Chapter 6

[Current Task Progress: 90%, Reward: Qi Boosting and Mood Soothing Pill x1]

[Congratulations, host has changed a key node.]

After Lin Du received this message, she turned around and saw Du Shao, who was happily standing among the disciples of the Ji Shi Sect.

“Changed the fate of the lovesick fool, but still not at 100%?”

She squinted her eyes, her consciousness accurately focusing on the brooding and difficult-to-read faces among the group of undeserving men. “Still not broken up?”

Yes, Du Shao only listened to the host but did not abandon her ideals. However, the romantic entanglement has not been completely severed. Only when the entanglement is entirely cut off will the host’s task be considered successful.

Lin Du chuckled. Indeed, it was not yet time to completely sever the emotional ties.

But since they had already separated to their respective sects, it was just a matter of time.

Long-distance relationships are the most emotionally draining.

The man was right to be concerned.

But is it really correct to clip a lover’s wings, making them abandon their future for love, and wear away their feelings over trivial matters, ultimately leading to a dismal life?

Lin Du was unconvinced. Many women in the world fail to understand a simple truth that ordinary men do: as long as you climb step by step and become powerful and influential, you will eventually encounter the love and people you desire.

“Are you satisfied now?” The voice of the demon monk sounded again in her ear.

Lin Du lowered her eyes and murmured, “Not enough.”

Her expression was cold and gloomy, carrying a chilling pressure that was not typical for her age.

She glanced at the frail little girl with curiosity. It was strange.

How could a thirteen-year-old girl appear so weathered and detached from the world, as if she were an old woman, her entire being marked by an aloof and indifferent demeanor?

Lin Du sat alone in the elder’s seat, with three newly accepted disciples still standing below.

She turned her gaze to a young girl with a face like a peach blossom and roughly understood that this must be Ni Jinxuan.

Ding, the ultimate romance plot appears.

Ni Jinxuan, a Wushang Sect disciple, is deceived by the demon lord, who pretends to be a junior disciple, and quickly falls in love. The demon lord falsely claims to need a sect’s treasured item to cure his illness. Ni Jinxuan willingly steals the treasured item for him and then escapes with him, only to be abandoned in the demon realm. Her meridians are severed, and she falls into the abyss of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, while the demon lord, after obtaining the treasure, massacres the Wushang Sect and severely injures its vitality, causing it to lose its former glory as the top sect of the Zhong Zhou.

Ni Jinxuan suffers greatly and ultimately falls into the path of the demons after devouring countless demonic souls in the abyss, only to be captured and become the demon lord’s female slave.

To seek revenge, Ni Jinxuan endures humiliation and disguises herself to stay by the demon lord’s side, waiting for a chance to kill him. However, in the daily interactions, she falls in love with him again and accidentally discovers that the portrait of the Bai Yueguang in the demon lord’s study is actually herself. After several twists and turns, they eventually confess their feelings and live together.

In fact, because the female protagonist has suffered greatly and forcibly turned into a demon, the loss is irreparable. Since demons cannot reincarnate, they can only turn to dust. Even though the demon lord later continuously sought rare heavenly materials to improve the Demon Queen’s cultivation, Ni Jinxuan, who should have ascended to the celestial realm as a genius of the righteous path, was ultimately doomed to have her soul scattered during the calamity due to her romantic entanglement.

Host, everything has not yet begun, so there’s no need to rush.

“You’re not in a hurry, but I am. How many days do I have left?”

…One year.

Lin Du read through the script in her mind again and then looked up at the female protagonist in the script.

The young girl had pure, innocent features, dressed in a pink apricot-colored robe, her hair styled in a lily bun adorned with a few delicate gemstone silk flowers. Her face was smiling, with a fair complexion that expressed her excitement about joining the sect, showing an innocence unacquainted with the world’s harshness.

She observed for a while, and the girl seemed to sense her gaze. Turning her head, she met the eyes of the only seated disciple among the elders. She then smiled, revealing two dimples, looking particularly charming and lovely.

Wei Zhi spoke, “Are you envious?”

“What?”

“I said, are you envious of that naive girl who has been pampered and raised with care?”

Lin Du shook her head. Envy? Not at all.

She truly did not envy such a naive girl.

If only her parents had taught her to be more aware, or if she had read a few more stories or watched a few more plays before bedtime, she wouldn’t have been deceived by the demon lord.

Wait… Stories?

Lin Du pondered for a moment and came up with an idea.

Since the demon lord had not yet infiltrated the sect, there was still time to prevent it.

Wei Zhi watched as the frail girl smiled lightly, the same kind of smile he recalled from the times he wanted to irritate the righteous sect members.

He looked up with interest, his dark, cold eyes showing a hint of relaxed amusement as he gazed at the girl, much like how he looked at Lin Du herself.

This frail little girl, though weary and gloomy from chronic illness, was strikingly attractive. While Wei Zhi’s allure was overt, she drew attention subtly.

He felt he might have forgotten something and glanced back at the newly recruited disciple, suddenly alarmed and his scalp tingling.

What about the demon monk? He hoped he wouldn’t steal away the promising chosen one he had so arduously acquired.

If there were any signs of trouble, the elders could always fight him, even if it meant putting their old bodies on the line.

Wei Zhi preferred to remain unnoticed when he didn’t want to be seen. Noticing the sharp sense of observation, he made a hand gesture.

“I cannot stay here for long. Let’s meet next time, little one.”

It was indeed a pity not to have taken Lin Du, but he could see she wasn’t easily swayed.

Having struggled in the mortal world for too long, she wasn’t someone who could be easily deceived with mere promises and sweet talk.

Moreover… Wei Zhi thought the girl wouldn’t look as good without her current appearance if she were to shave her head.

Well.

Wei Zhi left with regret.

He Gui did not detect the demon monk’s presence and was relieved. He turned to smile at the young disciple.

Lin Du, bathed in sunlight but still appearing cold and distant, noticed He Gui’s reassuring smile and slightly nodded in response.

This time, the Wushang Sect only recruited four disciples. With only three real people arriving at the Wushang Sect, they seemed particularly pitiful compared to the neighboring sects, which each brought a full team.

Ni Jinxuan, naturally lively and cheerful, asked curiously, “May I ask, Master, why does the Wushang Sect only recruit so few disciples each year?”

He Gui, a very gentle person, smiled down and replied with a dignified, elegant demeanor, as he took down the plaque of the Wushang Sect, “Better to have fewer than too many. Besides, you already have enough people. Adding more would strain the sect’s resources…”

Young geniuses are fast learners, absorbing spiritual energy as easily as eating and drinking.

Without controlling the number, the Wushang Sect would soon be drained by the influx of geniuses.

Even though the sect had several top-grade spiritual veins buried beneath the mountain, the rate at which the spiritual energy dispersed was limited. To maintain a high concentration of spiritual energy for the geniuses’ cultivation, the sect had to prioritize quality over quantity.

Recruiting geniuses came at a price.

Lin Du understood. The Wushang Sect was like a talent class, focusing on elite education, while other sects were like regular high schools, providing compulsory education with selective recruitment.