Chapter 39: The Red Exclamation Mark

Inside an elegant wooden house on Zhu Xia Peak, Xiao Xixi, cradled in Su Mei’s embrace, was intensely focused on the red exclamation mark hovering above her brother Xiao Changgu’s head. This familiar red icon, reminiscent of a beginner’s mission, sparked a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.

Since the ‘Rescue System’ went online, Xiao Xixi had encountered three types of tasks. The first was the red exclamation mark indicating a beginner’s task. The second, more common, was the ‘side quests’ she had undertaken three days ago when she became an ‘outer sect disciple.’ The third type was an unmarked task that showed completion, related to her beautiful master’s advancement in cultivation, a hidden quest.

The hidden quest rewarded a rare item: the ‘Beast Tongue Bell (ornament).’

**Beast Tongue Bell**: Legend has it that a great Beast Master crafted this bell to better communicate with animals. Its silver chain and golden bell are small and charming, enhancing charm by 1 and affinity by 1, with the skill [Speech Spirit].

**Speech Spirit**: Allows the wearer to understand the language of other creatures and engage in ‘simple’ communication.

Though Xiao Xixi had received the bell two days ago, she hadn’t had the chance to wear it, as she had been intensely learning from her senior sister. Without wearing the bell, she couldn’t visualize its appearance, but the description alone made her subconsciously approve of it.

As someone who had once had a cat at home, Xiao Xixi had always wanted an item that could understand animal sounds. However, compared to the ‘Soul Gem,’ which could enhance and grow, the bell seemed less impressive. Yet, the reward from the hidden quest was significantly better than that from the side quests.

Thus, Xiao Xixi concluded: Red Task > Hidden Task > Side Quest.

Intrigued by this conclusion, she eagerly looked at the task on her brother’s head. Beneath her long lashes, her bright eyes gazed at Xiao Changgu, and the task information soon appeared.

**Task Description**: Xiao Changgu, in the past two days, has exploited the labor of outer sect disciples as an ‘inner sect disciple,’ causing three of them to question their lives. The outer sect disciple ‘Xiao Yao Yun You’ suffered a broken heart and attempted suicide.

**Note**: The antagonist Xiao Changgu, due to the host’s changes to the plot, has prematurely entered the antagonist route. The host must rescue the outer sect disciples whose hearts have been hindered by Xiao Changgu and correct Xiao Changgu’s perception to guide him to the path of a model youth.

**Task Reward**: A randomly quality chest (depending on the time taken to complete the task).

**Failure Penalty**: None.

Seeing this task description, Xiao Xixi was astonished. In the past month since entering the book, her interactions with Xiao Changgu had made her forget that he was an antagonist, despite his appearance. Now, seeing the task and her brother’s calm demeanor, she realized her mistake. The antagonist remained an antagonist, but her perspective had shifted from a reader’s to a sibling’s, making her view seem absurd.

…

Feeling the warmth of Su Mei’s embrace, different from her senior sister Bai Luozhu’s cold and rigid hold, Xiao Xixi began to ponder how to complete this task, focusing on the chest reward. Correcting Xiao Changgu’s perception seemed simpler than rescuing the troubled disciples. The key figure in the task, ‘Xiao Yao Yun You,’ was known in the original plot for his revenge against Xiao Changgu, who had bullied many disciples in the Green Crane Sect. Xiao Changgu had become infamous, even among dogs.

After being defeated by the protagonist Ye Chen and rendered useless, Xiao Changgu suffered retaliation from those he had wronged. Eventually, ‘Xiao Yao Yun You’ drove him to jump off a cliff. Now, seeing ‘Xiao Yao Yun You’ on the brink of suicide, Xiao Xixi felt overwhelmed, knowing this wouldn’t be an easy reconciliation.

…

Bai Luozhu, seeing Xiao Xixi in Su Mei’s embrace, felt a mix of envy and strange emotions, almost wanting to take her place. To suppress these feelings, she asked, ‘Xixi, are you feeling unwell?’

Xiao Xixi, after two days of intense ‘education’ from her senior sister, mistook Bai Luozhu’s question for an attack and instinctively covered her mouth, her body trembling slightly in Su Mei’s arms. This small reaction caught the attention of both Su Mei and Xiao Changgu, who were discussing his recent training.

Seeing the confusion in their eyes, Xiao Xixi suddenly remembered an important question. Previously, Su Mei had mentioned that she could go down the mountain for training once she learned human language. After experiencing her senior sister’s ‘hellish teaching,’ Xiao Xixi touched her swollen lips and asked, ‘Master, Senior Sister, now that I can speak, can I go down the mountain with my brother for training?’

After Xiao Xixi’s soft, childlike voice, the room fell into a brief silence, the air heavy with unspoken thoughts. The reason for this silence was that Xiao Xixi, with her innocent gaze and delicate appearance, left Su Mei, Bai Luozhu, and Xiao Changgu wondering about her future path in cultivation.