Chapter 166 – How to Elegantly Off Meng Liang (III)
Jiang Pengji listened impassively to the countdown from the System, which felt like a death knell ringing in her ears, remaining utterly unfazed.
“Xun Mei, if you hear any noise tonight, no need to come in and check.”
Xun Mei was outside on night watch, with a neatly folded bedding set beside her, meant for keeping warm during her vigil.
Upon hearing Jiang Pengji’s instruction, Xun Mei was taken aback but still complied.
“Understood, Young Master, rest assured.”
“Mm.”
Jiang Pengji replied softly.
The System was rather considerate, giving her a three-minute prep time before carrying out its punishment. Jiang Pengji slowly removed her outer garments, leaving on a pale blue undergarment, and sat calmly on the bedding, waiting for the punishment prepared by the System.
“Three, two, one! Punishment executed!”
With the System’s cold countdown reaching its end, a strange and explosive energy suddenly enveloped her. It surged violently through her body, as if wreaking havoc on every muscle, shattering them under relentless pressure.
Jiang Pengji was bent over in agony, collapsing onto the bedding, emitting only faint sounds.
As this explosive energy coursed through her, her heart raced at an unimaginable speed, as though it would leap from her throat.
Her blood surged, and boiling sweat poured out of her pores. In just a couple of breaths, a damp spot appeared where she lay, and her back was soaked through, with excess sweat dripping onto the bedding.
Honestly, the punishment from the System was on a different level compared to the training Jiang Pengji had endured before.
In terms of cruelty, the System’s punishment was just ordinary difficulty, while the Federation’s training was hellish.
But, comparing the two now, she’d rather go through the Federation’s training again.
Not for anything else, but she had carelessly overestimated herself and completely forgot that this body was that of a woman from ancient times!
Having received no targeted training, women from ancient times were pathetically weak in every aspect, especially compared to her former self.
The pain she felt now—while Liu Lanting’s body would break under it, Jiang Pengji’s previous body would have been unaffected.
Despite Liu Lanting’s body having gained 31 points in martial ability, it only barely raised its combat competence to that of a brawny man, still ultimately an ordinary person when you looked at the numbers, not even close to the level of a gene warrior.
In this situation, Jiang Pengji found herself in a truly awkward predicament.
Her spirit and will were steadfast, yet her body had reached the brink of collapse.
Her face twisted in agony, yet the corner of her lips curled into a strange and twisted smile, tinged with mockery.
Though it was unclear how the System layered its electrical shocks, experiencing it firsthand made her acutely aware of one thing—the so-called Level 5 electrical shock just happened to hit this body’s pain tolerance threshold, a moment more and her body would cease to exist in a splintering disaster!
From the moment the punishment began, the System had taken on the role of a dispassionate observer, coldly watching her endure the punishment, hoping she would break down and plead for mercy.
Aren’t the System and host supposed to help each other for mutual benefit?
Why be so violently uncooperative, harming both their interests in the process?
As a System, it was quite confident in Jiang Pengji’s abilities. If it weren’t for that terrible temper, it couldn’t have seen where things went wrong.
For a System—especially one like it with clear and focused developmental goals—a foolish host was easy to control but exhausting to manage, always having to plan out every step, like a babysitter or a wet nurse.
So, every System yearned to encounter a smart, ambitious, and easily manageable host.
Yet, Jiang Pengji belonged to none of those categories.
She was clever and eager to improve, but her single fatal flaw was a strong sense of self, refusing to be controlled by others.
A host that doesn’t comply with the System’s plans is even more aggravating than those fools who lazily venture out without a clue!
At this moment, Liu Lanting’s body was on the edge of collapse. If it weren’t for Jiang Pengji’s strong will, she likely would have already given in.
Silently, she told herself, “Just hang in there a bit longer, Jiang Pengji!”
The training method for gene warriors developed by the Federation essentially stimulates muscle cell activity with external forces.
Heh, though this bizarre energy was making her suffer terribly, getting through it would yield great rewards.
The System wouldn’t actually let her die; if she did, the System’s loss would be immense.
However, not letting her die and not letting her suffer are two entirely different concepts.
She was very clear on the warning the System was sending through this punishment—if she didn’t want to suffer further, she had to obediently complete the System’s tasks!
Heh!
What a misfortune!
Jiang Pengji was a hard nut to crack that no one could chew through!
Dare to bite?
Watch out for a chipped tooth!
The System remained cold and indifferent, showing no sign of urgency whatsoever.
Liu Xi’s body data was being monitored in real time, merely teetering on the brink, as long as she was alive, everything was fine.
Three minutes is neither long nor short, yet for Jiang Pengji at this moment, every second stretched like a year.
In the first minute, Liu Xi’s body data displayed a terrifying crimson, indicating high alert, the body was nearing its limit.
A minute passed, the System remained unhurried, yet didn’t notice that the string of data was slightly less red.
By the time it realized something was off, the data color had changed to an orange-red, still highly hazardous, but the alert level had dropped a notch.
What in the world was happening?
The System was completely baffled.
In just half a minute, the orange-red began to turn to a yellowish-orange, the alert level decreasing again!
Before the System could ascertain what was happening, the three-minute punishment came to an end. Jiang Pengji lay sprawled on her back on the bedding, her chest heaving, gasping greedily for fresh air to ease the lingering pain throughout her body.
“Has three minutes really passed?”
Jiang Pengji’s voice had become terribly hoarse, like sandpaper scraping against glass.
The System softly acknowledged.
“Three minutes, how… regrettably short…”
She chuckled, her tone sounding strange and mockingly.
The System thought Jiang Pengji was mocking it and couldn’t help but respond, “The tasks issued in real-time are automatically generated, not deliberately sent by me to the host. The timing, frequency, and content of the tasks are all beyond my control. This sarcasm from the host greatly undermines the System’s motivation and could severely impact the cooperation between us.”
Jiang Pengji was utterly exhausted, but a radiant smile spread across her face.
“No, System, that’s not what I meant!” Jiang Pengji laughed so hard she could hardly get the words out.
“What do you mean then?” the System asked.
Trying to suppress her laughter, her stomach pained slightly, “What I mean is, just look at the data panel.”
