After Redeeming the Villain, I Was Obliterated by the System - Chapter 13

Lin Sui opened his eyes after a bout of dizziness, only to find himself back at Falling Snow Peak. If he had returned to his original body, what would happen to that other shell? Worried that Xiao Qingyan might notice something amiss, Lin Sui immediately pinched a wand-sign, intending to return to that body.

As silver-white spiritual energy flickered at his fingertips, the Cold Poison suddenly flared up. The energy dissipated into specks of starlight, the blood flowing in his veins froze instantly, and his heartbeat became slow and heavy. His every breath was tinged with frost. Lin Sui fumbled through his storage bag for the elixir Su Zhanyun had given him, but his hands were so stiff that the greenish-blue bottle slipped and rolled across the floor.

He was forced to crouch down, groping blindly to find where the bottle had fallen. However, his fingers were now too rigid to even bend. After searching for a long time without success, he could only turn to the system for help over and over again. Just as he was about to freeze into a block of ice, the system finally came online.

[Oh my god! Host! It has only been half a day, and yet you are blind again and your Cold Poison is acting up! You look like you are about to kick the bucket, and you have already failed two missions! You are far too useless! I am starting to regret binding with you!]

The system sighed, showing absolutely no concern for whether Lin Sui lived or died. Lin Sui no longer had the strength to bicker with the system. He squeezed out a single word: “Medicine.”

The system remained indifferent, speaking with an air of innocence. [That will not do, Host. I do not have a physical form, so I cannot get the medicine for you. And do not expect me to suppress the Cold Poison either. You failed your missions twice; consider this a fitting punishment for your lack of diligence.]

Lin Sui was nearly consumed by rage. He could no longer move an inch. The Cold Poison surged through his meridians like a blade, ruthlessly severing them. A metallic sweetness rose in his throat, and he violently coughed up a large mouthful of blood. The scalding blood sprayed onto the back of his hand, quickly condensing into blood-colored frost.

[There is no other way, Host. Since you are disobedient, I have to let you suffer a bit more so you will learn to follow orders! After all, I never stick with hosts who are both disobedient and useless.]

Lin Sui could no longer hear what the system was saying. Beads of blood, frozen into ice, fell to the ground. An endless wave of cold and pain swept over him, overwhelming his senses. He felt that if he continued to endure such agony, he might eventually become immune to the sensation of pain altogether. Despite these thoughts, his lips continued to murmur rhythmically, “Medicine. Medicine.”

He really could not take it anymore. In the modern world, he had been tortured by illness day and night until he wished for death; must he endure such pain here as well? He did not want this.

Large tears fell. At this moment, his mind was filled with a single plea: Could someone please come and save me? Please, make the pain stop. However, he was alone in the room. No one would hear his cry for help. He could only rely on his own willpower to fight against the Cold Poison within him.

He did not know how much time had passed before the Cold Poison finally receded. He could not tell if his body was soaked in sweat or melted ice; his clothes clung to his skin, making him itch with discomfort. He pinched a wand-sign with his fingers, but there was no ripple of spiritual energy. After trying again and again, Lin Sui finally accepted the reality: he could no longer use his spiritual power.

Left with no choice, he used the magical treasure Su Zhanyun had given him to bathe. At the time, he had thought the “Warm Spring Space” Su Zhanyun gave him was redundant. Now, he finally understood the man’s painstaking kindness. After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, Lin Sui finally felt like he had come back to life. He lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

The silver-white bed curtains fell, leaving only the faint silhouette of the young man visible. Even in sleep, the youth was restless, seemingly trapped in a nightmare. Painful groans escaped his throat, each more suppressed than the last. The cinnabar mark between his brows glowed with a bloody light. Countless red threads spread from his forehead across his face and body, almost as if they intended to entwine him completely.

When Lin Sui woke the next day, his body felt sore and weak, and his throat was parched. He groped his way to the table and downed the tea that had been kept warm in the silver-white teapot. Once his body was hydrated and the internal heat subsided, he sat at the table, rummaging through the original soul’s memories for a way to break through the Foundation Building stage.

The system began to urge him again, it’s cold, mechanical voice announcing a new mission. Its tone was entirely different from the previous night.

[Host, please go to the villain’s side and complete an Outer Sect disciple mission with him.]

Xiao Qingyan carried the light-as-a-feather youth and placed him on the bed. The unconscious youth’s brows were tightly knit, his chest rising and falling only slightly. A lingering chill emanated from his body, surrounding the entire bed.

Zhu Jiayu followed behind, his face full of worry. “Why did Junior Brother Lin faint? Is he going to be okay?”

When Xiao Qingyan first arrived at the sect, his master, having discovered his unique constitution, often took him to Spiritual Herb Peak. Over time, he had learned some basic pulse-reading techniques. After confirming that Lin Sui was not in any grave danger, he withdrew his hand. “He is fine. He likely just fainted from exhaustion.”

“That is good, that is good. Then, Senior Brother Xiao, let us go eat first! If we wait any longer, there will be no food left.” Zhu Jiayu’s mind was entirely focused on the meal. Xiao Qingyan also felt a pang of hunger. He nodded, lowered the white bed curtains, and followed Zhu Jiayu out the door.

Before they reached the dining hall, Zhu Jiayu was called out to.

“Senior Brother Feng!” Zhu Jiayu stopped in his tracks, his almond-shaped eyes lighting up. When he saw the mission plaque in Feng Feibai’s hand, the joy in his eyes became irrepressible.

He had entered the sect at the same time as Senior Brother Feng. During that first month, Feng Feibai had helped him quite a bit. However, Zhu Jiayu was not clever enough; he had remained stuck at the Qi Refining stage, unable to break through. In contrast, Senior Brother Feng had reached the Foundation Building stage in less than a month. He was handpicked by an elder and moved to a different residence.

Since then, the opportunities for him to meet Senior Brother Feng had been few and far between. He had not expected to run into him today. Moreover, it seemed Senior Brother Feng was there to bring him a mission.

“Junior Brother Zhu, I have a mission here that is short three people. Would you like to team up with me?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Zhu Jiayu felt like jumping up to hug Feng Feibai. Heaven knows how much he wanted to go on missions to earn points!

“Senior Brother Feng, what kind of mission is it? It requires two people to go together?” Zhu Jiayu was very curious about the mission Feng Feibai had snagged.

“It is not for two people; it requires four. Junior Brother Zhu, is this person beside you?” As Feng Feibai spoke, he turned his gaze toward Xiao Qingyan. The mission plaque in his hand levitated into the air.

[Investigate the cause of death of the Scholar’s family.] [Duration: Five days] [Required Participants: 3/4]

This was the first time Zhu Jiayu had seen a mission plaque, and he could not help but lean in for a closer look. The plaque seemed to have a bit of a temper; it shot a bolt of spiritual energy at Zhu Jiayu before returning to Feng Feibai’s palm.

Feng Feibai felt a bit guilty. He looked at Xiao Qingyan. “Junior Brother, I did not know this thing would automatically include you. If you are unwilling, I will go to the elder first thing tomorrow morning to have you removed.”

“No need. Let us do it together.”

Zhu Jiayu clutched his face where the mission plaque had struck him, his eyes brimming with tears. Remembering the headcount on the plaque, he chimed in, “Senior Brother Feng, are you still short one person?”

“Yes,” Feng Feibai nodded.

“Can a newly enrolled disciple join? It just so happens a new disciple moved into my dormitory.”