Chapter 45 |
【Shocking! Hurry up and read the latest issue of Yaoji! The handsome guy in the white shirt is back in the spotlight!】
【Aaaaahhhh he’s my husbando! So cool and so hot!】
【I love this type of aloof handsome guy! Ji Qiu, give him a name already!】
【Wtf, he’s already shown up again and still doesn’t have a name? C’mon, you trying to make money or not?】
Yuan Yuanyuan opened the comic, and the moment she saw the panel with the cold-faced, white-shirted guy wearing white sleeve guards, even she—knowing full well what kind of person he really was—was momentarily dazzled. She could imagine how others must be losing their minds.
A graceful young man, confident and aloof, in a crisp white shirt, cold and powerful.
Three words summed it up: ascetic-type. Add two more: cool ascetic boy.
This kind of character always pulled in fans with that perfect mix of aloofness, restraint, and strength. Paired with that face? Irresistibly swoon-worthy.
That was the closest she’d ever seen to a real-life “cold beauty.” As for Si Qun… Si Qun was the most misunderstood guy she’d ever met. Sometimes, when she looked at Si Qun and then back at the “her” in the comic, she couldn’t help but think—
Ji Qiu, are you just making stuff up as you go?
Si Qun fought like a maniac—seriously powerful. Yuan Yuanyuan was sure he was some high-level demon, but his true form was still a mystery.
Now, looking at Si Qun… he didn’t feel like her type at all. If anything, it messed with her memories of her past crushes.
Especially last night, when she got home and found a very excited Xiao Ying waiting at her door, bombarding her with questions: “Do you know who that white-shirted demon is? The one who fights really well and never smiles? What’s his name?”
…Yeah. That was when things got real awkward.
Looking at Xiao Ying was like looking at her younger self, and for some reason, she got a weird, disillusioned feeling.
Si Qun really had drawn in a ton of fans. With his looks and that character setup, he was basically locked in as a fan-favorite. Meanwhile, she had no clue about her own character settings, constantly worried whether she’d even survive the elimination round.
She sighed. Ever since Si Qun charged out like an idiot that day, he had become a recurring character in Yaoji—and not just a cameo. He’d gotten two full issues’ worth of pages.
【A small figure and a towering one—visually striking. But the small one showed no emotion.
With a loud crash, the larger figure was slammed into the ground. The smaller one spun mid-air and landed lightly.】
Yuan Yuanyuan nearly dropped her phone. Comic Si Qun was cool, flirty, and charismatic. Stripped of preconceptions, he could easily become a classic second-dimension heartthrob.
When he dropped from the air and kicked the monster hard—BAM!—that was peak badassery. Somehow… he seemed totally reliable.
But comic-Si Qun and real-life Si Qun were two very different beings. Of course, his comic scenes were all action-packed brawls.
Li Zi Jie had been in a foul mood these past few days. Yuan Yuanyuan didn’t get why Ji Qiu, after spending so much time on the main character’s training arc, suddenly veered into a subplot starring Si Qun.
There was no setup, no payoff—just a scene of Si Qun whooping some monster’s ass in the middle of the main character’s cultivation.
Yuan Yuanyuan finished arranging some glasses, knocked on a door, and entered after hearing a “come in.” Inside, a few customers were drinking. She quietly placed drinks on the table, and as she turned to leave, one of them remarked:
“You look kinda familiar.”
Yuan Yuanyuan smiled and walked out with the empty bottles.
Ever since that drunken guest made a scene at the tavern, she’d asked Li Zi Jie if she could serve out front. She needed the money. Though Li Zi Jie was swamped with stress lately, she helped Yuan Yuanyuan get the job.
She didn’t particularly enjoy it, but after that drunken guy gave her a brilliant idea—there were so many guests here, surely some of them knew about the past. Get them drunk, and maybe they’d spill something useful.
This plan worked surprisingly well. In just a few days of serving drinks, she’d learned more than in years of eavesdropping.
While the war had first come to her attention through that carved pebble, it was this bartending gig that gave her insight into its cultural weight among demons.
Everyone knew about it. Even little kids had heard the stories.
There were walls in this tavern covered in portraits. She used to think they were random paintings—now she knew they were war heroes.
The Blood Jade Demon Army had a fearsome rep. And more than once, Yuan Yuanyuan heard drunken demons slurring, “If I ever meet that guy… I’ll kill him.”
And they meant it. The rage was real.
Honestly, it was a mess. Ji Qiu even wanted her to keep going out in disguise—she hadn’t dared to for two weeks now.
If she didn’t get out there soon, Ji Qiu might show up to drag her out personally. And nobody wanted that psycho showing up.
Back in the kitchen, she glanced at the droopy Si Qun. He was a mess lately, too. Li Zi Jie had him on lockdown—no food, no sleep, no freedom.
She tossed him an orange and sat beside him, peeling one for herself. Si Qun peeled his quietly, occasionally peeking toward the door, probably checking if his sister was coming.
Yuan Yuanyuan looked at the little bottles beside her. These days, she and Si Qun barely had time to talk. She genuinely felt bad for him—yet another demon ruined by Ji Qiu.
It wasn’t her fault… but the moment Si Qun showed up in the comic, she knew Ji Qiu wouldn’t let him go. The guy had clearly been waiting for this moment.
“Eat up while you can. Your sister’s not back yet,” she said.
She pulled out her phone, scrolling through forums while thinking about how to get out for a disguise stroll without running into any angry demons.
Maybe she could visit a neighboring province? It was rougher there, but probably had fewer demons overall… only issue was the bus fare.
Absentmindedly scrolling, she searched “妖记 (Yaoji)” in the forums—and to her surprise, found an actual discussion board.
Wait, there’s a Yaoji forum?
She clicked in. The top posts were just minutes old. This place is way more active than I expected.
One post caught her eye: 【Top 20 Power Rankings in Yaoji】.
She clicked it—and immediately blushed.
The author had listed twenty characters, all of whom had shown up multiple times. Some were major bosses. But guess who was ranked #1?
Yuan.
Even Yuan Yuanyuan thought it was unbelievable. She scrolled through the replies—most people agreed. There were some debates over the lower rankings, but not a single soul questioned Yuan’s top placement.
Some argued that new bosses would eventually emerge, like in Dragon Ball—Frieza, Super Saiyans, etc.—with the author milking the power curve to keep the series alive.
But for now? Yuan was top dog.
What the hell?! I’m getting thrown under the bus here! I’m bleeding myself dry every week, feeling like I’ve got kidney failure, and now I’m public enemy number one?!
This… this was all Ji Qiu’s fault! Misleading panels, hyped-up fight scenes—it was a total misrepresentation!
She felt stuck. Even if it was just a forum thread, it revealed a lot. She kept scrolling… and suddenly found a really weird post.
【Who exactly is Yuan? Does anyone’s parents know about the war back then? Come in here to discuss.】
Most other threads were shipping wars, character analysis, and power rankings. But this one stood out. Especially that one word:
Parents.
That word felt off. You didn’t usually see it in fan threads.
The post had been made three days ago and was already buried. Heart pounding, Yuan Yuanyuan clicked in.
First reply: a user flaming the OP for being cringe.
Second: just ellipses.
Third: a curse word.
Fourth: the original poster again—dropping a QQ group number, saying anyone interested should join.
Yuan Yuanyuan stared at the number… and before she knew it, she was copying and pasting it into QQ search.
As she did, completely absorbed in her phone, something huge was unfolding outside.
Just as she feared—being ranked first was bound to attract attention. Especially when there were historical layers involved.
A famous high-ranking demon in her region had just issued a formal duel challenge.
He wanted to fight Yuan within the next month.
The news shook the entire district.