It's Hard for a Villain Character Not to Collapse - Chapter 29

Chapter - 29

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Qiao Han’s pupils shrank. He felt something whistle past his ear, almost grazing his earlobe, threading through his hair. The lingering spiritual energy left a layer of frost creeping up his jaw, bringing with it a painful sting, like frostbite.

Immediately after, not far behind him, came the crisp sound of something freezing over rapidly, spreading outward. It turned into an extremely sharp and heavy creaking sound, accompanied by the beast’s roar, before everything fell into silence.

Qiao Han was startled by the overwhelming force that could have ended his life in an instant. Still shaken, he turned around and saw a giant spirit beast frozen in an attacking stance. But now, it had become an ice sculpture.

With a thunderous boom, the ice sculpture collapsed, kicking up a cold wave that swept toward Qiao Han’s feet.

Afraid of being knocked over, Qiao Han instinctively darted forward a few steps, panicked and disoriented, almost crashing straight into Xiao Jiuci’s chest.

Thankfully, Qiao Han stopped just in time. But he didn’t notice that Xiao Jiuci had stepped back.

“That scared the hell out of me!” Qiao Han stood still and looked up.

At this moment, Xiao Jiuci was holding the Frost Dragonbone Bow. The arrow that had just been fired came from it.

That angle was insane—way too terrifying. But thinking back on it, it was kind of thrilling. Thank goodness the one who shot it was the male lead—if it had been anyone else, Qiao Han would have gone off, yelling, “What if you’d hit me?!”

But if it was the male lead, then it had to be calculated with absolute precision. So cool!

With a bright smile, Qiao Han said, “Good thing you woke up in time. I didn’t even notice there was a spirit beast attacking.” After all, they had charged right through a herd of spirit beasts—so yeah, it was bound to be dangerous.

Xiao Jiuci’s gaze froze on Qiao Han’s face—on that dazzling smile, so full of energy and life. 

Another act of playing innocent—Xiao Juici thought. Demonic beasts and demonic cultivators didn’t even come close to the danger of true demon kind. 

Although demons, after seizing a host, had to start over as regular cultivators, their powerful spiritual sense gave them every shortcut imaginable. Not to mention all their twisted and heretical cultivation methods.

Every time a demon possession case was exposed, it came with rivers of blood and skyrocketing power levels.

Xiao Jiuci had witnessed it all.

He shouldn’t have… diverted the attack.

The hand gripping the bow involuntarily tightened, emitting a faint creak.

“Brother Xiao, what’s wrong? Are you still not fully recovered? Are you badly hurt?” Qiao Han suddenly asked, worried.

At that moment, Xiao Jiuci was acting very strangely. A chilling aura emanated from his body, and the look in his eyes had lost its usual gentleness, like a spring breeze brushing the face. Now, it was more like a silent blizzard, dangerous enough to make one lose their way.

Those pitch-black eyes actually gave Qiao Han a cold shiver down his spine.

The only thing Qiao Han could think of was Xiao Jiuci’s injury. That last blow might’ve worsened it, and now he was just gritting his teeth and pushing through, explaining this weird behavior.

So he immediately raised his wrist. He formed a hand seal with both hands, making the Bi Xuan bead glow, and was ready to heal Xiao Jiuci.

Suddenly, his wrists—just crossed together—were gripped tightly by Xiao Jiuci’s strong hand.

Qiao Han froze, not realizing that the gesture looked more like a restraint, as if Xiao Jiuci were stopping him from doing something else entirely.

“Brother Xiao, do you not trust my healing technique? Actually, I already used it on you earlier, and it seemed to help a little. And right now, we’ve got no other option. Let’s use what we can; your health is more important. We still have to escape together,” Qiao Han hurriedly explained.

Xiao Jiuci’s gaze flickered. He could see the worry creasing Qiao Han’s brows, concern written all over his face. The wrist in his grasp was trembling slightly as he could feel the depletion of spiritual power. Clearly, this body was running on empty.

Bi Xuan was a gift he had given Qiao Han, so of course, he knew that this glowing response was Qiao Han genuinely trying to use a healing spell on him.

And all of this… was probably because the demon still hadn’t realized he’d been exposed—still playing the role of "Qiao Han" earnestly. Just like all those other demon-possessed ones… pretending to be a child, a spouse, a disciple…

He must not be deceived. He must not hesitate. He must not give the enemy any chance to strike back. He must not—

Suddenly, Xiao Jiuci’s eyes turned sharp, like a blade covered in snow. But in the very next second, his pupils constricted.

Before Qiao Han could react to the sudden shift in the male lead’s expression, he felt a sharp pain in his wrist—he was yanked forward.

In an instant, Qiao Han was yanked behind Xiao Jiuci. A massive crocodile tail—faster than lightning—swung toward them. It carried no demonic energy, making it undetectable, yet Xiao Jiuci's lightning-fast reflexes managed to block it just in time.

At some point, the bow in his hand had transformed back into his sword. The silver-blue blade spun rapidly in his other hand, creating a shield-like barrier of glowing light.

But the Grey Demon Crocodile’s power was overwhelming. Xiao Jiuci, already injured, could only shield Qiao Han as they were blasted away. The place where they had just stood was instantly reduced to rubble.

Immediately after, the colossal crocodile head lunged at them with its jaws wide open. Wherever it passed, all nearby spirit beasts were swallowed whole.

It had started devouring indiscriminately due to its injuries, but its primary target was still Xiao Jiuci.

Qiao Han, held tightly behind Xiao Jiuci, had no choice but to play the role of a mobile medical kit. With his hands pinned, he simply formed seals as best he could and began channeling spiritual energy directly into Xiao Jiuci.

Xiao Jiuci stiffened for a moment but didn’t look back. Instead, he focused on fending off the Grey Demon Crocodile while retreating rapidly with Qiao Han in tow.

Flying by sword would get them locked on and annihilated instantly, so the only way to escape was using the forest’s cover to barely cling to life.

After several heart-pounding close calls, a magic-imbued energy blast finally hit them. This time, they couldn’t dodge—it slammed into them directly. But Xiao Jiuci seized the moment, using the force of the blast to launch them further away, gaining precious distance.

Because Qiao Han had been entirely shielded behind him, he was mostly unscathed. Xiao Jiuci, however, faltered as soon as they landed—his body slumped and nearly dragged Qiao Han down with him.

Fortunately, Qiao Han leaned forward to catch him. He had meant to steady Xiao Jiuci, only to realize… both of his hands were still tightly held in Xiao Jiuci’s grip. He’d been carrying him like that the entire time.

Qiao Han was a bit confused and tried to pull away. “Brother Xiao?!”

But just as the words left his mouth, the grip on his wrist suddenly tightened—so much that Qiao Han winced from the pain.

At the same time, he could feel the man in front of him trembling all over.

Xiao Jiuci clenched his teeth, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth. His vision was starting to blur and sway. The continuous blows from the Grey Demon Crocodile had pushed him past his limit. He could collapse at any moment.

And the person behind him… he still hadn’t—

Maybe this was his last chance—he couldn’t…

“Brother Xiao, don’t worry. I can fight and protect you, so stop forcing yourself to carry everything alone.”

Qiao Han’s voice came from behind him. But as he spoke the last sentence, he seemed to lose confidence and added sheepishly,

“…Even if I’m not great at fighting, I can at least run away with you.”

Xiao Jiuci’s expression faltered slightly. His wrist trembled as if he had relaxed his grip a bit. Qiao Han took the chance—he quickly freed his hands, using one to support Xiao Jiuci’s swaying figure, and with the other, he pulled out his White Cloud Fan.

Qiao Han understood Xiao Jiuci’s nature all too well. Even if others were around, in dangerous situations, he’d always take full responsibility, shouldering all the risk himself. He was just used to being the primary force in battle, never expecting others to help or take the risk.

But this time was different.

If Xiao Jiuci kept up this self-destructive combat pattern, it’d be just like the original novel—he’d draw the attention of the Demon Realm.

Qiao Han had to share the burden. More importantly, he had to drag Xiao Jiuci into retreating.

Soon, massive vines sprouted in the wake of the Grey Demon Crocodile, trying to bind its movements. But they barely delayed it for a fraction of a second.

Qiao Han cursed under his breath. It wasn’t even close to enough.

But he didn’t lose hope. As the Grey Demon Crocodile charged near, Qiao Han swung the White Cloud Fan with full force.

The powerful wind didn’t even budge the beast. Instead, it rebounded, blasting the two of them away at a speed faster than sword-flight.

The Grey Demon Crocodile, temporarily blinded by the gust, couldn’t aim its next strike immediately.

Xiao Jiuci, still pushing himself past his limits, tried to stay alert.

But as soon as Qiao Han’s strength steadied him from behind, he realized his body had long since crossed the threshold. The golden core inside his dantian was starting to evolve—it felt as if he was about to break through to the late-stage Core Formation realm.

His bones quivered faintly. He tried to stay conscious, but darkness overtook him anyway.

In his final moments of awareness, he felt their bodies hit the ground.

Qiao Han had carried him into a hidden mountain cave.

He wanted to say, “This is pointless. The Grey Demon Crocodile will track us down anyway.”

But he couldn’t make a sound.

All he could sense was someone wiping the blood off his lips—anxious muttering nearby, hands moving gently.

There was a faint trace of wood-type spiritual energy healing his body. The effect was minimal, but that person persisted for a long time.

Xiao Jiuci, for reasons he couldn’t explain, felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion deep inside. In the end, he gave up trying, figuring he couldn’t do anything anyway, at least for now.

Soon after, he sensed a powerful wave of demonic energy approaching. The Grey Demon Crocodile was closing in.

He wanted to stay awake, but his consciousness was spiraling downward, out of control, until he lost all perception of the outside world.

Meanwhile, Qiao Han, who was still browsing through the system’s shop, suddenly snapped in pure rage.

“WHAT did you just say?! I dare you to repeat that!”

[Character Plot Task Released: Villain Qiao Han encounters danger. Driven by fear and cowardice, he decides to abandon the male lead and escape alone.]

[Countdown: 3 minutes. If no action is taken, the system will forcibly take control and execute the mission.]

“The fuck?!”

“Are you trying to get the male lead killed?!”

“Seriously, either don’t issue tasks or at least stop throwing lightning bolts of chaos every time!”

“Even if there’s no conflict, you people have to manufacture one, huh?”

[Due to the host’s repeated interference with the potline, the Heavenly Dao is issuing minor corrections. This mission is a response to that correction.]

[Essentially, the system is trying to fix your mess. Please trust in the male lead’s protagonist halo—he will definitely gain something out of this crisis.]

Qiao Han was livid.

In the original novel, it was the Demon Realm plotting against the male lead.

But now it was an actual demon beast charging at them.

Which one was worse? He genuinely didn’t know anymore.

He knew the pattern of the original text: If a typical Dragon Lord-type MC faced a danger level of 10, they’d gain 100 points worth of benefits.

But this story’s male lead? If danger = 100, the rewards would max out at maybe 100. That’s what made him a “Handsome, Strong, and Tragic” protagonist.

Had he just made things worse by trying to help? No way. Absolutely not.

He came here to protect the male lead, not sabotage him.

Maybe Qiao Han’s emotional surge was too intense, because the system chimed in hastily:

[If you truly can’t bear it, just let the system take over. We’ll handle it for you. Besides, based on the male lead’s personality, even if you ran away, he wouldn’t blame you.]

“Yeah, well, he wouldn’t blame me—but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”

A steely glint sparked in Qiao Han’s eyes. Which spoke:

“Want to stop me from saving my male lead? Fine—let’s see who plays this game better.”

[Host, time is…]

“I’ll do it myself.”

…

Half an hour later, Lu Zhui emerged from the mystic realm with the last few survivors, only to realize there was no sign of Qiao Han or Xiao Jiuci.

His face darkened. Just as he was about to head back in, ten True Sovereign-level cultivators, each with the aura of an immortal sage, flew into the realm.

Lu Zhui let out a silent breath. These were elders from the two major sects, dispatched after hearing of the emergency.

They had come to suppress and seal the demonic beast without hesitation.

He immediately followed them, hoping to locate the missing pair.

Jiang Yin tagged along, muttering nervously,

“Please be okay… I knew I should’ve given Qiao Han more pills…”

Lu Zhui gave him a glance but, uncharacteristically, didn’t snark back.

Once inside, they flew straight toward the area where the elders were battling the demon beast, but there was still no trace of Qiao Han or Xiao Jiuci.

With the realm being this vast, they had no choice but to search in every direction.

They decided to begin at the spot where Lu Zhui had last seen Xiao Jiuci.

If they still couldn’t find them, they’d have to wait for Qingyun Sect to send the tracking jade tied to the disciples’ auras.

Just then, two sword-flyers hovering midair suddenly stopped, staring off into the distance.

Lu Zhui: “…Did you see that?”

Jiang Yin: “…So I wasn’t hallucinating?”

Far, far away, a towering vine had shot straight up into the sky, piercing the clouds.

The wind at that height was fierce, making the vine’s leaves shiver and flutter madly.

To the watching cultivators, it almost looked like the vine was frantically waving at them, as if calling them over.

This thing didn’t carry any spiritual energy—just an ordinary vine. But it was striking enough that anyone who saw it would immediately know: this wasn’t something nature created.

“Qiao Han?” Jiang Yin blurted out in surprise.

Lu Zhui’s eyes flashed. The two of them immediately flew toward the source.

They soon found the vine growing out from a cliff wall, and below it was a cave entrance. Rushing inside, they found Xiao Jiuci lying quietly within.

Next to him, his Ice Soul Sword suddenly rose upright with a hum—clearly still in defensive mode, ready to protect its master. Xiao Jiuci, sensing someone’s approach, stirred instinctively, his fingers twitching.

“Jiuci!”

“Senior Brother!”

That familiar presence made Xiao Jiuci furrow his brows slightly, but the tension in him eased. 

Strong healing spells, paired with Dan pills from Puxian Peak, were already working on his body.

He suddenly opened his eyes and immediately saw Jiang Yin next to him.

“Qiao Han?” Xiao Jiuci’s voice was hoarse, but his first question was clear.

“No sign.” Lu Zhui stepped in from the entrance. He had already scouted the surroundings. Qiao Han wasn’t anywhere nearby. 

The look he gave Xiao Jiuci was a bit teasing, a touch curious. Did you let him go? he wondered silently.

A flicker of something crossed Xiao Jiuci’s eyes. In that moment, he wasn’t even sure what he felt.

“You don’t think something’s happened to him?” Jiang Yin said worriedly.

Xiao Jiuci didn’t respond—his heart felt heavier by the second.

Maybe that demon… eventually realized he was exposed.

Or maybe… the whole reason he came to Qinglian Realm in the first place was to complete some mission, and now he’s finished and fled.

But if that’s the case, why spare me?

Back then, if he’d wanted to kill him, it would’ve been effortless.

That thought alone made Xiao Jiuci’s hand subconsciously press against his chest, right where the imprint of their marriage contract still burned faintly.

He could—

Suddenly, Xiao Jiuci’s eyes sharpened. He sprang to his feet.

Qiao Han is still in the Qinglian Realm.

Without another word, he rushed out of the cave. The moment he stepped outside, his eyes landed on the massive vine.

“This is…”

“Probably a signal,” Lu Zhui said, following behind him. “His way of letting us know where to find you.”

“What’s wrong?”

Xiao Jiuci didn’t answer.

Instead, he leapt onto his sword and took off flying, chasing the faint thread of his spiritual sense.

“He didn’t leave… Was there an accident?”

If I can find him, maybe—maybe I don’t have to kill him. Maybe I can take him alive…

There were no known cases in the cultivation world of a demon being captured alive.

But if it could be done, not only would they be able to investigate today’s incident, but they could also learn more about the Demon Realm and gather methods to counter demonic soul possession.

He could personally watch over and guard the prisoner.

With that thought, Xiao Jiuci sped up.

Soon, he spotted a figure lying on a rock ledge.

That green figure, dressed in bamboo-colored robes, was lying there quietly, as if peacefully asleep.

But as Xiao Jiuci landed and walked closer to inspect, his face suddenly twisted in shock, and he froze on the spot.

Jiang Yin, who arrived right after, turned pale with fright.

“Oh no!”

He immediately rushed over to heal Qiao Han.

Lu Zhui also looked visibly shaken. Qiao Han’s light green robes had been soaked in blood, turning half of them a dark, inky green.

He had clearly sustained serious injuries.

On the ground beside him lay the White Cloud Fan, a personal gift from Xiao Jiuci.

It was completely destroyed.

Even the Bi Xuan bracelet on Qiao Han’s wrist had lost its glow, likely because its owner had completely depleted their spiritual energy.

But most striking was Qiao Han’s open palm.

There, faint traces of a miniature array were still visible—already dissolving, its power gone.

Lu Zhui didn’t know much about formations, but he was sure that Qiao Han’s hand hadn’t had this mark before.

Unable to help himself, he asked the now-still Xiao Jiuci beside him:

“What kind of formation was that?”

Xiao Jiuci opened his mouth, his voice hoarse:

“A Demon-Luring Array.”

Lu Zhui gasped.

“He actually knew how to use that?”

Then, as if realizing something, he fell silent.

What truly shook him was the fact that Qiao Han had used a Demon-Luring Array.

The sequence of events was no longer hard to guess.

The Gray Demon Crocodile must have chased them relentlessly.

But with Xiao Jiuci unable to fight, Qiao Han had left him in a cave, planted a signal to guide the others, and then used the Demon-Luring Array to draw the beast away, holding out until the sect elders entered the Qinglian Realm to eliminate the threat.

During that time, at least half an hour, Qiao Han had faced the Gray Demon Crocodile alone.

What kind of grueling, desperate battle did he endure to protect Xiao Jiuci?

And how did he manage to escape to this place, so badly wounded?

Lu Zhui turned his head to look at Xiao Jiuci, only to find his face completely blank.

Suddenly, Qiao Han, who was being enveloped in healing light, coughed up a mouthful of blood.

In a blur, before Lu Zhui could even react, Xiao Jiuci had already rushed forward and caught Qiao Han from behind, supporting him so he wouldn’t choke, then quickly channeled a large amount of spiritual energy into him to help ease his condition.

Thanks to Xiao Jiuci’s support, Jiang Yin’s burden lightened considerably.

Soon, he withdrew his technique and said, “He’s okay. No damage to his foundation, no risk to his life. Once we return, let Master treat him and he’ll recover quickly.”

Xiao Jiuci nodded, lowering his head to look at Qiao Han, who had collapsed completely in his arms without spiritual power to sustain him.

But his brows were relaxed, his sleep peaceful, and at the corner of his lips, there was even a smug little smirk—as if he’d just pulled something off and was feeling quite pleased about it.

His bright grin stood in sharp contrast to the furrowed brows and uncertainty in Xiao Jiuci’s heart.

Since the sealing battle within Qinglian Realm was still ongoing, they couldn’t linger.

They had to leave quickly.

Once they exited, Jiang Yin held out his arms.

“Senior Brother, you go take care of things. I’ll bring Qiao Han and the other wounded back for treatment.”

Xiao Jiuci hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he removed Qiao Han from his back and let Jiang Yin take him away.

Lu Zhui, watching from the side, seemed surprised that Xiao Jiuci didn’t take any precautionary measures.

A knowing smile crept up at the corner of his mouth.

Xiao Jiuci stood dazed for a moment. When he turned around and saw Lu Zhui smirking oddly at him, he frowned.

“What?”

Lu Zhui casually tossed something his way.

Xiao Jiuci caught it without changing expression.

In his hand was the broken mountain-mist-colored hairband.

He looked up, but Lu Zhui had already turned and walked off with a swagger, hands behind his head, humming a tune.

“Oh, right. Once Qiao Han wakes up, I’ll bring Xiang to visit him,” Lu Zhui called over his shoulder.

“After all, if not for him, my little sister would’ve already been captured and corrupted by that demonic bastard Meng Wan. He’s her savior.”

Xiao Jiuci’s eyes flickered slightly.

He looked down at the hairband in his hand, then tucked it into his robe when someone came calling.

“Fellow Daoist Xiao, I just saw Daoist Qiao earlier. How is he?”

The speaker was Sheng Jue, with Bai Rong standing beside him. Both seemed genuinely concerned.

Xiao Jiuci’s eyes lingered on Bai Rong’s face for a moment, then he replied,

“He’s injured. He’s gone back for treatment. If you’re worried, you can visit him at Qingyun Sect in ten days.”

Sheng Jue let out a breath of relief.

He didn’t say anything more about visiting, but was clearly still thinking about the assessment results.

Just then, a disciple from Xuanyang Pavilion, one of the officials responsible for the assessment, walked over.

Uninjured examinees were now most concerned about whether or not they had passed the test.

“Senior Brother, what’s going to happen with the recruitment results?” Guan Jie asked anxiously.

Xiao Jiuci decisively replied:

“The recruitment conference ends early. We’ll judge them based on the results they’ve achieved so far. Tell them to bring their jade tokens and storage bags to Xuanyang Pavilion at Qingyun Sect in ten days for evaluation.”

“That might… cause a lot of complaints,” Guan Jie said with a frown.

Xiao Jiuci said, “If anyone can come up with a fairer method, they’re welcome to suggest it. Sometimes cultivation depends on the will of Heaven and one’s luck.”

Guan Jie thought about it.

There really wasn’t a fairer solution, so he simply nodded and went off to handle the matter.

Upon hearing the news, Sheng Jue breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Thankfully, they didn’t have to retake the assessment. He’d been lucky, completed all the missions, and should be able to secure a spot as an inner disciple.

Though Xiao Jiuci was injured too, he was the one overseeing everything on behalf of Qingyun Sect—so he still worked nonstop from beginning to end.

He wrapped up the recruitment conference, conducted a full investigation of what happened in the Qinglian Realm, and even had to report to the Immortal Alliance about the incident.

It wasn’t until five days later that he finally returned to Qingyun Sect.

…

By then, Qiao Han had already regained consciousness, though he was still recovering at Puxian Peak.

The moment Qiao Han woke up, the system went into full broadcast mode, and he felt instantly energetic as notifications continued to pop up.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Mission complete! Throwing confetti! Please keep up the good work!]

[Exchange ‘Demon Luring Array’ successful. Emotion points -1. Remaining: 7 points.]

[Exchange ‘Swift Travel Talisman: 1000-Li’ successful. Emotion points -1. Remaining: 6 points.]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Emotional surge captured: +50 points. Current total: 56 points.]

“Fifty points!”

“No… Fifty-SIX points, holy hell!”

Qiao Han could pretty much guess what emotional rollercoaster the male lead had gone through: When he woke up and didn’t see anyone around, he must’ve thought Qiao Han had ditched him and run.

Then, when he found him later and pieced together what happened, he’d realize Qiao Han had stayed behind to lure away the enemy.

And since the male lead is such a good guy, he definitely would’ve been deeply moved.

Hence—BOOM! Big reward drop!

Qiao Han was almost moved to tears by the sheer joy. 

“Hard work really does pay off, hahahahahaha!”

Now he could use any cheat item he wanted…

Wait, no—better save up.

If he collects 100 points, he can exchange them for a “Skip Mission” Card, so next time this stupid system tries to force him into some morally questionable crap, he can bail.

If only he could collect emotional points anytime, that’d be amazing…

But nooo—he could only gather them during mission windows.

Especially now that he was about to become the male lead’s junior martial brother.

Knowing the assessment still counted, Qiao Han was feeling himself.

Right now, he was sitting up in bed, surrounded by a crowd of Puxian Peak disciples, passionately recounting his adventures in the Qinglian Realm.

Even Elder Mei was there, munching on sunflower seeds and hanging around.

“Qiao Han, you’re amazing!” he praised, lounging as he listened.

Just then, there was a quiet creak at the door.

He looked up—and saw a familiar azure blue figure standing there.

Because it was nighttime, starlight spilled down, cloaking that person like moonlight over frost—a sight that dazzled the eyes.

“Senior Brother!” came the chorus of excited greetings again.

Seeing Xiao Jiuci now, Qiao Han had a feeling that he might get praised by the male lead.

After all, he’d just earned fifty emotional points from this guy.

Yeah, he was kinda smug about it, but deep down, he was also thinking,

“What!! Did I deserve this level of attention from the male lead?”

“Brother Xiao!” Qiao Han called out.

Xiao Jiuci’s steps paused slightly, but he still walked in with his usual steady pace.

When he reached the bed and saw the crowd gathered around Qiao Han, he looked a bit helpless.

Then his eyes landed on Qiao Han himself—his expression had basically returned to full brightness and liveliness.

“How are you doing?” Xiao Jiuci asked.

Qiao Han was just about to answer when Elder Mei cut in, sharp as ever: “Do you suspect my medical knowledge?”

Xiao Jiuci obediently turned toward him and gave him a respectful bow.

Elder Mei grinned and said, “He’s about to become my disciple on Puxian Peak. You think I wouldn’t take good care of him?”

Qiao Han quickly followed up, “I’m fine! But Brother Xiao, you’ve been running around nonstop. Have you even gotten proper treatment?”

Before Xiao Jiuci could speak, Elder Mei chimed in again: “Pfft, please. He already went to the Immortal Alliance. The Little Medicine Immortal from Sanmei Sect is there—just the scent of her pills wafting through the air made me dizzy. He’s definitely healed by now.”

Xiao Jiuci froze a little and, seeing Elder Mei’s disapproving look, reflexively said, “I only took some pills given by the Alliance elders. I didn’t have time for treatment.”

Translation: I didn’t prefer that Little Medicine Immortal’s pills, but had to use them because it was an emergency.

Elder Mei chuckled.

Meanwhile, Qiao Han was already getting excited inside.

That girl was one of his favorite female side characters!

Later, after being gently rejected by the male lead, she shut herself away to focus on cultivation.

But then, when he got into trouble, she came out to find him and got caught in a mess—only to be saved by Qin Xiu Zhong.

Then a whole bunch of ridiculous coincidences happened, and she ended up with him.

A good girl wasted on a toxic harem protagonist.

Ugh. Qin Xiu Zhong really did keep stealing the male lead’s girls.

While Qiao Han was off in his own world, Elder Mei, ever the matchmaker, led the observant disciples out of the room—leaving the “young couple” some privacy.

Once the room was quiet, Qiao Han snapped out of his thoughts, looked up…

…and saw Xiao Jiuci standing there, head slightly bowed, gazing at him with a serious intensity.

Those starry, cold eyes, once locked on someone, had an invisible pull—like a magnet to iron. To Qiao Han, it felt like Xiao Jiuci unknowingly released 100,000 volts of electricity just by staring.

As a fan, he seriously couldn’t handle that kind of idol-level eye contact.

Face burning, heat rising, he finally fumbled out, "Brother Xiao? What are you looking at?"

Xiao Jiuci’s lashes trembled faintly, masking the complex emotions in his eyes.

“In Qinglian Realm, you saved me in the end. Why take such a risk?”

"Oh come on, if our roles were reversed, wouldn’t you have done the same?" Qiao Han replied directly and matter-of-factly.

Xiao Jiuci frowned.

Yes, he would have—but Qiao Han shouldn’t have.

What exactly is this demon trying to do? What's his endgame?

“Besides, I was confident. It's not like I was throwing myself into death blindly.”

The moment Qiao Han said “throwing myself into death”, Xiao Jiuci’s brow twitched. His heart felt even heavier.

Xiao Jiuci was about to speak again when Qiao Han suddenly asked:

“Why did you give me back the ink-silver waist sash?”

He pointed to the belt placed neatly on the table by the bed.

Xiao Jiuci replied, “It was always for you. Naturally, it’s returned to the original owner.”

Truth was, the moment Qiao Han chose to lure away the Gray Demon Crocodile, he should have taken the waist sash with him—it would have protected him. But he didn’t.

That decision, Qiao Han’s entire way of doing things, left Xiao Jiuci completely baffled.

As if... as if Qiao Han was obsessed with covering every angle to protect him—to the point of absurdity.

Xiao Jiuci instinctively rejected that thought.

No one around him had ever done something like this.

A demon protecting a human with zero reservation? That’s impossible. Unless there’s an ulterior motive.

Right now, Xiao Jiuci seriously didn’t know what to do with the person in front of him.

Since the truth wasn’t out yet, all he could do was maintain the status of a couple—for now.

Maybe once his master returned… or when the sect leader emerged from seclusion…

Xiao Jiuci’s thoughts were in complete disarray.

Then—

“Brother Xiao… um… I’m sorry.”

Xiao Jiuci snapped out of it, startled. He looked up to see Qiao Han scratching his head awkwardly:

“That hair ribbon you gave me… I don’t know when I lost it. I think it might’ve been left in the Qinglian Realm.”

Xiao Jiuci’s expression didn’t change noticeably, but Qiao Han could feel it—His aura wavered.

Was… was… was he mad at him…

Qiao Han quickly said, “Can I go back to Qinglian Realm and look for it? Can the barrier be lifted?”

Xiao Jiuci’s tone softened, “It’s just a hair ribbon. It’s not a spiritual weapon.”

“How could it not be important?!” Qiao Han fired back.

That was a gift from the male lead himself! How could he not treasure it?

He was so torn up over losing it, he’d probably wake up in the middle of the night crying.

Qiao Han’s expression was all sincerity and guilt—it visibly wrecked Xiao Jiuci’s composure.

Without thinking, he said, “I’ll give you another one.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he suddenly recalled the ribbon’s real purpose... and choked on his sentence.

But Qiao Han’s eyes lit up instantly: “Really?”

Seeing that, Xiao Jiuci could only nod.

And now that he’d calmed down, he realized—yes, he should give him another.

Until the truth came out, he had to ensure this demon wasn’t going to recklessly harm others with spiritual sense attacks.

He was the one who let Qiao Han stay. He had to take responsibility.

Qiao Han hadn’t expected that owning up to his mistake would get him such a sweet surprise. The male lead is too good.

He was now fully committed—loyal for life.

Just as he was about to ask about how the others were doing—

A shrill female voice shrieked from outside the door.

The moment Qiao Han heard the voice, he knew—it was Madam Jiang.

The door, which Elder Mei had previously closed, was once again flung open by spiritual force.

As expected, Madam Jiang barged in without the slightest concern for others’ privacy.

She arrived with Jiang Suwei and Ou Zanrui flanking her, followed, naturally, by other disciples drawn by the commotion.

"Xiao Jiuci, are you just ignoring us now?" Madam Jiang snapped, her anger boiling over.

"You come back and instead of immediately handling proper sect matters, you run straight here?!"

Xiao Jiuci turned to face her. His tone remained composed and dignified, showing no desire to escalate the confrontation.

“Madam Jiang, the Qinglian Realm issue and the recruitment trials have already been dealt with. I was just arranging the follow-up…”

“Is that what I’m talking about?!” Madam Jiang cut him off harshly.

“I’m talking about your younger marital brother’s imprisonment! Just how many days are you planning to keep him locked up?”

“Amazing—using the authority granted by the Sect Master solely to punish your own junior. Is this your idea of ‘killing the chicken to warn the monkey’? One day you don’t return, one more day he stays imprisoned!”

“No explanation, no justification. Are you trying to rebel? And now, instead of releasing him immediately, you're wasting time here?!”

“Hey now, that’s not quite fair, Madam Jiang,” Elder Mei chimed in with a snort, clearly here for the drama.

“The kid came back and wanted to check on his Dao companion first. That seems reasonable enough, doesn’t it?”

Madam Jiang’s eyes turned red with fury as she glared daggers at Elder Mei.

She was already doing her damned best to suppress her rage.

Her son had been locked up for seven or eight days, and she still didn’t even know why.

All she had were his cries of injustice.

And she couldn’t just march over and break him out—doing so would be seen as challenging her husband.

So she swallowed it, waited for Xiao Jiuci to come back, expecting an explanation.

And what did he do the moment he got back?

Ran straight to see that fake Dao companion.

As the Sect Master's wife, how could she not lose it?

Behind her, Jiang Suwei and Ou Zanrui looked uncomfortably guilty. Neither dared speak.

Jiang Suwei’s face was full of crocodile tears. Ou Zanrui stood stiff, simmering. Both acted as if Xiao Jiuci was in the wrong.

“So even now,” Madam Jiang hissed, “he hasn’t confessed or reflected on his mistakes?”

Xiao Jiuci’s expression shifted, surprised. Then his tone grew more serious. Of course, he cared deeply about his little junior.

Putting him in temporary confinement was never meant to be harsh punishment—only a time for self-reflection.

That way, any later discipline could be lightened. But now? 

To find out he’d refused to repent at all?

That was a different story.

Xiao Jiuci’s expression darkened.

“Madam Jiang, you truly don’t know what he did?”

Madam Jiang was stunned by his tone.

After all, Xiao Jiuci had always been known for his fairness and integrity.

Even with her trying to protect her son at all costs, she felt a sliver of unease.

“…What did he do?”

Xiao Jiuci’s eyes swept coldly over Jiang Suwei and Ou Zanrui.

“You two don’t know either?”

Jiang Suwei instantly froze. Her eyes welled up with tears again.

Ou Zanrui braced herself and said stiffly, “What could Junior Brother Jiang have done? Senior Brother, you… Please don’t wrong him.”

She was hoping Xiao Jiuci would just let it slide—after all, seven or eight days in confinement was already harsh.

He could just throw out some vague excuse, save face all around, and call it done.

He wouldn’t seriously make it public… right? That would utterly destroy Jiang Qiluo.

She was still hoping.

And then Xiao Jiuci turned toward Qiao Han and said, “Give me your task token.”

Qiao Han wasn’t entirely surprised, but he was shocked to realize Jiang Qiluo had already been imprisoned.

He hadn’t expected that Xiao Jiuci had long been standing up for him.

Originally, Qiao Han had planned to let it go.

Sure, the other guy played dirty, but he still became an inner disciple—it was enough to make Jiang Qiluo choke on his own rage.

He’d considered just biding his time for a private revenge.

No need to make waves.

Besides, in the original novel, Xiao Jiuci had always been incredibly kind to his junior brother—borderline too much.

Qiao Han, just a mere fan in another life, didn’t want to force the male lead to choose sides. 

But now… Xiao Jiuci was asking for his task token.

He was going to make it official.

Qiao Han hesitated, then handed it over.

But right before letting go, he couldn’t help but say:

“…Is it really worth it? Just for me…”

Xiao Jiuci looked him straight in the eye, gaze deep and resolute.

“Whether it’s for you or not, no matter who you are—right is right and Wrong is wrong.”

And with that, he firmly took the token from Qiao Han’s hand.

Qiao Han blinked, stunned… then let out a tiny laugh.

Yeah. That’s Xiao Jiuci… the righteous male lead of this novel… The golden standard setter for modern-day girls… Fair but not cold, strict but not cruel.

He never let personal feelings cloud his judgment. 

Righteousness first, always.

Xiao Jiuci turned and announced to everyone at the door: “I’ll be going to the Disciplinary Hall now to handle this.”

With that, he walked out, Jiang Madam hurrying after him.

The rest of the onlookers scrambled to follow—some to stir the pot, others just nosey.

A few disciples stayed behind, crowding around Qiao Han, clearly dying to get the inside scoop.

Qiao Han considered for a second… but curiosity got the better of him.

He wanted to see it for himself.

Just as he was about to leave, he noticed Jiang Suwei still standing there.

Eyes red, she said pitifully: “Qiluo is still young… how could you…”

That pathetic, aggrieved tone—like he had bullied someone.

Qiao Han was having none of it. Clearly, this young lady knew exactly what had happened.

“Still young, huh? Then it is the perfect time to teach him a lifetime lesson.”

“Any older and he’ll end up just like you.”

Jiang Suwei’s face snapped into a scowl.

“You’re insulting me!”

Qiao Han smiled.

“No, I’m describing you. Plus, why do you think calling your brother out means I’m insulting you?”

Qiao Han raised an eyebrow, looked her up and down with a sneer.

“Looks like you do know what a piece of work you are.”

He gave a dismissive chuckle, then turned around and left the room, towards the Disciplinary hall to see the drama unfolding.

He had just reached Foundation Establishment, sure—but sword flight? Still out of his league. 

Time to hitch a ride.

…

By the time Qiao Han arrived at the mighty and imposing Disciplinary Hall, the show was already halfway through.

Jiang Qiluo stood chained in the center of the square, face blank and spirit broken.

And directly in front of him stood Xiao Jiuci, every inch the embodiment of righteous judgment.

Around him, the elders murmured among themselves in various degrees of shock and disapproval.

Madam Jiang’s face had gone completely stiff.

Just as Qiao Han landed, he heard Xiao Jiuci deliver the verdict:

“Disregarded sect rules. Illegally altered soul-bound items. Acted out of malice to trap a fellow disciple in danger. Disrupted the fairness of the recruitment trials.”

“Punishment: Five lashes with the Soul-Scourging Whip.”

BOOM. The entire crowd exploded into chaos.

The punishment itself wasn’t horrifying by cultivator standards—but the key issue?

The one getting flogged was the Sect Leader’s son.

Jiang Qiluo, the golden child who had never so much as scraped his knee in punishment.

Yes, he was impulsive. Yes, he made mistakes. But there were always people shielding him.

And when he crossed the line, Xiao Jiuci was always the one quietly cleaning up the mess.

This time? He’d pulled his little scheme in secret, no safety net, no damage control.

And now he had to pay the price—publicly.

But privilege dies hard.

“This punishment is unacceptable!”

Madam Jiang was the first to lash out, practically shrieking.

Right on cue, others began speaking up in defense of Jiang Qiluo.

A few elders stepped forward. A few tried to smooth things over, and a few were just trying to protect their own political footing.

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