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

Chapter 220: Even If the Demon Ancestor Reincarnated, His Grace Would Not Match Yours by Half

“Hmph!”

Situ Yan sneered, her chin raised in a display of absolute, righteous defiance. “Big Qi, you hid your cultivation and painstakingly infiltrated The Saint Sect. You are clearly plotting something massive! I, Situ Yan, am a dignified Legacy Disciple! I have absolutely nothing to discuss with a treacherous rat like you!”

She glared at Qi Yuan with a haughty, overbearing expression, looking incredibly smug, as if she had just flawlessly deduced his entire master plan.

“I’ve seen your methods,” she declared with absolute certainty. “They are cruel, feral, and utterly perverse. You fight nothing like the hypocrites of the righteous path. Let me guess—you’re a deep-cover spy sent by the Nine Nether Sect or the Eternal Night Palace, aren’t you?”

Qi Yuan stared at her, utterly speechless.

This woman isn’t just blind; she’s aggressively stupid.

He was the dignified, universally recognized Holy Scion of the supreme righteous path! Yet here was a demonic cultivator confidently accusing him of being a spy for a rival evil sect. It was the most absurd joke he had ever heard.

Taking his stunned silence as a confession, Situ Yan’s arrogance swelled even further. “Whether you belong to the Nine Nether Sect or the Eternal Night Palace, daring to run wild in The Saint Sect guarantees you only one outcome: a gruesome death!”

“Furthermore, do you even comprehend who you are threatening?! This seat is the sole daughter of the Situ Clan’s Head! If you dare lay another filthy finger on this seat—!”

Thwack.

Before she could finish her pompous monologue, Qi Yuan casually thrust a finger forward, instantly sealing her mute acupoint.

Her voice cut off mid-sentence. Unable to speak, Situ Yan could only widen her beautiful eyes and glare at him, her gaze practically radiating pure, venomous killing intent.

A mocking, cynical smile curled Qi Yuan’s lips. He took a slow, deliberate step forward, leaning down until his lips were inches from her ear. “You made a very good guess. Do me a favor and never guess again.”

Feeling his hot breath brush against the shell of her ear, Situ Yan flushed with a volatile mix of deep humiliation and explosive fury. She gathered every ounce of her strength, preparing to violently thrash against him.

But before she could move, Qi Yuan pulled a glowing, iridescent talisman from his sleeve. With a flick of his wrist, the talisman turned into a streak of light and slapped perfectly onto the center of her forehead.

Instantly, a chaotic flood of bizarre, foreign emotions exploded within her mind. Situ Yan froze mid-struggle. The murderous rage on her face dissolved into a dazed, blank expression. Her beautiful eyes lost all focus, turning glassy and bewildered.

Buzz!

The Heart-Tying Talisman flickered rapidly a few times before it shattered into a cloud of glowing dust, melting seamlessly into the void without leaving a single trace.

Success! Seeing the instant effect, Qi Yuan let out a heavy sigh of relief. Grandmaster Ling Yu’s talismans are truly terrifying. It bypassed her defenses instantly.

Now came the easy part. All he had to do was plant a subtle, gentle psychological suggestion in her mind. He would just nudge her subconscious so she wouldn’t cause him any future trouble, perfectly resolving the hostage crisis without shedding a drop of blood.

Smiling confidently, Qi Yuan waved his hand, releasing the seal on her mute acupoint. He spoke in a light, cheerful tone. “Now then, Legacy Disciple Situ, you—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Situ Yan gave a sudden, full-body shudder.

The dazed, blank look vanished from her eyes, replaced by sharp, absolute clarity. There wasn’t a single trace of mental fog or confusion on her face.

Did the Heart-Tying Talisman fail?!

Qi Yuan jumped back in shock, his eyes darting over her. That’s impossible! Grandmaster Ling Yu personally crafted that thing! A mere mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator couldn’t resist it, let alone someone whose spiritual energy is completely sealed!

But as Qi Yuan braced himself for an attack, something infinitely stranger happened.

Situ Yan, who had just been glaring at him with enough hatred to peel the flesh from his bones, was now staring at him with flushed, bright red cheeks and eyes burning with intense, fiery passion.

Her bright, phoenix-like eyes were practically overflowing with thick, sickeningly sweet adoration, profound worship, and a terrifying level of obsessive infatuation.

She wasn’t looking at an enemy. She was looking at him the way a deranged, lifelong fanatic looks at the idol of their dreams.

What the hell is going on?! Qi Yuan was completely, utterly dumbfounded.

Recovering slightly, he awkwardly waved a hand in front of her face. “Uh… Legacy Disciple Situ? What’s wrong with you?”

“Qi Lang~”

The voice that slipped past her lips was so sickeningly sweet and syrupy it made Qi Yuan’s teeth ache.

Situ Yan practically melted into a puddle of spring water. She threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around his bicep like an octopus, her body boneless and clinging to him.

“This servant was so incredibly blind,” she cooed, gazing up at him with aggressive devotion. “I suddenly realized just now… my lord is so heroic, so peerlessly extraordinary! Your imposing bearing is unmatched! Even if the supreme Demon Ancestor himself were to reincarnate, his grace wouldn’t amount to even half of yours!”

She snuggled her face against his shoulder. “Before, this servant had eyes but failed to see Mt. Tai. I failed to recognize your boundless grace. From this moment on… you are the absolute most important man in this servant’s heart!”

Hearing this terrifying, brainwashed praise, every single hair on Qi Yuan’s body stood on end. A wave of sheer, primal horror crashed over him.

Wait! This is wrong! The talisman’s effect is completely wrong!

Based on his own lore, the Heart-Tying Talisman was supposed to be a subtle nudge! It didn’t forcefully overwrite the soul or cause massive personality shifts. It was supposed to gently influence a person’s choices at critical moments, remaining completely hidden and untraceable.

But this?! This wasn’t a subtle nudge! This was a brutal, instantaneous, factory-reset brainwashing!

It had taken a ruthless, ambitious demoness who wanted him dead and instantly violently reprogrammed her into a terrifyingly clingy, obsessed stalker! The emotional whiplash was completely absurd!

And what was truly horrifying was that her soul was perfectly stable. Her eyes were crystal clear. It was as if this psychotic obsession was her genuine, core personality. There wasn’t a single flaw or trace of external manipulation to be found.

What the hell did Grandmaster Ling Yu do to that talisman?! This isn’t an ‘upgrade’! This is top-tier, forbidden dark magic!

“Qi Lang~” Situ Yan hugged his arm even tighter, practically cutting off his circulation as she shook him playfully. “Why aren’t you saying anything to me?”

“Ah? Oh…”

The aggressive, incredibly soft friction against his arm finally snapped him out of his panic. Swallowing hard, his face pale, Qi Yuan tried to casually pry his arm out of her grasp.

She instantly clamped down like a steel vice.

He gave up. Heaven and earth could bear witness—he genuinely wanted to push her away, but she was holding on like a barnacle. He completely forgot that he had sealed her spiritual energy and could easily overpower her physically.

“Qi Lang,” Situ Yan purred, her eyes rippling with liquid affection, putting on a sickeningly shy, deeply inviting posture. “For a peerless, outstanding man like you to be a mere Outer Sect Disciple… it’s a complete waste of your talent. How about I go speak to my father right now? I’ll make him elevate you to a Legacy Disciple! Then we can be together forever!”

Right at that exact second, a communication jade slip inside his storage bracelet began to violently flash.

Qi Yuan’s eyelid twitched frantically. He immediately pulled out the slip, turning to Situ Yan with a deadly serious expression. “Do not say a single word! Understand?!”

He channeled a sliver of qi into the slip. Instantly, Ji Chan’er’s crisp, commanding voice echoed in his mind.

“Where are you right now?”

Qi Yuan guiltily glanced down at the aggressively affectionate demoness currently attached to his arm. “Fairy Ji… I’m at my cave mansion on Blood Refining Peak. If you need something, I can head over to you immediately!”

“No need,” Ji Chan’er replied instantly. “Stay exactly where you are. I’m on my way to your room right now.”

Qi Yuan’s blood ran cold. Absolute panic seized his chest.