ISMW Chapter 2

In his previous life, Yun Xunlan was the greatest medical cultivator in the realm of immortal cultivation—the supreme Xilan Immortal Lord of the Beiwenzong Sect.

 

He possessed an ancient treasure from a secret realm, which was the mechanical voice that often spoke in his mind, called the [Invincible Hermit] system. This system had been bound to his life since the day he obtained it, and would issue two mandatory daily survival tasks at midnight every day:

 

1. Collect and record 10,000 instances of text from books that the system judges as “insulting the host.”

 

2. Collect and record 1 instance of face-to-face verbal insult that the system judges as “insulting the host” in real life.

 

As long as Yun Xunlan completed either of these daily tasks to meet the insult quota, the system would grant him an “invincible ninja” immortality buff, ensuring he wouldn’t die no matter what he experienced.

 

Conversely, failing to do so would put him at risk of encountering misfortune and sudden death at any time or place.

 

So while others sustained their lives by breathing, eating, and sleeping, Yun Xunlan’s survival could be summed up in two words: endure insults.

 

However, as the saying goes, misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and blessings may hide misfortune.

 

In his previous life, after becoming invincible in the realm of immortal cultivation thanks to this system, Yun Xunlan faced a dilemma. No one dared to insult him anymore, and he couldn’t collect 10,000 insulting texts from books every day. Consequently, he was struck dead by heavenly lightning on the day of his tribulation.

 

As for this life…

 

“Your attendant has left. Let’s exit the pressure-reduction pod and hurry to collect negative comments,” the system urged, interrupting Yun Xunlan’s thoughts. “You’ve only completed today’s daily task. Tomorrow’s task is still unfinished. If you can’t complete it, we might as well write your will first.”

 

Yun Xunlan was immersed in the pressure-reduction fluid. Though his eyes were closed, his consciousness remained clear, not falling into sleep.

 

He negotiated with the system: “Xiao Di, my susceptibility period is approaching, and I have things to do tomorrow. Can’t you be lenient and let me read fewer of these negative comments?”

 

“To travel a thousand miles, one must first read a thousand books. I’m not even asking you to read a thousand books, just ten thousand negative comments. Isn’t that good enough for you? Ten thousand, not one less,” the system rejected Yun Xunlan’s request. “Also, I’ve emphasized many times, don’t call me ‘Xiao Di[mfn]There’s wordplay here with “敌” (dí) meaning “enemy” and “无敌” (wú dí) meaning “invincible.” The system wants to be called “Invincible Hermit” but Yun Xunlan playfully calls it “Xiao Di – Little Enemy.”[/mfn]’, please call me Invincible Hermit.”

 

Yun Xunlan sighed: “Fine, Little Hermit[mfn]”小居” (xiǎo jū) and “小猪” (xiǎo zhū), “小居” (Little Hermit) sounds similar to “小猪” (Little Pig)[/mfn].”

 

System: “?”

 

System: “That sounds like you’re calling me ‘Little Pig’.”

 

Yun Xunlan’s slightly hoarse voice was gentle: “You misheard.”

 

The system strongly suspected Yun Xunlan was being passive-aggressive because his request wasn’t granted.

 

It felt quite wronged: “I’m not forcing you to complete the first daily task. You can always do the second one, you know.”

 

Yun Xunlan fell silent.

 

The reason was simple: unfortunately, in this life, he had been reborn as the Third Prince of the Galactic Empire—the dream alpha of millions of omegas.

 

The level of his prestigious status was no less than, if not greater than, his previous life. Anyone with a functioning brain and common sense wouldn’t dare to openly insult him to his face, publicly challenging the authority of the Galactic Empire.

 

Luckily, given the vast population of the galaxy and the existence of other nations besides the Galactic Empire, some people dared to insult Yun Xunlan online, protected by screens, distance, and virtual identities.

 

However, the Galactic Empire’s Foreign Affairs Department had a PR team specifically responsible for maintaining the public image of the royal family members. They monitored and censored malicious or false statements about the royal family on the galactic web in real-time, as well as prosecuting related offenders, with severe cases even resulting in criminal sentences.

 

Therefore, leaving aside whether anyone would dare to insult Yun Xunlan under such circumstances, even if someone did—

 

If the insult was too harsh, the comment would either be blocked from posting or instantly deleted with the account banned.

 

On the other hand, if the insult was too mild, indirect, or ambiguous, it wouldn’t be useful for Yun Xunlan as the system wouldn’t recognize it.

 

Thus, Yun Xunlan’s survival situation wasn’t any better than his previous life; it could even be said to have worsened, becoming increasingly difficult.

 

To sum it up in one sentence: he could die suddenly at any moment.

 

If Yun Xunlan could find someone to help him complete the second daily task, preventing him from dropping dead right after leaving his room, he wouldn’t have stayed in his bedroom and stood up Jian Wenxi for three consecutive days.

 

So he replied to the system: “The warp jump won’t take long. I’ll continue working on the task online once we reach Freeport.”

 

The system didn’t object: “Alright.”

 

Three hours later, a silver starship passed through the interstellar warp gate, arriving at the bustling and neon-lit Freeport of the galaxy.

 

Yun Xunlan was the first to exit the pressure-reduction pod. After the pressure-reduction fluid on his body was dried off, he went to wake up Jian Wenxi.

 

The first thing Jian Wenxi did upon opening his eyes was vomit.

 

“Ugh… Why is it that even royal warp ships are so uncomfortable to ride?” Jian Wenxi slumped over the seat, unable to move, his face turning green from nausea. “I really admire those omegas and betas who can pilot starships. How do they endure this torture?”

 

Yun Xunlan gently patted his back, trying to help alleviate Jian Wenxi’s discomfort. “You haven’t been trained for this—it’s a normal reaction.”

 

Jian Wenxi wiped away the physiological tears that had welled up in the corners of his eyes. “If it weren’t for the rumor that Professor Ran’s mech design manuscript would be at this auction, I wouldn’t have come at all.”

 

Grabbing Yun Xunlan’s sleeve through his gloves, Jian Wenxi reminded the alpha: “There will be a lot of people at the auction. You must stay by my side at all times and make sure no one touches me.”

 

Yun Xunlan nodded. “Alright.”

 

The two arrived at an interstellar hotel owned by the Jian Consortium in Freeport to settle in. Since Jian Wenxi wasn’t feeling well, they stayed inside the hotel and didn’t go out until 9 PM the next day when the auction was about to begin. Before leaving, they put on their masks.

 

Even with his mask on today, Jian Wenxi still didn’t remove his gloves, hat, or mask.

 

On their way to the auction venue, he tilted his head and looked at Yun Xunlan’s sharp and handsome face. “Yun Xunlan, did you not sleep well last night?”

 

Yun Xunlan’s skin was extremely pale, taking on a cold porcelain-like sheen under the cabin lights. This made the bluish tint under his eyes stand out starkly—more noticeable even than the vivid red mole at the corner of his eye.

 

“My susceptibility period is approaching.”

 

Though he said this, Yun Xunlan’s tone and expression were so calm and composed that it didn’t seem very believable based solely on appearances.

 

“Oh, then let’s head back right after we get the manuscript,” Jian Wenxi said without hesitation. “If there’s anything you fancy, just tell me—I’ll buy it for you.”

 

Yun Xunlan smiled faintly and didn’t refuse him. “Alright.”

 

The two walked side by side, followed closely by Yun Xunlan’s attendant Ni Chun and alpha guards who shadowed them like silhouettes.

 

Inside the auction venue, there were indeed many guests—all appearing as gray silhouettes with indistinct faces and muted voices due to their masks. The staff members, however, weren’t wearing masks and greeted Yun Xunlan and Jian Wenxi warmly with polite bows as they guided them to their pre-booked private room.

 

Once surrounded only by familiar faces in the private room, Jian Wenxi breathed a sigh of relief: “Wow… There were so many people. Walking through that crowd almost suffocated me.”

 

Yun Xunlan asked him: “After the auction ends, should we wait until most of the people leave before heading out? It’ll be less crowded then.”

 

Jian Wenxi thought about Yun Xunlan’s condition and replied: “No need. Your susceptibility period is nearing—we should leave early. I can handle it.”

 

Yun Xunlan nodded again. “Alright.”

 

The mech design handwritten draft that Jian Wenxi wanted to buy was almost certainly going to be the finale item of the auction. Since it wouldn’t appear until the end and he wasn’t interested in the other items, he sprawled out on the sofa and dozed off.

 

In contrast, Yun Xunlan, who had accompanied him to the auction, seemed quite engaged and even purchased an antique.

 

The antique was a *mò dāo* (a type of curved saber) from ancient Blue Star. Despite tens of thousands of years passing, when it was delivered into Yun Xunlan’s hands, the blade was still sharp and gleaming, its surface reflective like a mirror.

 

Jian Wenxi leaned over for a look. To him, the saber seemed plain and unremarkable. He commented to Yun Xunlan, “You really have a thing for ancient Blue Star artifacts. I’ve seen you buy so many of them.”

 

“Yes, I like them very much.” Yun Xunlan held the saber in both hands, carefully admiring its blade with a look of deep nostalgia in his eyes.

 

“I remember you once—oh! Oh! It’s here! It’s here!”

 

Jian Wenxi abruptly jumped up from the sofa mid-conversation, shedding his usual calm and sluggish demeanor. He dashed to the one-way glass window, his eyes blazing as he stared at a manuscript compilation on the display platform. His voice was full of excitement: “Professor Ran’s mech design manuscript is finally here!”

 

Yun Xunlan walked over to stand beside him and asked, “Is it authentic?”

 

Jian Wenxi’s voice trembled with excitement: “Yes!”

 

Before her passing, Professor Ran had been the most renowned mech designer in the galaxy. No one in any mech-related industry didn’t dream of obtaining her manuscripts.

 

Unfortunately, most of her research notes and drawings were written on anti-peeping security paper—a special type of paper that could only be viewed with the naked eye and couldn’t be scanned or transmitted via electronic devices. As a result, very few people in the galaxy had ever seen her original works, and even fewer could verify their authenticity.

 

Jian Wenxi happened to be one of those rare individuals capable of distinguishing whether Professor Ran’s manuscripts were genuine.

 

That was why he had personally come this time—he didn’t trust anyone else to buy it for him and risk bringing back a counterfeit.

 

“I must have it!”

 

Jian Wenxi could barely contain his emotions. The moment the auctioneer announced the starting price of 5 billion star coins, he pressed the bid button without hesitation, doubling the starting price: “10 billion!”

 

—A bid three times higher than Yun Xunlan’s manuscript bounty.

 

However, many others had also come to this auction specifically for this manuscript, and they all seemed to be top-tier billionaires. As soon as Jian Wenxi’s bid was called out from their private room, another guest immediately raised it: “15 billion.”

 

Jian Wenxi doubled it again without missing a beat: “30 billion.”

 

Thirty billion star coins—enough to build another warp ship like the one Yun Xunlan and Jian Wenxi had used to travel to Freeport—but Jian Wenxi didn’t even blink as he pressed the bidding button.

 

Yun Xunlan didn’t join the bidding. He had stayed up all night to complete his daily task, browsing and recording insults online. Combined with the effects of his approaching susceptibility period, Yun Xunlan observed for a while before involuntarily raising his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, trying to alleviate the growing irritation within him.

 

Fortunately, Jian Wenxi was extravagantly wealthy. He ended the auction in just ten minutes, securing Professor Ran’s manuscript for a staggering 120 billion star coins.

 

All purchased items were delivered to buyers in standardized image-interference boxes. Without opening the lid, no one could tell what was inside. But Jian Wenxi, unwilling to entrust the manuscript to others, held it tightly in his arms from the moment he received it. On their way back, he was so excited he didn’t even notice the crowd around them, busy exclaiming to Yun Xunlan: “My idol truly deserves to be my idol. Just the price of her manuscript is higher than the bounty on my head. I won’t sleep tonight, I’m going to…”

 

Jian Wenxi’s words were cut short by a sudden darkness.

 

The alpha guards quickly moved closer to Yun Xunlan, forming a protective circle around him.

 

Ni Chun pulled out a small electromagnetic gun from his waist and pressed it against the back of the auction house staff member leading the way. He demanded coldly, “What’s going on?”

 

“I-I don’t know,” the staff member stammered, looking panicked and confused. “A power outage, maybe?”

 

Ni Chun retorted, “Don’t be ridiculous. The power has been cut off.”

 

An auction venue of this scale would certainly have backup generators. For this to happen, someone must have deliberately cut the power.

 

Jian Wenxi whispered to Yun Xunlan, “Are they after someone else, or after you or me?”

 

“Most likely not someone else, but you,” Yun Xunlan replied. “There aren’t many who could afford Professor Ran’s manuscript.”

 

Jian Wenxi was about to argue “But you could too,” when a violent explosion beneath their feet nearly knocked him over. The panicked screams around them, which hadn’t ceased since the blackout, grew even more chaotic. Amidst the confusion, an auction staff member ran towards them shouting, “There are gunmen at the exit!”

 

As if to prove his words true, just as Ni Chun looked up to locate this staff member in the crowd, he saw the man’s head blown apart by an instant-detonation bullet fired from the exit’s direction.

 

The crowd became even more frenzied at the sight of scattered flesh and body parts. Along with the blaring attack alarms, their shrill screams tore through the night’s tranquility.

 

Ni Chun’s brows furrowed deeply as he gripped the collar of the auction house staff member, demanding harshly, “Is your auction’s entrance security just for show? How did these weapons get in?!”

 

*You also smuggled weapons past security, didn’t you?!*

 

The staff member held at gunpoint by Ni Chun was on the verge of tears but didn’t dare voice this thought.

 

Meanwhile, the gunfire from the exit direction drew closer. The true target of the gunmen behind this chaos remained unknown. Several wealthy and powerful individuals removed their masks, hoping to negotiate, only to be killed instantly.

 

The exact firepower ahead and the number of attackers were unknown, so Ni Chun didn’t dare recklessly lead Yun Xunlan toward the exit. Lowering his voice, he asked Yun Xunlan for instructions: “Your Highness, they’ve used an EMP bomb. We’ve lost all communication with the guards outside the venue. The starship will arrive in ten minutes. Should we head to the safe room now, wait here, look for another exit, or keep moving forward?”

 

Safe rooms were mandatory in all large venues, designed as shelters with thick walls capable of withstanding aerial bombings. Each safe room was stocked with a year’s worth of emergency supplies. Since they hadn’t brought high-powered weapons and the other exits were farther away and equally uncertain, Yun Xunlan thought for a few seconds before deciding: “Let’s go to the safe room.”

 

The safe room on this floor was located at the end of the north corridor of the cross-shaped hallway. To allow Ni Chun and the other guards to better protect them, Yun Xunlan carried the image-interference box containing the *mò dāo* himself as they made their way toward the safe room.

 

When they arrived, a staff member—clearly a manager based on his attire—was standing by the safe room door controls, waving his arms anxiously to usher guests inside to take shelter.

 

The auction staff member being held hostage by Ni Chun lit up with hope at the sight of him and exclaimed, “That’s our manager!”

 

Two guards entered the safe room ahead of Yun Xunlan to clear the way. However, after taking two steps inside, Yun Xunlan suddenly stopped.

 

At that moment, many gray silhouettes representing guests were frantically rushing deeper into the safe room, terrified that moving too slowly would get them shot—or worse, block someone else’s escape route. Yun Xunlan’s pause stood out starkly amidst the chaos, immediately drawing the attention of the auction manager.

 

Jian Wenxi was also surprised and tilted his head up at Yun Xunlan. “Yun Xunlan, why aren’t you moving—ah!”

 

Without warning, Yun Xunlan turned around and forcefully shoved Jian Wenxi away.

 

At that exact moment, the auction manager pulled down the lever to close the door. Simultaneously, a gray silhouette deep within the safe room abruptly stood up and aimed a high-energy beam gun at Yun Xunlan’s arm, seemingly intent on stopping him from saving Jian Wenxi.

 

The last thing Jian Wenxi saw as he fell into Ni Chun’s arms was Yun Xunlan’s severed right hand—melted off at the wrist by the high-energy beam—rolling out of the safe room and coming to rest at his feet.

---