Chapter 72 Xiao Bumian now really likes him. In the original story, he is...
Ming, seeing himself dying, sat up in shock from his dream, almost jumping out of bed.
"Are you kidding me?" he asked the system incredulously in his mind.
The system, its voice trembling with tears, cried out: "[Waaaaah... Host, Xiao Bumian is so pitiful. Why was his redemption value only 80% when the wrong person was kidnapped before, but now it's suddenly 99%... But, but even if it's 99%, or even 100%, it's useless now...]"
Mingjian was speechless for a moment.
His feelings were somewhat complicated.
Why did it have to go up at this particular time?
Previously, it was stuck at 80% and never moved again. No matter what tasks he did or how much favorability he gained, the value remained as stable as a mountain.
Mingjian pursed his lips, and a detail he had always overlooked suddenly flashed through his mind. He asked the system, "051, didn't you say before that the Redemption Value is equivalent to Xiao Bumian's world-weariness and desire to destroy the world?"
The system was still sobbing uncontrollably over the tragic twist of fate when it heard Mingjian's question. It finally answered, still choking back tears, "Yes, although the main system didn't explicitly explain it, the mission title is 'Villain's Redemption,' and that's how I've always understood it."
Ming chuckled dryly. The system's credibility with him had now dropped to practically zero.
Previously, misled by the system, he had always assumed that Xiao Bumian had been in love with him from the beginning, so he naturally equated the villain's redemption value with the world-destroying desire value mentioned by the system.
But after thinking about it carefully these past few days, he felt that this redemption value might not be as simple as it seemed.
This redemption value should also take into account Xiao Bumian's level of affection for him.
In other words, just a few days ago, Xiao Bumian's favorability towards him was around 80%, but now, for some unknown reason, Xiao Bumian's favorability towards him has suddenly soared to 99%.
This realization inexplicably filled Mingjian with a sense of guilt.
However, just as the system lamented, even if Xiao Bumian's redemption value really did reach 100%, it would have nothing to do with him, the host who was mistakenly bound to the system. After all, the main system had already determined that this mission could be abandoned, and the timeline was basically stable, so there was no longer a need for forced redemption.
The only thing that's certain is that Xiao Bumian likes him very much now.
Having figured this out, Mingjian suddenly threw himself back into the soft blankets, burying his burning face in them. After a while, he couldn't help but chuckle softly.
—
"Hello, does the Hehuan Sect have a kitchen?"
Early in the morning, Mingjian got up in high spirits and casually asked a disciple in a courtyard.
Seeing that his clothes were in the style of Jianming Immortal Mountain, the disciple was quite polite and pointed in a direction, "Go straight along this corridor, turn right when you see the first door, and walk for about half an hour and you will see it."
Thank you.
Ming smiled and then headed towards the kitchen.
After walking for a while, he stopped in front of the kitchen.
Just as he was about to go inside, a disciple of the Hehuan Sect who was preparing ingredients at the entrance saw him, his gaze lingered on him for a moment, then he put down what he was holding, politely bowed, and asked, "Are you a disciple of Jianming Immortal Mountain?"
At first, Mingjian didn't realize that the other person was talking to him, until the other busy disciples around him also stopped what they were doing and all their eyes focused on him.
Mingjian blinked, then pointed at himself uncertainly and asked, "Me?"
The disciple who asked the question looked at him with an expression that seemed to say, "Is there anyone else here dressed like this besides you?" as if he were looking at a fool.
Ming belatedly glanced around and saw that the disciples of the Hehuan Sect were dressed in brightly colored clothes, which contrasted sharply with his own plain white sect robes.
He chuckled awkwardly, "Haha, just kidding. I am indeed a disciple of Jianming Immortal Mountain. I am new to your sect and not very familiar with the environment."
Upon hearing this, another, more lively disciple of the Hehuan Sect immediately lit up. He stepped forward, lowered his voice, and asked with a strong gossip tone, "Fellow Daoist, you must know the inside story! Tell me quickly, which one of you is about to marry our Holy Maiden?"
"Cough cough cough—" Upon hearing this, Mingjian almost couldn't catch his breath and started coughing violently, his face turning red.
Seeing his strong reaction, the disciple assumed he was shocked by the earth-shattering news, and patted him on the shoulder with a smile, almost making Mingjian choke.
"You're reacting so strongly? You don't know yet? I heard yesterday that after Her Highness the Holy Maiden returned to the sect, the first thing she did was go to see the sect leader to discuss the details of her marriage to a disciple of your Sword Bright Immortal Mountain!"
Mingjian unconsciously picked up a piece of dough, his eyes darting around as he said, "Really? Maybe."
“Of course it’s true.” Another disciple said confidently as he trotted in to share the firsthand information he had heard. “I just heard from Miss Wangyou that the one who performed the marriage ceremony with Her Highness the Holy Maiden is none other than Young Master Xie from the Demon Realm.”
"Speaking of which, it seems Young Master Xie wasn't having a very comfortable time at your Sword Bright Immortal Mountain. Thinking about it that way, it's quite fortunate for him to be able to marry our Holy Maiden. After the marriage, he will be the Holy Son-in-Law of our Joyful Union Sect, with a prestigious status and access to inexhaustible spirit stones and rare treasures. In fact, as long as his aptitude isn't too bad, simply by cultivating the 'Ruinsless Scripture' with the Holy Maiden, it won't be difficult for him to reach the Nascent Soul Realm in time!"
Another disciple, who was washing vegetables nearby, interjected with a hint of worry, "That's true, but if Young Master Chi finds out about this, I'm afraid Young Master Xie won't have a good time."
Mingjian's ears perked up suddenly.
It's not some Mr. Xie! The groom has changed!
It seems that Yun Hanyi hasn't had a chance to tell them yet that he is now the groom.
Young Master Xie became Young Master Ming.
This information gap is deadly! If we don't quickly find out who this young master Chi is and what his background is, what if word gets out and he discovers that his beloved's marriage partner has been changed to Mingjian? Wouldn't he just come after me with a knife?!
Mingjian quickly put down the dough in his hand, moved closer, and asked with feigned curiosity and concern, "Senior brother, who exactly is this young master Chi you're talking about? He sounds quite formidable."
"Oh, you mean Young Master Chi?" The disciple perked up immediately upon hearing Mingjian's question and began to introduce him at length, "Young Master Chi's real name is Chi Ren. He is the eldest son of the Chi family, one of the four great families in our cultivation world. His status is extremely noble."
As he spoke, he gestured, “You know our Holy Maiden, she has always loved beautiful things in the world, especially beautiful people.”
"A few years ago, this young master Chi lost his memory for some unknown reason and wandered around. He was rescued by the Holy Maiden who was on her way down the mountain for training. At that time, the princess did not know his true identity. Seeing that he was handsome and pitiful, she took him back to the Hehuan Sect and took good care of him."
"At first, Her Highness was delighted and wanted to get married to Young Master Chi and create a beautiful story. Unfortunately, Chi Ren was blind and stubborn and refused to do so. Our Highness is also proud and does not want to force anyone, so she thought that after he regained his memory, she would send him home in a dignified manner."
He paused, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery, "But who could have imagined? This young master Chi later regained his memories by chance, knew who he was, and then refused to leave! Hey, isn't that strange? There's an old saying in the mortal world, 'A good horse doesn't eat the grass it has already grazed!' His Highness thought he was fickle and was too lazy to deal with him anymore, so he let him leave early and not get in the way of the Joyful Union Sect."
"But that young master Chi is quite something. When His Highness was kind to him before, he acted all high and mighty. Now that His Highness is ignoring him, he's started pestering him relentlessly."
"Fortunately, the head of the Chi family was seriously injured a few months ago, so Young Master Chi had to go back. He hasn't returned yet. I wonder what kind of madness he would go through if he came back and saw His Highness and Young Master Xie getting married."
Mingjian: "..."
After listening to this long and dramatic emotional entanglement, Mingjian's feelings were quite complicated.
A thought suddenly popped into his head.
Yun Hanyi readily believed him as her savior and quickly finalized the marriage. Could it be that her main purpose was actually to get him to cooperate in putting on a show?
For example, using him to block a slow blade or something.
That seems very likely.
After making the pastries, Mingjian carried the osmanthus cakes to Yun Hanyi's cave.
"Knock knock—"
Mingjian knocked on the door.
"Please come in." Yun Hanyi's gentle voice, as always, came from inside the room.
Mingjian pushed open the door, a perfectly timed smile on his face, "Miss Yun."
When Yun Hanyi saw it was him, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She then stood up and returned the greeting, "Young Master Ming? What brings you here?"
"Hmm," Mingjian shook the food box in his hand, making an excuse, "Are you hungry?"
Since they were in the sect, Yun Hanyi wasn't wearing a veil. She smiled, paused for a moment upon hearing this, and then shook her head. "That's fine. Young Master Ming, what is this?"
Mingjian placed the food box on the table. "I couldn't sleep this morning, so I got up and went to the kitchen to make these pastries. You can try them."
"Really?" Yun Hanyi smiled. She picked up a pastry as instructed, took a small, elegant bite, and after savoring it, nodded in praise: "Sweet and soft, it's delicious. I like it very much. Thank you, Young Master Ming."
Mingjian quickly waved his hand, relieved, "I'm glad you like it!"
Mission accomplished! Now he can retire successfully!
Mingjian happily got up, but then heard the system say again: [Host, it's time for you to touch Yun Hanyi's hand now.]
Mingjian's step, which was about to take, froze in mid-air.
Mingjian: "..."
Was he a pervert in the original story? He'd touch someone's hand just to give them a pastry?!
In his consciousness, he gritted his teeth and asked, "Can I refuse?"
The system shook its head, "No, that won't work."
Mingjian: "Hehe."
Fortunately, Xiao Bumian couldn't see it. Mingjian was thinking to himself that as long as he pretended to accidentally touch Yun Hanyi's hand quickly, he should be able to get away with it.
Mingjian was still thinking about how to complete the mission without anyone noticing.
But then Yun Hanyi suddenly steered the conversation back to business. Her tone was calm and consultative, “Young Master Ming, what have you thought about the marriage proposal I mentioned before? If you are willing, our Daoist ceremony will be held in five days; if you are not willing, I will not force you.”
In truth, Mingjian knew perfectly well that he didn't even have the right to refuse.
For some reason, ever since 051 returned to the main system, it seems that some program has been modified. Now, if he has even the slightest thought of resistance or rejection towards the plot points, it will be immediately detected by some invisible force, and then his heart will feel as if it is being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand, with waves of twisting pain.
Even 051 itself was surprised. It cried uncontrollably in Mingjian's consciousness, repeatedly emphasizing that it was not it that did it and that it did not know why this happened.
Mingjian recalled 051's usual dim-witted behavior and inexplicably felt that it probably wasn't lying this time. This was likely a restriction set up by the main system to forcibly advance the plot.
"Okay," Mingjian replied, trying to remain calm.
To avoid making his agreement seem too abrupt, he added a few conditions, as if making a deal: "Miss Yun, I agree. However, before that, I need to undergo another spiritual root cleansing and bone tempering. This time, I need the Immaculate Immortal Lotus and the Marrow Cleansing Mushroom."
Mingjian said that both of these spiritual herbs were extremely rare. Upon hearing this, Yun Hanyi pondered for a moment and said frankly, "To be honest, Young Master Ming, I currently only have the Marrow Cleansing Mushroom. I'm afraid it will take some time before I can find the Immaculate Lotus."
Seeing that his real intention was only to increase the authenticity of the negotiation and that he didn't really need to get it immediately, he nodded in agreement, "Okay, the Marrow Cleansing Ganoderma is also acceptable."
Seeing that he agreed, Yun Hanyi's face showed a satisfied expression. She nodded and said softly, "In that case, I will have my disciples send the wedding clothes to your room in the next few days. Please prepare well, Young Master Ming."
A slightly shy smile appeared on her lips at the right moment. She bowed to Ming Jianying and said in a softer voice, "I have no way to repay your life-saving grace. I only wish to repay you with my body. Hanyi is looking forward to our wedding day in five days."
Ming forced a smile, nodded at her, and quickly left.
After he left Yun Hanyi's cave and came to the outer corridor, he felt his breathing become easier. However, he immediately noticed that a gaze seemed to be fixed on him from not far away.
Mingjian subconsciously turned his head to look.
It was springtime again, and the apricot blossoms planted within the Hehuan Sect were in full bloom. The pink and white petals floated and swayed in the gentle breeze, overlapping and intertwining. Through the gaps in the lush branches, Mingjian saw a pair of exceptionally beautiful eyes.
Xiao Bumian stood silently at the corner of the corridor, his figure half-hidden behind the shadows of the flowers.
His gaze was fixed on Mingjian without blinking, his gaze almost tangible, carrying a chilling focus.
Then, his gaze slowly moved down, finally settling on Mingjian's hand, which had just held the food box and was now hanging naturally at his sides.
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