AFK System

"Jiang Donghua!"

"How long are you going to keep playing dead, you pile of trash?"

Icy water was poured over his head, and Jiang Donghua abruptly opened his eyes.

Through his blurred vision, a pair of foul-smelling boots was crushing his fingers, his joints creaking with a teeth-grinding sound.

He instinctively tried to struggle, only to find his entire body as heavy as if it had been filled with lead.

"Senior Brother Zhang told you to weed the herb fields, yet you dared hide here and slack off?"

The young man in yellow robes grabbed his hair and hauled him up, spraying his face with spittle reeking of garlic.

"Looks like yesterday's lesson wasn't enough!"

The searing pain fully woke Jiang Donghua. He stared blankly at his callused hands, while darkened bloodstains still clung to the collar of his coarse hemp clothes.

Unfamiliar memories suddenly surged into his mind like a tidal wave.

This was a world where Dou Qi reigned supreme, and he had transmigrated into the lowest-ranking menial disciple of the Azure Mist Sect. Because his aptitude was too poor, he had been assigned to do odd jobs in the herb fields.

"Ding! No vital signs detected in host. [Infinite AFK System] successfully activated!"

The moment the mechanical voice exploded in his mind, the world seemed to have been paused.

A translucent panel unfolded before his eyes.

[Host: Jiang Donghua]

[Realm: Battle Qi Stage Three (66/100)]

[Idle Gain: Automatically gain 1 Dou Qi per hour]

[Current environment bonus: None (recommend changing cultivation location)]

[Number of clones: 1 (unlock second clone upon breaking through to Dou Zhe)]

Jiang Donghua's pupils contracted sharply.

As a seasoned webnovel reader, he understood all too well what this system meant.

While others needed to sit in meditation to increase their Dou Qi, he could gain it automatically just by lying down!

"Still spacing out?"

Zhang Hu's fist came whistling toward him on a fierce gust of wind.

As a menial disciple, Zhang Hu was only three minor stages above Jiang Donghua, but the power of Battle Qi Stage Six was enough to shatter stone tablets and split rocks.

Jiang Donghua could not help roaring inwardly.

Am I seriously going to die right after transmigrating?!

Zhang Hu's fist, carrying the fierce wind of Battle Qi Stage Six, hurtled straight at his face.

If that punch landed, with his badly injured body, even if he did not die, he would be crippled!

But suddenly, a clear, cold voice rang out like a frigid spring striking stone, instantly shattering the scene in the herb fields.

"Stop!"

Jiang Donghua laboriously raised his head. Through his blurred vision, a slender figure approached at an unhurried pace.

She was a woman of about twenty, her jet-black hair tied high into a ponytail that swayed gently with her steps, making her look clean and capable.

She wore a light cyan robe embroidered with silver cloud patterns along the collar and cuffs. A plain white sash circled her waist, outlining her slender figure.

Though she wore no makeup, her features were as picturesque as a painting. Her almond-shaped eyes in particular were as clear as autumn waters, though they now carried a trace of coldness.

"Senior Sister Lin?!"

Zhang Hu's fist came to an abrupt halt in midair. His expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly withdrew his hand and stepped back twice, wariness evident in his tone.

The woman ignored him and walked straight to Jiang Donghua. She lowered her head to inspect his miserable state, her brows knitting slightly.

"Are you all right?"

Her voice was calm, yet it carried a hint of concern.

Jiang Donghua froze for a moment and instinctively shook his head. But the slightest movement tugged at his wounds, making him suck in a sharp breath.

Seeing this, the woman's eyes grew even colder. She turned to Zhang Hu, her tone icy.

"Zhang Hu, sect rules state that fellow disciples are forbidden from fighting privately. What do you think you are doing?"

Zhang Hu's face stiffened, then he forced a smile.

"Senior Sister Lin, you misunderstand. I was merely teaching a lazy menial disciple a lesson, so he wouldn't delay the work in the herb fields..."

"Teaching him a lesson?"

The woman sneered.

"Beating someone into this state counts as teaching him a lesson?"

Cold sweat seeped across Zhang Hu's forehead. He was clearly deeply wary of this "Senior Sister Lin," and hurriedly defended himself.

"Senior Sister, please see clearly. This brat slacked off first. I was only acting according to the rules..."

Lin Qingyao swept a cold gaze over the scene, her eyes finally settling on Jiang Donghua.

"What happened?"

Jiang Donghua forced himself to his feet. Blood still stained the corner of his lips, yet he gave a bleak smile.

"Reporting to Senior Sister, Senior Brother Zhang, he..."

Jiang Donghua deliberately paused. Watching Zhang Hu tense up at once, he suddenly raised his voice.

"He tried to kill me!"

"Bullshit!"

Zhang Hu immediately flew into a rage.

Lin Qingyao frowned deeply. Her gaze lingered for a moment on Jiang Donghua's bruised wounds before shifting to Zhang Hu.

"Article Seven of the sect rules: those who harm fellow disciples shall be confined for one month. Do you admit your guilt?"

Zhang Hu wanted to argue, but the moment he met Lin Qingyao's eyes, all the fight drained out of him.

"I... I was just acting on impulse..."

"Go to the Punishment Hall and accept your punishment."

"Confine yourself in the back mountains for one month. If you offend again, your punishment will be doubled."

Lin Qingyao spoke flatly.

Zhang Hu's face turned livid, but he did not dare disobey. He could only lower his head and acknowledge the order.

As he left, he took the chance while passing by Jiang Donghua to grit out through clenched teeth into his ear.

"You little bastard, just wait!"

"In one month, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

Jiang Donghua's expression did not change. He merely curled his lips slightly and replied in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"I'll be waiting."

Watching Zhang Hu's furious retreating figure, a cold glint flashed in Jiang Donghua's eyes.

"One month?"

"Heh. With the system, when the time comes, it's still uncertain who will deal with whom..."

Lin Qingyao gave Jiang Donghua a thoughtful look, as if she wanted to say something. In the end, she merely said flatly,

"Take care of yourself."

Then she turned and left.

Zhang Hu's two lackeys, Zhao Tiezhu and Wang Mazi, stood off to the side and took in the entire scene.

Zhao Tiezhu was broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, his face covered in bulging flesh. His thick fingers cracked loudly as he clenched them.

Wang Mazi, meanwhile, was as skinny as a bamboo pole, his face covered in pockmarks. His triangular eyes flickered with venomous light.

"Heh, this little bastard has gotten pretty capable."

Zhao Tiezhu spat on the ground and said in a rough voice.

"He actually dared tattle in front of Senior Sister?"

Wang Mazi gave a sinister laugh.

"Let him be smug for a few days."

"Once Brother Hu gets out of the back mountains..."

"By then, not even a whole corpse will be left."

He made a throat-slitting gesture.

The two deliberately raised their voices, making sure Jiang Donghua heard every word clearly.

"I heard magical beasts have been appearing around Black Wind Ridge lately. Some menial disciples, when gathering herbs, accidentally end up..."

Zhao Tiezhu sighed theatrically.

"Without even bones left behind!"

Wang Mazi picked up the line, and the two burst into piercing laughter together.

Jiang Donghua wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at them expressionlessly.

Both of them were at Battle Qi Stage Five. Either one could easily crush him to death in his current state, but they did not dare—at least, not yet.

The Azure Mist Sect strictly forbade fellow disciples from killing one another, and violators would be severely punished. But once outside the sect's territory, if someone died in some mountain ravine, who could say what really happened?

"What? Not convinced?"

Zhao Tiezhu swaggered over, looking down at Jiang Donghua from above.

Wang Mazi spoke in a mocking, sarcastic tone beside him.

"He's got Senior Sister Lin 'protecting' him now, after all. Brother Tiezhu, you'd better be careful."

Jiang Donghua lowered his eyes, his voice terrifyingly calm.

"You two Senior Brothers must be joking."

"Coward!"

Zhao Tiezhu suddenly lashed out with a kick, overturning the herb basket beside him. Freshly gathered spirit herbs scattered all over the ground.

"Remember, if even one stalk of these herbs goes missing, I'll skin you alive!"

The two swaggered away. Before leaving, Wang Mazi deliberately crushed several spirit herbs beneath his foot, then turned back to flash Jiang Donghua a grin full of yellow teeth.

"My hand slipped."

Only after their figures disappeared at the end of the mountain path did Jiang Donghua slowly unclench his fists. His nails had already dug bloody marks into his palms.

"Zhao Tiezhu, Wang Mazi..."

He silently repeated those two names in his heart, his eyes as cold as ice.

The system panel appeared before him at just the right moment.

[Host: Jiang Donghua]

[Realm: Battle Qi Stage Three (66/100)]

[Idle Gain: Automatically gain 1 Dou Qi per hour]

[Current environment bonus: None]

Jiang Donghua stared at the number "66/100," a cold smile curling across his lips.

One month?

At this rate, I'll break through to Stage Four in two days.

Thirty days later...

He bent down to pick up the crushed spirit herbs, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes.

"By then, we'll see who skins whom alive."