Qin Wanwan ran madly toward the cave exit. Jian Xingzhi raised his hand to condense his sword when he saw the system light up:

[Emergency Task: Within one quarter-hour, assist Qin Wanwan in ‘beauty saving hero,’ randomly save one of the heaven-tier or above handsome men nearby, points +50]

[Warning: Observe character design rules, must not break through Foundation Establishment level, must not steal female protagonist’s scenes, must not be more proactive than female protagonist in monster fighting, must not be stronger than female protagonist!]

Looking at this task and this string of warnings, Jian Xingzhi was stunned. He had to handle this kind of task too?!

In that very moment, the cactus’s spiked mace came crashing down fiercely. Jian Xingzhi’s body shifted sideways, bending to dodge under the mace, then turned and rushed outside following Qin Wanwan.

Never mind what task it was—as long as there were points to gain.

Beauty saving hero first required a crisis. He needed to lure these cacti outside to create the crisis.

Thinking this, Jian Xingzhi ran extremely hard, rushing to Qin Wanwan’s side and calling to her: “Why are you running? Turn back and fight!”

“We’re not fighting this one,” Qin Wanwan shook her head at Jian Xingzhi. “This cactus has issues!”

As the two spoke, they leaped out of the cave in one bound.

Nanfeng was greeting Baisui You and Su Zhenxue to sit outside eating lunch together. From afar, the three only heard a shout of “This cactus is freaking huge—run for it!”

Then they felt the ground rumbling. Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan burst out from the cave entrance simultaneously, closely followed by a group of enormous cacti wielding weapons, shouting and charging toward them.

Su Zhenxue immediately drew her sword, but was grabbed by Nanfeng: “Fairy Su, run quickly!”

Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi ran even faster.

In an instant, only Baisui You remained in the field, staring blankly at that group of menacing cacti, seeming unable to react for a moment.

Jian Xingzhi glanced at Baisui You and saw a character for “Heaven” marked above his head. He turned and grabbed Qin Wanwan: “Go save him!”

“Why don’t you…”

Before the words finished, Qin Wanwan was grabbed by Jian Xingzhi’s hand and flung hard. She only felt the world spinning around her before she crashed heavily into Baisui You with a “bang.”

The spiked mace whistled past over her head. Qin Wanwan lay on top of Baisui You. Baisui You stared blankly at Qin Wanwan, and in that very instant, Jian Xingzhi rushed over, raising his hand to block the iron staff crashing down, while simultaneously kicking both of them!

Qin Wanwan and Baisui You instinctively grabbed each other, rolling across the ground until they slammed hard against a large tree.

By this time, Jian Xingzhi had already used his sword to knock back a cactus with one strike. He turned to look at the completely shocked and bewildered Qin Wanwan, revealing a slight victorious smile.

As if claiming credit:

Look, how did I do?

Qin Wanwan stared blankly at him.

Who was he? What was he doing? Why did he want to torment her?

“Qin Fellow Daoist, let’s go quickly.”

Baisui You reacted faster than her, pulling her up: “Long Fellow Daoist can’t hold on much longer.”

With that, Baisui You pulled Qin Wanwan and ran outside. Seeing them run out, Jian Xingzhi slashed down a cactus with one sword strike and also followed running.

Baisui You wasn’t wrong. If he didn’t use some special methods, with his cultivation currently suppressed to Foundation Establishment stage, he was no match for this group of cacti at all.

He carried his sword and caught up to Baisui You and Qin Wanwan. The three ran shoulder to shoulder through the forest, with the cacti shouting battle cries behind them. In no time, the three rushed out of the cacti’s territory. Seeing them charge out of their domain, this batch of cacti finally stopped.

All three people sat on the ground exhausted. Qin Wanwan turned her head to look at Jian Xingzhi: “What are you doing?”

Jian Xingzhi raised his chin toward Baisui You: “Didn’t you want to save people?”

“Huh?”

Qin Wanwan was stunned. Baisui You looked at the sky, revealing some melancholy: “So this is what it feels like to have someone care.”

“What?”

Qin Wanwan turned to look at him. Baisui You noticed Qin Wanwan’s gaze, his eyes falling on Qin Wanwan. His scholarly face wearing a tall hat showed some shyness: “Thank you, Qin Fellow Daoist, for risking your life to save me. In the past, people’s hearts were cold in Ghost City. In this kind of situation, everyone would certainly not help. I never thought Qin Fellow Daoist would actually come back…”

Hearing these words, Qin Wanwan felt more and more that something was wrong. She glanced at Jian Xingzhi who winked at her and instantly understood.

This must be Jian Xingzhi’s task.

She suddenly became curious about Jian Xingzhi’s various messy tasks, but thinking that Baisui You was present, it wasn’t convenient to say more. After resting for a moment, she stood up: “Let’s go find Nanfeng and Su Fellow Daoist.”

There was a connection between Nanfeng and her. Qin Wanwan quickly led Jian Xingzhi and the others to meet up with Nanfeng. Seeing Su Zhenxue being cared for by Nanfeng from afar, Qin Wanwan sighed with emotion: “It’s so good to be a beauty.”

Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi looked up and glanced at Su Zhenxue sitting on the ground being fanned by Nanfeng. He didn’t say much.

Qin Wanwan couldn’t help but be curious: “Don’t you think she’s beautiful?”

“All beings are just bones—what does it matter?” Jian Xingzhi glanced at her coldly. “Rather than thinking about these things, you should cultivate properly.”

“Don’t be hypocritical,” Qin Wanwan leaned over, chatting with him in a low voice. “You really don’t think she’s beautiful?”

“I’ve seen plenty more beautiful than her,” Jian Xingzhi finally answered. “She’s just ordinary.”

Qin Wanwan felt some admiration for Jian Xingzhi’s aesthetic standards. If Su Zhenxue was considered ordinary, how beautiful must the beauties he’d seen be?

But thinking about it, people from the immortal realm were naturally born beautiful. It wasn’t surprising that Jian Xingzhi had high standards.

For example, her original body was itself an immortal fetus. Born with her mother’s blessing, she was indeed so beautiful that even someone as modest as herself had to praise it.

The three walked to Su Zhenxue’s side. Seeing Qin Wanwan, Nanfeng quickly stood up: “Master.”

Qin Wanwan nodded at Nanfeng, then turned to discuss with everyone: “Why don’t we gather some spirit herbs along the way, find a safe place, rest a bit, and then discuss further.”

“I have no objection.” Su Zhenxue shook her head. Her face was still somewhat pale—who knows if she had been frightened by those cacti.

Baisui You smiled: “I’ll listen to Qin Fellow Daoist.”

Qin Wanwan responded, turned to look at Jian Xingzhi and Nanfeng, then moved her gaze away.

These two’s opinions weren’t important.

After confirming, several people walked together toward a safe place, gathering some spirit herbs and catching some spirit beasts as they went.

By nightfall, the group finally found a cave. Nanfeng found firewood to make a fire, retrieved some food from his storage pouch, temporarily prepared it, and distributed it to everyone.

Jian Xingzhi took his food and left the cave. Qin Wanwan glanced at where Jian Xingzhi went, stood up, and followed out.

At the entrance, Qin Wanwan saw Jian Xingzhi sitting at the door with his back to her. She raised her foot to kick, but Jian Xingzhi slightly turned his head to dodge her movement, raising the hand holding his wine gourd to block her action: “What, you want to fight?”

Qin Wanwan naturally wasn’t going to fight him. She sat down aggressively beside him, lowering her voice and speaking through gritted teeth: “This is the second time today you’ve thrown me. What are you trying to do?!”

“Ask the little spirit.”

Jian Xingzhi tossed a peanut into his mouth: “It’s not like I wanted to join in the excitement.”

“Didn’t we agree to discuss things?”

Qin Wanwan frowned: “How can you not keep your word?”

“In that emergency situation, what could I do?” Jian Xingzhi raised his hand, spreading five fingers and bringing them close to Qin Wanwan: “Fifty points!”

Seeing Jian Xingzhi’s money-obsessed appearance, Qin Wanwan told herself that people die for wealth and birds for food—she needed to understand human nature.

She sat beside Jian Xingzhi and calmed down. Seeing she was truly angry, Jian Xingzhi consoled her: “Don’t be angry anymore. Next time, I’ll let you save whoever you want to save, do whatever you want to do. I guarantee I won’t throw you, okay?”

“What if I don’t want to do it?”

Qin Wanwan looked up at him. Jian Xingzhi shrugged: “Then I have to do the task.”

“Long Aotian,” Qin Wanwan gritted her teeth. “Why are you so domineering?”

“If you’re capable, you be domineering too,” Jian Xingzhi took a sip of wine. Seeing Qin Wanwan choke on his words, he laughed.

“See,” Jian Xingzhi leaned toward her face. “This is the benefit of cultivation. People need to become strong to make the rules. You’re weak, so you deserve to be bullied by me. Understand?”

“That’s not how it is.” Qin Wanwan glared at him. Jian Xingzhi’s drinking movement paused. Qin Wanwan spoke seriously: “True strong people make rules to protect the weak. Only those pretending to be strong take pleasure in bullying the weak.”

Jian Xingzhi didn’t speak. He held his wine gourd. After a moment, he muttered: “Self-comfort.”

Qin Wanwan didn’t want to discuss these irrelevant things with him and turned to talk about serious matters: “What was your purpose today?”

“No particular purpose,” Jian Xingzhi’s voice was lazy. “Delivering a beauty to you.”

“A beauty?”

Qin Wanwan frowned. Jian Xingzhi nodded seriously, examining her teasingly: “You watch every day at Heavenly Sword Sect. I’m delivering one to you—aren’t you happy?”

Qin Wanwan didn’t speak. She pondered the meaning of Jian Xingzhi’s words.

He was delivering to her?

If this was his task, that meant Jian Xingzhi not only found opportunities for her but was also responsible for finding men for her?

Generally, a great female protagonist’s side would indeed be surrounded by various styles of handsome men. Her novel… was no exception?

“Don’t overthink it.”

Seeing Qin Wanwan frowning deeply, Jian Xingzhi patted Qin Wanwan’s shoulder: “Cultivate properly. From now on, listen to me. I guarantee you’ll be surrounded by handsome men, with romance blooming everywhere, and ascend smoothly. As long as you’re obedient, your romantic prospects and future,” Jian Xingzhi pointed his thumb at himself, “I’ve got you covered.”

—

**Author’s Note:**

**[Mini Theater]**

Later—

Qin Wanwan looked at the male protagonist who was directly knocked out: “You said you had my romantic prospects and future covered. The male protagonist’s head has been beaten off by you—what are you covering?”

Jian Xingzhi: “I didn’t say anything wrong. Your romantic prospects and future—I’ve got them covered.”

Before getting locked, updates will be a bit less. After the lock is released, it will be like before, updating with complete plot arcs one after another.