Is It Wrong to Bully the Novice Village for System Rewards?

Chapter 189: She-Devil, We’ll Fight You to the Death!

Sensing Qi Yuan’s confusion, Yu Yannian took a deep breath to steady his trembling hands. His expression turned solemn as he explained.

“To be honest, these four Ten-Thousand-Year Medicine Kings were personally planted by the Founding Patriarch of the Pill Saint Sect. The Patriarch held a deep affection for them while he was alive, and before his passing, he left a strict final decree instructing his descendants to care for them properly.”

“I never imagined my generation would be so negligent as to lose these four Little Ancestors. We have truly shamed the ancestors of the sect. If not for the Holy Scion’s assistance, this could have turned into a catastrophe of unforgivable proportions…”

Yu Yannian let out a long sigh, looking like a man who had just narrowly avoided the gallows.

Qi Yuan finally understood.

No wonder Yu Yannian had been ecstatic. It wasn’t about the medicinal value; these dolls were essentially the living mascots and sacred totems of the Pill Saint Sect. Their symbolic value far outweighed their use in a cauldron.

As for why these “Little Ancestors” gave up their pampered lives to run away with Old Ginseng and join the “Spirit Grass Liberation Front,” that was easy enough to deduce.

Despite being treated with reverence, they lived in the Spirit Medicine Garden. Every day, they watched their kin being harvested, chopped up, and boiled into pills by human alchemists. Living in a glorified slaughterhouse would radicalize anyone. Over thousands of years, developing a rebellious streak against the alchemists was inevitable.

Having figured this out, Qi Yuan didn’t waste time on small talk. Under Yu Yannian’s expectant gaze, he launched into his fabricated “detective report.”

“After hearing Junior Sister Zu’s description of the crime scene, I suspected the thieves used a specialized method of entry. Following my intuition, I investigated the underground foundations of the Immortal Market.”

“By sheer luck, I stumbled upon their hideout. Unfortunately, the thieves were alert. Realizing they had been exposed, they fled immediately, leaving behind only the four kidnapped hostages.”

Qi Yuan shook his head, squeezing out a look of perfect, regretful self-reproach.

“It is a shame I let the culprits escape. Furthermore, I was unable to recover the Spirit Stones and pills your sect lost…”

Yu Yannian waved his hands frantically, his face full of gratitude.

“Holy Scion, please, there is no need for self-blame! Spirit Stones can be earned again. Pills can be refined again. Those things are dirt compared to these four!”

“The thieves were cunning. To bring the Little Ancestors back safely is already a miracle. Please wait a moment; the sect will send someone to handle the transfer immediately. The Pill Saint Sect owes you a heavy debt of gratitude!”

Without delay, Yu Yannian pulled out a transmission talisman to report the good news back to the sect.

…

A short while later, a small, energetic figure burst into the room like a whirlwind.

Qi Yuan blinked. It was Zu Xianxian. He hadn’t expected the sect to send her. Wasn’t that a bit… casual?

Even Yu Yannian was surprised. “Junior Niece Zu? I notified Elder Wan. Why are you here?”

“Uncle Wan was supposed to come,” Zu Xianxian said, arching her delicate brows triumphantly. “But I told him this case is my responsibility, so naturally, I should be the one to handle it.”

She didn’t wait for a response. Instead, she rushed over to Qi Yuan, her words firing out like a machine gun.

“You were right! The thieves really did use the underground tunnels! I found tons of evidence down there!”

“Those thieves have no manners! They littered everywhere. They even threw stolen clothes all over the place—I found Senior Sister Zhai’s bandeau that went missing a few days ago! It was definitely them!”

Mid-sentence, Zu Xianxian spotted the four Spirit Grass dolls huddled on the floor, trying to make themselves invisible. Her eyes lit up like high-beams.

“Big Fatty! Second Fatty! Third Fatty! Fourth Fatty! It’s really you! I finally found you! Yay!”

She pounced on them, rubbing their cheeks and pinching their limbs with aggressive affection.

“Don’t touch me!”

“She-Devil! Stay away from us, or I’ll fight you to the death!”

After a chaotic struggle, the dolls realized escape was futile. They turned their teary eyes toward Qi Yuan, silently begging their beloved Deputy Gang Leader to save them from this monster.

Qi Yuan’s mouth twitched. He quickly stepped in, pulling Zu Xianxian back.

“Junior Sister Zu, gently! These Medicine Kings were kidnapped and traumatized. They have suffered significant… damage to their vitality. They need quiet recuperation. Let’s not agitate them.”

“Damage to their vitality?”

Zu Xianxian’s face fell, filled with heartache. “Oh no, you poor things! Don’t worry, Big Sister will give you some supplements right now!”

She immediately tapped her storage bracelet and dumped a pile of healing pills onto the floor.

“Eat up! I have plenty of pills. I guarantee you’ll be bouncing around in no time!”

The moment the dolls saw the pills, their faces turned green. One of the braver dolls stood up, pointing a trembling finger at her.

“Speak! What are these pills made of? I’m asking you, what are they made of?!”

Zu Xianxian blinked, caught off guard by the aggression. She tilted her head, looking adorably confused.

“They’re made of Spirit Grass, of course. Why?”

Silence.

Then, the room exploded.

“SHE-DEVIL! WE’LL FIGHT YOU TO THE DEATH!”

The dolls went berserk, charging at her with the intent to scratch her eyes out.

The situation was spiraling out of control. Even Yu Yannian, who had been sitting like a statue, couldn’t watch anymore. He hurried forward to intercept the four rampaging dolls, whispering soothing words as he ushered them into a specialized Spirit Beast Bag for safekeeping.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to the bewildered Zu Xianxian.

“Junior Niece Zu, we owe this entirely to Holy Scion Qi. If he hadn’t discovered the hideout and arrived in time, our sect’s heirlooms might have been lost forever.”

“So it really was you who solved the case?”

Zu Xianxian’s mouth formed a small ‘O’. She turned to Qi Yuan, her almond eyes filled with genuine hero-worship.

“You’re amazing! You didn’t even visit the crime scene! You just listened to my description and deduced their method, then tracked them straight to their lair! You really are a Master Detective!”

Qi Yuan forced a smile, feeling a mix of amusement and absurdity.

Master Detective? I just cheated by looking at the answer key first.

But he wasn’t about to clarify the misunderstanding. Being a genius investigator was a useful reputation to have.

While Qi Yuan was musing, Zu Xianxian lifted her chin, looking extremely pleased with herself.

“Big Brother Qi, didn’t you want to ask my Great-Grandfather to refine a pill? Let’s go. I’ll take you to him right now.”

Qi Yuan’s spirit jolted.

“Then I will trouble you, Junior Sister Zu.”

He had gone through all this trouble—scamming herbs, faking investigations, joining a revolutionary plant gang—just to get an audience with Zu Chengzhi. Finally, the door was open.

Zu Xianxian’s eyes curved into crescents as she grinned.

“Don’t call me Junior Sister Zu, just call me Xianxian. But on the way, you have to tell me exactly how you solved the case…”