Chapter 43: Don't Think Too Much

Cui He died.

Before his death, his Awakening Value actually reached 50.

Yuan Yao's gaze fell on Cui He, and she felt an indescribable emotion.

Gongshan Yongyuan and Zhang Zhengchu were stunned to see Cui He dead.

Before they could recover, Yuan Yao's voice came.

"It's your turn."

Zhang Zhengchu's heart jumped; he lifted his head to meet Yuan Yao's indifferent gaze and swallowed nervously.

He began to recount his past mistakes, perhaps out of fear or perhaps because it was hard to speak, and he stumbled through his confession.

The bad things he had done were not particularly bad.

Strictly speaking, he had never been the mastermind, only an accomplice.

Zhang Zhengchu earnestly reflected on himself from the start, promising never to do those despicable things again, and hoped Yuan Yao would give him a chance to reform.

【Target: Zhang Zhengchu, Awakening Value reached 35.】

Yuan Yao looked at Zhang Zhengchu: "Your reflection isn't thorough enough; think again."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhengchu's face showed difficulty.

Is his reflection still not thorough enough?

Zhang Zhengchu knelt, pressed his forehead to the ground, and began to force himself to weep bitterly in repentance.

After a moment.

"Not enough."

After half an hour.

"Not enough."

After two hours, Zhang Zhengchu felt he had cried out all the tears of his life, and his voice grew hoarse.

The next moment, a demon-like voice sounded: "Not enough."

Zhang Zhengchu nearly broke down; looking at Yuan Yao's eyes felt like gazing at some perverse demon.

The sky had brightened.

Zhang Zhengchu lifted his tear‑streaked face, utterly exhausted, and said, "I've reflected on all my wrongs and sworn never to repeat them in this life—what more do you want from me?"

Yuan Yao also didn't know why Zhang Zhengchu's Awakening Value stubbornly refused to reach 50—perhaps he was hiding some mistake, or perhaps there was another issue.

She stroked her chin, thought seriously, and said, "Reflection."

Hearing those two words, Zhang Zhengchu nearly went mad.

Suddenly, he thought of something and blurted: "Last night we ran into Xiao Lingwei of the Carefree Sect… I… I once wanted to kill her, because three years ago at the sect grand tournament I confessed to her, but she rejected me outright."

"It made me lose all face; thereafter my fellow sect members mocked me mercilessly, calling me Xiao Lingwei's lapdog, so… so I wanted to kill her to wipe away the shame."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao dropped the pretense of depth and snapped: "What kind of twisted mindset is this?! You wanted to confess publicly—didn't you consider that others might reject you? You big idiot!"

Zhang Zhengchu froze; he never expected Yuan Yao to react so strongly.

He quickly regained composure and hurriedly repented.

"I shouldn't have had such a petty thought!" He now seriously considered it and realized he was indeed foolish—let alone whether he could kill Xiao Lingwei; even if he could, he'd be walking into a dead end!

If the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord and the Carefree Sect learned of this, they would certainly not let him off!

The more he thought, the more alarmed he became.

Why did he back then dare to confess to Xiao Lingwei in public?

He felt as if lard had clouded his heart, blinding him to reality! What sort of person is Xiao Lingwei? And what sort of person am I?

How could Xiao Lingwei possibly like me? Even less likely she'd accept my confession—how could I have the gall to make a fool of myself in public?!

Zhang Zhengchu pondered, clutching his head: "How could I be so stupid?!"

"I was wrong!"

At that moment, the 250 System's voice sounded: "【Target: Zhang Zhengchu, Awakening Value reached 50. Unlocked character info: Number 187, the deeply affectionate male supporting character Zhang Zhengchu, after being publicly rejected by the toxic female supporting character Xiao Lingwei, came to hate her; in the original plotline, he falls for the heroine Lu Xiangxiang at first sight and willingly becomes her pawn to oppose Xiao Lingwei.】"

"Unlocked character info?!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao's expression shifted.

Her gaze fell on Zhang Zhengchu's soot‑streaked, tear‑streaked face.

"He's actually the deeply affectionate male supporting character?!"

"And he's Number 187!"

"His rank is even higher than her Youngest Senior Brother Ying Wuji!"

Yuan Yao recalled the fate of the Second Senior Sister in the original storyline, pursed her lips, and asked, "Do you know who I am?"

Zhang Zhengchu and Gongshan Yongyuan froze.

She suddenly gave a light smile: "I'm Xiao Lingwei's junior sister, Yuan Yao!"

The two stared wide‑eyed in terror.

"You… you…"

Yuan Yao crossed her arms and let out a cold laugh: "If you want to live, swear this: from today onward, I, 【someone】, will be loyal to Yuan Yao and to the Carefree Sect, never betraying or harming Yuan Yao or the Carefree Sect! If you break the oath, I, 【someone】, will be plagued by inner demons, suffer deviation, lose all cultivation, and be struck by heavenly thunder!"

Zhang Zhengchu and Gongshan Yongyuan exchanged a glance, both showing hesitation.

"What? You don't want to swear?" Yuan Yao deliberately lowered her voice.

"We swear! We swear!"

Soon, Zhang Zhengchu and Gongshan Yongyuan simultaneously raised their hands, having completed the oath.

Yuan Yao nodded in satisfaction.

"Very good."

"If you dare to scold my Second Senior Sister again, I'll draw my sword and poke poke poke you to death!" She drew her sword out of its sheath, saying this, and with her long sword she poked at their chests a few times.

They were so frightened that their breath stopped.

They immediately begged for mercy, "We don't dare anymore, we don't dare anymore!"

Yuan Yao withdrew the formation.

Just as Yuan Yao was about to leave, she noticed the two of them following her step for step.

As soon as she turned around, the two of them were so frightened they fell to their knees with a 'plop'.

Yuan Yao's mouth twitched slightly: "... No need for such a grand ceremony."

She paused, then said: "You may go."

Zhang Zhengchu asked carefully: "Yuan... Boss, we have sworn to be loyal to you and the Carefree Sect; shouldn't we be following you?"

Yuan Yao waved her hand: "No need to follow me; go where you ought to go."

Gongshan Yongyuan suddenly thought of something; he cautiously scanned the surroundings, then lowered his voice to ask: "Boss, do you mean... we should return to the Rushing Void Sect as undercover agents?"

"" Yuan Yao said: "Don't think too much."

Zhang Zhengchu continued: "Boss, we all understand!"

Before Yuan Yao could even speak, she saw them run off, looking sneaky.

Yuan Yao: "?" What exactly did they understand?

She suddenly realized she hadn't asked them: which direction did her Second Senior Sister go?

Yuan Yao felt a bit regretful.

Now we can only take things one step at a time.

She needs to quickly win over the target person to increase her lifespan!

Yuan Yao immediately headed forward; after walking a stretch, she didn't see a single person.

She needs to start running!

She said she'd run, and she did.

Yuan Yao ran and ran until she reached the mouth of the valley.

And it was right there that she ran head‑on into five cultivators who looked fierce and evil.

Yuan Yao immediately stopped, her eyes lighting up as she looked at them.

And when those five cultivators saw her, their eyes also lit up.