When a Fanfic Protagonist Transmigrated into the Original Novel

Chapter 24: Eavesdrop Bug

Xiao Kui quickly returned to his room and immediately opened his divine consciousness, listening to everything on Yi Xichen’s side. He has already linked his own hearing to the eavesdrop bug’s, allowing him to clearly hear everything on that side.

Soon, Yi Xichen and Zhangsun Zijun’s conversation landed in his ears.

“What did the sect leader want you for?” asked Zhangsun Zijun.

“Of course it’s about accepting me as his disciple,” replied Yi Xichen, “He also told me some methods to stimulate even greater potential when Taking Consciousness is activated.”

“Oh?”

“Haha, last battle with Wang Qingqiao, I purposefully hid some strength, making Xiao Kui think I’m not that strong after all. In tomorrow’s match, I’ll pretend to lose in the beginning and let him be arrogant for a while. After he is certain that he’ll win, I’ll beat him under everyone’s eyes. Haha!”

“Why not just go up and beat him in one move?”

“How boring would that be? If I make him lose in one move, he won’t be angry for too long. But if I let him think that he’ll win then make him lose, it’ll be embarrassing in front of all the other disciples wouldn’t it? That will be much more interesting.”

Xiao Kui’s face was almost contorted with rage. Yi Xichen’s that strong? Not only is he certain he can win, he’s confident he can one-shot me?!

Zhangsun Zijun continued, “Did you plan what moves to use tomorrow?”

Xiao Kui immediately became nervous again, listening carefully to the following statements.

“Of course! Tomorrow, I’ll use a Chaos Array. The second he entered, he would see countless shadows of me surrounding him. He would definitely start attacking them like crazy, but in others’ eyes, it would seem that he is just attacking the air like a psycho. Wouldn’t that be very funny? Then I’ll lure him towards the west to make him think that the array is on his west. But in fact, the array will be on his east. Once he’s caught in my deceptive trick, he’ll just walk off the platform himself. What do you think?”

Hot steam was coming off Xiao Kui’s head from the anger. He silently memorized how Yi Xichen would place the Chaos Array. During the Sword Assemblies, there would be people who used techniques and tricks to make the opponent walk off the stage themselves. But losing in such a way would be much more aggrieved. This was because those who lost to swords would know that it was because they weren’t strong enough. As for those who lost to tricks, they knew that they were strong enough, but didn’t even have the chance to display it! But after all, setting up tricks to deceive the opponent was a skill that also counted as a part of one’s strengths.

Zhangsun Zijun spoke again, “Then what if he immediately started to attack right when he got onto the platform, not giving you the chance to set up the array?”

Xiao Kui nodded approvingly; he did have this thought. He naturally couldn’t win against Yi Xichen in terms of tricks and traps, but what if he never gave Yi Xichen this chance to begin with!

But then, Yi Xichen replied, “That’s even better! I want him to use up all his energy at first. When he gets tired, it’ll be easier on my side to set everything up.”

Xiao Kui was shocked. So this was what Yi Xichen has in mind? What should I do?

Yi Xichen said, “Just wait and watch how he gets embarrassed in front of everyone and loses, haha!”

Then Zhangsun Zijun’s laugh came as well.

Xiao Kui didn’t even know what to say. If it wasn’t because the eavesdrop bug could only allow one to hear, he would have really yelled out loud, “Yi Xichen, what the hell did I ever do to you?!”

But right after, Zhangsun Zijun asked what he had in mind.

“Why do you hate Xiao Kui so much?”

Xiao Kui listened carefully, but what came from the other side was silence.

Just as Xiao Kui thought that the bug must’ve been discovered and squashed, he finally heard Yi Xichen’s cold voice, “Because he hurt you.”

Xiao Kui was stunned. Yi Xichen hated him because he hurt Zhangsun Zijun before? What? I did Zhangsun Zijun dirty, but he didn’t even take this to heart, what are you worrying about??? Xiao Kui was a very selfish person who only saw others’ by usefulness, so he couldn’t really understand this kind of friendship.

When Xiao Kui first entered Heavenly Sword Sect, he had already started to observe everyone who were selected into Sword Refining Hall with him. Because his bloodline was different from others, even though he had a single spirit root1, he was still one of the top of the single spirit roots. But who would have known that there were so many other talents who also came to Heavenly Sword Sect. Out of those who were also selected with him, there was a Heavenly Spirit Root, a Body of Three Yang, and also an Ice Spirit Root. After careful observations, Xiao Kui estimated that he was about top five among the disciples, and as for number one, that was undoubtedly Zhangsun Zijun with his Heavenly Spiritual Root.

And so Xiao Kui started to think about how to approach Zhangsun Zijun.

There were two reasons for him to approach Zhangsun Zijun. First, was because by hanging out with strong people, one could slowly be strengthened as well. In addition, when cultivators reached a certain level, they would often encounter bottlenecks that were difficult to break through. If at this time, they could do dual cultivation with their partner, then that would make the process much easier. And the stronger the partner, the more benefits the other person would get. Second, was because by being with him, he could get more benefits. Qiu Jian has been known for loving talents. When giving spiritual materials and stones to his disciples, the higher the talent, the more the disciple could get. If he managed to stick beside Zhangsun Zijun, he would definitely receive more resources.

But after spending a lot of time on Zhangsun Zijun and realizing that he didn’t have any interest in him at all, Xiao Kui understood it as contempt. So he started to plan to get rid of him.

Since Zhangsun Zijun was no use to him, then getting rid of him would be beneficial – there would be one less person that was stronger than him in Sword Refining Hall, and he would be favored by the elder a little more!

After being familiar with the sect rules, he decided to trick Zhangsun Zijun to the Forbidden Land. At that time, Xiao Kui was just a new disciple who didn’t think there were dangerous beasts in there. He wasn’t really planning to kill Zhangsun Zijun, he just heard that there was a super powerful master in there. He thought that if he could trick Zhangsun Zijun in there, it would definitely provoke that master, and bring great trouble to Zhangsun Zijun.

So, he went and colluded with some older disciples, and lied to Zhangsun Zijun, saying that there was a heavenly fruit in there that could improve one’s cultivation by a hundred years. But who would have thought Zhangsun Zijun didn’t buy it at all.

In the end, Xiao Kui had to use the cheapest and most vicious way possible – He stole Zhangsun Zijun’s jade token he always carried, then left a note saying that if he wanted it back, he must come and get it in front of the Forbidden Land. Then, he found some older disciples to go snitch on Zhangsun Zijun in front of the elder, saying that Zhangsun Zijun wanted to break into the Forbidden Land. They said that he asked them to go along, but because they didn’t want to break the sect rules, and couldn’t stop Zhangsun Zijun either, that was why they came to seek help from the elders.

After that night, Xiao Kui heard about the news of Zhangsun Zijun trespassing into the Forbidden Land and almost being killed by the beasts inside.

Yi Xichen’s angry voice was passed into Xiao Kui’s ears through the eavesdrop bug, “That day Xiao Kui came to provoke you, saying that you were a fool to enter the Forbidden Land just for a jade token. Evil! Ridiculous! What does he think that jade token is? After that, it’s not like you ever wore it again.”

Xiao Kui was at a loss for a while. That night, he didn’t know what happened exactly. After sealing Zhangsun Zijun’s jade token, he just wanted to lure Zhangsun Zijun to the entrance of the Forbidden Land and not for him to go inside it. After all, Zhangsun Zijun wasn’t an idiot, it wouldn’t be so easy to get him to go inside. Xiao Kui’s plan was just to let the elders catch Zhangsun Zijun red-handed at the back mountain in front of the Forbidden Land and for them to think that he was about to break the sect rules. But in fact, Zhangsun Zijun went into the Forbidden Land himself, as for why, Xiao Kui had no clue. He could only guess that the jade token was extremely important to him, and that he went crazy while looking for it.

Yet the truth was that the jade token wasn’t anything special to Zhangsun Zijun. He had just worn it since a child and felt lazy to take it off. After it was stolen, he never bothered to go get it back.

Yi Xichen continued, “That night after you went to the back mountain, you just wanted to make it clear for him to stop bugging you. But he never showed up, and you heard roars from the Forbidden Land. You went in there because you were afraid that he was going to get hurt!”

With a “smash”, Xiao Kui accidentally dropped the tea cup from his hand to the ground.

He stood up in disbelief. As if he saw a ghost standing in front of him, he took a few steps back, “Wh… what……” That night, he trespassed into the Forbidden Land to save me?!

Zhangsun Zijun’s personality has always been cold and indifferent, but he wasn’t a hard-hearted person. When martial brothers and sisters were in trouble, he would definitely go help. So that day, when Zhangsun Zijun cut out the ditch between them and told him that if it was him who went into the Forbidden Land, his bones wouldn’t even be found. That wasn’t just an insult, that was his honest thoughts!

In an instant, Xiao Kui began to recall many things regarding Zhangsun Zijun.

Zhangsun Zijun and Yi Xichen had always been best buddies. He brought Yi Xichen to places that Yi Xichen’s cultivation couldn’t enter. He never liked to compete with others without a reason, and when he did, it was probably just for some spirit stones or spiritual materials, which he would always share with Yi Xichen. He liked to practice swords with Yi Xichen in the peach tree forest. Although he was far better than Yi Xichen, he never got annoyed and always patiently pointed out how Yi Xichen could improve…

If it wasn’t because he stole Zhangsun Zijun’s jade token, it would be he who stood next to Zhangsun Zijun and enjoyed all that. Yi Xichen wouldn’t even be close to there! It would be him! Zhangsun Zijun wasn’t uninterested in him back then, but that was just how his personality was like.

Xiao Kui squeezed his fists, and for a while, feelings of joy, regret, annoyance, unwillingness, and jealousy came to his heart…

In fact, Xiao Kui still over-thought everything. Zhangsun Zijun knew what kind of person Xiao Kui was from day one. He chose not to go along with Xiao Kui not only because of his personality, but also because he didn’t like Xiao Kui. That day outside of the Forbidden Land, whether it was Xiao Kui or any other disciple, he would enter to help regardless.

In another disciple’s room, Zhangsun Zijun looked helplessly at Yi Xichen, then dipped his finger in some tea water, and wrote on the table: Why are we saying this again?

Yi Xichen gave a smile and wrote as well, “Say something to keep provoking him.”

Previously, most of the words were just said to confuse Xiao Kui. But it was a fact that he hated Xiao Kui. What he did that year not only injured Zhangsun Zijun severely, it also reminded Zhangsun Zijun how ugly this world truly was. No one except for Yi Xichen knew how much effort he had to spend to comfort Zhangsun Zijun in Medicine Hall and for him to open his heart back up bit by bit.

Zhangsun Zijun sank into deep thought. To provoke Xiao Kui, of course he knew why Yi Xichen wanted to do it, but how?

Yi Xichen was well aware of Xiao Kui’s jealous nature. After hearing all those, Xiao Kui would definitely regret how he didn’t get to befriend Zhangsun Zijun back then. Xiao Kui was a person who didn’t have friendship in his eyes, only benefit. If he lost his benefits, he would regret and be angry. At this time, if Zhangsun Zijun could pour oil on the fire, it would definitely give Xiao Kui a restless night!

“We need to thank Xiao Kui, if it wasn’t for him framing you and making you come here, how would we have met? How would I have gotten all these things that I might never receive my entire life?” remarked Yi Xichen, “Maybe all of this stuff might be Xiao Kui’s, but at this point, my position in your heart is definitely incomparable with that of Xiao Kui’s.”

Zhangsun Zijun looked at Yi Xichen blankly. The first half of his words did move him quite a bit. He and Yi Xichen went through life and death together, if it wasn’t to say those for Xiao Kui to hear, Yi Xichen definitely wouldn’t have said those.

A second later, Zhangsun Zijun finally couldn’t hold it back anymore–

“…Humph… who said you’re more important than Xiao Kui… humph…”

Yi Xichen: “……”

Then, Yi Xichen squashed the eavesdrop bug with a dark face.

And in the other room, with a loud “bang”, Xiao Kui fell down from his chair.

His face was red, his eyes were blank, and his mind was in a daze. Wh wh wh what, di di di di did he hear just now?!