"What did Xue Mingyuan do during those seven or eight hours?"
The system faithfully replied, "He completed some tasks according to the guidance of the new user tutorial."
The ground cracked with a "ka—" sound as Xue Chenjing crushed another brick. He laughed in extreme anger, "You gave him tasks too?"
Sensing his surging anger, the system trembled and said, "You are both my hosts."
What's going on? Didn't you used to be very reluctant to do tasks? So what exactly are you angry about now?
Although the system had always determined that Xue Mingyuan and Xue Chenjing were the same person, these two drastically different personalities, with their own independent thoughts and characteristics, made it feel like working for two bosses. Especially since one boss utterly despised the other.
The system was miserable, exhausted, and felt like crying every day. It constantly reflected on why it had bound to the wrong person initially, otherwise it wouldn't have to endure such torment.
Xue Chenjing's fingers rested on the tilted, collapsed bricks beside him. Though he didn't appear to be exerting force, he scratched deep finger marks into the stone block, with stone powder falling off in a shower. Maintaining a twisted smile at the corner of his mouth, he asked again in a soft voice.
"What did he do during those seven or eight hours?"
Not daring to be negligent, the system immediately brought up the panel for the Hundred-Day Conquest Plan and displayed it for him to see.
Xue Chenjing's gaze fell on the dense rows of glowing text.
[Hundred-Day Conquest Plan Days 2-30: Based on your initial acquaintance, seize every opportunity to interact closely with the target, demonstrate your meticulous care, and bring your relationship closer.]
"...Checked off after completion." Xue Chenjing's gaze slid downward, seeing the long list of subdivided items below, interspersed with numerous red checkmarks that were like thorns piercing his eyes. "Drinking together, eating together, traveling together, riding together, touring together..."
There was a row of red checkmarks right at the top.
Drinking and eating together was one thing, they had a meal together, and he even had to pay for it!
Xue Chenjing frowned, "Riding together? Did he also ride on Senior Crane's back?" He even got on before him.
The system explained, "He couldn't open your storage bag to get the talisman carpet. Since Yu Yi was in a hurry, she let him ride together with Senior Crane to the Unmasked Tower."
However, Xue Chenjing's attention caught on another point, asking discontentedly, "What did you call her?"
The system replied cheerfully, "Because Yu Yi said it's just a name, and we can call her whatever we like."
Xue Chenjing said coldly, "You're not allowed to call her that."
You don't call her that, and you won't let other systems call her that either! The system reluctantly said, "Alright, Master."
Xue Chenjing thought for a moment, barely accepting the reason it gave, and continued to ask, "What about traveling together and touring together?"
Are you really going to ask about each item one by one? The system felt helpless but had to continue explaining, "Traveling together means going out together, and touring together means exploring the Unmasked Tower together."
Xue Chenjing snorted coldly, his gaze moving to the next line. His tone was calm, but his fingers began to scratch the wall again, "What's this about sharing a room?"
"Master, when you were drunk at the inn, didn't you smash a big hole in the wall? The two rooms were connected, and the female lead even crossed through the hole into your room. Isn't that sharing a room?" The system tried to pacify him, "Strictly speaking, you actually completed this item first."
"Then by what right does he check it off on my behalf? I'll chop off his hand sooner or later."
System: "..." Don't talk nonsense, it's your hand too.
Xue Chenjing saw another row of red checkmarks further down. Before he could ask, the system had learned to answer preemptively, "Last night, after you lost consciousness, righteous cultivators were alerted by the door gods and came to investigate for demons and monsters. Shen Qingzhi from Zhaohua Palace tested you with the Demon-Eating Butterfly. The female lead stood by your side the whole time, facing the outside world with you!"
Xue Chenjing's expression turned ugly, and he stubbornly corrected, "That wasn't me."
Xue Mingyuan wasn't a demon, so of course he wasn't afraid of the Demon-Eating Butterfly. On the contrary, he probably liked this kind of butterfly very much. After all, without his contribution, there wouldn't be such butterflies that specifically feed on demonic creatures in this world.
In this world, no one wanted to kill him more than himself.
Therefore, completely losing consciousness and letting Xue Mingyuan control the body while being entirely unaware of his actions was far too dangerous for him.
He thought he would wake up in some dangerous predicament like many times before. So, being able to see Yu Yi's face when he opened his eyes, finding himself in a lively and safe place with the sweet fragrance of milk cakes wafting through the air, he thought he was dreaming.
Until he tasted a bite of the milk cake, which was both cold and sweet.
The system added, "Oh right, Pei Jingchao also came last night, but you... he drove him away with just a few words."
"Useless thing." Xue Chenjing snorted coldly. Judging from his tone, he seemed to have chosen to empathize with Pei Jingchao, which left the system utterly baffled.
Xue Chenjing's gaze slid downward, his expression slightly stunned. He said in disbelief, "They even shared a robe? Hm? Shared a robe? Why? How did they share it? Why did they need to wear it? Yu Yi actually agreed to share clothes with him? What did they do that required sharing clothes?"
"Stop, stop, stop." The system interrupted him, "Master, let me explain!"
Xue Chenjing closed his mouth, staring at the finger marks he had scratched out, and said coldly, "Explain!"
System: "..." What's with that tone? It hadn't done anything, so why did it feel guilty? If you have the ability, go ask the female lead for an explanation!
Although the system felt resentful, it still succumbed to his tyranny and explained obediently, "Master, when the female lead was awakened by your noise last night and crawled through the hole to find you, she was only wearing a very thin undershirt and petticoat. Did you notice?"
Xue Chenjing tried hard to recall for a moment, digging out a blurry image from his hazy, drunken memories of that time. She had climbed over the wall hole and stood amidst the sprawling tentacles.
Ice crystals piercing through the tendrils cast a moonlight-like glow in the room, outlining her slender figure.
She was indeed dressed very lightly at the time, with snow-white silk clinging tightly to her body curves, vaguely revealing the color of her skin underneath. When she crouched down, her long hair meandered over her skirt, and the thin skirt hem faintly revealed the contours of her legs.
She smelled very fragrant, truly very fragrant.
Just recalling it, he seemed to still be able to smell that pleasant scent in his nostrils.
Xue Chenjing rubbed his nose. Now he remembered, but at that time he hadn't noticed any of this at all. "So what?" he asked.
The system sighed, "At that time, outsiders came to inspect the rooms again, so he lent his outer robe to the female lead to cover up. That's why they shared a piece of clothing. However, that outer robe was the one you took off. Before giving it to the female lead, your brother hadn't worn it yet."
Xue Chenjing's eyelashes trembled slightly, his expression softening a bit. But then he realized another issue and asked, "Then what about after she put it on?"
"After the female lead went back to her room and changed into her own clothes, she returned it," the system replied, exasperated by his detailed questioning.
Xue Chenjing pursued further, "Did he wear it again after it was returned? Is it the one I'm wearing now?"
System: "...Yes, he did."
Xue Chenjing pulled up his collar and sniffed, no wonder he could smell Yu Yi's fragrance. He sneered, his face full of contempt: "What a pervert."
System: "..." Wait, can you clarify who's more perverted here?
Xue Chenjing carefully examined each task Xue Mingyuan had completed, demanding detailed explanations from the system for each item before he was satisfied. He even discovered the missing ten points and, upon hearing from the system that Xue Mingyuan had exchanged these ten points for fireworks, he remained silent for a moment, unusually not flying into a rage.
The system secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The glowing text on the panel in front of him faded and disappeared into thin air. Suddenly, Xue Chenjing said, "Bring out that wine of yours."
It took the system a moment to understand he was referring to the Passionate Love Wine. Its host often had such sudden whims, and although the system didn't know what he was planning this time, it still obediently exchanged it for him.
A flash of white light appeared in the void, and a bottle of grape wine fell out of it. Xue Chenjing grabbed the wine bottle and viciously smashed it against a protruding brick nearby.
The system said painfully, "Master, that bottle of wine was very precious!"
The items in this beginner's gift pack may seem ordinary, but because it's a universal package suitable for all alternate worlds - from divine realms to post-apocalyptic survival scenarios - it can be effective no matter where it's used.
The host's performance last night proved this point.
The items in the beginner's pack are one-time use only and can't be replenished from the system store. He just smashed that bottle of wine - if he needs it later, he won't be able to find it again!
Xue Chenjing was completely oblivious to the system's feelings. As the red liquid splashed out, he crushed the bottle and swiftly retreated, not letting a single drop touch him.
Before the rich, sweet scent of wine could reach his nostrils, he cautiously hurried away, disappearing into the market area.
The red liquid pooled in the depressions on the ground, but didn't seep into the soil. Instead, under the sunlight, it quickly evaporated and dissipated into the air.
Meanwhile, Yu Yi returned to the front of the Unmasked Tower, where many cultivators had gathered to demand an explanation from the management.
Although everyone was curious about the cause of this incident, more importantly, they wanted to reclaim their lost spirit stones.
Yu Yi hid among the crowd, listening to the cultivators' discussions nearby. "...It was Pei Jingchao from the Lishan Sword Sect. I saw his sword at the Nine Provinces Dharma Assembly. His one strike split half the street and injured quite a few people."
"I heard he was chasing a demonic cultivator?" Some cultivators expressed understanding. "If it was to capture a demonic cultivator, causing such a commotion is somewhat understandable."
Another person added, "I didn't see any demonic cultivator, but I saw those Lishan Sword Sect cultivators running around everywhere. Wherever they appeared, chaos would suddenly break out."
"Regardless, I must find someone to get back the spirit stones I lost. It took me a long time to save those up."
"Who isn't in the same boat? I was planning to use those spirit stones to upgrade my talisman brush."
All the cultivators who suffered losses gathered outside the Unmasked Tower, demanding an explanation.
Shen Qingzhi was at his wit's end. Of course, he wouldn't be foolish enough to take all the responsibility upon himself. After all, this incident was ultimately caused by Pei Jingchao. Pei Jingchao also understood that he couldn't shirk his responsibility; if he tried to avoid it now, he would offend Shen Qingzhi instead.
The two sat together, discussing countermeasures with grave expressions.
Shen Qingzhi said, "Fortunately, the secret realm was sealed in the end, preventing irreparable consequences. We can negotiate with the various sects' managers later regarding the damages to the shops inside the tower. But for today, we need to compensate these independent cultivators for some of their lost spirit stones."
After all, if it weren't for all the cultivators' joint efforts, today's disaster couldn't have been resolved so smoothly.
Pei Jingchao nodded, "This incident indeed occurred due to my lack of caution. I acted rashly without thoroughly investigating the opponent's strength, causing such turmoil. Lishan Sword Sect is willing to bear the losses of the Unmasked Tower this time."
However, the Demon-Eating Butterfly's reaction also made Pei Jingchao certain that Xue Chenjing was indeed the demon controller. He had faced off against him twice now. During their encounter at the weapon forging platform, he had attributed his defeat to his own emotional instability upon suddenly seeing Yu Yi.
But this time, it made him realize that his opponent's strength was not to be underestimated. Although he knew Xue Chenjing was the demon controller, he had failed to find any solid evidence and had lost the Demon-Eating Butterfly. For now, he didn't dare to act rashly again.
Seeing that he was so cooperative, Shen Qingzhi's eyes showed a hint of satisfaction. However, since the Unmasked Tower was ultimately backed by the Zhaohua Palace, it wouldn't be appropriate to let the Lishan Sword Sect bear all the responsibility.
Moreover, Pei Jingchao was set to become the next head of the Lishan Sword Sect in the future. What harm was there in earning his goodwill?
Shen Qingzhi patted his shoulder, "Sigui, don't blame yourself too much. I also bear responsibility for this matter. The Unmasked Tower suffered significant losses today. If Lishan were to bear it all, you might have trouble explaining it to Sect Leader Juechen Zi when you return. How about this: let's each take on half the responsibility."
Pei Jingchao raised his hands in a salute, bowing deeply in gratitude, "Thank you, Senior Brother Shen."
Shen Qingzhi reached out, using his folding fan to lift Pei Jingchao's elbow, "We've been good friends for many years. If you continue to be so formal, Sigui, I might get angry."
The two then discussed in detail how to compensate the independent cultivators outside. Of course, they couldn't allow the cultivators to name their own price for their losses, otherwise, if someone were to make exorbitant demands, wouldn't they be at a disadvantage?
After lengthy deliberation, they finally agreed to compensate each independent cultivator with three thousand spirit stones.
When this decision was announced, it naturally caused dissatisfaction among many. However, the Unmasked Tower's stance was firm: regardless of actual losses, each person would only receive three thousand spirit stones. They also suggested that all cultivators should seek out the true culprit who set up the formation.
But when people asked for clues about the formation setter, they couldn't provide any substantial information. It was unclear whether they truly knew nothing or if there were other hidden factors at play.
Yu Yi listened silently, guessing that they probably couldn't produce any concrete evidence. Otherwise, they would have seized this opportunity to hunt down the demonic cultivator.
Most of the independent cultivators outside were well aware that the Zhaohua Palace backed the Unmasked Tower, and all twelve major sects had shops within it. The Unmasked Tower was jointly controlled by the twelve major sects.
People didn't dare to clash head-on with the major sects, so in the end, they accepted this resolution.
Everyone lined up outside the Unmasked Tower, waiting for the distribution of spirit stones. The sun was setting, painting the sky with a rich, crimson glow. The evening breeze carried a faint, sweet scent.
It was the season of blooming flowers, so no one paid much attention to the fragrance in the wind.
Cultivators have far better self-control than ordinary people. It wasn't until everyone had received their spirit stones and dispersed that they noticed something odd about the atmosphere in Yinzhou City.
The flowers along the roadside were blooming extraordinarily vibrantly, clustering thickly on every branch. Even plum blossoms, which shouldn't bloom in this season, had burst into full bloom on entire trees. It seemed as if flowers from all seasons had decided to bloom on this day, filling the city with a riot of falling petals.
The sounds of cats in heat echoed through every corner of the city. Brightly feathered birds performed strange mating dances. Every three steps, one could see a pair of dogs on top of each other, and every five steps, a pair of embracing mortals.
Of course, there were also groups of four or five hugging each other.
When did Yinzhou City's atmosphere become so open? Yu Yi marveled all the way. The citizens of Yinzhou City had just experienced such chaos, yet they still had the mood for such intimacy?
Seeing couples, trios, and quartets all over the streets, with the air seemingly permeated by the sour smell of love, all the cultivators wore dumbfounded expressions.
Some people sensed something was amiss and went to the city gates to burn incense and summon the two door god generals to investigate the situation. Golden light shot out from the city gate, condensing into two majestic warrior deities in mid-air.
The ethereal images of the warrior deities hovered above Yinzhou City for a long time. In the end, they too embraced each other.
Yu Yi: "???" She looked down and saw a pair of cultivators unconsciously embracing nearby, frightening her into taking a step back.
The two seemed to have been infected by the city's atmosphere and were now confessing their feelings to each other. The female cultivator's face was flushed red, her eyes brimming with emotion as she timidly said, "Se-senior brother, I've actually admired you for a long time."
The senior brother's eyes widened, his face instantly turning red, with veins bulging on his neck. He was so excited that his tongue got tied, "I-I-I-I-I feel the same way."
Then the two embraced and disappeared between the buildings in a streak of intertwining light.
Yu Yi's mind vaguely echoed with a voice — Spring has arrived, all things are awakening. The great grasslands have once again entered the mating season for animals...
No, this is really strange!
She looked around quickly, then swiftly averted her gaze, focusing on keeping her eyes on her nose and her nose on her heart as she ran towards the inn. When Senior Crane tried to poke his head out, she forcefully pushed him back into her pouch.
Outside Yinzhou City, Xue Chenjing found a place where he had previously buried treasure in the area. He broke the seal and collected the items into his storage bag. The formation set by the Unmasked Tower had drained his own spirit stones, so to repay Yu Yi, he had to come and retrieve these.
When he returned to Yinzhou City, the two door god generals guarding the city were somehow at odds and fighting each other, too preoccupied to verify his identity.
Xue Chenjing passed through the gate tower and walked for a while before quickly noticing the abnormalities in the city. It was truly an eyesore. "What's going on? Why is everyone acting so strangely?"
The system replied: "They're just being a bit more intimate, what's strange about that?"
"They're practically mating in the streets. Isn't that strange?" Xue Chenjing was both disgusted and bewildered. Do humans really enjoy clinging to each other and nuzzling so much?
The system finally sensed something was amiss and carefully scanned the air in Yinzhou City. It cried out in alarm, "Oh no, it's the scent of the Passionate Love Potion. Master, the liquid from the bottle you shattered has evaporated!"
Xue Chenjing froze for a moment, then his form blurred into a shadow as he sprinted towards the inn. The main hall was completely empty, with neither waiters nor the innkeeper in sight. Even before entering, Xue Chenjing could hear his crane senior's cries from outside.
He leapt up to the second floor and kicked open the door to his crane senior's room. Inside, he saw the red-crowned crane with its wings spread wide, neck arched, beak constantly opening and closing with a tapping sound, occasionally throwing its head back to let out a loud cry. It was fluttering around and circling a bamboo sword standing upright on the table.
When the door was kicked open, Yu Yi alertly stood up, a talisman already between her fingers. Seeing it was him, she sat back down, continuing to rest her chin on her hand while watching the crane senior with resignation.
Xue Chenjing entered the room and asked in confusion, "What is it doing?"
Yu Yi sighed, "Mating dance."
Xue Chenjing was forced to press himself against the door by the crane senior's wild dance, only able to look at Yu Yi through the gaps in its fluttering feathers, assessing her condition.
After sitting down, Yu Yi's whole body relaxed in a way she had never done before in his presence. Her clear eyes were slightly unfocused, as if covered by a morning mist.
When the crane senior folded its wings for a moment, her gaze fell on his face and remained fixed there.
Xue Chenjing touched his face in confusion, wondering if he had gotten dirty while digging for spirit stones. He immediately wanted to go to the inner room's dressing table to look in the mirror.
However, Yu Yi suddenly beckoned to him, "Ah Qiu, come here."
Xue Chenjing looked at the dressing table, then back at Yu Yi, hesitating. Seeing Yu Yi frown impatiently, he immediately said, "Alright," and quickly walked around the crane senior to her side. "Master, what is it?"
He was very tall and slender. Standing in front of her, Yu Yi had to look up at him, which made her uncomfortable.
She reached out and grabbed his sleeve, pulling him down. Xue Chenjing didn't understand but bent over following her force.
As he bent down, Yu Yi put her hand on his shoulder, pressing him until he was almost kneeling on the ground. Only when this beautiful face was slightly looking up at her did she finally smile with satisfaction.
Yu Yi raised her hand, her fingertips sliding from his shoulder to the side of his face, barely touching his skin, slowly moving upwards, gently caressing the upturned corners of his eyes. She praised, "This angle is the best. I like you looking at me like this, and I like looking at you like this."
Xue Chenjing was half-kneeling on the ground, trembling slightly at her feather-light caress, but the expression on his face gradually lost its docility, revealing an irrepressible anger between his brows.
His fingers were tightly clenched inside his sleeve, his whole body tense, like a beast crouching low, waiting for the moment to pounce on its prey. He took two deep, heavy breaths.
But he didn't like this humiliating and submissive posture.
