I Accidentally Triggered the Restricted Punishment Protocol - Chapter 5

Misfortunes never come singly. The next day, bad news arrived from Su Meinang.

“I am sorry, niece. I went to see the Head of the Affairs Hall. That shrewd fellow was almost ready to agree, but the moment he heard it was a mission Qin Wuzhou assigned to you, he immediately changed his tune. Alas, it is my fault for being too loose-lipped. I should have known that there is not a soul in the Hehuan Sect who is not terrified of that man Qin Wuzhou.”

How could Yi Hanxing blame her? “The fact that Senior Aunt was willing to help me is enough to make me grateful.”

Su Meinang sighed and lamented. To make up for her inability to help, she unceremoniously shoved a heavy bag of spirit stones into Yi Hanxing’s hand. After grumbling a bit more about Qin Wuzhou’s terrifying reputation within the sect, she finally left in a huff.

Hardly had she left when Yi Hanxing’s residence welcomed another uninvited guest.

“Eldest Senior Brother?!”

The handsome young man who had previously been lying in a pool of blood was now sitting in a wheelchair. His face was still somewhat pale, and he wore a suit of green robes. He gave a cold nod of his head.

In the frantic chaos of her arrival, Yi Hanxing had almost forgotten about this unfortunate Senior Brother. Although she was not the one who had stabbed him, she was wearing the face of the culprit. She felt a twinge of guilt. “I am sorry, Senior Brother, I…”

Eldest Senior Brother Nan Xun remained expressionless. “Let us speak inside.”

Yi Hanxing quickly made way, her heart sinking. Seeing his serious attitude, she wondered if he was here to settle the score.

In The Overbearing Immortal Lord’s Daily Forced Love, the author’s pen was mostly dedicated to the various “plays” between Wei Ruyi and Lin Wujiu. The author knew what the readers wanted; they would rather spend two thousand words detailing a posture at a dressing table than explain the stories of minor supporting characters.

Nan Xun, the Eldest Senior Brother, was one of those glossed-over extras.

Yi Hanxing had only two impressions of this Senior Brother, whose appearances were few and far between: he was the only “pure-hearted” person in the Hehuan Sect, and he was a total fanboy of Qin Wuzhou.

Yes, even as a great villain, Qin Wuzhou had loyal followers willing to go crazy and smash walls for him.

Thinking back, the night Nan Xun risked his life to stop the original character from climbing into Qin Wuzhou’s bed might not have been just for her safety; he probably feared his idol would be defiled.

Nan Xun spoke flatly, “Master asked me to deliver these incenses to you. He said you asked for them?”

Yi Hanxing took the incense from him. It was kept in an exquisitely embroidered silk bag. As soon as it touched her hand, she smelled a refreshing fragrance. On closer inspection, it was very similar to the faint, sweet scent she had smelled on Qin Wuzhou that night. “Yes…”

Nan Xun took the opportunity to start praising Qin Wuzhou. “Master still dotes on you. After such an incident, he not only refrained from punishing you but even gave you this bag of incense he prepared personally. Do you know this incense is called Drunken Thousand Gold? It contains Saint Cloak, which only blooms once every hundred years, and musk from the Nine-Tailed Spirit Deer of Longjing…”

Before he could drown her in a list of tongue-twisting ingredient names, Yi Hanxing cut him off. “That… Eldest Senior Brother, how is your injury?”

Nan Xun kept a stone face. “I am fine.”

Then he turned his head and covered his mouth to cough twice.

He expressionlessly wiped the blood from his palm.

Yi Hanxing: “…I am truly sorry!”

Original character, oh original character, look at what you have done!

Although Nan Xun was rigid and pedantic, the original book mentioned he was actually a soft-hearted person who looked after his fellow disciples. When the original character first joined the sect, her “natural-born cauldron body” made cultivation difficult. The teaching elders knew she was Qin Wuzhou’s little disciple, so they dared not discipline her. The original character had given up on herself, but only Nan Xun would knock on her door every morning at the crack of dawn. With a cold face, he would bring a bowl of hot spiritual rice porridge and two meat buns, urging her to go to the academy.

Furthermore, as the only pure-hearted straight man in the Hehuan Sect, when the original character was harassed due to her cauldron physique, it was mostly Nan Xun who stood up and drove away the ill-intentioned crowds.

“A sword’s edge comes from sharpening; the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold. Junior Sister must never think poorly of herself just because we are members of the Hehuan Sect. One must understand that to survive in this world, the most important thing is self-reliance. Though we are of the Hehuan Sect, we are not inferior to any other cultivators…”

He was exactly that kind of upright, boring Senior Brother full of “chicken soup” for the soul.

Nan Xun: “Master already knows about my injury. I pleaded with him, and he has agreed not to pursue the matter. I know you were too young and took a wrong turn momentarily. You do not need to take it to heart.”

The plot was drifting from the original book, likely because her proactive confession had led to leniency.

However, Yi Hanxing did not feel lucky to have escaped. Although injuring Nan Xun was not her intent, she had experienced it firsthand when the original character did it. It was difficult to detach herself completely.

Nan Xun continued, “We shall not speak of my matters for now. However, offending Master is unacceptable. As a disciple, the most important thing is to know etiquette and respect the hierarchy. You will understand when you are older. Therefore, although Master is not punishing you, you must constantly reflect on yourself. I have contacted the Master of the Thorn Cave for you. Starting tomorrow, you will go into solitary confinement for three days.”

Yi Hanxing: …

She immediately retracted her useless guilt and sympathy. She said expressionlessly, “That will not do. If I leave you here alone while your injuries are not healed, I will not be able to rest easy in solitary confinement.”

“I told you not to worry,” Nan Xun said calmly. “My injury definitely cannot be cured.”

Yi Hanxing: “At least try to actively seek help!”

Nan Xun gave her a complicated look. “Has Junior Sister forgotten? The sword you used to stab me that night was no ordinary blade. It was the Poison Fang, something I obtained during my travels down the mountain and intended to present to Master.”

The original book did mention that item.

If there was anything Yi Hanxing found interesting in the original book besides the “intimacy” scenes between Lin and Wei, it was the various heavenly treasures and divine artifacts. It was said that the Poison Fang was crafted from the tooth of an ancient Poison Flood Dragon. The blade carried a lethal toxin that sealed the throat upon contact; a victim’s wounds would fester, and no ordinary medicine could cure it.

Yi Hanxing was stunned. “Then, Eldest Senior Brother… will you die?”

Nan Xun replied indifferently, “Life and death are fated. I only hope that when I look back on my life before I die, I can feel that I lived without shame—not regretting because I wasted my years, nor feeling ashamed for achieving nothing.”

Yi Hanxing fell silent for a moment before speaking. “I remember that Lin Wujiu, the Shura Sword of Yuxu Mountain, has a treasure called the Vitality Vine. It can neutralize a hundred poisons; it should be able to cure the toxin from the Poison Fang, right?”

Nan Xun said sternly, “You want to borrow the Vitality Vine from him? Impossible. Our Hehuan Sect and the Sword Sect have always been at odds; they certainly will not help. Besides, there has never been a precedent of the Vitality Vine curing the Poison Fang’s toxin. Even if you manage to get it, it might be for nothing. Stop overthinking and go to the Thorn Cave for your confinement.”

Yi Hanxing suddenly shouted rebelliously, “No!”

She stood up and pushed Nan Xun—who looked displeased and ready to scold her for her lack of manners—out of the room. “When I return from the valley, I will accept my punishment.”

Nan Xun gripped his wheelchair. “Leaving the valley? What are you going to do?”

Yi Hanxing: “Find Lin Wujiu!”

Yi Hanxing returned to the disciple quarters and packed her bags overnight. She couldn’t help it; she was the type who would stop to feed a stray cat on the street, so she certainly couldn’t watch a living person like Nan Xun die before her eyes.

However, when she pushed open the door, she found someone already waiting for her.

Under the moonlight, a young man sat on a stone bench in the courtyard. Dressed in a gold-flecked purple robe, he sat with one leg crossed over the other. A wooden clog hung precariously from his delicate, pale ankle, swaying as if it might drop at any moment.

Qin Wuzhou rested his head on one hand, cradling a cat in his arms. He seemed to be staring blankly at the night sky.

Yi Hanxing instinctively looked up at the sky as well. It was pitch black, devoid of moonlight, with only a few scattered, dim stars.

“Does Master have business with me?” She walked honestly over to him and bowed.

Qin Wuzhou gave a soft “mhm,” his gaze slowly sliding toward her. “I heard from Nan Xun that you agreed to seek out Lin Wujiu.”

It is not for you, anyway. Yi Hanxing nodded. “Master, this disciple went back and reflected. As the saying goes, ‘A sword’s edge comes from sharpening, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold.’ Although we are members of the Hehuan Sect, we must not think poorly of ourselves. To survive in this world, self-reliance is key. I believe Master gave me this heavy responsibility to encourage me and show me that I am not inferior to other cultivators—”

Qin Wuzhou chuckled.

Yi Hanxing knew he didn’t believe her. In the original book, the relationship between this master and disciple was not close; in fact, Qin Wuzhou was close to no one.

This was why she chose to find the Vitality Vine on her own rather than asking him for help.

If you lean on a mountain, it might fall; if you lean on people, they might run. It was better to rely on her own ingenuity. Besides, she had a bit of a selfish motive: she wanted to see the original male lead for herself.

Qin Wuzhou: “Since this is your first time leaving the valley for training, Master thought about it and decided I should prepare something for you.”

Yi Hanxing looked up at the sky again.

Seeing this, Qin Wuzhou asked curiously, “What are you looking at?”

Yi Hanxing: “This disciple is checking if the moon rose from the west today.”

Good heavens, the big villain is actually starting to care about his disciple.

Qin Wuzhou paused, then let out a hearty laugh in a refreshing, handsome-guy voice that ill-suited his villainous status. He placed the cat from his arms onto the stone table. “Take this with you.”

Black and white patches, big round eyes, a fluffy body—it was a cow cat!

Yi Hanxing asked in confusion, “Master, why are you giving me a cat? Is Lin Wujiu’s true form a rat demon?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the cow cat on the table suddenly spoke in a human voice: “Not quite. A wisp of Master’s divine sense has been infused into this dead cat’s body, allowing us to share senses.”

Isn’t this just placing a surveillance camera next to me so he can monitor me anytime, anywhere? This “trash Master” truly never gave up on her demise.

“Thank you, Master.” Yi Hanxing grumbled internally, but her body was honest; she stealthily gave the cow cat’s head a little rub.

The cat immediately flicked its tail and dodged.

Qin Wuzhou’s gaze fell on the hand that had just touched his “clone,” and he raised an eyebrow slightly.