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

Chapter 196: A Very Heavy Idol Burden

Not long after.

Blood Refining Peak, outside Cave Mansion A-1.

“Brother Qi, I’m not trying to scare you, but the trouble you’ve caused this time is catastrophic. Even my Clan Uncle can’t protect you from this. Run. Just run for your life.”

“Also… I was never here. Do not drag me into this. If you sell me out, I swear I will haunt you as a ghost!”

With those parting words, Situ Yun fled as if the Hounds of Hell were snapping at his heels, vanishing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Left alone with the revelation of his captive’s true identity, Qi Yuan felt his soul leave his body. He stood there, frozen in sheer terror.

Holy sht.*

That golden-haired girl is one of the Four Great Beauties of the Demon Sect… the Sect Leader’s only personal disciple… the Shen Family Head’s favorite daughter…

Any single one of those titles would allow her to walk sideways through the Nether Fiend Sect, crushing anyone in her path. And he had kidnapped her?

Even worse… he had interrogated her.

This Demon Sect really lives up to its reputation. It’s not just evil; it’s abstract art.

A dignified disciple of the Sect Leader sneaking into the Outer Sect to assassinate her own elders? What kind of logic is that?

And that girl! After I caught her, she played the ‘rather die than yield’ card! Would it have killed her to just say, “Do you know who my father is?”

Qi Yuan felt like the universe was playing a cruel joke on him. But panic wouldn’t solve anything. What’s done is done. He needed damage control, and he needed it now.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

The situation was critical. One wrong move, and his undercover career—and his life—would end abruptly. The priority was to stabilize Shen Xingxuan.

First, silencing her was impossible. Too many witnesses had seen him carry her away.

Second, begging for mercy was suicide. Given her ruthless nature, she’d just kill him faster.

If soft tactics wouldn’t work, he needed a combination of soft and hard.

A flash of inspiration struck Qi Yuan. He composed himself, fixed a neutral expression on his face, and walked back into the cave.

Seeing him return, Shen Xingxuan stopped struggling. She didn’t scream. Instead, she fixed him with a glare so full of killing intent it could freeze magma.

“Since you know who I am, there is no need for words. Kill me now. If you don’t, I swear I will slice you into a thousand pieces and grind your bones to dust!”

“Senior Sister Shen, is it?”

Qi Yuan smirked, his voice dripping with casual amusement. “You have a noble status. Who you want to kill is your business. But dragging me into your mess? Making me the scapegoat while you walk away clean? That’s just rude.”

Shen Xingxuan furrowed her delicate brows, her face twisting in disdain.

“Bastard! You were the one who barged into my crime scene! What does that have to do with me? You’re just a lowly Outer Sect disciple. Who would bother framing you?”

“Oh?”

Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow, his smile widening.

“Earlier, you refused to reveal your identity even when I threatened you. Why? Because you didn’t want anyone to know that the great Shen Xingxuan was captured by a ‘lowly Outer Sect disciple,’ right?”

Shen Xingxuan’s face flushed crimson.

“It was a mistake! That dying elder injured me with a sneak attack! If I were at full strength, do you think trash like you could touch me? You’re delusional!”

“Maybe,” Qi Yuan said leisurely. “But facts are facts. Right now, you are my prisoner.”

“If this gets out, no one will care about the excuses. They will only see the headline: ‘Nascent Soul Prodigy Captured Alive by Foundation Building Nobody.'”

“When that happens, not only will your reputation be ruined, but the Sect Leader’s face will be dragged through the mud. Don’t you agree?”

He had her pegged. This golden-haired enchantress was a classic tsundere with a massive ego. She cared about her image more than her life. She had a heavy “idol burden.”

That was why she hadn’t shouted her identity from the rooftops. She was ashamed.

And shame was a weapon Qi Yuan knew how to use.

Sure enough, Shen Xingxuan’s face paled. Her murderous aura deflated like a punctured balloon.

“Big Qi,” she asked, her voice low and dangerous. “What do you want?”

She was used to people fawning over her or dying at her hand. She had no experience dealing with blatant blackmail.

“Simple.”

Qi Yuan shrugged. “Pretend this never happened. Swear a Heavenly Dao Oath that you will not seek revenge against me. In return, I will help you stage a play to cover this up and save your precious face.”

“After all, you don’t want the world to know you were tied up like a dumpling by an ant, do you?”

Shen Xingxuan trembled. Her eyes flickered as she weighed her options.

A tall tree catches the wind. As the Sect Leader’s disciple, her every move was scrutinized. If this scandal broke, she would never live it down. Her Master would be humiliated.

If she could bury this secret… she could tolerate letting this worm live a few more days.

As for the Heavenly Dao Oath? It was a serious constraint, but she didn’t care. With her status, she didn’t need to lift a finger to kill him. A subtle hint to her admirers, and Qi Yuan would vanish without her breaking any vows.

Qi Yuan watched her expression shift and knew exactly what she was thinking.

She’s planning to loop-hole me.

He wasn’t an amateur. Releasing a tiger back into the mountain required insurance.

He couldn’t demand her soul essence—the Sect would notice immediately. He couldn’t force a Slave Contract—she was too proud; she’d self-destruct her Nascent Soul just to spite him.

Unlike Shao Xuanji, who was rational and responsible, Shen Xingxuan was a demonic cultivator. She was crazy enough to choose mutual destruction.

“Fine,” Shen Xingxuan said, nodding sharply. “I agree.”

Qi Yuan grinned.

“Straightforward. I like that. However…”

“However what?”

Seeing his sly, thief-like smile, Shen Xingxuan felt a sudden jolt of foreboding.

Qi Yuan slowly pulled a high-grade Recording Talisman from his sleeve.

“To ensure you don’t ‘accidentally’ forget our deal, I need some collateral. Don’t worry, it’s just a few simple poses. It’ll be quick…”