The male supporting character was actually myself.

Chapter Five: Waiting for the Fish to Take the Bait

"You shameless woman!" Lin Xucheng felt a surge of anger rising within him, and his eyes glared at Zhou Zhixue as if he wanted to devour her alive.

At the same time, Zhou Zhixue's terrified heart was filled with resentment towards the heartless scumbag who dumped her, and regret that she had only slapped him instead of killing him while he was injured!

If I could kill him, it would be worth it even if I were expelled from the sect!

Lin Xucheng sensed the murderous intent and sinister gaze of the other party and turned away. With his intuition about danger honed over many years of cultivation, he knew that this woman could not be allowed to live!

Otherwise, once the sect leader discovers the truth by going back in time, he will definitely punish both sides equally. Zhou Zhixue will not be executed. As long as she has room to breathe, she will become a hidden danger.

He was a man destined to cultivate to the Great Dao and become a God Emperor, how could he let such a woman hold him back or even tarnish his reputation?

He made up his mind to shift his body slightly and secretly pierce his middle finger in an attempt to activate the curse technique.

This was a secret technique he accidentally obtained from an ancient tomb of a senior while cultivating in the lower realm. Although it came at a price, the curse technique was so strange that it would not be easily detected and could absorb all of the opponent's life force to replenish himself.

Killing that vile woman would not only vent his anger but also get him out of the current crisis—after all, since the person involved had suddenly "committed suicide out of fear of punishment," the sect leader probably wouldn't waste time and magic power to perform any time reversal.

Moreover, with his status as the Nine-Sound Divine Child, he is sure to receive his master's full protection!

Even the most prestigious and ancient sect, the Free and Unfettered Sect, wouldn't dare to harm him, given the potential allure of an ascended being. After Zhou Zhixue's "suicide out of guilt," at most, they'd just turn a blind eye and let it go...

As he thought this, blood dripped from his fingertips, activating the curse technique!

"You audacious wicked disciple!" Almost at the same moment, Sect Master Yanxuzi sensed the abnormal fluctuations in the aura and shouted, unleashing a burst of sharp spiritual energy that formed two golden dragons behind him.

"roar~"

The dragon's roar instantly drained the surrounding spiritual energy. A flick of its tail sent Lin Xucheng, who had launched a sneak attack, flying into the dragon pillar in the hall. The impact caused him to cough up blood and fall to the ground, unable to move.

The other one flew behind Zhou Zhixue, opened its huge mouth and roared with sonic waves, forcefully shaking a strange bloodline out of her body.

Even so, Zhou Zhixue, who was instantly affected, aged rapidly.

Her once lovely and lively face was covered with wrinkles in just two breaths, and her jet-black, silky hair quickly withered and turned white. Even after the sect leader interrupted the curse technique, she still looked like an old woman with white hair and a face full of wrinkles.

"metropolitan!"

"Lin Xucheng!"

"Oh my god, Xiaoxue, you..."

It was all over in the blink of an eye, and the others only then reacted and exclaimed in surprise.

Feeling her life force being frantically robbed from her body, yet powerless to stop it, Zhou Zhixue trembled all over. Looking down at her wrinkled hands, she raised her head with disbelief and asked in a hoarse voice, "What... what happened to me?"

Fairy Xuanzhu had never seen such a situation in her thousands of years of cultivation. Just a few breaths ago, she was a young girl with a silvery voice, but now she looked much older than the peak master. What was going on?

The group's gazes all fell on the sect leader, whose face was solemn.

Yan Xuzi narrowed his eyes as he looked at Lin Xucheng, who had fallen to the ground unconscious but whose body was radiating a dazzling light and protected by an extremely strong aura of luck. Then, he looked at Zhou Zhixue, who was sobbing and unable to believe that she had suddenly aged, and said in a deep voice, "Fortunately, I discovered it in time and interrupted the spell. You were not drained into a dried corpse by Lin Xucheng's witch blood curse, nor was your cultivation foundation damaged, but..."

He didn't say the rest.

Even though cultivators have a more stable mind than ordinary people, if a beautiful young girl were to face the reality of losing more than half of her life force and instantly becoming an old woman with no way to reverse it, Zhou Zhixue, who had just successfully established her foundation, would probably suffer a mental breakdown and even develop inner demons that would affect her cultivation.

"The Blood Curse Technique? What a vicious villain!" The peak master of Wanhua Peak stepped forward with an imposing aura, ready to kill Lin Xucheng, but was stopped by True Person Qiubai.

She glared fiercely and said sternly, "The Xiaoyao Sect, which teaches to uphold virtue and bear all things, actually has such a vicious disciple. If we don't cleanse the sect as soon as possible, this kid might betray his master and destroy his ancestors when he grows up!"

"Junior Sister, please calm down." True Master Qiu Bai felt guilty and knew that the other party was right.

Lin Xucheng was indeed made a grave mistake to secretly plot against the sect leader and several elders.

But he is, after all, the Nine-Sound Divine Child!

For millions of years, no one on the Maple Orchid Continent has ascended to become a celestial being. Seeing that he had the potential to cultivate a generation of God Emperors for his sect and achieve the reputation of being a teacher of God Emperors, how could he watch his beloved disciple be killed?

Moreover, before today, Lin Xucheng had always been his pride.

He is humble and respectful of his teachers, and he is diligent in his cultivation and never slacks off. This time, when he wanted to eliminate his hidden ailment, Lin Xucheng volunteered to enter the secret realm to find precious spiritual plants.

Such a good child has gone astray due to his lust for love and romance, which is not a big deal compared to the future of the sect.

"Lin Xucheng was wrong to launch a sneak attack, but it takes two to tango!" Master Qiubai argued hoarsely, "My disciple originally ascended from the lower realm through arduous cultivation, unlike those young people who directly joined the sect without experiencing battles."

Before entering the sect, he already had his own code of ethics and moral principles, as well as various means of self-defense.

Since the sect accepted him as a disciple that day, it tacitly agreed not to pursue the methods Lin Xucheng possessed, which were not entirely compatible with the Xiaoyao Sect. After all, he wasn't a child we watched grow up, so he inevitably carried a bit of wildness, but since he joined the sect, he has never overstepped the bounds.

His act of launching an attack in front of the sect leader and us today is a result of his unstable temperament and impulsiveness!

Punishment is acceptable, but it shouldn't cost him his life!

Master Qiubai glanced at Zhou Zhixue, whose life force had been drained. The thought of Qiubaifeng having to compensate with many treasures made his heart bleed. He gritted his teeth and promised, "The sect leader interrupted the secret technique in time, so her foundation wasn't damaged."

Since there is no danger to my life, why should my disciple pay with his life?

Qiu Baifeng will give her some compensation, and things will naturally improve as her cultivation level increases..."

Yan Xuzi gave him a cold look.

The peak master of Wanhua Peak almost slapped Qiu Bai Zhenren across the face, "With a master like you who can't distinguish right from wrong and is so protective of his own, no wonder he taught such a vicious junior!"

Lin Xucheng wanted to kill someone in front of us to silence them.

Lin Xucheng had used a forbidden secret technique to absorb the life force of living beings. Even though the sect leader intervened in time to stop him and did not harm Zhou Zhixue, it did not stop him from having the intention to kill her!

Don't forget, the truth about whether he forced her or Zhou Zhixue seduced her is still unclear.

Lin Xucheng's eagerness to kill and silence witnesses makes me completely certain that he forced the woman into prostitution! Since I'm in charge of Wanhua Peak, I must uphold the dignity of the sect's female cultivators. Qiu Bai, you old man, you are utterly unworthy to be the master of a peak!"

The once inseparable couple instantly turned against each other. Zhou Zhixue collapsed to the ground, her rough hands stroking her wrinkled face. Her once-proud beauty vanished, and she wept uncontrollably.

Now, how ironic it is to think back on those sweet words and vows of eternal love under the moonlit flowers!

"The fairy is right. The truth about the two of them is still unclear. We must find out the facts and settle accounts with who is right and who is wrong!" Yan Xuzi lightly flicked his sleeve and carried the unconscious Lin Xucheng and the sobbing Zhou Zhixue to the Purple Bamboo Forest on the back mountain in an instant.

The Wind-Chasing Eagle was chattering away with the other demon beasts when it sensed the sect leader's presence. It quickly lowered its voice and used its wing to shield its mouth, saying, "Shh! Don't make a sound, the sect leader is coming! Remember, don't say a word no matter what he asks!"

After saying that, it scratched the downy feathers under its belly with its huge claws, and a feather fell down and floated down, transforming into the shape of a little eagle that stared blankly at it.

"Little Willow, let me tell you something!" The Wind Chaser Eagle whispered, transmitting its voice through magic, "The Sect Master has personally come to the Purple Bamboo Forest..."

Before it could finish its nonsense, the two-headed dog suddenly twitched its perked-up ears, listened for a few moments, and then came over to interrupt, saying, "Woof~ I heard old man Qiu Bai arguing with 'Extinction' Daoist nun!"

It seems that... Lin Xucheng, in front of the sect leader, recklessly used a forbidden secret technique to try and kill Zhou Zhixue to silence her. That little girl didn't die, but her life force was drained, and she'll probably turn into an ugly old woman.

Upon hearing the new gossip, the Wind Chaser's eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "Little Liu, listen to your brother, don't worry about things in the sect, okay? Your brother will keep an eye on things for you!"

If you don't have anything to do, don't go out partying and come back early!

"Let me introduce you to my girlfriend's owner. Tsk tsk, that woman is absolutely stunning, you'll definitely like her..."

After muttering a few more words, the Wind Chaser eagle patted the feathers that had conjured a small eagle, and its form quickly faded and disappeared without a trace.

"Hmph! You always pluck a hair from every message you send. Aren't you afraid of plucking yourself bald with all this nagging?"

The Wind Chaser Eagle ignored the wild boar, flapping its wings and gliding towards the purple bamboo forest. "I'm going to take a closer look at the excitement!"

The moment the message feather disappeared, Jiang Chen, who was thousands of miles away in the Blissful Sect, sensed it. Instead of receiving the message immediately, he sat in the Blissful Sect's reception hall with his eyes closed, quietly waiting for the big fish to take the bait.

From the perspective of the Horcrux, Lian Yunzhi was dressed up meticulously, with several magical beaded hairpins adorning her black hair bun, which accentuated her already charming face, making her unforgettable at first sight.

"Your Highness is a beauty of unparalleled grace. I'm sure Liu Jiangchen will be powerless to resist you and will soon fall at your feet." The maid who helped her dress up took the opportunity to flatter her.

Lian Yunzhi looked at herself in the mirror and was obviously satisfied. Then she gave a bitter smile. "As the most promising alchemist, what kind of beauties hasn't Liu Jiangchen seen? He shouldn't be such a shallow person."

Besides, according to the information gathered by his secret guards, wasn't he deeply in love with that young disciple named Zhou Zhixue? He wouldn't so easily fall for someone else…

Despite saying that, Lian Yunzhi was determined to take this opportunity to keep Liu Jiangchen so that she could try to win him over.

"Oh? That's interesting." Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow.

He never expected that the biggest fish in the male lead's fishpond in the early stages of the script would actually be eyeing the original owner of the body.

It seems that in the original storyline, Lian Yunzhi's visit was intentional, but she unexpectedly met Lin Xucheng and became his fish...

However, it's normal for the female sect leader to covet the original owner. With such a unique character setting, she's like a piece of Tang Sanzang's flesh. How many people in the world wouldn't covet her?

If that's the case, it seems even easier to overturn the fishpond!

Jiang Chen used his soul artifact to calculate the timing. When the opponent appeared at the right position but had not yet reached the hall, he made a hand seal with his right hand, and a miniature eagle suddenly appeared in front of him.

The cunning voice of the Wind Chaser Eagle suddenly rang out.

Lian Yunzhi, who was not far away, stopped and listened intently, her expression of doubt growing stronger.

"Junior Brother Liu has come all this way to deliver the pills in person. I am truly flattered!" After hearing the word "secret," she waited a few more moments before smiling and pretending to have just arrived. Her voice was charming yet dignified as she said, "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting, Junior Brother."

The fluffy dumpling yawned and nestled on its host's shoulder, half asleep. "That silly eagle is still unreliable. If it weren't for the two-headed dog interjecting with a useful comment, this message would have failed to be transmitted."

Jiang Chen stood up and greeted him, "Sect Leader Lian is in charge of the entire sect and is very busy. I apologize for my abruptness in coming here without prior notice."

He handed over the box containing the pills and said with a smile, "This top-grade Rejuvenating Pill is too precious. To avoid any mishaps, I sent it over as soon as I successfully refined it."

Lian Yunzhi accepted the elixir and sat down on the phoenix couch. Her head full of nine-phoenix gold hairpins and pearl-like decorations made this powerful sect leader appear even more elegant and noble.

"Junior Brother Liu is indeed incredibly meticulous." She praised with a smile and casually opened the box to inspect the goods.

Lian Yunzhi dared not be presumptuous in front of Liu Jiangchen. She knew very well that although she was the sect leader of the Blissful Sect, she could not afford to offend an approachable and highly skilled alchemist.

What's more, this handsome, dashing, and promising young alchemist is a disciple of the ancient and prestigious Xiaoyao Sect!

After examining the pills, Lian Yunzhi paid the remaining fee, exchanged a few polite words, and then tried her best to persuade Jiang Chen to stay. Jiang Chen declined her warm invitation on the pretext that he had important matters to attend to and left in a hurry.

"Has the Free and Unfettered Sect fallen so low?" Lian Yunzhi watched the other person's departing figure, savoring the brief message she had just heard, a cold smile appearing on her face. "Using forbidden secret techniques in front of the sect leader, what an arrogant and foolish thing."

Lin Xucheng? Never heard of that name before…

That stupid guy, oblivious to his own ignorance, is definitely dead anyway.

After mocking her, she thought for a moment, then beckoned to her guards and ordered them to go and gather information.

As the sect leader who brought the Blissful Sect to its fullest glory, Lian Yunzhi naturally had even greater ambitions.

She had wanted to win over Liu Jiangchen for more than a day, or at the very least, to get along with him. That's why she was willing to pay a high price to have him refine pills in order to create an opportunity to befriend him.

She had already thoroughly investigated the other party's background. Knowing that Liu Jiangchen liked and was pursuing Zhou Zhixue, a little-known female disciple in the sect, she originally wanted to find an opportunity to kill Zhou Zhixue and steal her love. However, she overheard the message by chance, and Lian Yunzhi was a little unsure.

Was the information we gathered earlier inaccurate?

Liu Jiangchen truly had a deep affection for Zhou Zhixue, so why did he show no emotional reaction upon hearing that she had been murdered to silence her?

Could it be that he no longer likes the other person because they have become ugly and old?

The one sending the text message must be a demon beast, trying to introduce a beautiful fairy to Liu Jiangchen?