I Accidentally Triggered the Restricted Punishment Protocol - Chapter 10

Yi Hanxing finally found the cow cat Qin Wuzhou inside a blue-and-white porcelain vase at the corner of the wall. Heaven only knew how he managed to squeeze through such a narrow opening; cats truly must be liquid.

“Your cat looks a bit listless.” Wu Yingzi appeared to be a devoted prospective “cat servant,” trailing longingly after Yi Hanxing, constantly looking for an opportunity to give the cat a rub.

Yi Hanxing took a close look, and indeed, something was wrong. After just a brief absence, the cat was completely wilted. Even as she turned him over to check him, he only let out a faint, spiritless “meow.”

She suddenly recalled what Senior Aunt Su had told her: a cultivator’s clone is intimately linked to the main body. If the main body’s condition is poor, it affects the clone. And if that was true, then the reverse…

Wu Yingzi leaned in and said, “Senior Uncle Lin just instructed me that since you were not wearing a mask at the assembly, you might have been targeted by those thugs. For safety’s sake, it is best if you stay with us. We are all cultivators; we can look out for each other if danger arises.”

The Yuxu Mountain sect rules were strict: one must not betray fellow disciples, must not commit injustice, and must not be tainted by demonic energy. Those who broke the rules would have their swords shattered and their meridians severed. Naturally, they could not turn a blind eye to Yi Hanxing.

“However, this cat…” Wu Yingzi looked reluctant. “Senior Uncle Lin is allergic to cat fur.”

Yi Hanxing’s heart stirred. “Then, shall I throw him away?”

Wu Yingzi: “Ah? You decided that so quickly?”

Yi Hanxing had long wanted an opportunity to tweak the tiger’s tail. She smiled without a word and led the cow cat toward the exit. The cat’s tail flicked, and he gave her an expressionless look.

I am truly sorry, Mas-ter, Yi Hanxing gloated in her heart. It is not that I do not want to keep you by my side, but circumstances force my hand. You told me to complete the mission, so for the sake of the mission, please depart gracefully.

She reached the door, picked up the cow cat by the scruff of its neck, and tried to pour him out like a bucket of water.

He did not pour. The cat clung to her arm like sticky mud, hissing at her.

Yi Hanxing looked innocent. “You are very angry, Master, but there is no other way. It is all for the mission. Do not be temperamental; think of the bigger picture.”

She had things to say to Lin Wujiu that she could not say in front of this great villain. The original male lead was upright and merciful; he would not leave her to die. Furthermore, although the original book was an adult novel, the style was surprisingly focused on “pure love”—the male lead would only ever be involved with the heroine. In other words, he would never lay a hand on her, a “cauldron.”

Staying by the side of the protagonist blessed with plot armor felt much more reliable than staying with a villain who was up to no good.

—So, bye-bye to you!

With a sharp tug, Yi Hanxing flung the cow cat out. With the agility of an Olympic diver, he performed a neat two-and-a-half somersault in mid-air before landing steadily on all fours. He found himself face-to-face with a young man in white who was just stepping onto the final stair at the other end of the corridor.

Lin Wujiu was stunned for a moment, then smiled and reached down to pet the cat.

The cat’s fur immediately stood on end. Without a second thought, his claws left bloody streaks on the back of the man’s hand.

Lin Wujiu’s smile vanished. He frowned slightly, looking at his bleeding hand.

“I am sorry, I am so sorry!” Yi Hanxing rushed over, apologizing profusely as she saw the situation turn sour. “This cat is disobedient. I have already decided to find a good home to foster him.”

Seeing the cuts on Lin Wujiu’s hand, she felt guilty; the blood had already stained the Buddhist beads on his wrist.

Lin Wujiu gave a soft grunt. “It is just a superficial wound. Do not worry about it.”

“Miss Yi just said she was sending the cat away? This place is a den of thieves; I fear it will be hard to find a good home.”

Yi Hanxing thought to herself: This is no ordinary cat. If you keep him, he might come for your head in the middle of the night. On the surface, she said, “But I heard from Immortal Wu that you are allergic to cat fur…”

Sure enough, within moments, Lin Wujiu’s hand broke out in a dense rash of red bumps.

He thought for a moment and offered a compromise: “I recall the innkeeper’s wife keeps cats. Why not leave the kitten with her for a few days? When we are ready to leave the Ghost Market, we can take him with us.”

Hearing he was to be separated from Yi Hanxing, the cow cat let out an angry “meow” and prepared to pounce again.

But he was immediately pinned down by her. Yi Hanxing gripped the cat by the scruff of his “fated” neck and said gratefully to Lin Wujiu, “Thank you, Immortal. I will go deliver the cat now.”

With that, she carried the cat downstairs.

“Miss Yi, wait!” Wu Yingzi chased after them, looking at the cat with a lingering, longing expression.

Yi Hanxing was not about to give her a chance to keep Qin Wuzhou. She quickly changed the subject, claiming she felt bad about her pet causing Lin Wujiu’s allergy and wanted to bring him some medicine.

Wu Yingzi dismissed the concern. “We are cultivators. Such trivial injuries have likely healed by now.”

Yi Hanxing insisted. “Please, just tell me Immortal Lin’s room number. Even if it is just some soup, it is a token of my sincerity.”

Wu Yingzi seemed to think of something. She looked at Yi Hanxing for a long time before whispering, “Wait… you haven’t also fallen for my Senior Uncle, have you?”

Also? As expected of the male lead, his “peach blossoms” (romances) were flourishing.

However, Yi Hanxing knew that in the original book, Lin Wujiu was single-mindedly devoted to the heroine, Wei Ruyi. She had been a fan of their pairing while reading; she wouldn’t dream of interfering now.

Yi Hanxing waved her hands dismissively. “How could I dare to have such thoughts about someone like the Immortal?”

To her surprise, Wu Yingzi seemed convinced she had feelings for him. “Many female cultivators have said the same in the past, and it ended… well, let us not speak of it. Look at my Senior Brother; he is hundreds of years old and still cannot find a compatible partner. No, no, I cannot tell you where he stays.”

With that, she retreated into her room like she was fleeing and slammed the door.

Yi Hanxing, failing at the first hurdle: …

Actually, she just wanted to get on the male lead’s good side. In the cultivation world, another friend meant another path. Ideally, she could shed her Hehuan Sect identity at the right time and naturally request to join the Sword Sect, sparing her from the daily terror of the villain’s camp.

Since Wu Yingzi wouldn’t help, Yi Hanxing had to find her own way. The innkeeper would surely know where Lin Wujiu stayed.

On her way back to her room, a tall cultivator brushed past her. As he moved by her side, he suddenly frowned.

The cultivator had a prominent scar crossing the bridge of his nose, tearing what was once a refined face into two fierce sections. The scarred man stopped, looked back at the girl holding the cat, his eyes filled with suspicion as if he wanted to chase after her. After a moment, he turned back.

With a heavy expression, he went to a door and knocked softly. “Senior Brother Lin.”

Lin Wujiu’s voice came through: “Is that Junior Brother Jiang Yinghui? Please come in.”

As soon as Jiang Yinghui entered, he locked the door behind him, his face full of tension. “Senior Brother, I heard the inn was hit by a thief last night?”

Lin Wujiu poured him a cup of tea. “Mhm. Do not be anxious.”

“How can I not be anxious!” Jiang Yinghui’s voice rose in terror. “It happened right now, just after that person’s unique spiritual signature was detected at the Withered Bone Ruins. A man in black attacked us, and he did not use a sword, did he?! Is it him? Is he not dead? Is he still alive and coming for us—”

Lin Wujiu suddenly looked up at him. Jiang Yinghui was instantly frozen in place.

The room fell silent. The teapot on the stove whistled, and the tea poured into the cup sounded like splashing pearls.

“It is the innkeeper’s private stash of Biluochun. Try some, Junior Brother Jiang,” Lin Wujiu said, pushing a cup toward him.

Jiang Yinghui snapped out of it, took the scalding cup with both hands, and swallowed the tea without tasting it. His tongue felt numb and painful, a sensation that flowed down into his stomach.

“Senior Brother, were we wrong?” Jiang Yinghui lowered his head, his voice choking. “Actually… he was very good to us, yet we killed him. Ever since I heard he was seen at the ruins, I haven’t slept. Whenever I close my eyes, I see his bloody eyes staring at me…”

“No matter how much you regret it, the deed is done,” Lin Wujiu said lightly. “I watched him being buried with my own eyes and saw his soul lamp go out. Someone whose soul has dissipated cannot crawl back from the underworld to seek revenge.”

Jiang Yinghui muttered dazed, “What if? Just what if? I am truly going crazy. Just now, in the corridor, a female cultivator passed me, and I thought I sensed his spiritual aura on her…”

Jiang Yinghui was born with a sense of smell far more sensitive than others. He could detect spiritual fluctuations that others needed magical tools for. Unfortunately, when that person rebelled and slaughtered the Yuxu Mountain disciples, he had been one of the attackers and had been struck; his nose was no longer as sharp as it once was.

Lin Wujiu gave a faint smile. “A cultivator’s spiritual aura is like the lines on a palm; it varies from person to person. To be tainted by someone else’s aura, one must have undergone physical union. Are you suggesting that person crawled out of hell and, instead of coming for us, went to see a female cultivator and spent a night of passion with her?”

Given that man’s arrogant personality, he had never been seen caring for anyone. After that incident, it was even more impossible.

Furthermore, if someone could smell his aura just by passing by…

That would mean the aura on her was incredibly dense, as if every part of that girl, inside and out, was saturated with his spiritual energy.

Just what kind of “vigorous” encounter would that have been?

Yi Hanxing carried the cow cat downstairs, intending to get rid of this “hot potato” as soon as possible.

At this moment, Qin Wuzhou had grown quiet. Once they reached a secluded spot, he suddenly turned his head, his eyes ice-cold. “Do not think I do not know what you are thinking.”

Yi Hanxing looked innocent. “What is Master talking about?”

Qin Wuzhou: “Stop pretending to be honest in front of me. You want nothing more than to betray me and side with Lin Wujiu.”

Yi Hanxing stroked the cat’s “airplane ears” and said slowly, “Actually, I have never understood. Our Hehuan Sect and the Sword Sect mind our own business. Immortal Lin has a great reputation for helping those in need. Why must Master target him?”

Qin Wuzhou said calmly, “He is in my way.”

Yi Hanxing thought that was as good as saying nothing. She added, “Master’s cat-corpse clone probably cannot use its full power right now, right?”

Qin Wuzhou glanced at her, seemingly unsurprised she had noticed.

Yi Hanxing continued: “In any case, Master can just assume that my staying with Lin Wujiu is to complete your mission. Master will just have to endure a bit and stay with the house cats eating leftovers in the kitchen.”

Qin Wuzhou stared at her and said nothing.

Yi Hanxing entered the kitchen, greeted the innkeeper’s wife, and handed the cow cat over to her.

With an outsider present, Qin Wuzhou became quiet again. Only his golden cat eyes glowed like ghost fire in the midnight.

At the same time, thousands of miles away in the Golden Scale Hall of Qingtang Valley, Qin Wuzhou sat on his dark meditation mat.

His gaze was like a sharp knife, staring at a point in the void. Before him, the girl’s feigned, obedient smile seemed to appear again.

“Yi Hanxing.” He spoke her name syllable by syllable and suddenly laughed.

“You just wait for me.”