3: The original owner living under the female lead's script 1

[Introduction to This World's Mission Plot]:

The setting sun was like blood, splashing across the Mass Graves on the outskirts of Qingyang City.

The Original Owner, Qin Jiuge, curled up behind a half-collapsed earthen tomb, clutching the yellowed silk volume tightly in his arms, his fingertips turning white from the force.

On the cover of the silk volume, three crooked characters were written in cinnabar—Swallowing Heaven Art.

The ink seemed to have just dried, shimmering with an eerie light in the twilight.

He was an orphan who grew up in the filthiest mud alleys of Qingyang City, surviving until the age of sixteen by carrying water and chopping wood for others in exchange for food.

Half an hour ago, he had picked up this booklet under the old locust tree at the city gate.

At that time, a young girl in a moon-white gauze dress was squatting under the tree and "accidentally" dropped the silk volume.

When she turned around, her eyes were as bright as tempered stars, and she smiled at him, saying:

“Did you happen to see a book with a yellow cover, young master? If you find it, please return it. I will surely reward you handsomely.”

At that moment, Qin Jiuge only felt that the girl was as beautiful as an immortal. He shook his head in a fluster.

Watching her back as she turned and left, he realized that the silk volume was lying right at his feet.

As if possessed, he picked up the booklet and hid in the Mass Graves to flip through it—the very first line made his whole body tremble:

“The Swallowing Heaven Art, without bounds or limits. If a mortal practices it, they can break their mortal coil, step onto the path of immortality, ascend to the Xuanling, and master the world's ups and downs.”

The Xuanling Immortal Realm—that was a place that only existed in the stories told by storytellers.

Qin Jiuge's hands holding the silk volume were shaking. His greatest wish in this life was merely to save enough money to buy a small, broken house and marry a wife who could manage a household.

But now, an "immortal technique" had fallen right into his hands.

He knew his greed was heavy, but he couldn't control it—he wanted to try, wanted to see if a worm in the mud could grow wings.

Following the instructions in the manual, Qin Jiuge sat cross-legged and tried to feel the so-called “Qi.”

The cold wind of the Mass Graves made his bones ache, but he gritted his teeth and circulated his Qi according to the diagrams in the silk volume over and over again.

After an unknown amount of time, his chest suddenly felt hot, and a faint warm current traveled through his meridians.

He snapped his eyes open and punched the earthen tomb beside him, actually smashing a small pit into the hard mound!

“First-Tier Martial Artist... I've become a First-Tier Martial Artist!”

Qin Jiuge trembled with excitement, tears falling down his dirty cheeks.

He hid the Swallowing Heaven Art close to his body, as if he were hiding the entire world.

He didn't know that at this moment, on the city tower of Qingyang City, the girl in the moon-white gauze dress was leaning against the railing, her lips curling into a cold smile.

“Miss, he really practiced it.”

The maid behind her said in a low voice.

Shen Qianqiu twirled a flower petal between her fingers and gave it a light squeeze, turning it to powder.

“A mortal is just a mortal; they take the bait for just a bit of sweetness.”

Her voice was gentle, but her eyes looked as if she were watching a toy ant.

“Next, it's time for him to 'encounter' his first 'fortuitous opportunity'.”

Qin Jiuge's life changed completely from that day on.

Relying on the Swallowing Heaven Art, his cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds.

Half a month later, while going down the mountain to buy rice, he encountered a group of bandits led by the notorious bully of Qingyang City, Zhang San.

In the past, he could only kneel and beg for mercy, but that day, he circulated his technique and sent Zhang San flying with a single punch, breaking three of his ribs.

The onlookers were all stunned. No one knew how this poor boy from the mud alleys had suddenly become so powerful.

Qin Jiuge clenched his fists, feeling the taste of being feared for the first time.

He didn't know that Zhang San was specifically arranged by Shen Qianqiu.

A martial artist who had just broken through to the Third-rank was perfect for her “toy” to practice on.

In the following days, “fortuitous opportunities” came one after another.

He “happened to meet” an injured martial arts master in a cave and obtained a secret sword manual.

He “saved” a merchant being chased by killers by the river and received a chest of gold.

He even “coincidentally” stumbled upon Demon Sect evildoers harming villagers while gathering herbs on the mountain. After killing them, he was hailed as a hero by the villagers.

Every “miraculous encounter” caused Qin Jiuge's cultivation and reputation to skyrocket.

He rose from a First-Tier Martial Artist all the way to the Tenth-rank, then broke through to the Houtian Realm and the Xiantian Realm, taking only three years.

No one in Qingyang City dared to call him a “stray dog” anymore; everyone respectfully called him “Great Hero Qin.”

He had his own courtyard and disciples who followed him, but in his heart, he always remembered the words from the Swallowing Heaven Art—ascend to the Xuanling, and master the world's ups and downs.

He didn't know that those “Demon Sect evildoers” he killed were actually criminal slaves banished from the Xuanling Immortal Realm by Shen Qianqiu.

Those masters who “gifted” him secret manuals were her attendants.

Even the disciples he recruited were spies she had arranged, reporting Qin Jiuge's movements to her at all times.

And Shen Qianqiu would always appear at the most appropriate moment.

It was on the day Qin Jiuge broke through to the Xiantian Realm. He was besieged by a group of mysterious people whose cultivation was extremely high, forcing him into a steady retreat.

Just when he thought he was going to die, a moon-white figure descended from the sky.

Shen Qianqiu held a long sword, her posture graceful, and she dealt with the enemies in just a few moves.

She clutched her chest, her face pale, and collapsed weakly into Qin Jiuge's arms:

“Young master, I... I was passing by and saw you in danger, so I stepped in to help. I hope I didn't cause you any trouble?”

Qin Jiuge held her soft body, her faint fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose, his heart beating as if it would explode.

This was the second time he had seen her. She was more beautiful than three years ago, and she made his heart race even more.

“I will never forget your life-saving grace, Miss!”

“No need for such formalities, young master.”

Shen Qianqiu looked up, her eyes filled with tears.

“My name is Shen Qianqiu. I have been frail since childhood and have traveled everywhere seeking medical treatment. If you don't mind, young master, could I stay in your manor temporarily to recover from my injuries?”

How could Qin Jiuge refuse? He immediately welcomed Shen Qianqiu into his manor and treated her as an honored guest.

He was extremely good to her, giving her the best room, personally delivering medicine to her every day, and talking with her.

Shen Qianqiu always smiled gently, listening to him talk about his cultivation progress and his dream of one day ascending to the Xuanling Immortal Realm.

“Brother Qin.”

That night, Shen Qianqiu sat on a swing in the courtyard, the moonlight spilling over her like a layer of silver.

“When you ascend in the future, don't forget me.”

Qin Jiuge stood behind her, his heart pounding like a drum:

“Qianqiu, if I can ascend, I will definitely take you with me!”

Shen Qianqiu turned her head, a flash of mockery in her eyes, though she smiled gently:

“Brother Qin, I know my talent is shallow and I'm not worthy of the path to immortality. But as long as I can be with you, even if it's only in the Mortal Realm, I'm willing.”

“If... if you don't mind, when you have achieved fame and success, I will give myself to you in marriage, alright?”

Qin Jiuge was stunned, then ecstatic. He nodded vigorously, his voice trembling:

“Alright! Qianqiu, I will definitely not fail you!”

He thought he had met a goddess-like woman and that his life was finally complete.

He didn't know that this was just the most brilliant part of Shen Qianqiu's script—making him fall the hardest when he was at his happiest.

Over the next five years, Qin Jiuge practiced even more frantically.

He had practiced the Swallowing Heaven Art to the fortieth layer, and his cultivation had reached the peak of the Mortal Realm—the Tribulation Crossing Realm.

In the entire Mortal Realm, no one was his match.

He began trying to force open the ascension passage, but he failed every time.

The gate of light leading to the Xuanling Immortal Realm was clearly right before his eyes, yet he could never touch it.

“Why...”

Qin Jiuge sat on the mountain peak, looking at the horizon, his face full of confusion.

Shen Qianqiu stood beside him, gently stroking his back:

“Brother Qin, 別急, perhaps the time hasn't come yet. The Swallowing Heaven Art has no upper limit. If you practice more, you will eventually succeed.”

Qin Jiuge nodded; he believed her.

He spent another two years practicing the Swallowing Heaven Art to the fiftieth layer.

This time, he clearly felt that the power within his body had overflowed the Mortal Realm.

As long as he wished, he could tear open space and ascend to the Xuanling at any time.

“Qianqiu! I can ascend!”

Qin Jiuge hugged Shen Qianqiu excitedly, his eye rims red.

“I can finally take you to the Xuanling Immortal Realm!”

As Shen Qianqiu was held by him, the smile on her face slowly turned cold. She had waited for this moment for ten whole years.

“Brother Qin.”

She gently pushed him away, the gentleness of the past gone from her voice, replaced only by cold mockery.

“Do you really think you can ascend?”

Qin Jiuge was stunned, his smile freezing on his face:

“Qianqiu, what... what are you saying?”

Shen Qianqiu took out a Swallowing Heaven Art manual exactly like the one in his arms from her sleeve, threw it casually on the ground, and ground it under her foot:

“What did you think this immortal technique was? It's just some trash I made up when I was bored years ago.”

“Impossible!”

Qin Jiuge recoiled, pointing at himself:

“I practiced it and went from a mere mortal to the Tribulation Crossing Realm! How could it be fake!”

“A fake is a fake,”

Shen Qianqiu laughed cruelly,

“The only reason you could cultivate was that I added a bit of spiritual energy from the Xuanling Immortal Realm into the manual.”

“As for those 'powerful enemies' and 'fortuitous opportunities' you encountered, including me, they were all arranged by me.”

She walked toward Qin Jiuge step by step, her gaze like she was looking at a clown:

“You think Zhang San was a coincidence? That merchant was a coincidence? Even the disciples you recruited are my people.”

“Qin Jiuge, these ten years of yours have just been a play I've been watching for fun.”

Qin Jiuge felt cold all over, his blood seemingly frozen.

He couldn't believe his ears. Trembling, he took out the Swallowing Heaven Art from his arms and flipped to the last page—there was a line of tiny characters he had never noticed before:

“The Swallowing Heaven Art: practice to the fiftieth layer to sever mortal roots, be forever trapped in the Mortal Realm, and become an actor for others' amusement.”

“No... impossible!”

Qin Jiuge snapped his head up, staring intently at Shen Qianqiu,

“You said you would marry me! You said you would stay with me! You lied to me!”

“So what if I lied to you?”

Shen Qianqiu sneered,

“I am the eldest miss of the Shen Family in the Xuanling Immortal Realm. You are just a mere mortal; how are you worthy of having me, Shen Qianqiu, marry you?”

“I just thought you were fun to play with and acted out a play with you.”

She paused, looking at Qin Jiuge's pale face, and said word by word:

“Oh right, I forgot to tell you. This Swallowing Heaven Art not only makes it impossible for you to ever ascend, but practicing it to the fiftieth layer will also turn you into a eunuch. Qin Jiuge, for the rest of your life, you can no longer be a man.”

“Boom!”

These words were like a thunderclap, shattering Qin Jiuge's soul.

He suddenly clutched his lower body as a piercing pain shot through him,

He could clearly feel something within his body rapidly draining away.

“Ah—! Shen Qianqiu! I'll kill you!”

Qin Jiuge's eyes were nearly bursting as he circulated all his power and threw a punch at Shen Qianqiu.

This punch condensed ten years of his cultivation; no one in the Mortal Realm could block it.

But Shen Qianqiu just gave a light wave of her hand, and an invisible force sent Qin Jiuge flying.

He hit the mountain wall like a ragdoll, coughing up blood, the sound of his bones shattering clearly audible.

“A mortal is just a mortal,”

Shen Qianqiu walked up to him and looked down at him, her eyes full of disgust,

“Even if you've practiced some amateur martial arts, in my eyes, you're still just an ant.”

She knelt down, pinched Qin Jiuge's chin, and forced him to look at her:

“Do you know? I hate people like you the most—clearly of lowly birth,”

“yet always wanting to climb the social ladder. Who do you think you are? Are you worthy of being my husband?”

Qin Jiuge trembled all over, not from pain, but from despair.

His ten years of hard work, ten years of dreams, and ten years of feelings were all a scam.

He had crawled out of the mud, thinking he could touch the sky, but he hadn't expected

that he had only fallen from one mud pit into another, more cruel hell.

“Shen Qianqiu... you are so cruel...”

His voice was hoarse, tears mixing with blood as they flowed down.

Shen Qianqiu laughed, laughing so hard she trembled:

“Cruel? I haven't even started yet. Didn't you want to kill me? I'll let you live, so you can see with your own eyes how you, the former 'Great Hero Qin', will survive in the Mortal Realm without your cultivation and without your manhood.”

She raised her hand, and a blast of immortal power entered Qin Jiuge's body.

Qin Jiuge let out a shrill scream. He could feel his ten years of cultivated power rapidly receding, from the Tribulation Crossing Realm to the Xiantian Realm, then to the Houtian Realm... finally, he returned completely to being a mere mortal, even weaker than a normal person, without even the strength to stand up.

“No... my power... my Swallowing Heaven Art...”

Qin Jiuge lay paralyzed on the ground like a pile of mud.

Shen Qianqiu stood up, brushed the dust off her skirt, and said in a cold tone:

“I won't let you die so easily. I'll let everyone know that the former Great Hero Qin has become a eunuch, a waste.”

“I want you to live and endure the curses and cold shoulders of the world until you beg for death yourself.”

After saying that, she turned and left, her moon-white figure disappearing into the horizon, leaving Qin Jiuge alone to howl in despair on the mountain peak.

The setting sun rose again, illuminating the mess on the mountain peak.

Qin Jiuge lay on the ground, his body covered in wounds, with waves of sharp pain coming from his lower body.

He wanted to commit suicide, but he didn't even have the strength to lift his hand.

Scenes from the past flashed before his eyes one by one:

The ecstasy of finding the Swallowing Heaven Art in the Mass Graves, the high spirits when killing Zhang San, the happiness when making a promise with Shen Qianqiu... those former beauties had now turned into the sharpest knives, carving into his heart one by one.

He thought he was the child of destiny, but he hadn't expected to be just a plaything in someone else's hands.

He had practiced a fake technique for ten years and loved a fake person for ten years, only to end up with his cultivation destroyed and his lineage severed.

Footsteps came from down the mountain; it was his former disciples and the villagers he had saved.

Seeing Qin Jiuge paralyzed on the ground, their eyes no longer held the respect of the past, only disdain and mockery.

“This is Great Hero Qin? How did he end up like this?”

“I heard he practiced an evil art and became a eunuch!”

“He deserves it! He was so powerful before, but now he's just a waste!”

The harsh words pricked Qin Jiuge's ears like needles.

He closed his eyes, tears falling silently. He finally understood why Shen Qianqiu didn't kill him... death would have been a relief for him.

What she wanted was for him to live, slowly rotting away in endless pain and humiliation.

The wind blew across the mountain peak, swirling the yellow sand on the ground and the trampled Swallowing Heaven Art.

The cinnabar characters on the silk volume drifted in the wind, much like Qin Jiuge's sorrowful and ridiculous life.

In the end, he couldn't fly out of the Mortal Realm or ascend to the Xuanling Immortal Realm.

He was just a sacrificial lamb in one of Shen Qianqiu's games, an ant whose name wasn't even worthy of being remembered.

Under the sunset, Qin Jiuge's body gradually grew cold, only his wide-open eyes still held endless pain and grievance.

A blood-stained knife was plunged into his heart, blood flowing unceasingly; he had committed suicide.

Meanwhile, in the Shen Manor of the Xuanling Immortal Realm, Shen Qianqiu was holding a cup of tea,

listening to her maid report the news of Qin Jiuge's death, her lips curling into a cold smile once more.

“Who should be the next toy?”