Chapter 400: Don't follow me

"Thank you, kind souls for the information." Qian Yunzhou smiled, but there was not a hint of a smile in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Qian, don't mention it, this is what we ought to do." Those few young cultivators fawned to the extreme.

"You few are ungrateful!" a female cultivator snapped, her face contorted with anger.

Upon hearing that, those few instantly became displeased, and coldly said: "Don't talk nonsense!"

The female cultivator sneered: "If it weren't for the benefactor's help, you would have already died on the Heavenly Fire Wasteland! Now, to curry favor with the Young Island Master of Flying Cloud Island, you disregard the benefactor's safety and spill all her information! You aren't ungrateful—what are you then?"

"Shut up!" Those few, furious from embarrassment, exchanged a glance and then directly attacked the female cultivator.

As they began fighting, Qian Yunzhou had already disappeared.

On the Heavenly Fire Wasteland.

Yuan Yao had thought that after Qian Yunzhou left, she would simply fly down from here, but she hadn't expected him to suddenly appear before her; his handsome face showed a hint of pleased smile, his lips slightly parting.

"Yuan, Xiao, Liu."

Yuan Yao lowered her voice: "I am not Yuan Xiao Liu; you have mistaken me for someone else."

"Yuan Xiao Liu, stop pretending." Qian Yunzhou let out a light sigh and stepped toward her.

Yuan Yao stared at him with icy eyes, sword pointed at him: "If you take another step forward, don't blame me for being impolite."

Qian Yunzhou stopped; he saw the rejection and coldness in her eyes, and the smile on his face faded completely.

"Do you dislike me?"

"Dislike."

"Why?"

"I don't want to deal with you; it's exhausting." Yuan Yao said bluntly, feeling that Qian Yunzhou was always scheming something whenever he approached her, making her uncomfortable.

Moreover, the Youngest Senior Brother once harbored killing intent toward him.

So he definitely isn't a good person.

Yuan Yao had no intention of befriending him, nor did she want any involvement with him.

Qian Yunzhou fell silent for a moment.

Seeing him silent, Yuan Yao prepared to sheath her sword and leave.

Suddenly, Qian Yunzhou spoke: "Do you have a Heavenly Pride Token on you?"

Yuan Yao's expression shifted slightly, her steps halted, and she coldly replied: "No."

Qian Yunzhou lifted his gaze to Yuan Yao, his eyes deepening: "If you don't have it, why are you hiding your identity?"

"None of your business."

"Yuan Xiao Liu, are you afraid I'll snatch your Heavenly Pride Token?"

Upon hearing that, Yuan Yao gave him a cold, sweeping glance.

Qian Yunzhou suddenly laughed, producing a golden Heavenly Pride Token from his storage space: "You think I don't have one? I won't covet your Heavenly Pride Token, so you needn't be so wary of me."

Yuan Yao's gaze lingered on the token in his hand for a moment, then shifted to Qian Yunzhou's face.

"Hmm, then don't follow me."

Having said that, she flashed her body and leapt down toward the volcanic crater below.

Qian Yunzhou: "……"

This was still the first time he had been treated so perfunctorily.

Qian Yunzhou laughed in anger.

He quickly gave chase.

"Yuan Xiao Liu, the more you don't want me to follow you, the more I insist on doing so."

Yuan Yao couldn't help but say: "Qian Yunzhou, do you have a screw loose?"

Qian Yunzhou chuckled lightly: "You're being rude; you should call me Brother Yunzhou."

Yuan Yao: "……"

She leapt down and landed on the ground.

At that moment, the group of young cultivators also noticed her; before they could speak, Yuan Yao swiftly darted toward the forest ahead, moving so fast that she vanished in the blink of an eye.

Immediately after, a red silhouette flashed before them.

"This is……"

Everyone's expressions changed slightly.

At that moment, Qian Yunzhou closely pursued Yuan Yao.

But soon he discovered Yuan Yao's speed was astonishing; even he could not catch up, only barely keeping behind her.

And Yuan Yao realized she couldn't shake off Qian Yunzhou, feeling somewhat vexed.

This Qian Yunzhou is full of tricks; his approach surely means he wants to scheme something against her.

At that moment, the voice of the 250 System sounded in her sea of consciousness.

【Target Qian Yunzhou, Awakening Value reached -50.】

【Target Qian Yunzhou, Awakening Value reached -60.】

Yuan Yao was startled.

She couldn't help but ask the 250 System: "Why is Qian Yunzhou's initial Awakening Value negative?"

【Host, Qian Yunzhou is the deep-affection male third lead in the original novel's plot.】

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao's pupils contracted slightly, and she suddenly stopped.

She asked: "Is Xie Yan the deep-affection male second lead in the original novel's plot?"

If the target figures with negative initial Awakening Values are all deeply connected to Lu Xiangxiang, then……

Given Xie Yan's initial Awakening Value, he is very likely the deep-affection male second lead in the original novel's plot.

Is he one of the masterminds behind the extermination of the Carefree Sect?

She held her breath, waiting for the 250 System's reply.

As a result, it said: 【Host, this system has not yet detected any information about the deeply affectionate male second lead.】

Then what is Xie Yan's identity in the original plot?

【Sorry, host, this system has not yet detected the key information about the target person Xie Yan.】

Yuan Yao: ……

That's as good as saying nothing.

Her heart felt a bit heavy.

Xie Yan's identity information cannot be detected, nor can the deeply affectionate male second lead's identity information be detected; perhaps there is still a connection between the two.

「You idiot, I really want to chop you with a single sword! 」

250 System: 【Please calm down, host.】

Yuan Yao said: 「I'm quite calm, calm enough to want to chop you. 」

At this moment, Qian Yunzhou also caught up.

「Yuan Xiaoliu, why aren't you running anymore? 」

Yuan Yao turned her head to look at him and asked: 「Can you repent to me? 」

Qian Yunzhou raised his eyebrows slightly; he had previously investigated Yuan Yao's life story and knew she had an epithet—the Repentance Immortal.

「I was wrong. 」Qian Yunzhou laughed.

Yuan Yao thought of how he was the third male lead who deeply loved the female lead Lu Xiangxiang in the original plot, and she couldn't help but glare at him.

Even through his mask, Qian Yunzhou could sense that she was unhappy at this moment.

He asked softly: 「What's wrong? Is it because my repentance isn't sincere enough, making you unhappy? 」

「Yes. 」

「Then how can I make you happy? 」

Yuan Yao didn't answer but countered: 「Why do you insist on clinging to me? 」

Qian Yunzhou's brows grew more serious: 「Then why do you always run away when you see me? Am I really that hateful to look at? 」

Yuan Yao said: 「I've said it before—I don't like being around you. 」

After a pause, she changed tack: 「If you could stop scheming against me, then I could still get along with you amicably. 」

Qian Yunzhou gave her a deep look.

「Fine. 」

Yuan Yao blinked at him, her tone softening a little: 「Then, Brother Yunzhou, can you promise me one request? 」

Upon hearing 【Brother Yunzhou】, Qian Yunzhou felt his ears go numb, the corners of his mouth twitching as he smiled and said: 「Go ahead. 」

「Don't follow me. 」

Qian Yunzhou's face stiffened slightly.