Chapter 17: Mission Satisfaction /2

Chapter 17: Quest Satisfaction /2

"The demon's inner core from your side quest instance can regenerate flesh and smooth skin."

Xue Youtan was hesitating over whether to rush Pei Zhi to Yueli right away—maybe the face could still be saved—when the system, which had been silent and playing dead all this time, suddenly spoke up.

"What side quest?" Xue Youtan didn't react at first, only remembering the side quest the system had issued earlier after the words left his mouth.

After the main quest, the system had issued a side quest to subdue the Jiangnan demon. Since only the main quest couldn't be refused, Xue Youtan, who was then agonizing over how to trap the male lead, had clicked the X without a second thought.

But judging by the current situation, had the system sister failed, and now they'd sent the system brother?

Sure enough, the next moment, the previous side quest prompt popped up in his mind again:

"Congratulations, host, on triggering the side quest: Subdue the Jiangnan Demon. This quest rewards 50 points and 500 prestige."

"You may still choose to decline and skip this side quest entirely. After all, whether Pei Zhi is ugly or not is none of your business." After the system notification, the system brother's sarcastic tone followed.

"Of course I'll take it." Xue Youtan spoke up immediately.

Whether the male lead was ugly or not truly had nothing to do with him—he was taking this instance purely for the prestige points.

As for grabbing that life-regenerating, skin-smoothing inner core in the end, that was just a bonus.

With that in mind, Xue Youtan asked, "So, when do we start?"

"Now."

The moment the system finished speaking, a disciple from Cangya Mountain called out from outside the door, "Master, the Sect Leader wants to see you."

Xue Youtan pulled his hand away from Li Luoshu's support and glanced down at Pei Zhi. His wound was still bleeding, staining a large patch of his jaw red.

"What are you standing around for? Take him to the medicine hut to see Uncle Yue right away."

Xue Youtan gave the order, and Ling Yue, slow to react, moved to help Pei Zhi to the medicine hut when the disciple who'd delivered the message spoke up, "Uncle Yue isn't at the medicine hut. If Sister Ling Yue goes looking for him now, she'll be wasting her time."

"Then where's Uncle Yue?" Ling Yue's voice was low, still carrying sobs.

"Uncle Yue is with the Sect Leader in the main hall."

Xue Youtan, who'd already stepped over the threshold, turned back at that. He scooped up Pei Zhi in one motion and took off on his sword toward the main hall.

High-altitude flying really tests the pilot's skill, especially since Liguang was a slender sword. Xue Youtan had initially been carrying Pei Zhi's slight frame under his arm while flying on his sword, but the kid seemed boneless, his blood-soaked body constantly slipping down. With no other choice, Xue Youtan twisted his wrist and shifted to cradling him horizontally in his arms.

But this way, Pei Zhi's face was right in front of him. Xue Youtan only had to glance down slightly to see Pei Zhi's eyes—those unreadable eyes fixed on him.

He didn't like being stared at like that; he always felt the kid was cursing him out with his eyes.

"Close your eyes." Xue Youtan ordered.

But Pei Zhi didn't listen. Not only did he keep staring, he even reached out a hand.

Pei Zhi touched Xue Youtan's ear, then explained, "Shooing a fly."

Shooing a fly, my ass. At this flying speed, could a fly's tiny legs even withstand the wind pressure to land on his ear?

Xue Youtan figured Pei Zhi's fly-shooing was fake—his real intention was to slap him across the face.

"Where's Master taking me?" Pei Zhi spoke again.

"To the main hall, to see Uncle Yue for treatment."

"Heh~" Pei Zhi let out a light, self-deprecating laugh. "Doesn't Master wish I'd been beaten to death? So why save me now?"

Beating you is for survival; saving you is also for survival.

But there was no way to explain this to Pei Zhi, so Xue Youtan just stayed silent.

Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere didn't last long. Liguang brought the two to the main hall. The sword descended to ground level and automatically retracted its spiritual sense. Xue Youtan carried Pei Zhi into the hall, heading straight for Yueli.

Before he could get close, a portly man in embroidered silk robes rushed in from outside the hall and knelt before Yueli.

"Thank you, Heavenly Master, for saving my whole clan. Once the evil spirit is eliminated, I'll definitely bring my family to burn incense and fulfill our vows, offering plenty of tribute fruits and supplements."

Tribute fruits and supplements? Was he treating Yueli like some temple god?

The words made the vein in Yueli's forehead twitch. He barely managed to yank his sleeve free from the man's grip. "You've got it wrong. The one going out to eliminate the demon this time isn't me—it's him."

Yueli pointed at Xue Youtan, and only then did the man turn around. However, the moment he saw Xue Youtan's face, the smile on his face instantly froze.

The man's face fell, and he snatched Yueli's sleeve again. "I say, Heavenly Master, I'm looking for someone to eliminate a demon, not to do needlework! This isn't just any spirit—it eats people! What do you mean by sending me a maid?"

This time, it was Xue Youtan's turn to twitch.

He was the dignified Third Master of Cangya Mountain, a righteous and promising young man—how had he become a maid in this fat man's mouth? Hah!

Compared to Yueli, where exactly was he lacking in looks?

Xue Youtan was exasperated, and the result was that, under the fat man's gaze, he set Pei Zhi down in a chair, then picked up a cup from the table and gave it a light squeeze. The cup crumbled to dust, sifting through his fingers.

The man was stunned speechless for a good long moment. When he came to his senses, he dropped to his knees with a thud, sliding into a bow before Xue Youtan. "Heavenly Master, save me!"

Xue Youtan: "..."

Having proven his point, Xue Youtan ignored the fat man. He left him hanging for a good while, until Yueli had bandaged Pei Zhi's external wounds and applied medicinal powder to stop the bleeding. Only after confirming Pei Zhi was out of immediate danger did Xue Youtan turn and ask, "What did you just say was too late?"

"Heavenly Master, you've got to save me! That demon kills people every night. Nightfall's coming—if you don't head out now, the demon will slaughter more innocents again."

The fat man blurted it all out in one breath, his tone frantic.

He'd actually arrived at Cangya Mountain yesterday, but because demons had suddenly broken into the mountain gate, Feng Mingjue had ordered the gates sealed. He'd only just now been able to enter the main hall. Already delayed by one night, he was afraid the demon would strike again if they waited any longer.

"Alright," Xue Youtan nodded. "You're coming down the mountain with me now."

With that, Liguang shot out from his spiritual sense, hovering steadily at Xue Youtan's feet like a skateboard.

Xue Youtan pulled the fat man up onto it. Liguang had just flown past the threshold of the main hall and was about to climb higher when the system's damned notification rang out in his mind again:

"This quest detects no protagonist participation. Quest satisfaction /2, quest points and prestige /3. Player advised to carefully consider quest participant selection."

Goddammit!

A supporting male lead, a supporting male lead—he always had to be paired with the male lead as his sidekick. He was a proper villain—couldn't he have his own storyline, his own damn rights?