My System, My Wife Feng Aotian [Transmigration] - Chapter 7

03 had originally wanted to consult Feng Jue on how the child-rearing technology between same-sex cultivation partners in this world differed from similar mission genres it had handled in the past. However, the glare Feng Jue directed at it wasn’t particularly benevolent; in fact, it looked downright murderous. Thus, the advanced-tier system 03, who was usually so “adept” at communicating with its hosts, decisively chose to mute its broadcast and nestled back down on Feng Jue’s shoulder.

Let us set forth together.

Elder Li and Xue Mengtao boarded the flying vessel shortly after the entourage from Lanyang Palace. When Elder Li saw Siyi deposit several top-grade spiritual stones into the vessel’s array mechanism, he turned his head away in sheer heartache, his gaze toward Xue Mengtao filling with immense envy.

He truly couldn’t fathom how this girl had managed to catch Feng Jue’s eye. Why couldn’t a stroke of good fortune like this fall upon him instead? Could it be because he was getting up there in years? Elder Li stroked his coarse, weathered face and let out a heavy sigh.

Completely unaware that she was the object of Elder Li’s envy, Xue Mengtao stood quietly in a corner, weeping in secret as she remained consumed with worry for Xue Bufan.

From behind her curtain, Feng Jue observed them with a cold gaze, the corners of her mouth curling slightly into a mocking sneer. “Utterly devoted, aren’t we?”

Even if it were merely Xue Bufan’s corpse, she was willing to trade her entire life and freedom just to ensure his bones returned to his homeland. Compared to the Xue family and the Lian Shan Sect, who had stripped him of his dignity, left him open to everyone’s mockery, and sought only to milk the final shred of utility from his existence, this girl’s genuine affection could truly be considered a saving grace for Xue Bufan.

If Xue Bufan truly did as 03 predicted, restoring his spiritual roots and expanding a massive harem with women flanking him left and right, she truly wondered how he could ever face such pure, unadulterated devotion.

“Then again…” Feng Jue leaned her cheek against her hand, thinking idly, What does that have to do with me?

03, who was currently scanning and logging the map coordinates, suddenly felt its “face” grow rather warm, as though that familiar, crackling electric current was about to manifest once again. It sharply tilted its two circular eyes upward, locking its gaze with Feng Jue.

Feng Jue’s finger, which had been about to poke the black circle, paused. Caught in the act, she didn’t display the slightest hint of embarrassment but directly pressed her finger down instead.

Her pale, slender finger sank right into the silver-white mass. Feng Jue smiled, her two fingers floating up and down within the silver cluster like a fish’s tail, trying her best to stir this ball of light that only she could see.

03 stared intently at Feng Jue’s face. After a brief moment of calculation, it permitted its data streams to flow alongside her finger.

Countless tiny, shimmering pinpricks of light ignited within the silver mass, closely resembling a miniature summer galaxy—brilliant, exquisite, yet occupying a space no larger than a single system, easily fitting within the palm of a hand.

Feng Jue’s smile widened slightly as she chatted with 03 in a low murmur. “Come to think of it, these two black circles are officially your eyes from now on?”

“Yes,” 03 confirmed. “I have concentrated my visual capability and scanning functions within these circles, rendering them equivalent to human eyes.”

In truth, without a fixed form, it could scan from absolutely any part of its body it pleased; after all, it was a system composed entirely of a rounded, fluid data stream.

Feng Jue asked in confusion, “Doesn’t that simply restrict your capabilities?”

03 fell into a state of bewilderment instead. It asked Feng Jue: “Is that how the host views it? Did you not perceive any sense of familiarity?”

Its large eyes widened slightly, making it appear as though it were blinking in surprise. The two matchstick limbs beneath its round bottom propped its body up, and it proceeded to perform a routine of radio gymnastics right before Feng Jue’s eyes.

“I wish to draw as close to human form as possible to facilitate building trust with my host. My system friend believes this method enhances communication with a host. Although it is executing a mission for the very first time, its relationship with its host is exceptionally good. I wish to learn from its experience,” 03 explained with absolute gravity as it completed a chest-expansion exercise.

The corner of Feng Jue’s mouth twitched violently.

“Rather than drawing close to human form… why don’t you simply cultivate a proper human body?” Feng Jue inquired. “All things possess a spirit. In the cultivation world, even a blade of grass, a beast, or a physical utensil holds the chance to birth a consciousness and manifest a human form. You entities called systems are exceptionally intelligent; you possess great power and even hold your own independent thoughts. Why not simply utilize a human body to—execute missions?”

She utilized the specific terminology 03 had used before.

03 answered with utmost seriousness, “Within the universe constructed for us by the Main System, there is a marketplace that is similarly open to all systems. One can purchase a human body there, but it requires a very, very large sum of points. Across our 9,365 colleagues, only 0.02% of systems have achieved this.”

Feng Jue pressed her hand against her forehead and closed her eyes, the fingers of her hand cradling 03 clenching into a tight fist in spite of herself.

The silver light overlapped with her fist, and 03 couldn’t resist spinning around in a little circle.

“You could have just told me that only two systems were capable of purchasing one!” Feng Jue muttered, grinding her teeth. She sharply whipped her sleeve around, shifting into a different seating posture to look the hovering 03 dead in the face. “So, out of those two systems, are you one of them?”

03 remained silent, which amounted to an unspoken confirmation.

This left Feng Jue thoroughly astonished. She hadn’t expected 03 to truly be as exceptionally elite as it claimed. A population of nine thousand was entirely comparable to any prominent, orthodox sect in the cultivation world, and 03 was a peak elite of its realm…

“It seems altering my destiny is truly no simple task,” Feng Jue remarked, the topic abruptly shifting back to herself. Her tone was calm and casual, as though she were merely referencing a passing cloud outside the window.

“Then again, since you are fully capable of it, why haven’t you purchased one? You seem quite eager to act like a human,” Feng Jue said with a light smile.

It… wants to be a human?

The black circles on 03 morphed into virtual question marks. It stated, “03 is a system. Requesting a custom-made physical body from the Main System would deplete an exorbitant amount of points, which serves no practical purpose.”

“03 has no need for a human body; there is no necessity,” it continued. “Host, including my past missions, when other systems and I execute tasks, we typically parasitize the host’s cranial nerves, rarely manifesting ourselves unless absolutely necessary. Parasitism eliminates any need to consider aesthetic presentation. Although this specific mission is somewhat unusual, it appears my current appearance has not aided our relationship in the slightest. Why don’t I attempt to parasitize your cranial nerves directly, Host?”

Feng Jue: “??”

03: “Following successful parasitism, the host can directly summon 03’s name within your mind to converse with me, completely eliminating the need to speak aloud to empty air. It is exceptionally convenient and highly recommended.”

Feng Jue slowly leaned her head back, terrified that 03 might launch into a sudden sprint and burrow straight into her skull.

“No!” she refused in an intensely fierce tone.

03 refused to give up. “Is it truly out of the question? The physical form I adopt during parasitism is smaller than a cell—smaller even than a speck of dust floating in the air. You won’t feel a single thing, Host, and I won’t perform any other actions. May 03 enter?”

Desperately wishing to return to its familiar mission patterns of the past, 03 proved unyielding.

“03 wishes to enter.”

03 intentionally emphasized: “It won’t hurt at all.”

I think you wish to die! Feng Jue was utterly infuriated. She bolted upright, slammed her hand onto the table, and pointed aggressively at the window as she barked, “Get the hell out of here!”

In the adjacent chamber, Siyi, who was currently managing palace affairs, dropped her jade slip onto the desk with a sharp clack. She hurried out at once to inquire what had occurred to cause her mistress such immense fury.

Feng Jue’s face was flushed with a delicate crimson hue, closely resembling a magnificent peony blooming amidst a roaring fire. She remained completely silent, staring dead ahead into the empty space.

Siyi followed Feng Jue’s line of sight, tracking from the open space straight back to her shoulder and behind her.

Aside from empty air, there was absolutely nothing.

Siyi: ?

Floating slowly outside the window to stand in time-out with the clouds, 03 utilized its matchstick limbs to pluck its two black circles off, lifting them into the air to inspect them.

Strange. 019’s advice was clearly very practical.

Yet, not only had its host failed to grow closer to it, but it constantly felt as though… she was growing even fiercer.

Clack.

03 pressed the circles right back onto its body, floating forward amidst the whistling winds as it thought: This won’t do.

It hadn’t even managed to settle on a mission direction with its host yet, and instead kept provoking her to anger. This was highly detrimental to the execution of its duties.

It had to find a solution.

The dragon-and-phoenix-carved vessel of Lanyang Palace touched down within the Red Torrent Mountains. The surrounding forest still bore the distinct marks of a violent struggle—toppled trees, shattered boulders, and scattered bloodstains were everywhere.

“Those outlaws slaughtered everyone else without a second thought and even set a blaze to burn their remains to ash. If Elder Li and I hadn’t protected Young Master Bufan while retreating, we would have certainly suffered the exact same fate,” Xue Mengtao recounted, tears welling up once more.

Exuding a heavy, oppressive aura, Feng Jue paced down from the vessel. Her dark mood instantly cast a shadow over everyone from Lanyang Palace; the attendants barely dared to breathe, waiting anxiously for her instructions.

Siyi unpinned the hairpin from her hair, her fingers executing a rapid spell formation.

The pair of butterflies carved onto the hairpin suddenly came to life, fluttering their wings as they took flight toward a specific direction.

“The storage rings I bestowed upon them previously were forged by my own hands, bearing the specific legal arrays I engraved. These butterflies can perceive the presence of those arrays. By following them, we can locate exactly where that band of outlaws is hiding,” Siyi reported.

Upon hearing this, Elder Li was absolutely ecstatic. “Wonderful!”

Siyi continued with a warm, pleasant smile, “It will also serve to prove that those bandits share absolutely no ties with our Palace Master.”

The smile on Elder Li’s face instantly faltered, turning incredibly awkward as he stammered, “I-I never suspected the Palace Master for a single second! How could the Palace Master ever perform such a deed! Time is of the essence; let us hasten our pursuit of those thieves at once!”

“What about the young master?!” Xue Mengtao interjected frantically.

Standing with her hands clasped behind her back, Feng Jue cast a sideways glance at Xue Mengtao, stating in a freezing tone, “He is no longer your young master. Think carefully before you address him!”

Xue Mengtao gasped, hastily lowering her head as she murmured a submissive confirmation.

“Hmph.” Feng Jue’s mood improved a fraction. She turned her head toward the stationary vessel, glaring directly at the silver cluster dangling from the window frame.

Are you still not coming over?

03 obediently drifted over.

Coming.

The location where Xue Bufan had plunged off the cliff was entirely opposite to the direction the butterflies were flying. Siyi noted, “I shall leave Young Master Xue’s side of things to the Palace Master. As for those outlaws, I shall handle them personally.”

Xue Mengtao said frantically, “That band of thieves is exceptionally vicious, and their cultivation is extremely high. Perhaps we should all go together…”

Her words withered away under Siyi’s gentle, placid smile.

“Their cultivation is extremely high,” Feng Jue repeated, savoring the phrase before letting out a disdainful smirk. “That depends entirely on who they are facing. Weren’t you desperately yearning for your young master? Why aren’t you leading the way yet?”

“Exactly! Miss Siyi has already achieved the late Foundation Establishment stage; what need is there for you to worry?!” Elder Li barked at Xue Mengtao before turning a beaming face toward Siyi. “Miss, let us depart at once. I see the butterflies are already beginning to fade from sight!”

He was practically itching to fly away alongside those butterflies, completely unwilling to waste another breath here.

Xue Mengtao was left entirely speechless. She turned around in silence, catching a glimpse of Siyi departing with half of the palace attendants from the corner of her eye, letting out a quiet sigh of relief in her heart.

The group moved with extreme speed, arriving at the edge of the cliff before long.

The cliff was exceptionally high, the bottom completely obscured by thick, swirling mists.

Feng Jue cast a glance downward. A sudden thought striking her, she pointed toward the bottom of the cliff and shot 03 a meaningful look.

Go!

Scout the path.

03 turned its body around, its matchstick limbs clasped behind its back as virtual musical notes emerged above its head, emitting a loud whistling sound.

The host’s mission must be executed by the host. Please abide by the regulations, Host!

“What use are you even,” Feng Jue remarked coldly.

Nesting upon her shoulder, 03 spun a little circle, indicating that it was a system that strictly adhered to regulations and would never succumb to its host’s verbal rebukes. Beside them, Xue Mengtao—who assumed Feng Jue’s words were directed at her—flushed a deep crimson, accepting the rebuke in silence.

If it hadn’t been for her own uselessness and inability to protect Xue Bufan, her young master wouldn’t have plunged off the cliff with his life hanging in the balance.

Feng Jue never wasted her time considering other people’s expressions or feelings. She took a step forward, spiritual energy erupting around her body in a blazing crimson glow as she shot toward the bottom of the cliff like a falling meteor, the others trailing closely behind her.

“Too slow,” Feng Jue remarked to 03, who lagged a step behind.

Unable to parasitize and forced to fly entirely on its own power, a virtual bubble popped up above 03’s head, displaying a weeping emoticon inside.

If the Main System sold a mind-reading function, I would absolutely purchase it.

This time, it wasn’t just Xue Mengtao; the remaining palace attendants from Lanyang Palace exchanged uneasy glances, lowering their heads as they murmured submissive agreements.

The area beneath the cliff was dark and damp, the surging mists swallowing them whole in the blink of an eye, rendering it impossible to see a foot ahead.

Xue Mengtao reported, “After escaping pursuit, Elder Li and I came down to investigate, but we were similarly blocked by this mist. There is something highly peculiar about it; even with cultivation, it remains impossible to see clearly.”

Feng Jue didn’t say a word. She suddenly lifted her hand, releasing a wisp of gold-and-red fire.

The moment the flame left her fingertips, it shot violently upward, expanding exponentially at a height of three meters above Feng Jue’s head. It erupted in an instant, resembling magma spewing violently from a volcano crater. A roaring blaze ignited within the narrow canyon, occupying every available inch of space like a torrential downpour of fire.

The freezing, gloomy mist let out a hissing shriek as it was utterly consumed by the flames, evaporating into nothingness in a split second.

Warm sunlight cascaded down from the heights above, washing over everyone and illuminating the stone walls, revealing a narrow mountain cave tucked neatly beneath a moss-covered cliff face.

From the moment Feng Jue struck to the total dissipation of the mist, a mere two breaths of time had elapsed.

Xue Mengtao couldn’t help but lift her hand to cover her mouth, subconsciously taking a step backward as her gaze toward Feng Jue filled with absolute dread.

The Golden Core stage.

This was… a Perfect Golden Core.

03 was staring at Feng Jue as well.

That sudden, torrential downpour of fire had been far too shocking yet incredibly brief, vanishing even faster than a shooting star, leaving no trace behind before it could even register within its data stream.

Only the scorching atmosphere remaining in the air served as proof that it had been there at all.

03 looked at Feng Jue. The woman, who held a hint of impatience in her eyes, brushed her fingertips against her sleeve, seemingly finding this trip utterly tedious as she cast a sideways glance at 03, the embers of the fire still appearing to flicker within her upturned eyelids.

This is it? A fated opportunity?

The corners of Feng Jue’s mouth curled into a disdainful smirk.

Even though she hadn’t spoken aloud, 03 could practically hear its host’s voice—utterly lazy, radiating pure arrogance.

The sunrises and sunsets of Lanyang Palace suddenly paled in comparison.

The data streams within 03’s body began to crackle and pop wildly. It nudged a bit closer to Feng Jue’s bare skin, hesitating for a fraction of a second before asking, “Host.”

“What kind of voice do you prefer?”

****

Work Log:

…

I suspect this is a conspiracy orchestrated by the Main System.

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