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

The next day. Yongli City. Inside the luxurious Immortal Mansion Inn. Heavenly-Class Room.

Gauze curtains drifted like clouds in the gentle breeze. Night pearls embedded in the walls cast a hazy, fluorescent glow, projecting two intertwined silhouettes onto a screen embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water. The shadows danced chaotically, merging and separating in a rhythmic frenzy.

After an omitted ten-thousand-word sequence of intense “cultivation,” Qi Yuan collapsed onto the soft couch, utterly drained.

His emotions were… complex.

This witch would rather believe I got a face-lift than suspect I’m the Holy Scion of the Supreme Mystery Sanctuary. What am I supposed to do with her?

Not far away, Ji Chan’er lay on her side, her posture languid and seductive. Her peach-blossom eyes still held a misty, lingering affection, and her jade-like cheeks were flushed with a drunken, rosy hue.

She looked radiant. Dangerously so.

Seeing this scene, a certain someone felt a familiar stir in his blood. Fortunately, his survival instinct kicked in, reminding him of his purpose.

“Fairy Ji,” Qi Yuan asked, his voice hoarse and heavy with fatigue, “what do you make of that imposter?”

Ji Chan’er snapped out of her post-coital daze. She tucked a loose strand of raven hair behind her ear, her tone turning casual.

“That person could withstand This Seat’s Soul Searching technique. He certainly possesses some peculiarities.”

“His mouth was tough, too. He endured the Saint Sect’s ‘Soul-Burning Bone-Grinder’ for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. In the entire cultivation world, he qualifies as a tough guy.”

She scoffed lightly. “It’s just a pity his brain isn’t as hard as his bones. He dared to lie to This Seat.”

“The Saint Sect has countless secret methods for interrogation. Forget a ‘tough guy’—even a rock would be refined into dust in my hands. In the end, he wept and spilled the truth obediently enough…”

Damn. Ruthless.

Qi Yuan silently observed three seconds of mourning for the unlucky bastard.

Han Lie had managed to deceive even the Abyssal Sanctuary, proving his disguise was top-tier. Unfortunately, he had run into a reckless demoness who skipped the logic puzzle and went straight to torture.

Technically, Han Lie was a body snatcher—same body, different soul. But Qi Yuan? He was a complete fake, wholly unrelated to the original.

It was ironic. Through a series of absurd misunderstandings, this demoness had tortured the truth out of a partial fake while cuddling up to the real impostor.

Heaven’s retribution comes for us all, I guess…

“In short, the true culprit behind the extermination of the Qi family is a rogue cultivator named Han Lie,” Ji Chan’er said, sitting up.

Her waterfall-like hair cascaded down her back, revealing the elegant curve of her neck and her smooth, creamy shoulders. She was a vision of deadly beauty.

“If your little fiancée, Qin Lingxue, hadn’t barged in and stirred up trouble, This Seat would have dragged him here and thrown him at your feet.”

She frowned slightly. “Before leaving, This Seat planted a hidden Heavenly Demon Mark on him. But for some reason, the mark vanished this morning.”

“I’ve lost his trail. If you want to hunt down your family’s killer, go ask Qin Lingxue.”

Ji Chan’er casually draped a silk robe over her curves, masking her alluring figure. She glanced at the pensive Qi Yuan, her expression cooling into her usual arrogance.

“Qi Yuan, This Seat promised to investigate the truth. Now that the water has receded and the stones have appeared, my obligation is fulfilled.”

“No matter how strange this Han Lie is, he is merely a Qi Refining cultivator. You are already at Foundation Building. If you can’t handle him yourself, you don’t deserve to be Ji Chan’er’s man. If you die, you deserve it.”

With a flick of her wrist, she retrieved an indigo-blue longsword from her storage bracelet and tossed it to him.

“This sword belongs to Han Lie. It seems capable of devouring essence and blood to nourish the wielder. It’s clearly an evil artifact.”

“Use it as a clue, or keep it for yourself. With your trash aptitude, following the orthodox path means you won’t form a Golden Core until the monkeys rule the world. You might as well try a darker path.”

She paused, adding a warning. “Just be careful. Don’t let the demonic nature of the blade consume your mind.”

Qi Yuan caught the sword, his expression turning odd.

Evil artifact?

Good heavens. This woman really has me pegged as a natural-born villain.

He examined the blade. It looked utterly ordinary. There was no fluctuation of spiritual power, let alone any “demonic nature.” In a market stall, it would sell as scrap iron.

He couldn’t see anything special about it.

Still, he stowed the sword away and smiled warmly.

“Thank you, Fairy Ji. I am endlessly grateful. I will surely repay you in the future.”

As he spoke, his hands wandered, wrapping around her slender waist again.

Ji Chan’er shot him a faint glance but didn’t pull away. She curled into his embrace, her voice turning soft.

“Two months from now is the 80,000th birthday of my clan’s Ancestor.”

“As a junior of the Ji Clan, I must return to the Saint Sect to help prepare for the celebration. How about… you come with me?”

Huh?

Qi Yuan stiffened. The blood drained from his face.

Are you kidding me?

The Holy Scion of the Supreme Mystery Sanctuary… walking into the Nether Fiend Sect’s headquarters? For their Ancestor’s birthday?

That’s not a birthday party. That’s a suicide run!

Sure, he had the “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” talent to disguise his aura, but the Ji Clan Ancestor was a peak Great Ascension monster. That old freak would see through him in a heartbeat.

If his identity was exposed, the entire Nether Fiend Sect would go insane with joy.

“Buy one birthday banquet, get one Righteous Holy Scion for free!” It would be the biggest news in cultivation history.

Qi Yuan laughed awkwardly, his mind racing for an escape route.

“Fairy Ji… well… I still need to avenge the Qi family. I’m tied up for now.”

He put on a serious face. “Besides, you know me. I’m a low-key man. I like stability. You are a heaven-favored daughter, one of the Four Great Beauties. If I walk in there with you, I’ll become public enemy number one.”

“Every demonic cultivator who adores you will want my head on a spike. I’ll be hunted until I die…”

Ji Chan’er raised an eyebrow, cutting through his bullshit effortlessly.

“You’ve almost devoured This Seat clean, and you still have the nerve to claim you’re ‘low-key’?”

She scoffed. “As for safety, just stay by my side. With This Seat there, no one will dare touch a single hair on your head!”

Qi Yuan was sweating bullets now.

Easy for you to say!

Since ancient times, Righteous and Evil have been irreconcilable. If they find out who I am, even if you were the Sect Master, you couldn’t save me!

He took a deep breath, forcing a look of solemn devotion.

“Since Fairy Ji has asked, I naturally wish to obey.”

“However… although I am of lowly status, I understand etiquette. As the man of the Ji Clan’s direct descendant, I cannot attend your Ancestor’s grand birthday empty-handed.”

He looked her in the eyes. “Let me prepare a gift worthy of your Ancestor. You go back first. Once I have the gift ready, I will personally visit the Saint Sect to pay my respects.”

Ji Chan’er’s expression softened instantly.

“The Ji Clan does not covet your gifts,” she murmured, clearly touched. “But since you have such a heart, This Seat will not refuse you. Do as you wish.”

“Don’t push yourself to find something too expensive. Act according to your means.”

She reached into her sleeve, pulled out a storage bracelet, and pressed it into his hand.

“Take these resources. There is also a token inside—a credential of the Ji Clan.”

“If you encounter any Saint Sect disciples, show them this token. No one will dare to trouble you.”

Qi Yuan clutched the bracelet, letting out a long, internal sigh of relief.

Safe.

He had successfully kicked the can down the road. When the time came, he’d just find another excuse, send a gift via courier, and ghost them.

As for visiting the Nether Fiend Sect personally?

Cherish life. Stay away from the Demon Sect!