Chapter 55

Tang Mingxi had just participated in the voting on the official Throne of the Aberrant Realm account when her friend Li Yixin messaged her to say that the manga had updated again.

The mention of the voting groups immediately made Tang Mingxi angry. It was obviously rigged for Pei Xi’s group and Sykes’s group to win. If the officials were unwilling to give female characters merchandise, they could have said so outright instead of resorting to such sneaky and disgusting tactics.

Although she had mobilized more than a dozen alternate accounts to vote, the effect was negligible. A gap of thousands of votes was impossible to bridge. Tang Mingxi puffed out her cheeks. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Her girl would rise to the top sooner or later.

She opened the new manga chapter. The aberrant realm had already been destroyed, and the Cloud Soarers had returned to their residence to rest. A black-haired, blue-eyed boy sat alone in his room, reflecting on the events of the day.

Pei Xi thought of Ye Zheng, and also of the Pope he had seen today. The saintess was stronger and braver than he had imagined, and his desire to protect her now seemed self-indulgent.

The legendary Pope appeared gentle and approachable, even showing concern for contestants from the lower districts. The church, and these two individuals, were very different from what he had imagined.

Ten years ago, during the Blood Flower outbreak, it had been priests who organized civilians to their deaths. Pei Xi did not know which ones, but since then, he had instinctively repelled anything related to the clergy.

A brave and resolute female figure reappeared on the screen, occupying nearly an entire page, forcibly pushing Pei Xi’s inner monologue aside.

He thought to himself that such a girl was a true saintess.

【Aaaah, no thinking. Mommy forbids puppy love.】

【The Pope is gentle with children, gentle male mommy vibes?】

【This is hilarious. Pei Xi’s memories of Ye Zheng have a super soft filter.】

【What is wrong with Ye Zheng fans? Are they elementary school kids who always imagine their favorite as a Mary Sue loved by everyone?】

【Teacher, is this really our Pei Xi? The main male lead should not be a tool for female characters.】

【Pei Xi fans, stop tragic love shipping with Ye Zheng. Your little Xi might just be the biggest Ye Zheng fan.】

Tang Mingxi rolled her eyes at the comments. It was clearly the guy clinging one-sidedly, yet the comments were once again arguing around her girl.

She quickly scrolled past. She was not interested in Pei Xi’s plot. Even if it was disjointed, that was fine. As a solo fan, she did not care.

She had originally followed the manga because of Li Yixin and had not wanted to disappoint her friend’s enthusiastic recommendation. She had watched casually, chatting about the plot and finding some enjoyment.

Now, Tang Mingxi had only one motivation left, Ye Zheng. Nothing else mattered. She especially hated the manga author now, even despising the author’s favored roles.

She had only known about idol companies suppressing rising stars, giving green cards to certain idols and tripping others. She had never expected a two-dimensional author to be this unbearable.

In the manga, the tournament was suddenly suspended due to missing contestants. Pei Xi went out to observe the aberrant realm. Tang Mingxi suspected that this chapter would not feature Ye Zheng, and that after the suspension, the royal team would return to the upper district.

She skimmed ahead. Pei Xi was walking when he suddenly collided with someone dressed in black. She glanced down and continued scrolling, then abruptly scrolled back up.

A girl with a high ponytail had her umbrella knocked aside by Pei Xi. She bent down to pick it up, then stood up holding it. Under Pei Xi’s startled gaze, the black umbrella lifted, revealing a familiar yet unfamiliar face.

The girl wore a neat black shirt, a windbreaker coat, and black leather boots that tightly outlined her calves. Her tall, elegant figure stood out strikingly. On the gloomy, rainy day, she looked like a dust-sealed blade sheathed in fallen gray.

Her fair face was expressionless. Perhaps because of the umbrella’s shadow, her black eyes held no light and appeared cold.

“Why does she look familiar?” Tang Mingxi muttered, scratching her head as she stared at the suddenly appearing girl, disbelief creeping in.

In the manga, Pei Xi wore the same surprised expression. “Sorry… Ye, Saintess?”

It was really Zhengzheng. Her girl had a new skin. The contrast was incredible.

On the screen, the black-clad saintess curved her lips slightly, the coldness melting away. Her large black eyes looked straight ahead as she spoke. “Can you keep this a secret for me?”

“Yes, yes, yes. Baby, my mouth is very tight,” Tang Mingxi shouted excitedly at the screen.

In this panel, Ye Zheng was facing outward, as if speaking directly to the reader. Tang Mingxi completely forgot that the words were meant for Pei Xi.

She had always felt that the author drew Ye Zheng’s eyes too large, sometimes oddly so, with a slightly tacky otaku aesthetic. But today, Tang Mingxi saw a completely different flavor.

The background tones of this chapter were almost entirely black, white, and gray. The gloomy rain dimmed Ye Zheng’s usual gentle temperament and instead accentuated her sharpness and chill.

Those ever-smiling large eyes, when stared into for too long, gave an illusory, unreal feeling. Like damp moss in darkness. Or like imagining such eyes watching oneself through countless deep, silent nights. Tang Mingxi shivered inexplicably.

【Mommy, does anyone else feel like Ye Zheng in this panel looks like a super female ghost, not derogatory?】

【True female ghost number one has appeared.】

【I thought it was a new cool sister. This is actually Ye Zheng?】

【Baby, you big-eyed cute ghost.】

【I’m increasingly convinced Ye Zheng’s persona is not as simple as it appears. She has a contradictory temperament.】

Finally seeing her favorite character appear and unlocking a new style, Tang Mingxi was instantly energized and began watching the plot carefully.

“Neither the church nor my family knows I came out,” Ye Zheng said in the manga. “But I cannot not care about that.”

“No need,” Pei Xi replied. “I just came from there. You should head back early too. It is dangerous here.”

In the manga, Ye Zheng gently advised Pei Xi to return early. Pei Xi politely refused her goodwill, insisting that he needed to personally see the realm. However, as he bade farewell to Ye Zheng, the boy’s obvious sense of loss was visible. He was no longer weighed down by his earlier gloom.

Many readers found this encounter puzzling. It seemed ordinary, without any thrilling developments, yet it somehow made their hearts itch.

Next, Pei Xi found a place from which to quietly observe the blood-colored realm, which was extremely similar to the Blood Flower incident. The manga began depicting Pei Xi’s flashbacks. He recalled the ordinary happiness he once had with his parents before the Blood Flower, and how helplessly he watched them be swallowed by the blood-colored realm.

Tang Mingxi was not interested in Pei Xi’s past, but she still watched this segment attentively. She recalled that it had been mentioned earlier that Ye Zheng was also a victim of that event. She wondered whether there would one day be a flashback centered on Zhengzheng.

After experiencing such cruelty, yet still maintaining tolerance and kindness, what a good girl she was. Born a saintess.

After Pei Xi finished recalling the past, he prepared to leave. Unexpectedly, he saw a golden figure leap out of the blood-colored realm. Tang Mingxi focused and noticed that it was a golden-haired girl carrying a black bag, with a unique and cute style.

In a close-up, Pei Xi’s expression changed as he tried to observe her more carefully, but the figure had already vanished.

Tang Mingxi felt that the golden-haired girl would be an important character. This mysterious, slightly yandere type often possessed extremely high combat power.

Pei Xi could not find her again. He instinctively felt that the realm concealed an extremely important truth waiting for him, but for now, he could only return.

A few days later, Pei Xi decided to lead the Cloud Soarers into that realm. It was not only for points. He also cared deeply about what had truly happened inside.

The long-absent teammate Zhao Mei proactively sent a message about rejoining the Cloud Soarers. Meanwhile, Pei Xi heard even more shocking news. Sykes was also heading toward the blood-colored realm, and the corpses of missing students had appeared in his room.

The news was horrifying. Even the saintess who had been present fell ill for a day or two after returning home.

Before departure, Pei Xi was inexplicably questioned by church clergy. It seemed that two church personnel from the lower district had been murdered. Pei Xi knew nothing about it. When the clergy did not press further, he let the matter drop.

Tang Mingxi finished reading the chapter and felt broadly satisfied. Her favorite character’s appearance had surprised her greatly. If the author could maintain this level of quality, she would be willing to spare him a glance or two in the future and even refrain from insulting his ancestors.

Out of habit, she entered the forum after the update. Unsurprisingly, posts about her favorite were once again dominating the front page. That was simply how it was when it came to a female top-tier flow character.

At present, the two hottest posts were as follows:

【How did Ye Zheng become like this? I cannot bring myself to ship anything anymore!】

and

【Who did it? Today’s update actually revealed massive information…】

Upon seeing the first post, Tang Mingxi almost rolled up her sleeves, ready to start a fight. She quickly discovered that she was far from alone. Together with other Zhengzheng moms, she praised their treasured girl endlessly and collected high-definition restored images of Ye Zheng.

What Tang Mingxi did not expect was that the second post was also largely centered on Ye Zheng, with commenters arguing fiercely.

【1L: Who did it? Today’s update actually revealed massive information…】

【2L: That golden-haired girl is a new character, right? Being able to freely enter and exit the realm is completely broken.】

【3L: The black bag that appeared in Sykes’s room belonged to her, right? She looks like the mastermind behind the blood-colored realm. A new villain?】

【4L: Sykes is the villain, isn’t he? Her messing with Sykes’s room felt pretty righteous. She is just a justice-loving little girl.】

【5L: The person upstairs should hide their Ye Zheng fan ID first before stepping on other characters. Sykes and Pei Xi are normal rivals. His temper is just explosive. That golden-haired girl doing something so disgusting makes her the real villain.】

【6L: Sykes’s hunting ground is unknown, and who knows how many people he has harmed. He clearly wanted to kill Pei Xi multiple times. In Sykes fans’ eyes, is that all flirting?】

【7L: Sykes and bullying? That is a pretty niche word combination.】

…

【29L: Everyone, stop arguing. The original poster is clearly discussing the plot.】

【30L: Ye Zheng fans labeling others as villains again. I think Ye Zheng might be the biggest villain. Pei Xi bumped into her and smelled blood. Her outfit was suspicious too. Maybe she is doing bad things.】

【31L: Neutral reader here, not a fan of any role. The comment upstairs actually makes sense. Did Ye Zheng really just glance at the realm and leave? The chapter ending says two clergy were murdered that day. I really suspect her. Besides Pei Xi, only Ye Zheng appeared that day, along with the golden-haired girl.】

【32L: Wow, are we even doing physiognomy on paper people now?】

Tang Mingxi had just finished posting praise for Ye Zheng when she curiously clicked into this plot discussion. To her surprise, this was actually the main battlefield for Ye Zheng fans.

Although she personally thought that a white-cut-black villain Ye Zheng would be cute and perhaps even more lovable, the tone of the post was clearly full of people using the topic as an excuse to step on Ye Zheng.

Tang Mingxi immediately joined the fray.

【169L: Pei Xi can secretly observe the realm because of his tragic past, but Ye Zheng cannot? That means she must have ulterior motives? She has no reason to kill lower district clergy. It is far more likely that the two of them encountered the golden-haired girl and were silenced.】

【170L: Supporting the comment above. This speculation is reasonable. I think Pei Xi bumping into Ye Zheng was purely the author craving another romance line. The things in Sykes’s room and the murders should be done by the new character.】

【171L: Are Zhengzheng moms competing over everything now? Competing for protagonist status and royal background? Why not compete for the villain role too, since our treasure is perfect for it?】

【172L: I really feel Ye Zheng is a bit evil. I inexplicably dreamed last night that she strangled my neck. It was terrifying.】

【173L: I envy 172L. Can Ye Zheng strangle my neck tonight too?】

…

【376L: Remember the manga mentioned that when Sykes discovered the corpses in his room, Ye Zheng was present? Maybe she put them there. Otherwise why did she coincidentally appear?】

【377L: Some lazy idiots spraying nonsense. My girl was originally part of the Royal Team. If you say she sabotaged things, at least bring solid evidence. Everything is black just because it is black.】

【378L: Seriously, if Ye Zheng murdered them and placed the corpses herself, she is hiding way too deeply. This villain would be scarier than Sykes.】

【379L: Marking this. Some people above might actually be onto something.】

As Tang Mingxi scrolled through the increasingly heated discussion, she found herself wishing that Ye Zheng really was the ultimate villain who would gun down a few people’s favorites.

When she saw yet another insinuating comment about Ye Zheng, Tang Mingxi sneered and went on the offensive.

【430L: You are right. Please tell your male treasures to tuck their tails and stand neatly in two rows. The biggest villain of Throne of the Aberrant Realm, Ye Zheng, is descending. (attached image)】

【431L: Holy queen, 430L!】

【432L: Little sister worships you. Ye Zheng, I follow you!】

【433L: Politely saving this picture.】

Tang Mingxi photoshopped an image from an earlier chapter where Ye Zheng was bloodied and holding a gun, turning it into a meme with the caption “I will gun all of you down.” Originally lurking Ye Zheng fans surfaced en masse, flooding the comments. The post quickly derailed into a Ye Zheng meme festival, with everyone happily sharing their own creations.

One image showed Ye Zheng smiling gently in the church, with text edited to read “Zheng Sect Eternal.” Another featured Ye Zheng wearing a water-drop necklace and a bowtie, holding two chibi versions of herself, captioned “Who is cursing Ye Zheng, huh?”

Tang Mingxi felt immensely gratified and quickly made another meme. It depicted the black-clothed Ye Zheng holding a black umbrella, coldly gazing outward, with the side caption “I will always be watching you…”

She posted it, and fellow fans immediately saved it with enthusiasm.

【520L: Today’s new style turned this mom fan into a delusional girlfriend. Falling for Ye Zheng is as easy as breathing.】

【521L: If you dare bully me again, my master Ye Zheng would not mind destroying an entire civilization for me.】

Thus, this argument post ended in the most inexplicable way possible, completely derailed into Ye Zheng’s personal meme construction ground.

Inside the manga world, Ye Zheng watched the direction the discussion took. Someone had randomly guessed, and somehow stumbled upon part of the truth. It made her frown, unable to fully relax.

She considered how she should refine her actions and become even more discreet.

What she did not expect was for the direction to take such an abrupt turn that it left her both amused and speechless.

Ye Zheng had never realized before that the manga magnified microexpressions so clearly, and that her occasional subtle looks could be interpreted so deeply.

She could see that readers who liked her always defended her, but this kind of operation made her seem even more villainous than she actually was.

In truth, Ye Zheng had always considered herself quite upright, especially when facing the Pope and Sykes. She genuinely felt that she was exceptionally kind.

“Everyone made these… memes?” Ye Zheng murmured. “They are all very interesting pictures.”

She did not really understand what memes were. In her world, communication was limited to direct text. However, by combining specific images with words, she could roughly grasp their purpose.

“They keep saying ‘save pic’. How do you save these pictures?”

Ye Zheng moved her fingers across the screen, attempting to save an image. The system could not bear to watch and guided her.

『Long-press the picture, then click save. Though your phone might… eh? Actually, it saved successfully?』

Ye Zheng watched as the image appeared in her album and nodded in satisfaction. Imitating the forum users, she left a comment.

『Thanks. Very interesting pictures. Politely saved.』

She glanced at her username and noticed it was just a meaningless string of characters. Feeling that it was somewhat impolite, she changed her ID to “Ye Zheng.”

『Ye Zheng 699L: Thanks. Very interesting pictures. Politely saved.』

Soon, someone replied to her post.

『700L: Holy sister, how did you snag this username? I am so jealous!』

The person at 700L was extremely curious. The forum’s naming system banned IDs that matched character names, so how could someone be using “Ye Zheng”?

It had to be a system bug. This sister was incredibly lucky.

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Authors Note

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A very polite little girl.