Chapter 4

The aftermath of the Qingyun City beast tide had not yet completely subsided, but the various "legends" about Lin Xuan had already spread throughout the city before nightfall in various outrageous versions.

Some said he was a hidden expert, playing in the world.

Some said he had good luck and received the protection of an ancient great power.

More people believed that this guy was purely a freak with bizarre behavior and could not be measured by common sense.

The Lin family maintained a bizarre silence about this. The family head, Lin Batian, and several elders discussed it privately several times and finally decided to adopt an "observation" strategy toward Lin Xuan. They could no longer see through this son at all.

Lin Xuan was happy to be quiet, counting his harvest happily in his small courtyard.

【Slacking Off Makes You Stronger System】

Host: Lin Xuan

Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Stage 3 (5210/)

Technique: None

Skill: None

Slacking Off Points: 5210

Item: None

"Over five thousand points, not bad, not bad, this wave of beast tide was a huge profit." Lin Xuan crossed his legs, pondering how to spend it next, "Should I directly increase my cultivation to Foundation Establishment Stage 4, or exchange for a technique or skill to play with?"

【Ding! Detected host's strength increase, system mall has opened some permissions!】

【Ding! New task issued: "Profane the Holy!"】

【Task Requirements: During Saintess Yun Yao's bathing or similar private moments, perform a "non-active intention" peeping, and ensure it is "just right" discovered.】

【Task Hint: The target is currently located in the "Heaven" grade room of the "Clear Heart Garden" inn in the south of the city.】

【Task Reward: One mysterious gift package, Slacking Off Points!】

"Puff—!"

The tea Lin Xuan had just taken into his mouth was sprayed out directly.

"System, are you messing with me?!" Lin Xuan almost jumped off the grand armchair, "Peep at the Saintess bathing?! And have to be discovered?! Are you tired of my life, or do you think Ye Chen's sword isn't fast enough?!"

This task is too much courting death! It's simply pushing him into a fire pit! Who is Saintess Yun Yao? The official match of the Child of Destiny! The daughter of fortune! Peep at her bathing? This is no longer slacking off, this is self-destruction!

【System Hint: High risk, high reward. The true meaning of slacking off lies in challenging the bottom line of the secular world and creating possibilities in the impossible. Please host to carry forward the spirit of "I don't want my face, therefore I am invincible."】

Lin Xuan's mouth twitched, but looking at the "mysterious gift package" and the huge reward of ten thousand Slacking Off Points, his heart felt like it was being scratched by a kitten.

"Damn it... the bold die of gluttony, the timid die of starvation!" After struggling for a moment, Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, "Do it! Isn't it just peeping at bathing? As long as I slack off thoroughly enough, the one who is embarrassed will be someone else!"

He carefully studied the task hint: "'Non-active intention' peeping... and have to be 'just right' discovered... hmm, there is room for operation!"

An extremely wicked... no, an extremely "clever" plan gradually took shape in his mind.

Night fell, and the lanterns were lit.

Clear Heart Garden was the top inn in Qingyun City, with an elegant environment and fairly strict guards. The "Heaven" grade rooms were independent courtyards with excellent privacy.

A blurry black shadow flipped over the inn wall silently like a ghost, avoiding several bright and dark sentries, and accurately touched the outside of the "Heaven" grade courtyard. It was Lin Xuan, who had changed into a night-walking suit.

"The movement technique of Foundation Establishment Stage 3, used to be a flower-picking thief, is really convenient." Lin Xuan mocked himself, climbed onto the courtyard wall like a gecko, and carefully poked his head out.

In the courtyard, the candlelight flickered. On the window paper of the room, a hazy and graceful figure was reflected, seemingly... undressing?

Lin Xuan's heart accelerated a few beats uncontrollably, and he quickly muttered: "Form is emptiness, emptiness is form, I am doing this for the task, for becoming stronger..."

According to the plan, he did not peep directly, but took out a... slingshot from his bosom. And a small stone.

His target was not the window, but an inconspicuous copper bell used for decoration in the corner of the courtyard.

"Swish—"

The stone broke through the air and hit the copper bell accurately.

"Ding-a-ling—!"

The crisp bell sound was particularly harsh in the silent night!

"Who?!"

Inside the room came Saintess Yun Yao's cold and vigilant voice, and the candlelight extinguished instantly. At the same time, a sharp sword Qi shot through the window toward the direction of the copper bell almost at the same time the bell rang! It was Ye Chen guarding nearby!

The first step of the plan, lure the snake out of the hole, completed!

This was the effect Lin Xuan wanted! He had long expected that Ye Chen would definitely be guarding nearby.

The moment Ye Chen was attracted by the bell sound and appeared to check, Lin Xuan used this short time difference to slide down from the wall like a civet cat and tiptoed to the back window of the room. This was Ye Chen's blind spot.

He held his breath and took out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom, which contained a few fireflies he had grabbed on the road.

"Sorry, little bugs, help me out."

He gently pulled out the stopper and released the fireflies through the crack in the window.

The faint fluorescent light danced in the dim room, immediately attracting the attention of Saintess Yun Yao, who had just extinguished the candle and was in a state of tension.

Human instinct is to look at the light source.

Just as Saintess Yun Yao's gaze subconsciously followed the few faint fireflies—

"Crack!"

Under Lin Xuan's feet, a loose tile, whose position he had "carefully" calculated, was "accidentally" stepped on and shattered!

The sound was not loud, but to a cultivator, it was clearly audible!

"There is someone outside the window!" Saintess Yun Yao gave an angry and shocked cry!

Almost at the same time, the few fireflies happened to fly to the inside of the room, above the huge bathtub that was steaming with heat!

The fluorescent light was faint, but at this moment, it vaguely outlined the silhouette of the bathtub, and... the woman's intimate clothing hanging by the tub!

And Lin Xuan, because of the "panic" of "stepping on the tile," his body "lost balance," and his head "involuntarily" bumped into the window!

"Crash!"

The window paper was bumped into a small hole!

An eye, wide open because of "terror," happened to see through that small hole into the room—in the misty water vapor, the snow-white fragrant shoulders that were looming, and Saintess Yun Yao's pretty face that was instantly covered in frost and filled with killing intent!

Eyes met!

Time seemed to freeze at this moment!

"Lewd thief! Die!!"

Saintess Yun Yao's scream and a cold, bone-chilling sword Qi erupted simultaneously! The back window of the entire room shattered instantly!

"Mommy! I didn't mean it!"

Lin Xuan let out a just-right, terrified scream, and before the sword Qi could reach his body, relying on his Foundation Establishment Stage 3 cultivation and that bizarre movement technique, he rolled and crawled backward, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.

But he was still swept by the aftermath of the sword Qi, his back burning with pain, and his night-walking suit was cut, looking extremely embarrassed.

"Where are you going!"

Ye Chen appeared in the courtyard like an angry thunderbolt. Seeing the broken window, the disheveled (outer robe slightly messy) Saintess Yun Yao with killing intent on her face, and the black shadow fleeing in a panic, he instantly understood everything!

The monstrous anger almost burned his reason to ashes!

This Lin Xuan! This shameless person! During the day, he made all kinds of freakish acts, and at night he actually dared to peep at the Saintess bathing?! If this monster is not removed, heaven will not tolerate it!

"Thunder Sword Technique!"

Ye Chen attacked in anger, the sword light like a silk ribbon, carrying the power of brilliant heavenly thunder, straight for Lin Xuan's heart! This sword was fast to the extreme, and its power far exceeded the sword at the City Lord's mansion during the day!

Lin Xuan felt the fatal crisis behind him, his scalp tingling. He knew, he played it too far! Ye Chen was truly angry and wanted to kill him on the spot!

Run! Must run!

He pushed his movement technique to the limit, fleeing frantically on the inn's roof and alleys like a stray dog. Ye Chen chased closely behind, the sword light falling constantly, shattering the roof tiles and walls along the way, causing a burst of exclamations.

"Brother Ye Chen! Misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!" Lin Xuan shouted while running, his voice with a crying tone, "I came to deliver fireflies! I saw the Saintess was in a bad mood, so I wanted to catch a few fireflies to cheer her up! I really didn't see anything!"

It would have been better if he hadn't shouted; this was adding fuel to the fire!

Delivering fireflies? Cheer her up? And didn't see anything? You even poked a hole in the window paper! Do you think we are fools?!

【Ding! Detected extreme shame, anger, and killing intent from Saintess Yun Yao, Emotional Value +1999!】

【Ding! Detected rage and determination to kill from the Child of Destiny, Ye Chen, Emotional Value +1888!】

【Ding! Detected shock and gossip enthusiasm from inn staff/guests, Emotional Value +2333!】

"Lin Xuan! I will kill you! Heaven or earth, no one can save you!" Ye Chen's roar resounded through half of Qingyun City.

This late-night chase caused a huge stir, instantly alarming countless people.

Family high-ups like Li Wanshan and Lin Batian, as well as numerous curious cultivators and commoners, were alarmed and came out to check.

When they saw the Lin Xuan fleeing in embarrassment in front, and Ye Chen, who was full of killing intent like a thunder god descending, behind, everyone was stunned.

What is the situation again?!

"Rebellious son! What have you done again!?" Lin Batian saw this scene, his eyes went black, and he almost fainted.

Li Yanran also stood on her family's pavilion, looking at the purple figure (the night-walking suit was broken, revealing the purple robe inside) fleeing frantically on the roof in the distance, her mood complex to the extreme. This guy really doesn't stop for a moment!

【Ding! Detected shock, disdain, curiosity, and gossip emotions in the whole city, Emotional Value +8888!】

【Congratulations to the host for completing the "Profane the Holy" task! Reward: Slacking Off Points! The mysterious gift package has been issued to the system space, please check at your convenience!】

Hearing the system prompt, Lin Xuan, who was fleeing for his life, finally breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

The task is completed!

Although the process was extremely dangerous, the harvest was also huge!

Now, I must find a way to get rid of this angry "protagonist" behind me!

His gaze swept across the familiar streets below, and a thought flashed.

"Right! That place!"

He changed direction, no longer running out of the city, but rushing toward the center of the city, toward the City Lord's mansion!

Ye Chen followed closely, his killing intent undiminished.

However, when Lin Xuan rushed to the gate of the City Lord's mansion, he made a move that made everyone who chased to watch the fun, including Ye Chen, petrified again.

"Thump!"

He knelt again!

But this time, he didn't kneel to Ye Chen, but knelt directly in front of the City Lord's mansion gate, using all his strength to let out a cry of grief and indignation:

"City Lord! Help!! Ye Chen wants to kill me to silence me! Because he discovered that I know the secret that he is secretly practicing demonic arts!!!"

This shout, like a thunderclap, exploded in the silent night sky.

The City Lord who had just arrived at the scene, and all the onlookers, including Ye Chen in his rage, all froze on the spot.

Demonic... arts?!

Ye Chen practicing demonic arts?!

Lin Xuan knelt on the ground, raised his head, his face full of "righteousness" and "fear," pointed at Ye Chen who was chasing, his voice trembling but clearly spreading to the whole audience:

"That's right! It's him! Ye Chen! On the surface, he is a righteous hero, but behind the scenes, he practices evil demonic arts that absorb others' cultivation! I accidentally bumped into it tonight, and he wants to kill me to silence me! Please, City Lord, make the decision for me!"

The whole audience, deathly silence.

Everyone's gaze slowly moved from Lin Xuan to Ye Chen, whose face had turned from rage to astonishment, and then from astonishment to livid.

The night wind blew, carrying a trace of absurd chill.

(Chapter 4 End)