Chapter 44.1

◎The Domineering Young Sect Leader and Her Pretty Boy◎

Chi Lu hadn’t reacted yet and didn’t have time to make any other moves when her wrist was firmly grabbed.

Jing Shuxing forcefully grasped Chi Lu’s wrist, and covered it with his hands.

Those hands, with their distinct knuckles and cold, pale complexion, spread their ten fingers over the green bracelet. His five fingers, nimble and as cold as writhing poisonous snakes, slowly crawled upward along her slender, fair arm.

Chi Lu drew in a soft breath, her raven-black long eyelashes trembling slightly as she sneaked a glance at Jing Shuxing.

The owner of those hands still had a spark in his eyes, and his cold gaze enveloping Chi Lu.

Around the spiritual vein, it was all darkness; except for the floating light condensed by spiritual power, everything else was a silent and deep ink.

The desire in Jing Shuxing’s eyes had nowhere to hide. Even though he tried to carefully stitch it up and conceal it, it was still exposed under Chi Lu’s gaze, laid bare for her to see.

It was the satisfaction of discovering flaws in a pure white jade Guanyin, the excitement of a carnivorous fish smelling blood. It was like a devotee, who had always prostrated on the ground, worshiping only at a distance, suddenly discovering that the statue of Guanyin was not without blemish.

So, she could deceive and parasitize as well.

All he needed was a reason, and he would seize the opportunity to bring her down from her pedestal.

Chi Lu saw the intent to take in Jing Shuxing’s eyes. It seemed he was struggling to suppress it, but the gentle light he used to cover it had already faded almost entirely.

It was as if a fierce wolf lurked within the darkness of his pupils, ready to pounce at any moment, to knock her down and sink its bloody fangs into her.

Jing Shuxing remained clinging to Chi Lu’s bracelet, his knuckles straining to the point where veins bulged. He gripped the symbiotic bracelet tightly, as if paving the way for his own vileness and shamelessness.

His movements suddenly came to a halt.

He heard Chi Lu say, “Do you want this bracelet? I can give it to you.”

Chi Lu was completely dumbfounded as Jing Shuxing held onto the bracelet.

What was going on here? She had just taken a nap, done nothing at all, and suddenly, everything around her had changed dramatically.

What exactly had happened?

Her first reaction was that the system had done something: “What’s going on? With Ying Lianyi’s medical skills, Jing Shuxing’s condition shouldn’t be this bad.”

The system remained silent, as if it had truly been captured by Jing Shuxing. It took several moments before a light screen finally flashed.

[When entering the spiritual vein, I not only executed a death evasion for the host to avoid the end of lifespan and the demise of both body and Dao but also reshaped Jing Shuxing’s physique, reverting it to the state before he met the Young Sect Leader.]

“Why?” Chi Lu’s question was laced with obvious anger.

[…It is set this way. After the host completes the mission, the villain character will automatically return to his storyline.] The system responded with a cold tone .

Chi Lu glanced at the floating light screen on the bracelet, then at Jing Shuxing, whose face was pale with a ferocious red stain at the corner of his mouth.

Automatically return?

More like return to her nightmare.

“I’ve long suspected your claim of being some book system with knowledge of the ancient and modern world—how much of that is really true?” Chi Lu rolled her eyes sharply, scoffing at the system’s response.

Since Chi Lu woke up, the system hadn’t assigned her any new missions. It was unclear whether it was truly following its previous promise to behave or was brewing another big move.

Regardless of what was true or false, this troublesome system was indeed formidable. It could not only attack people at will but also manipulate spiritual veins.

It’s just that its power was used in the wrong places.

The system had been attached to Chi Lu for so long, and besides helping her fend off Jing Yi once, it had directed all the harm onto her and Jing Shuxing.

All the effort Ying Lianyi had spent on Jing Shuxing was erased in the blink of an eye by the system.

Chi Lu gritted her teeth in frustration; she felt distressed for herself and for Jing Shuxing.

She squatted down, raised her left hand, and said to Jing Shuxing, “Is this what you want?”

Even though her communication with the system was silent, she often couldn’t control her gaze, unconsciously glancing in the direction of the bracelet.

Jing Shuxing was extremely perceptive and seemed to have sensed something.

Chi Lu frowned and pondered how to explain the function of the system to him.

She racked her brain but couldn’t figure out how to articulate it.

She decided to throw caution to the wind and said, “This isn’t anything good. If you like it, I can take it off and let you play with it for a few days.”

She couldn’t reveal the system’s existence directly, but she didn’t say she wouldn’t let Jing Shuxing see it. If he figured something out, it wouldn’t be her responsibility.

As she spoke, Chi Lu tried once more to remove the bracelet, but before she could make any significant move, her wrist was firmly grabbed.

Jing Shuxing’s voice trembled slightly, “No, absolutely not!”

Chi Lu blinked, “Why not?”

“It’s just an ordinary bracelet, though it’s a bit tight and hard to take off.”

She rolled up her sleeve, extending her entire arm in front of Jing Shuxing, and said boldly, “You try it. If you can take it off, I don’t mind giving it to you.”

He didn’t respond.

After a long moment, Jing Shuxing extended a finger and gently tapped the bracelet.

The surface of the bracelet changed, as if ripples were spreading across water. After a short while, the ripples stilled, and the bracelet once again resembled any other ordinary piece of jewelry.

Chi Lu was startled, thinking that the system had truly been discovered by Jing Shuxing. Just as she was about to call out to the system in her mind, a hand circled the bracelet and slightly adjusted its position upward.

Then, he pulled the sleeve back down, covering the bracelet.

“Does the Young Sect Leader know what this bracelet is used for?” Jing Shuxing’s voice was low, mixed with a hint of hoarseness, likely from prolonged coughing.

Chi Lu’s heartbeat skipped a beat, and she stammered, “N-no, I don’t know. I just wore it because it looked nice, and I didn’t expect I couldn’t take it off.”

Jing Shuxing, coughing continuously, warned her, “Young Sect Leader, make sure to keep the bracelet hidden and don’t let anyone else take it. This is not just a simple accessory.”

His eyes were dark. The spark that had ignited in them earlier seemed to have been doused with cold water, extinguished entirely, leaving not even a trace of smoke or ash.

Chi Lu didn’t understand Jing Shuxing’s words, but she confidently replied, “Of course, I’ll protect it well.”

Still feeling somewhat unsatisfied, she leaned in closer and asked, “What is this bracelet called? What exactly is its function?”

Jing Shuxing covered his face with his sleeve, coughing incessantly, refusing to answer Chi Lu’s question.

He clutched his chest, and he was coughing so hard that it seemed to tear at his heart and lungs. Though he was close to the fire, he couldn’t stop his body from trembling uncontrollably.

Whether it was from the cold or from discomfort, he couldn’t tell.

When his fingertips brushed against Chi Lu’s skin, it felt like touching burning coal, so he quickly pulled them back. He looked up at Chi Lu, and the greed and hostility in his eyes were entirely extinguished, replaced by an almost overwhelming fear and unease.

She didn’t know.

Chi Lu was full of flaws when she lied, her falsehoods as fragile as paper-thin window coverings, easily torn with a poke. She acted completely clueless, which meant she truly knew nothing.

What had he been thinking just now?

When Jing Shuxing sensed that there might be a hidden darkness within Chi Lu’s heart, he couldn’t suppress his delight. He was thrilled at the prospect that he finally had a chance to easily step forward.

But in the end, he only managed to take a step before being forced to retreat.

Chi Lu’s worried voice echoed in his ears, “Drink some water first. Let’s quickly find the exit of the spiritual vein, and I’ll take you back to the Linghua Sect to find a medical cultivator.”

Her eyes were filled with concern and undisguised pity. The more genuine she appeared, the more ashamed he felt. Under Chi Lu’s scrutinizing gaze, Jing Shuxing’s baseness and filth had nowhere to hide.

He reached out to take the water cup from Chi Lu’s hand, but she held it up in the air, keeping it out of his reach.

She scolded lightly, “You want to spill it again?”

As she spoke, she brought the cup to his lips. “Just drink like this. I’ll hold it for you; it’s steady.”