When reciting this line that could make her die of embarrassment on the spot, countless thoughts flitted through Xie Jingci's mind.
For instance, all the demons and monsters in this illusion realm wanted her dead, but only this damn Goudan system, unsullied by the filth, wanted her to live a fate worse than death.
Or, for example, how the air right now was truly frozen solid. To break the awkwardness, she could only rely on her rusty brain to come up with a good solution.
After successively ruling out useless homophones like "poetry and zither," "actual situation," and "matter request," Xie Jingci finally chose to abandon all hope and face life with a smile.
As long as she wasn't embarrassed, the embarrassment belonged to others.
Perhaps because of the "father-in-law" or the "attend the bedchamber," Mo Xiaoyang couldn't pick up her line for a moment, standing rooted to the spot like a fool.
However, the silence spreading around them didn't last long, because soon, Xie Jingci heard a gentle, clear voice: "...Let's go."
This voice—
Xie Jingci's spine stiffened. She widened her eyes in disbelief and lifted her head.
Pei Du's tone was casual, as if stating something trivial when he delivered her line. Seeing her look up, his Adam's apple moved uncomfortably, and he slightly averted his gaze. "Slaying the Shadow Serpent was no easy feat. Miss Xie must be exhausted. I hope you can rest well."
He was responsible for eighty percent of the credit for killing the Shadow Serpent, yet with Pei Du's words, in the eyes of those little demons who hadn't witnessed the final battle firsthand, Xie Jingci became the greatest hero.
A bad woman whose strength was more terrifying than the Shadow Serpent's, whose favorite pastime in her spare time was indiscriminate slaughter, whose temper was extraordinarily foul, and whose private life was utterly debauched.
The little demons trembled in fear, their fear values continuing to soar, terrified that she might take a dislike to them at any moment and send them straight to the underworld for some Mengpo Soup.
Mo Xiaoyang had been stunned, but noticing the little demons' reactions and watching the numbers on his own panel keep increasing, it took him only a brief moment to understand Xie Jingci's well-intentioned scheme.
Right, they were putting on an act right now!
Miss Xie was playing the role of the tyrant intimidating all the little demons. Since she was a tyrant, it was only natural to arrange a favored concubine, and besides that, a loyal attendant.
As for that line she said...
There were countless rulers in the world, but which one could, without batting an eye, command both the favored concubine and the father-in-law to attend the bedchamber simultaneously? Truly so perverse and vicious, looking utterly abnormal from any angle.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. With just one sentence, Miss Xie vividly portrayed the image of a depraved monarch. In her every gesture and smile, she proclaimed a fact to the group of demons not far away:
Tremble, for she is a formidable and ruthless person!
The demons and monsters in the illusion realm were mere phantoms, not truly possessing brains. With Miss Xie's performance, they would surely harbor no further doubts.
Mo Xiaoyang was thrilled. "Miss Xie! I can't wait, where should I go to attend the bedchamber?"
Pei Du's gaze deepened, his tone unreadable. "Father-in-law, please have some self-respect."
Xie Jingci: ...?
Hey, why are you two just running with the act on your own?
The fear points gained through this method were considerable. Although she had mentally prepared herself, when Xie Jingci opened the panel in her consciousness and saw the large "206," she still froze for a moment.
Back when Pei Du slew the giant serpent, he had only earned a mere few points.
Upon first hearing the rules of this Dao Inquiry Conference, the vast majority of cultivators would instinctively think that the greatest source of fear came from death. Collecting fear, therefore, equated to killing as many demons and monsters as possible, turning the illusion realm into a slaughterhouse filled with carnage.
But judging from the results... the emotion of fear stemmed to a greater extent from the interplay between minds.
Their side had achieved satisfactory results and, filled with ambition, planned to head to the next location.
Outside the illusion realm, a low exclamation of surprise rang out. "Wh-what kind of method is this? Earning the little demons' fear by killing a rampaging demonic creature... Can that really work?"
Before Xie Jingci's projection, small groups of onlookers had gradually gathered.
Someone who had just arrived watched, utterly confused, and asked curiously, "Why not just kill them directly? If they acted directly, they could also get a considerable number of rewards. Why go through all this trouble?"
"Fool. If they kill directly, once the demon is dead, the fear that could be gained from it is gone forever. If they spare its life, this fear is endless, growing more and more. They can then sit back and reap the benefits."
Another person retorted, "Moreover, according to that rule 'inciting other nearby demons to submit exempts one from tribute,' these little demons will definitely do their utmost to spread tales about them. From one to ten, from ten to a hundred, spreading like an epidemic. By then, even if they do nothing, they'll receive a continuous stream of points."
"Interesting, this method is truly interesting!"
The young man standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Xie Shu laughed heartily. "I thought Miss Xie was doing good deeds without seeking fame. I never imagined it would be such a method—perhaps after some time, her name will be known across most of the land in this illusion realm."
"There's another very interesting point."
Yun Zhaoyan, a faint smile at the corner of her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest and leaned lazily to the side. "Right now, it's the height of the Dao Inquiry Conference. Many cultivators have slaughter as their goal. The demons and monsters in the illusion realm are being forced into a corner with no way out."
And it is precisely at this time that someone proclaims they will offer them "protection."
The more fiercely the other cultivators kill, the more the demons will desire her protection. Like grasping the last lifeline, they will frantically choose to submit to her.
This is an irresistible trend of the times.
Favorable timing, geographical convenience, and human harmony—Xie Jingci's move had them all.
"However," Yun Zhaoyan's tone shifted, a cold glint appearing in her eyes as she fixed her gaze on the flickering projection before her, "this way... their group will inevitably come into conflict with other cultivators."
The method of developing downlines was satisfying to use once, and even more satisfying to keep using.
While Xie Jingci and the others were opening up new territory, the little demons subdued earlier were also diligently recruiting their friends and relatives, neighbors, and all sorts of miscellaneous aunts and uncles.
The little demons recruited later hadn't actually seen her. Taken individually, the fear points each generated were minuscule.
But as the saying goes, many a little makes a mickle. The combined emotions of numerous little demons produced a quite considerable sum.
Xie Jingci sighed with emotion. "After this Dao Inquiry Conference, I've finally come to understand one thing."
[What lesson?]
The system followed her lead: [That... 'using your brain is more effective than using your hands'?]
"Of course not."
Xie Jingci denied without hesitation. "I just feel that being a cult leader, ah no, a tyrant is really comfortable."
—So you've already admitted you're a cult leader!
The renowned Righteous Path Dharma Assembly of the cultivation world was actually dominated by such methods to such an extent—the system felt the ethos of the Wen Dao Assembly was doomed.
"Miss Xie, could we perhaps change the setting?"
Mo Xiaoyang had fallen in love with role-playing and was constantly preoccupied with his character's identity: "Being a eunuch is one thing, but how about the Imperial Censor? Or an Imperial Blade Guard would be great too—ah, such a dilemma."
Xie Jingci: "...As long as you're happy."
A full day had already passed since the Wen Dao Assembly began.
Now, as dusk settled, exhausted from running around all day, they simply found a cave to rest in temporarily.
The cave was dark and gloomy. Mo Xiaoyang lit a fire starter and carefully led the way, chattering nonstop: "There's actually no village of demon clans nearby... You must be careful. In a cave deep in these old mountains and forests, who knows what might be hiding inside—snakes, venomous insects, and lonely ghosts and wild—Whoa! There's something on the ground!"
Before he could finish his sentence, he let out an involuntary cry of surprise. Xie Jingci followed the sound and, by the flickering light of the fire, vaguely glimpsed a figure slumped in the corner, whom Mo Xiaoyang had just stepped on.
That silhouette... was very familiar to her.
In the blink of an eye, the person on the ground suddenly moved, their right hand rising in a swift motion to strike Mo Xiaoyang's knee.
Two ear-splitting shrieks echoed through the empty cave.
One came from Mo Xiaoyang, who had jumped up like a startled rabbit, and the other, from the young girl in the corner who had suddenly attacked.
Xie Jingci sensed something amiss. She picked up the fire starter Mo Xiaoyang had dropped and shone it forward: "...Xiao Ting?"
"I'm sorry, so sorry! I really didn't mean it. I just wanted to sleep in the cave. I was half-asleep and suddenly saw a light—it was a completely subconscious reaction, I couldn't help it."
Mo Xiaoyang lay flat on the ground in the pose of an Egyptian pharaoh. At this moment, he was devoid of joy or sorrow, resembling a thoroughly lifeless mummy.
Beside him, Meng Xiaoting was now mostly awake. She wanted to reach out and touch his knee but hesitated briefly before clumsily withdrawing her hand.
Since they had entered the realm via divine consciousness, in the Wen Dao Assembly, each cultivator was only equipped with the most basic medicinal supplies and daily necessities, unlike in the real cultivation world where one could pull all sorts of strange and wondrous elixirs from a storage pouch.
"You've been hit by my 'Gentle Dream, Falling Blossoms, Hazy Moon, Drifting Clouds Palm.' External injury ointments won't work; spiritual energy is needed to disperse the bruising."
Meng Xiaoting said with concern, "It'll be over soon. Please bear with it a little."
"Gen... Gentle Dream, Falling Blossoms, Hazy Moon, Drifting Clouds Palm?"
Truly a young lady from a boudoir. Even throwing a punch had to be given such an obscure, seemingly elegant and beautiful name.
Mo Xiaoyang listened, his worldview shaken, thinking it might as well be called the "Ruthless Heart, Even More Ruthless Palm."
"That's her consistent naming style,"
Xie Jingci chimed in from the sidelines, enjoying the spectacle: "For example, 'Entwined Heartache, Flying Flowers, Falling Leaves Kick.'"
Oh, a mantis sweep kick.
"And 'Wind Over Water, Fleeting Life, Dreaming of Me, Flower-Pinching Finger.'"
So it's the relentless poking-until-you're-blind combo, then.
Wait.
Mo Xiaoyang finally sensed something off: "Both kicks and finger techniques... Could it be that you're a... a Body Cultivator?!"
He didn't know much about Body Cultivators, only that such practitioners focused on tempering their bones and sinews, prioritizing the forging of their physical bodies over cultivating their Dao heart. At higher levels, they could achieve indestructible diamond bodies and turn their bones and blood into weapons.
Whether in the cultivation world or the ghost realm, compared to the three major paths of Sword, Spell, and Music, Body Cultivators had always been a rare breed. The reason was simple: it was exhausting, painful, and lacked elegance and grace—all cultivation gained through sheer hardship.
In his original understanding, only those at a dead end, unable to practice other Dao methods, would choose Body Cultivation. He never expected a delicate young lady from a wealthy family like Meng Xiaoting to walk this path.
The sense of incongruity here really couldn't be explained in just a sentence or two.
Meng Xiaoting, accustomed to such reactions from others, nodded obediently: "Yes."
This news was too unexpected. Upon hearing it, the sharp pain in Mo Xiaoyang's knee seemed to lessen considerably: "I thought you'd cultivate Music or Talisman Arts."
"I wish I could,"
Meng Xiaoting had a pair of round almond eyes. When troubled, her entire gaze would droop softly downward: "But I have no talent for anything. If I tried to learn swordplay, my reactions are too slow; I'd be riddled like a beehive in a duel. If I tried musical instruments—those zithers, flutes, panpipes—I simply can't remember the pitch of each string or hole. If Music Cultivation allowed for wooden fish, maybe I could hold one and knock on it."
That really was a complete lack of talent.
Mo Xiaoyang understood now: "So you became a Body Cultivator?"
"Exactly! Body Cultivation doesn't require using your brain, just constant refinement, refinement, and more refinement. Sometimes it hurts, but pain is better than having to think."
Speaking of this topic, Meng Xiaoting suddenly grew animated: "Even if your body is in pain, as long as your mind is empty, that's the happiest time in the world!"
Mo Xiaoyang: ...
This person... she just stated an utterly preposterous fallacy with an utterly convinced tone.
It was a thought process he couldn't comprehend. People in the cultivation world were indeed extraordinary.
"By the way, how many points have you collected?"
Meng Xiaoting asked cheerfully while channeling spiritual energy to him: "I have two."
Two points.
If she had just wandered around the map a bit and glared at any little monster she saw, she could have gotten more than that.
Mo Xiaoyang felt complicated emotions: "Did you sleep in the cave all day?"
Meng Xiaoting: "Of course not!"
"She's just not keen on competitions,"
Xie Jingci explained with a soft laugh: "She's often more interested in the illusion realm itself than in collecting points. To put it simply, you can assume she's on a sightseeing tour of the illusion realm. The only reason she participates in the Wen Dao Assembly is to get the ticket."
In terms of personality, Meng Xiaoting was the polar opposite of her.
Xie Jingci was fiercely competitive, wanting only to trample all the disciples of the academy underfoot. Meng Xiaoting, however, was a habitual slacker. Her greatest hobby was wandering idly around the cultivation world, occasionally attending some Dharma assemblies and grand competitions to pass the time and join the fun.
"With my cultivation level just a hair past the Golden Core stage, I can't win in the end anyway. Might as well seize the day and enjoy myself. Being happy is what matters most."
As she spoke, Meng Xiaoting frowned, showing a somewhat disgusted expression: "Forcing me to torture countless innocent little monsters to death one by one, like Pei Yu does... That's disgusting. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps."
Pei Du's long eyelashes trembled slightly.
"Pei Yu?"
Xie Jingci raised an eyebrow: "You saw him?"
"He should be nearby. Around dusk, I saw him capture an entire settlement of little monsters. Right in front of all of them, he killed them off one by one, bit by bit. All the captured monsters were crying."
She couldn't go on after saying this, seeming to feel cold as she rubbed her own arms. "It was because of that scene that I just had a nightmare."
So the method he adopted was public slaughter.
How utterly tasteless.
"But this kind of tactic is indeed effective. If nothing unexpected happens, Pei Yu should still be the top ranker in this Path-Seeking Assembly, right?"
Meng Xiaoting's eyes shifted. "That guy is detestable, let's not talk about him—aside from Pei Yu, I also learned a rather interesting piece of news."
"What news?"
"I heard," she lowered her voice a bit, her tone mysterious, "that the demon tribes are about to make a big move—among their usually scattered and separate communities, it seems a leader has emerged trying to unite them all, claiming he can offer protection to all demons."
An untimely stillness settled in the air.
Xie Jingci gave a light cough and touched the tip of her nose.
This news was indeed explosive. The moment she revealed it, the other three were immediately struck speechless with surprise.
This was nothing; she even knew more details!
"To want to lead all demons, just how powerful would that be?"
Meng Xiaoting said with a serious face, "I heard it's neither male nor female, tears apart ancient dark serpents with its bare hands, devours snow-capped giant pythons whole, has six hands and six feet, its entire body is wreathed in blazing flames, and a single glance from it can freeze a person in terror."
Xie Jingci looked at her own hands, then glanced down at the eye-catching red dress she was wearing.
"For Pei Yu, while bullying small monsters can earn him more points, he definitely wouldn't be satisfied with just that. Instead, he'd want to stage a grand spectacle, fully display the strength of his Golden Core peak stage, and let the people outside the illusion know he's no weakling—"
At this point, Meng Xiaoting said with increased emphasis, her tone firm and decisive as she delivered her final conclusion: "At the latest by tomorrow, a great battle is sure to erupt between Pei Yu and that big monster. I really hope the big monster wins!"
She was quite satisfied with her own reasoning. After speaking, she opened her round, moist eyes wide, lifted her chin slightly to look at Xie Jingci, waiting joyfully for the other to praise her with a smile as she used to.
However, after a long silence, Xie Jingci suddenly uttered a whisper like a demon's murmur: "Xiaoting, count. How many hands and legs do I, Pei Du, and Mo Xiaoyang have together?"
Meng Xiaoting was stunned. "S-six, six."
"Now look, what color is this dress I'm wearing?"
Meng Xiaoting: "It's red—"
A moment ago, she was still puzzling over why Xie Jingci would ask such strange questions. But the moment the word "red" left her mouth, the fragmented puzzle pieces in her heart were abruptly and unexpectedly completed.
Meng Xiaoting was as if struck by lightning, tentatively voicing, "N-no way?"
Xie Jingci: "Sorry... I am that big monster who's neither male nor female, devours snow mountain pythons, and has six hands and six legs."
Meng Xiaoting: "..."
Meng Xiaoting: "Eeeek—aaaah—!"
It didn't take long for Meng Xiaoting to digest the whole sequence of events.
She was a clever girl and soon grasped Xie Jingci's plan fully. She sank into deep thought with a serious expression for a long while.
Mo Xiaoyang initially thought she was trying to offer constructive suggestions, but after waiting for her long contemplation, he finally heard Meng Xiaoting's voice: "Yay! I want to be the Imperial Guard with Saber!"
At such a critical juncture, was this the time to fuss over such trivial matters?
He knew it; he shouldn't have held even the slightest expectation for her.
Mo Xiaoyang declared righteously, "No, that's my role — you change it quickly — ah no, pfft! I mean, will Pei Yu really come to challenge us?"
"Very likely."
Pei Du, who had been silent all along, said in a deep voice, "Right now, cultivators are slaughtering demons on a large scale. Every demon is desperately seeking refuge. This way, Miss Xie's reputation will surely spread rapidly among the demon tribes."
His voice was clean, his tone carrying a chill, yet the softness in his words greatly alleviated that sense of aloofness: "For him, if he can eliminate the so-called 'unifier,' not only can he prove his own strength, but he can also shatter the faith of many demons and gain an unprecedented, abundant amount of fear points."
He was completely using them as tools.
Once Pei Yu won, all the fear they had painstakingly collected from the little demons would probably have to be handed over to him doubled.
The Path-Seeking Assembly did not forbid cultivators from killing each other. Xie Jingci very seriously compared the strengths of both sides: her divine soul was damaged, while Pei Yu was at his peak.
If she were to fight Pei Yu alone, her chances of winning would probably be slim.
Tonight's topic ended here.
What exactly would happen tomorrow, no one could say. Rather than wasting time on wild guesses, it was better to rest first and replenish energy.
After Mo Xiaoyang extinguished the firelight, the cave fell into a deep, quiet stillness. There were no beds here, and the ground wasn't clean enough. After much deliberation, Xie Jingci finally settled leaning against a stone wall.
Cultivators fall asleep extremely quickly. Soon, the other three not far away fell silent.
She was still thinking about the matter with Pei Yu when a cold breeze blew, making her cough lightly.
Just at that moment, a gentle voice sounded in her ear: "Miss Xie."
She looked up and met Pei Du's dark eyes.
He was sitting opposite Xie Jingci and didn't speak aloud, instead using the more discreet method of sound transmission.
Only a faint sliver of moonlight seeped in from outside the cave, illuminating the young man's gentle, clear eyes, like unpolished jade touched with a hint of moisture, glowing softly.
Pei Du said, "No matter what happens, I am here."
How mushy.
It was the first time Pei Du had said such words to her. Xie Jingci found it utterly unfamiliar no matter how she listened, awkwardly pulling her clothes tighter and averting her gaze from him. "Even if you don't intervene, I can handle it alone—you don't need to comfort me."
Pei Du seemed to smile helplessly.
In the sparse, pale moonlight, Xie Jingci saw him suddenly stand up.
The young man's elegant, tall figure was like a slender bamboo. He stepped closer to her, his footsteps so light they made no sound.
Xie Jingci felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest and stiffness in her movements. To not lose ground in terms of presence, she lifted her face to meet his gaze.
Pei Du raised his hand and took off his loose white robe. As he leaned down, he cast a shadow as thick as mist over her.
Xie Jingci felt the gradually approaching warmth.
"It's not comfort."
This time he didn't use sound transmission. Instead, taking advantage of the moment he bent down to drape his outer robe over her, right near the top of her head, he whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "The demon concubine has always been deeply devoted to the tyrant, willingly going through fire and water for him, Miss Xie."
Pei Du's voice and breath intertwined, both low, as if turning into a fleeting electric current or a long, slender thread, running from Xie Jingci's brain straight to her heart, and then giving a sharp tug.
She, quite shamelessly, felt a shiver run through her entire body, like a cookie cracking apart.
"That's the demon concubine for the tyrant."
Xie Jingci took a deep breath, trying hard, and tucked her neck into the outer robe that still retained Pei Du's body warmth. "It's not you for me."
"Fellow Daoist Mo was especially into his role tonight. Occasionally joining him for a try isn't bad either."
His voice held a faint rasp. "For attending the bedchamber... one person is enough."
He actually still remembered that old matter, deliberately bringing it up again to tease her.
Xie Jingci just wanted to knock him on the head.
"...Alright."
The young woman beneath him shifted slightly, her tone carrying a drowsy weariness as she mumbled a reply: "From now on, I'll only dote on you. Concubine Pei is the best in the world, no one can compare—for attending the bedchamber, having you is enough. All the others will be cast aside, cast aside."
The youth who was still straightening her outer robe paused in his movements.
Pei Du's cheeks grew warm. "Miss Xie, there's no need to be so..."
His attempt at flirtation had failed, and he found himself checkmated instead. He stammered "so..." for a while, unable to finish the sentence.
Meanwhile, Xie Jingci let out a smug little hum. "A famous quote from Concubine Pei: 'For attending the bedchamber, one person is enough.' This emperor finds it most reasonable. Once we leave the Xuanwu Realm, I'll have it framed and hung above the bed."
Pei Du: "Miss Xie...!"
