Chapter 003: The Male Lead Has a Screw Loose

That’s right! Xiao Jihan wants to kill her because of that -75 hatred on his favorability meter. As long as she raises his favorability, he won’t kill her! That wouldn’t count as her changing the plot—rather, it would be the male lead himself, Xiao Jihan, altering the course of events. If Heaven’s will insists on striking someone down, it should strike its own favored son!

Yan Shu clapped her hands. Yes, that’s exactly what she’d do!

The next morning, Yan Shu cheerfully took the jade slip recording the Xuantian Sect’s cultivation method from her storage pouch, opened the door, and went to find Xiao Jihan.

At this hour, Xiao Jihan was always in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

Although, after reaching Foundation Establishment, one could subsist on spiritual energy alone and need not eat, that only truly worked for those with mutated spiritual roots who could cultivate independently—like Yan Shu herself. Most people could absorb spiritual energy only through cultivation, or by relying on rare treasures and spiritual items.

Therefore, even after reaching Foundation Establishment, cultivators would still eat if nothing else pressed upon them. Besides, most foods in the cultivation world could provide spiritual energy, to varying degrees. And indulging the palate once in a while was, after all, a pleasant thing.

With a cold face but delight in her heart, Yan Shu carried the jade slip to the kitchen door.

But the moment she saw Xiao Jihan, she was dumbfounded.

The crimson health bar flashed urgently, sounding the alarm: -80 (Intense Hatred) blazed glaringly.

Damn it!

Male lead, is there something wrong with your brain?!

She’d done nothing but sleep, and his favorability had dropped again?!

If she slept a few more times, would she be killed long before three months passed—perhaps in just a few days?

Yan Shu was practically exploding with rage. She wanted nothing more than to crack open Xiao Jihan’s head and see what bizarre structure lay inside!

Thunder rumbled.

Yan Shu rolled her eyes heavenward.

Fine, fine! Whatever Heaven’s favored son does is always right, is that enough?

She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and cleared her throat before addressing the busy Xiao Jihan: “Han’er, come here. I have something for you.”

At her words, Xiao Jihan’s body tensed, and the crimson bar above his head flashed even more furiously: -83 (Intense Hatred).

Damn!

What had she done wrong this time?!

Xiao Jihan veiled the coldness in his phoenix eyes, turned, and approached her. He looked at her and said in a frosty voice, “If Master wishes to address me, please use my full name.”

So, it was the form of address.

Just for a trivial term of endearment, she’d lost three points of favorability—how was that reasonable?!

Besides, wasn’t closing the gap between people supposed to start with how you called each other?

She was his master, his elder—a motherly figure. What was wrong with calling him Han’er?

Even the Xuantian Sect Master had called the original host Yan’er!

She had already refrained from using terms of endearment from her former world—she was following local customs!

Yan Shu was too exhausted to even complain, clenching her fists in silent frustration.

Thunder rumbled again.

Fine, fine, you’re the favored son, you make the rules.

Expressionless, Yan Shu handed over the jade slip. “The cultivation technique I gave you before was only a rough, incomplete version. This one contains the true Xuantian Sect method.”

Xiao Jihan glanced at the slender, jade-like fingers holding out the slip—fingers as pale as bamboo shoots, wrists white as lotus roots, skin like solidified cream.

He lowered his gaze, took the slip, and said coolly, “Thank you, Master.”

Seeing the bright red number on the bar change to -75, Yan Shu quietly sighed in relief. Afraid this unpredictable male lead would overthink, she added expressionlessly, “I did not withhold the complete method from you intentionally. I simply thought you would need more time to reach Foundation Establishment, so—”

-76

-77

-78

Damn!

Startled, Yan Shu snapped her mouth shut.

Xiao Jihan coldly stored the jade slip and looked up at her. “Does Master have any other matters?”

Could she? Would she dare?

“No,” Yan Shu replied, turning and leaving immediately.

Watching her go, Xiao Jihan withdrew his gaze, took out the jade slip, and infused it with spiritual power. Its contents appeared instantly in his mind.

It truly was the Xuantian Sect’s cultivation technique, including not only spiritual energy practices but also introductory methods for alchemy and artifact refining. This time, she hadn’t deceived him.

As he watched the slip, its original iridescent glow faded with the transfer of knowledge, leaving only ordinary white jade. For some reason, Xiao Jihan’s mind drifted again to those slender, bamboo-like fingers.

He collected himself and, with a light squeeze, crushed the slip to powder.

Back in her room, Yan Shu patted her chest in lingering fright. Good heavens, the male lead was terrifying—switching moods as easily as flipping a hand!

Still, this proved that Xiao Jihan’s favorability could indeed be raised. She didn’t know why it sometimes dropped, but at least she knew how to increase it.

If he liked receiving things, she would give him gifts!

Come to think of it, Xiao Jihan really was the archetype of the beautiful yet tragic figure. He was not originally surnamed Xiao, but was a prince of the Sima clan of Hanzhou’s imperial family in the Nine Provinces.

Yet, despite his royal birth, he was unloved due to his mother, Lady Xiao’s lowly status, and suffered humiliation from his youth.

Later, when the great sects were recruiting disciples, tests revealed he had a pseudo-spiritual root of four attributes—a laughingstock. Even the mortal crown prince looked down on him.

Xiao Jihan was strikingly handsome, with features bordering on the feminine. The depraved crown prince even developed improper desires toward him. To save him, Lady Xiao suffered a cruel fate and, before dying, shattered the Xuantian Sect’s messenger jade.

This jade talisman had been given by Senior Brother Wen Youhe.

More than thirty years ago, when Wen Youhe was advancing to the Grand Ascension stage, he nearly perished, but was saved by Lady Xiao, then only a child. He gave her the talisman and promised that if she ever needed help, she could shatter it and he would come to her aid and grant her one favor.

After Lady Xiao broke the talisman, Wen Youhe came as promised. She asked him to take Xiao Jihan to Xuantian Sect and teach him cultivation.

Wen Youhe agreed.

After properly burying Lady Xiao, Wen Youhe took Xiao Jihan back with him. Xiao Jihan abandoned the Sima surname, took his mother’s surname, and named himself Jihan.

Although he had a pseudo-spiritual root, Xiao Jihan was not incapable of cultivation. After Wen Youhe personally taught him to draw in spiritual energy, he was left among the ordinary disciples.

As one of the four great sects, Xuantian Sect’s disciples were all geniuses. Xiao Jihan, among them, could imagine the treatment he received.

Years later, the various peak masters took disciples, and the original host broke precedent to take him as a direct disciple. Xiao Jihan thought his hardships were ending, but he never expected she only wanted him as a blood reservoir for his heart’s blood.

All things have cause and effect. The original host dying at Xiao Jihan’s hands could be said to be her just deserts. But now, the consequences of the original host’s actions had become her burden to bear—wasn’t that a bit much?

Yan Shu sighed deeply. What could she give him that would make him feel the care of a mother, warming his heart and rapidly raising his favorability?

As she pondered, Xiao Jihan’s cool voice came from outside the door: “Master, breakfast is ready.”