Chasing the Villain with a Confused System (GL) - Chapter 5

The dense forest at the foot of the Divine Sword Sect’s mountain was rarely visited by humans. Beasts occasionally roamed the area, and those on the mountain generally avoided the woods unless they had urgent business.

Song Qi and Cheng Ying stood face-to-face in the thicket. Song Qi spoke up: “Master, could it be that even you cannot defeat Wen Wanxi?”

“In terms of actual combat experience, I naturally have more than her. But if it came to a real fight, with her level of martial arts, I’m afraid even I wouldn’t be her match.”

Wen Wanxi’s talent was immense, and she was proficient with various weapons. Her swordplay was her strongest suit, followed by her “Black and White Killing Silks.” These were two bundles of Golden Silk that were sharp, immune to water and fire, and tipped with poisoned needles. The black silk was for night use, and the silver for day, allowing the threads to blend into the sky and kill invisibly.

Beyond her sword and silks were her hidden weapons. Wen Wanxi had a unique tool called “Sunset over the Yellow Springs.” It was a flat, extremely thin, diamond-shaped projectile. It looked ordinary, but it was coated in lethal poison; once it entered a body, it would discharge six additional poisoned needles from within.

Surviving such an arsenal was a tall order.

To be fair, aside from her relatively moderate swordplay, Wen Wanxi was essentially a living weapon from head to toe. It was no wonder the so-called “righteous” sects feared and hated her in equal measure.

Wen Wanxi had killed her master, Wu Ye, and slaughtered her defiant subordinates. While this was considered despicable, it was ultimately an internal matter of Wu City. Others didn’t dare meddle, which was why she hadn’t yet been officially classified as a “Greater Demon.”

In private, the most people called her was “Enchantress.”

Song Qi wondered if she should be grateful that things hadn’t yet reached their worst point.

[Yes, exactly.]

“Should I give you a trophy for that observation?”

Hearing Hu Tu’s voice, Song Qi couldn’t help but snark back, momentarily forgetting that Cheng Ying was right beside her.

“What? What did you say?” Cheng Ying asked.

“Nothing, nothing. I just said that Wen Wanxi is truly incredible.”

Although she had once wept over Wen Wanxi’s tragic end, now that she was actually in the world of Tian Xing, Song Qi felt a fair amount of fear toward Wen Wanxi’s temper and aura.

Wen Wanxi’s family was wiped out when she was five; she started martial arts at six, became the Lord of Wu City at twenty-five, and was destroyed by the protagonist group at thirty-two. She only lived for thirty-two years—a classic case of “a beautiful life cut short.”

“Oh, it’s fine for you to go watch,” Cheng Ying added, “but don’t provoke the people from Wu City. None of them are easy to deal with.”

“I know!”

Song Qi leaned against the tree trunk with Cheng Ying, listening to the chirping of insects and the rustle of the wind through the weeds. She should have been afraid, but she felt a rare sense of peace.

In less than a day in this world, she had endured more than someone her age should have to handle—and she had to do it with a “confused” system.

Hey, Hu Tu, can you give me some advice? How can I change the trajectory of Wen Wanxi’s fate?

Hu Tu didn’t answer immediately. After a while, it said: [Shouldn’t you understand her better than I do?]

It answered, but it didn’t really answer. Fine, I guess I really am on my own!

“I’m heading back.”

It was getting dark. If she stayed any longer, she might arouse suspicion.

“Fine, fine. I’m going to sleep too; I’m exhausted.”

“Hope you drown in your wine,” Song Qi joked. As Cheng Ying turned to leave, she called out, “Master.”

“Huh?”

Cheng Ying looked back. Song Qi had a look of hesitation on her face. Cheng Ying assumed the girl was worried about him and wanted to tell him to drink less but was too shy to say it. Just as he was about to reassure her that he could take care of himself, Song Qi spoke.

“Your pants are torn.”

This was truly difficult to bring up. But if she didn’t say anything and he walked into a town, he’d be even more humiliated.

“Ah!”

Cheng Ying immediately covered his backside. There was indeed a palm-sized hole there. How embarrassing!

“Why didn’t you say so sooner!”

“I just saw it! What could I do? I feel like I need to wash my eyes!”

Fortunately, the man was wearing undergarments. Otherwise, she wouldn’t just need to wash her eyes—she’d need to be reincarnated!

“I’m leaving!”

Cheng Ying didn’t stay a second longer. His buzz had mostly vanished as he bolted away.

Song Qi burst out laughing. Cheng Ying really had zero concern for his image. She looked up at the branch where he had been sleeping; a scrap of cloth was indeed snagged there, matching the color of his pants.

Song Qi sighed. Cool entrances are risky; use caution!

The next day, Song Qi received good news from Song Tianxing while she was practicing.

Song Tianxing pulled her aside and told her, “The elders have agreed. If I win a spot for the Young Heroes Tournament, I can bring you along.”

“That’s great!”

Song Qi was overjoyed. This way, she wouldn’t interfere with the protagonist’s growth, and she’d get to see her “Black Moonlight.” Two birds with one stone!

“But the elders said you must follow me closely and not cause trouble.”

“I know, Brother.”

Song Qi usually messed around just to kill time. Now that there was serious business to attend to, she wouldn’t dare act out.

“Mm.” Song Tianxing doted on her, patting her head with a smile. “You little brat.”

His kindness was real. Beyond the guilt, he truly loved his sister. It was no wonder the original Song Qi was willing to give him all her glory.

Song Tianxing would be very useful to her later. With the protagonist protecting her, her path would be smoother. At this tournament, Song Tianxing would obtain the manual for the “Waterfall Sword Style.” While not as good as the Wine Immortal Styles, it was a life-saving technique for him.

Song Qi knew every world had its balance. Song Tianxing had to continue developing to counter Wen Wanxi’s dominance. If either side lost balance, it would be bad for her. Based on her knowledge of system novels, even if Song Tianxing didn’t get the Waterfall style this time, he would definitely have some other fortuitous encounter to ensure he leveled up as expected, though the process might be more difficult.

[Yes, you’re right. Song Tianxing’s ‘Encounter Value’ is 295. That’s what we call ‘cheating.’]

Hearing this, Song Qi asked curiously: What about mine?

[100.]

…I’m tired. Let the world end.

The gap was too huge! Was this the true power of the Protagonist’s Halo?

“Sister, why are you spacing out?”

After finishing his sentence, Song Tianxing noticed her blank stare and immediately asked, “Is something on your mind?”

“No, nothing.”

I just feel that my Encounter Value is tiny, pathetic, and helpless.

“Brother, go practice! The disciple assessment is coming soon. You have to do well so I can go to the tournament with you!”

“Alright.”

Song Tianxing wanted to say he would protect her, but then he thought that she probably didn’t need it. Regardless, he would do his absolute best to keep her safe.

After all, everything he had now was given to him by her.

Half a month passed quickly. Song Qi spent that time working hard to adapt to her role. Every day involved bickering with Lu Xiaoming, dealing with Chang Yueyue’s provocations, and handling the “Green Tea” Meng Tian. Life was a constant whirlwind.

Furthermore, Chang Yueyue had repeatedly tried to test her martial arts, but Song Qi cleverly deflected her. Chang Yueyue called her a “shrinking turtle,” but Song Qi remained unmoved, declaring they would see the truth at the assessment.

Fate was a curious thing; Song Qi was matched against Chang Yueyue in the very first round. It was hard to say who was more satisfied—Chang Yueyue for getting her wish, or Song Qi for hers.

Neither was considered an elite disciple, so their match wasn’t as crowded as the A-rank matches nearby. However, among the spectators, a cold-faced female disciple appeared: the A-rank genius, Bai Luoyin.

“Why is Senior Sister Bai here?” one of the B-rank girls asked. Bai Luoyin was a powerhouse among the younger generation; her presence at this match was highly unusual.

Bai Luoyin glanced at the girl and said coldly, “Watching the match.”

The girl felt she had asked a stupid question and immediately shut her mouth.

On the stage, the two began. Chang Yueyue struck first, shouting: “Song Qi, take this!”

Her vocal output is stronger than her sword moves, Song Qi thought.

Song Qi couldn’t use the Wine Immortal Styles here. Secretly taking another master while belonging to the Divine Sword Sect was a capital offense—punishable by having her martial arts crippled and being expelled. Song Qi wasn’t an idiot.

To deal with Chang Yueyue, the sect’s basic moves were enough!

Chang Yueyue aimed a sharp strike straight for the center. Song Qi didn’t dodge immediately; she waited until the blade was close before pivoting on her toes to narrowly avoid it. It wasn’t that she was slow; she had to put on a full performance and not make it look too easy.

Song Qi took the opportunity to strike Chang Yueyue’s wrist with the hilt of her sword, then jumped back a few steps, making her movements look clumsy. Many spectators sighed, finding the match boring. In modern terms, it was just two “noobs” pecking at each other.

But Bai Luoyin didn’t think so. Her eyes were fixed on Song Qi, afraid to miss a single frame.

Chang Yueyue’s sword hand had been hit by the hilt, and her wrist was thumping with pain. She couldn’t put strength into her grip, but she refused to surrender.

“Hah! Take this!”

Chang Yueyue switched the sword to her left hand. Her movements weren’t as fluid, but she could at least use her strength.

Her moves became disorganized. After clashing for a few rounds, she finally unleashed “Skiff Over Ten Thousand Mountains.” This was a series of consecutive strikes aimed at the center, requiring great continuity and agility.

Because her left hand was less flexible, the move was significantly weakened. Song Qi continued to fake a struggle, while inwardly thinking about how weak Chang Yueyue was—it was making her acting look terrible.

Deciding she had played enough, Song Qi used a move called “Rain Falling on Flying Flowers” to flick Chang Yueyue’s sword away. She followed up with a flurry of thrusts, forcing Chang Yueyue back several steps until the girl lost her footing and tumbled to the ground.

Song Qi hadn’t intended to hurt her. “Rain Falling on Flying Flowers” was a rapid-fire thrusting technique targeting several major pressure points. If performed at full speed and close range, it was nearly impossible to dodge. Song Qi had slowed down her attack speed to give Chang Yueyue room to retreat, but the girl’s footwork was so poor she tripped over herself.

Song Qi moved in, resting her blade against Chang Yueyue’s neck. She smiled and said, “You lose.”

Below the stage, Bai Luoyin had caught every one of Song Qi’s movements. Finally, she allowed a rare smile to cross her face.

Just as I thought.