 

Jun Shu didn’t notice her abnormality. To frighten her, his foot on the head of ‘Jian Zhiyan’ twisted, and Jian Zhiyan was buried deeper into the soil. Jun Shu’s eyes contained a warning, “If you haven’t figured it out, today, your favorite Male Pet will be buried here.”

While Jun Shu was speaking, the spell and the Longdan were wholly intertwined in her body. Her Spiritual Power was absorbed by the spell in a wink. The Longdan lit up for a second before dimming completely. Qin Wanwan’s Spiritual Power was drained up. She couldn’t support herself anymore. Her eyes rolled over and her breath vanished.

The second her breath vanished, the whole audience perceived it. Shen Zhiming was the first to react. He appeared on the Judgment Stage right away and picked up Qin Wanwan. He instructed the others, “Xinian, you deal with the aftermath. I’ll take her to the Medical Hall.”

With that, Shen Zhiming disappeared with Qin Wanwan in tow.

Song Xiniang reacted and glared at Jun Shu, “Jun-shaozhu, you said you wouldn’t hurt Shimei!”

“I didn’t hurt her.”

Jun Shu retracted his foot from Jian Xingzhi’s head. The servant girl hurriedly stepped forward and wiped Jun Shu’s feet from the dirt of Jian Xingzhi’s head.

“That’s it for today, Song-xiong,” Jun Shu dusted his clothes and smiled at Song Xinian. “I’ll go to check on Yueli first. If Wan’er wakes up, please notify me right away.”

With that, Jun Shu curtsied to Song Xinian and left.

Song Xinian clenched his fist. His gaze glued on Jun Shu’s back. He stared for a long time until he heard the disciple standing behind him ask, “Da Shixiong, that slave had been dug out of the ground. What should we do next?”

Song Xiniang glanced back and saw that ‘Jian Zhiyan’ was put on a stretcher by two disciples. The disciples carefully covered him with white cloth, as if he was already dead.

“Throw him out!”

Song Xinian was irritated when he saw this Male Pet. He was not in the mood to take care of the life and death of this insignificant mortal.

Then he couldn’t resist adding, “Throw him far away!”

“Understood, Shixiong.”

The disciple bowed respectfully and rushed out with the stretcher.

Jian Xingzhi, who was being carried by the others, listened to their conversation. He trembled and pointed his finger at them regardless of the sharp pain caused by the electric shock.

This finger represents the unyielding will of Sui Heng-daojun.

Wen Xin Sect…

You just wait.

Sooner or later, I would level your mountains, smash your palace. I would trash your Wen Xin Sect throughout, not even leaving a chicken or dog left!

And this bastard System who electrocuted him, sooner or later……

Jian Xingzhi swore a poisonous oath in his heart. Before he finished, he heard the voices of two disciples in his ears, “One, two, three, go!”

With the “go”, the two people swung the stretcher hard and threw Jian Xingzhi out.

Jian Xingzhi was hurled to the ground and rolled down the hillside.

As he rolled away, he swore. These two disciples, sooner or later……

Bang! 

Jian Xingzhi’s head crashed into a stone and he didn’t have time to swear. Jian Xingzhi’s eyes turned black, and he finally lost consciousness.

System 666 in his head breathed a sigh of relief.

This Da Ye[11] was finally quiet.

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Footnotes

道号 – dào hào. Daoist monastic name↵

三花聚顶 – sān huā jù dǐng. In Ancient “Flower” = “Splendor”. So three flowers are the unification of Jing (Essence), Qi(Vital Breath), and Shen(Spirit). ↵

666 – liù liù liù. Homonym for 牛牛牛 – niúniúniú and  溜溜溜 – liùliùliù. Smooth/Slick. Amazing. Impressive. Awesome. ↵

神识 – shén shí. Spiritual Knowledge/Consciousness/Sense. Divine Knowlegde/Consciousness/Sense.↵

猴年马月 – hóunián mǎyuè. Things that are far away and impossible to happen. Homophonic for 何年嘛月 – hé nián ma yuè; What year, what month?↵

大佬 – dàlǎo; Big Shot. Brother; Buddy↵

识海 – shíhǎi. Sea of Knowledge/Consciousness. Vague concept of a place where a person store their memories, knowledges, and consciousness of their spirit.↵

本君 – běn jūn. This Lord; This Monarch. A variation of 本座 – běn zuò. This Venerable One; This Noble one. A self-proclaimed status. Quite arrogant. Jun refers to their position (In JXZ’s case, his position as a Daojun). Ben is used to refer to theirself. So it’s like, “I, This Monarch,” / “This Monarch.”↵

本少主 – běn shǎo zhǔ. This Young Lord; This Young Master. A self-proclaimed status. Quite arrogant. Shaozhu refers to their position (In JS’s case, his position as the Shaozhu of Lecheng). Ben is used to refer to theirself. So it’s like, “I, This Young Lord,” / “This Young Lord.”↵

男人靠得住，母猪会上树 – nán rén kào dé zhù, mǔ zhū huì shàng shù. Pigs can’t climb trees. That’s not happening. Men aren’t reliable. Trusting a man’s words was the same as trusting a pig can climb a tree. Can’t be trusted.↵

大爷 – dà yé. Arrogant idler / self-centered show-off. Can also mean Older Uncle.↵