It's Hard for a Villain Character Not to Collapse - Chapter 11

Chapter - 11

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 System: 【Strange? Why is there no fluctuation?】

Qiao Han: Are you referring to me?

Who was it that said the quality of my missions was poor before? You went and took full control of my body and made a mess—did you get any results from that?

Whimper You owe me an explanation!

System: 【It wasn't making a mess; it was the most frequently used solution from the optimized resource library. The lack of emotional points is related to the protagonist himself… In any case, the mission is completed.】

Qiao Han: …Do you want to be reset to factory settings?

System: 【…This proves that your idol wasn’t frightened or disgusted. You should be happy.】

Qiao Han: Thank your whole family!

His idol is an extraordinary, unworldly good person. This kind of small mischief wouldn’t even faze him.

But not taking it seriously and losing face in front of him, making him feel disgusted, and damaging his image in his idol’s eyes are two completely different things!

Qiao Han sternly questioned: Tell me, will there be more missions like this where I have to seduce the protagonist? I advise you to think carefully before answering, or you might lose a host.

System: 【The missions are issued based on calculations, they are random and unique.】

Qiao Han: You’ve mastered the art of spouting nonsense. Is there no clear answer? What do you mean by "based on calculations"?

The system explained: 【You are an outsider soul, and in order to prevent the world’s consciousness from detecting and rejecting you, you need to regularly complete missions to increase your character attributes and blend in unnoticed. So, you must complete them. But don’t worry, you have a villain persona, not a protagonist one, so you won’t be forced into any overly intimate situations with the male lead. Our baseline for issuing missions is nothing below the neck.】

Qiao Han: …There’s already no bottom line. The original story didn’t even have anything as outrageous as crawling into bed naked to seduce someone!

In other words, the system can’t predict what missions will be assigned in advance—they're random. It’s all about making him do bad things.

Fortunately, he already came up with the sleepwalking excuse. Next time an awkward mission comes up, he’ll just use that reason. If he has to rely on extreme improvisation every time, he might actually die from stress!

After mulling it over for a while, Qiao Han decided to stop thinking about it, because… he was still sitting naked on the male lead's bed!

After the crisis passed, Qiao Han became aware of the unsettling truth.

His love for the protagonist was absolutely pure, a fan’s love without any ulterior motives.

But… this was the place where the male lead slept!

His breathing became difficult, his cheeks flushed, and every inch of his skin grew unusually sensitive, with his sense of touch magnified.

To be able to live on the same mountain peak as the male lead, to have a house of the same design, and to be right next door—this was already the result of immense karma from his past life!

How on earth did he end up sleeping in the male lead’s bed?

This… this was something only a crazed stalker fan would do, right? But I’m a noble, true fan! Ah! Ah! Wait… just give me a few more seconds to process this!

The room had an automatic cleaning formation, so naturally, the bed linens were cleansed daily. The male lead had been away for a month, so the room was spotless, as if no one had ever stayed there.

But as a fan, he couldn’t help but want to feel the traces of the male lead’s presence.

So… Qiao Han remained frozen, his body stiff. He didn’t dare lower his head to get closer to the bed, but cautiously and nervously, he took a deep breath.

It felt like he could faintly sense a light fragrance, one that was intoxicating.

In the next moment, though, Qiao Han despised his own behavior.

Wait, hold on! Didn't the male lead spend some time in the room earlier? Could it be that he rested on this bed? So that clean, warm-sunlight scent I just smelled… no, no way. It’s more likely he meditated in the outer chamber…

Ahhh! I’m going to die, going to die, going to die!

Meanwhile, at Master Qiong Bi residence, the door opened.

Xiao Jiuci held something in his hand.

Xiao Jiuci wasn't entirely sure that Qiao Han was a demon,  but he couldn’t ignore the increasingly strange behavior Qiao Han had been exhibiting. Thus, he had to remain vigilant.

The door to Qiao Han's room had been forcefully broken open, which suggested he had exited without being fully conscious.

It could have been sleepwalking, or perhaps… under the influence of demonic energy.

But the most puzzling thing was Qiao Han's sudden surge of spiritual energy.

The first time was in the main hall, when he fainted under the pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator. Xiao Jiuci had checked on Qiao Han's condition and found that he had no spiritual energy, as if he were an empty shell. Just now, the same phenomenon had occurred—there was no sign of spiritual energy, but the moment Xiao Jiuci laid eyes on him, it suddenly surged forth.

Was it some hidden illness in Qiao Han’s body? Or was it because that body wasn’t truly his?

As the moon hung high in the night sky, and the world grew still, Xiao Jiuci meditated beneath a massive tree in the courtyard.

The tree was peculiar, as though it were on the verge of withering, yet it radiated a powerful aura, intimidating the surrounding spirit plants.

Xiao Jiuci slowly opened his eyes, forming a seal with one hand in front of him. Instantly, a teleportation array appeared beneath him. In the blink of an eye, he silently transported himself into his room.

This array had been set up long ago when he was practicing formations, allowing him easy access to his quarters. Leaving Qiao Han in his room was also a way to keep an eye on him.

Inside, he could hear even, steady breathing and sense normal spiritual fluctuations. The illumination spell had been altered by Qiao Han, leaving only a soft glow around the edges of the room.

Xiao Jiuci gathered his spiritual energy, floating just above the ground to avoid making any noise as he rounded the screen. But suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.

The bed was empty.

He almost stepped on something at his feet. Looking down, Xiao Jiuci found Qiao Han curled up on the floor, dressed in his inner garments with his outer robe draped over him like a blanket. He was sleeping soundly, peacefully, with none of the tension from before.

It was as if Qiao Han had purposefully avoided touching anything in the room, even occupying as little space on the floor as possible.

The bed itself looked as though it had been neatly made by someone. The blanket was folded into a perfect square and placed at the head of the bed.

A strange light flickered in Xiao Jiuci's eyes.

Why didn’t he sleep on the bed?

Xiao Jiuci couldn’t figure it out, but the scene before him reminded him of junior disciples who, upon first forming contracts with their spirit beasts, would have those overly dependent creatures sleep under their beds, fearful of being abandoned by their masters.

The thought left him feeling oddly perplexed for a moment. Shaking off the strange association, he returned to his usual stern demeanor.

He stepped closer to Qiao Han, kneeling down beside him. A faintly glowing lotus appeared in the palm of Xiao Jiuci's hand. With a gentle flick, the lotus floated onto Qiao Han’s forehead, quickly sinking into his skin, leaving behind a soft imprint of a lotus flower.

This was the Lotus Purification Seal, harmless to ordinary people. However, if there were any demonic energy hidden within the person, their body would radiate red light.

Some demonic energy could be deeply concealed, even beyond the detection of Nascent Soul level cultivators like the sect master's wife or Elder Mei. In such cases, only magical tools could reveal the truth.

The Lotus Purification Seal could validate up to the power level of a Soul Transformation stage cultivator.

Xiao Jiuci kept a vigilant gaze fixed on Qiao Han, watching carefully as the lotus reemerged from his forehead.

This confirmed that Qiao Han had no demonic energy in his body.

Xiao Jiuci's clear lashes lowered, half-shielding his dark eyes, though the deep contemplation remained visible.

This was merely one form of verification he could perform.

He hoped he had been foolish, that he had wronged Qiao Han, who, despite his quirks and unpredictability, seemed to be as forthright and harmless as he appeared. Rather than being…

Stowing away the magical tool, Xiao Jiuci prepared to leave.

Just as he rose, a soft voice suddenly called out, “Brother Xiao…”

Xiao Jiuci froze in place, feeling a bit awkward. Although this was his room, he had let Qiao Han stay here. His sneaking in like this could easily be considered an intrusion, deeply improper.

iao Jiuci was just about to apologize when he turned to see Qiao Han hugging his outer robe, rolling over in his sleep. His eyes were still closed, clearly deep in slumber. His lips moved, and then he let out a foolish giggle.

"Brother Xiao... hehe... Xiao Jiuci... how can you be so good?"

Xiao Jiuci: ...

It felt like an arrow had pierced his heart.

【Emotion Point +1】

The next morning, colorful rays of the sunrise parted the clouds, casting their light over Wuding Peak. The celestial aura, mixed with the natural glow, blanketed the peak in a serene, almost ethereal beauty.

Suddenly, a white figure cut through the air with incredible speed, so swift that even the mountain's sacred cranes weren't disturbed. Like a gust of wind, the figure headed straight for Xiao Jiuci's residence.

The door burst open, and upon seeing someone in the bed, the intruder beamed with joy and leaped toward the bed.

"Good brother, look at you! Sleeping in for once! I heard you were injured—could it really be true?"

"Yaaaahhhh!"

Bang!

The peaceful morning of Wuding Peak was shattered by a sharp scream.

By the time Xiao Jiuci arrived, he found his good friend, Lu Zhui, clutching a black eye and staring blankly at the person in the bed.

Qiao Han was on guard, his hands in a defensive stance, but his face showed only bewildered confusion.

Xiao Jiuci stepped forward, pulling Lu Zhui aside with a frown. "What did you do?"

Lu Zhui, still dazed, looked at Xiao Jiuci and then at Qiao Han. His voice trembled, "I thought it was you, so I jumped on the bed..."

He hesitated, noticing the change in Xiao Jiuci’s expression. Even though Xiao Jiuci didn’t look angry, Lu Zhui instinctively panicked and quickly added, "I didn't even land on him! This brother punched me before I could!"

When Xiao Jiuci’s expression softened again, Lu Zhui finally began to relax... but wait! Something wasn’t right!

Suddenly realizing, Lu Zhui pointed a shaking finger at Qiao Han. "H-He’s... he's... is he the..."

Without missing a beat, Xiao Jiuci calmly replied, "This is Qiao Han."

Ignoring Lu Zhui’s jaw-dropping reaction, Xiao Jiuci turned to Qiao Han and said, "Sorry for the misunderstanding. This is Lu Zhui from Yuxu Sect, a friend of mine. My apologies, I'll take him out immediately."

The tension in Qiao Han's body melted away the moment he saw Xiao Jiuci. "You scared me! I thought someone was attacking me. No worries... it's my fault, really. Whenever someone gets too close while I'm asleep, I tend to react without thinking."

Xiao Jiuci blinked, giving Qiao Han an unreadable look.

But Qiao Han's attention had already shifted.

He was now staring at Lu Zhui, who, while slightly less handsome than Xiao Jiuci, was still undeniably good-looking. Lu Zhui stood there with a dumbfounded expression, his white robes embroidered with golden clouds gleaming like light breaking through the sky—just like the attire of a direct disciple of Yuxu Sect described in the books.

Lu Zhui, in stark contrast to his usual refined appearance, was adorned with an excessive number of accessories—his headband and crown, pendant around his neck, belt chains, and jade ornaments. Though all of these were magical artifacts, they looked rather cumbersome. Yet, despite this burden, he was known as the fastest man in the sect. And no, don’t misunderstand—it was his speed in movement. As a cultivator with a Wind Spiritual Root, his agility and swiftness were unmatched. Clear enough?

With his handsome, wind-swept features and the carefully curated elegance of a nobleman, Lu Zhui had earned the title of "Young Master" in the cultivation world. But it was his unrestrained and carefree expression right now that truly revealed his wild and unorthodox nature.

This was Lu Zhui, the son of Yuxu Sect's sect master and one of Xiao Jiuci’s close comrades. He was also one of the few characters in the entire story that Qiao Han genuinely liked—besides Xiao Jiuci, of course.

It wasn’t just Lu Zhui’s easygoing nature and personality that resonated with Qiao Han; it was the fact that Lu Zhui believed in and supported Xiao Jiuci from the very beginning. Most importantly, Lu Zhui was a staunch admirer of the male lead.

For Qiao Han, following the principle of “Anyone who praises the male lead is a good brother,” he was more than willing to befriend Lu Zhui. Naturally, he had to apologize for punching him earlier while half-asleep.

"Sorry about hitting you, brother," Qiao Han said earnestly. "Are you okay?"

Lu Zhui, his eyes wide with realization, suddenly exclaimed, "Jiuci! I didn’t think you’d be into men! And to think you're already dual cultivating with your... wife! I haven’t even given you the dual-cultivation technique I prepared as a wedding gift!"

Xiao Jiuci: ...

"Brother's wife, my apologies for the intrusion," Lu Zhui continued, bowing dramatically. "It must’ve been a hard night. Please rest well. I’ll be outside apologizing to Jiuci."

Qiao Han: ...

On second thought, maybe this friend wasn’t essential to keep around.

Should he just dig a hole and bury him?

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