The Face-Slapping Journey of a Sword Cultivator Male God (QT) Chapter 007: The Rightful Heir's Retaliation in the Story of a Reincarnated Concubine's Son - Part 6

Xuan Yuan and Mr. Li engrossed themselves in an in-depth conversation in the study that extended until the evening. Succumbing to their earnest invitation, Xuan Yuan partook in a meal at the Li Mansion before finally making his way back to Luoning Marquis Manor.

Upon his return, Xuan Yuan prioritized a visit to Lady Li to pay his respects.

Lady Li was profoundly touched by Xuan Yuan's gesture of paying his respects to her immediately upon his return. Tactfully, she avoided bringing up the topic that Xuan Yuan had discussed that morning regarding his visit to Lane Street. Instead, she delicately inquired about his day-to-day affairs. She also assigned a fresh team of well-mannered, disciplined maids and young manservants to attend to him.

Regarding the personal maids previously assigned to Xuan Yuan's quarters, they found themselves subjected to a stern rebuke from Lady Li and were promptly evicted from the primary living areas, no longer permitted to reside in Xuan Yuan's personal space.

She was unable to ascertain who had divulged the information about Lane Street to her only son. Consequently, she chose to exercise extreme caution, opting to err on the side of suspicion rather than risk overlooking any potential culprits. Everyone in Xuan Yuan's close circle underwent rigorous interrogation and reprimand.

Xuan Yuan offered no resistance to Lady Li's decision regarding the servants initially assigned to Lin Xuanzhu's quarters. In the original narrative, Lin Xuanzhu's demise came about due to traitors within his inner circle who were covertly liaising with Lin Yingjie.

He merely remarked, "Mother, those in your own vicinity should also be scrutinized and dealt with appropriately. The reach extending from Lane Street is too extensive."

In the original tale, Lady Li's premature demise due to a protracted illness wasn't solely attributable to the pressure exerted by Lin Yingjie and Princess Chaoyang. It also had a significant connection to Lady Xiao, Lin Yingjie's mother.

Lady Li had underestimated Lady Xiao and her son Lin Yingjie, inadvertently providing them an opportunity to exploit a vulnerability. Now that 'Lin Yingjie' had been dispatched by him, Xuan Yuan felt it was imperative that Lady Xiao should not remain unaddressed either. Consequently, Xuan Yuan broached the subject, urging Lady Li to turn her attention towards neutralizing Lady Xiao.

Upon departing the main living quarters, Xuan Yuan retreated to Lin Xuanzhu's residence. Inside his Sea of Consciousness, System 0617 queried, "Host, host, what is your next plan of action?" By this point, System 0617 held an unwavering trust and admiration for its host, assured that Xuan Yuan could expertly navigate any situation.

It wasn't until Xuan Yuan traversed the moon gate and meandered through the corridor into his personal courtyard that he casually responded, "Naturally, my next step is to delve deeply into studying the Four Books and Five Classics."

"Eh? Uh, what?" 0617 was left bewildered once again, feeling as though it was constantly lagging behind the host's rapid shifts in thought. Perhaps it was more accurate to say that its host rarely adhered to conventional trajectories.

Xuan Yuan strolled tranquilly into his study. After the book boy had lit the candle, readied the ink, and spread out the crisp, white paper, Xuan Yuan took his seat at the desk. He then plainly remarked, "Wasn't one of Lin Xuanzhu's enduring desires to realize his ambition and become a mainstay of the dynasty?" He would inevitably have to take part in the imperial examinations scheduled in six months.

In the Cultivation World, there was no concept of preliminary rounds for imperial examinations, and the Four Books and Five Classics were entirely foreign knowledges. Had Xuan Yuan not meticulously sifted through Lin Xuanzhu's memories, he would have remained oblivious to such 'tribulations' endemic to this small world.

System 0617, caught in a moment of self-reproach, regretted not having considered this aspect earlier. It felt it wasn't truly living up to its role as a competent system, as it had failed to assist the host. "Uh, host, I can scan these Four Books and Five Classics. During the preliminary round of the imperial examinations, I can directly relay the contents of the books to you!"

Finally conceiving a way to aid the host, System 0617 eagerly voiced its suggestion.

Xuan Yuan, however, remained impassive, only responding after he had dismissed the book boy. "That's unnecessary. I have an exceptional memory."

As a Mahayana Ascension cultivator with a formidable soul, memorizing the Four Books and Five Classics was as easy as a mere scan with his divine sense. System 0617's assistance was entirely superfluous.

Suddenly, System 0617 felt overwhelmingly redundant. Its self-esteem, as a system, was dashed and mercilessly trampled upon by its host. T_T

A system incapable of aiding its host was indeed inefficient, and System 0617 had no intention of becoming one that merely went with the flow.

However, amidst its self-pity, System 0617 had a sudden realization. A lightbulb lit up in its abstract mind, leading it to question, "If you're capable of recalling everything at a single glance, why the need for intensive study?"

Sending away the book boy just to sequester oneself in the study seemed suspiciously like a pretext for something else!

Xuan Yuan remained silent, merely raising his right hand. In the candle-lit ambiance of the study, a gloomy green light unexpectedly emanated from his palm. With a deft swing of his hand, Xuan Yuan cast the green light onto the white paper, held steady by a paperweight on his desk.

"Who exactly are you? What's your origin, and what is your name?" Xuan Yuan directed his gaze at the strand of green light, within which he could discern a dark, murky soul. What astonished him the most were the twin streaks of deathly aura contaminating this soul.

This suggested that the body this soul once inhabited had undergone death twice.

The reality that such a soul had not been obliterated but instead had remained intact truly astounded Xuan Yuan. Even a cultivator with an advanced cultivation base might not possess such a resilient soul.

"..." Xuan Yuan listened intently, but the soul remained mute, refusing to communicate. This prompted Xuan Yuan to subtly raise his left eyebrow and inquire in a gentle tone, "System 0617, is this soul of any utility to you?"

"If it is, feel free to consume it."

System 0617 was taken aback: "Consume! co...con...cons...consume what? Host, this is a soul! How could I possibly ingest it? I'm a kind, adorable, and gentle system. I would never engage in such nefarious acts as devouring souls!" In truth, it wouldn't be able to swallow the soul even if it wanted to T_T. However, this didn't stop System 0617 from inwardly grumbling: Just how ruthless could its host be? What sort of host had it gotten entangled with? It felt as though its grand dream of rising to the top-ranked system was getting further and further out of reach!

"This is a significant source of nourishment, and you can't consume souls?" Xuan Yuan was mildly disheartened. He had initially surmised that System 0617, being capable of accompanying him through the myriad miniature worlds, must be some sort of demonic beast endowed with the power to traverse time and space.

Such demonic creatures could consume both flesh and souls to foster their growth, hence Xuan Yuan's question. However, to his surprise, System 0617 was incapable of even ingesting a soul. Its weakness was rather pronounced. Could it be possible that the only substance which could nourish its growth was the power of wishes imprinted by heartfelt obsessions?

Given that System 0617 was insistent on him fulfilling missions and had explicitly clarified that rewards were solely granted upon the completion of these tasks, Xuan Yuan felt his conjecture held merit.

If that were indeed the case, he could further diminish his wariness towards System 0617. After all, it could only absorb the rather inferior power of wishes.

"Since this entity is of no use to you, and it refuses to reveal its origins, it's time it was dispatched to its next life." Xuan Yuan's right index finger curled subtly and gently tapped on the desk, nonchalantly sealing the fate of this 'Lin Yingjie'.

The gloomy green light resting on the white paper dramatically intensified. Suddenly, a voice echoed through the room, a voice saturated with terror, dread, and entreaty: "Please, don't kill me!"

"Kill you?" Xuan Yuan's mouth curled up slightly, his expression icy. Nonchalantly, he responded, "You're already dead. Sending you to your next life is, in essence, a benevolent act."

System 0617 silently receded further into the corners of Xuan Yuan's Sea of Consciousness. The host was indeed too merciless; it decided it was safer to maintain a low profile!

"I... I bear no grudge against you. Why do you wish to kill me? Don't you fear karmic retribution?" The green flame's trembling grew more violent, and it cried out in a sharp voice, "What gives you the authority to end my life? Aren't you, like me, a transmigrator?"

Xuan Yuan's eyes narrowed. "Interesting," he uttered, a smile beginning to form on his face.

System 0617: ...it trembled with apprehension.

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