The host is actually Xie Yi?!
How could the host be Xie Yi?!
Lin Zhiji felt like his brain was about to explode.
Wasn’t Xie Yi supposed to be a pitiful child who couldn’t get enough to eat or wear warm clothes, and was bullied every day?
How could he possibly be—
He looked complicatedly at the host who was joyfully slaughtering in the pursuit troops.
How is this kind of villain even in need of saving?!
Just then, an arrow shot from behind.
Almost at the same time, Xie Yi turned his head, and the sharp arrow grazed past his cheek.
Only then did Lin Zhiji realize belatedly that another group of pursuers had arrived behind them.
Unlike the previous mansion guards, these pursuers were clearly elite, especially their weapons—blood-red blades that revealed their identity instantly.
It was the Red Halberd Guards!
Lin Zhiji had done his homework before coming and knew the Red Halberd Guards were the imperial inner guards, all highly skilled, well-equipped, able to fight a hundred enemies, elite among elites. Their weapons were made with Crimson Stone, blades glowing like fire, hence the name Red Halberd Guards.
Sure enough, as they joined, the previous mindless guards instantly gained structure and became coordinated.
Although Xie Yi still looked effortless, and the original story did not say he had ever been captured.
Lin Zhiji still felt anxious.
Who knew where the butterfly effect had blown things?
What if Xie Yi got captured?
If both host and villain died, that would truly be game over.
After thinking it over, he opened the system shop.
The system shop was filled with countless items, from secret manuals and elixirs above, to grass and stones below—everything imaginable.
However, all of these required his system points to exchange. After binding the host, he automatically received 100 initial points, but afterwards, points could only be obtained through the host completing missions.
Before coming, 03 repeatedly warned him how to use these things to “hook” the host into working, and absolutely not to spend points carelessly just because of a few sweet words from a pretty host.
Lin Zhiji sighed.
He could already imagine 03 pointing at his head and scolding: You are the worst system I’ve ever taught!
Lin Zhiji took a deep breath and pushed away messy thoughts.
What he wanted was an item called “Real-Time Map,” powerful but expensive.
But points could be earned again—if Xie Yi died, everything would be gone.
Besides, if he helped voluntarily, any normal person would feel gratitude, right?
Lin Zhiji comforted himself: reluctant children don’t catch wolves, reluctant points don’t catch villains.
He gritted his teeth and exchanged it. Immediately, a clear map appeared before his eyes, not only showing terrain and buildings, but also marking pursuers like in a game.
Looking at the large cluster of red dots around them, Lin Zhiji felt a wave of fear.
Good thing he exchanged it, otherwise if these people really surrounded Xie Yi, even gods couldn’t escape!
The only inconvenience was that only he could see this map.
So he had to relay the situation to Xie Yi.
Lin Zhiji originally thought he would need effort to convince Xie Yi, but unexpectedly, after hearing it, Xie Yi paused slightly and immediately changed direction—toward the weakest point shown on the map.
Using action to express trust in him.
Lin Zhiji was flattered and surprised. It seemed his guess was correct—his proactive attempt to curry favor had indeed moved Xie Yi!
He immediately perked up and diligently took on the role of a spotter.
Soon, the encirclement formed by the pursuers was torn open by Xie Yi.
Those guards had long been shaken off without a trace, leaving only that squad of Scarlet Halberd Guards still in relentless pursuit.
But at this moment, Lin Zhiji realized that Xie Yi had actually taken the wrong path.
He was shocked: 【Host! You took the wrong way, ahead is a dead end!!】
But it was already too late. The Scarlet Halberd Guards seized the opportunity and immediately surged forward, surrounding Xie Yi.
Xie Yi stopped walking. The atmosphere suddenly turned tense.
Lin Zhiji was so frightened he didn’t even dare breathe.
But Xie Yi showed no concern at all about being surrounded. He calmly shook the hand holding his blade, instead of retreating he advanced, charging straight at one of them.
The pale moonlight stretched the blade’s shadow into a thin, resilient line as it swept across the neck of that Scarlet Halberd Guard.
Everything happened extremely fast, almost in a flash of lightning.
That guard didn’t even have time to react. A red line slowly appeared on his neck, and in the next second, his head rolled off.
“Old Three!!”
The remaining Scarlet Halberd Guards were furious and shocked.
After killing someone, Xie Yi not only did not take the chance to escape through the gap, he instead repeated his actions and charged at another guard, arrogantly beyond belief.
Lin Zhiji: …
Now he understood. Xie Yi hadn’t taken the wrong path at all.
What looked like a dead end to him was, in Xie Yi’s eyes, clearly a perfect place for killing and disposing of bodies.
As expected, the remaining guards were infuriated, their attacks becoming even more fierce.
But Xie Yi’s movements were ghostly; even while facing six opponents alone, he did not fall into disadvantage.
After a round of fighting, Xie Yi only sustained a few light injuries, while the opposing Scarlet Halberd Guards were reduced to only three remaining.
The three remaining guards looked solemn, realizing they had encountered a tough opponent.
They exchanged glances and made their decision.
As Xie Yi’s long blade struck, one guard’s eyes flashed with determination. He abandoned defense and used his body to block Xie Yi’s attack.
With a dull groan, he tightly grabbed Xie Yi’s blade, even forcing it deeper into his own body.
“Old Five! Old Seven!”
With his shout, the other two Scarlet Halberd Guards charged forward.
Lin Zhiji couldn’t help shouting: 【Host!】
Xie Yi remained calm, almost indifferent, showing no regard for the killing blow right in front of him.
Just as the blade tip was about to pierce his chest,
his body twisted in a strange angle, not only avoiding it, but also using the force to pull his blade out from the guard’s body.
No one expected that, at the cost of one Scarlet Halberd Guard’s life, Xie Yi had only suffered a shallow wound on his waist.
The guard called Old Five was shaken to his core.
Only when he got closer did he realize—the man before him had one eye black, while the other was a pale gray, cold and inhuman under the moonlight.
This was not a human at all!
He was clearly a demon-like killing god!!
Terrified, he turned and tried to flee.
But the next second, his body froze. He stared in disbelief at the blade piercing out of his chest.
The blade was stained red, as vivid as the blood gushing out.
His body collapsed heavily. The last scene reflected in his eyes was his companion kneeling on one knee, submitting beneath that killing god’s feet: “Master.”
The cold moon hung high.
Pale moonlight washed over the blood-soaked ground.
Xie Yi calmly sheathed his blade and glanced indifferently at the kneeling Scarlet Halberd Guard: “Cang Feng.”
His tone was not harsh, even carrying a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
However, the man named Cang Feng trembled violently and gritted his teeth, then raised his blade without hesitation and cut off his own left arm.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Lin Zhiji nearly screamed from fright.
Xie Yi didn’t even blink. He continued issuing orders: “Clean it up. Don’t leave any trace.”
Cang Feng’s trembling body lowered even further as he respectfully replied: “Yes.”
—
Lin Zhiji finally understood.
He thought that using his map was helping Xie Yi, but it turned out everything was already part of Xie Yi’s plan. He had long arranged internal spies, and everything Lin Zhiji did was useless.
Moreover, even if he really helped Xie Yi, it would be meaningless.
That Cang Feng was so loyal, willing to take such great risks as a spy, yet Xie Yi’s casual word made him cut off his own arm.
A cold and ruthless person like Xie Yi would never be moved by his small favors.
Lin Zhiji knew himself well. He was just an ordinary person—he probably wouldn’t survive three days under Xie Yi.
He almost wanted to grab 03 and shake it: How did you even come up with the idea of saving Xie Yi?!
Who gave you the courage?!
Was it Liang Jingru?!
Thinking of this, Lin Zhiji felt completely hopeless.
He didn’t think his little schemes could escape Xie Yi’s notice.
People like him were usually the ones who hated being schemed against the most—he didn’t even want to imagine how Xie Yi would deal with him.
But unexpectedly, until they returned to the general’s estate, Xie Yi made no move against him.
Xie Yi’s residence was in the most remote part of the estate, next to the servants’ quarters.
Seeing this small, dilapidated courtyard as described in the book, Lin Zhiji—after being tormented all night—strangely felt a sense of peace.
Xie Yi entered the room.
Inside was only a bed, a table, and a small box in the corner.
On the table was a worn oil lamp, and the bed was bare with no bedding—clearly not a place meant for living.
Lin Zhiji froze for a moment.
He remembered the book said Xie Yi was abandoned here because he was born with a defect in his left eye, treated as an ominous existence, left to survive on his own in this remote courtyard.
The book only mentioned it briefly. When reading it, it didn’t feel like much—but seeing it in person, it was shocking.
This kind of place wasn’t even fit for an adult, yet Xie Yi had lived here since childhood, for over ten years.
Lin Zhiji’s emotions became complicated.
Perhaps this was what they meant by “a pitiful person always has something hateful about them.”
Of course, this feeling only flickered briefly in his heart.
As the saying goes, pitying a man is the beginning of misfortune.
Not to mention someone like Xie Yi—if you truly pitied him, you should be prepared to be devoured down to the bones.
Lin Zhiji rationally and coldly extinguished that small flicker of soft emotion.
Then he turned his head—and saw Xie Yi taking off his upper clothing, revealing a lean, muscular body.
Xie Yi’s skin was very pale. Under cold water, it glowed faintly like glazed porcelain. His muscle lines were slender yet powerful, covered with crisscrossing scars, adding a wild and dangerous aura.
The spring night was cold, yet he seemed completely unaffected.
His bare upper body reflected a dazzling white under the moonlight. Crystal water droplets rolled slowly along the hollows of his muscles. One drop slid down his waist, following the motion of his rising body, flowing into his V-line, then disappearing at a place that invited imagination.
Lin Zhiji swallowed and thought stubbornly: That body… i-it’s just average.
He absolutely refused to admit he was jealous, yet couldn’t help looking once more… and again.
Xie Yi could sense something in his consciousness space—a small golden sphere.
It should be that so-called “villain redemption system.”
Only, this little thing didn’t seem very obedient.
He could feel that unfamiliar gaze secretly sliding across his shoulders, chest, and abdomen.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.
The next moment, a familiar tearing pain swept through Lin Zhiji’s entire body.
Fortunately, that golden light of salvation appeared in time.
But before he could even breathe in relief, he heard Xie Yi ask with a smile: 【Does it look good?】
At the same time, that unbearable tearing sensation struck again.
Lin Zhiji: !!!
He immediately realized the pain was connected to Xie Yi. His survival instinct made him blurt out quickly: 【Host, I was wrong!】
However, he still didn’t understand how a psychopath like this worked.
Whether he begged or pledged loyalty, Xie Yi simply listened with a smile, noncommittal.
Meanwhile, he was tortured repeatedly until he was barely alive, his golden light flashing wildly like a fish being electrocuted.
In the end, he was in so much pain he gave up and squeezed out two words through his teeth: 【Good-looking——】
The tearing pain stopped.
Xie Yi slowly put on his clothes: 【Now you know how to answer properly.】
Lin Zhiji was on the verge of tears.
Damn it!
Xie Yi, you damn pervert!!!