The system’s barrage of questions made Wen Li’s head throb. Even though its brain had returned to normal, its chatterbox personality remained unchanged. Wen Li spoke in a cold voice.
【You don’t need to know so much. You only need to know that besides me, you have no one else to rely on.】
【Oh, wow! Host, you’re so amazing! Then I’ll be in your care from now on~ Let’s let bygones be bygones; now, Host is yours truly’s only reliance~】
The system gave a soft huff and began to flatter her. It still had its trump card, after all—if the Host failed the mission, it had the right to impose a punishment and erase her.
Of course, it wouldn't say that now. It had a brain again, and currently, the Host was indeed its best choice. It only needed to complete the mission; it didn't care who the Host was. However, if Wen Li truly became a threat to it, it wouldn't be too late to use its trump card then.
This Host was too clever; it had to stay on guard.
Wen Li was unmoved by its flattery. 【Tell me the status of the salvation progress bars for the six villains.】
Since it had disappeared recently, the data reports had stopped.
【Oh.】 Forget it; as long as the Host didn't kill it and focused on the mission, why should it care who she plotted against? 【Currently, Yao Dai is at 45%, Xie Tinglan at 42%, Gu Linshu at 30%, Zongzheng Huangyue at 48%, Hua Cishu at 15%, and Xin Jiuxian at 5%.】
Wen Li remembered something. 【Why has Xin Jiuxian’s plot changed? In the original plot, she was only an artifact soul, not the daughter of Wangquan Chumo and Xin Yingru.】
The system thought for a moment. 【It might be because of your interference. She was originally supposed to be the artifact soul of the Yulan Floating Light Zither, but because of your interference, you had Xin Feiliu become Bai Yu’s disciple. She then brought the daughter of Xin Yingru and Wangquan Chumo to the Tingyin Pavilion, which gave her the opportunity to survive by becoming an artifact soul.】
【What about the subsequent plot? Has the plot where Xin Jiuxian and the Chosen of the Heavenly Dao kill each other to prove their Dao changed?】 Wen Li frowned slightly.
【I’ll have to check on that.】
Wen Li let it be.
She turned to look at the two unconscious disciples on the bed. Having not seen them for two years, they had grown quite a bit.
If she calculated carefully, these two children had spent the most time with her and were the ones she had put the most effort into teaching so far. She couldn't help but reach out and stroke their heads; it was clear they had suffered much.
Wen Li sighed softly and stood up to find Shengji and Linghu Ci, asking them to come and wake them up.
At the same time, she went to find Xin Feiliu to tell her of Wangquan Chumo’s whereabouts. Once Xin Feiliu left, she could bring Gu Linshu back to the Southern Province. Her strength could not be wasted like this anymore.
After all this trouble, there was no rush to let them roam free anymore; it was time for them to meet.
Wen Li flew toward Shengji’s main peak on her sword. Suddenly, her sharp eyes caught several people standing on the Tingyin Pavilion’s square. One of them was Yan Yurong.
The lore-dumping NPC.
Coincidentally, Yan Yurong looked up as if sensing something, but he could only see a glimpse of Wen Li’s back. “Huh? Why does that look a bit like Daoist Yin?”
When he had come to his senses at the Xianle Grand Ceremony that day, the three individuals—one adult and two children—had vanished. He had thought something happened to them and went out to look for them for a while, but he couldn't find them. He assumed they must have had urgent business and left. Although leaving without saying goodbye was a bit rude, Yan Yurong still remembered them fondly.
After all, there weren't many people who could appreciate his grand ambitions, only Daoist Yin.
Wen Li flew further and this time saw the Eldest Young Miss of the Beast Taming Sect, Jiang Nianyao.
The second female lead of Xie Tinglan’s main arc, the devoted young girl who loved him in vain.
She stood in the pavilion of the Guest-Greeting Peak with a faint expression and sorrowful eyes.
Wen Li recalled Huo Yuntian mentioning that the Beast Taming Sect Leader had paid the Tingyin Pavilion to treat his daughter, and she was to stay there for some time.
However, Xie Tinglan had also come to the Tingyin Pavilion now. Surely the plot wasn't going to follow the original script anyway?
Wen Li frowned with a strange expression. Forget it, forget it. In any case, she only cared about Xie Tinglan and the Chosen of the Heavenly Dao; she couldn't be bothered with anyone else.
Wen Li went to find Xin Feiliu. After explaining that she should bring Gu Linshu back, she looked at Xin Jiuxian, who was standing beside her with a curious expression.
“I am your Master now. Come with me.”
The frail and quiet Xin Jiuxian, dressed in a white gown, looked toward Xin Feiliu.
Xin Feiliu nodded and patted her hand. “From now on, you must listen to your Master. Leave the Tingyin Pavilion with her; this place has bound you for too many years.”
Xin Jiuxian was the legacy her elder sister had left in the world; she hoped the girl could live a good life.
Logically, after her soul was repaired, Xin Jiuxian shouldn't look so frail. It was likely because she had been a premature infant when her soul was moved into the Yulan Floating Light Zither. Thus, her frail constitution could not be changed and required daily medicine to stabilize.
Xin Jiuxian nodded obediently. “Okay.”
Whatever the Second Elder said, she would do. Since she could remember, the Second Elder was the person she was closest to, and she was even the one who had given her her name.
Xin Jiuxian walked toward Wen Li and bowed her head, calling out respectfully.
“Master.”
Wen Li nodded. “Come with me. It’s time to meet your senior brothers and sisters.”
“I’m the youngest.”
Xin Jiuxian frowned, feeling a bit indignant deep down.
“It’s only a sequence. It doesn't count toward your generation or age. If you don’t want to call them Senior Brother or Senior Sister, that’s fine too.” She estimated that the other disciples wouldn't be very polite to their fellow disciples anyway.
Wen Li knew this child inherited Xin Feiliu’s fiery personality and didn't mind. She took out a string of sugar-coated haws to coax the girl.
“...I’m not a child.”
Xin Jiuxian, who was already fourteen years old by age, frowned. The Second Elder occasionally brought her many delicious things and toys to the forbidden ground, but as an elder of the Tingyin Pavilion, she was always busy with affairs and cultivation. Thus, Xin Jiuxian mostly spent her time alone.
“But I am your Master. A gift from an elder should not be refused.”
The next second, Xin Jiuxian reached out and hurriedly took the sugar-coated haws. Despite her reserved expression, she couldn't help but steal glances at Wen Li, her curiosity impossible to hide.
Another prickly little tsundere.
Wen Li chuckled and took her hand to leave.
“Let’s go. By now, your Eldest Senior Sister and Second Senior Brother might have already woken up.” Shengji and Linghu Ci had immediately gone to her cave dwelling after receiving her command. It had been fifteen minutes now.
Xin Feiliu watched the two departing figures with a moved expression. Big Sister, your child has taken her as a Master. You would be happy, wouldn't you?
...
Wen Li brought Xin Jiuxian to the front of her cave dwelling’s main peak. Just as they landed—
Bam!
Thud!
Crash!
Four or five objects flew out of the cave dwelling at the same time, smashing in Wen Li’s direction.
With a casual wave of her hand, Wen Li knocked the objects away. Upon closer look, they were cups and stools.
Why were there pillars and wall fragments too?!
Wen Li’s eyes widened.
“Who’s wrecking my cave dwelling?!”
She let go of Xin Jiuxian and rushed into the cave dwelling in a rage.
Xin Jiuxian’s pale face remained calm. How lively. She loved watching such scenes. She quickened her pace and followed gracefully.
Inside the cave dwelling.
Xie Tinglan sneered, “You’re a useless waste without any cultivation. You don’t deserve to be my junior brother.”
Hua Cishu retorted, “Even with cultivation, didn't you still have to be rescued by Master? Junior brother... did I ever admit you were my senior brother?”
Xie Tinglan fired back, “I’ve been with Master longer than you. She hates useless people the most. If you hadn't shamelessly stuck to her, how could Master have taken you in?”
“Enough, stop fighting.” Yao Dai’s tone was indifferent as she tried to mediate. Zongzheng Huangyue stood to the side, silently observing.
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