C4 He Was a Good Person!

Lin Xiao's actions had frozen everyone in place, their bodies tense and unwilling to make a move.

What was he up to?

Did the underdog think he could turn the tables?

Hsu Qingqing's face twisted into a scowl, her eyes flashing with a dangerous glint. "I demand a reasonable explanation."

An explanation?

Lin Xiao remained silent.

Hsu Qingqing was seething!

Uncomfortable was an understatement!

Her demeanor was icy, and she detested any commotion before her.

Especially from Lin Xiao, a figure who had always been subservient to her.

Despite her rage, Hsu Qingqing was certain that Lin Xiao lacked the audacity to confront her in such a manner.

"Where is Qin Hao?" she demanded. "He used to grovel before me, sending letters, using you to charm and flatter me. And now he's chosen confrontation?"

Lin Xiao was taken aback. "?!"

Did they think he'd come all this way just to stir up trouble for the fun of it?

What did Qin Hao have to do with any of this?

"Fine, I'll remember this," Hsu Qingqing declared icily. "Upon my return, I'll propose to my father that we break off my engagement with Qin Hao." Her gaze then turned to Lin Xiao. "And you, you're just a messenger, but you've messed with something precious to me. Replacing this beast milk will take time, and I despise wasting it. You may have dodged a death sentence, but punishment is inevitable. You're coming with me to Sinner's Valley."

Sinner's Valley was teeming with spirit beasts.

Foundation Stage spirit beasts roamed freely, and it wasn't uncommon to encounter entities far surpassing that level.

But for disciples of the Green Hill Sect, it was the place to be.

The sect boasted a Points Pavilion.

The beast crystals from those elite spirit beasts could be traded for a significant number of points, which disciples could use to acquire cultivation resources, pills, and techniques.

Lin Xiao had come here not only to let off steam but also in search of a lifeline.

Having crossed Lin Xiuxiu and caught Qin Hao's attention, he had no choice but to fully display his Foundation Stage abilities to gain entry into the Inner Sect and earn the elders' regard.

Hsu Qingqing, with a cultivation base similar to his, was the perfect candidate for his plan.

He had intended to provoke Hsu Qingqing and then demonstrate his worth before the entire Moon Worshipping Peak. But now, considering his options, a trip to Sinner's Valley might just be the right move.

Having finally reached the Foundation Stage, he could now earn points to exchange for cultivation resources, potentially making himself stronger. Despite this achievement, his lack of a spiritual root meant that most elders remained disinterested in him.

Qin Hao, on the other hand, was in a different league. He hadn't reached the Foundation Stage, but that was merely due to starting his cultivation late. Lin Xiao remembered from his past life that Qin Hao was a prodigy with a low-grade gold spiritual root, similar to Chung Tong, and enjoyed the backing of the elders. This support was precisely why Lin Xiao, despite his higher cultivation level, hesitated to seek revenge against Qin Hao.

Qin Hao was cunning, concealing his spiritual root, leading many to underestimate him as ordinary. Yet, if he were to unleash his full potential, Qin Hao could easily rank among the top three in the Outer Sect!

Lin Xiao refused to live his life in submission any longer; he yearned for a life of vigor and satisfaction. Still, he wasn't reckless; he always thought carefully before acting. "It's laughable, my system is practically useless. Being a good person... Haha..." Lin Xiao shook his head with a bitter smile, acutely aware of how he met his end in his previous life. The system offered him little assistance.

The sect's points pavilion seemed a more tangible option.

"Ding!"

"Rescue of Hsu Qingqing successful. Reward: 10 Merit Points."

The system's voice chimed in.

Lin Xiao looked around, puzzled. Those around him gazed at him as though he were a ghost. Sinner's Valley was notoriously perilous, and even those at the Foundation Stage dared only skirt its edges. For someone like Lin Xiao, at the Qi Training Third Layer, venturing there was tantamount to courting death.

Unconcerned with their stares, Lin Xiao couldn't fathom how he had managed to save someone again. He didn't dwell on it, though. Ten Merit Points weren't enough to boost his cultivation level significantly or to exchange for a top-tier spiritual root pill, but it was certainly enough for a low-grade one.

Cultivation was a journey through nine levels of Qi Training. Only upon reaching the Foundation Stage could one truly embark on the quest for immortality.

One must reach the Foundation Stage to soar through the skies on a sword, riding the spiritual winds and covering a thousand miles in a single day!

Lin Xiao, with his breadth of knowledge, understood the stages of cultivation: Foundation, Abstention, Golden Core, and Nascent Infant...

Each realm was further categorized into early, middle, and late periods.

He was well-versed in these because the majority of the sect's elders and the sect master themselves were at the Golden Core or Nascent Infant Stage.

As for Spiritual Roots, they were classified into four grades: Upper, Middle, Lower, and Nonsuch.

Within the Green Hill Sect, those with spiritual roots were a rare breed. Even possessing a low-grade spiritual root was a mark of genius.

Lin Xiao had traded for a low-grade fire spiritual root pill. The system's inventory settings indicated that a low-grade spiritual root could be elevated to a nonsuch grade, assuming one had sufficient points.

"I'll be content with the low grade for now. Better to exchange it before my points reset to zero and I lose out," he mused with a sigh. Playing the hero wasn't in his nature, and he couldn't help but wonder if the system was glitching, doling out rewards haphazardly.

"I need to get in touch with my family to arrange for a delivery of beast milk; without it, my travels can't continue. And Lin Xiao, don't even think of running away. I'll find you no matter where you hide," Hsu Qingqing said icily, before stepping onto the wind and departing.

Upon her return to Moon Worshipping Peak, Hsu Qingqing, as an Inner Sect disciple, enjoyed the luxury of her own private estate.

Her status outside the sect was nothing short of impressive, a fact unbeknownst to Lin Xiao, who had never before visited Moon Worshipping Peak. Had he known, he surely would have been astounded.

Her background appeared to rival even that of Lin Xiuxiu!

Her estate was home to several Foundation Stage masters, including one at the Late Period. All were female cultivators who showed utmost deference to Hsu Qingqing.

These female cultivators, much like Ye Chen, had joined the sect. Yet, they were even more formidable than Ye Chen, being Inner Sect disciples at the Foundation Stage.

"M-Miss, Your Highness, you've received a letter," stammered a Late Period Foundation Stage master, bowing as he presented the envelope with both hands.

"Understood."

Hsu Qingqing seemed like a completely different person, exuding an air of untouchable superiority that made others hesitant to meet her gaze.

Upon reading the letter, her face shifted through a myriad of expressions. It detailed a disturbing change: the beast milk her family had sent this month had been tampered with. Enemies of her clan had ambushed her kin, and her father feared she might receive tainted milk, potentially laced with poison.

"I have a significant status; despite the numerous offenses my family may have caused over the years, it's unthinkable that anyone would dare harm us. Big Brother, Second Brother, your cruelty knows no bounds. I'm merely a woman without a spiritual root, frail and ill, uncertain of my own lifespan. I've even been promised in marriage, and yet, you refuse to spare me?"

After burning the envelope, Qingqing knew that fresh milk was already en route; that was the least of her worries. But at that moment, a wave of guilt and unease washed over her.

"Lin Xiao..." Her eyes grew misty at the thought of him.

"Just a servant, yet you've taken on so much. You risked everything to shatter my milk jug and rescue me from peril," she said with a gentle sigh. "Alas, I realize you couldn't have known about the milk's contamination. Qin Hao's influence is formidable; otherwise, he wouldn't have confidently arranged my betrothal into the Qin family. He's shown great consideration.

"But why, on such a grave matter that threatens my life and could shift the fate of an entire dynasty, couldn't you confront me directly? It's not a mere love letter. Why couldn't you act like a man and smash the jug yourself? By having Lin Xiao do it, I've been led to misjudge the situation, casting me into a moral quandary. That poor boy, so full of self-doubt and weakness, suffers in silence. How pitiful."

Days later, when the new supply of beast milk arrived and she saw Lin Xiao appear as expected, a fresh wave of shame engulfed her.

He came...

If he truly were a treacherous villain, would he still have the audacity to face her?

If he truly was a reckless upstart who dared to challenge his betters, with a mere Qi Training Third Layer cultivation, he'd know that venturing into Sinner's Valley was tantamount to suicide. Would he really take such a risk?

"Lin Xiao, is there anything you'd like to share with me before we depart?" Hsu Qingqing mustered a smile, a challenging feat for a woman of her nature.

Her smile was now radiant, reminiscent of the gentle young lady next door, "Don't be scared. Don't keep your feelings bottled up. Just speak the truth, and I can spare you from the journey to Sinner's Valley."

Not go?

But how will I grow stronger if I don't?

Can I really trust that unreliable system?

I'm all set to face what's ahead, and now you suggest we just abandon the plan?

Moreover, Lin Xiao was cautious around Hsu Qingqing. In his recollection, she had never once smiled.

Who could guess the extent of her worries, the chaos she might be masking?

Her unprecedented smile today was surely a harbinger of ill tidings!

In his past life, he had pitied Qin Hao to his dying breath. Now, it appeared Qin Hao was a villain adept at deceit, and Hsu Qingqing, his cohort, was far from virtuous.

"I must go!" Lin Xiao declared with resolve.

"Pitiable soul, I admire Qin Hao for finding someone as devoted as you," Hsu Qingqing acknowledged. She realized Lin Xiao's silence stemmed partly from fear, partly from consideration for her feelings.

Wasn't accusing Hsu Qingqing of error akin to condemning her?

To unjustly punish a meritorious and loyal servant...

"Lin Xiao is truly a kind soul, forever thoughtful and tender towards female cultivators," Hsu Qingqing said, her smile gentle as a spring breeze, her beauty capable of bringing empires to their knees...