Chapter 8

The opening was a split-second affair. Shen Qingqiu’s pupils contracted.

Just as that palm strike was about to descend, as if guided by some ghostly whim, a roof beam snapped…

If Shen Qingqiu were still just a reader of The Arrogant Path of Immortals and Demons, he’d have thrown his phone and cursed by now.

The System had already made its stance clear: the unbreakable, ironclad rule was that the protagonist could not die. Meaning, any threat to the protagonist’s life would trigger a death flag.

Shen Qingqiu had deliberately goaded Dieer into attacking Luo Binghe precisely to exploit this rule—to kill with a borrowed blade. It was… underhanded, he’d admit. But Luo Binghe likely wouldn’t be in any real danger. And if he didn’t do this, Shen Qingqiu himself might very well meet his end right here. Taking the long view, tripping Luo Binghe up here still left room to rebuild favor later.

But.

Author “Flying Towards the Sky,” what do you take your readers for?! A perfectly good, splendid new mansion—why would a roof beam just collapse out of nowhere?!

Even if you need the protagonist to escape death, this turn of events is painfully contrived. How is this any different from some third-rate, melodramatic TV show where the leads are about to get married back home, only for a car to come flying out of nowhere for a forced bad ending? One star!

The nearly brand-new beam fell with uncanny precision, smashing squarely onto Dieer and flattening him against the floor, leaving him unable to rise. As if that weren’t enough, it also managed to knock askew the pillars binding Luo Binghe and Ning Yingying. Ning Yingying had already fainted from fright, and after a moment of struggle, Luo Binghe found himself inexplicably free.

After this chain of absurdities, Shen Qingqiu—still bound by the Immortal-Binding Ropes and pinned to the ground—watched as Luo Binghe stood frozen beside the flattened Dieer, sinking into a baffled silence.

Was that… it?

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than Dieer shoved the roof beam aside and sprang to his feet.

“Shen Qingqiu!” he roared, fury twisting his features. “The people of Cang Qiong Mountain are truly despicable and cunning! What underhanded trick did you just pull to ambush me from behind?”

Shen Qingqiu was genuinely innocent. This really wasn’t his doing. The true culprit should be Luo Binghe.

Dieer pressed on, relentless. “You were deceiving me all along, weren’t you? Trying to distract me so you could launch a sneak attack. Otherwise, why would a perfectly good roof beam just fall—and land right on me?”

He—or she—had shrewdly picked up on the plot’s illogical twist. There was hope for their IQ yet! Shen Qingqiu felt a flicker of relief.

Dieer sneered. “You think this can hold me? Dream on. The Immortal-Binding Ropes can only be severed by a celestial-grade sword. You’ve no hope of breaking free by ordinary means.”

…And there goes the praise. Don’t just tell your enemy how to escape, you idiot!

And are you afraid I might miss where you’ve hidden Xiu Ya? Did you really have to pat the spot where it’s tucked at your waist beneath your cloak?

Unable to contain his excitement, Shen Qingqiu took a moment to confer with the System. “Just asking. Are all villains like this?”

System: 【To ensure the User can smoothly pass the beginner-stage tasks, after activating Easy Mode, the villain’s intelligence is set below average.】

So not all bosses were this easy to deal with. Shen Qingqiu felt a twinge of regret but still gave a hearty thumbs-up. “Your Easy Mode design is wonderfully user-friendly. Full marks.”

Dieer gnashed his teeth. “I won’t listen to another word from you this time! Prepare to die, Shen Qingqiu!”

“One last sentence!” Shen Qingqiu called out.

Under the sway of Easy Mode, Dieer actually paused. “What are your final words?”

Shen Qingqiu thought for a moment, then asked, “How was it, sleeping with a sixty-year-old man?”

“……”

While Dieer was still trembling with rage, his face contorted, Luo Binghe lunged from behind!

He snatched Xiu Ya from Dieer’s waist, drew the blade, and filled the room with a clear, snowy light.

A silver arc flashed through the air, and the Immortal-Binding Ropes around Shen Qingqiu fell away in pieces.

Blame it on this minor boss’s subpar IQ in Easy Mode—he’d completely ignored the living person standing right behind him.

“Impossible—” Dieer shrieked.

Enough! I’m part of the ‘I Won’t Listen’ faction! I don’t want to hear the boss’s routine pre-death monologue! The corner of Shen Qingqiu’s mouth twitched. He channeled his spiritual power into his right palm and struck out, slamming it squarely against Dieer’s chest. The latter flew backward like a kite with its string cut.

This was Shen Qingqiu’s first kill. Yet he felt no hesitation. First, this was a book. Second, this was a demon who had slaughtered countless lives. Third, if he didn’t act, he’d be the one to die.

Shen Qingqiu glanced at Dieer’s twisted limbs and the blood seeping from every orifice, then turned away, mentally replaying those three reasons like a barrage of subtitles. Forcing himself to appear calm, he straightened up slowly, steadied his breath, and adopted a dignified posture before turning to Luo Binghe. “First time seeing ‘evil eradicated to uphold the righteous path’? Did it frighten you?”

Luo Binghe’s still-youthful face was slightly pale.

Shen Qingqiu said placidly, “To ‘uphold’ it, one must first ‘eradicate’ the evil.”

Luo Binghe gritted his teeth, his voice trembling. “Master, this disciple dares to ask… earlier…”

When the rest of the sentence didn’t come, Shen Qingqiu prompted, “You want to know what this master planned to do if the roof beam hadn’t collapsed?”

Shen Qingqiu was stuck swallowing a bitter pill. He really wanted to tell Luo Binghe, Don’t worry. Even if the beam hadn’t fallen, a wall might have collapsed. If not the wall, then a pillar. In short, you definitely wouldn’t die—the boss absolutely has to. But the words stuck in his throat. Instead, he feigned profundity and deflected. “Are you questioning your master?”

Luo Binghe shook his head, his expression earnest. “No. If I could give my life for Master, it would be this disciple’s greatest honor.”

…Shen Qingqiu was stunned by his sheer, saintly purity!

After a moment’s thought, Shen Qingqiu chose a more ambiguous reply. “Then let this master tell you something as well. Even if something were to happen to me, you would come to no harm.”

It was the absolute truth. Even if Shen Qingqiu died a hundred times over, the indestructible protagonist Luo Binghe would live on just fine!

His expression was firm and composed, utterly sincere, his voice resonant. “On this point, there is no deception.”

Hearing this, Luo Binghe seemed to ignite with vitality. The slightly wilted sunflower perked right back up, bursting with life. He held Xiu Ya with both hands, raising it to eyebrow level, and presented it to Shen Qingqiu. “Master. Your sword!”

Shen Qingqiu took it back, wiping a mental sweat from his brow. This kid is so easy to fool right now. He was just scared out of his wits, and a few words later he’s fully revived. But he won’t be so gullible in the future. Growing up is such a cruel, thorny path…

Next, a rapid-fire series of System notifications nearly made him giddy.

【Ning Yingying’s favorability increased. Protagonist satisfaction +50.】

【Acquired high-grade item: ‘Immortal-Binding Ropes.’ Villain strength +30.】

【Beginner-stage task completed. B-Points functionality unlocked. From this moment, the User has full control over the Shen Qingqiu account. Congratulations! Please continue your efforts.】

Shen Qingqiu was starting to love this rollercoaster of soaring highs and crushing lows.

With the OOC function now unlocked, he could finally begin the grand and glorious undertaking of clinging to the male lead’s thigh!

The first thing upon returning to Cang Qiong Mountain was to ascend to Qiong Ding Peak, where the Sect Leader resided, and report to Yue Qingyuan.

Until now, Shen Qingqiu had regarded this Senior Brother Sect Leader as little more than an NPC handing out quests. But that feeling vanished the moment he stepped through the mountain gate.

Before he even entered the main hall, Yue Qingyuan emerged, followed by a group of Qiong Ding disciples. The two met face-to-face, sharing a smile before Yue Qingyuan’s right hand shot out and closed around Shen Qingqiu’s wrist.

Shen Qingqiu stiffened in surprise, but Yue Qingyuan made no further move. Instead, he focused, channeling a faint stream of spiritual energy—merely checking the state of Shen Qingqiu’s spiritual flow. Shen Qingqiu relaxed.

A moment later, Yue Qingyuan released his grip and smiled, walking with Shen Qingqiu into the main hall. “How was the mission?”

His tone, like that of an elder brother, reminded Shen Qingqiu of his own two brothers—bringing a touch of melancholy, but more so a wave of warmth. Even his report of failure came out almost cheerfully. “Less than satisfactory.”

The disciples hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the Skinning Demon. From the perspective of a training mission, it was indeed a disappointment.

Yue Qingyuan said, “There’s no need to rush.”

Shen Qingqiu nodded, then abruptly changed the subject. “Sect Leader, I wish to enter the Spirit Cave in the back mountains of Qiong Ding Peak for secluded cultivation.”

As the foremost of the Twelve Peaks, Qiong Ding Peak naturally gathered the finest essence of heaven and earth. The Spirit Cave was its optimal cultivation site, where effort yielded double the results. Thus, elders or outstanding disciples within the sect could request permission from the Sect Leader to enter the cave for secluded training. Only with the Sect Leader’s approval would the request be granted.

That Shen Qingqiu wanted to enter the Spirit Cave was something Yue Qingyuan would never refuse. Yet the smile on his lips froze for an instant, his expression shifting slightly.

Shen Qingqiu noticed the anomaly, but it passed in a flash. Yue Qingyuan asked gently, “Is it for the Immortal Alliance Conference?”

“Precisely.”

It wasn’t just for the conference. The Skinning Demon incident had driven home the importance of diligent cultivation. In this world, only with strength could one afford to plan for the future. After all, Easy Mode and below-average IQ villains wouldn’t always be around.

Before entering seclusion, Shen Qingqiu summoned Luo Binghe and handed him the correct introductory cultivation manual.

Luo Binghe accepted the manual. "Master, why give me a cultivation method that's completely different?"

Shen Qingqiu delivered his nonsense with perfect solemnity. "Your constitution is unique. The standard sect methods are unsuitable for your cultivation."

He had no intention of personally exposing the truth that he, Shen Qingqiu, had instructed Ming Fan to give Luo Binghe a fake manual. That would come out eventually, but not from his lips.

Watching Shen Qingqiu's retreating figure, Luo Binghe clutched the book to his chest, his heart surging with emotion.

This was a cultivation method crafted by Master… for him alone!

Shen Qingqiu glanced back once, only to find the boy still rooted to the spot, staring after him. He rubbed his temple and kept walking.

He had no idea what was going through Luo Binghe's head, but whatever it was… he was definitely overthinking it.