Luoyun Huan looked up and saw Qin Yiqiu standing on the tip of a bamboo branch. She froze for a moment. In this novel, the female protagonist was written as a delicate wife archetype who only needed to lie there, and countless men would come flocking at the slightest scent.
Therefore, she did not have a dazzling, striking appearance; most of the descriptions portrayed her as cute and dainty.
The author had poured much more effort into crafting Qin Yiqiu, yet it was precisely this woman who repeatedly interrupted the intimate encounters between the female protagonist and other characters in the book.
It gave off a strong vibe of being hunted by an evil ghost in a horror game.
It was full of raw tension.
Yet one had to admit, the Eldest Senior Sister was indeed stunning. As expected, the greatest mischievous pleasure for the author must be having someone as pristine and radiant as the moon harbor jealousy toward the female protagonist.
However, she herself could not afford to drown in such beauty; completing the System routing mission was the top priority. Luoyun Huan let go of her grip, and the light blue and white sect disciple garments cascaded to the ground.
She cupped her cheek, where it was already slightly swollen. Evidently, the force of that slap just now had not been small; she could taste a faint tang of blood and metallic iron on the roof of her mouth, the corners of her lips, and the tip of her tongue.
As expected, Qin Yiqiu's gaze was drawn to Luoyun Huan.
She felt a strange perplexity in her heart: why was this little girl so prone to being bullied?
Although there were often unruly disciples within the Yunjian Mountain Sect, the grave offense of bullying a fellow sect member was rarely committed.
To run into it repeatedly over these past few days was truly bizarre.
Yet Qin Yiqiu had seen the whole affair clearly from beginning to start, so there was naturally no room for accidents or deliberate malice.
With that, she flew down.
Upon seeing this, those few outer disciples hurriedly dropped to their knees. Kneeling on the stone steps looked rather comical, but if they failed to kneel now—
Once the merciless Eldest Senior Sister lost her temper, things would become far more terrifying.
"Does it hurt?"
The same words, spoken with little emotional fluctuation, yet Qin Yiqiu's eyes rarely held a trace of genuine concern.
Her Master had told her to safeguard the peace and order of the sect, and she had failed in her duty, letting this junior sister suffer a grievance—even if the girl was merely an outer disciple.
She, too, was at fault.
"It doesn't hurt much, I'm already used to it."
When Luoyun Huan said this, her voice was laced with tremors, and she accidentally pulled at the wound on the corner of her mouth, making her look all the more pitiful. But she was not doing this on purpose; rather, it was because it genuinely hurt like hell!
After all, even though she was acting, taking a beating was a real beating.
"Lying."
Qin Yiqiu's eyes shifted. Faced with the junior sister's clumsy falsehood, she did not smile, but her heart trembled inexplicably. How strange... this sort of feeling had not surfaced for a very long time, ever since she began practicing the Heartless Formula in her childhood.
It was probably just an illusion.
Qin Yiqiu did not dwell on it deeply.
From the very moment she was born, her Master had carried her away from her family and back to the sect. She began learning characters at age three, and the Heartless Formula was the very first thing Qin Yiqiu was taught.
By the age of five, she had already reached the first tier. As her mental cultivation method grew increasingly powerful, she could command greater amounts of spiritual energy; her recovery of vitality and the stability of her meridians also grew ever sturdier.
This could support her in wielding any high-risk sword technique, taking unconventional and perilous paths.
By now, she had reached the seventh tier.
To advance to the eighth tier of the Heartless Formula, she would presumably need to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.
Yet Master always told her not to rush and to take things slowly; back in his day, his own Heartless Formula at the Nascent Soul peak had only barely reached the seventh tier.
"It does hurt a little, but Senior Sister helped me purge the medicinal toxins just a few days ago, so I was embarrassed to trouble you again..."
A blush crept across Luoyun Huan's cheeks. This was not an act, but rather the result of the excitement of speaking up close with a beauty—especially since every breath Qin Yiqiu took carried a faint, lovely fragrance.
Ah... I really want to take a bite out of her...
Qin Yiqiu was like an iced pear: although cool and refreshing, she truly looked sweet and delicious. This sweet and delicious quality did not require tasting it in one's mouth to know; one could tell simply by looking at that radiant and vibrant exterior.
"Matters like this are no trouble."
"As the inspection chief of sect discipline, I naturally have the obligation to look after junior brothers and sisters like you."
Qin Yiqiu spoke with righteous sternness. Luoyun Huan's fair face flushed lightly; although those three individuals had indeed bullied the original host, today's incident was purely her own scheme.
Still, they got what they deserved, so she felt no psychological burden whatsoever.
"You've always lived in the outer sect; are you often prone to being bullied?"
Having run into such situations twice now, Qin Yiqiu understood in her heart that someone with a weak disposition was unsuited for cultivation, nor could her saving the girl once or twice completely alter her plight of being bullied.
If she wanted to protect this miserable little girl, there was only one other way.
Master often said that if one had the capability to accomplish something, one ought to do it; there was no need to force oneself, but acts of kindness that required only a lifting of the hand should be performed often. Acts of kindness that required self-compulsion, however, were unnecessary.
Because doing so would shake the foundation of the Heartless Formula.
And become entangled in too much karma.
"A little..."
"But Eldest Senior Sister has saved me so many times now, they probably won't dare anymore."
Mustering up her courage, Luoyun Huan took a step forward and, risking the danger of being frozen to death, reached out to wrap her arms tightly around Qin Yiqiu's arm.
That rich, lingering fragrance drifted closer and closer, carrying a biting chill.
The eyes of the male disciples behind them widened until they nearly popped out of their sockets. Having followed the Eldest Senior Sister for over ten years, they had never once seen anyone dare to be this bold.
Was this wretch not afraid of freezing to death?
Her arm was brushed by a soft touch, causing the fluctuations in Qin Yiqiu's heart to grow even more intense, akin to a pebble tossed into a pool of autumn water, stirring up ripples on the surface alongside fallen leaves.
This was the junior sister's chest...
The moment Qin Yiqiu realized this, her ears turned a rare shade of red, but this flush lingered for only a fleeting instant before she ruthlessly suppressed it.
The Heartless Formula demanded freedom from desire, craving, and emotion.
One's mind had to remain as still as stagnant water in order to unleash the strength and might of the cultivation method, so she could not be disturbed by external factors. This was merely a tiny touch.
"They won't. People do not stop committing evil simply because I exist, otherwise there would be no need to patrol the sect every day."
Qin Yiqiu saw things quite clearly.
"Your personality is..."
She swallowed the word "weak" back down her throat; it probably wasn't fitting to criticize a junior sister so bluntly.
No, wait, why should she hold back her criticism just because the other person looked pitiful?
"Your personality is far too weak, making you an easy target for bullying. I will have you transferred away from the outer sect and come to my courtyard instead. You will only need to take care of the flowers and plants."
This was Qin Yiqiu's final casting of an olive branch. Knowing that a weak disposition could not be mended by a single rescue, she opted for a once-and-for-all solution.
As her voice trailed off, she saw the person holding onto her break into a smile.
Her eyes were as brilliant as the stars.
"Thank you, Senior Sister!"
These words were like the chirping of a joyful bird. Qin Yiqiu felt that something was amiss with herself; as her fingers tightened around her scabbard, she failed to comprehend what this emotion was.
Meanwhile, Luoyun Huan received feedback from the System.
[Host, routing value unlocked by 0.5. Please keep up the good work!]
[You have been released from punishment. However, because the routing value has not yet reached 1, the initial routing reward will be withheld and issued only when the routing value reaches 1.]
Luoyun Huan: Nani?
What is the meaning of a 0.5 routing value?
This is way too infuriating.
Damn System, if you have the ability, make it 0.001.
Just drag out my progress until I die of exhaustion.