Chapter 23
Qin Wanwan sprinted wildly all the way out of the cave. Meanwhile, Jian Xingzhi calmly waved his hand to condense his sword and watched the notification box popped up.
【Urgent Task: Within a quarter of an hour, assist Qin Wanwan with the task ‘The Beauty Save the Hero‘[1]: Randomly save a man with face value above or equal to [High]. Estimated Reward Points: 50”】
【Warning: Abide by the rules of the persona. Don’t show strength above Foundation Establishment Realm; don’t steal the Female Lead’s role; don’t outrank the Female Lead’s contribution during the fight; don’t overshadow the Female Lead!】
The detail of the task and the string of warnings stunned Jian Xingzhi. Why did this kind of task fall in his scope of responsibility?!
Just a mere moment and the cactus’s mace had smashed toward him. Jian Xingzhi nimbly slanted over to dodge under the mace. He whirled around and pursued Qin Wanwan outside.
Oh well, whatever. As long as he gets points, all is fine.
For the Beauty to Save the Hero, there must be a crisis. Thus, he led the cacti out to create the said crisis.
Contemplating about it, Jian Xingzhi rushed to catch up with Qin Wanwan, he called out, “Why don’t you turn around and fight back?”
“No fight, thank you.” Qin Wanwan shook her head vehemently at Jian Xingzhi “There is something questionable about these ‘cacti’!!!”
As they spoke, they reached the mouth of the cave in a single bound.
Earlier, Nanfeng was chatting with Bai Suiyou and Su Zhenxue, relishing in their lunch. The three of them only got to hear Qin Wanwan’s scream of “The cactus is humongous!!!! Retreat!!! Run for your life!!! AHHH!!!” before the ground rumbled and both Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan hopped out of the cave at the same time. There were huge cacti holding maces on their back, screeching toward them.
Su Zhenxue was quick to react and unsheated her sword, but she was grabbed away by Nanfeng, “Su-xianzi, run!!!”
Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan’s speeds did not decelerate for a second, they accelerated, even.
In a flash, all those present were gone. Only Bai Suiyou was left to face the group of fierce-looking cacti. He was too shocked to react.
Jian Xingzhi side-eyed Bai Suiyou and saw a floating box with the word [High] above his head. Jian Xingzhi braked instantly and captured Qin Wanwan in the process, “Go, save him!”
“Do it your一!”
Qin Wanwan didn’t get the chance to finish the word “self” as she was unilaterally hauled by Jian Xingzhi and got tossed into Bai Suiyou’s direction. She only felt her world spinning before she collided straight with Bai Suiyou accompanied by a clamorous “bang!”.
While Qin Wanwan dizzily crawled on Bai Suiyou, the cactus’ mace was aimed at her head. Bai Suiyou was frozen. He stared at Qin Wanwan in a daze. Before the mace could hit her, Jian Xingzhi hustled over to block the mace with his hand and kicked the two away.
Qin Wanwan and Bai Suiyou subconsciously protected each other. They rolled across the ground and crashed into a big tree.
By then, Jian Xingzhi had sent the cactus flying with a sword. He inclined his head and showed a triumphant smile at Qin Wanwan, who hadn’t got time to process the situation and was still bewildered.
He appeared to be asking for credit.
Look, aren’t I awesome?
Qin Wanwan stared at him.
Who is he? What is he doing? Why is he here just to torture her?
“Fellow Daoist Qin, come up.”
Bai Suiyou reacted faster than her and tugged her up: “Fellow Daoist Long can’t buy us time for long.”
Bai Suiyou pulled Qin Wanwan to escape. Jian Xingzhi saw they successfully escaped and slashed over a cactus with ease and followed behind.
Bai Suiyou wasn’t wrong. If he did not use some special means, he was not the opponent for those cacti with his suppressed cultivation realm.
He caught up with Bai Suiyou and Qin Wanwan. The three ran shoulder to shoulder in the forest. The cacti behind them were still hollering to kill them. Within a moment, the three bolted out of the cacti’ territory. The furious cacti eventually ceased chasing them the moment they exited their territory.
Three people slumped on the ground simultaneously. Qin Wanwan sent a glance at Jian Xingzhi, “What got into you again?”
Jian Xingzhi indicated to Bai Suiyou with his chin, “Don’t you want to save him?”
“Eh?”
Qin Wanwan was perplexed, while Bai Suiyou lifted his head to face the sky, revealing a bit of melancholy,, “So, this is what it feels like to have someone cares for you.”
“Eh???”
Qin Wanwan snapped his head at him. Bai Suiyou perceived Qin Wanwan’s sight and his eyes fell on Qin Wanwan. There was a hint of shyness on his scholarly face, “Thank you, Fellow Daoist Qin. Regardless of life and death, you came to save me. As long as I have experienced, the affection between people in Guicheng is thin. Shall this kind of situation happen in Guicheng, it is the norm to leave people behind. I never expected Fellow Daoist Qin to actually come back for me…”
Qin Wanwan became even more dumbfounded as she listened. Her senses were tingling. She sensed something wrong. She sneaked a glance at Jian Xingzhi. He hinted at her with a wink and Qin Wanwan was fast to understand.
All of these were related to Jian Xingzhi’s task, weren’t they.
Her curiosity was surprisingly piqued at what kind of abrupt tasks that Jian Xingzhi received. Alas, with Bai Suiyou around, she couldn’t ask anything.
They caught their breath, and she got to her feet after a while, “Let’s find Nanfeng and Fellow Daoist Su.”
There was a connection between her and Nanfeng so Qin Wanwan could quickly lead Jian Xingzhi and Bai Suiyou to group with Nanfeng. From afar, they could see Nanfeng caring wholeheartedly for Su Zhenxue. Qin Wanwan sighed with emotion, “Beauty really has its own advantages.”
Jian Xingzhi heard Qin Wanwan’s passing comment and sized up Su Zhenxue, who was being fanned by Nanfeng. He didn’t give any remark on her comment.
Qin Wanwan poked at him with wonder, “Don’t you think she is beautiful?”
“We are all made of flesh and bones, what does one’s appearance matter?” Jian Xingzhi gave her a cold shoulder, “Stop thinking about messy things and focus on cultivating.”
“Don’t feign to be wise,” Qin Wanwan approached his ears and whispered, “You really don’t think she is beautiful?”
“I have seen someone more beautiful than her.” Jian Xingzhi eventually gave in to her, “Compared to that person, she is just average.”
Qin Wanwan had some admiration for Jian Xingzhi’s aesthetics. He considered Su Zhenxue as average. then what kind of person could be considered beautiful in his eyes?
But, after some brainstorming, she remembered that people in the Immortal Realm were born beautiful. It was no wonder that Jian Xingzhi had a high standard.
For example, her original body in the Immortal Realm. Her mother’s appearance had high values and she inherited the blessing. Even if she wanted to pretend to be modest, it was irrefutable that she got the title of the prettiest young Immortal in the Immortal Realm.
They walked side by side to Su Zhenxue. Nanfeng saw Qin Wanwan and quickly saluted, “Master.”
Qin Wanwan nodded to Nanfeng. She consulted with the group, “How about we find a safe place to rest first to formulate a new plan and pick some spiritual grass along the way?”
“I have no objection.” Su Zhenxue shook her head. Her complexion was somewhat pale. Perhaps she was frightened by those cacti.
Bai Suiyou smiled: “I will follow Fellow Daoist Qin’s decision.”
Qin Wanwan hummed. She threw a questioning look at Jian Xingzhi and Nanfeng before smoothly averting her gaze from them.
Their opinions were unimportant.
After the vote, they searched for a safe place together. They also picked some spiritual grass and caught some spiritual beasts on their way.
They searched until the night before they found a cave. Nanfeng went to look for firewood. Qin Wanwan opened her Qiankun pouch and processed the rations before distributing them to everyone.
Jian Xingzhi took his ration and went out of the cave. Qin Wanwan’s eyes followed Jian Xingzhi’s movement and she came after him.
When she arrived at the cave’s mouth, she saw Jian Xingzhi sitting with his back to her. She lifted her foot and swung her leg at him. Jian Xingzhi simply leaned sideways to avoid her kick. He waved his hand holding the wine gourd and blocked her movement, “What is it? Do you want to spar?”
Qin Wanwan was not interested in anything related to ‘fighting’ and she wasn’t here for that in the first place. She sat down beside him with a menace and whispered through her teeth, “Which loose screws in your head made you decide that throwing me like a sack today is a good decision? Have you lost your mind?!”
“Don’t ask me, ask the elf ah.” Jian Xingzhi threw a peanut into his mouth, “It’s not like I want to do it.”
“Haven’t we agreed on discussing it first?” Qin Wanwan’s brows creased, “Why don’t you keep your promise?”
“I am also helpless, it’s an urgent task, what else can I do?” Jian Xingzhi lifted his hand and outstretched five fingers, letting her have a good close-up, “Fifty points.”
Qin Wanwan stared hard at Jian Xingzhi the Capitalist. She told herself, humans would die in pursuit of wealth just as birds would die in pursuit of food[2]. By now, she should have understood human nature.
Her straight shoulder slackened as she sat beside Jian Xingzhi. Jian Xingzhi was aware that she was not happy and placated, “Don’t be angry. Next time I get a task to let you save people, I will let you save them in the way you want. I promise I won’t throw you away again, how is it?”
“What if I don’t want to save them?”
Qin Wanwan looked up at him. Jian Xingzhi shrugged his shoulders, “Then I will prioritize the task ah.”
“Long Aotian.” Qin Wanwan bit her words, “Why are you so domineering?”
“Do you have a problem with me being domineering?” Jian Xingxhi took a sip of his wine. He laughed when Qin Wanwan was choked by his words.
“Look,” Jian Xingzhi leaned in front of her, “The strong make the rules. It’s the benefit of cultivation. If you are weak, who can you blame when you are bullied by me?“
“That’s not how it works.” Qin Wanwan shot him a defiant look. Jian Xingzhi paused in his action of drinking. Qin Wanwan emphasized, “The genuinely strong people make rules to protect the weak, only those who pretend to be strong take pleasure in bullying the weak.”
Jian Xingzhi didn’t reply. The wine gourd in his hand stopped swaying. A moment later, he murmured, “As long as you’re happy.”
Qin Wanwan was not in the mood to continue the topic and switched the topic to a more pressing issue, “What hidden agenda do you have today?”
“I have no hidden agenda,” Jian Xingzhi was languid, “I’m just delivering a beauty to your doorstep.”
“Beauty?”
Qin Wanwan knitted her brows. Jian Xingzhi nodded earnestly. He jokingly measured her up, “You are drooling at the beauties in Tian Jian Sect every day. Look, now I deliver one to your doorstep, aren’t you happy?
Qin Wanwan didn’t reply to his joke. She was busy brooding the meaning of Jian Xingzhi’s words.
He delivers it to her doorstep?
That’s to say, Jian Xingzhi was not only responsible for creating opportunities for her to shine as the Female Lead but also responsible for finding her a man?
By the standard rules, the Female Lead should be surrounded by beauties of various styles. So… she was no exception?
“Don’t think so hard about it.” Jian Xingzhi patted Qin Wanwan’s shoulder to loosen her tight frown. “Cultivate well and listen to me in the future. I guarantee that you will be surrounded by beautiful men, collect many peach blossom debts[3], and ascend smoothly. As long as you obediently listen to my words, your marriage and future,” Jian Xingzhi pointed at himself with his thumb, “I will take care of it.”
The author has something to say:
【Mini Theater】
Later——
Qin Wanwan scrutinized the chosen Male Lead who was beaten to a pulp: “Where is the good package of marriage and future you said you will take care of? You beat the Male Lead to this point, where can I still get my package?”
Jian Xingshi: “I didn’t lie ah. Haven’t I said it? Your marriage and future. leave. it. to. me.” [4]
Footnotes
[1] 美救英雄 – měi jiù yīng xióng. It’s really Beauty Save the Hero and not the Hero Save the Beauty lmao. ↵
[2] 人为财死, 鸟为食亡 – rén wéi cái sǐ, niǎo wèi shí wáng. Figuratively used to say that humans will go through all means to become rich. ↵
[3] 桃花债 – táohuā zhài. lit. Peach Blossom Debt. Love Debt, since peach blossoms are used as a symbol of love. ↵
[4] Previously, Jian Xingzhi said 我包了 (I will take care of it). 我包了 – wǒ bāo le. in literal meaning, it is ‘I will pack(包) it’. Thus, Qin Wanwan kept asking where is the package(包) he promised her. Then Jian Xingzhi said 我.包.了. that is ‘leave it to me (to take care of it)’ became ‘leave it to me (there can only be me)’.↵
Lei’s Corner
The current Jian Xingzhi is digging pits for his future self, leaving his future self to fend for himself.
I’m prepping myself to eat glass dregs by Hua Yi Shan tomorrow by stuffing myself with JXZ’s antics.
Likes and comments are very much appreciated because the notifications remind me that I still have ongoing translations in hands (and someone does read my translations). ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
Other Romance Novels available in Elysian Pit
The Memory Lost in Space by Tong Hua [Interstellar]
A man with no future and a woman with no past, what will their end be?
The Villains I Raised All Died by Mo Shu Bai [QT]
Dying for others sucks.
Low IQ Supporting Female, Waiting for Death Online by Wei Ke [QT]
Dying for others sucks (2)
The Husband was the Long Aotian by Mo Shu Bai [Transmigration]
I just want to be a Salted Fish… – the FL, most likely.
The Sword Immortal was My Ex-Boyfriend by Mo Shu Bai [Transmigration]
Ai? Why is this Sword Immortal similar to my Ex from the 21st Century? – the FL, most likely.
Words count (excluding title, footnotes, TL’s corner): 2224
A simp.
“Likes and comments are very much appreciated because the notifications remind me that I still have ongoing translations in hands (and someone does read my translations). ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ”
I read it! Don’t have an wordpress account though so I can’t click like :(