On Divine Phoenix Peak, beside a towering, isolated cliff.
A young man and woman sat side by side.
Under the bright moonlight, they looked like a perfect couple.
"So... the great treasure you spoke of, Eldest Senior Brother... is it this star-filled sky before us?" Chu Youwei asked, looking at the seemingly touchable cold moon ahead, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"What else did you expect?" Lin Xiao stretched lazily, his eyes half-closed as he said, "According to your Eldest Senior Brother's many years of observation, this is the best spot on the entire Divine Phoenix Peak to stargaze and admire the moon. Whenever I can't sleep, I come here to appreciate the night view, and time just flies by."
He suddenly sighed with emotion. "Looking up at the bright moon, I lower my head and think of home."
"Think of home... Is Eldest Senior Brother's home very far away? Could it be outside the Central State?" Chu Youwei asked.
"Let's not talk about that. After joining the Immortal Sect, all mortal connections are severed. It's best to think of such things less," Lin Xiao quickly changed the subject. "Right, didn't you say earlier you had something to ask me? Go ahead."
"Mm," Chu Youwei nodded and cautiously asked, "Weiwei is still curious... Eldest Senior Brother, why did you suddenly decide to lure Ye Chen to Senior Sister Zhu, using her to deal with him? And... how were you so certain that page boy Ye Chen would fall for it, and that Senior Sister Zhu would surely injure him?"
Naturally, this wasn't her only concern.
She wanted to know just how much Eldest Senior Brother truly understood about the stunningly beautiful Senior Sister Zhu!
"Just intuition," Lin Xiao gazed into the void and murmured. "Of course, I admit there was... somewhat of a gamble in doing so."
Intuition? Impossible! He, Lin Xiao, never did anything he wasn't sure of! The reason he'd set a trap to lure Ye Chen into trespassing at the Fairy Pool at night was that he understood Zhu Wanning's character profile all too well! In the original novel, Zhu Wanning possessed unparalleled talent and the Ancient Asura Battle Body. Her temperament was as cold as snow, and her likes and dislikes were clearly defined! Initially, she was completely indifferent to the frivolous and arrogant Ye Chen. However, in the subsequent Five Branches Tournament plotline, as a leading figure among Qinglan's younger generation, the proud Zhu Wanning was unexpectedly defeated by Ye Chen, causing her perspective to shift. She herself began to truly take notice of this newly joined junior brother. In the 'Sword Tomb' subplot that followed, she and Ye Chen were trapped in a Secret Realm. To escape, they were forced to Dual Cultivate the 'Qinglan Dual Swords' technique, playing out a classic, much-loved locked-room scenario typical of old-school harem novels.
Damn, this isn't good. Under my manipulation, not only did Zhu Wanning and Ye Chen meet prematurely, but she also injured him, creating animosity between them. In that case, will the person who Dual Cultivates with Zhu Wanning in the Sword Tomb trial still be Ye Chen?
The sudden realization of this gave Lin Xiao quite a headache.
Never mind, never mind. According to the original plot, during the Five Branches Tournament, I'd challenge Ye Chen to a one-on-one duel. Just as I was about to lose, I'd fly into a rage, lose my sanity, and unleash the Forbidden Treasure 'Absolute Black Lotus'—which I'd stolen from the forbidden grounds of Fairy Cliff. In the end, I'd be personally suppressed by my beautiful Master, who would be thoroughly disappointed in me.
This means that by the time the Sword Tomb subplot occurred, I would have already been confined to the Cliff of Reflection by my Master. The subsequent plot would have nothing to do with me!
Thinking about this, Lin Xiao finally let out a sigh of relief.
Yes, judging from his experience over the years, as long as he conscientiously maintained his plotline and replicated his original character persona, the 'Idle Antagonist System' would deem his mission successful! As for the subsequent plot... let it go to ruins! Once I ascend to immortality, what do I care if the floodwaters rage to the heavens!
"Eldest Senior Brother, what... are you thinking about?" Seeing the enigmatic smile on her Eldest Senior Brother's lips, Chu Youwei's eyes widened with curiosity as she asked.
"Nothing, I... just thought of something happy," Lin Xiao blurted out randomly, then ruffled her small head and said in a rare, gentle tone, "Weiwei, you did an excellent job tonight, arranging for Ye Chen to be thrashed by Zhu Wanning. You've helped your Eldest Senior Brother vent a great deal of resentment! Excellent!"
"So... does Eldest Senior Brother feel better now?" Chu Youwei asked, her cat-like eyes shining, her small face flushed red.
"Er... Naturally, I feel great. My spirits have lifted considerably," Lin Xiao chuckled.
"Mm, since Eldest Senior Brother has gotten rid of the resentment in his heart, then..." Chu Youwei leaned into her beloved's ear, her cheeks flushed, and whispered quietly, "Can Eldest Senior Brother fulfill the previous promise and also make... Weiwei... feel good?"
Her voice was consistently gentle and pleasant, but this time, it was imbued with an extra layer of affection that sent a delightful tingle through his entire being!
WHAT THE—! What kind of audacious words were these?
Lin Xiao's powerful frame trembled as he stared in shock at the bashful young maiden before him.
All sorts of wild thoughts began to race through his mind.
His Third Junior Sister before him grasped his hand, her beautiful eyes gazing at him earnestly as she said, "As Weiwei said before! I really like Eldest Senior Brother! So... I want to be Eldest Senior Brother's Dao companion! From now on...
"On the long path of immortal cultivation, let us embrace each other for warmth!
"These embarrassing thoughts... Weiwei has only ever told Eldest Senior Brother in this lifetime, and in the future... I will only ever confide them in you!
"So, I wonder...
"Would Eldest Senior Brother be willing!?"
By the time she finished, the young maiden's cheeks were crimson. Her clenched fists rested by her jaw, and a shimmer of tears welled in her eyes. Amidst her sincerity, there was a touch of a pitifully endearing plea.
"Ah, this..." Lin Xiao forcibly calmed his mind, thought for a moment, and decided to seize this opportunity to ask everything. "Firstly, Weiwei, can you tell me why... you like me so much?
"Isn't your Eldest Senior Brother unpleasant... detestable enough? You know, among the Inner Sect and Outer Sect disciples of Divine Phoenix Peak, very few actually like me."
As he said the last sentence, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Indeed. Over the years, he had played the role of this scumbag Eldest Senior Brother so perfectly that Oscar owed him a Best Actor award for that performance! And yet, a beautiful girl was actually confessing to him? Was this girl completely blind?
However, Chu Youwei shook her head firmly. "That's not it!
"Eldest Senior Brother, listen carefully!"
She crossed her jade-like legs, sat up straight, and enunciated each word clearly, "Weiwei will never forget the first day I arrived at the mountain. I was given a hard time by an Elder and reprimanded by senior sisters, feeling helpless and desperate. It was Eldest Senior Brother who personally cooked me a bowl of heartwarming roasted meat congee!
"I also can't forget that one night when my Guqin string broke. I was terrified I'd be punished by the Instruction Elder the next day, so I cried all night. It was Eldest Senior Brother who secretly took the Guqin, brought it to the marketplace at the foot of the mountain for overnight repair, and gave it a new lease on life!
"It can't be wrong! The person that night was definitely you!
"And there were so many other things!
"I even think... I think... that the Photo Stone Eldest Senior Brother installed in our rooms was merely to monitor our cultivation progress!
"Eldest Senior Brother, you...
"You are truly the gentlest man in this world!"
As she finished, her stunning, melon-seed-shaped face was streaked with tears, her vision blurred.
WHAT THE HECK!?
Her words shocked Lin Xiao so much he almost lost his composure and slipped off the cliff!
So that's it! That's really it! The reason for the derailment of his Third Junior Sister's character persona was finally clear!