The Disgust Value’s Mystery and a Demonic Whisper

Zhang Xiaocha lay on the stone bed, her eyes hazy with sleep. Her hair was a dishevelled mess, with several strands casually scattered across her cheeks. Instinctively, she lifted a hand to brush them away.

Suddenly!

A series of AI-synthesized voices echoed repeatedly within her sea of consciousness.

[Ding… Luo Bingning’s Disgust Value has increased by one point, now at 55.]

…

[Ding… Luo Bingning’s Disgust Value has increased by one point, now at 65.]

…

In an instant, all traces of sleep vanished from Zhang Xiaocha. She sprang up with a ‘carp leap,’ her small face filled with utter bewilderment. “Hmm? Oh? E-e-eh?!”

“How could Senior Sister’s Disgust Value for me have dropped so much? Wasn’t it 76 before?!”

The system’s assessment of Disgust Value could fluctuate by one or two points depending on the person, but it shouldn’t plummet this much overnight!

“What exactly happened last night?”

Her voice was laced with surprise and doubt, her delicate brows furrowing tightly into a ‘river’ character.

“Could it be that she found me incredibly cute and decided to conceive with me, which caused her Disgust Value to drop so much?”

“Hmm…”

“No, no… How could that be…” Zhang Xiaocha shook her head vigorously.

“Even though I am truly cute, there’s still Mu Xi! Second Senior Sister is Luo Bingning’s most important person; conceiving with Senior Sister is practically a sure thing!”

“How could it possibly be my turn?”

Abruptly, she quickly raised both hands to the sides of her head, clenching them into small fists. She rubbed her shaking head forcefully, her voice filled with vexation. “Ugh… What on earth is going on?”

“Cha Cha, hurry and figure it out! You can do it!”

Even as she spoke, she didn’t forget to cheer herself on.

A moment later, she lay sprawled on the stone bed in a pose of utter despair, forming the character ‘大’ (big). Her small mouth pouted, and her voice was filled with dejection. “Wuwu… It’s so hard… I can’t figure it out…”

Just then, Zhang Xiaocha seemed to recall something. She abruptly sat up, her beautiful eyes wide with realization. “Could it be…”

“Senior Sister knows that I saved her back in the forbidden area?”

Her voice paused slightly.

“But that’s impossible… That was a Concealment Talisman redeemed from the system. How could she, a mere Qi Refining realm cultivator at the time, have possibly discovered me?”

“Ahhh… My head is so itchy, I am growing a brain…” She propped her elbows on her thighs, cupped her chin in her small hands, and sat on the edge of the stone bed, her face etched with worry.

“Hmm…”

“Never mind, I won’t think about it anymore! Anyway, her Disgust Value for me has risen again, and it’s even gone up to 80 points! It’s a good thing, after all!” She pouted, then flopped backward as if giving up.

“Hehe~ I am one step closer to going home!” Zhang Xiaocha’s eyes curved into crescents, and her small hands flapped continuously on the bed, opening and closing, her face alight with joy.

Suddenly, faint footsteps echoed from within the cave. She subtly released her divine sense.

She shot up. “Ah! Senior Sister is back!”

With that, she retrieved a pill from her system space, one that emanated black qi, and placed it in a medicine bottle.

Nine Yin Resurrection Pill: Capable of reviving the dead and regenerating flesh and bone. Effective for cultivators below the Soul Transformation Realm; its effects are greatly diminished above that.

‘This Nine Yin Resurrection Pill, which I received as a system reward for increasing Master’s Disgust Value, will do.’

[Hehe~ Given Senior Sister’s current disgust for Cha Cha, she’ll definitely think this is poison! So, even if Cha Cha doesn’t actively try to increase her Disgust Value, it’ll probably go up a few points anyway!]
[Hehe~]

Listening to the soft, joyful thoughts echoing in her sea of consciousness, the chill in Luo Bingning’s eyes almost solidified.

‘Disgust Value! Disgust Value! Always Disgust Value!’

For a moment,

Her Junior Sister’s mischievous deeds over the years replayed in Luo Bingning’s mind like a revolving lantern.

“Zhang Xiaocha, you stole Senior Sister Luo’s undergarments again! This time, you even hung them on Little Eight’s head and sold them all over the Xuanmoon Sect!”

…

“Zhang Xiaocha, how dare you serve your foot-washing water as tea for your Master to drink!”

…

“Zhang Xiaocha, it’s bad enough that you don’t cultivate yourself on ordinary days, but you even dare to disturb the cultivation of the various Peak Lords and disciples!”

Ling Qinxue’s voice was brimming with fury.

…

‘Within the Daughter Nation, there are a few special secret treasures that require others’ emotions to activate. Even if you obtained one, Junior Sister, wouldn’t it have been enough to just increase my Disgust Value? Why did you have to provoke others?’

Her heart trembled, and the icy chill in her eyes gradually melted, giving way to a faint mist.

She watched as Zhang Xiaocha quickly took out a black-qi-emitting pill from the medicine bottle, then looked at her with a hint of apology. “Hmm… Senior Sister, I’m sorry…”

“This morning…”

“I misunderstood you this morning…”

“I didn’t know that S-Senior Sister, you were injured hunting demon cores for me… I thought…”

“Wuwu… I was wrong…” She lowered her head, burying her small face deep into her chest, not daring to look Luo Bingning directly in the eye. Her voice held a slight sob.

As if realizing her loss of composure, her small nose twitched slightly.

Using the motion of raising her hand, she quickly wiped away the crystal tears from the corners of her eyes. She then held up the black-qi-emitting pill, offering it to Senior Sister, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “And that bowl of mutton soup… It tasted really good, I loved it very much… Thank you, Senior Sister…”

“Hehe~ This is my healing pill for you. You… you’re injured, so quickly eat it!”

“Just eat it, and I guarantee Senior Sister will be cured of all ailments!”

“Hehe~ Isn’t Chacha amazing?” Zhang Xiaocha’s eyes sparkled faintly, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. Her eyes curved into crescents, and shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks, giving her the look of someone earnestly seeking praise.

Luo Bingning quietly watched the hand Zhang Xiaocha offered, making no move to take it. Gazing at her Junior Sister, who stood so close, a flicker of emotion crossed her eyes. She took a deep breath, making her voice as gentle as possible.

“Xiaocha, tell your Senior Sister, what exactly did you do before you were brought here?”

The Jade Maiden Sect was currently in decline, even on the verge of losing its title as one of the Five Great Sects of this era.

For years, she had dedicated herself to cultivation in preparation for the upcoming Five Sect Grand Competition. If she hadn’t inquired around the sect just now, she likely wouldn’t have known that Xiaocha… had been so wildly mischievous!

She had even transformed Little Eight’s offspring, originally Eight-Headed Hellhounds, into a litter of piglets!

Now that the Sect Master had emerged from seclusion, they would surely find out.

‘Xiaocha, if there’s even a shred of remorse in your heart, I will bear the responsibility for you, even if the Sect Master holds you accountable!’
‘So, you must…’

Her hands unconsciously clenched, her knuckles turning white from the immense pressure.

It was tension,
It was fear,
It was helplessness!

Her emotions surged violently, causing her recently healed wounds to reopen.

A gentle breeze swept past, stirring the blood-stained white flowing immortal dress she wore, outlining her graceful figure. Her face was deathly pale, and her eyes, filled with pleading, gazed at her Junior Sister.

“Oh~”

“There’s quite a lot, hehe~” Zhang Xiaocha’s eyes curved, and her small face was filled with pride.

“For example, not long ago, I roasted and ate Master’s celestial crane again! I even specially shared some with Second Senior Sister!”

“Let me tell you! After Mu Xi finished eating, she even asked me, ‘What kind of meat is this? How can it be so delicious?'”

“Then…” She wore a mischievous grin, deliberately pausing her voice.

“Then I told her, hehe~ ‘This is Master’s celestial crane!’ She was completely stunned on the spot!”

As if recalling that astonished expression, Zhang Xiaocha became incredibly excited. Her lips curled into a wide smile, revealing a row of pearly teeth, and she couldn’t stop giggling.

“Xiaocha, do you… not feel even a shred of guilt? Not even a tiny bit…” Luo Bingning leaned against the stone wall, her expression unwilling. A demonic tattoo quietly surfaced on her wrist, and for a moment, her gaze seemed distant.

No sooner had her words fallen than the soft, gentle thoughts echoed through her sea of consciousness.

[‘Guilt? Why should I feel guilty? Strange…’]
[‘Why would Senior Sister say that? Did Cha Cha do something wrong again?’]

Zhang Xiaocha tilted her small head, looking at Senior Sister with a puzzled expression. She was merely maintaining her persona; if it were the original owner, they would have probably done something even more outrageous!

[‘And what about Cha Cha?’]
[‘All these years, I haven’t even asked you to be grateful to me!’]

She pouted, her small face showing a hint of displeasure.

[‘Besides, I didn’t misunderstand you like before. If that were the case, then Cha Cha would definitely feel guilty!’]

“Zhang Xiaocha, you… you are simply beyond saving!” Luo Bingning blurted out instinctively, her voice filled with rage.

[Ding… Luo Bingning’s Disgust Value has increased by one point, now at 81.]

…

[Ding… Luo Bingning’s Disgust Value has increased by one point, now at 85.]

…

A series of AI prompts sounded within Zhang Xiaocha’s sea of consciousness.

[‘E-e-eh?! What’s going on?’]
[‘Could Senior Sister really think the pill in my hand is poison? Hmm~ That makes sense! After all, the Disgust Value is so high!’]
[‘Hoh hoh hoh hoh~ I am too amazing! I can even accidentally gain Disgust Value like this!’]

Listening to the joyful thoughts echoing beside her, blood spilled from Luo Bingning’s lips, and her vision blurred.

A seductive voice whispered in her ear, “Do it to her… Take her primal yang, and you’ll achieve the Golden Core! That way, you can save your sect!”

“Just sacrifice her alone. She’s beyond saving anyway, so consider it a lesson for her!”

The demonic tattoo flickered rapidly, suppressing the soft light emitted by the ‘Supreme Purity Heart Sutra’s’ automatic self-protection. A faint demonic shadow flickered in and out of sight within Luo Bingning’s sea of consciousness, its voice filled with weakness. “Hehe…”

“Even if you cultivate this damned Supreme Purity Heart Sutra, what good is it? Didn’t I still find my chance!”

Her body trembled uncontrollably, and she took delicate, lotus-like steps. Her once clear eyes were no longer so…