I Accidentally Triggered the Restricted Punishment Protocol - Chapter 30

Yi Hanxing felt she truly needed to go and pray for some luck. What kind of misfortune was this? To run into Qin Wuzhou four times in a single day!

Did this man spend his entire day idling around and wandering through Qing棠 Valley? Why was he not sleeping in the middle of the night and instead sitting alone on the roof like some melancholic literary youth?

However, as Qin Wuzhou landed in front of her, she realized he was not portraying a literary youth but a psychopathic killer.

“Why are you backing away?” Qin Wuzhou asked with a beaming smile. “Did I frighten you?”

Please, brother, why don’t you take a mirror and look at yourself? She thought. He smelled of alcohol, and his clothes, face, and hands were covered in blood.

Speaking of blood.

Yi Hanxing’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted straight away. When she opened her eyes again, the vast starry sky met her gaze. The back of her head did not hurt. Logically, she should have hit the floor unless someone had caught her as she fell.

When she fully regained consciousness, she was lying on the Dream Projection Platform. A few steps away by the railing, a man sat with one leg bent, head tilted back toward the moon as he drank alone.

Fortunately, Qin Wuzhou had changed into a clean set of purple robes. Aside from a faint scent of blood lingering in the air, he looked much more refreshed and orderly.

Yi Hanxing crept up quietly, preparing to make a run for it. But Qin Wuzhou spoke as if he had eyes in the back of his head. “Where are you going?”

Her body stiffened, and she gave a forced smile. “I am going back to sleep.”

“Going back already? Are you not going to burn your incense?” Qin Wuzhou turned around and glanced at her with interest. He pointed to a nearby spot. “When you fainted just now, the things in your arms fell out.”

Yi Hanxing reached into her robe and found it empty. On the stone table sat her bronze incense burner, several sticks of incense, and two white candles, all arranged neatly.

“Oh, thank you for the reminder, Master.” Yi Hanxing smiled sheepishly, quickly tucked the items back into her robe, and turned to leave. Again, she was called back. “Today is neither a festival nor a special occasion. For whom are you burning this incense?”

Yi Hanxing’s scalp tightened. Her first instinct was to tell a lie, but then she had a change of heart. Why not tell the truth?

Leaving aside the fact that the death of the original owner had nothing to do with her, if Qin Wuzhou knew his disciple had been murdered, she could use his power to find the truth. That would be much more effective than her trying to figure it out blindly.

The words were on the tip of her tongue when she paused. A doubt she had never considered surfaced in her mind. Who exactly had placed that copy of The Method of Washing Meridians and Changing Marrow in the Pavilion of a Thousand Scrolls?

First, this person must be an insider of Qing棠 Valley, otherwise, they could not have entered the Pavilion. Second, this person practiced the demonic path, or at least had deep contact with it, to know about the works of the Sky Demon. Third, this person was familiar with the original girl and knew she was looking for a way to change her constitution. Fourth, this person must have high level cultivation to deceive the disciples on duty and bypass the Pavilion’s search arrays.

More importantly, this person must hold a high status in the Valley to be able to modify the library records and erase the book’s origin without a trace.

A demonic insider, familiar with her, highly skilled, and of high status.

Yi Hanxing glanced at Qin Wuzhou and decisively changed her answer. “I am burning it for a relative.”

She could not figure it out. Did he have any reason to kill the original girl? She was not sure if she should suspect Qin Wuzhou, but for the sake of safety, it was better to be cautious.

Qin Wuzhou asked, “You are a fatherless and motherless orphan. What relatives do you have to worship?”

His words were harsh. Yi Hanxing said with a stern face, “That is exactly why I can only show my filial piety this way. If I could serve them in person, there would be no need to burn this incense.”

Qin Wuzhou seemed truly bored tonight and had the patience to argue with her. “Then how do you know your parents are dead? Does the smoke of this incense even reach the underworld?”

Yi Hanxing replied, “If not for being unable to protect themselves, who would abandon their own child in a dangerous place like the Ghost Market? Besides, after all these years, there has never been a clue about them. They must have passed away long ago.”

Qin Wuzhou laughed. “The world is full of ungrateful people. Former lovers turn their swords on each other, and brothers fight within the home. Human nature is cold. Why would parents need to be in danger to abandon a child? They need no reason. Sometimes they simply get bored and throw the child away.”

He spoke with such certainty that it sounded like something he had witnessed firsthand. He continued, “They do not come looking for you likely because they simply forgot about you and are off living their own happy lives. Since they abandoned the child back then, why would they remember now?”

“Can Master not wish for something better for me?” Yi Hanxing muttered. She knew his words were cruel but likely true. However, she refused to concede. “Anyway, I would rather believe they are dead, which is why they have not come for me.” Surely the original girl would have hoped for the same.

To this, Qin Wuzhou simply said, “Self-deception,” and spoke no more.

Yi Hanxing saw him start drinking again. Her mouth moved faster than her brain. “Is Master in a bad mood?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to slap herself. Are you even that close to him? Why do you have such a big mouth!

Qin Wuzhou glanced at her. “What if I am in a good mood? What if I am not?”

Yi Hanxing was not good at comforting people. She could only use a clichéd line. “If you are in a good mood, that is for the best. The most important thing in life is to be happy. If you are in a bad mood, you should find a way to cheer yourself up.”

Qin Wuzhou snorted. He took a wine cup from his robe, poured a drink from the flask, and handed it to her. “That is easy. If I kill a few people, my mood will improve.”

Yi Hanxing’s hand trembled as she took the cup, spilling half the wine onto Qin Wuzhou’s fingers. He withdrew his hand, seemingly unbothered, and licked the wine from his skin.

His fingers were as pale as jade, and the wine was amber like honey. Combined with the open sky and flickering stars, there was an indescribable, eerie beauty to the scene.

Yi Hanxing watched him, thinking that he truly was the patriarch of the Hehuan Sect. He looked more like a human cauldron than she did with her “Sacred Body.”

The golden liquid in the white porcelain cup tasted surprisingly sweet. “It is very sweet,” she noted.

“It is a specialty of the Kingdom of Falling Flowers, a peony honey wine called Dragon Fragrance. Your Eldest Senior Brother brought it back from his hometown,” Qin Wuzhou said lazily.

So Nan Xun was from the Kingdom of Falling Flowers. Yi Hanxing did not know if the original girl knew this, so she simply nodded. “I see.”

She took a few more sips. “This wine is sweet and delicious.”

Qin Wuzhou gave a half smile. “Dragon Fragrance is sweet on the palate, but the aftertaste is strong. Be careful not to get drunk.”

Yi Hanxing glanced at the empty bottles littering the ground at his feet. You should tell that to yourself, she thought.

“I do not dare to drink more. I will take my leave now.”

Qin Wuzhou set down his cup. “What is with you today? You have been trying to run away since you saw me, like a mouse seeing a cat.”

Yi Hanxing lowered her head and scuffed the ground with her toe. Under his prolonged gaze, she finally answered honestly, “Because I feel that Master probably does not want to see me.”

She sighed inwardly, feeling a wave of awkwardness. When she only viewed him as a fictional character, she could interact with him freely. Now, because she cared about his thoughts and respected his emotions, she had become timid.

He had been reluctant even to agree to teach her. Naturally, she felt she was not well liked, so why should she bother him?

Qin Wuzhou said flatly, “Then you are wrong.”

Yi Hanxing let out a startled sound. She saw him stand up and hold his forehead, his steps somewhat unsteady.

“I am a bit drunk. Help me back to the Golden Scale Hall.”

“Oh, okay.” Yi Hanxing immediately forgot her previous thoughts, took his outstretched arm, and helped him walk out.

To prevent enemy intrusions, flying on swords was not permitted within the grounds of Qing棠 Valley. By the time they walked back to the Golden Scale Hall, the night was deep.

Yi Hanxing settled him on the couch and noticed immediately that the bed had been changed. It was simple and narrow, a stark contrast to the previous luxurious one with carved patterns and curtains.

Could it be because of my casual teasing from before?

Yi Hanxing felt even more awkward. But Qin Wuzhou was already drunk. He rolled over in a daze, lying on his back with his limbs spread wide.

She had taken health and safety classes in university and knew that a drunk person should not sleep on their back because they could choke on their own vomit. She exerted all her strength to roll Qin Wuzhou onto his side. He was a tall man and incredibly heavy.

In the world of the original book, cultivators were physically strong and likely would not suffocate from vomit, but Yi Hanxing still viewed things through the eyes of a mortal.

After much effort, she pushed him onto his side, but after a while, he rolled back onto his back. Yi Hanxing patiently pushed him over again.

This repeated several times. Before she knew it, the rooster crowed. Yi Hanxing was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. She did not bother returning to her own quarters and instead curled up on a chair and fell asleep.

As dawn broke, Qin Wuzhou was the first to open his eyes. He saw the girl in the pink dress curled into a ball on the chair. He frowned, about to ask why she had not left, but the words did not come out.

She was frowning in her sleep, looking uncomfortable as she shifted. The chair was likely too hard.

Yi Hanxing opened her eyes and saw the plain bed curtains. She was horrified. She had fallen asleep on a chair! Why was she waking up in Qin Wuzhou’s bed?

She scrambled out of bed in a panic only to hear a voice say, “You are awake.”

Qin Wuzhou was sitting by the window, sipping tea.

Yi Hanxing looked as miserable as if she were at a funeral. “Master, I truly do not know what happened. I was clearly on the chair before I slept. I really, really did not try to climb into your bed again!”

Qin Wuzhou blew the tea leaves in his cup. “I know.”

Yi Hanxing checked herself and found her clothes were intact. She glanced at Qin Wuzhou. He looked calm, and there were no signs of any struggle or impropriety. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Then I will leave now.”

“Wait,” Qin Wuzhou said smoothly. “I have something to say.”

He finally looked away from his tea and toward her. The morning light illuminated the girl’s face, making her look as bright and beautiful as a spring flower. The words he intended to say changed. “I was drunk last night. You watched over me all night?”

Yi Hanxing did not understand the weight of the question and nodded honestly.

Qin Wuzhou was silent for a moment. “Why did you not come to the bed to sleep?”

“How could I sleep on that bed?” Yi Hanxing asked, confused. “It is so narrow. We would have had to pile on top of each other.”

Qin Wuzhou raised an eyebrow, thinking of something. He put down his teacup and suddenly laughed. “True. This place is not suitable. The Mirror Heart Competition is approaching. Stay in your quarters tonight. I will teach you the Hehuan techniques.”

After sending away his troublesome disciple, Qin Wuzhou straightened his sleeves and left the Golden Scale Hall.

Along the way, disciples of Qing棠 Valley stopped to bow and greet him respectfully. Qin Wuzhou did not spare them a glance, walking straight to the residence of Su Meinian.

The latter was focused on reading a book when Qin Wuzhou burst in. Thinking it was an enemy attack, she grabbed her life-bond sword and stepped over the threshold aggressively. Seeing it was Qin Wuzhou, her face fell. “I will give you fifty taels to get away from my door!”

Qin Wuzhou ignored her and entered the hall. “Did you not take five new disciples this year?”

Su Meinian was a social butterfly. Her circle of friends spanned the world, and she had twice as many disciples as other elders.

She became wary. “Which of them offended you? What do you want? If you touch a single hair on my disciples, I will fight you to the death!”

Qin Wuzhou scanned the hall and focused on the bookshelf. “Are these the materials you use for your new disciples? Good. I am taking them.”

Su Meinian was furious. “Are you committing a robbery?”

Qin Wuzhou nodded naturally. “I will not return them when I am done.”

Su Meinian snorted and drew her sword without another word. Qin Wuzhou dodged her strike with practiced ease and countered with a palm strike.

For a moment, sword light and palm wind intertwined. The sounds of clashing echoed through the hall.

A new disciple watched anxiously, fearing their master would lose. They wanted to intervene but were stopped by a senior. “Do not be nervous. The Sect Leader will not truly kill our master.”

The new disciple hesitated. “But I heard the Sect Leader is impartial and ruthless. There is a hierarchy in the Valley. Master has insulted him repeatedly. I fear the Sect Leader is displeased.”

Another senior laughed. “You do not understand. Before the previous Sect Leader passed away, the condition for passing the position to Qin Wuzhou was that he must treat our master well. Qin Wuzhou uses ruthless methods, but as long as she does not betray the sect or commit murder, he is willing to spare her life.”

The new disciple shook their head. “It is just a verbal promise. How can it be trusted?”

The senior tapped the disciple’s head. “That is where you are wrong. Among immortal sects, trust, righteousness, and etiquette are paramount. Mediocre cultivation can be compensated for, but once one betrays trust or violates the natural order, they become a demon that everyone in the immortal world will hunt. There would be no place left for them.”

The disciple dared not say more but thought to himself that a man as free and unrestrained as Sect Leader Qin would not be bound by rules. He spared her simply because he chose to.

The fight between Qin and Su ended. Qin Wuzhou waved his sleeve and took the books. “I will take these for now. Once Hanxing has finished reading them, I will come back to exchange them for new ones.”

Su Meinian, having lost again, was indignant until she heard his words. “You are looking for teaching materials for Niece Yi? Why did you not say so sooner!”

She went back inside and returned with a full storage bag. “These are recording pearls I made for my disciples. Give them to Hanxing. If there is anything she does not understand, tell her to come and ask me.”

Qin Wuzhou took the bag. “She has her own master. There is no reason for her to ask others.” He then walked away.

Similar scenes played out in the halls of four or five other elders throughout the day. By sunset, Qin Wuzhou arrived at the disciples’ quarters with a full harvest.

It was not yet the appointed time, and Yi Hanxing was nowhere to be found. Qin Wuzhou was not the type to wait outside. He did not strictly follow the etiquette between master and disciple and acted as he pleased. He pushed open her door and walked in.

The room was clean and simple. Though it was a humble room, it felt warm. However, in Qin Wuzhou’s eyes, it was far too plain. The couch was too small, the furniture was too hard, and the mirror was worn out. It needed a larger, clearer mirror and some paintings on the walls.

When Yi Hanxing returned to her room at nightfall, she was nearly blinded by the golden light emanating from within.

“Sorry, I have the wrong room.” She quickly closed the door and backed away.

Qin Wuzhou’s voice came from inside. “Come back.”

“Okay.” Yi Hanxing entered again, adjusting to the sight of antiques, treasures, curtains, and soft chairs. A question mark appeared over her head.

Qin Wuzhou sat imperiously in a red sandalwood chair. “What do you think of my work?”

Was he playing some kind of home makeover game in her room?

“It is beautiful, but why did Master suddenly do this?” she asked. The renovation looked expensive, and she had no money!

Qin Wuzhou saw through her. “The original look was an eyesore. I took some idle items from my private storehouse and am lending them to you temporarily.”

Had the devil found his conscience? Since she arrived in this world, this Master had done nothing but force her into missions. He was no different from a human trafficking system. Other systems gave out gift bags or power ups; Qin Wuzhou was a stingy iron rooster.

To her surprise, he had finally spent some money!

Yi Hanxing planned to get as much as she could from him as a reward for her hard work. She thanked him and walked to the new bookshelf. “Are these also from Master’s collection?”

She took a book down, opened it, and her eyes widened at the explicit content. She slammed it shut. Why does the immortal world have its own version of “The Golden Lotus”?

Qin Wuzhou had not seen which book she grabbed. “Those are Su Meinian’s. She says she uses them to teach her disciples, so I took them.”

Yi Hanxing shook her head, trying to erase the vivid descriptions from her mind. “Thank you, Master.”

Tonight, he was supposed to teach her the Hehuan techniques.

“Do you not like that one?” Qin Wuzhou walked over and stood behind her. His arm reached over her head, and his soft sleeve brushed her cheek, carrying a faint sweet scent.

He took a book titled Illustrated Eighteen Styles of Hehuan and flipped through it, stopping at a page showing a specific posture. Both of them fell into a dead silence.

After a moment, Qin Wuzhou flipped to the next page showing a different position. He glanced at her. “You do not need to learn this chapter. You already know it.”

Yi Hanxing was so embarrassed she wanted to dig a hole and hide. She nodded silently with a wooden face. Qin Wuzhou studied her and muttered, “You did not even blush.”

He threw the book to her. “Read it yourself first. If there is anything you do not understand, ask me.”

Yi Hanxing held the book as if it were a hot potato and quickly stuffed it back into the corner of the shelf. Qin Wuzhou walked back to his chair and placed a white jade box on the table. “Come here.”

He opened the box, and a cold light flashed. Yi Hanxing saw a row of sharp weapons inside and hesitated.

“Come and choose one you like,” Qin Wuzhou urged.

“Choose one I like?” Yi Hanxing grumbled. “A way to die?”

Qin Wuzhou chuckled. “How will you compete with other disciples in the Great Ascension Ceremony without a weapon?”

“Master is so sure I can participate? What if I do not pass the internal selection?” she asked.

Qin Wuzhou sneered. “If you study under me and do not take first place, I think you are itching for a punishment.”

The requirement is only the top five. Why did he decide she had to be first? “Master, can we make a deal? If I pass, will you grant me a small request and stop talking about ‘punishment’ all the time?”

It sounded terrible, as if she were just a number.

Qin Wuzhou gave a half smile. “You are not worthy to negotiate with me. Now choose a weapon!”

“Okay!” She replied.

To do a good job, one must have the right tools. She grew excited at the prospect of having her own life-bond sword.

She did not recognize the names of the swords in the jade box. They varied in length and design. Some had fire patterns on the hilt, some sparked with electricity, and one was so cold it had frosted the red velvet beneath it. She knew these were all rare and famous swords.

As a young woman, she could not help but be drawn to beauty. She chose a slender, elegant long sword and gripped the hilt, but it would not budge.

Qin Wuzhou smiled. “I forgot to mention. Famous swords have spirits and choose their own masters. If the sword does not recognize you, you cannot take it from the box.”

Yi Hanxing’s mouth twitched. She pulled again with all her might, but the silver sword did not move. Fine, I did not want it that much anyway.

Qin Wuzhou crossed his arms and watched her continue.

Next, she chose a sword with a dark silver glow, looking low key yet luxurious. She gripped it and pulled until her face turned red, but the sword only hummed twice in vibration.

It felt like she was being mocked by a sword!

She tried several more times, even attempting to pull out a large blade, but failed every time.

Exhausted, she sat back in the chair. “Master, is something wrong with your swords? Why can I not pull out a single one?”

Qin Wuzhou pointed to a sword and laughed. “This one was the life-bond sword of the former Sect Leader of the Changyang Sect. It is said it can level mountains and part seas. This one was held by a demon elder and killed every cultivator in a whole city. And this demonic sword was forged with the sacrifice of a hundred people; anyone who held it gained immense power but suffered a cultivation deviation.”

Yi Hanxing muttered, “I know your swords are powerful. But if they are so great, how did they all end up in your hands?”

Qin Wuzhou’s smile deepened. “Because I am more powerful than the owners of these swords.”

So they were all trophies from his defeated enemies.

Yi Hanxing said dissatisfied, “It seems I am not blessed enough to use these swords. Master should just keep them for himself.”

“I cannot use a sword,” Qin Wuzhou said flatly. “But as for you, without a weapon for protection, do you want a repeat of what happened with Jiang Yinghui in the Fragrant Heaven Pavilion?”