Chapter 11: Midnight in the Sword Vault — Oops, I Triggered the Forbidden Array?!

[Sword Vault Pavilion · Midnight]

Xu Nian was determined to figure out the core plotline of this novel world—But without exposing her "transmigrator" identity, of course.

So, she decided to sneak into the legendary Sword Vault Pavilion, the private domain where her five senior brothers stored their swords, scrolls, and possibly… secrets.

If the plot had left her in the dark, maybe the original characters had left a few breadcrumbs behind.

She tiptoed past the silent corridors.The midnight wind rustled the trees, casting fluttering shadows. A faint scent of tea lingered in the air.

"Whew… No one saw me, right?" she muttered, pushing open the heavy wooden doors.

Click.

With a soft creak, the door opened. She crept inside and looked around.

Yup. Not your average library.

Hundreds of swords lined the walls in strict formation.Ancient scrolls, bamboo slips, and sealed books piled up like a cultivation nerd's dream hoard.

Just one glance at the spiritual locking array nearly made her pass out from psychic overload.

"So intense... I've only been here three days! Most sects spend their first month making flower tea or drawing talismans. You guys are out here sword-training and… writing dissertations?"

She muttered while casually picking up a nearby bamboo scroll.

[Northern Abyss Sword Art · Deconstruction Volume]

Xu Nian blinked.

"Wait, isn't this Big Brother Shen Wang's personal sword technique?!"

She frowned, flipping it open—only for her fingertip to accidentally brush the spiritual seal.

[DING! Forbidden array triggered — Sword Vault Defense System activated!][Intruder identity unknown. Flagged as external threat. Initiating auto-report protocol.]

"Wait! No, I'm not—"

BOOM!!!

A blinding flash of gold light exploded in the room.

Sword qi erupted like a thousand cavalry charging forward.Xu Nian shrieked and dropped into a crouch, hugging her head:

"OKAY OKAY! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!!"

Seconds later, several figures burst into the room like gods descending.

"Who dares trespass in the Sword Vault?" Shen Wang's voice was cold as ice, his sword aura still crackling with fury.

"Little junior sister?" Lu Jin, the second brother, froze, concern flashing across his eyes.

"Why would she come here?" Fourth brother Xie Linyuan lowered his whip slowly, brows tightening.

"Tsk. Sneaking around at night… Could she be an undercover agent?" Third brother Bai Qi leaned against the doorway, clearly amused.

"No no no no! I just got lost! I swear! I have the worst sense of direction!" Xu Nian jumped up and waved her arms wildly.

But before she could explain further, Shen Wang had already moved to shield her behind him.

"She's never trained in array techniques. She couldn't have broken the seal on her own." His tone was firm. "The system clearly made a mistake."

"Misidentified by the system?" Xie Wuyan raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Now that's... entertaining."

"Let's not argue now," Lu Linfeng said gently. "She's injured. Treat her first."

"I'm not—wait… I think I'm a little dizzy..."

Her knees gave way. Xu Nian collapsed forward—

Right into Shen Wang's arms. Her forehead brushed against his chest, and for a moment… the entire room fell silent.

Only the sound of heartbeats remained.

"..."

"Ahem." Chu Guihan cleared his throat and walked away swiftly.

"Damn," Bai Qi whistled, sucking in a breath. "Is this what you people call 'feeding the audience sugar'?"

Shen Wang's expression remained unreadable.But his arms subconsciously tightened around her.

His voice was barely above a whisper:

"Next time, tell your senior brother before doing something reckless."

[Hidden Quest Triggered: "Seed of Trust" Sub-Route Activated]Affinity Gained:Shen Wang +3Lu Jin +2 Bai Qi+1

[Mission Update:]"Villain Redemption Handbook"

Goal 1: Remove the "Villain" tag (In Progress)

Goal 2: Earn the complete trust of one senior brother (0/1)

Goal 3: Collect the "Fated Relic" of all five senior brothers (0/5)

[Host Tip: Recommend progressing Shen Wang's route first—he currently leads in affection points!]

Xu Nian:

So… this really is an otome-style Shura hellscape script after all?!