Scumbag System (2020)

Scumbag System (传书自救指南) is a Chinese CGI animated series adapted from the Chinese web novel, Renzha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (人渣反派自救系统 by 墨香铜臭), literally translated as Scum Villain Self-Saving System. Each episode of Scumbag System is short in duration. It’s around twenty minutes long and there are ten episodes in the first season.

The setting of Scumbag System is in a world inside a xianxia (a fantasy genre) novel about immortal cultivators and demons. Shen Yuan, a male teenager, is a paying reader of the xianxia novel which has 6,666 chapters. After completing the 6,666-chapter xianxia novel, he is highly dissatisfied with it. His negative comments attract a flood of readers who were satisfied with the novel disagreeing with him. Responding to them, Shen Yuan types up an angry reply calling the author and the novel stupid. This angry reply of Shen Yuan’s is a system command. Along with Shen Yuan falling unconscious (or possibly dead) after choking on a steamed bun he had been eating, this activation of a system command sends Shen Yuan’s soul into the world of the xianxia novel.

Shen Yuan becomes aware he’s gone into the world of the novel when he sees a holographic screen in front of him notifying him of the progress of the initialisation of his entry. Shen Yuan isn’t panicked by his sudden entry into the novel. He’s just annoyed he’s become the protagonist of the ‘retarded stallion novel’.

Shen Yuan hasn’t become the protagonist, though. The computer system informs him he has become the villain character of the novel. This makes Shen Yuan panic since villain characters have bad endings and this novel’s villain character is no different.

The novel Shen Yuan enters into is called, Kuang Ao Xian Mo Tu – 狂傲仙魔途, literally translated as Arrogant Immortal Demon Route. The protagonist of the novel, Luo Bing He (voiced by Shen Da Wei), has a backstory of being abandoned when he was a baby. He was abandoned in a wooden tub in the Luo River during winter and a kind-hearted woman picked him up. Where Luo Bing He was picked up from is how Luo Bing He got his name: Luo Bing He means ‘icy cold Luo River’. The kind-hearted woman raised Luo Bing He until she passed away when Luo Bing He was still a young boy.

The villain character of the novel is Shen Qing Qiu (voiced by Wu Lei). He is the immortal cultivation master who Luo Bing He becomes a disciple of. In the novel, Shen Qing Qiu’s villain ways towards Luo Bing He comes from the hate Shen Qing Qiu has towards Luo Bing He’s outstanding looks coupled with his rare, extraordinary and natural talent in cultivating which captures the attention of his beloved and only female disciple, Ning Ying Ying, of whom he raised with a lot of effort.

Shen Yuan entering the novel comes with a mission. Shen Yuan’s mission is to help turn the novel from a third rate novel to a first rate one. It’s a role-playing game for Shen Yuan which has real and dire consequences. He has to follow rules which prevents him from straying too far away from his villain character profile. Violating rules means deduction of his B格* points which starts off at 100 points. Death is the outcome if his B格 points are run down.

The role-playing game allows room for changes. Going out of Shen Qing Qiu’s character and gaining control over what Shen Qing Qiu says and does is a possibility. There’s the OOC (out of character) feature. However, the OOC feature must be unlocked first. This is through increasing the B格 points high enough to do so. Even with being able to control his villain character, Shen Yuan still has to follow major development plots progressing the villain character towards his bad ending. There could be a way to avoid the bad ending. With Shen Yuan entering into the novel at a point in the story where Luo Bing He is still pure and innocent and is still a disciple who respects Shen Qing Qiu, it’s Shen Yuan’s hope that he can lessen the severity of the bad ending if not change it.

*We’re not really sure what B格 is, but quick search on this seems to suggest the B格 score is scoring him on his ability to be pretentious or how good he is at making people believe he’s better than he is.

Episode Recap

With Shen Yuan being Shen Qing Qiu also, we’ll be referring to the teenager who becomes Shen Qing Qiu as Shen Yuan to begin with then use Shen Qing Qiu after in our recap just to be less confusing.

Episode 1

After Shen Yuan activates the system command which transports him into the novel, he wakes up with a huge headache. A guy in a hanfu outfit responds to his mutterings. Shen Yuan goes to work out his state to have been from having passed out and believes he is now in the hospital. The guy informs him he’s not in the hospital, but at Qing Jing Peak (literal translation: Quiet Peak).

The computer system informs Shen Yuan he has been successfully transported into the novel, “Kuang Ao Xian Mo Tu” with a holographic screen displaying before him. Shen Yuan is informed the novel entry number is UV002 and its development concept is, ‘If you can do it, go do it. If you can’t then don’t criticise it.’ Shen Yuan has the mission of turning the novel from a third rate one to a first rate classic novel of superior quality. Transporting into the novel doesn’t alarm Shen Yuan. He becomes alarmed when he’s informed he’s the novel’s scum villain, Shen Qing Qiu, the master of Qing Jing Peak of Cang Qiong Mountain Sect (literal translation: Heaven Vault Mountain Sect, Quiet Peak).

The holographic nameplate above the guy who had been answering Shen Yuan is Yue Qing Yuan, the sect leader of Cang Qiong Mountain. Shen Yuan pities Yue Qing Yuan. He’s a kind person who ends up being killed by Shen Qing Qiu. Pity changes to panic when Shen Yuan thinks of the ending he’ll receive as Shen Qing Qiu. Shen Qing Qiu’s ending is Luo Bing He repaying him back for all the ill-treatment he has received in the past with Shen Qing Qiu living out the rest of his life in a pickling earthen jar.

Shen Yuan’s thoughts go wild with wanting to ride off of Luo Bing He’s invincibility as a protagonist. He wants to take care of Luo Bing He in every way, be his gentle and good master and be his helpful friend. These thoughts aren’t allowed. Shen Yuan receives a warning of him being out of character from the computer system.

Luo Bing He has been locked up in the firewood storage shed after Shen Qing Qiu had him whipped forty times. He’s now let out of the firewood storage shed by Yue Qing Yuan. Ming Fan—Shen Qing Qiu’s first disciple of whom treats Luo Bing He badly along with Shen Qing Qiu—takes the initiative to go to Shen Qing Qiu to inform him of this.

Unlike the characters before who had been introduced to Shen Qing Qiu with a regular blue nameplate that didn’t make Shen Qing Qiu shield his eyes from the dazzling brightness, Luo Bing He’s is blindingly bright with his holographic nameplate in dazzling gold. Shen Qing Qiu is horrified and unable to directly face Luo Bing He when he comes in limping with an arm supporting the other and badly battered.

Shen Qing Qiu stops Luo Bing He from greeting him with kneeling. He doesn’t want any chance of Luo Bing He taking his kneecaps in the future because he made him kneel after being battered so badly. Shen Qing Qiu asks Luo Bing He if he now knows the wrong he did. Luo Bing He says he does. He shouldn’t have talked back. Shen Qing Qiu extends a bottle of an external use only medicine to Luo Bing He. This action isn’t allowed and the computer system warns Shen Qing Qiu it’s out of character. Shen Qing Qiu brings the bottle of medicine back to himself and drinks it before B格 points are deducted.

Shen Qing Qiu sits down and has his hand over his face. The small gesture of extending medicine to Luo Bing He being a violation of rules makes Shen Qing Qiu feel it to be hopeless. Ming Fan sees Shen Qing Qiu to be unwell and he blames Luo Bing He for it. As Luo Bing He remains silent and takes the blame, Shen Qing Qiu puts this matter to rest. He tells Luo Bing He he has already been punished, so he should just do some reflecting on himself. Before Luo Bing He leaves, Shen Qing Qiu wants to know how old he is. The desire Shen Qing Qiu has to know Luo Bing He’s age is because he’s confused why Luo Bing He doesn’t seem to show any sort of grudge against him and he wonders if it’s maybe that he hasn’t suffered abuse. When he hears Luo Bing He say he’s fourteen, Shen Qing Qiu faints.

Just himself in the room now, Shen Qing Qiu goes about the room inspecting items. He’s looking for valuable items to take with him. The computer system asks Shen Qing Qiu for an explanation for the behaviour it detects as abnormal. Instead of answering, Shen Qing Qiu asks the computer system for an explanation. He want to know what Luo Bing He has experienced already. The computer system informs Shen Qing Qiu Luo Bing He has kneeled at the gate, fought with disciples, been hung up and beaten for talking back to his master and such kinds of ill-treatment to foreshadow Luo Bing He’s demonisation.

Shen Qing Qiu is ready to leave. He won’t wait around to have his four limbs taken away with only his head left i.e. being placed in a pickling earthen jar. The computer system points out to Shen Qing Qiu that waiting for the protagonist to carry out his vendetta is a routine job of the villain character. Shen Qing Qiu takes the bindle he had been preparing and says he won’t take on the job the computer system says is routine for the villain character. He suggests for it to go find someone else more qualified.

The computer system gives Shen Qing Qiu a serious warning of terminating his account if he gives up his role of being Shen Qing Qiu. This doesn’t worry Shen Qing Qiu as he finds living in a pickling earthen jar far worse than dying. With Shen Qing Qiu continuing for the door, the computer system says to him he can remove the OOC feature and change the ending. With this, Shen Qing Qiu is interested and he agrees to continue playing his villain role.

How Shen Qing Qiu can change the ending is by reaching the required B格 points and launching the Beginner Stage Quest. From there, he can unlock the OOC feature and proceed to change the ending. Increasing B格 points can be done through changing the retarded plot, increasing the IQ of the villain, maintain the protagonist’s satisfaction and complete the hidden storyline.

Shen Qing Qiu begins a plan of familiarising himself with the surroundings and checking out the current skills and equipment he has. He currently has one skill of ‘Plucking Leaf Flying Flower’ and one equipment of the Xiu Ya sword available to use. The other skills and equipment are locked and can be unlocked through cultivating in seclusion. A try of the Xiu Ya sword Shen Qing Qiu is amazed and ecstatic by the sheer power of it especially when he just randomly swung it. It cut through the ground and created a huge ditch. Shen Qing Qiu feels more positive about having to face Luo Bing He when he becomes demonic and full of revenge. He’s amazed with the high level of skill he has even at this beginner’s level he’s at.

Shen Qing Qiu hides himself away when Luo Bing He appears in the vicinity with Ning Ying Ying. Ning Ying Ying is Shen Qing Qiu’s only female disciple and Luo Bing He’s senior and childhood friend. Ning Ying Ying is idle enough to wonder who could’ve been able to create such a huge ditch in the ground. Luo Bing He answers Ning Ying Ying with saying the only person who has the ability to create such a huge ditch is their master. Shen Qing Qiu is impressed by Luo Bing He’s knowledge of Shen Qing Qiu’s skills.

Ning Ying Ying isn’t happy Luo Bing He isn’t playing with her but is focused on his task of chopping wood for firewood. Luo Bing He doesn’t have the time to. He must gather wood as fast as he can so he can go onto the next task of fetching water. Only finishing these two tasks is he possibly able to have the time to train. Ning Ying Ying suggests to go to their master to let him know he’s been bullied.

Shen Qing Qiu—who has been listening and watching Luo Bing He and Ning Ying Ying—says it’s pointless to go to him when he can’t go out of character. Luo Bing He then impresses Shen Qing Qiu when he hears Luo Bing He tell Ning Ying Ying why she can’t go tell him: he doesn’t want to bother him with such matters. Luo Bing He also doesn’t think the others are bullying him. Rather, it’s that he’s still young and it’s their way of having him gain some experience. Shen Qing Qiu finds Luo Bing He to be very high-minded at his young age.

When Ming Fan comes with minions in tow, Luo Bing He is invisible to him until Ning Ying Ying makes him visible and she brings him and his followers to bully Luo Bing He. Ming Fan worries about Ning Ying Ying being in this mountain area where wild beasts and venomous snakes lurk, but Ning Ying Ying arrogantly says she isn’t scared because Luo Bing He is with her.

Ming Fan shoves Luo Bing He aside to make room for himself to be in Ning Ying Ying’s direct line of vision when she goes to Luo Bing He and places her attention on him. He shows Ning Ying Ying the hotan jade he got from his family. He says that if she likes it he will give it to her. Ning Ying Ying doesn’t like it. She says the hotan jade is an ugly colour and tosses it away as if it’s nothing valuable. Ming Fan frantically dashes to catch it. Ning Ying Ying goes to Luo Bing He again. This time Luo Bing He is subjected to Ming Fan’s bullying when Ning Ying Ying reveals the fact that Luo Bing He has a jade pendant. Although Ning Ying Ying hasn’t seen it because she says Luo Bing He won’t let her see it, she likes the look of it more. Ming Fan doesn’t like that Luo Bing He won’t allow Ning Ying Ying see his jade pendant. He thinks such unwilling attitude towards even this will be an issue for when they need assistance in facing a strong enemy. Luo Bing He is held down by Ming Fan’s followers. Ming Fan rips the jade pendant away from around Luo Bing He’s neck. Ming Fan finds the jade to be no more than a fake and worthless item bought from a street stall.

The jade pendant is precious to Luo Bing He. It’s an item Luo Bing He’s adopted mother gave him. Luo Bing He breaks out from the hold Ming Fan’s minions has on him. He is enraged when Ming Fan tosses it out and asks Luo Bing He to retrieve it himself after Luo Bing He demanded Ming Fan to give it back to him. Ning Ying Ying threatens Ming Fan with saying she’ll ignore him if he doesn’t tell them to stop. Ming Fan does move to heed to it, but a punch in the nose from Luo Bing He and Ning Ying Ying laughing at the bloody nose he has fires him up. He commands his minions to make way for him to give Luo Bing He a good couple of stomps at his body.

Episode 2

Shen Qing Qiu gets 15 B格 points deducted when he sends his Plucking Leaf Flying Flower attack towards Ming Fan to stop him from crippling Luo Bing He’s hand. The 15 B格 points that gets deducted for helping in secret is acceptable to Shen Qing Qiu until he realises it’s 15 B格 points per leaf that he sends out through his Plucking Leaf Flying Flower attack. When Ming Fan orders his minions to beat Luo Bing He up because he thinks the first attack Shen Qing Qiu sent was a sneaky attack from Luo Bing He, Shen Qing Qiu sends three leaves towards them. 60 B格 points gets deducted. Shen Qing Qiu is left with 25 B格 points after the attack.

Shen Qing Qiu gains 150 B格 points for changing the story plot and for finding the item, ‘Jia Yu Guan Yin’ (literal translation: ‘Fake Jade Goddess of Compassion’). This item is exactly Luo Bing He’s jade pendant. Shen Qing Qiu keeps the item in his possession. He believes it’s a high level item that can help save his life later when Luo Bing He turns demonic.

The Beginner Stage Quest has come and there’s no option for Shen Qing Qiu to decline it even when he wants to in order to avoid unnecessary trouble. The mission is at Shuang Hu Town. There has been a series of murders involving people being skinned. Shen Qing Qiu has to investigate the murders and find out the truth.

On the way there, Shen Qing Qiu saves himself from losing B格 points the computer system wants to deduct for allowing Luo Bing He to sit in his carriage to Shuang Hu Town. Luo Bing He was the only one going on foot whilst everyone else rode horses. He got enveloped in a cloud of dust from the gallops of Ming Fan and the others’ horses. Ning Ying Ying pointed out to Shen Qing Qiu Luo Bing He was being bullied and she wanted him to do something. Shen Qing Qiu says to the computer system that letting Luo Bing He ride in the carriage with him is within his character. He’s doing it for Ning Ying Ying. Ning Ying Ying is Shen Qing Qiu’s beloved female disciple who he loves dearly and cannot disappoint. Shen Qing Qiu saves himself from losing B格 points on this occasion with that reasoning, but he loses B格 points for smiling. When Luo Bing He gives Shen Qing Qiu a huge smile for the medicine he gives for his wounds, Shen Qing Qiu loses 10 B格 points. The amount of B格 points left after this is 165.

A lord of a household who had lost two concubines to this murderer who skins people tells Shen Qing Qiu its victims tend to be young and beautiful women. Nine others had fallen victim to this murderer.

Ming Fan is instructed to investigate the murders. The findings point to a demon. The demon strikes again. This time it’s going after Ning Ying Ying. Luo Bing He is no match for the dark fog and Ning Ying Ying gets taken away. Luo Bing He frantically informs Shen Qing Qiu. The report of Ning Ying Ying being taken away by the demon has Ming Fan deal Luo Bing He a kick to his body. A fist is at a moment’s contact with Luo Bing He’s person, but Shen Qing Qiu stops it from making contact when he instructs Ming Fan to request help from the lord they had spoken to earlier.

Shen Qing Qiu is pleased with himself for cleverly stopping Ming Fan from punching Luo Bing He without going out of character and losing B格 points. Shen Qing Qiu comes close to losing B格 points in the next moment when Luo Bing He reprimands himself for losing Ning Ying Ying to the demon. Luo Bing He apologises nonstop with kowtowing and says he has no complaints if Shen Qing Qiu wishes to punish him. Luo Bing He knows Ning Ying Ying being taken away by the demon is completely his fault. He only wishes to have Ning Ying Ying back safe and sound. Shen Qing Qiu is sympathetic. In his thoughts, he’s thinking about how he admires Luo Bing He for accepting Ning Ying Ying into his harem. He extends a hand out over Luo Bing He’s head before stopping himself and retracting the gesture. He has them get a move on on the task of finding Ning Ying Ying. Shen Qing Qiu asks Luo Bing He to bring him to where he lost her.

The demonic fog appears as Shen Qing Qiu follows the traces of demonic energy left by it all over town. He orders Luo Bing He to follow him in leaping roofs to track it. Though Shen Qing Qiu finds Luo Bing He’s ability to follow him to be poor when he trails behind him quite some bit, he is impressed by his fast leg work which has him manage to catch up to his location outside a rouge shop.

Figuring out why the trail has stopped outside a rouge shop has Shen Qing Qiu stumped. The computer system allows the option of Easy mode. Accepting it, though, Shen Qing Qiu has to give up 100 B格 points. Shen Qing Qiu accepts it without hesitation. It leads him to the murderer’s den which, to their surprise, is at the residence of the lord they visited when they first arrived at Shuang Hu Town. Shen Qing Qiu immediately asks Luo Bing He to get everyone to come to where they are. There’s no opportunity to alert the others, however. The demon strikes at them and they fall unconscious.

Episode 3

Shen Qing Qiu and Luo Bing He are tied up with a Binding Immortal Cable around poles in a dark room where Ning Ying Ying is also tied up with no ability to utilise their powers to attack or escape. When Shen Qing Qiu wakes up, he finds his B格 points go down to having a total of just 15 points. The 50 B格 points Shen Qing Qiu lost was for being easily knocked out by the demonic fog in front of Luo Bing He. Shen Qing Qiu also finds himself to be the only one stripped to his undergarments with one of his bare shoulders showing. He’s not pleased about it and is rather embarrassed.

The demon reveals itself. She is, Die Er, the concubine of the lord Shen Qing Qiu first met when they arrived at Shuang Hu Town. She isn’t actually Die Er and her appearance isn’t completely Die Er. With her skin pale, ruptures at her skin around the cheeks and a horn at one side of her forehead, she is but a demon wearing Die Er’s skin. The demon changes its appearance after each murder. With the need to take in human vital energy after being impaired from practicing demonic cultivation, the demon has a need to change its skin frequently. With the frequent change of skin, it helps the demon become hard to track when it becomes the victim it just murdered and the victim who it has just murdered is disguised as the previous victim it murdered.

Die Er’s skin is no longer holding up. Shen Qing Qiu unintentionally directs the demon to make him the next victim when he tries to stop the demon from harming Ning Ying Ying with advising it to take the skin of someone with a jin dan (translated ‘golden elixir’). Shen Qing Qiu says someone with a jin dan would end its need to keep looking for new skin. Shen Qing Qiu checks with the computer system if his life is in danger if something goes wrong in the mission. The computer system responds with saying that invincibility is only reserved for the protagonist. He goes to save himself. Shen Qing Qiu throws Luo Bing He into danger with mocking the demon for not being able to see who in the room is actually the best person to be its next victim. He says Luo Bing He was accepted as a disciple of his because there is something redeeming about him. He coaxes the demon by asking it to hit Luo Bing He at the top of his head to test the truth of his words. Shen Qing Qiu desperately hopes the invincibility that’s reserved only for the protagonist will save Luo Bing He in this instance as the demon is skeptical, but heads over to Luo Bing He to try his words out.

Shen Qing Qiu gambles right. Lightening strikes the roof and a roof beam snaps and falls on top of the demon at the moment Luo Bing He is in danger. With the demon down, Shen Qing Qiu attempts to untie himself as he thinks and admits his decision to throw Luo Bing He into danger wasn’t the right thing to do, but he will have an opportunity later to impress Luo Bing He and make up for it. As Shen Qing Qiu continues to struggle to free himself from the rope bound around his wrists, he’s finding the plot device of the perfectly sound roof beam falling from a lightening strike crude. The sight of Luo Bing He freeing himself without effort while he’s still tightly bound also crude. Shen Qing Qiu sees a positive: the case is closed.

There’s just the demon left to deal with before the mission is complete for Shen Qing Qiu. The demon comes back up from under the roof beam. Furious over the trick Shen Qing Qiu played, it fails to notice Luo Bing He being free to move and free to help Shen Qing Qiu. Shen Qing Qiu now free to move, he sends his ‘Eliminate Demon Defence’ attack and catapults it through the building and into a rainbow bridge that crumbles upon impact. The demon is killed.

Luo Bing He isn’t able to completely come out with asking Shen Qing Qiu about putting him in danger. Shen Qing Qiu helps Luo Bing He ask it: “What would I do if the roof beam hadn’t collapsed?” Without answering the question, Shen Qing Qiu asks Luo Bing He if he blames him. Luo Bing He emphatically rejects this. “Sacrificing my life for master is but an honour.” Shen Qing Qiu gives an answer to Luo Bing He’s curiosity towards putting him in danger. “Even if something happens to me nothing will happen to you. This isn’t a lie.”

Shen Qing Qiu completes the Beginner Stage Quest. The computer system provides Shen Qing Qiu his achievements: the protagonist’s satisfaction increases by 50 points due to Ning Ying Ying’s favourable impression rising; he gets 35 B格 points for obtaining the high-level material, ‘Binding Immortal Cable’; and he has full control of Shen Qing Qiu’s character after he unlocks the OOC feature from getting another 200 B格 points for completing the Beginner Stage Quest.

After the quest, Shen Qing Qiu goes to Ling Xi Cave to self-cultivate in seclusion for three years. It’s in preparation for the Immortal Alliance Conference. It’s also in preparation for the future when Luo Bing He becomes demonic. Before Shen Qing Qiu goes into seclusion to self-cultivate, he gives Luo Bing He a new book of cultivation methods. It’s a small gesture to Luo Bing He to compensate for throwing him into danger back at Shuang Hu Town with the demon. Luo Bing He is surprised to receive another book from Shen Qing Qiu when he gave him one already. In Shen Qing Qiu’s mind, he endearingly calls Luo Bing He silly because the book he got given was a fake one. Aloud to Luo Bing He, Shen Qing Qiu explains the new one is customised to his physique.

It’s a bit noisy self-cultivating at Ling Xi Cave for Shen Qing Qiu and he goes looking for the person who’s disturbing him. Shen Qing Qiu finds a jiggling sword embedded into the rocks which he recognises. Looking up, he finds someone hanging upside down in his bloodstained white clothes. Suddenly, he comes down onto Shen Qing Qiu at speed.

Episode 4

The individual initiates a fight which ultimately ends with Shen Qing Qiu coming out fine while the individual is bent over and spewing out blood. The individual says his defeat is only because his ling xi (literal translation: ‘spiritual breath’) is all over the place.

The individual is Liu Qing Ge and he has the strongest fighting strength in all of the twelve peaks of Cang Qiong. Liu Qing Ge is the master of Bai Zhan Peak (literal translation: Hundred War/Battle Peak Peak). Shen Qing Qiu is rather surprised Liu Qing Ge doesn’t have the appearance of a powerful and aggressive man. Liu Qing Ge is yet another pretty boy.

Shen Qing Qiu changes the original story plot of the novel after striking Liu Qing Ge unconscious. The strike Shen Qing Qiu deals Liu Qing Ge is to save him from falling into a trance on hallucinations as he self-cultivated. In the original story plot, Liu Qing Ge gets killed by Shen Qing Qiu when he is self-cultivating. Shen Qing Qiu gathers it’s this time and place at Ling Xi Cave which it happens.

The computer system informs Shen Qing Qiu he has successfully changed the death of Liu Qing Ge. He’s reduced his path to ruins and decreased his hate score. Shen Qing Qiu is awarded B格 points. They go up 200 points.

Shen Qing Qiu feels Liu Qing Ge’s strong fighting strength can help him in the future when his enemies come for him and when Luo Bing He turns demonic. He lets Liu Qing Ge see he wants them to have a better relationship and asks if they can let the past be the past. He wants them to work together and be fine examples to others. Though Liu Qing Ge’s reaction to this is telling Shen Qing Qiu to get lost, he recognises Shen Qing Qiu to have brought him out of his frenzied state when he was self-cultivating.

Completing self-cultivation in seclusion, Shen Qing Qiu feels lighter. He announces his leave to Liu Qing Ge. He receives no response from him. Out of seclusion, Shen Qing Qiu expects the major plot of the novel to come in. Heading out of the cave, Shen Qing Qiu finds a view of Qiong Ding Peak (literal translation: Dome Peak) having a glowing orange of fire from provocation of the demon clan. It signals the incoming entrance of the two female main characters of the novel. Shen Qing Qiu plans to take advantage of this opportunity to ride on Luo Bing He’s status as the protagonist.

Ming Fan and Ning Ying Ying have been chased by demons. After Shen Qing Qiu rids the demons for them, Ming Fan congratulates Shen Qing Qiu on successfully cultivating the powers he now has. Ning Ying Ying has no time to wait for Ming Fan to finish his congratulatory words. She cuts Ming Fan off to urgently request Shen Qing Qiu go help Luo Bing He who’s still holding the demons back as they retreat.

Shen Qing Qiu heads over to Luo Bing He where the demons aren’t happy Luo Bing He has been able to bring down so many of their people and wants to send him off to become a ghost. Luo Bing He shields himself as a demon attacks from up high. Shen Qing Qiu stops the demon’s weapon ready to come down at Luo Bing He with a strike. He tells the demon to go become a ghost themselves because his disciple is a really good disciple.

The immediate danger gone, Shen Qing Qiu expresses to Luo Bing He his disappointment in his lack of improvement. Luo Bing He admits his failure to meet his expectations. Shen Qing Qiu extends to Luo Bing He his sword he lost. The sight of Luo Bing He taking his sword in his usual respectful fashion makes Shen Qing Qiu uncomfortable. He lets out a cough before telling Luo Bing He to not lose his sword again.

Ming Fan and Ning Ying Ying catches up to Shen Qing Qiu. Ming Fan goes to give Shen Qing Qiu a briefing on the current situation. Shen Qing Qiu already knows the situation. The situation at present is that demons have snuck into Qiong Ding Peak and have hurt many of the disciples. They took advantage of a weak point and there’s no way for them to get assistance from other peaks as the demons have cut off the rainbow bridges connecting each of the twelve peaks.

Shen Qing Qiu gets informed about Yue Qing Yuan having gone down the mountain to tend to a situation outside. After this, Shen Qing Qiu orders Luo Bing He, Ming Fan and Ning Ying Ying to gather the scattered disciples and have them all head to the main hall.

At the main hall, the demons have the disciples surrounded. They’re threatening death if they don’t hand over their plaque. With a palm strike, Shen Qing Qiu easily disable two demons who come charging at him.

The time comes for one of the most popular female main characters of the novel to make her appearance. She is Sha Hua Ling, the newly crowned saintess of the demon clan and future concubine in Luo Bing He’s harem who becomes hellbent on loving Luo Bing He that she betrays her demon clan. As she comes through to stand before Shen Qing Qiu, Shen Qing Qiu has his attention on Luo Bing He who looks bewildered by it. Shen Qing Qiu’s attention on Luo Bing He is with the thought of the ill-fated relationship between Luo Bing He and Sha Hua Ling running through his mind.

Shen Qing Qiu asks Sha Hua Ling for an explanation for the hostility coming from her demon clan on their people and their land. Sha Hua Ling says it’s simply a misunderstanding and it’s unintentional. She says hearing the mightiness of the Cang Qiong Mountain sect she and her demon underlings have come to have an exchange so they can all learn from each other. For hurting so many of Cang Qiong Mountain’s disciples, Sha Hua Ling blames her own inexperience in controlling her underlings and asks Shen Qing Qiu to be magnanimous enough to forgive her for her shortcoming.

Shen Qing Qiu knows Sha Hua Ling’s reason for creating chaos and destruction. It’s a cheap way of showing off her power after having just been crowned saintess of the demon clan. Shen Qing Qiu says to Sha Hua Ling he finds it interesting they have come looking for an exchange at a time when their sect leader is away. Sha Hua Ling says she didn’t know their sect leader was away and she asks them to forgive her for this. She does, however, wonder if Cang Qiong Mountain only has their sect leader to depend on for back up. It goes against talk of Cang Qiong Mountain having many talents in their sect.

Shen Qing Qiu quietly has one of the disciples go call Liu Qing Ge over. He continues to try get Sha Hua Ling to come out with the truth. He asks why their rainbow bridges have all been destroyed if they have simply come for an exchange. Sha Hua Ling asks to be forgiven for the unintentional destruction of the rainbow bridges. Her underlings were clumsy; the rainbow bridges were fragile; a couple of steps on them shook them and broke them.

Ming Fan bicker with Sha Hua Ling on who initiated the attack after Sha Hua Ling accuses Cang Qiong Mountain to have started an attack on them as soon as they arrived. Shen Qing Qiu cuts the bickering between Ming Fan and Sha Hua Ling short and lets the fight between the two sides be seen as an exchange with the goal of learning from each other. Shen Qing Qiu asks Sha Hua Ling what she thinks of their sect’s strength. Sha Hua Ling can’t say. What she can say is that her clan is currently at a disadvantage because Cang Qiong Mountain currently has the numbers.

Shen Qing Qiu decides to go according to the original plot and accept the friendly match Sha Hua Ling suggests for them to have to determine who’s side has the greater strength. Each side selects three candidates to participate.

Shen Qing Qiu selects himself to go up first. His match is against a demon called, Du Bi Zhang Lao (literal translation Only Arm Elder). He is big and massive in build with only one arm. His weapon is a large and formidable blade called Gui Tou Dao (literal translation: Ghost Head Blade). With Du Bi Zhang Lao having only one arm, Shen Qing Qiu feels the win won’t be glorious when he has an unfair advantage. Sha Hua Ling suggests cutting an arm off to make the match fair. This crude suggestion from Sha Hua Ling has Shen Qing Qiu find her to have an intolerable personality. He puts it down to her being young and having a personality that is described as an unruly Lolita cuteness. Shen Qing Qiu suggests an alternative to cutting an arm off. He won’t use his hands.

Shen Qing Qiu spends a good amount of time dodging Du Bi Zhang Lao. Dodging is Shen Qing Qiu’s strategy, Ming Fan explains to his fellow disciple who wonder why Shen Qing Qiu isn’t attacking. It’s so Du Bi Zhang Lao will show his weakness and this will come when he begins to get anxious.

Shen Qing Qiu’s dodging tires Du Bi Zhang Lao out. Du Bi Zhang Lao stops attacking for a moment before resuming with charging towards Shen Qing Qiu in a spiralling motion. Shen Qing Qiu brings Du Bi Zhang Lao backwards with the release of his Xiu Ya sword from his fingers. The match is finished and the winner is Shen Qing Qiu when Du Bi Zhang Lao is knocked out by Shen Qing Qiu bringing his Xiu Ya sword high up into the air and releasing a powerful attack down onto Du Bi Zhang Lao.

Gaining his first battle win, Shen Qing Qiu gains 50 B格 points for raising his prestige value by 50 points. Shen Qing Qiu is amazed by how a victorious villain can even obtain B格 points for battle wins. He thinks to go into the next two rounds of this friendly match to get some more experience points and possibly some equipment. A warning from the computer system comes in response to this. Luo Bing He’s satisfaction will reset to zero and this means death for Shen Qing Qiu if this happens.

Episode 5

The computer system requests Shen Qing Qiu to follow what’s set up because the competition is a significant plot showing the beginnings of the two female main characters competing with each other in beauty. It’s also to showcase Luo Bing He’s outstanding talents. Shen Qing Qiu doesn’t see it that way. He feels it’s with the purpose of Shen Qing Qiu wanting to send Luo Bing He to his death. He doesn’t want that when he wants to ride on the invincibility Luo Bing He has as the protagonist.

With not being able to go up to fight in the next rounds himself, Shen Qing Qiu asks who is willing to put their hand up to go into the second match against Sha Hua Ling. No disciples in the main hall is willing. Liu Ming Yan comes flying in and puts her hand up to fight against Sha Hua Ling. Liu Ming Yan, the other female main character, is from Xian Shu Peak (literal translation: Immortal Pretty Girl Peak), is the sister of Liu Qing Ge and is the number one beauty in Cang Qiong Mountain. Liu Ming Yan is a future concubine in Luo Bing He’s harem.

Shen Qing Qiu is excited to see these two female main characters in a battle with each other. However, the battle isn’t what Shen Qing Qiu expected. He’s surprised when the battle between Sha Hua Ling and Liu Ming Yan looks like an elegant dance battle.

Some Cang Qiong Mountain disciples standing near Ming Fan also see it as a dance battle. Ming Fan doesn’t see it as so. He says Sha Hua Ling and Liu Ming Yan are actually in an intense battle with each other. Ming Fan explains that though no contact is made between them, the two are feeling the other’s strength out. In their minds, they’ve already gone onto their forty-fifth move. Dancing hides their spiritual power whilst waiting for a chance to disrupt their opponent’s breath and rhythm. Their movements happens in a blink of an eye and the winner is determined by whether the mind moves or not.

It’s an explanation that makes Shen Qing Qiu almost believe it. Shen Qing Qiu is envious of Luo Bing He as he sees Sha Hua Ling and Liu Ming Yan fight. With this thought going through his mind and his attention on Luo Bing He, Shen Qing Qiu misses seeing how Cang Qiong Mountain loses the second friendly match. He finds Liu Ming Yan face down on the ground with her sword some metres away.

The demon clan’s next opponent for Cang Qiong Mountain is Tian Chui Zhang Lao (literal translation: Sky Hammer Elder). The demon is another formidable one with a large rock hammer and an armour with poisonous spikes. The poisonous spikes injects poison called, ‘No Cure’ which has no antidote for humans. This opponent Sha Hua Ling has chosen for their third match makes Shen Qing Qiu agree with Ming Fan’s view of Sha Hua Ling and her demon clan as being underhanded. Shen Qing Qiu realises a character in a novel and the person in real life are two different things. He wonders why he ever liked such a female main character when Sha Hua Ling suggests for them to admit defeat if they find the competition unfair or is fearful of being poisoned and dying.

Shen Qing Qiu says to Sha Hua Ling he has already chosen the disciple who will go into the match against Tian Chui Zhang Lao and this person will be her nemesis in her life. Sha Hua Ling doesn’t see anyone who is able to be her nemesis when it’s only her who is the nemesis of others. Shen Qing Qiu internally apologises to Luo Bing He for getting him to go up to fight before he calls him to go up to fight Tian Chui Zhang Lao. Ning Ying Ying is unwilling to let Luo Bing He go up. She leaves the main hall in tears when Shen Qing Qiu orders her to let go of Luo Bing He.

Tian Chui Zhang Lao doesn’t see Luo Bing He as an opponent worthy of knowing his name when Luo Bing He introduces himself before the fight. It seems Luo Bing He isn’t a worthy opponent for Tian Chui Zhang Lao when Luo Bing He is initially overpowered by the brute force coming from Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s large size and rock hammer.

Each time Luo Bing He gets battered and goes down, he thinks of Shen Qing Qiu’s ill-treatment and harsh words. When Luo Bing He gets blown many metres away from where he stood from the force created by the strike of Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s rock hammer and a fellow disciple is heard wondering if Shen Qing Qiu sent him up to die, Luo Bing He recalls the time Shen Qing Qiu coaxed the Shuang Hu Town demon to turn its attention on him. Next, Luo Bing He recalls Shen Qing Qiu sipping tea as he watched him being thrashed by a whip. Shen Qing Qiu had said he needed to have a stronger willpower. The recollection enters Luo Bing He’s mind after Tian Chui Zhang Lao sent him rolling and tumbling on the ground with the force of the hammer’s handle thrusted into his stomach. This attack internally injures Luo Bing He. He spits blood out from his mouth and requires support of his sword to keep himself standing. Luo Bing He recalls the time he introduced himself to Shen Qing Qiu and Shen Qing Qiu asked why he needed to know his name. The recollection comes after being struck down by Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s rock hammer for the umpteenth time.

Tian Chui Zhang Lao ultimately wants to know Luo Bing He’s name. It’s because Tian Chui Zhang Lao wants to carve it into his rock hammer as a memento because he’s impressed Luo Bing He is able to constantly get back up to fight him.

For the next brief period, Luo Bing He does a bit better in his fighting. Luo Bing He doesn’t get thrashed or battered by the strikes of Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s rock hammer. He attacks and defends. He manages to get his sword to pierce through a palm that stops inches from Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s eye. This attack is insignificant to Tian Chui Zhang Lao, however. It’s compared to an ant’s bite. Once more, Luo Bing He gets battered. Luo Bing He’s entire body is taken into Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s one hand. Where Luo Bing He gets harshly smacked into the ground, the strength Tian Chui Zhang Lao put into throwing Luo Bing He down onto the ground brings him to rebound back up and traverse in midair. Luo Bing He spits out blood again from the internal injury he sustains from the attack. Managing to keep himself upright, Luo Bing He comes face-to-face with another strike of the hammer. It flings him into the air and he traverses backwards.

Luo Bing He questions his chances of survival as he looks ahead where Tian Chui Zhang Lao walks towards him with his hammer. Tian Chui Zhang Lao tells Luo Bing He to blame his bad fate for what’s to come. What’s to come is not how Tian Chui Zhang Lao sees it.

Shen Qing Qiu calls to Luo Bing He to continue fighting. A few hundred years behind in skill shouldn’t see him on his knees and begging for his life. He says to stand up if his bones haven’t all broken yet as he has placed the reputation of his Xiu Ya Sword on him and Cang Qiong’s reputation is at stake. These words has Luo Bing He wonder if Shen Qing Qiu truly believes he has the ability to defeat Tian Chui Zhang Lao who has a few hundred years in skill over him.

Luo Bing He continues fighting. He remembers the technique he learnt from the book Shen Qing Qiu gave him before he went into seclusion to self-cultivate. Luo Bing He brings out a talisman and calls upon the spell, Tian Gang* Jiang Mo Zhou (literal translation: heavenly strength descend devil’s curse). He sends an array of attacks towards Tian Chui Zhang Lao. Tian Chui Zhang Lao trips and falls face down. Luo Bing He apologises to Tian Chui Zhang Lao before he pulls his sword out which is still lodged in his hand. Tian Chui Zhang Lao groans in pain this time. Luo Bing He doesn’t give Tian Chui Zhang Lao much time to get away from the electrifying power coming from his sword he brings down onto him.

Evenly-matched in fighting, Tian Chui Zhang Lao sees Luo Bing He’s ability to match him as an illusion brought upon by a few words concocted by Shen Qing Qiu. Luo Bing He’s sword meets Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s hammer. At this time, Luo Bing He wonders if those words Tian Chui Zhang Lao said is with the meaning of Shen Qing Qiu lying to him.

Luo Bing He recalls the time Shen Qing Qiu returned a smile after giving him medicine for his wounds during the time they travelled to Shuang Hu Town in Shen Qing Qiu’s carriage. He also recalls the book of techniques Shen Qing Qiu gave before he went into seclusion to self-cultivate. He recalls the brief conversation they had just before this friendly match where Shen Qing Qiu expressed his disappointment in him for not progressing very much before telling him to not lose his sword again. He also recalls Shen Qing Qiu telling him he will be fine even if he, himself, dies.

As Luo Bing He recalls all these moments, he’s striking his sword at Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s hammer. He comes to be disappointed in himself for not having seen Shen Qing Qiu as someone who got him back up every time he was down and is someone who believed in him and placed everything on the line because he believed in him.

Luo Bing He’s sword breaks from the force of his strikes on Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s hammer. Tian Chui Zhang Lao takes the opportunity to strike at Luo Bing He with his hammer when Luo Bing He looks to Shen Qing Qiu after breaking his sword. Luo Bing He stops the close proximity attack with a stab of his broken sword into the head of Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s hammer. He spits out blood again. It’s the last attack Tian Chui Zhang Lao makes on Luo Bing He that has impact. With the determination Luo Bing He has to bring Tian Chui Zhang Lao down, Tian Chui Zhang Lao is left with only the handle of his rock hammer to fight Luo Bing He when Luo Bing He detaches the rock from Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s rock hammer with the strength he put into pulling his sword out.

Tian Chui Zhang Lao is defeated by Luo Bing He with a cut of his horn, a stab at his leg before an array of talisman attacks that bring him falling down to the ground and staying down on the ground. Luo Bing He’s fellow Cang Qiong Mountain disciples praise Luo Bing He for a great fight. After gaining an approving nod and smile from Shen Qing Qiu, Luo Bing He raises a fist up into the air in victory. His fellow Cang Qiong Mountain disciples (which includes Ming Fan who stops for a moment as he thinks over giving praise towards his enemy) mirrors Luo Bing He’s fist up into the air in victory and chants ‘Cang Qiong’.

The computer system notifies Shen Qing Qiu an increase of 500 points on Luo Bing He’s satisfaction level. This is for Luo Bing He becoming a known name by everyone as well as Luo Bing He gaining the attention of Liu Ming Yan and Sha Hua Ling. Shen Qing Qiu isn’t particularly impressed with the mere 500 points gained when violating rules had been a deduction of 1000 points.

Luo Bing He and Sha Hua Ling have their first interaction with each other with eye contact that makes Sha Hua Ling look away immediately. Sha Hua Ling turns her attention to punishing Tian Chui Zhang Lao with a kick to express her disappointment in him being defeated by Luo Bing He. Though she finds Luo Bing He young and talented, he is a disciple of younger generation and Tian Chui Zhang Lao got defeated. She directs Tian Chui Zhang Lao to carry out what he knows to carry out after being defeated. What Tian Chui Zhang Lao does is pull out Luo Bing He’s sword from his calf and charges towards Luo Bing He with it.

Shen Qing Qiu feels he has been tricked again following his move of stepping in front of Luo Bing He to protect him from Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s sneak attack. Shen Qing Qiu becomes poisoned by Tian Chui Zhang Lao’s poisonous spikes when a pierce of his sword into the body doesn’t stop Tian Chui Zhang Lao from advancing towards him and he uses a palm strike into the poisonous spike armour to stop Tian Chui Zhang Lao from continuing his advance towards him.

Tian Chui Zhang Lao is pleased with the outcome. He’s pleased he’s taking Shen Qing Qiu to the grave along with him. While Luo Bing He is concerned and goes to Tian Chui Zhang Lao with a pierce of his sword into his chest and demands him to bring out the antidote, Shen Qing Qiu isn’t concerned. Shen Qing Qiu believes the poison has no effect on him because he isn’t considered a mere mortal. He’s cultivated to gain a mid-level jin dan. Sha Hua Ling isn’t sure whether Shen Qing Qiu is a mortal or not; however, she asks him to strike at her with his poisoned hand as a way to see if he has been poisoned. Shen Qing Qiu agrees to give it a go even after having already tried to form a palm strike out of sight and realising the poison has an effect on him.

*Tian Gang is one of 36 heavenly spirits in the 108 Stars of Destiny in the 14th Chinese classical novel, Water Margins by Shi Nai’an.

Episode 6

Shen Qing Qiu hopes that as Sha Hua Ling isn’t immediately making a move to test him on whether he’s been poisoned or not, it means she’s probably wavering and is going to be scared off. What’s going through Sha Hua Ling’s mind is her working out if Shen Qing Qiu has been poisoned and is just bluffing. Shen Qing Qiu lucks out on Sha Hua Ling being scared off when she feels getting rid of the Cang Qiong sect in one go is too great of an opportunity to pass up.

Sha Hua Ling charges towards Shen Qing Qiu. Luo Bing He goes to shield Shen Qing Qiu, but Shen Qing Qiu pushes him out of harm’s way. Shen Qing Qiu wonders why he did that when Luo Bing He has the power of invincibility as the protagonist. He releases a palm strike that is surprisingly powerful. It flings Sha Hua Ling backwards and brings her to tumble and roll on the ground uncontrollably before she stands up and composes herself after failing the attack.

The powerful palm strike was but released from Liu Qing Ge who’s power transferred into Shen Qing Qiu. With a strong fighter as Liu Qing Ge present now, Sha Hua Ling sees it as time to flee. Liu Qing Ge doesn’t allow her to flee without letting her understand that coming and going as they pleased doesn’t come without retaliation. He sends a mammoth attack on Sha Hua Ling with his sword. Sha Hua Ling forms a shield to protect herself from the force, but the force is too strong and she isn’t able to sustain the shield. The force pushes her down a rock face where she clings onto a rock her hand finds. She scuttles away after finding Luo Bing He’s gaze on her.

Luo Bing He worries Shen Qing Qiu isn’t doing well with poison inside him when he sees him swaying and eyes closed. Shen Qing Qiu isn’t doing well, but he says to Luo Bing He he’s fine and lets him know that as long as he’s not hurt it’s fine. Shen Qing Qiu loses strength. Liu Qing Ge brings Shen Qing Qiu to sit down. He transfers spiritual power through his back. This is Liu Qing Ge paying Shen Qing Qiu back for saving him at Ling Xi Cave. Shen Qing Qiu tells Luo Bing He he completely believed he’d win his match against Tian Chui Zhang Lao. Before Shen Qing Qiu falls unconscious, the computer system informs he’s gained 50 B格 points for increasing his role complexity, philosophical depth and character suspense levels.

Shen Qing Qiu has been asleep for many days before he wakes up. Ming Fan is relieved to the point of tears. Luo Bing He who stands by the entrance gets told off by Ming Fan for being an eyesore since he’s someone who always makes Shen Qing Qiu annoyed with his presence before blaming him for causing Shen Qing Qiu to be in the state he’s in. He threatens to break his legs if he doesn’t leave. Ming Fan serves Shen Qing Qiu tea before he takes his leave to go inform Yue Qing Yuan and Mu Qing Fang, the master of Qian Cao Peak (literal translation: Thousand Herbs Peak) of Shen Qing Qiu being finally awake.

Shen Qing Qiu invites Luo Bing He into the room to allow him to say what he has on his mind. Luo Bing He kneels and kowtows before him to apologise for misunderstanding him as someone who doesn’t care about him. He says he had the misunderstanding right up until his fight with Tian Chui Zhang Lao. It’s during the fight he finally understood the effort he has put towards him.

Shen Qing Qiu is amazed with the understanding Luo Bing He has of the efforts the original Shen Qing Qiu made towards him. The original Shen Qing Qiu not only not cared about him, he looked forward to his death. Aloud to Luo Bing He, Shen Qing Qiu says he’s glad he has understood. Luo Bing He amazes Shen Qing Qiu with his extremely pure nature when Luo Bing He says he will now only obey his orders.

Shen Qing Qiu doesn’t need to eat after fasting; however, he doesn’t want to waste the protagonist’s kindness. He accepts Luo Bing He’s considerate offer of making him congee. With Luo Bing He making a fresh batch every two hours, Luo Bing He soon returns into the room with a bowl of congee. Shen Qing Qiu revels in the taste of the congee Luo Bing He made which is tastier than the vegetable dishes he’s been getting from morning to night thus far.

Luo Bing He makes Shen Qing Qiu choke on the congee when he hears Luo Bing He say he can make different things for him every day if he likes it. It’s a line Luo Bing He reserves for when he accepts a concubine into his harem. Being on the receiving end of this line reserved for the concubines is an uncomfortable thing for Shen Qing Qiu. Shen Qing Qiu’s reaction makes Luo Bing He think he doesn’t like the idea. Shen Qing Qiu says he does. He satisfies Luo Bing He with saying his meals will from now on be taken care of by him.

Luo Bing He gone from the room, Shen Qing Qiu checks with the computer on whether he must go through the Endless Abyss plot. It’s a plot Shen Qing Qiu must go through. Not doing so will cause a deduction of 10,000 B格 points because it’s a plot that starts up the Betrayer plot. If the plot doesn’t come about, the protagonist’s satisfaction level will be immensely affected.

Mu Qing Fang and Yue Qing Yuan come to see Shen Qing Qiu. Mu Qing Fang says the effects of the poison can’t be cured, but it can be suppressed with taking the four medicines he’s prescribed. He also needs to get someone with high spiritual power to help him with his spiritual power flow. Mu Qing Fang notes that he will have times when his spiritual power will not flow which isn’t a good thing to have happen if he meets an adversary.

Liu Qing Ge finds Shen Qing Qiu’s actions unlike himself. Saving him in Ling Xi Cave is an unthinkable act of Shen Qing Qiu’s. Shen Qing Qiu saving Luo Bing He who is a nobody which almost cost his own life is another. There’s also Shen Qing Qiu’s calm reaction to being poisoned which has damaged his spiritual power. It’s unlike the mess of a person Shen Qing Qiu would be if he was his usual self. Shen Qing Qiu only responds to Liu Qing Ge’s opinion of Luo Bing He being a nobody. Luo Bing He will be someone in the future. Liu Qing Ge doesn’t see Luo Bing He to have anything that’s not seen in others and someone becoming exceptional is extremely rare. Shen Qing Qiu says Luo Bing He will be someone who will go places and asks Liu Qing Ge to give him some guidance when he gets the chance.

Shen Qing Qiu wonders if there’s a system bug when he gets pulled into Luo Bing He’s dream which Sha Hua Ling initiated to get closer to Luo Bing He. It’s the Nightmare Boundary plot of the novel where Ning Ying Ying originally gets pulled into Luo Bing He’s dream. She helps Luo Bing He untie the knot in his heart and uses love to win over his inner demons. However, Shen Qing Qiu gets pulled into the dream because he’s become the most trusted person to Luo Bing He instead of Ning Ying Ying who was Luo Bing He’s most trusted person in the original novel.

The computer system says everything is functioning as normal. Shen Qing Qiu doesn’t wish to go through the plot and be the one blocking the sword for Luo Bing He again. The computer system says if he doesn’t want 1000 satisfaction points deducted he must proceed.

Shen Qing Qiu asks Luo Bing He to prepare himself as the creator of the dreamland controls it by going after a person’s weakest point. The foggy environment Shen Qing Qiu and Luo Bing He stands in makes way to a scene of where Luo Bing He used to live. Luo Bing He finds the environment bizarre when there’s no sound. People are also without faces. Shen Qing Qiu explains inanimate objects like houses and trees can be created, but not living people so people are faceless. The creator of the dreamland is someone in the demon clan with the highest skill level. The demon is known as Nightmare. He is someone whose body was destroyed a few hundred years ago in a heavenly tribulation, but his primordial spirit is strong and wasn’t damaged. Nightmare survives through the vitality of a person and absorbing their spiritual power inside their dreams.

Episode 7

Luo Bing He spots someone with a face. Going after this person, it leads Shen Qing Qiu and Luo Bing He to find three guys stomping on someone who has angered them for stealing their jobs away from them. Shen Qing Qiu says to Luo Bing He it’s an illusion which has manifested from his memories. He stops Luo Bing He from approaching them. The consequence of making contact with them is going deeper into the dream. Luo Bing He isn’t able to stop himself from making contact with them when he finds that the person being stomped on is his younger self. Luo Bing He strikes at one of the guys. The strike only reflects back onto Luo Bing He and he gets flung backwards and he clutches his stomach from his rebounded attack. Shen Qing Qiu says attacking them is attacking himself because those he attacks are his consciousness. The consequence of him getting hurt is them both not being able to wake up anymore.

Another illusion comes. Shen Qing Qiu says to Luo Bing He to turn a blind eye no matter what he sees, reiterating to him to not make contact with anything in the illusion.

The next illusion is Luo Bing He seeing his bedridden mother in a small dwelling asking if he’s returned. He sees the illusion of his younger self saying to his mother she should be resting instead of getting up. His mother just wanted to get up to go wash some clothes after resting for so long. The illusion of his younger self says she doesn’t need to because he’s already done all the chores. Luo Bing He mirrors the illusion of his younger self in asking his mother what she wanted to eat. He’ll make it for her. She’d like to have the porridge the young master threw out. The illusion of his younger self goes out to find it.

Luo Bing He and Shen Qing Qiu moves onto another illusion when Luo Bing He responds to the illusion of his mother expressing her wish to see him grow up and he responded with saying he has grown up and makes contact with her with holding her hand.

The next illusion is Luo Bing He seeing the illusion of his younger self being beaten up by his young masters for taking the porridge from their family kitchen without permission. Shen Qing Qiu manages to stop Luo Bing He from charging towards the illusion and snapping him out of his anger with saying he isn’t a kid who others bully anymore.

Another illusion very quickly presents itself to Luo Bing He and Shen Qing Qiu. A bowl of porridge is dropped and the illusion of Luo Bing He’s younger self calls to his mother over and over to wake up. Luo Bing He shatters the illusion with an explosion of spiritual power from his person after the jade pendant in his mother’s hand comes into view.

A powerful energy throws Shen Qing Qiu to the ground while Luo Bing He manages to shield himself from it. The dream goes out of control when Luo Bing He is confronted with the illusion of Ming Fan and his followers taunting him with their possession of his mother’s jade pendant.

Wanting the jade pendant back, wanting his mother back and wanting to know why everyone looks down on him, Luo Bing He becomes uncontrollable. Shen Qing Qiu finds his hands glitching as Luo Bing He charges at the illusion of Ming Fan and his followers over and over again. Shen Qing Qiu urgently looks for a solution to stop Luo Bing He from continuing to charge and strike at the illusion. He comes up with throwing his body in front of Luo Bing He’s strike.

The illusion shatter. The dream moves Shen Qing Qiu and Luo Bing He to waking up in Shen Qing Qiu’s room. Luo Bing He is beating himself for hurting Shen Qing Qiu again. He asks Shen Qing Qiu why he stepped in front of that strike. Shen Qing Qiu doesn’t know why he put himself in harm’s way again for the protagonist. Speaking to Luo Bing He, he says there doesn’t need to be a reason for why a master saves his disciple. Luo Bing He says he’d rather that he died himself. He asks Shen Qing Qiu why he treats him so well. Shen Qing Qiu says he’s stronger and being hit a few more times isn’t a problem.

As Shen Qing Qiu watches Luo Bing He continue to beat himself up over the matter, he thinks how good it would be that Luo Bing He continues to be naïve and innocent as he is now.

Shen Qing Qiu says to Luo Bing He he doesn’t blame him. It’s hard to guard against the demon clan who uses despicable methods. He pulls Luo Bing He up from the ground and tells him he just needs to practice more to be stronger so that he won’t fall into their schemes. After Luo Bing He says he knows to never let such things happen again, Shen Qing Qiu tells him to not take what he just said to heart. That’s because he will protect him even if he can’t become stronger.

Shen Qing Qiu goes into a dream within a dream as Luo Bing He returns to the foggy environment where Nightmare presents himself to Luo Bing He. Nightmare is impressed by Luo Bing He’s ability to break through his borders. He tries to get Luo Bing He to see Shen Qing Qiu in a bad light with reminding him of the ill-treatment he received from him. Nightmare gives the example of Shen Qing Qiu sending him up to fight Tian Chui Zhang Lao when he wasn’t strong enough. Luo Bing He says the reputation of Cang Qiong was on the line and Shen Qing Qiu believed in him. He also brought him back up when he was down which brought him to win the fight against Tian Chui Zhang Lao.

Nightmare finds Luo Bing He’s thinking stubbornly outdated. He finds the human world’s view of ‘the correct path’ hypocritical moral integrity. He says that all who bullies him or harms him gets killed. Luo Bing He moves to protect Shen Qing Qiu’s unconscious body from the charging black fog that is Nightmare. Nightmare reveals his form. Luo Bing He respectfully requests Nightmare to not harm his master. He relaxes when Nightmare says he doesn’t have the intention to harm Shen Qing Qiu.

Nightmare charges at Luo Bing He and enters into him to take a look at his mental state. He finds there’s something odd about Luo Bing He’s mental state and he’s harbouring something. He’s surprised to find Luo Bing He’s mental state is so bleak and desolate at such a young age. He finds a tree with a scattering of purple flowers in the bleakness which he sees is Luo Bing He’s primordial spirit embodiment. From the sight of this tree, Nightmare sees Luo Bing He to have a weak state of mind. It’s something he will train after he can figure out what it is that Luo Bing He harbours.

Nightmare gets forced out of Luo Bing He’s state of mind by a strike from a fiery orange energy. Nightmare recognises the energy to be from the demon clan. He is surprised to find that the Demon clan has a talent like Luo Bing He because even he, himself, couldn’t predict he had a seal on him.

Luo Bing He is surprised the seal is something belonging to the demon clan. The demon clan is a clan Luo Bing He doesn’t want to have any connection with because the demon clan do all sorts of evil things and they’ve harmed his master many times. He wishes to remove it. The seal on Luo Bing He is something Nightmare cannot remove. However, he has a way to suppress it. The way to do this is through demon cultivation. This is something Luo Bing He isn’t willing to do. Nightmare tries to persuade Luo Bing He to practice demon cultivation. He says that practicing demon cultivation along with whatever it is that he has inside him are beneficial to him in the way that he can rule the three realms. Being the ruler of the three realms means he can protect his master with everyone under him.

Luo Bing He wants to be able to protect Shen Qing Qiu. However, he rejects practicing demon cultivation because he feels Shen Qing Qiu won’t want him to practice it. Nightmare continues to get Luo Bing He to agree to the idea of practicing demon cultivation. He scares him with the thought of Shen Qing Qiu rejecting him when his seal breaks and reveals the demon aura that’s inside him.

Luo Bing He is suddenly curious to know why Nightmare is pressuring him to practice demon cultivation. Nightmare says it’s an opportunity for him to inherit his abilities which is something that is hard to come by. Luo Bing He sees it otherwise. As Nightmare lives inside dreams and goes from host to host, he sees that Nightmare is needing a long term host to conserve energy and stabilise his primordial spirit because his primordial spirit declines with each host he moves onto. Nightmare admits Luo Bing He has gotten him right. However, it isn’t vital he uses him as his host. Nightmare is curious to know if Luo Bing He will choose to miss out on the huge opportunity he presented to him. Giving Luo Bing He a bit more persuasion to come to the idea of practicing demon cultivation, Nightmare says he still has the ability to have him and his master’s primordial spirit trapped in the dream world since it’s still an easy thing for him to do. Nightmare gives Luo Bing He a few days to think about it.

Episode 8

Shen Qing Qiu goes to the bucket at the side of his bed to vomit after he wakes up from his nightmare where he’s in an pickling earthen jar and the demonic Luo Bing He saying to him he will pay him back for all the ill-treatment he has received from him in the past.

The computer system congratulates Shen Qing Qiu on successfully completing the Nightmare Borders plot. He gains 500 B各 points. Shen Qing Qiu complains to the computer system for the measly 500 B格 points which is far short of the 1000 satisfaction points deduction if he didn’t go through the plot. He also wants points for completing the extra plot of ‘Dreams within Dreams’. None of the complaints gets an answer when Luo Bing He comes running in. Shen Qing Qiu quickly goes back into character. He feigns lightheadedness and sits back on the bed with hand over forehead.

Luo Bing He asks Shen Qing Qiu how he is. Shen Qing Qiu frightens himself. He stands up and turns away from Luo Bing He when he hears the words spoken in the way the demonic Luo Bing He speaks it and he sees the face of the demonic Luo Bing He in the currently innocent and pure Luo Bing He before him. Shen Qing Qiu answers he’s fine before he asks Luo Bing He if Nightmare had given him a hard time. Luo Bing He lies. He says he was ejected from the dream when Nightmare’s spiritual power couldn’t sustain the dream anymore. Shen Qing Qiu knows this is a lie. He’s read the novel. He checks Luo Bing He’s pulse for traces of Nightmare. Nightmare’s powers of a few hundred years lives up to expectation. Shen Qing Qiu doesn’t find any.

Shen Qing Qiu suggests for Luo Bing He to head back to sleep with it still being night. Before Luo Bing He leaves, Shen Qing Qiu asks Luo Bing He to go see Mu Qing Fang tomorrow to make sure there isn’t anything he missed detecting. This cautiousness from Shen Qing Qiu seems to bring Luo Bing He to recall Nightmare’s want for him to practice demon cultivation. Luo Bing He asks Shen Qing Qiu if the demon clan is pure evil and should be annihilated. Shen Qing Qiu says that the demon clan is always seen as harming the humans. However, Shen Qing Qiu says there are humans harming demons in this world as well. There are good and bad humans. Demons also have good and bad as well. Luo Bing He asks Shen Qing Qiu if it’s saying that demons aren’t necessarily evil doers who are unforgivable. Shen Qing Qiu only responds with a question asking who gets to decide who is forgivable and who isn’t. He indicates demons are forgivable since they exist in the world.

Shen Qing Qiu makes sure Luo Bing He doesn’t take to heart anything he says in the future. He asks Luo Bing He to just hear whatever he says in the future and that’s it. However, he must remember what he tells him now: there is nothing in this world that’s unforgivable. While Shen Qing Qiu’s words has Luo Bing He find confidence to practice demon cultivation and protect him with it, Shen Qing Qiu hopes Luo Bing He remembers these words and not hold a grudge when he pushes him down the endless abyss.

Luo Bing He’s question now answered, Shen Qing Qiu suggest to Luo Bing He to go to sleep. Luo Bing He doesn’t plan to sleep. He plans to begin making Shen Qing Qiu’s breakfast. Shen Qing Qiu finds cooking in the middle of the night ridiculous. He says to Luo Bing He to go to sleep. He also orders Luo Bing He to not sleep in the firewood storage shed anymore. To make it more convenient for Luo Bing He to do things such as making breakfast, cleaning the house and other chores, Shen Qing Qiu asks Luo Bing He to move into the room in the bamboo hut at his place from tomorrow. Luo Bing He hugs Shen Qing Qiu’s waist from happiness. Shen Qing Qiu says he’s not acting appropriately for his age. Luo Bing He apologises for going overboard before taking his leave. The computer system informs Shen Qing Qiu he has raised the protagonist’s satisfaction points by 50 points for making Luo Bing He happy.

Nightmare visits Luo Bing He in his dreams. Luo Bing He agrees to practice demon cultivation only if Nightmare agrees to not have him call him his master without Shen Qing Qiu’s permission. Nightmare had wanted Luo Bing He to call him master before Luo Bing He spoke the condition, but he fulfils Luo Bing He’s request.

Luo Bing He practices immortal cultivation and demon cultivation. When not training, he gives little for Ming Fan to do when he sees to all of Shen Qing Qiu’s needs. He also heads to Waizhou to see some issue there for a period of time before returning.

The Immortal Alliance Conference comes around. Masters of the twelve peaks of Cang Qiong select disciples to go into Jue Di Valley (literal translation: Dead End Valley) in a point ranking system competition of defeating monsters. For Shen Qing Qiu, the moment has come for the Endless Abyss plot of the novel to come in. To give him as much chance as possible to make sure his fate in the novel doesn’t eventuate after carrying out the unavoidable act of kicking Luo Bing He down the endless abyss, Shen Qing Qiu asks Luo Bing He if he wants to be in a position where he’s incomparably strong where no one dares to fight him. When Luo Bing He says he definitely wants to become incomparably strong, Shen Qing Qiu asks if he’s okay with needing to suffer a great deal of pain and torment, and experience countless hardships where his body and mind is about to breakdown before he’s powerful and strong. Luo Bing He isn’t fearful of suffering or going through hardships. He just wants to be strong enough to protect the person most important to him. Hearing this, Shen Qing Qiu decides he will kick Luo Bing He down the endless abyss.

Shen Qing Qiu heads to the Immortal Alliance Conference in a carriage he shares with Qi Qing Qi of Xian Shu Peak. Qi Qing Qi finds Shen Qing Qiu taking a carriage to the Immortal Alliance Conference pampered, spoiled and unbecoming of a guy and not looking like someone with a jin dan. Shen Qing Qiu says he’s a patient. Qi Qing Qi says he should be riding a horse to the Immortal Alliance Conference of which even Liu Ming Yan, a girl, is doing.

At the mention of Liu Ming Yan, Shen Qing Qiu wants to take a look at her. He looks out the window. Spotting her, he finds she has become prettier and prettier. Looking out his window to see her a second time, he sees Luo Bing He riding next to her. He’s impressed by how much Luo Bing He has grown up. Luo Bing He is secretly dating without any need for his help.

Luo Bing He isn’t dating Liu Ming Yan in secret, however. Luo Bing He left his position outside Shen Qing Qiu’s carriage and called to Liu Ming Yan after he heard Shen Qing Qiu praising her on her beauty. Luo Bing He wanted to check Liu Ming Yan out to see what it is about her that made her such an outstanding disciple to Shen Qing Qiu.

Luo Bing He remains silent until Liu Ming Yan asks him if he called out to her because he had something to say. Luo Bing He gets her to look at the mountain scenery before them. He says it’s charming and a rare view. It’s unlike the twelve peaks of Cang Qiong. After Liu Ming Yan agrees and goes to take in the view, Luo Bing He leaves her to enjoy the view herself. He surprises Shen Qing Qiu with returning to his position outside the carriage alone.

At the Immortal Alliance Conference, as the disciples are given information about the conference by another one of Luo Bing He’s future concubine, a couple female disciples has their attention on a fellow disciple in the vicinity of where Luo Bing He, Ming Fan and two other male disciples stands. They find him very handsome with the white outfit on him suiting him very well and he doesn’t pale in comparison to someone they call Gong Yi Xiao. Their attention is on Luo Bing He.

In the fighting grounds, Gong Yi Xiao helps Luo Bing He eliminate a monster from behind after Luo Bing He helps eliminate a monster that came for an injured female disciple and her sister who stood to stop it coming towards them.

Episode 9

Luo Bing He wonders how he’ll be able to keep his promise to Shen Qing Qiu of being first in the rankings when he’s going at a slow pace due to the group of disciples from another peak that he has with him. They complain about being hungry and legs hurting. He wonders how these spoiled and pampered disciples got enrolled into the conference.

Luo Bing He is forced to slow down even more when, though not obligated to continue protecting them, he agrees to their request to stop walking and take a rest. One of the female disciples in the group finds Luo Bing He gentle and cultivated and has an air of a noble character of the Xiu Ya sword. This has Luo Bing He thinking about wanting to do Shen Qing Qiu proud.

The masters of the disciples place bets on the disciple they think will be on top. Shen Qing Qiu of course places his bet on Luo Bing He. Watching Luo Bing He’s progress through a crystal screen, he is able to see two more females who will become part of Luo Bing He’s harem in the future. They are a pair of sisters, Qing Wan Yue and Qin Wan Rong—the two females Luo Bing He saved (in Episode 8).

An elderly man in gold attire known as Old Palace Master of Huan Hua Palace sees Luo Bing He’s image on the crystal screen. He finds Luo Bing He to be very similar to someone he has in his mind.

Over where Gong Yi Xiao is, he fights monsters alone. Over where Liu Ming Yan is, she has a group of disciples with her. She does the fighting for her group. Liu Ming Yan realises something is not right when she finds one of the disciples in her group being poisoned by the poison, ‘No Cure’. She releases a distress call with fireworks into the air, notifying the masters outside of a problem inside the fighting grounds. Gong Yi Xiao notices something isn’t quite right as well when he comes across a pure-blooded moon devouring ravine python which he knows shouldn’t be in the fighting grounds. The masters are aware of the situation down on the fighting grounds. Checking one of the barriers which seals the fighting grounds from the rest of the land they detect nothing. However, they see the unknown monster and the distressing situation down on the fighting grounds through the crystal screen.

A spirit hawk used to survey and record what’s happening down on the fighting grounds falls dead from the sky where Liu Ming Yan and her group are. Liu Ming Yan and her group are attacked by poisonous strikes.

Over at Luo Bing He’s, Luo Bing He sees the distress call. With his fellow disciples relaxing on rocks by the water, he urgently calls for them all to get out of the water to safety. The group is taking time to get out of the water as they’re cautiously jumping from rock to rock to head out of the water and back to safety. They begin running when something strange moves in the water. Eel-like beings with triple sets of teeth come up from the water. They take in unlucky disciples. Luo Bing He calls upon ‘Zheng Xin Yan Hui Yang Ling’ (literal translation: Upright Heart Flame Revolve Raise Spirit) to save some disciples from the monsters.

Qi Wan Rong has trouble finding a way out of the water. Her sister, Qi Wan Yue, is on the rocks directly above Qi Wan Rong. Unlike her sister and the others, she has been on safe grounds, on rocks high above the water where Luo Bing He situates. She calls to Qi Wan Rong to reach up and take her hand. Qi Wan Yue is quite a way up and Qi Wan Rong has trouble reaching Qi Wan Yue’s hand. They manage to grab each other’s hand. However, devastatingly, Qi Wan Yue watches her sister being taken in by the monster’s terrifying mouth and teeth and she disappears down into the water along with the monster.

Qi Wan Yue wants to save her sister. She goes to leap off the rocks, but Luo Bing He stops her. The monster comes up out of the water. With the close proximity to the monster, Luo Bing He recognises it to be a seven star candle dragon. Immediately, he asks Qi Wan Yue to hide then takes care of the monster with strikes of his sword all around the monster’s lengthy body before dealing it a final strike which beheads it.

The disciples’ masters and seniors wonder how to get them out of the now dangerous fighting grounds. Some suggest opening up the barriers. However, Yue Qing Yuan says they mustn’t open the barriers. Shen Qing Qiu agree. The monsters in there will be released and the people who aren’t immortal cultivators will be in danger. Liu Qing Ge agrees with such reasoning. There is a way to save the disciples. Liu Qing Ge says that though the disciples can’t come out, they can go in. Shen Qing Qiu requests everyone to join them in entering the fighting grounds and eliminate the monsters to save their disciples. All agree.

Episode 10

Shen Qing Qiu will head in. Yue Qing Yuan, however, suggests he stay and let him and his fellow masters take care of the safety of their disciples. Yue Qing Yuan says a pampered kid shouldn’t try to be brave. Unknown to these characters, Shen Qing Qiu is the key character to this plot. Shen Qing Qiu says he must head in. The story can’t continue if he doesn’t show up. Explaining aloud to his fellow masters, Shen Qing Qiu says he must go in because there isn’t a master who calmly sits when their disciples are in trouble. If he can’t protect his disciples, he also shouldn’t be the master of Qing Jing Peak.

These words brings about a positive image in Shen Qing Qiu’s character which has given depth in Shen Qing Qiu’s villain character personality. The computer system informs Shen Qing Qiu he has gained 30 B格 points. The announcement from the computer system has Shen Qing Qiu see it as giving him a reward before his death.

They all prepare to head into the battleground on their swords. Flying on a sword is Shen Qing Qiu’s first time doing so. It’s an uncomfortable ride that has him vomiting and going on foot while the other masters continue on on their swords.

Attacks from a magical beast have Liu Ming Yan and her group sitting ducks behind rocks. One disciple find it too much to bear. He runs from cover and into plain open view where he gets struck down by the beast. Liu Ming Yan feels they are too spread out. They need to come together into one group and situate themselves behind the beast. She comes up with using fireworks as a way for them to move them there. Throwing the fireworks onto the ground and creating a cloud of dust to lessen visibility of them, they begin moving. Liu Ming Yan and the disciples create a barrier to help shield them from the beast’s attacks. Liu Ming Yan orders everyone to continue moving whilst she, alone, covers for them. She joins them after a while and forms a barrier again to shield them from the attacks.

Over at where Gong Yi Xiao is, he’s unable to shake off the moon devouring ravine python. He’s used up half of the thousand talismans that was meant to be used over seven days. A moment after Gong Yi Xiao decides it’s not wise to keep facing the monster head on, he goes head on with the monster. Gong Yi Xiao utilises his talismans again when the monster head for people screaming for help. The monster pursues Gong Yi Xiao through a path between rock faces. Gong Yi Xiao sends more attacks at the monster with his talismans. The monster becomes buried under rocks. Finding no movement from the monster, Gong Yi Xiao begins saying a thought to himself but halts when the monster comes through the rocks and comes charging forward. He scuttles backwards on the ground as it towers over him. He’s saved when the monster’s attention follows the fiery light going overhead. Gong Yi Xiao breathes a sigh of relief.

Back over where Liu Ming Yan and her group are, they spot a large group of disciples from Huan Hua Palace. The disciples call out to the Huan Hua Palace disciples for help. One notice the call for help and thinks they should go to their aid, but another find their survival not their problem. The group resume past. They believe their master has opened up the barrier and are waiting for them to come out.

Liu Ming Yan orders everyone to extinguish the fire that they have lit after the ground suddenly shakes. The shake is the movement of monsters moving towards one heading in the distance.

Over where Luo Bing He and his group are, their rest over a campfire turns into a fight against an onslaught of ghost head spiders which gather through the cries of another ghost head spider and attach onto people’s heads. It’s a monster which can pierce the skull and suck the insides.

Luo Bing He tries to kill the spiders with his sword. However, he finds it’s hard for his sword to pierce through them. The disciples scatter in fear whilst Luo Bing He can only thrash them away with his sword as the spiders keep coming and surrounding them all on the ground and up on trees. One of the spiders have attached onto a couple of the disciples’ heads. Another spider is heading towards Qi Wan Yue. Luo Bing He can’t head over to Qi Wan Yue fast enough. Fortunately, Shen Qing Qiu comes to her aid. The spider head heading for Qi Wan Yue and those in the vicinity are killed with talisman attacks to their penetrable point at the temple. With Shen Qing Qiu present, the disciples are relieved they now have a strong defence against the monsters. There is a brief moment of calm which allows Shen Qing Qiu to let the disciples know people have come to rescue them. He also provides them information on the ghost head spiders before these monsters surround them again.

Shen Qing Qiu and Luo Bing He create a powerful ring around the group with their swords. Upon contact with the ring, the ghost head spiders are killed. Shen Qing Qiu’s sword ring doesn’t last. Just as Shen Qing Qiu thinks about his spiritual power getting stuck (because of the poison he has in him), his spiritual power stops flowing. Shen Qing Qiu asks why it had to occur at this very moment.

Luo Bing He’s sword ring is the only defence against the ghost head spiders and it’s not strong enough to stop them from entering. Shen Qing Qiu asks Luo Bing He to pave a path for them to retreat. Luo Bing He creates one with his spiritual power. Shen Qing Qiu orders the disciples to quickly head in the path that’s now cleared for them to retreat as he and Luo Bing He covers them from behind. After the disciples head down the cleared path, Luo Bing He along with Qi Wan Yue helps Shen Qing Qiu follow them from behind.

Comments

We’ve come to really enjoy these types of series where characters get transported into the novel world. The interactions between the character that gets transported into the novel world and the characters of the novel world are guaranteed to be interesting and entertaining.

Scumbag System is the fourth transport into the novel series we’ve come across and it’s the first Chinese animation we’ve watched. It was an awesome watch and so far we think it’s very close to being our favourite of all the transport into the novel series we’ve so far watched.

Scumbag System stopped short of the point where Shen Qing Qiu kicks Luo Bing He down the endless abyss which we’re very curious to know whether Luo Bing He will understand Shen Qing Qiu for doing that or not. Shen Qing Qiu isn’t the same villainous character he was in the original novel, so the story’s heading shouldn’t go like in the original novel. Everything seems to point to Luo Bing He being understanding and not feel so betrayed by Shen Qing Qiu that he turns evil. He should remember Shen Qing Qiu’s opinion of demons being worthy of existing like everyone else. He also should see reasoning behind the betrayal that’s to take place. We do still feel there’s a chance Luo Bing He will still turn demonic after that act from Shen Qing Qiu, but it’s not going to lead Luo Bing He to go on a mission to rule the three realms and get Shen Qing Qiu to live out his days in a pickling earthen jar. There’s that high-level item of Luo Bing He’s treasured jade pendant from his mother that Shen Qing Qiu picked up in Episode 2 that hasn’t come in yet.

We’ll mention some memorable moments in Scumbag System for us. There’s one in Episode 4 where Sha Hua Ling averts her eyes from Luo Bing He after he won his match against Tian Chui Zhang Lao. Following that was seeing her scuttle away after finding Luo Bing He looking at her from above as she clung to the rocks below from being overpowered by Liu Qing Ge’s attack. These two scenes tells us so much about Sha Hua Ling and her becoming so infatuated by Luo Bing He that she betrays her demon clan in the future. So early on and Sha Hua Ling is already showing she is impressed by him after winning the fight against Tian Chui Zhang Lao to the point of looking like she’s shy in his presence.

Another memorable moment is in Episode 8 where Shen Qing Qiu and the others head to the Immortal Alliance Conference by carriage and horse. Luo Bing He’s dissatisfaction with Shen Qing Qiu praising Liu Ming Yan’s beauty was in the form of a sad expression and going to check Liu Ming Yan out. It was interesting to see Luo Bing He unhappy over that. We wonder what Luo Bing He’s thoughts were after checking Liu Ming Yan out. It wasn’t so clear. Liu Ming Yan is one of the female main characters who becomes part of Luo Bing He’s harem in the future, he should think she’s quite beautiful and strikes his fancy, but this scene suggested not much of a like. He seemed very uninterested.

With Luo Bing He not seemingly interested in Liu Ming Yan, no reaction to Sha Hua Ling, Ning Ying Ying no longer the most important person to Luo Bing He, Qi Wan Rong killed, Qi Wan Yue is… uncertain and Luo Bing He’s main reason for agreeing to practice demon cultivation being to protect Shen Qing Qiu who is his most important person, we expect Luo Bing He’s harem of 3000 concubines to be another change to the original novel. That’s obvious… we think.

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