The Beloved Master's Mad Dog Disciple - Chapter 26

Bo Xuenong had barely managed to steady her nerves when Feng Jin approached.

Feng Jin had clearly adapted to her new role far better than Bo Xuenong. She reached out and tugged at Bo Xuenong’s sleeve, turning to the villagers from Lanshou Village who had accompanied them. “Village Chief Gui, these are my father and mother.”

Five women had come from Lanshou Village, led by an elderly woman. Feng Jin was addressing her.

The old woman had a kind face and gentle features, her silver hair unable to conceal her former beauty. She must have been a stunning woman in her youth.

A warm smile graced her lips as she spoke softly, “No wonder Xiao Jin is so radiant. Her parents are truly blessed with such fine looks.”

Bo Xuenong instinctively glanced at Feng Yingbo, who was uncharacteristically silent, her gaze fixed steadily on Feng Jin.

Feng Jin kept her head lowered, avoiding Feng Yingbo’s eyes. She tugged again at Bo Xuenong’s sleeve, urging her to respond to the old woman.

Bo Xuenong opened her mouth, but still struggling to adjust to her new identity, she couldn’t find the words.

Shen Yanting shot her a sidelong glance and smoothly took over the conversation. “Village Chief, you flatter us.”

Shen Yanting wasn’t particularly warm, and Bo Xuenong still seemed dazed, but Village Chief Gui didn’t let her enthusiasm wane. She smiled warmly at Shen Yanting, “I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as Madam Feng before.”

It was clear Feng Jin had told the old woman their surnames, leading her to assume they were all named Feng.

While the old woman praised Shen Yanting, her gaze didn’t linger. The women who had accompanied her, however, were a different story.

They stared at Shen Yanting, their eyes filled with infatuation, awe, and envy.

Before Bo Xuenong could even get angry, the old woman scolded the four women, “Keep your eyes to yourselves.”

Though she appeared kind, the old woman’s words carried considerable weight.

At her reprimand, the four women immediately lowered their gazes.

After they had composed themselves, the old woman smiled and said, “My granddaughter’s wedding is tomorrow. Since you’re here for the celebration, please stay the night in the village.”

Fu Yunqing withdrew her gaze from Feng Yingbo and turned to the old woman. “We already agreed to that earlier.”

The old woman smiled, her eyes shifting to Shen Yanting.

Bo Xuenong felt something was off. The old woman seemed to know that Shen Yanting was the one in charge, not Fu Yunqing, who held the title of Shen Yanting’s mother-in-law. Moreover, before dismounting from the carriage, Bo Xuenong and Shen Yanting had used their spiritual power to enhance their hearing and had detected faint, layered sobs. Yet the five people standing before them showed no signs of having cried.

Very strange.

The unsettling feeling gradually overshadowed her initial panic. Bo Xuenong regained her composure and began to scrutinize the group more closely.

There were four women, none of them young; the youngest appeared to be over forty. And… their appearances were peculiar. They weren’t missing noses or eyes, but their faces were marred by distinct scars—grotesque, twisted marks that crisscrossed their features, as if the four of them couldn’t piece together a single unblemished face.

The eldest woman, ironically, had the least disfigured appearance among them.

It wasn’t that Bo Xuenong was judging by appearances or fixating on their looks. Rather, she found the scars too uniform, as if deliberately inflicted. All four women bore injuries in roughly the same areas, as if by design.

Bo Xuenong’s scrutiny was cut short when the old woman gestured for them to enter the village.

Feng Jin and Feng Yingbo took charge of driving the carriage inside, while Bo Xuenong and the others followed the old woman on foot. As they entered the village, the unsettling feeling intensified.

Lanshou Village, with its hundreds of households, felt eerily quiet. Every door and window was tightly shut, and no one was visible. Only red lanterns and silk banners swayed in the wind outside each home. Using her spiritual power to amplify her hearing, Bo Xuenong could detect faint sobbing behind nearly every door.

Surely the entire village isn’t crying? What could they be crying about?

The unsettling feeling in Bo Xuenong’s heart grew stronger. Composing herself, she plastered on a fake smile and began questioning the old woman about the village’s customs. The woman, Gui Nianqin, was remarkably forthcoming, answering every question without hesitation. Through her, Bo Xuenong learned that the bride-to-be was Gui Fuxin, Gui Nianqin’s granddaughter.

For generations, Gui Nianqin’s family had served as village chiefs. Well-respected in the community, the villagers had eagerly hung red lanterns and silk banners when they heard of Gui Fuxin’s upcoming wedding, preparing to escort her to her new home the next day. According to local custom, those who participated in the wedding procession were required to remain indoors for at least three days afterward, explaining why every household had sealed their doors and windows.

Too old to join the procession herself, Gui Nianqin had come out to greet them, accompanied by the four women who would stay behind to guard the village during the ceremony.

Bo Xuenong was completely unfamiliar with local customs. She could only turn a questioning gaze toward Shen Yanting.

Shen Yanting didn’t notice her look. She was currently staring intently at Fu Yunqing’s retreating figure.

As the person among them most likely to know about Lanshou Village’s customs, Fu Yunqing showed little reaction to the old woman’s words. Could this bizarre custom actually be true?

But… if the bride was being given away willingly, why were they crying?

Before Bo Xuenong could unravel this puzzle, Gui Nianqin had already led them to the edge of the village and into a courtyard. “Please stay here tonight,” she said. “I’ll invite you to the wedding feast tomorrow.”

Fu Yunqing nodded quickly and pressed the gold ingot Feng Yingbo had given her into Gui Nianqin’s hand. “Village Chief Gui, this is our wedding gift.”

Gui Nianqin accepted the gold, a flicker of mockery flashing in her eyes. “Thank you.”

If Bo Xuenong hadn’t been so meticulous about monitoring her own expressions to maintain her “good girl” facade, she would have missed that fleeting change in Gui Nianqin’s demeanor. Her gratitude rang hollow, confirming Bo Xuenong’s suspicions: something was definitely amiss in this village. The weeping, these people—none of it felt right.

Annoyed.

Bo Xuenong’s patience was wearing thin. The growing number of unanswered questions only fueled her impatience. She felt an urge to press a knife to Gui Nianqin’s throat and demand answers, but Shen Yanting’s arm was still firmly linked through hers. Not only did Bo Xuenong dare not act on her impulse, she also had to maintain a careful smile, terrified that Shen Yanting might glimpse her violent nature.

Her smile felt stiff, and she gently rubbed the corner of her eye with her fingertip.

Suddenly, Shen Yanting tightened her grip, leaning closer and saying, “We should be thanking Village Chief Gui for taking us in.”

The panic Bo Xuenong had barely suppressed surged back to the surface. She didn’t dislike Shen Yanting’s touch, but this closeness was overwhelming.

Apart from their childhood, they had never been this intimate—so close that Bo Xuenong felt an overwhelming urge to flee.

It wasn’t just the physical proximity; it was also the identity Fu Yunqing and the others had thrust upon her.

The mere thought of having to call Shen Yanting “Mother” sent tremors through Bo Xuenong’s lips. Heat flushed her cheeks, and her heart threatened to burst from her chest.

Clenching her fists, Bo Xuenong lowered her gaze, desperately concealing her panic and tension.

She didn’t know how to act as a husband, only that she should nod when Shen Yanting spoke and pretend to be mute when Shen Yanting remained silent.

Perhaps because Feng Jin’s ten-year-old appearance particularly charmed the elderly, Gui Nianqin spoke to Feng Jin the most. Of course, Gui Nianqin didn’t stay long. After praising Shen Yanting a few more times, she left, making sure to mention she would send food later.

As soon as Gui Nianqin was gone, Shen Yanting released Bo Xuenong.

The moment the weight of her arm lifted, it also removed the heavy stone pressing on Bo Xuenong’s heart. Bo Xuenong took a soft breath, feeling her entire body relax considerably. “Master, I sense something strange about this village.”

“What do you mean?” Fu Yunqing raised an eyebrow, her expression curious. After carefully considering Bo Xuenong’s words, she asked, “Are you referring to that custom?”

Not entirely, but Bo Xuenong nodded anyway. “Sect Leader…”

Shen Yanting’s gaze swept over her, and Bo Xuenong quickly corrected herself. “Mother, is this custom really practiced in Lanshou Village?”

“Yes,” Fu Yunqing nodded. “It’s true. Our village has always had the custom of keeping the bride indoors for three days after the wedding. But usually, only bl00d relatives escort the bride. This is the first time the entire village has escorted a single girl. Village Chief Gui must be highly respected.”

“Was the village chief also named Gui back then?” Bo Xuenong asked.

“Yes,” Fu Yunqing confirmed. “The village chief of Lanshou Village has always been named Gui. Perhaps it’s because their ancestors made such excellent village chiefs. Lanshou Village only chooses village chiefs from their family.”

“Speaking of which, it was the old village chief who sent me to the Imperial Tranquility Sect.” A brief look of nostalgia crossed Fu Yunqing’s face. “We used to call her Granny Gui. She believed in starting cultivation early, so she sent all the children under ten from our village to the Imperial Tranquility Sect. In the end, only I stayed. Granny Gui was still very happy and even gave me a spirit stone she had treasured in the village. After that… I never saw her again. I wonder how many generations Gui Nianqin is descended from her.”

Fu Yunqing rummaged through her Storage Jade Bracelet and pulled out several high-grade spirit stones, looking expectantly at Shen Yanting. “Senior Sister, I don’t need these spirit stones you gave me anymore. Could I give them to Granny Gui’s descendants?”

Shen Yanting replied listlessly, “They’re yours to do with as you please.”

“Thank you, Senior Sister!” Fu Yunqing beamed as she gathered the spirit stones. “I can’t reveal my identity, so I’ll give them to her when we leave. If Lanshou Village ever produces children who can condense Spiritual Qi again, these stones will make their path a little easier.”

Just as Fu Yunqing finished speaking, Bo Xuenong suddenly heard a voice with the same timbre as Fu Yunqing’s.

Fool! They want to kill you, and you’re giving them spirit stones?

Bo Xuenong froze in place, but Shen Yanting and Fu Yunqing showed no reaction. Could it be that only she could hear this voice?

Bo Xuenong rubbed her ears uncertainly, and the voice spoke again.

This is Shen Yanting. She’s even more beautiful in person. The books say her Innate Talent is exceptional. If I could engage in Dual Cultivation with her, even this pathetic spiritual root of mine might improve.

Bo Xuenong was certain that only she could hear the voice. Was this… Fu Yunqing’s true thoughts?

Something felt off.

Though the voice sounded exactly like Fu Yunqing’s, her tone and attitude toward Shen Yanting were completely different. Fu Yunqing would never dare to offend Shen Yanting, let alone consider Dual Cultivation with her.

Could it be that Fu Yunqing had been hiding her true feelings all along? Were these her real thoughts?

This realization ignited a murderous intent within Bo Xuenong. Her gaze turned icy as her hand instinctively moved toward the Suspended Ink Sword at her waist. Before she could touch the hilt, Shen Yanting’s hand closed around hers.

Bo Xuenong glanced at Shen Yanting and forced a strained smile.

Shen Yanting tightened her grip, forcing Bo Xuenong to abandon her plan to draw the sword. She resolved to act later, when the night was quiet and still.

Before she could decide where to bury Fu Yunqing, Feng Jin’s agitated thoughts erupted in her mind:

Sect Leader! Dead System, come out! Explain why that thing entered the Sect Leader’s body! If Eldest Senior Sister kills the Sect Leader, Martial Aunt Shen will go mad! Are you deliberately sabotaging me?! Answer me!

That thing? What thing?

Bo Xuenong’s ears twitched as she listened intently to Feng Jin’s thoughts.

If she understood Feng Jin correctly, the voice in her mind was indeed Fu Yunqing’s, yet Fu Yunqing was not Fu Yunqing.

Bo Xuenong’s murderous intent softened slightly, but only slightly.

She could be kind to Fu Yunqing for Shen Yanting’s sake, provided Fu Yunqing treated Shen Yanting well and harbored no thoughts of harming her.

Feng Jin was right—Shen Yanting would never forgive her for killing Fu Yunqing. Bo Xuenong felt she couldn’t wait any longer. She needed to find out where Feng Jin truly came from and understand Fu Yunqing’s situation.

As Bo Xuenong pondered how to separate from Shen Yanting, Fu Yunqing unexpectedly provided an opportunity. She suddenly looped her arm through Feng Yingbo’s. “My dear daughter, let’s take a stroll through the village?”

Fu Yunqing craned her neck to peer outside, pointed in the direction they had come from, and lowered her voice. “My old home should be just a little further ahead.”

“Can you at least remember the identity you assigned me?” Feng Yingbo nudged Fu Yunqing, muttering, “I’m supposed to be your daughter-in-law’s younger sister. Stop calling me by my real name—who knows if someone might be listening through the walls?”

Fu Yunqing pursed her lips. “This wasn’t entirely my idea.”

Feng Yingbo’s gaze shifted to Feng Jin, who shrank back guiltily under her resentful stare.

Feng Jin retreated until she was standing beside Bo Xuenong, who placed a hand on her shoulder.

Feng Jin glanced up at Bo Xuenong, saw no malice in her eyes, and promptly hid behind her, completely avoiding eye contact with Feng Yingbo.

Feng Jin, who had always been terrified of Feng Yingbo, was now seeking her protection.

The situation had become even stranger.

Yet this was undoubtedly the best opportunity for Bo Xuenong to spend time alone with Feng Jin.

Shielding Feng Jin from Feng Yingbo’s gaze, Bo Xuenong said to Shen Yanting, “Master… Madam, why don’t you accompany Mother to explore the village? I’ll stay here with Xiao Jin for a while.”

Finding the term “Madam” somewhat awkward, Shen Yanting, ever adaptable, replied naturally, “Then Husband can stay here with our daughter while I take Mother for a walk.”

Shen Yanting noticed the awkward tension between Feng Jin and Feng Yingbo. Knowing Fu Yunqing wouldn’t take them too far, she nodded in agreement.

While she had been tasked with monitoring Bo Xuenong, she didn’t need to shadow her every moment. Especially now that Bo Xuenong showed signs of change, Shen Yanting was willing to let her spend more time bonding with the other disciples rather than constantly hovering around her.

As soon as Shen Yanting agreed, Fu Yunqing seized Feng Yingbo and Xiang Yu, dragging them out before Feng Yingbo could protest. She was eager to revisit the village where she had once lived.

In an instant, only Bo Xuenong and Feng Jin remained in the courtyard. Feng Jin clutched her chest, visibly relieved.

But her relief quickly turned to panic as she realized her predicament. In her haste to escape Feng Yingbo, she had inadvertently trapped herself alone with Bo Xuenong. Her heart raced anew, and her inner thoughts surged to the surface:

Dead System, quick! Check Eldest Senior Sister’s Affection Value for me! She doesn’t want to kill me, right? Don’t go silent on me now! You still haven’t given me a proper explanation about the Sect Leader!

Bo Xuenong calmly retrieved spirit stones from her Storage Jade Bracelet and arranged them in her palm to form a tiny soundproof formation. She then suddenly seized Feng Jin’s hand and cut straight to the point: “Feng Jin, who is the Dead System? What is the Affection Value? What are Points? What’s going on with the Sect Leader?”

Feng Jin froze in shock the moment Bo Xuenong grabbed her hand, her eyes widening with each question. “You… how can you…?”

Bo Xuenong knew perfectly well that she couldn’t use the methods Shen Yanting had taught her to block Shen Yanting herself. She had to seize this moment, while Shen Yanting was distracted, to voice all her questions.

Seeing Feng Jin’s continued silence, Bo Xuenong glanced toward the courtyard entrance, her frustration growing. “Don’t even think about lying to me. I can hear your thoughts.”

“You!” Feng Jin’s mind exploded with a thunderous shock. She stumbled back two steps, tripped over a pebble, and collapsed to the ground. Ignoring the pain, she sat there, her eyes wide and fixed on Bo Xuenong. “You… you can hear my thoughts?”

“Yes,” Bo Xuenong replied with unwavering certainty, causing Feng Jin’s face to pale further. Her delicate features turned ashen. “You… you’re going to kill me?”

Feng Jin’s question only deepened Bo Xuenong’s frustration.

She didn’t want to be harsh with Feng Jin, but her voice grew unintentionally sharp. “I won’t kill you. I just want the truth. Who are you? Where do you come from? What’s the deal with that book?”

Feng Jin bit her lip, seemingly torn between trusting Bo Xuenong and remaining silent.

Remembering something, Bo Xuenong quickly added, “Master said you’re a good person. I won’t kill you.”

Feng Jin’s fearful expression shifted slightly as she gently touched her wrist.

Bo Xuenong noticed a faint glow from Feng Jin’s wrist. Layers of white mist suddenly enveloped them, vanishing almost as quickly as they appeared. Yet Bo Xuenong realized she could no longer hear any external sounds, nor sense any presence beyond the barrier. Her senses seemed completely blocked.

What kind of technique is this?

Feng Jin pursed her lips slightly and pointed to the spirit stone in Bo Xuenong’s hand. “Senior Sister, you should put that away. Even if Martial Aunt Shen uses her techniques, she won’t be able to hear us now.”

“Really?”

Feng Jin reached out and touched the air beside her. A ripple of water spread from her fingertips. “This space I exchanged for with Points is quite useful, though a bit pricey.”

Bo Xuenong hesitantly put away the spirit stone, her eyes fixed on Feng Jin without blinking.

Feng Jin rubbed her delicate face. “Let me think… where should I start?”

“Master!” Bo Xuenong’s voice rose slightly. “Tell me about Master first.”

Feng Jin had clearly anticipated this reaction. She rubbed her ear and curled up slightly. “Didn’t you already learn about Martial Aunt Shen’s story from Guan Caimei?”

Bo Xuenong frowned. “How did you know that?”

Now that her secret had been exposed, Feng Jin felt less afraid and more direct. “Because I exchanged for the Mind-Reading Technique and gave it to you.”

“You? You gave it to me? What do you mean?”

Feng Jin didn’t mind sitting on the dirty ground. She had been sitting there since she fell, looking up at Bo Xuenong. “Eldest Senior Sister, if I told you I came from another world, and that in my world, you’re all just characters in a novel, would you believe me?”

“I believe you,” Bo Xuenong nodded, crouching down in front of Feng Jin. She pointed to Feng Jin’s chest. “Your heart will tell me the truth.”

Feng Jin cautiously covered her chest, shrinking back slightly. Her small mouth muttered, “That Dead System swore you wouldn’t hear my thoughts! What a scam—expensive and useless!”

After cursing the Dead System several more times, Feng Jin finally began to explain her origins to Bo Xuenong.

She came from a modern, civilized world where cultivation didn’t exist. There were no medicinal pills or Spirit Treasures; when people fell ill, they went to hospitals, and even on the brink of death, no miraculous elixirs could save them. However, there were books depicting stories of Cultivators, categorized as Cultivation Novels. Bo Xuenong and their story was just one such tale.

Feng Jin would never have had any connection to their world had it not been for the day she died, when something calling itself the Strategy System approached her.

Bo Xuenong frowned in confusion. “Strategy System?”

“Exactly.”

Through Feng Jin’s explanation, Bo Xuenong understood that the Strategy System was essentially an omnipotent artifact capable of traversing different worlds. Those who signed a contract with it could accumulate Points and exchange them for various items, including money, Spirit Tools, medicinal pills, and special abilities. The more powerful the item, the more Points it required.

Points could be earned by completing System missions and successfully strategizing Targets.

Feng Jin’s initial Target was her biological parents from her original world. Unfortunately, she failed ten times in a row.

Feng Jin was born deaf. Her parents, disgusted by her inability to hear, abandoned her to be raised by her elderly grandmother in the village. After separating, they each started new families. Initially, they sent her some money, but as they had new children, they grew too lazy to care for her, neglecting even her aging grandmother.

When Feng Jin was ten, her grandmother broke her leg and could no longer care for her. The news reached her parents, who simply replied, “If she can’t survive, then let her die.”

Later, her grandmother passed away, and Feng Jin starved to death alongside her.

That very day, the System approached her. It promised that if she could raise her parents’ affection for her to one hundred percent, both she and her grandmother would be granted healthy bodies and happy lives.

Whether for herself or for her grandmother, Feng Jin had no reason to refuse. Thus, the System transported her back to the day her parents abandoned her. Initially, things went smoothly. By completing missions and using Points, she healed her deafness. Yet, to her dismay, her restored hearing only allowed her to stay with her parents for another half-month. The rest of the story remained unchanged.

Feng Jin died again.

After repeating this cycle several times, Feng Jin finally realized that this mission was impossible to complete. The System had initially designated her parents as the Targets, and every subsequent task revolved around them. This virtually guaranteed Feng Jin’s failure, leaving her unable to earn Points and thus unable to obtain any assistance from the System.

No matter how many times she tried again, the changes were merely abandoned timelines, different ways and places to die.

Her parents would never love her.

As her failures mounted and the System’s energy dwindled, it finally decided to assign her new Targets. However, due to its low level, the System couldn’t change her Targets within her original world. Instead, it transported her to a lower-level Novel World.

But the System, being its first time in a Novel World, made a critical error during the world connection process. It not only drew countless souls who had perished at the hands of other System Masters to this realm but also broadcast the mission originally intended for Feng Jin alone to the entire group. This explained why Guan Caimei had arrived from another Cultivation world, knew the complete story of this world, and sought out Shen Yanting.

Bo Xuenong understood, her gaze turning dangerous. “Are you saying Guan Caimei approached Master because of you?”

Feng Jinxin’s heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly said, “Senior Sister! Without us, you wouldn’t know the plot. If you didn’t know the plot, both you and Martial Aunt Shen would meet the same tragic end as in the book! Even if you’re willing to die, what about Martial Aunt Shen?”

“You’re right,” Bo Xuenong said, pressing a fingertip against Feng Jin’s neck. Her eyes gradually turned crimson. “But you’ve turned Master into prey. I don’t like the way Guan Caimei looks at her.”

Feng Jin nervously grabbed Bo Xuenong’s hand. “Senior Sister, there are so many Targets! It was… it was Guan Caimei who chose Martial Aunt Shen herself. We had nothing to do with it.”

Bo Xuenong released Feng Jin. “Explain clearly.”

Feng Jin took a shaky breath, glancing at Bo Xuenong with lingering fear before continuing. “In the Novel World, the Strategy System usually selects Targets who are important characters revolving around the protagonist. This book is quite long, so there are many key figures: the Female Lead Yu Cenwan, the Male Lead Cheng Huaizhou, the Female Lead’s Master, the Male Lead’s Master, the Female Lead’s nemesis, the Male Lead’s confidante… and you and Martial Aunt Shen.”

“Me?”

Feng Jin nodded emphatically. “Yes! Both of you! There are about twenty Targets in this book.”

Bo Xuenong remembered now. Guan Caimei’s memories had also mentioned that she was a selectable Target, but she never imagined there would be so many others besides them.

Bo Xuenong pursed her lips slightly. “Guan Caimei deserves to die.”

Feng Jin immediately chimed in, “Exactly!”

Bo Xuenong glanced at Feng Jin. “You and your System deserve to die too.”

Feng Jin was so frightened she dared not make another sound. Bo Xuenong was merely venting her frustration; she had no real intention of killing her. She continued, “How many souls have you summoned here?”

“The System’s energy can only summon souls from worlds with similar settings to this one. As for how many intact souls my fellow Masters have claimed, I doubt it’s many. After all, when Cultivators die, their souls rarely remain intact. And even if they do, without a suitable body, those souls will simply drift through this world, never awakening.”

So, a drifting soul has found Fu Yunqing?

Bo Xuenong grew even more irritated. “Can’t your System investigate?”

“It can,” Feng Jin said, lowering her head in embarrassment. “But it’s very expensive, and I don’t have enough Points.”

Bo Xuenong gave Feng Jin a strange look. “How long have you been here?”

“Two hundred years.”

Bo Xuenong was puzzled. “You haven’t accumulated any Points in two hundred years?”

Feng Jin lowered her head, embarrassed. “I saved up a little, but I spent it all on you.”

Bo Xuenong eyed her suspiciously. “On me?”

“Senior Sister,” Feng Jin nodded, nervously smoothing her sleeve. “Senior Sister, why don’t you see for yourself? After all, the System… now you have a share too.”

Before Bo Xuenong could grasp what “having a share” meant, Feng Jin handed her a black token. The moment Bo Xuenong took it, a luminous screen materialized before her eyes. The screen was divided into three panels: two mission panels labeled “True Love Endures” and “Punish Evil and Promote Good,” and an Exchange Panel.

At the top of the “True Love Endures” panel was the Target’s name, displayed in three colors: gold, silver, and black. Bo Xuenong immediately spotted Shen Yanting’s golden name. Her own name was also listed, but only in silver. The Female Lead, Yu Cenwan, and the Male Lead, Cheng Huaizhou, both had golden names as well.

Below the Target’s name were the missions Feng Jin had completed:

Host Feng Jin received Shen Yanting’s praise: +5 Points

Assistant Bo Xuenong had intimate contact with Shen Yanting: +10 Points

Assistant Bo Xuenong received Shen Yanting’s sweet praise: +5 Points

The “True Love Endures” task board only had three entries, two of which Bo Xuenong had completed.

After a brief silence, Bo Xuenong turned her attention to the second board, “Punish Evil and Promote Good.” The names here were also categorized into gold, silver, and black, though there were fewer names than on the “True Love Endures” board. Bo Xuenong spotted He Yongshi and Guan Caimei’s names. Guan Caimei’s name was gold, while He Yongshi’s was black. The remaining dozens of names belonged to members of the Imperial Tranquility Sect, almost all of them black, with only Cui Huaizhou’s name in silver.

The “Punish Evil and Promote Good” board had many more completed tasks, but the point values were generally low. The highest-scoring entry was still Bo Xuenong’s kill of Guan Caimei.

Assistant Bo Xuenong successfully killed the peerless villain Guan Caimei. Points +100

Apart from Guan Caimei’s entry, the rest mostly awarded five points each, with some even granting only one or two points.

Host Feng Jin crippled the early-stage villain He Yongshi. Points +5

Host Feng Jin injured the early-stage villain Feng Fei. Points +1

Host…

Bo Xuenong scrolled down the list, but it seemed endless. She finally understood why Feng Jin had been acting so fierce—for the past two centuries, she had been accumulating Points solely by injuring others.

Given this method of accumulation, it was remarkable that Feng Jin had any Points left at all.

Bo Xuenong finally turned her gaze to the Exchange Panel. When she saw what Feng Jin had redeemed, her vision nearly went black.

Beast Taming Pills and Beast Essence Pills cost five Points each, and Feng Jin had spent a staggering sixty Points on these Seventh-Grade Pills. Redeeming the conversation space had cost another twenty Points. Bo Xuenong had initially marveled at the System’s ability to exchange Points for medicinal pills, but now, seeing how painstakingly Feng Jin earned her Points, she realized it was a terrible bargain.

Scrolling further down, Bo Xuenong confirmed that Feng Jin hadn’t been lying—she had indeed spent nearly all her accumulated Points on Bo Xuenong.

Congratulations, Host! You have successfully bound Bo Xuenong as your deputy, expending 1,000 Points! Ding! Deputy’s mission Points will now be halved.

Congratulations, Host! You have successfully redeemed a half-price Mind-Reading Technique for Deputy Bo Xuenong, expending 500 Points!

Congratulations, Host! You have successfully redeemed a Qi Condensation Stage Cultivation Halo, expending 100 Points!

Congratulations, Host! You have successfully exchanged 200 Points for the “Immense Strength” ability.

Congratulations, Host! You have successfully exchanged 100 Points for the “Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivation Halo.”

Congratulations…

Feng Jin had spent 1,500 Points on Bo Xuenong, while she herself had only spent a little over 800 Points, half of which went toward the Cultivation Halo. Her most recent exchange had been for the “Golden Core Stage Cultivation Halo.” Bo Xuenong had a rough idea of what the Cultivation Halo did, but she still decided to ask Feng Jin directly: “What does the Cultivation Halo do?”

Feng Jin forced a smile. “I haven’t completed my primary mission, so I’m not qualified to live in this world yet. My body can only grow to ten years old, and even with a spiritual root, I can’t cultivate normally. The Cultivation Halo makes me appear like a proper cultivator.”

Bo Xuenong frowned. She hadn’t realized Feng Jin’s Early Golden Core Stage cultivation was fake. “What is your primary mission?”

Feng Jin, who could see the same holographic screen as Bo Xuenong, pointed to the name on the “True Love Endures” panel: “Make one of them love me wholeheartedly, with their affection level reaching 100%.”

The Strategy System’s primary task was to conquer Targets. While the Targets were fixed, the Punish Evil and Promote Good objectives refreshed randomly. Consequently, completing True Love Endures missions yielded far more Points than Punish Evil and Promote Good tasks. Gold, silver, and black represented the Target’s value, with gold being the highest and black the lowest. The higher the Target’s value, the greater the rewards upon conquest—at least, that was the case for Feng Jin. The souls drawn into this world lacked Systems; they only received a single conquest mission and the novel’s plot. Conquering any Target allowed them to remain in this world permanently.

Among these souls, Shen Yanting was considered the most difficult to conquer. Guan Caimei’s choice to target her ultimately led to her deserved demise.

Bo Xuenong regretted not stabbing Guan Caimei a few more times. She was also puzzled: “How did you even think of giving me the System?”

“Me!” Feng Jin pointed at her own face, her voice suddenly rising. “I’m only ten years old! True Love Endures… anyone who falls for me would be a pervert! Punish Evil and Promote Good… I may have exchanged for Immense Strength, but my cultivation is fake. If Guan Caimei hadn’t suppressed her cultivation, I wouldn’t have stood a chance against her. Besides… I can’t bring myself to kill anyone. You’re the only one in the Imperial Tranquility Sect likely to kill someone, Senior Sister.”

Afraid to kill?

Even though Bo Xuenong knew Feng Jin came from a world without killing, she still found it difficult to understand this deficiency. Moreover… she couldn’t comprehend why Feng Jin, after repeatedly failing her missions in that world, never considered retaliating against her parents. If it were her… she would have slaughtered them all. Since the missions were doomed to fail anyway, she’d rather slash them a few times to vent her anger and feel some satisfaction.

Still… Shen Yanting would probably like someone like Feng Jin.

Her thoughts drifted off course when Feng Jin suddenly raised her hand and swore, “Senior Sister, you’ll be able to use the System’s Exchange Panel too! All the Points are yours to use. I…”

Feng Jin glanced at her remaining few dozen Points and lowered her head guiltily. “I originally wanted to exchange all the Points you earned for things you needed, but Feng Yingbo ruined the horses, and Martial Aunt Shen would easily discover your formation. I…”

Bo Xuenong didn’t want to argue with Feng Jin about this. In truth, Feng Jin’s words held some merit. Although Feng Jin and the System had brought trouble, without Feng Jin, she wouldn’t have known the story’s trajectory, and both she and Shen Yanting would have died on this Cultivation Journey.

Feng Jin was determined to protect both Bo Xuenong and Shen Yanting. Though lacking in strength, her sincerity was commendable.

Shen Yanting had once said that debts of gratitude must be repaid.

Bo Xuenong’s mind was in turmoil, yet Shen Yanting’s words remained clear.

Forcing herself to calm down, she suddenly asked Feng Jin, “Feng Jin, what do you want?”

“Me?” Feng Jin hadn’t expected Bo Xuenong to ask this. Slightly surprised, she still answered honestly, “I want all the souls we attracted to disappear so the System won’t be punished. And… I want to live, complete my mission, stay here, and exchange for a happy life for my Grandmother. But it seems a bit difficult.”

Bo Xuenong’s gaze swept over the names of the Targets on the Exchange Panel before abruptly pointing at Yu Cenwan. “Can you target Yu Cenwan? Isn’t she your mother?”

“How did you—” Feng Jin clutched her chest, backing away slightly. “Senior Sister, could you please stop listening to my thoughts?”

“No,” Bo Xuenong replied without hesitation, leaning closer to Feng Jin. “Feng Jin, how exactly were you born? Your thoughts aren’t very clear.”

Feng Jin’s lips twitched slightly, a rare urge to confide rising within her. “Because Yu Cenwan was too kind, and Feng Yingbo was too stubborn.”

That year, Yu Cenwan had just merged with the Buddha Fruit Bloodline and was being hunted by her own sect for becoming a half-demon. On her escape, she encountered Feng Yingbo, severely wounded and poisoned. Her innate kindness prevented her from abandoning Feng Yingbo, and she ended up not only saving her life but also using the Buddha Fruit’s power to heal her.

At the time, Yu Cenwan hadn’t even fully accepted her own demonic transformation. Using the Buddha Fruit’s power was excruciatingly painful for her, yet she did it twice for Feng Yingbo.

Yu Cenwan was in a hurry to draw away the two groups hunting them and couldn’t wait for Feng Yingbo to regain consciousness.

Uncertain whether the first use of the Buddha Fruit’s power would be enough to save Feng Yingbo, Yu Cenwan fed her one of the fruits and left another inside her abdomen as a backup.

Yu Cenwan acted out of kindness, but the Buddha Fruit possessed the power to grant life, carrying faint traces of vitality within its core.

When Feng Yingbo awoke and sensed life stirring in her abdomen, she nearly died of fright. She rushed down the mountain that very night to consult a physician and have her pulse checked.

The mortal physician, of course, couldn’t discern the Buddha Fruit’s presence and ultimately diagnosed Feng Yingbo with a pregnancy pulse.

Feng Yingbo spent half a month in confusion, wondering how she could possibly be pregnant while still a virgin. After much deliberation, she decided to carry the child to term and see what would come of it. She carried the fruit for several months, yet her belly showed no signs of swelling. Then, in a hazy recollection, she remembered how demon couples she’d encountered on her cultivation journey nurtured their offspring by channeling their own bl00d essence into the child. Feng Yingbo, ever the quick learner, began consuming medicinal pills daily to channel her bl00d essence into the fruit.

When the System, carrying Feng Jin’s soul, wandered into this world to select a body, it naturally sought a vessel close to the Target.

The fruit contained Yu Cenwan’s bl00d essence, and the mother forcibly gestating it was none other than Shen Yanting’s Junior Sister—the Female Lead and the most crucial female supporting character. With the fruit still a soulless, unclaimed husk, the System unhesitatingly thrust Feng Jin’s soul into it. Only when the fruit gained a soul did it truly come to life, allowing Feng Yingbo to successfully give birth. Otherwise, had she continued channeling her bl00d essence like the demons, she would have died a second time.

After all, the Demon Clan’s bl00d essence could be replenished quickly, unlike that of Human Cultivators.

Feng Jin had always suspected that Feng Yingbo died in the original novel’s plot in exactly this way. After all, Feng Yingbo had no storyline in the original work, and her body still suffered from the aftereffects of excessive bl00d essence transfer. Despite her Nascent Soul Stage foundation, her physical condition was far from as robust as it appeared.

After Feng Jin’s birth, Feng Yingbo, uncertain of her daughter’s paternity and fearing questions, simply claimed Feng Jin as her disciple and brought her back to the Imperial Tranquility Sect. Feng Jin had planned to play dumb and maintain the master-disciple facade indefinitely, but Feng Yingbo never intended to deceive her. From the age of three, Feng Yingbo would secretly whisper to Feng Jin every night, “I’m your mother, not your master.”

This often left Feng Jin feeling awkward and conflicted. Though she carried the bl00d of both Yu Cenwan and Feng Yingbo, she wasn’t technically their daughter.

Feng Jin usually adored Feng Yingbo, but the moment Feng Yingbo insisted on their mother-daughter bond, Feng Jin grew terrified.

In truth, Feng Yingbo still didn’t understand how Feng Jin had come into being, nor did she realize that her youthful appearance was due to the Buddha Fruit granting her a second life.

Yet she remained stubbornly devoted to being a good mother, indulging Feng Jin’s temper tantrums and even forgiving her attempts to avoid her.

Feng Jin couldn’t understand it. Some parents despised their own children, so why had Feng Yingbo embraced motherhood so readily, even before understanding how Feng Jin had come to be? Why did she go to such lengths to care for her? Though Feng Jin’s body had been frozen at the age of ten, her true age was over two hundred years. Yet Feng Yingbo still insisted on holding her close every night, just as she had when Feng Jin was a newborn.

Even though Bo Xuenong had mentally prepared herself, she couldn’t help but sigh at how little she truly understood Feng Yingbo.

Forcing one’s life force into a Buddha Fruit and dying—there could never be another death like that.

If Yu Cenwan knew that the fruit she had left to save Feng Yingbo’s life had actually led to Feng Yingbo’s death in the original plot, what would she think?

But Bo Xuenong believed Feng Jin’s reasoning was flawed. Even someone like her knew what bl00d relatives were. Feng Jin carried both Feng Yingbo’s and Yu Cenwan’s bl00d. If she wasn’t their child, whose child could she possibly be?

“Feng Jin, you really can target Yu Cenwan. She’s your mother. She’ll definitely…”

“Senior Sister, not all parents love their children.”

Bo Xuenong seemed to understand.

Feng Jin wasn’t afraid of Feng Yingbo claiming her as a daughter; she was terrified of nurturing hope only to face despair again.

Feng Jinxin had previously mentioned taking Feng Yingbo to seek refuge with Yu Cenwan, which meant Feng Jin actually knew she could try to target Yu Cenwan. She just didn’t dare.

She had been disillusioned by bl00d ties for too long, and her fear outweighed her longing.

Besides, Feng Jin had always been a coward.

Bo Xuenong felt a pang of pity for Feng Jin. Or perhaps it wasn’t her own feeling, but rather what she imagined Shen Yanting would feel for Feng Jin.

What would someone as kind as Shen Yanting have thought if she had heard this story?

Bo Xuenong was somewhat taken aback. Mimicking Shen Yanting’s gesture, she reached out and patted Feng Jin’s head, abruptly ending the heavy discussion. “Next time, exchange for something useful. A Cultivation Halo is completely unnecessary. I’ll protect you from now on.”

Feng Jin stared in disbelief. “Senior Sister, are you serious?”

“Absolutely,” Bo Xuenong nodded firmly. “As long as you remain my soulmate.”

“Soulmate?” Feng Jin was confused. She had no idea when she had become Bo Xuenong’s soulmate. Fortunately, having read the original novel, she understood Bo Xuenong’s principles well. A sudden realization struck her, and she immediately declared, “I will resolutely protect Martial Aunt Shen! Her life is more precious than anything!”

Bo Xuenong’s face lit up with delight. “Exactly!”

Feng Jin’s fear of Bo Xuenong began to diminish. She suddenly realized that when Bo Xuenong wasn’t acting crazy, she was actually quite easy to coax.

Summoning her courage, Feng Jin grabbed Bo Xuenong’s arm and pointed to her dwindling Points. “Senior Sister, you still have some Points left. What do you want to exchange for? According to the System’s rules, anything that exists in this world can be exchanged for, including some universal System-specific abilities. But I don’t think there are enough Points…”

As Feng Jin earnestly analyzed what the remaining Points could buy, Bo Xuenong suddenly pointed to the Target’s name on the True Love Endures Exchange Panel. “Change my name to gold, just like Master’s.”

Feng Jin stared in stunned silence.