The sect master had no choice but to force a smile: "Haha, what are you talking about? I was just joking earlier. I’m not actually against you guys hanging out together. Really, Little Yu, don’t take it seriously."
"Oh, really?"
"Of course! From now on, you can still play with Su Luo. I have no objections."
The sect master was on the verge of tears. It took him a hundred years to find such a talented disciple—how could he bear to let go?
Seeing the sect master’s forced smile and insincere words, it was Su Luo’s turn to lose his patience.
"Such a spineless coward. Pathetic."
"Hey, my temper... but you, kid... you’re quite handsome."
The sect master didn’t dare say more, as Little Yu had already stepped in front of Su Luo to shield him.
And whether it was an illusion or not, the sect master felt like Su Luo’s smirk was growing more and more pronounced.
This made him even angrier, but there was nothing he could do.
"Folks, does anyone understand why this kid is so infuriating?"
And then, there was no "and then." The sect master could only slink away in defeat. He truly had no choice but to let them be.
......
Little Yu lingered for a moment before also heading back.
As the night deepened, Su Luo opened his diary. Some things are best done in the quiet of the night.
[The rookie competition has ended, but I still have some loose ends to tie up before I can take a break.]
[Next, because I lost the rookie competition, my hatred for Lin Xuan grew even stronger, and Elder Yan Xi refused to help.]
[In desperation, I turned to my senior brothers and sisters.]
[Surprisingly, I found a kind-hearted senior brother who agreed to teach Lin Xuan a lesson—of course, I paid him for his services.]
[This senior brother had no trouble beating Lin Xuan, as his strength far surpassed Lin Xuan’s.]
[He beat him up under the guise of a sparring match, but the consequences were something the senior brother likely didn’t anticipate.]
[A protagonist who suffers a loss would never let it go without retaliation.]
[The next day, Lin Xuan began investigating the senior brother’s background, including his daily habits, routines, likes, dislikes...]
[He left no stone unturned. When you’re not strong enough, you resort to underhanded methods.]
[To defeat someone, you must first understand them.]
[And then he discovered that this senior brother was actually a spy from a Demonic Sect.]
[Lin Xuan even obtained solid evidence.]
[What else could he do? He reported it directly, and without Lin Xuan needing to resort to dirty tricks, the senior brother was dealt with by the sect.]
[Lin Xuan received rewards from the sect and got his revenge. How satisfying!]
[You’d think the story ends here, right? Not yet.]
[Because I wasn’t satisfied, I found another senior brother.]
[And this senior brother was also a spy from a Demonic Sect.]
[The second time, Lin Xuan was already familiar with the process. He reported the senior brother and received more rewards.]
[Was there a third time? Of course. I was speechless when I read this part—it felt so repetitive.]
[Just like that, Lin Xuan exposed three spies from Demonic Sects in a row, and his reputation in the sect soared once again. Everyone praised him for his sharp eyes.]
[Honestly, when I read this part, I was also speechless. It’s normal for a sect to have spies. With so many people, it’s common for a few to slip in.]
[But because they crossed paths with Lin Xuan, these well-hidden spies were all exposed, which was suffocating.]
[No matter what we villains do, we always end up as stepping stones for the protagonist.]
[Finally, seeing Lin Xuan still basking in his success, I grew even more frustrated and called in a heavyweight—Qin San, one of the Seven Stars and Four Talents.]
[Thanks to my connection with Elder Yan Xi and a bit of camaraderie during the assessment, Qin San agreed to help.]
[But because Han Ying’er happened to pass by, and out of respect for her, the matter was dropped.]
[My part of the story ends here, and another villain will take over to be humiliated by Lin Xuan.]
[After all, people need variety. Seeing me get beaten all the time gets boring.]
[And the next villain is Qin San, whom I introduced.]
[He’s a spy sent by the Heavenly Demon Sect, a top-tier Demonic Sect. Yes, another spy.]
[I can’t help but think that if Qin San hadn’t crossed paths with Lin Xuan, he would’ve become a deacon in three years, a peak master in another three, and eventually the sect master.]
[Three years and another three, and then three more—he would’ve risen to the top.]
[But I digress. Qin San wasn’t so lucky. He met Lin Xuan, and not only did he suffer, but he also lost his life.]
[Some time later, the Four Talents went on a routine expedition and brought Lin Xuan along.]
[This expedition was Qin San’s idea, with his own ulterior motives, but unfortunately, he failed to achieve them.]
[This expedition was extraordinary. It contained a special formation that allowed for rapid cultivation.]
[The speed was twenty times faster than normal. Sounds exaggerated, but that’s how effective it was.]
[Unfortunately, this formation only worked within that specific expedition, and once the expedition ended, the formation collapsed.]
[But even in that short time, it was enough for Lin Xuan to cultivate like mad, and his cultivation level skyrocketed once again. Such is the privilege of a protagonist.]
After writing another diary entry, Su Luo felt like he didn’t deserve to call himself lazy.
But then he thought, if he didn’t write diaries, he’d have to rely on hard work and cultivation.
Wouldn’t that just make things even more competitive?
[Diary completed. Reward: Constitution +2, Strength +4, cultivation level increased by one tier. Current cultivation: Early Golden Core Stage.]
[Special ability upgraded: My Pain is Greater Than Yours.]
[When attacked, you can transfer 50% of the damage to a designated target.]
[Special ability name changed: Sharing the Pain.]
I take 50% of the damage, and so does the other person.
Sharing the pain—sounds fair.
......
Time passed day by day.
When Lin Xuan exposed the third Demonic Sect spy, he began to understand everything.
He realized that Su Luo was playing a long game.
Su Luo wasn’t deliberately trying to make trouble for him—he was crafting the image of a ruthless, unhinged villain willing to do anything to achieve his goals.
With this image, Su Luo could gain the trust of the Demonic Sects and use Lin Xuan’s hands to eliminate their spies.
How else could he explain everything that had happened recently?
Su Luo came to cause trouble for him, but as soon as Lin Xuan touched him, he fell over and called for reinforcements.
And every person he called turned out to be a Demonic Sect spy.
Su Luo wasn’t trying to make trouble for Lin Xuan—he was using this method to warn Lin Xuan about these people and have them eliminated through him.
Yes, that’s it. Otherwise, why would Li Siyi still maintain a relationship with him?
Li Siyi must have always known what Su Luo was trying to do.
Facing darkness while his heart yearned for the light.
Lin Xuan couldn’t think of a more fitting explanation.
If it weren’t for Su Luo, he wouldn’t have known that there were spies from the Demonic Sects within the sect.
And all of Su Luo’s actions up to this point finally made sense to Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan truly understood that Su Luo was turning himself into a pawn—a pawn meant to infiltrate the Demonic Sects in the future.
A spy, surviving in the chaotic world of demons, must be filled with hardship.
For a moment, Lin Xuan felt a deep sense of respect.
"Sorry, Su Luo. I underestimated you before."