Chapter 7: Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep

Without any suspense, Yu Jiaxue was locked into the Discipline Hall once again.

The verdict was that even though she had crippled her own cultivation, she still needed to reflect here for a hundred days.

“Junior Sister, you… Forget it, just reflect on your actions.”

Yu Lin’an stopped mid-sentence, ultimately letting out another sigh, putting on a disappointed front before turning around to leave.

On the contrary, a round-faced junior sister who had watched the entire affair from beginning to end secretly slipped a pill into Yu Jiaxue’s hand as she passed by.

“My name is Hua Sanyue,” the round-faced junior sister whispered.

“This is a Heart-Stabilizing Pill my senior sister asked me to give you. It can nourish the meridians. Eat a few when no one is paying attention—it’s better than nothing.”

A Heart-Stabilizing Pill was not a rare or precious commodity; any ordinary cultivator could obtain one. Giving it to her at a time like this, however, was truly providing help when it was needed most.

Yu Jiaxue carefully committed Hua Sanyue’s face to memory. Noticing the bandage wrapped around her wrist, she suddenly asked, “Is the last character the ‘Yue’ for ‘moon’?”

The smile on Hua Sanyue’s round face grew even brighter. “No, it’s the ‘Yue’ from ‘only after scaling mountains and crossing rivers does the Dao take form’.”

Yu Jiaxue smiled as well.

“A good name.”

It was not convenient for Hua Sanyue to linger. Giving Yu Jiaxue one last earnest look, she quietly departed.

With a creak, the cell door shut tight. The Discipline Hall stood vacant, leaving only the eerie chill to silently devour the dark night.

System 999 had plunged into total despair.

It had originally planned to perform its final task, ride on the host’s coattails, and stay in this world to enjoy retirement. Little did it expect the host to turn the tables, single-handedly turning the situation into the mess it was today.

What was promised to be After I Died, They Went Crazy had somehow turned into I Drive Them Mad While Alive.

Heavens above!

It was just an ordinary angst-romance system. Why did it have to suffer such a blow!

“Now that things have reached this point, complaining is the most useless thing to do.”

Yu Jiaxue’s face was calm, making her look exceptionally reliable. “Rather than wallowing in self-pity, why not pull yourself together and cheer up? There’s always a way forward when we get there. With the two of us working together, we might just carve out a new path.”

That actually makes a lot of sense…

But why doesn’t she stop to think about who caused this situation in the first place?!

After experiencing several reboots and crashes, the system had clearly attained a state of inner peace.

What else could it do? It still had to forgive its host like a forgiving parent.

[Forget it. Since the Host has nothing to do right now, go ahead and choose your future cultivation skill.]

Leaning against the wall, Yu Jiaxue instantly became interested.

“There are career skills to choose from?”

[It’s one of the perks of transmigrating into a book.]

Returning to its home turf, System 999 immediately perked up, speaking with deep emotion: [There is true affection in the mortal world, and great love in transmigration. As a transmigrator in this world, while maintaining the storyline’s trajectory, you can make minor adjustments according to your own body…]

The system froze in awkwardness.

Logically speaking, every host would go through the stages of “shock upon opening—attempted resistance—recognizing reality” in the early phase.

As for Yu Jiaxue…

She was clearly walking the path of “ram into you—ram into him—ram into the entire world.”

Yu Jiaxue’s eyes burned bright with expectation. “And then?”

Why stop mid-sentence?

The system paused, then spoke numbly: [Pardon me, I spoke out of turn just now. In short, the Host can choose your future cultivation path based on your skill points, and I will grant you the appropriate root aptitude.]

It even started using honorifics.

[Option 1: Sword Cultivator]
[Option 2: Talisman Cultivator]
[Option 3: Zither Cultivator]

Through three consecutive options, Yu Jiaxue showed no reaction whatsoever. Thinking of the options that followed, the system could not help but grow nervous…

[Option 4: Demon Cultivator]
[Option 5: Ghost Cultivator]
[Option 6: Brush Cultivator]
[Option 7…]

“Six, six, six, six, six!” Yu Jiaxue waved her hand, making her choice without a moment’s hesitation.

[…]

System 999 secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Judging by her earlier behavior, System 999 thought that with a troublemaking personality like Yu Jiaxue’s, she would definitely choose a Sword Cultivator, or at the very least go play around as a Demon or Ghost Cultivator. Who could have guessed she would pick the utterly inconspicuous “Brush Cultivator”?

The system could not help but ask: [Did the Host choose Brush Cultivator because you want to take the calligraphy and painting route?]

Yu Jiaxue was brimming with confidence. “Of course! There’s nothing simpler in the world than drawing!”

A suspicion surfaced in the system’s mind: [Did the Host’s work in the real world have something to do with drawing?]

Yu Jiaxue mused for a moment. “It had a bit to do with it. I worked in game development.”

The system let out a sharp intake of breath, its tone filled with sympathy: [An artist on the contractor side?]

Its previous host seemed to have been a game artist. After transmigrating, based on his personality, the identity matched to him was a Buddhist holy monk.

All four elements empty, not easily angered, and completely free from the troubles of hair loss.

“Nope.”

Yu Jiaxue raised an eyebrow, the corner of her lips curling up slightly.

“I was the client!”

“I’ve seen contractors draw plenty of times, though. It’s nothing special—let me tell you, there is truly nothing simpler in this world than drawing!”

Son of a bitch!

The system’s vision turned black instantly.

It regretted its impulsiveness, but it was already too late.

Once Yu Jiaxue made her choice, the world silently bestowed upon her the appropriate root aptitude.

The system said gloomily: [Even so, you haven’t drawn qi into your body yet, so you can’t get out using your own strength unless…] you come beg me.

The words came to an abrupt halt.

The system watched with wide eyes as Yu Jiaxue swallowed the Heart-Stabilizing Pill given by Hua Sanyue and performed drawing qi into her body right then and there.

From total novice to cultivator in just three seconds.

Was her talent truly this ridiculously high?!

The system remained unresigned, attempting a final struggle: [Even if you have spiritual energy, it’s extremely sparse. As a Brush Cultivator without a handy weapon, the most you can condense is a single thread…]

The system’s voice grew fainter and fainter.

It watched helplessly as Yu Jiaxue casually picked up a dry twig off the ground, using it as a pen to trace a stroke in the air. With a flash of concentrated, dense spiritual energy, a silver thread materialized out of thin air.

Shining brightly, it looked exceedingly sturdy, hard to break, and remarkably resilient.

However…

[What on earth is that???]

“An iron wire.”

Yu Jiaxue cast a disdainful glance at the system.

“Can’t even recognize that?”

The system was baffled.

It was not that it could not recognize it, but…

Why on earth did you draw an iron wire???

To speak truth, after serving as a system for decades, it had never met a host more capable of stirring up chaos than Yu Jiaxue.

It could not help but think deeper into it.

Maybe Yu Jiaxue wanted to draw something else and simply failed.

Right, the Host had always been so confident; even if she failed, she would definitely be unwilling to admit it.

Otherwise, how else could one explain why she randomly drew a piece of wire?

Thinking this way, the system offered rare words of comfort: [It’s fine, Host. Drawing is truly not easy, and failure is a common occurrence. Don’t be too sad…]

The words cut off abruptly.

The system watched in dumbfounded silence as Yu Jiaxue rose without a sound, pressed against the cell door without a sound, reached out her hand without a sound, and expertly twisted the wire back and forth a few times without a sound…

The cell door just opened like that?

Just opened like that?!

It! Opened!

The system could not comprehend it at all; the system was utterly shaken to its core!

Having picked the lock, Yu Jiaxue dusted off her hands with ease.

“Say what you will, but the locking methods in this cultivation world are quite primitive.”

Opening it was practically effortless.

Hearing this, the system felt even more shocked.

Fairness dictated that the locks of the Wushang Sword Sect were made of top-tier cold iron without any flaws. If one had to find fault, it was simply that they never imagined a disciple locked up here would actually use a wire to pick the lock.

And besides—

[Why are your lock-picking techniques so scarily proficient?!]

“Because I’m a client.” Yu Jiaxue adjusted her sleeves, her posture exceptionally elegant, storing away the wire with complete natural ease.

“For a client, lock-picking is just a basic skill.”

Without a few survival skills, she would have been bagged by contractors long ago, alright?

System: ?

Is being a client this competitive nowadays?

It sounded absurd.

Yet when spoken by Yu Jiaxue, everything somehow became normal again.

The system could not help but reflect: it had only known this host for a brief moment, yet it had already been rammed so hard by her bizarre maneuvers that it had rebooted and fled multiple times. As for the people around her, they must be living far more chaotic lives, right?

“Hey, don’t mind those details. Like I said, there’s nothing simpler than drawing!”

Taking advantage of the system’s inner turmoil, Yu Jiaxue had already pushed open the cell door and walked outside.

The system refrained from arguing back for once.

In truth, after enduring several of Yu Jiaxue’s bizarre antics, the system had long grown numb. It no longer expected Yu Jiaxue to follow the plotline; it only prayed she would not destroy its retirement home.

[Go straight. Be careful not to touch the wall on the left.]

[Turn left and head forward. Keep your movements light.]

The Discipline Hall was dead quiet. The enclosed space oozed an unsettling, damp cold that carried a faint chill.

The patrolling disciples seemed to have vanished.

Taking everything in, Yu Jiaxue imperceptibly raised an eyebrow, speaking fondly in her mind: “Knowing how to lead those disciples away for me—Little Zero, you really do love me, even if it’s hard to say out loud.”

System 999 got goosebumps from the sheer disgust: [Stop flattering yourself! This system has no time for you. It’s all because of the Xihe Sect—]

“Xihe Sect?”

[The Xihe Sect is the second largest sect in the cultivation world. Composed entirely of Brush Cultivators, each with their own strengths, it is a place of refined elegance.]

Yu Jiaxue narrowed her eyes, stating with conviction: “Little Zero, you’re hiding something from me.”

The system went quiet for a moment: [Walk straight out from here, head east all the way, and make your way to the Xihe Sect.]

[Ask no further about the rest.]

[Host, this is for your own good.]

The system’s tone was more serious than ever before.

The careless smile on Yu Jiaxue’s face faded slightly. She slowly turned sideways, casting a glance into the depths.

That was the deeper part of the dungeon, an abyss of complete, silent blackness—so dense that the bottom could not be seen at a glance, devoid of even a sliver of light.

Yu Jiaxue suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“I saw it.”

The system was startled: [What?]

“I said, I saw it.”

Yu Jiaxue spoke succinctly: “Deep in the dungeon. A lot of blood, a lot of torture devices, and a lot of caged spirit beasts.”

This time, Yu Jiaxue was not lying.

She truly saw it.

Reaching beyond layers of heavy bronze walls and iron barriers, beyond countless arrays, beyond the darkness that should not have been there—

She saw it.

Deep in the dungeon, several cat- and dog-like creatures lay on the ground, breathing faintly. Their flesh was torn, covered in wounds, with dried blood matted against their fur, clumping what should have been soft fur into matted tufts. The bloody grime all over their bodies made even their white fur look dull and lifeless.

And this was considered one of the better conditions among them.

The bird with the deepest injuries had its stark white bones exposed to the air. A pair of what should have been magnificent wings had been snapped by force, yet not completely torn off, leaving a few strands of flesh still clinging to its back. Every time it breathed, it let out a sorrowful cry.

When Yu Jiaxue looked at them, they seemed to sense her gaze as well. Pairs of dim eyes suddenly lit up, wet and gleaming. That bird even gently fluttered its wing bones.

Their eyes had been so numb, yet upon meeting Yu Jiaxue’s gaze, an unusual light suddenly erupted.

It was as if they had caught hold of a final straw—even after being imprisoned until now, they were still hoping someone would rescue them.

Confronted with such a bloody scene, even Yu Jiaxue, with her exceptionally strong psychological composure, was momentarily stunned.

Those eyes… They were not just ordinary birds and beasts.

They were demon beasts that had already gained sentience.

In just a few seconds, Yu Jiaxue retracted her gaze and regained her composure.

Seeing her lift her foot as if preparing to leave the Discipline Hall, the system, terrified that she might change her mind and meddle in things that did not concern her, hurriedly showered her with praise.

[Host, you are indeed remarkably outstanding. You adapted very quickly and made the correct choice. As expected of the final host chosen by me—]

Even the formal honorific “you” had come out, showing that this was indeed a major matter.

Before Yu Jiaxue’s outstretched foot hit the ground, she turned around with a sharp swish.

An ominous foreboding arose in its heart, and the system hurriedly asked: [Host, where are you going?!]

Yu Jiaxue spoke at top speed: “I’m going to see if I can save them.”

The system was rendered speechless, only speaking sluggishly after a few seconds.

[…You can’t save them.]

It decided to say a few more words to shatter this host’s intentions.

[This is the greatest secret of the Wushang Sword Sect.]

[Several elders, together with the Sect Leader, kept Sword Head Xie in the dark and secretly imprisoned many demon beasts in the Discipline Hall to hone the disciples’ martial sword dao.]

“Where did these demon beasts come from?”

[Tricked here, stolen away, or had their entire families wiped out in one go.]

Yu Jiaxue took a deep breath, her face filled with distress, her voice trembling: “Apologies, I can’t quite control myself.”

[I know, I understand. Anyone would feel uncomfortable hearing this for the first time, but Host, please just leave it alone. This had nothing to do with you in the first place.]

[You are the female lead of this world, favored by heaven and earth. As long as you are willing to be with the male lead, your path from now on will be smooth sailing without any hardship—you don’t have to face these bloody, grim realities.]

“No, I think you misunderstood my meaning.”

Yu Jiaxue raised an eyebrow, the corners of her lips curling up slightly—the curve was neither overly bright nor cold.

“I’m not scared. I just can barely restrain my hand from punching people!”

In just this short period, her fists had clenched hard more times than she could count.

Yu Jiaxue sincerely suggested that the Wushang Sword Sect change its name to “Wushang Boxing Gym.”

From its people to its affairs, everything here was far too suitable for her heavy-handed strikes.

An ominous premonition swept over System 999’s entire body, as if someone were about to plant a virus inside it.

Sure enough, the moment System 999 formed this thought, it saw Yu Jiaxue exhale softly and sprint at full speed toward the depths of the dungeon.

Every single step landed precisely on the locations the system had told her when guiding her out earlier—her movement was as agile as a high school student dodging a math teacher’s piece of chalk.

The system shrieked at the top of its lungs: [H-o-s-t—!]

It revealed all those details so she could avoid the side paths, not so she could gallop down those side paths and dig out a mountain trail with eighteen bends!

Busy memorizing the path back, Yu Jiaxue took time to offer a perfunctory line: “Stop wailing. Now that things have reached this point, complaining is the most useless thing to do. Rather than wallowing in self-pity, why not pull yourself together and cheer up—”

Interrupting her senseless banter was a loud sob from the system.

Yu Jiaxue: “…”

It’s just picking a lock, how big of a deal is it? Is it really necessary?

Weeping for joy like this—it actually makes her feel quite embarrassed.