Ch5 - The villains

Minor emetophobia mention because they’re flying on swords again.

The noise was slight, but all of the gathered dozen were sensitive enough to hear him.

Chu Zhishi said, “Second senior brother, your disciple’s finally awake.”

Xie Zhiwei nodded as tenderness and care crept into his gaze. Heheh, you can’t fake it any longer.

Yan Zhifei was already happy that Xie Zhiwei was finally willing to leave seclusion after all these years. He told Mu He, “Since you’re entering our sect and following Zhiwei, it’s only proper you give us your name.”

Mu He suddenly realized that Xie Zhiwei didn’t even know his name yet, but still accepted him as a disciple—his only one. He was overwhelmed with emotion. With red eyes, he knelt on the ground and choked out, “I am Mu He. Because my father died early, I was raised by my mother. I entered the sect to cultivate to fulfill her lifelong wish. Today, that wish has been granted. Thank you shizun, thank you martial uncles and martial aunt.”

Mu He’s repeated kowtows against the ground combined with his teary voice to elicit the sympathy of all those present, including Xie Zhiwei. The original novel wrote that Bai Jianzhu and Bai Yu treated him extremely well on the surface after Xie Zhiwei left him in their care. That was because they wanted to investigate the origins of his pendant. However, their preferential treatment aroused the jealousy of other disciples who started hazing him in secret. Those with power even sent people to investigate Mu He’s background and found out his mother was a Chinese opera singer. Such a low class profession was unthinkable and only led to mass mockery.

Moreover, it was also through these rumors that Mu He found out about his mother’s death. He was so grief-stricken that his body soon collapsed. At the same time, Bai Yu finally discovered the origins of the jade pendant and moved against him. After being reborn, Mu He already knew his mother had died. These words came from his heart.

If Xie Zhiwei’s memory served right, this would be the last time Mu He ever shed tears again. In the future, he would only make others cry.

He quickly connected to the System, thus freezing the scene in time. “Gallant Outlaw.”

“I’m here, Idol.”

“Do you have a cell phone or DSLR? I want to save some pictures.”

“No,” Gallant Outlaw slapped a hand against his head. “But the System comes automatically equipped with a screenshot function. Does that work, Idol?”

“That’s even better,” Xie Zhiwei said quickly. “The hero is crying right now. Hurry and help me take a few screenshots.”

“No problem, OK! Got them and they’re saved, you can check them anytime. If there’s nothing else, Idol should continue with the plot. I’m having a good time watching it.”

Xie Zhiwei gave a start. “Does that mean you can see every single move I make?”

“Cough cough, I…I can see a bit.”

“No! Isn’t that nonstop surveillance? So you can see me eat, drink, sh*t, and sleep? Where are my human rights?”

Gallant Outlaw hastily explained, “You don’t have to worry. The system’s very humanized so it’ll filter out slice-of-life scenes. I can only see scenes related to the original plot.”

“What about when I use Xie Zhiwei to tackle plot tangents?”

“I won’t be able to see any tangents. That’s why you need to reach out to the System at least three times a month to maintain connection with me, the author.”

Xie Zhiwei thought it over. “I’ve just arrived and already used the System twice. Three times a month is no problem.”

Gallant Outlaw felt that something was amiss. “That’s right, Idol, where did Tantai Meng the heroine go? How come I didn’t see her around?”

Xie Zhiwei promptly disconnected the System.

—

Time resumed with Yan Zhifei telling Mu He, “Get up now. From today on you’ll stay with your shizun at Summit City.”

Mu He replied an affirmative and kowtowed three more times before getting up. He wiped away his tears with his sleeve and moved to stand behind Xie Zhiwei. To the crowd, he seemed every inch a docile and well-mannered boy. Even Xia Zhiqi nodded lightly in approval. Only Xie Zhiwei saw Mu He glance quickly in a certain direction with a flash of killing intent. He mentally wiped his brow for the Bai duo.

Bai Jianzhu remained clueless to his danger as he adjusted his expression to look more considerate. “Sect Leader Senior Brother, Mu He has now been accepted as second senior brother’s disciple, so there’s no need to doubt his innate talent. But Summit City covers a large area of the sect. If it’s only the two of them, I’m afraid that…”

“I’ve already considered that,” Yan Zhifei replied. “What are your plans?” He directed his gaze at Xie Zhiwei.

I knew Bai Jianzhu wouldn’t let things drop so easily. But you dare doubt the hero’s ability?

Bai Jianzhu hastily put in, “As the saying goes, don’t shy from relatives when promoting people of virtue. Everyone acknowledges Yu’er’s ability. How about sending him to assist his second martial uncle?”

Bai Yu was high-minded and arrogant. Just the mention of “assist” turned his expression black. Xie Zhiwei noticed and said without inflection, “The daily duties of Summit City only involve studying the classics and compiling cultivation methods. Such tedious and boring tasks would only humiliate someone of Martial Nephew Bai’s skill.”

Bai Yu instantly nodded. “Correct. I don’t want to do such jobs.”

Bai Jianzhu’s smile wavered before giving Bai Yu a difficult look. “Since that’s the case…then…forget about it.”

Chu Zhishi had suddenly lifted a sleeve to cover his face as he cleared his throat. Still, Xie Zhiwei’s angle was perfect for glimpsing the grin at the corner of his lips. Xie Zhiwei wanted to laugh too, but the system restrictions prevented him from doing anything more than clapping internally.

Old Bai, the villain who doesn’t want the short end of the stick is a bad son. Do you understand this reasoning?

Yan Zhifei mused, “That’s fine as well. After all, your Pill Furnace City needs help as well. Zhiwei, are there any other disciples who strike your fancy?”

Xie Zhiwei shook his head. “I don’t want anyone. It’ll be fine with just my disciple and me.”

Everyone looked at him, stunned. Even Mu He was floored. After all, in his last life Bai Jianzhu had been a big deal when he gained control of Summit City. Even though he had already obtained the needed manuals from Xie Zhiwei, he made a big show of using twenty to thirty disciples to shift scrolls around the premises. Now Xie Zhiwei claimed he only needed two people?

Once again, Xie Zhiwei spoke in his light voice, “Therefore, I’ll keep the young novices already serving and sweeping in Summit City. There’s no need to send anyone else.” He said this with his head hanging, appearing extremely humble, but his words were a different matter altogether. Mu He could only gape at him. In the end, he was still being honest with the Bai duo and acting low-key, but his actions were so striking. Was this still the same Xie Zhiwei he knew in his last life?

No wait, I should call him shizun now. Just what kind of man is my master Xie Zhiwei?

Things had gotten interesting. It looked like his future days in the sect would be much more lively than last time. Mu He also hung his head, though his mouth couldn’t help a smirk.

After a moment’s pause, Yan Zhifei slapped his armrest. “Nonsense! Two people?” Once more he rose to his feet and walked in front of Xie Zhiwei. “I know you’ve never been deceitful, but this concerns Summit City and its generations’ worth of work! How could you treat it as child’s play?!”

“Definitely not,” Xie Zhiwei slowly lifted his head. “Within a year, I will expand our daoist classics with a volume concerning internal cultivation and swordsmanship techniques.”

One Step Cliff fell into dead silence.

Xie Zhiwei had lived many centuries cultivating in the sect without showing off. But regardless of status or title, everyone who met him had utmost respect. They all knew he was formidable, but today they realized the true extent of his strength. Many high level experts could spend their entire lives unable to create such works, yet he only needed one year?

Chu Zhishi stood up as well, his expression dignified. “I believe in second senior brother.”

—

The gathering at One Step Cliff was dismissed and everyone scattered to their posts. Xie Zhiwei brought Mu He on his flying sword while keeping his eyes shut as usual. For a while Mu He remained standing straight before realizing he was being overcautious. He relaxed his posture until the silence stretched on and sounded Xie Zhiwei out. “Shizun, disciple is terrified.”

Xie Zhiwei didn’t open his eyes. “Why terrified?”

Have some care, youngster! Why are you bothering me while I’m fighting acrophobia and swordsickness? What if I throw up all over you?!

Mu He murmured softly, “Disciple is so happy that shizun accepted me as your disciple today on One Step Cliff. But I have no foundation and don’t understand the classics. If I can’t help you out, then wouldn’t I…be harming shizun after the year is up?”

Xie Zhiwei brandished his secret weapon: a slight chuckle this time. “I naturally have my reasons.”

The original Xie Zhiwei had long finished writing his manual and was planning to hand it over after transcribing the contents. But he soon discovered that he’d been afflicted with a slow-acting poison courtesy of Bai Jianzhu. It was too late to do anything, so he could only tear the books in two and hide the second half. The first half ended up in Bai Jianzhu’s hands because Xie Zhiwei couldn’t bear to see the sect fall into decline without his knowledge. The second half was found by Mu He after his rebirth. Xie Zhiwei feared that Bai Jianzhu would do something untoward with his knowledge, so he hoped for a predestined person to find and contain it. The original host had persisted a lifetime for the sake of his sect and still didn’t give up after he died. He really had given his all and then some.

Anyways, with the completed book already in his possession, it was easy enough to turn it in after a year. Xie Zhiwei began to silently calculate whether he should spend the time in-between just sleeping or touring around the world.

No, wait.

Xie Zhiwei suddenly realized a serious problem.

Doesn’t this mean that…this body, has already been poisoned?!

His urge to vomit evaporated on the spot. So after all that work, I’m going to die after all?!

Once again, Xie Zhiwei connected to the System. “Gallant Outlaw, get out of there.”

“Idol, I’m pleased to be at your service.”

“@#!%$# your service. Have I already been poisoned with Bai Jianzhu’s slow-acting toxin?”

“Yes.”

His attitude infuriated Xie Zhiwei. “Sh*t, I’m dying and you’re still so calm?”

Gallant Outlaw just chuckled. “Idol, don’t panic. That’s only a story setting, but it can’t compare with the System’s power. When your poison reacts, I’ll activate a spiritual spring. As long as you get regular transfusions you’ll be able to live on.”

“Isn’t that really inconvenient?”

“Not at all, not at all. One transfusion can last you an entire year.”

“That’s more like it. Let’s stick with that and progress the plot.”

“Idol, wait. Have you seen the heroine Tantai Meng anywhere—”

Xie Zhiwei disconnected and guided his sword to land on the ground with Mu He. This was Xie Zhiwei’s home, located in a bamboo grove at the edge of Summit City.

If the original host was living in Summit City the whole time, why not be its city lord? Xie Zhiwei didn’t realize his thoughts were a classic reflection of “the enunch panics while the emperor could care less.” He resented Xie Zhiwei for being iron that couldn’t turn into steel as he stepped into the forest.

These were no ordinary bamboo, but ones with thorns around their trunks. Careless outsiders who charged in unawares would be hurt. After being poisoned on the sly, the original Mu He had fled here during his escape and was bruised all over his body. Later on he found treatment and effortlessly added a Miss Xu to his harem, but that was another story.

A young novice in charge of overseeing the grove approached them and bowed to Xie Zhiwei. “Zhenren, City Lord Bai and Senior Brother Bai Yu have come to visit.”

Mu He worried after Xie Zhiwei when he heard the news. He decided to add fuel to the fire and remarked, “Today shizun accepted the post as Summit City’s city lord. I think Martial Uncle Bai and Senior Brother Bai weren’t very happy about it. Maybe they came to…”

“Don’t speak nonsense,” Xie Zhiwei creased his brows. Sh*t, it’s nerve-wracking scolding the hero, but hell if it doesn’t feel good!

He quickly opened up the system to check his Presence Points and found two full stars gleaming back at him.