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

Chapter 217: This Disciple Absolutely Does Not Covet the Demonic Cultivator’s Beauty

Qi Yuan was already all too familiar with Grandmaster Ling Yu’s demonic nature. If he dared to push his luck and climb the pole she just offered, she would undoubtedly educate him with extreme physical prejudice.

Faced with her teasing, he merely offered a polite, professional smile and got straight to the point.

“This disciple’s first request is to beg Grandmaster to stop demanding novel updates. Please allow this disciple to devote all his energy to Cultivation! Once my Cultivation reaches great heights, I will definitely honor you properly!”

He bowed deeply, his attitude the very picture of earnest devotion. “I beg Grandmaster to grant this!”

“Hmm…”

Hearing this, Ling Yu’s delicate brows knit together in deep conflict. After a long moment of agonizing deliberation, she reluctantly pursed her red lips and gritted her teeth.

“If I don’t have any new books to read, how am I supposed to pass the days? Aren’t you hindering this venerable one from lying flat… uh, I mean, from studying? Little grand-disciple, this request is far too excessive!”

Lying flat?!

Qi Yuan’s eye twitched. He had no idea where his Grandmaster had picked up modern slang, but he instantly saw through her incredibly lazy, homebody nature.

A terrifying realization bloomed in his mind. If she can reach the late Great Ascension realm while being this lazy, just how heaven-defying is her innate aptitude? There were wild rumors outside that the Supreme Mystery Sanctuary’s Grandmaster Ling Yu was a Peerless monster who could break through cultivation realms just by taking a nap. Originally, he thought it was an exaggeration. Now, he was starting to realize it was likely a factual statement.

Of course, voicing such a treasonous thought would be literal suicide. Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, he forced a bright smile. “Then, what does Grandmaster propose?”

“Let’s do this.” Ling Yu’s eyes darted around before she spoke in a tone that brokered no refusal. “I can see you are on the verge of a breakthrough, so I won’t pressure you for manuscripts right now. Take some time to stabilize your new realm. Once you’re done, you will come back and resume writing novels for me. Yes, it’s happily decided!”

Qi Yuan’s smile froze.

So, after risking my life in that Illusion Realm, all I got was a temporary vacation pass?!

Perhaps sensing she was ruthlessly scamming her own junior, Ling Yu let out a guilty cough and hurriedly added, “Little grand-disciple, quickly state your second request! As long as it is within my power, I will definitely help you!”

Hearing this, Qi Yuan’s expression softened. “Grandmaster, my second request is actually much simpler. As a peerless Master of the talisman path, crafting worldly talismans is as easy as breathing for you.”

“Recently, I have encountered a rather tricky situation. I beg Grandmaster to bestow upon me a Heart-Tying Talisman, personally crafted by your hands, to help me resolve it.”

Before experiencing the terrifying realism of the Ten Directions Illusion Talisman, Qi Yuan hadn’t even considered this option. But now, he suddenly realized that a Heart-Tying Talisman was the absolute perfect solution to his current nightmare.

Right now, the eldest daughter of the Situ Clan, Situ Yan, was bound and gagged in his custody. He couldn’t kill her without drawing massive aggro, but he couldn’t release her either. She was a radioactive hot potato.

While he was confident he could violently scrub her memories, doing so would leave obvious scars on her soul. The Situ Clan had a living Great Ascension Ancestor; they would instantly notice the tampering.

Furthermore, Situ Yan had casually tried to drug him during their very first meeting. The woman was highly ambitious, ruthless, and loved taking extreme gambits. Standard interrogation or memory manipulation might backfire spectacularly on a demoness like her.

Ling Yu’s Heart-Tying Talisman, however, was different. It didn’t forcefully hack the soul. Instead, it subtly hijacked a person’s emotions, seamlessly altering their thoughts and loyalties in a completely formless, untraceable manner.

Most importantly, it left zero side effects and absolutely no evidence. Not even a Great Ascension expert could detect it.

How did Qi Yuan know all this? Because the Heart-Tying Talisman didn’t actually exist in the Cultivation world! It was a completely fictional MacGuffin he had impulsively invented for one of his trashy CEO novels to force a romance plot.

Unexpectedly, Ling Yu had read the book, loved the concept, and used her terrifying mastery of the Dao to actually invent the damn thing in real life! The results were exceptionally potent. If Qi Yuan hadn’t fought tooth and nail back then, he would have been her very first test subject.

As Qi Yuan mentally patted himself on the back, Ling Yu raised a delicate eyebrow. Her gaze sharpened with deep suspicion.

“Little grand-disciple… why do you need a Heart-Tying Talisman out of the blue? Don’t tell me you’re planning to defile one of the Sanctuary’s female disciples?”

“No! Grandmaster, please don’t misunderstand!” Qi Yuan jumped, violently shaking his head. “I am a famously upright gentleman! How could I possibly do something so despicable?!”

He puffed out his chest. “To be completely honest, I intend to use it on a Demonic Cultivator who has committed grave sins. I want to help her find her way back, abandon the darkness for the light, and prevent her from falling deeper into the demonic path!”

“Oh~?” Ling Yu drew out the syllable, her phoenix eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. She looked him up and down, her tone dripping with cynical amusement. “If her sins are so grave, just kill her. Going to such great lengths to ‘save’ someone implies a hidden motive. Tell me the truth—is this Demonic Cultivator a woman?”

Qi Yuan’s body instantly turned to stone. A cold sweat prickled the back of his neck.

I want to slap myself. Why did I have to mention a demoness?! Now I couldn’t wash myself clean even if I jumped into the Yellow River!

“Ahem.” Qi Yuan coughed awkwardly, bracing himself. “Grandmaster, your insight is as sharp as a blade. I am in awe. However, this Junior absolutely does not covet the Demonic Cultivator’s beauty! I merely wish to contribute to the righteous cause of the Sect! I beg Grandmaster to see my pure intentions!”

Ling Yu snorted, casually waving her hand. “I have zero interest in micromanaging your little romantic schemes. As long as you aren’t unleashing chaos upon innocent commoners, it counts as accumulating virtue for this old woman.”

She curled her lip, looking thoroughly perplexed. “I just don’t understand how a simple-minded, blockheaded fool like Hengzhen managed to recruit such a slippery, cunning disciple.”

Qi Yuan’s facial muscles twitched violently, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. He didn’t dare defend himself, let alone his Master. Ling Yu was his Master’s Master; even if Daoist Hengzhen were standing right here, he would just have to kneel and take the verbal abuse.

Seeing Qi Yuan standing there with a perfectly obedient ‘I’m behaving’ expression, Ling Yu smirked. She reached into a small, bell-shaped spatial artifact at her waist and withdrew four radiant, glowing talismans. With a lazy flick of her wrist, they floated gently into Qi Yuan’s hands.

“Take them. I can’t have you whining to the outside world that this venerable one is a stingy miser who mistreats her Juniors.”

“Along with the Heart-Tying Talisman, I’ve included three defensive Talisman Treasures. Each one holds enough power to completely block a full-force strike from a Tribulation Crossing realm expert. Your Cultivation is too low right now; these will serve as excellent life-saving trump cards.”

She huffed softly. “You are my grand-disciple. If you get easily swatted to death outside, wouldn’t it humiliate my reputation as a Grandmaster of the talisman path?”

“Thank you for your boundless grace, Grandmaster!”

Seeing the four glowing talismans, Qi Yuan was overjoyed. He bowed deeply, genuine gratitude washing over him. While the Talisman Treasures were strictly single-use, they were equivalent to three extra lives.

Ling Yu waved him off dismissively. “Alright, get out of here. I have novels to read, and I don’t have time to banter with you.”

“Yes, Grandmaster.” Qi Yuan cupped his fists, spun around, and practically skipped out of the Dao pavilion, thrilled with his haul.

Watching his retreating back, Ling Yu slowly lowered her book. A deeply smug, dangerously vindictive smile bloomed across her mature, charming face.

“Oh, my foolish little grand-disciple,” she murmured into the empty pavilion, her voice dripping with mischief. “You absolutely cannot imagine… I have already upgraded the effects of the Heart-Tying Talisman. When you use it, you are going to get a massive surprise…”