Chapter 3: The Shadowy Stealing Becomes the Prelude to His Death

"Oh, is the reaction that serious? You must be having a very tough time at this place lately..."

"It's Yun... I do remember Ren clearly..."

Her heart was pounding like a drum, accompanied by a buzzing sound, and she could almost feel her blood vessels bulging and vibrating. Jiang Geyun was no longer listening to the conversation between the three people behind her.

When she is conscious, multitasking for a short period of time is not a problem for her, but now, with the added physical pain, it will not be so easy for her to multitask.

Jiang Geyun gritted her teeth and said, "...Tell me the mission."

She chose to answer Pei Xuexiao's questions first, not only because the current situation was more urgent, but also to test the system's tolerance limit.

The test results are in, and now everyone's unhappy, hahaha.

Is this thing really legal? Is it corporal punishment?

Did she transmigrate into a book or enter 00 Academy?

The system, with its outdated legal system, first deliberately cleared its throat before replying to Jiang Geyun: "[Ahem, request received from the host~]"

The original author put a lot of effort into creating the ultimate villain, but then completely stalled at the end, unable to figure out how the protagonist would defeat this near-perfect being.

[The author has been on hiatus for a long time, only writing a few hundred words every few months to appease readers. The plot has made no progress for years, causing deep resentment among those who follow the story. The host's task is to develop a completely new subplot~]

Your mission is to win over that Third Prince Su.

Make his love for you reach 100%.

[Make yourself his weakness, the prelude to his demise.]

Good heavens, what a terrible remedy! As fresh as leftover rice! Setting things up like this, solving problems entirely through love and hate—what a brilliant idea!

Unaware of what was happening within Jiang Geyun's internal brain, the latter remained basking in the joy of the progress finally being made.

The system, devoid of any innovative capabilities, spoke in a jubilant tone:

[Attention! From the date of activation, the host has 100 days to complete the task. Please pay close attention to the time limit!]

Jiang Geyun asked: "[One hundred days? What will happen after that?]"

The system, with its low moral standards, said: [I believe the host won't be that unlucky. If the goal isn't achieved after 100 days... ta-da! The host will be eliminated!]

Implanting another soul into this body consumes a lot of energy. If the host cannot produce results, then of course it must leave, which would be such a pity!

One hundred days.

Jiang Geyun slowly clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

She said, "I will do my best."

Don't worry about what I do.

The system was satisfied: [That's good. Host, focus on getting out of your current predicament first, after all...]

Its voice carried an undeniable hint of malice: "[According to the original plot, the host is cannon fodder in the opening injustice. Be careful not to die before the 100 days are up!]"

Jiang Geyun: [...]

Wow, this is even more difficult than she imagined.

After confirming the task, the pain disappeared.

It was as if some painkiller had taken effect; not long ago I was sweating profusely and unable to process information, but now I have regained my senses, and the previous pain seems like an illusion.

Jiang Geyun gave Pei Xueyi a weak but clear smile and said, "I'm fine now, thank you. This tea tastes very good."

Pei Xueyi raised an eyebrow: "Really? That's normal, it's my blood inside."

Jiang Geyun was silent for a few seconds, then, thinking about the worldview, decided not to delve into the topic. Instead, she asked Pei Xueyi, "You just said... there have been some unusual things happening at Yunshui Temple recently?"

On the other side, the system was asked: "Only punishment, no reward?"

Jiang Geyun's reaction to the "annihilation" was calmer than the system expected. Perhaps Jiang Geyun was very confident in completing the mission?

Excellent, it was worth the careful selection!

It readily proceeded with the "sweet treat" part after the initial beating: [Of course there's a reward! And a super generous grand prize!]

[Host, have you seen Aladdin's Lamp? Within the system's capabilities, you can make three wishes—three! And it's not just about returning to your original world!]

[The dead come back to life, lottery numbers, unparalleled beauty, time reversal, immortal health... Enjoy to the fullest and make your wishes boldly!]

"Hiss, if the system isn't lying and can really do all that, then dismantling the system would be far more difficult than I can imagine," Jiang Geyun thought to herself.

But is it really true that there was no lying?

Jiang Geyun said, "I understand."

Jiang Geyun looked up and said to Pei Xueyi, "I see. I stayed at Yunshui Temple for a short time and was always taken care of by Su Guang. I didn't encounter anything unusual."

Pei Xuexiao, who had been listening to their conversation, suddenly interjected, "So, you should thank her properly."

This guy's words always have a slightly unpleasant undertone, but he ultimately wants to find the murderer.

For this reason, Jiang Geyun was able to suppress her discomfort and have a proper conversation.

She deliberately ignored the deeper meaning in Pei Xuexiao's words and asked in a confused yet apologetic tone, "What questions do I still need to answer? What exactly happened to Su Guang? Was it the 'evil shadow' you mentioned?"

While the system was communicating with Jiang Geyun, Pei Xueyi briefly described the unusual occurrences at Yunshui Temple in recent days:

The well water became foul-smelling, but an investigation at the bottom of the well revealed nothing.

While chanting sutras in the hall, the statues I saw out of the corner of my eye looked ferocious, but when I looked directly at them, they returned to normal.

Around midnight, I heard the sound of clothes rubbing on the floor outside the door, followed by a knock. When I opened the door, a cold wind rushed in, but there was nothing there...

Such incidents occur frequently, suggesting the presence of "evil spirits".

Helpless, the abbot wrote a letter to Xuandu Supervisor.

"Filthy shadow" can be understood as a concrete, filthy thing that can cause disaster.

Born from resentment, it attaches itself to the land or objects, causing all sorts of strange things to happen to those who come into contact with it, or even causing people to die on the spot, becoming part of the filthy shadow like a ghost.

Battlefield ruins, sites of injustices, and areas ravaged by plagues—these places are prone to becoming defiled, but Taoist temples are different.

Even though most practitioners in Taoist temples do not possess special talents—after all, this is a rare privilege for a very small number of people—the location of their practice sites, as well as the positive influence brought about by the practitioners' years of quiet contemplation, make these places extremely difficult to become or become defiled.

Therefore, it can be concluded that anything capable of causing the strange occurrences at Yunshui Temple must be extremely ominous. Consequently, Princess Zhengyi, who was in charge of Xuandujian, immediately ordered three people to investigate the situation.

Despite emphasizing that it was "definitely an extremely ferocious creature," why did they only send three Night Watchers? This novel is just too logical!

...Was it to promote the relationship between Pei Xueyi and Xie Jiming?

The original owner was a minor cannon fodder character with a limited perspective. The plot mentioned by the system was just an outline. As for the more detailed development, it would be unlocked step by step as the plot progressed.

Being cast as cannon fodder, I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse.

Not needing to be deeply involved in the plot or do any tasks to advance it means that she has few character restrictions and can act freely, which will definitely help her advance the process of dismantling the system.

But if he had no involvement in the main storyline and died so young, wouldn't that mean the original owner had nothing remarkable about him?

She is Jiang Geyun, a seventeen-year-old junior in college on a government scholarship, with job offers galore before graduation, a bright future ahead of her...

Okay, that makes sense, since we're all just working like oxen and horses anyway.

However, in a world filled with supernatural forces and strange phenomena, being unable to protect oneself is a terrifying thing.

We can't really focus all our efforts on creating a strategy guide and put all our hopes on that big villain, can we?

Pei Xuexiao's gaze sharpened, and she suddenly asked, "Do you really want this matter to be classified as a tainted influence?"

Jiang Geyun was somewhat taken aback.

This time, she wasn't faking it; she genuinely seemed taken aback.

She knew that throughout history, many cases were only filled in during the preliminary investigation, and the initial impressions that had been formed were difficult to overturn.

But has Su Guang's death been preliminarily investigated? Have the three ruled out other suspects and focused on her? Has her arrival in this world not changed the original plot?

How did she become cannon fodder?

Less than a day after being imprisoned in Jinghu Prison, this was Jiang Geyun's first interrogation.

Why did Pei Xuexiao assume she was the murderer?

Jiang Geyun said cautiously but sincerely, "I just want to know the truth."

She was deeply grateful for the existence of Su Guang and that the first person she met was Su Guang. She was determined to tell Su Guang the truth and comfort Cheng Xi.

Pei Xuexiao remained unmoved.

He must act like this very often.

Compared to Pei Xueyi, both were equally exquisite in appearance, except that Pei Xuexiao's lips were thinner, and his eyes had a more sharp and piercing look. There was a hint of contempt in his tone: "Everyone says that..."

Pei Xueyi interrupted Pei Xuexiao, speaking first:

"Okay, okay! Stop!"

"My brother always uses this old-fashioned trick... Don't glare at me!"

"But I really don't think it's necessary! Xuan Du Jian has its own methods for handling things."

"Miss Jiang, please."

Xie Jiming, who had been following Pei Xueyi closely, had somehow walked to the door and opened it as Pei Xueyi finished speaking.

It was pitch black behind the door.

*

There wasn't a single ray of light in the passageway.

However, each of the three Night Watchers was surrounded by "fireballs" of different colors.

The Pei siblings were dressed in silver, while Xie Jiming was dressed in light red, together dispelling the darkness before them.

Pei Xueyi explained as she walked, her voice drifting somewhat in the empty passageway:

"Ahem, the tea was meant to help you get used to the upcoming soul summoning. Everyone experiences some discomfort, but I didn't expect your reaction to be so strong. Don't you have any adaptability at all...?"

"In that case, Cheng Jiao must be very protective of you to not be aware of the filthy shadow, right?"

"Unfortunately, this also shows that you are not very adaptable to this type of event, and you probably won't have the chance to join the Xuandu Bureau."

Pei Xuexiao snorted coldly and said, "Do you think she can join the Xuandu Bureau?"

Pei Xueyi, with her smile unchanged, replied, "Many people have had their talents discovered after getting involved in these kinds of things. Isn't Xiao Xie the best example?"

When suddenly mentioned, Xie Jiming gave a perfectly timed, slightly reserved and shy smile, which, combined with his handsome young appearance, made him look quite convincing.

Pei Xueyi muttered things like, "If Xiao Xie comes, I won't be last anymore, how great is that?", "The Xuandu Bureau is really not thriving", and "Of course, the more junior sisters and brothers, the better"...

Jiang Geyun ignored the back-and-forth between the three.

Upon hearing the word "summoning the soul," a thought stirred within her.

Could she possibly see Su Guang again?

With such a good thing happening, given their relationship, would they really let her become cannon fodder?

*

The main gate of Yunshui Temple, Lingguan Hall, was tightly closed.

There should be no wind inside the hall, yet the seven banners were fluttering fiercely.

The bronze mirrors surrounding the area were shrouded in a hazy, indistinct mist. When viewed directly, they reflected nothing, but when the gaze was shifted away, a thick black fog appeared in the peripheral vision. It seemed that this was the very location of the filthy thing.

The abbot of Yunshui Temple lowered his head and looked at the magic sword placed on his knees. The seven stars on the sword's blade flickered, and the light changed violently.

The usually amiable abbot had a solemn expression and remained silent.

Mirror Lake was once a cage in her eyes when she was young. With youthful ambition, she felt that the vast world was where her heart should be. She believed that only by associating with heroes of the world, punishing evil and promoting good, and personally traversing every inch of the land could she find her own "way".

After a period of training, the abbot of Yunshui Temple returned to Yunshui Temple with the magic sword, a relic of his predecessor. He has been there for over forty years, with the morning bell and evening drum, helping people and helping himself.

Cheng Jiao is a good girl with a chivalrous heart.

Although he was forced to come to Yunshui Temple for that reason, he was able to be patient whether he was practicing cultivation or medicine in the temple, and he had a kind of open-mindedness that "wherever my heart is at peace, that is my home".

The appearance of an unclean spirit at Yunshui Temple was first reported to the temple's abbot by Cheng Jiao.

Shortly after the abbot sent a letter to Xuan Dujian, he learned that the Night-Shining Envoy had arrived and breathed a sigh of relief.

In front of everyone in the temple, the abbess showed no unease. She was confident that she would not die easily, but the safety of everyone in the temple made her worry.

Since the Nightbringer arrived so quickly, it seems no one has lost their life.

In the end...

According to the Night Angels' judgment, Cheng Jiao's death was not closely related to the Shadow of Filth, or rather, it was more likely that she was harmed by someone influenced by the Shadow of Filth than by the Shadow of Filth itself.

They will provide an answer and resolve the impurities within Yunshui Temple.

The abbot of Yunshui Temple nodded in agreement.

Talent is a very irrational thing.

The "Tao" that the enlightened ones speak of, which seems so readily available and must be described with the figurative number "three thousand six hundred gates," has not opened a single gate for her. How laughable and pathetic!

Having cultivated to such an extent that she should be at the pinnacle of the world, the abbot, whose health is declining day by day, is probably no match for the masters of Xuandujian.

She needed to stay in the temple to protect everyone, and as for investigating the incident, she decided to trust the young people.

However, the magic sword's condition is so abnormal...

The old abbot gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, frowning as he looked deeper into the hall.

The young man who called himself Cheng Xi was looking up at the statue of the Spirit King in the hall, his expression exactly the same as when he was in the panicked and worried crowd earlier.

He wore flowing robes and a wide belt, exuding an air of composure.

As he strolled leisurely through the hall, the frequent strange phenomena that occurred there failed to elicit even a smile from him.

His gaze toward the young female suspect was perhaps more moved than his gaze toward the deadly place where this ferocious creature resided.