“Heh~ What’s wrong, Master? Weren’t these legs of yours pretty fierce when you were kicking me earlier? Your disciple here had several ribs broken by you. So why are you trembling now, huh? You’re gonna fall if you are shaking like that.”
“…Let go… You unfilial disciple!”
“Heh, come on, Master. Look clearly. You’re the one who won’t let go of me, aren’t you? So stubborn, saying one thing and doing another. Huh? Have you lost weight? You’re all bones—this won’t do. Master should eat more and put on some meat. It’d be way more comfortable when I’m holding you.”
“Mo! Xuan! Li!”
“Aw, Master’s shy again? After all those years of dual cultivation, you’re still playing coy with me? You’d better save your breath—put that mouth of yours to better use.”
Inside the recording studio, soft lights bathed the space, seeming to expose every sultry sound echoing within.
Suddenly, a voice called from outside the booth:
“The tone’s off! Where’s that agonized sound Gu Baiqing’s supposed to be making?” The dubbing director knocked the glass with a rolled-up script.
Sitting inside, Gu Baiqing coughed and tugged at his flushed earlobe, trying to act casual as he turned toward the window.
“The author didn’t describe it that clearly! Maybe it’s just a kiss scene?”
“No way! You have to analyze the context! At this point, Mo Xuanli’s already fully demonized. No way he’d let Gu Baiqing off easy!”
“Ugh, stop calling him by name—just say Master!” Gu Bai winced at how close the name sounded to his own.
“So picky. Anyway, Mo Xuanli’s definitely gonna degrade him thoroughly! Come on, breathe harder! Put some rasp in your throat! You’ve been doing old shou voices for so long—don’t tell me you’re shy! You’re a professional! Picture the scene in your head! Control your pacing! Use your voice to build the picture—we need to hear what’s happening through the sound!”
Gu Bai looked conflicted. “Are you sure recording it like this won’t cross the line? Am I not going to get summoned for a ‘friendly chat’?”
“If you do, I’ll bail you out!”
Gu Bai slammed his head onto the table, shut his eyes, and put on the look of someone being forced into something immoral. Still, he professionally ran through the scene in his head, trying to figure out how to voice it properly. But the images he conjured up were so embarrassing that his whole face burned red.
To be fair, the director had a point—at this stage, Mo Xuanli had already gone dark. Of course he wouldn’t still be the tender, affectionate type.
The project he was working on was a pure romance master-disciple drama. Apparently, the original novel was titled “Master Cries Every Night”—a name that screamed boundary-pushing, as if it were skirting the edge of being locked [by censors] every second.
This bold work centered around the entangled love between the disciple-top Mo Xuanli and his master-bottom Gu Baiqing—your classic master story formula.
The master, like an aloof flower on a high mountain, was cold and reserved, untouchable. Yet he treated his disciple with special care and protection. This disciple, who had never known love, gradually became obsessed with his master—what started as admiration slowly twisted into something else.
Due to an accident, the disciple’s dark nature spiraled out of control, amplifying all his emotions toward his master until he was completely ruled by his desires. In the end, the scheming disciple tricked his master into believing that if they didn’t dual-cultivate, both of them would die. The master, blaming himself for failing to protect his disciple and wanting not to drag him down further, reluctantly agreed to this morally improper act.
Thus began the arc where the cold, noble master was forced into endless dual cultivation. The sprinkling of cultivation plotlines merely served as a pretense to provide fresh settings and new “gameplay” for the disciple’s satisfaction.
But once the master truly developed feelings for his disciple, he discovered that the dual cultivation had allowed the disciple to fully turn into a demon lord, now threatening the human realm. What’s more, the whole “dual cultivation to survive” story had been a lie.
The master couldn’t accept this and swore to clean house.
The disciple, unable to understand, raged: if their hearts were aligned, why must they stand on opposite sides as good and evil? In a fit of anger, he captured the master and imprisoned him—thus starting the angst-ridden, twisted romance arc.
Gu Bai happened to get stuck right at this point in the recording. To be honest, this novel had already far surpassed anything he’d ever dubbed before. Some scenes had him, a straight man, sweating and scalp-tingling in disbelief. The sheer intensity of the material was overwhelming—every day he asked himself in his soul: Is this even allowed?!
Now his mind felt fuzzy again. Huh? Why was he getting dizzier… and dizzier…
Suddenly, Gu Bai’s entire body jolted like he’d been electrocuted. Did the recording equipment short out?
“Master! Master!”
His head was spinning, vision going dark, and amid the background roar of thunder, he heard an anxious, worried voice in his ear.
He thought, Who’s that? Really getting into character, huh? Not calling him by name at a time like this but calling him “Master” instead—that was something else. Still, the voice was nice—a mix of youthful charm and god-tier smoothness. Quite a voice. A newcomer to the voice acting studio, maybe? Suits the role of Mo Xuanli.
Gu Bai forced his eyes open, curious to see who was playing the gong in this audio drama.
What he saw, though, was a youth dressed in antiquated robes. Before he could even get a good look at the boy’s face, the breathtaking night scene of maple forest and starry sky overwhelmed him—his eyes rolled back, and he really passed out.
In the infinite darkness, a cold, metallic voice rang out:
[Ding! Congratulations, host. Your soul has been selected by the Heavenly Dao!]
[Ding! Character binding successful. Role: Gu Baiqing. Identity: One of the Four Guardian Elders of the Zixiao Sect, Lord of Luofeng Pavilion.]
[Ding! The ‘Good Master’ System has been assigned to you. System bound successfully. Mission target: Mo Xuanli.]
Gu Bai was shocked awake by the three consecutive dings. He thought he was dreaming. But the moment he opened his eyes—what the f*ck?!
He wasn’t in a hospital bed at all, but inside a bamboo cottage.
Incense drifted softly through the tranquil air. Pale curtains floated gently, revealing a round bamboo window. Outside, mist clung to the mountainside, with a stream cascading down, scattering droplets that caught the light like a rainbow. A sea of fiery maple leaves dyed the sky crimson, and in the distance, a flock of cranes crossed the glowing clouds.
This… this was definitely not the modern world! Something was seriously wrong!
He was lying on a bamboo bed, wearing a white inner robe like those in costume dramas. His long black hair—like the finest silk—spilled across his field of vision. But instead of looking ethereal, it just felt creepy.
Gu Bai shot up, trying to make sense of it all, when that same cold voice echoed in his head again:
[Gu Baiqing’s memory transfer in progress…]
Suddenly, a torrent of information blasted into his brain, knocking him right back onto the bed.
Pale-faced, he sat there recovering for a while before he couldn’t help but curse. “F*ck!”
He’d transmigrated—into the very character he’d been voicing—and got saddled with a d*mn system.
There was no going back. Fortunately, he’d been a loner with no attachments in the modern world. Plus, thanks to work, he’d read plenty of novels and wasn’t completely unprepared.
But why Gu Baiqing?!
Why this novel?!
Just thinking about the 70% of the plot that was pure smut made his thighs tense and his spine go cold. He could feel his moral compass flashing red. Going by usual novel patterns, was he really going to have to fall in love with his disciple?! Sure, he often voiced bottoms—but he was a straight man!!
Sensing the host’s overwhelming urge to flee, the system diligently began its explanation.
System: [The Good Master System is here to assist. This system’s sole objective is to help the host guide the target through proper cultivation and enlightenment, and prevent their descent into demonhood.]
Gu Bai saw a sliver of hope. “Wait—so all I have to do is teach Mo Xuanli? I don’t have to fall in love with him? Like, real teacher stuff?”
System: [Whether to form a romantic relationship with the target is entirely up to the host.]
Gu Bai let out a huge sigh of relief. Thank god he didn’t get stuck with one of those unreasonable systems. Maybe this world finally realized the need to deepen its themes instead of constantly pushing fanservice. It was a grand xianxia world, after all—it should stick to its proper cultivation plotlines.
System: [Reminder: Dual cultivation can indeed help the target’s cultivation improve faster, which aids the host in completing the mission.]
Gu Bai: Scram! Don’t even think about drooling over my body.
The system continued its introduction: [The mission is considered complete once the target reaches the Tribulation Stage. Time limit: five years. If, during this time, the target’s demonization level reaches 100, your points fall below 0, or the mission isn’t completed within the time limit, it will be deemed a failure, and the host will die.]
Of course, they wouldn’t give him a second life for free. Gu Bai accepted this calmly.
[The system will begin releasing teaching missions in succession. Please complete them diligently. After five years, you will fully possess this identity.]
Just then, Gu Bai focused his thoughts, and the system interface clearly appeared before him, filled with various information. But before he could take a good look—
[Ding! Beginner tutorial mission is about to be released. Please head immediately to the designated location: Zixiao Peak, Public Trial Platform. Good luck!]
Gu Bai—no, Gu Baiqing now—had always been cautious. With the system’s rules still unclear, he decided to follow instructions for now. Since he was already inside the game, might as well play the part. After all, this was the real world, not a game—story progression wouldn’t wait for him to arrive before starting.
Like a new hire on their first day, nervous about making mistakes, Gu Baiqing quickly got up to tidy himself. Thanks to the original body’s memories, it was easy. He gathered his thoughts while recalling the plot and rushed outside.
And immediately almost ran into a girl with a strong medicinal smell.
“Hey, you’re awake? What’s the rush?”
“T-Third Senior Sister.”
It was none other than his third senior sister, Luo Nianyi, one of the sect’s Guardian Elders, master of Flying Crane Pavilion. She practiced medical cultivation. According to his memories, the original host had failed his tribulation and been struck unconscious by lightning—Luo Nianyi was probably here to care for him.
“I need to go to the Public Trial Platform.”
Luo Nianyi blinked. “You heard already? That’s strange, has someone been here?”
“Yeah, I heard.” Gu Baiqing replied vaguely. He pulled the decorative hairpin from his hair, preparing to cast a spell.
Luo Nianyi gave him a strange look. “You always act like you don’t care about anything, but now that your disciple’s in trouble, you’re actually anxious, huh? Well, I’m worried about that talented little disciple of yours too. Let’s go together.”
Her aqua-green dress swirled as she pulled down a gourd of medicinal wine from her waist.
Gu Baiqing, meanwhile, threw his light-blue hairpin to the ground. The hairpin was actually his life-bound sword, Morning Snow. According to his memories, it should instantly enlarge and hover midair, ready for a majestic sword flight experience.
Gu Baiqing couldn’t help getting excited. Sword-riding—it meant he was really in a xianxia world now.
A wave of spiritual energy surged, and the object in front of him expanded—Gu Baiqing’s face froze.
Luo Nianyi leapt onto her flying gourd and looked back at him. Gu Baiqing picked up the now-limp hairpin lying sadly on the stone path, looking at her in confusion.
Luo Nianyi’s face darkened. She instantly appeared beside him and grabbed his wrist, brows furrowed.
“What’s going on? Where’s your spiritual energy? It was just a lightning strike—how could you end up like this?!” Her voice rose sharply by the end, clearly rattled by the unexpected deterioration in his condition.
But Gu Baiqing wasn’t too worried about that. Right now, his first mission took priority.
“Third Senior Sister, let’s head to the Public Trial Platform first,” Gu Baiqing said seriously, pulling his hand back.
“Right, right. Second Senior Brother and the others are already there. We can find them and figure something out.” With that, Luo Nianyi tugged him onto her gourd, and they soared over the flaming red maple forest toward Zixiao Peak.
***
Zixiao Sect was one of the four great immortal sects in the cultivation world. The sect leader oversaw four Guardian Elders and seven division elders. Built atop a massive spiritual vein, it had five pavilions and seven peaks. Bathed in spiritual energy, the landscape was stunning, the aura pure, and the entire place brimming with ethereal charm—an ideal place for cultivation and enlightenment. The highest point was Zixiao Peak, where the sect had constructed a massive Public Trial Platform used to judge those guilty of serious crimes.
As the cold wind buffeted him in the sky, Gu Baiqing sorted out the current situation.
He—Gu Baiqing—was once Zixiao Sect’s strongest cultivator, his cultivation at the Tribulation Stage. He had recently undergone heavenly lightning tempering and was on the verge of ascension, only to be struck unconscious. His one and only personal disciple, Mo Xuanli, had tried to help by sneaking into the sect’s forbidden grounds to gather spiritual herbs, only to trigger a seal and accidentally release a sealed demon clan.
After a brutal battle, the demons were sealed again, but multiple disciples were injured due to the incident. The offense was serious, so Mo Xuanli was now being held at the Public Trial Platform for judgment, charged with multiple violations and facing a sentence of ten lashes from the Spirit-Flaying Whip.
Each lash could put someone out of commission for half a month.
Ten lashes—if they didn’t kill him—would at the very least cripple his cultivation, possibly leaving long-term damage. For a cultivator, that was a punishment only a step away from death.
In the original novel, the usually cold and indifferent master arrived just in time to take nine lashes in his disciple’s place. Only then did Mo Xuanli truly realize that his master cared about him, not as distant and uncaring as he seemed. From that moment on, the master began to genuinely protect the disciple, and this marked the beginning of their romantic arc.
Thinking about this made Gu Baiqing uneasy. Was the mission going to make him take those lashes for Mo Xuanli?
In the original novel, the master vomited blood from the beating. Looking back now, to suffer that kind of damage even with Tribulation Stage cultivation, his body must’ve already had underlying issues. But the novel never focused on those logical details—it was all about the drama—so Gu Baiqing didn’t have much “spoiler” knowledge to work with. All he could do was pray the system wouldn’t force him into it. He didn’t want to sacrifice himself and end up targeted by Mo Xuanli, falling into the classic Master-novel trap.
But letting Mo Xuanli take ten lashes also didn’t sit right. The mission criteria included cultivation growth—he couldn’t let the target’s level drop right from the start, could he?
This dilemma left Gu Baiqing feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place.
As Luo Nianyi pierced through the clouds, they finally arrived at Zixiao Peak.
Gu Baiqing looked down and saw the enormous Public Trial Platform cloaked in a haze of greyish-purple—the color of Zixiao Sect’s disciple robes. It was already packed with disciples, standing shoulder to shoulder to witness the punishment.
And at the center of the platform, on the elevated stage, a lone, slender figure knelt.
Though on his knees, his back was ramrod straight, eyes steady and unfaltering. His grey-purple disciple robe still bore the dust and blood from battle—he looked disheveled, even pitiful, but the quiet air around him lent him a kind of calm composure.
Yet, when one’s gaze shifted to the young man’s pale face, it became clear—that wasn’t calmness, but a forced steadiness born of confusion and abandonment. Like a dog left out in a storm, still stubbornly guarding its home.
In front of the trial platform sat the judgment seats, where the elders of Zixiao Sect were gathered.
Elder Lin, who oversaw punishments, stepped forward and asked: “Mo Xuanli, disciple of Luofeng Pavilion, do you have any defense against the charges just read?”
Mo Xuanli replied, “None. I accept the punishment.”
His voice was soft and even, without a trace of trembling, as though he had accepted that the outcome was already set in stone.
“Very well. Ten lashes with the Spirit-Flaying Whip. Execute immediately.”
No one on or off the platform raised an objection. A man stepped forward holding the whip. The malicious aura embedded within it made everyone around instinctively retreat, afraid of getting caught in its backlash.
Mo Xuanli lowered his dense black lashes, concealing his eyes. His rosy lips pressed into a firm line. Despite himself, he still felt a little unsettled inside. But then he noticed a small cluster of blue flowers growing through a crack in the ground, fragile green leaves trembling alongside.
Such a delicate thing—one stray lash of spiritual energy, and it would be utterly destroyed.
Almost imperceptibly, Mo Xuanli shifted forward slightly, using his not-so-sturdy frame to shield the little blue flower. He closed his eyes, the tight line of his mouth easing into a faint smile. He comforted himself silently: It’s fine. Just take the punishment, rest and recover, and work hard to cultivate again. At worst, start over. I’m already lucky—not being expelled from the sect is blessing enough.
“Begin.”
Mo Xuanli’s body instinctively flinched. Cries of alarm rippled through the crowd.
And in that very moment, a voice as cold and heavy as frost rang out from the sky.
“Hold on. If a disciple is to be punished, shouldn’t his master at least be informed first?”
[Ding! Beginner Tutorial Mission: Help reduce damage for Mo Xuanli. Please choose—]
Option 1: A disciple’s mistake is the master’s failing. I am willing to receive punishment in Mo Xuanli’s place.
Option 2: Overwhelm them with strength. My only direct disciple should be punished lightly. I’ll argue the crime down to a minor offense.
Option 3: Other.
Author’s Note:
Gu Baiqing: Don’t even try to bait me. I’m straight.
Someone surnamed Yun: Heh. Those two next door thought the same thing at first.
Gu Baiqing: …
