Chapter 123

Tang Mingxi happily enjoyed the doujin content on the forums.

Ye Zheng stans were no longer the pushovers they used to be, the kind that anyone could step on. In the Throne of the Aberrant Realm doujin circle, power was now divided three ways. Pei Xi, Sykes, and Ye Zheng occupied the top three popularity spots with a clear gap. Ye Zheng was even faintly showing signs of overtaking the other two to reach number one.

This kind of career-fan satisfaction felt incredible. The moment a new male character rose in popularity, Ye Zheng immediately took him out. The main lead delivering content felt warmer than anything else.

But Tang Mingxi hadn’t expected that after losing ground on the forums, this group would immediately switch to their second skill. They went straight to harass the author’s account. Judging from avatars and profiles, quite a few males had even specially registered accounts just to protest.

【To prop up the big female lead’s favorite daughter, you ignored story logic. There are no character arcs, and the causes and effects have neither head nor tail. Author, Who the hell are you actually writing this for? 】

【You built up Kieran so much. One second he was standing fine in the hall, and the next second his head was already in Ye Zheng’s bag. Author, didn’t you laugh while drawing this?】

【It’s not that I don’t want Kieran to die, but dying like this feels far too casual. Isn’t the villain still a character you personally created? Do you hate him that much?】

【Honestly, it feels like the author got kidnapped by zzzq*… Kieran’s controversy got too big, so he hurriedly drew him dead.】

[T/N- 政治正确 (zhèng zhì zhèng què), which means "political correctness".]

【Ye Zheng’s controversy is even bigger. How is she still bouncing around alive?】

【Straight male authors are always like this. They can’t stand characters in their work who are more perfect and outstanding than themselves. Kieran was really unlucky to be born in this manga. In other works, a character like him would at least survive for over a hundred chapters as a major boss…】

【Who still remembers this woman started as just a healing-type Saintess? Now she’s cheating so hard. I suspect the one holding the pen is actually the author’s real dad.】

【Old uncle, please take the recent plot logic seriously. At least explain clearly how Kieran died. Give the character a complete life!】

【Redraw it! Kieran shouldn’t be treated so casually by you!】

Tang Mingxi looked at these comments and scratched her head in confusion. Were they hoping to see exactly how Kieran died at Ye Zheng’s hands? Did they want a high-definition replay of his death?

Holding her phone, she let out a malicious laugh and immediately liked those protest comments. She also supported the old uncle drawing out the entire process of Ye Zheng explosively killing Kieran. Let the man have a complete life!

Soon after, the author responded to the public outcry.

【NotOrdinaryMangaWorker v: Thank you all for your continued support. Ever since serialization began, this work has put great pressure on me. I’ve never tried drawing a manga like this before. The unique experience has made the characters exceptionally vivid, and I believe that’s an important reason for its popularity.

Kieran is a character I truly like. I feel deep regret about his ending, yet I’m also helpless. Compared to being a creator, I currently feel more like a recorder. For various reasons, I must faithfully depict their lives, though my brush inevitably carries my own bias. I believe this is already the best treatment Kieran could receive.

After reading everyone’s feedback, I realize this handling does have some issues. In the next chapter, I’ll fill in the plot details that left everyone confused.】

Hundreds of comments quickly flooded the section, most of them still filled with curses. Tang Mingxi, however, was already looking forward to next week’s plot. Just how exactly did Ye Zheng kill that disgusting man Kieran? She appeared before Pei Xi carrying his head. Tang Mingxi had a feeling her girl was about to stir up something big.

She thought of something and reread the author’s statement. This old uncle really was a bit mystical. Every post he made felt strangely abstract.

✧✧✧✧✧

“Pei Xi, give it to me, okay?”

Pei Xi stared in disbelief at the head in his hand. His fingers felt frozen stiff by the extreme cold. Ye Zheng had to grip tighter and take Kieran’s head from him.

Ye Zheng slowly straightened up. Pei Xi remained crouched and followed her movement with his eyes. He kept staring at that head in shock. After a long moment, his blue eyes finally shifted and met the black eyes looking down at him. Her expression was calm, and her tone sounded completely natural.

“Pei Xi, hand me the bag beside you.”

Pei Xi dazedly picked up the bag and passed it to her. He suddenly realized he was still crouching and quickly stood up.

Even though he was now a head taller than her, Pei Xi still felt an inescapable pressure. He looked down and watched Ye Zheng place the gruesome head into the bag. She lifted it slightly as if checking the weight, then raised her head and greeted him casually.

“It’s been a while. Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”

Pei Xi swallowed hard, his voice rough. “Is that… Kieran?”

“It is.”

Ye Zheng nodded.

“What exactly happened? Did he attack you? Why are you carrying… his head?”

“You know he wouldn’t take the initiative to act against the fruits of the Hope Project. The base has already been breached by Zhou Yun. I want to bring this to her. Perhaps Zhou Yun will be willing to negotiate with us.”

Pei Xi’s expression changed in shock. “The base was breached?”

He quickly asked, “Did you see Lu Qi? She’s in the base too!”

Ye Zheng lowered her eyes slightly. “Right now, I want to find her too.”

Hearing Ye Zheng’s words, Pei Xi felt his mind grow even more chaotic. Although he hated the Hope Project and its leader Kieran, he had barely left when both the base and Kieran were suddenly gone. The anger and hesitation he had suppressed felt like a punch landing on cotton. All his emotions suddenly became powerless.

And Ye Zheng’s explanation clearly avoided the important parts. A lot must have happened in between. However, his intuition told him it was better not to ask further.

Strangely enough, he now felt he could somewhat understand Ye Zheng. She wouldn’t want to get entangled in the storm and trial surrounding the killing of the Western District bishop. It would be better if he remained ignorant as well.

Pei Xi looked away and took a deep breath of the fog. His lungs felt even colder.

“You’ve just arrived. Let me give you a rundown of the situation here. Right now, fifty thousand people are trapped in this town with no way out. Kyle and I tried, but leaving is impossible. Zhou Yun’s whereabouts are still unknown. Did you see her in the base?”

“The base was overrun by her dragon-bodied people. White fog covered everything. I didn’t see her, but it’s possible she was there.”

Ye Zheng recalled what happened in the base.

After killing Kieran, she became trapped in the stairwell leading outside. The twisting staircase resembled a maze. It took her quite some time to find the exit. The moment she opened the door, white fog poured inside. A black wing swept toward her, and she immediately realized the base’s defenses had already been broken by Zhou Yun.

Those the Hope Project called Fallen Ones, dragon-bodied people, had almost taken over the entire base. They tore apart the white-robed men with their giant claws, leaving deep crimson slashes across the hardened walls.

As Ye Zheng moved along, she carefully observed the situation and noticed that these dragon-bodied creatures mostly ignored her. She guessed it was because they retained the upper bodies of human women, which reduced their aggression toward human females.

She didn’t care about the deaths of the men in the base who were responsible for experiments and maintenance. The only people qualified to live there were the women used as test subjects. However, the base was filled with fog, and she couldn’t find them for the time being. After thinking it through, she decided to leave first and search for Zhou Yun.

Yet even after carrying Kieran’s head and walking through the white fog for a long time, Zhou Yun never responded.

This made things somewhat troublesome. Zhou Yun was clearly determined to carry out her plan.

“She’s not in the base, and she’s not in this town. Where else could she be? If we don’t find her soon, everyone will be in serious danger.”

Pei Xi’s voice carried a hint of anxiety.

Ye Zheng studied the faint shadows within the fog and observed the unfamiliar surroundings. She replied, “Perhaps we don’t need to rush. Do you remember her plan?”

Pei Xi paused before recalling it. “Kieran said her goal was to destroy the Hope Project, as well as us. You, me, and Sykes. The three symbols of the empire’s hope…”

His blue eyes darkened. “I understand. She has already destroyed the base. Next, she’ll come for us.”

“Let’s find Sykes and regroup. If the three of us stand together, Zhou Yun might show up right away.”

Ye Zheng spoke with a smile that sounded almost joking, but her black eyes held no trace of amusement.

✧✧✧✧✧

Amid the noisy cries, Sykes stood with his arms crossed and silently watched the blurred faces of the crowd. His subordinates were using his title as crown prince to maintain order and distribute relief supplies. None of it stirred any emotion in him. He only felt irritation.

Even if they managed to calm the two thousand people in front of him, what difference would it make? Five hundred thousand people were trapped here. Compared to that number, two thousand was insignificant. Their gratitude meant nothing to his cause. Right now, he only wanted to find that woman, kill her, and end this irritating mess.

Sykes thought mockingly to himself that this was what the Hope Project had produced. If someone like him was considered a success, then the project should have been renamed the Destruction Project long ago.

Pei Xi’s mediocrity was hardly worth mentioning. As for Ye Zheng, expecting such a monstrous woman to give birth to the hope they desired was simply ridiculous.

Suddenly, amid the chaotic noise, he sharply caught the sound of two sets of footsteps. Sykes narrowed his golden eyes and turned toward the doorway on the left.

“Weren’t you locked in the confinement cell?”

The moment he saw Ye Zheng, Sykes felt slightly surprised. Kieran didn’t seem like the kind of person who would easily change his decisions. He wouldn’t have released Ye Zheng voluntarily.

“You escaped?”

Ye Zheng tilted her head slightly and hummed in confirmation.

Sykes looked at her suspiciously and suddenly noticed the black bag she carried.

“What’s in that bag?” he asked.

“Trash.”

Ye Zheng answered naturally. Beside her, Pei Xi turned his head away with a subtly complicated expression.

“Is anyone injured here? I can smell blood.” Ye Zheng looked toward the crowd and frowned.

Sykes kept his expression cold. “There was a stampede during food distribution. People are already dealing with it. Since you’re on Zhou Yun’s death list, you’d better conserve your strength.”

Ye Zheng didn’t even glance again at the cold-faced Sykes. Since she couldn’t find Zhou Yun for the moment, treating the wounded ordinary people was simply part of her daily duty as a Saintess.

Besides, one of the reasons they came to the Western District was to investigate the church’s secrets about dragon bones. However, their most important goal was still to save people. How could she ignore those she could help right in front of her?

At that moment, more than two thousand people were crowded inside the underground shelter. Faint fog seeped into the basement. Not long ago, a stampede had occurred. Although the crown prince had rushed over immediately after hearing the news and restored order, the damage had already been done. Most of the injured were women and children, and two had already died.

Ye Zheng was holding a small girl in her arms. Not long ago, she had killed a grand bishop using 【Stream】. Now it flowed gently into the girl’s body.

The stampede had caused fractured ribs and a punctured lung. Ye Zheng handled the girl’s complex internal injuries with extreme care. Sweat gradually beaded across her forehead.

Killing might be crude, but saving lives couldn’t be careless.

Pei Xi and Sykes watched the Saintess treat the wounded in silence. Suddenly, both felt useless just standing there. They exchanged a glance, irritation deepening in their hearts, unsure when they would find Zhou Yun.

After finishing a meticulous healing session, Ye Zheng looked at the little girl whose complexion had regained some color. The sense of accomplishment felt far greater than when she had killed Kieran.

She assessed the injured. She had only treated three who were in critical condition. After all, the hostile Zhou Yun could attack her at any moment. Conserving her strength was necessary.

Thinking of this, Ye Zheng curiously asked the system.

“In the original plot, was I also on Zhou Yun’s must-kill list?”

『No, you weren’t on her list. After all, in the original plot you didn’t have the Divine Sword or the title of God’s Chosen. But she still targeted you.』

“Hm? Why?”

『Because you’re the female protagonist. In male-oriented stories, the female lead’s main roles are usually beauty accessory and resource pack. Beyond that, she has one other important function in the plot.』

Ye Zheng’s eyes held clear confusion. The system seemed to have said something similar when it first appeared, but she had completely forgotten.

“What other function?”

『For example, something unexpected happens. She falls into the villain’s hands, advances the plot, and creates a hero-rescues-beauty highlight—』

Before the system finished speaking, Ye Zheng suddenly stared toward the basement door as if sensing something. The door had somehow swung wide open. White fog rushed in eagerly.

“Close the door, quick!”

Someone shouted in panic.

Within the thickening white fog, Ye Zheng scanned her surroundings warily. Water slowly covered her arms.

“Zhou Yun?”

She called out tentatively. The surrounding white fog immediately gathered toward her.

Suddenly Ye Zheng felt weightless. Her vision blurred. Even her ears only caught fragmented sounds. Pei Xi seemed to be shouting “Ye Zheng” from somewhere nearby.

Enveloped in the cold, damp fog, Ye Zheng closed her eyes. Fine. This time she would reluctantly follow the original plot for once.