As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone looked at Qin Wanwan together, and then a pile of large sabers pointed at her: “You want to assault officials?”
“I didn’t!”
“That’s right!”
The two reacted quickly, speaking in unison. Qin Wanwan looked at Jian Xingzhi in shock: “Why would you harm me like this?”
Jian Xingzhi was momentarily speechless. After holding it in for a long time, he finally found a reason: “Don’t you think they’re too excessive?”
“Since when have you been so righteous and heroic?”
“For cultivators,” Jian Xingzhi spoke with righteous indignation, “eliminating the strong and helping the weak is also training.”
“I’m the one cultivating, not you!”
“So I’m helping you create training opportunities.”
As he spoke, a large saber fell with fierce force. Jian Xingzhi grabbed Qin Wanwan’s money pouch and gave it a light tug, pulling it into his hand and sliding it into his sleeve without anyone noticing. At the same time, both he and Qin Wanwan retreated to either side, and the saber fell between them.
“The official is talking to you—don’t you take us seriously!”
The soldier looked at Qin Wanwan. Qin Wanwan gritted her teeth and pointed at Jian Xingzhi: “He said it, it has nothing to do with me!”
“Doesn’t matter if it’s related or not—take them both down!”
The soldier roared. Seeing the situation turning bad, Qin Wanwan turned and ran, chased into the city in a panicked flight.
Jian Xingzhi split up from her, running in another direction. His movements were nimble—after flipping over a wall to shake off the pursuers, he reached the main street. Seeing no one around, he caught his breath, glanced back at the distant place where sounds of fighting shook the heavens, shook the storage pouch in his hand, and walked into a high-end luxurious inn not far away.
As soon as he entered the inn, the waiter came up to greet him respectfully: “Young master, staying at the inn?”
“Two Heaven-grade rooms.”
“I’m sorry,” the waiter smiled with difficulty, “there’s only one Heaven-grade room left. You see…”
Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi immediately frowned: “One room?!”
666 was about to advise him that one room could cultivate feelings, but then heard Jian Xingzhi shout: “Do you know who my master is? Have someone give up their room. I can’t sleep in ordinary rooms!”
The waiter was stunned. Then they heard a man’s rough voice speak: “Who is your master? Let me see—what divine being are they?”
Jian Xingzhi glanced over disdainfully: “You’re not worthy of knowing my master’s name. If you’ve got guts, just wait here. She’ll be here shortly!”
Then Jian Xingzhi turned to greet the waiter: “Prepare water for me. I need to bathe.”
The moment he turned, a “ding” sounded in his mind.
“Causing trouble +1”
666: “…”
It had to be said, its host was a genius at attracting hatred.
The waiter quickly prepared water for Jian Xingzhi. Jian Xingzhi comfortably got into the bath tub. 666 saw his mood was good and, after thinking it through three times, still carefully spoke up: “Um, Master, don’t you feel that the way you’re executing tasks… is a bit too stiff?”
“How is it stiff?”
“It’s just that, although we need to execute tasks, we also have to conform to reason. According to the script, although this Jian Zhiyan causes trouble, it’s all passive—none of it can be blamed on him. Either it’s because he’s too beautiful and gets harassed, or it’s because he unintentionally saves someone and gets hunted. The way you’re doing it doesn’t look like a persecuted male companion at all—it looks exactly like a spy sent by the enemy to kill the female lead…”
666’s voice grew smaller and smaller: “Based on current calculations, your core task of making the female lead say ‘protect you until ascension’—the possibility seems to keep decreasing.”
Jian Xingzhi: “…”
“Then what should I do?” Jian Xingzhi frowned. “How can I cause trouble without fault?”
“Listen to me,” 666 immediately became interested, “in a bit, you should dress flamboyantly, make yourself look good, and go downstairs alone to drown your sorrows in drink.”
“Will this work?”
Jian Xingzhi couldn’t believe it. 666 quickly nodded: “You need to have confidence in your appearance! There’s only one problem now,” 666 was quite hesitant, “will the female lead come back?”
“She will,” Jian Xingzhi spoke with certainty. He directed his gaze to the storage pouch on the stool beside him. “Her storage pouch is with me.”
666 said nothing. In that moment, it suddenly understood Jian Xingzhi’s wisdom.
When Jian Xingzhi finished washing himself clean, Qin Wanwan was being chased by pursuers all the way into an alley.
These were all mortals—she couldn’t use magic techniques, couldn’t kill anyone, and could only flee while being chased, barely resisting with her mediocre kung fu skills.
Although these mortals had no magical power, they were all trained fighters. If it was just about martial arts, Qin Wanwan was no match for them at all. She barely dodged their moves, her actions becoming more and more skilled.
Before long, she noticed that on the panel in her mind, a “Martial Arts Proficiency” was constantly increasing. Every time she dodged, every time she made a move, every time she parried a sword, it would show a “+1.”
Her movements became increasingly fluid. Finally, she saw a high wall, jumped directly over it into a pond in the courtyard behind the wall, then swam out following the water. When she emerged, she looked around and found it was a small river. She quickly climbed out, got up, and walked in the opposite direction from Xunxian Town.
“Wait,” 38 reminded her, “where are you going?”
“Leaving,” Qin Wanwan walked extremely fast, expressing her anger with all her might. “You don’t think I’m still going back to find Jian Zhiyan, do you? Let me tell you, impossible. That sword he stabbed me with, I reluctantly forgave him. But now, just based on his performance today, he’s definitely a spy trying to get me killed. I’m leaving right now. I’m cutting ties with him—no more contact! I’m telling you, 38, don’t say one good word about him today. I don’t want this man anymore!”
38 had never seen Qin Wanwan this angry. It was momentarily frightened. Qin Wanwan kicked aside branches blocking her path on the ground and walked aggressively toward the official road. 38 was silent for a while before reminding her: “Um, Master, have you considered how you’ll live in the future?”
“What’s there to consider?”
Qin Wanwan was full of confidence: “Qin Wan has accumulated quite a bit over the years. I scraped down all the gold powder in Qin Wan’s room at Wenxin Sect—enough for us to live luxuriously for a lifetime.”
“Then,” 38 asked carefully, “where is the gold powder stored?”
Hearing this, Qin Wanwan stopped in her tracks and instinctively reached for her waist, immediately alarmed.
She had placed tracking talismans in her storage pouch. With a slight sensing, she detected the location. Without hesitation, she turned around and ran back toward Xunxian Town.
She couldn’t take the main gate, so she had to return the same way—swimming back through the river, returning to that courtyard, climbing over the wall to the alley. Fortunately, the pursuers had all left by now. She didn’t care about her soaking wet clothes or the weeds covering her head—she rushed urgently toward the direction of her money pouch.
38 saw her extreme anger and tried to persuade her: “Don’t be angry. Actually, Jian Zhiyan is your lucky star. Your foundation is too weak right now, and you lack combat experience. When he causes trouble here, the level is just right. Fight a few more times, gain practical combat experience, and when you go to Heavenly Sword Sect, it won’t be too difficult. The script’s upgrade path for you is very scientific. You’re the female lead—why fear fighting?”
“I understand now.” Qin Wanwan got it—Jian Zhiyan’s character positioning was that type of troublemaker in traditional novels who keeps causing problems for the protagonist’s team but never dies. Although each time they cause trouble, it effectively advances the plot and brings extra benefits to the protagonist, it doesn’t prevent them from being the most annoying type of Mary Sue in all TV dramas and novels.
This plot construction method of advancing the story through troublemakers had been outdated for who knows how many years. As an excellent protagonist, Qin Wanwan wouldn’t allow such a person around her.
Immediately, right now, she’d snatch the money pouch and sell him!
She’d sell him to the mines and let him use his special talents to dig spirit stones for the rest of his life!
As Qin Wanwan frantically rushed toward Jian Xingzhi’s direction, Jian Xingzhi had already changed clothes. Following the system’s instructions, he put on a pink long robe, pinned his hair with a jade hairpin, and sat by a window in the main hall.
People around kept looking at him, glancing at him from time to time.
“Put your hand on the windowsill, rest your chin on it, look at the street, and be melancholic.”
666 instructed him. Jian Xingzhi propped up his hand, looked at the street, his gaze melancholic.
In that instant, everyone suddenly felt this beauty before them was emanating a kind of killing intent unique to masters. They immediately withdrew their gazes, not daring to look anymore.
666: “…”
“Now order some wine and put on an act of being hurt by love, drowning your sorrows.”
666 continued to instruct. Jian Xingzhi nodded and called to the waiter: “Waiter, bring me twenty jars of the finest strong liquor!”
666: “…”
Sensing something wrong, Jian Xingzhi frowned: “What now?”
“Um, Master,” 666 nervously reminded, “a beauty should just drink one pot.”
“Didn’t you want me to drown my sorrows?” Jian Xingzhi was dissatisfied. “How can one pot get me drunk?”
666: “…”
Twenty jars of strong liquor were brought up. Jian Xingzhi looked at the wine and surveyed everyone around. Apart from the Heaven-grade room guest he had offended at the beginning, not one other person dared make eye contact with him.
He began to doubt 666’s plan: “Will they really cause trouble for me because of my beauty?”
“Originally they could have…”
But now… not necessarily.
Jian Xingzhi wasn’t surprised. He knew this system was unreliable.
When it came to completing tasks, he still had to rely on himself.
Having decided, Jian Xingzhi picked up the wine and sighed lightly toward the void: “My master was indeed right. This Xunxian Town truly has stupid people and barren land—not a single one worth fighting.”
Hearing this, the martial artists around couldn’t bear it. One slammed down his palm, and several people stood up one after another: “How can you talk like that? Who is your master? Have her come out for a bout!”
“Easy,” Jian Xingzhi sneered contemptuously. “My master will come beat you all in a bit! Don’t run if you’ve got guts.”
“Whoever runs is a grandson!”
“Then just wait and see.”
“Little brother, don’t talk so aggressively…”
“Pockmarked face, don’t open your mouth, or my master will hit you.”
“Oh my, in decades I’ve never seen someone so arrogant…”
Jian Xingzhi exchanged harsh words and traded insults with everyone in the hall. Qin Wanwan ran frantically, exhausted in body and mind, arriving at the inn. From afar she saw Jian Xingzhi sitting by the window engaged in a war of words with people. She rushed into the hall and angrily shouted: “Jian Zhiyan!”
Jian Xingzhi turned around to see Qin Wanwan with weeds on her head, completely soaked, her eyes full of fury, glaring at him angrily.
He was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed with great joy: “Master, you’re here?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the hall full of people who had been holding back for so long drew their sabers in unison. Qin Wanwan sensed something was wrong, but only had time to shout “Wait, I’m not…” before seeing sabers coming like the wind, chopping straight onto her sword.
“Since fellow cultivator is so arrogant, don’t blame us for being ruthless!”
Everyone roared. Qin Wanwan shouted in grief and anger: “I have no relationship with him!”
“The contract of servitude is here.”
Jian Xingzhi slapped the contract of servitude on the table. Everyone turned to look at Qin Wanwan: “You’re still lying!”
“Jian Zhiyan!”
Qin Wanwan wanted to tear this person’s heart out. Jian Xingzhi didn’t notice at all. He happily grabbed a plate of peanuts and watched the battle from afar. Whenever someone attacked Qin Wanwan from behind, he would flick a peanut from his hand to prevent Qin Wanwan from being injured, while slowly counting the number of completed tasks in his mind.
He had already completed causing trouble +10 just now by taunting different people.
Now it was brawling +5. Each time Qin Wanwan fought someone who rushed up for different reasons, the brawl count immediately increased by +1.
He had been watching the excitement from the side, but as he watched, he discovered Qin Wanwan’s movements were becoming increasingly fluid.
She seemed to have a strange error-correction ability—each sword strike was slightly more precise than the last one, with corrections.
For a sword cultivator, this sensitivity to correcting errors was something more precious than spiritual roots. Many sword cultivators could swing their swords ten thousand times with no significant difference from the first time. They never knew where their sword strike went wrong. Even someone with extraordinary talent like Jian Xingzhi sometimes had to repeat many times before noticing his mistakes.
But Qin Wanwan was different.
Though her swordsmanship was immature, it had a spiritual quality that many sword cultivators found difficult to possess.
Jian Xingzhi involuntarily stood up, his gaze fixed on Qin Wanwan. Seeing that Qin Wanwan’s stamina was failing, he picked up the entire plate of peanuts, ready to end the battle instantly.
At that moment, the door was violently blown open by the wind. A staff hung with paper money spun in, circled the hall once, and just happened to help Qin Wanwan force back the crowd.
The staff spun back to the entrance. A young man stepped into the hall, elegantly raised his hand, caught the flying staff by its end, and lifted a pair of clear, gentle eyes to look at Qin Wanwan with a smile.
“Benefactor young lady, this one arrived late.”