Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 114

It is often said that no “respectable” person keeps a diary, but clearly, the one writing this diary was far from respectable.

After reading the entries, Si Xiaoxiao suddenly realized—

Respectable or not, this person was an absolute powerhouse!

The diary chronicled the ambitions of a woman.

She was born into the Hidden Sword Villa, a prestigious and righteous sect. As the sect leader’s only daughter, she had six senior brothers who were all martial arts experts and doted on her deeply.

However, over time, questions began to gnaw at her.

Why did her father constantly push her brothers to practice their swordsmanship but never demand anything of her? Why was the next sect leader to be chosen only from among her brothers? Why was her only destiny to be the wife of a future leader? And why… in the legendary martial arts world that everyone yearned for, were there no women?

Clearly, her talent far exceeded that of her brothers. Clearly, she was the rightful heir. Clearly, she…

Women were either hidden away in boudoirs, treated as mere ornaments, or branded as “enchantresses.”

This confusion reached its peak when she was fifteen, the first time she was allowed to observe the Great Martial Arts Assembly held every five years.

It was there that she met the woman who would change her life forever—Hua Xiangrong, the Sect Leader of the Hehuan (Acacia) Sect.

She was the most extraordinary woman the protagonist had ever seen. She appeared in public, dressed in robes as red as fire, standing upon the arena stage with an air of arrogant disdain for the world.

She defeated several renowned masters of the “righteous” path in succession. She fought not for fame or fortune, but to seek justice for a female disciple who had been deceived, abandoned, and driven to despair by a heartless man.

On that stage, the woman in red pointed her sword at the so-called “heroic knights,” her voice as clear and resonant as a phoenix’s cry, giving the girl’s heart a direction to follow.

The Hehuan Sect only accepted women—specifically those with nowhere else to go, those who had fallen into the “dusty world” of hardship. They huddled together for warmth, accumulating their meager strength.

However, a powerful man would be respected and hailed as the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, while a powerful woman could only be labeled an “enchantress.” Rumors in the martial world claimed her world-shaking martial arts were achieved through the “base method of absorbing men’s essence.”

Where in the world did such a martial art even exist? Why was she subjected to such accusations? Simply because a pitiable woman had gained power equal to a man, she was no longer seen as a woman, but as an enemy.

A single glimpse had planted the seed. After returning to the Hidden Sword Villa, the protagonist turned all her grievances and resentment into motivation. She knew that only by possessing absolute power could she shatter these sickening rules.

But just as she was practicing her swordplay day and night, striving for self-improvement, her idol “collapsed.”

That unrestrained Hehuan Sect Leader had actually fallen in love. Moreover, she had fallen for a rogue with a notorious reputation—a man who was lecherous and had so many wives he couldn’t even keep track.

While the protagonist was burning the midnight oil and practicing at the crack of dawn, the leader she viewed as her guiding light began acting like a sheltered housewife. Not only did she revolve her entire life around one man, but she also engaged in petty jealousies with other women. The martial arts world was suddenly filled with nothing but the melodramatic love affairs of these “chosen elites.”

This was simply too much to bear!

Thus, she took up her sword and stormed the Hehuan Sect. She remembered the path to the main hall; both sides were lined with acacia flowers, blooming vividly like rosy clouds, yet in her eyes, they were an eyesore.

She fought her way inside, her blade unstoppable. Finally, in a warm pavilion, she found the Sect Leader.

At that moment, the leader was leaning into her lover’s arms, feeding him a grape. All her previous sharpness had vanished, replaced by the bashful demeanor of a young girl in love.

Heartbroken by her idol’s lack of ambition, she pointed at her and questioned: “Didn’t you say you would kill all heartless men and give the women of the world a home?”

To her surprise, the Sect Leader clung to her lover, acting timid and shy as she stammered: “He… he is different…”

There wasn’t a single trace of her former high-spirited self.

In a fit of rage and a lapse in internal energy control, the protagonist suffered a “deviation” (Qi Deviation). She swung her sword and sliced the man clean in half.

A fierce battle ensued. Amidst the flashes of blades and shadows of swords, the exquisite pavilion was reduced to ruins. Ultimately, the Hehuan Sect Leader won by a narrow margin, and the protagonist fled, heavily wounded.

During the months she spent recovering, she felt no regret. Her heart was filled with the grim satisfaction of a “solo fan” who had successfully killed off the “sister-in-law.” She spent her days scouting for news, hoping her “big sister” would finally focus on her career.

Alas, what she received was not news of the Hehuan Sect’s revitalization, but the thunderous wrath of the Hidden Sword Villa.

Her father and six brothers surrounded her sickbed. There was little concern; there was only endless lecturing.

“You’ve gone too far! We should have never taught you martial arts!” “The Hehuan Sect is a den of demons. Why would you provoke them?” “A girl fighting and killing—what kind of decorum is that?” “Luckily you survived this time. You are forbidden from stepping a single foot out of the villa ever again!”

Finally, her father delivered the final verdict: “Once your wounds heal, you will marry your eldest senior brother. Settle down; being a wife and mother is the ultimate destiny for you women.”

Marriage? Marry his father! (A curse)

How come when her brothers got injured, they were considered “children of the martial world” living a life of “grudges and triumphs”?

This was the final straw. It completely crushed the last of her attachment to her family and her sect. Her mental state, already unstable from her Qi Deviation, slid completely into the abyss.

As everyone knows, a “blackened” character is three times stronger.

During the inner-sect competition, having just recovered from her injuries, she stepped onto the arena with her sword. She was no longer the daughter of the sect leader who needed to hide or secretly learn; she was a revenger from hell.

One woman, one sword—she took on her six brothers in a gauntlet match.

Her swordsmanship was no longer the grand, upright style of the Hidden Sword Villa. Instead, it was a lethal and cunning fusion of the Hehuan Sect’s eerie footwork. Every strike targeted the lower body. She didn’t want to take their lives; she wanted to utterly destroy their dignity and pride as men.

When she stepped on the last of them—her once-most respected eldest senior brother—and precisely severed a certain “connection” with her longsword, the entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

Covered in blood, she stood in the center of the arena. Her gaze swept over her pale-faced father and the trembling crowd. Her voice was ice-cold: “Now, am I qualified to be the Sect Leader?”

Her father shook with rage, pointing at her and screaming: “This is against all reason! A hen should not crow at dawn!” (A phrase meaning women shouldn’t lead).

And yet she smiled. That smile was as vivid as a peach blossom, yet as cold as frost.

“Reason? Right now, I am the reason!”

Then, before the terrified eyes of the crowd, she raised her sword and brought it down, castrating her stubborn old man—the man known throughout the world as the “Gentleman’s Sword.”

This time, she had truly become the “Enchantress.” It was quite strange—she only wanted to take back what rightfully belonged to her and offered the slightest bit of resistance, yet they immediately began screaming for her blood.

Since ancient times, haven’t men obtained enough power, resources, and freedom? Why is it that the moment she reaches out for a small portion, it becomes an unpardonable sin?

But these annoying fellows were not only numerous; they also infected other women with a virus called “Love,” living off them like parasites.

How annoying, annoying, annoying!!

Once the floodgates of killing intent were opened, they were hard to close. Since the Hidden Sword Villa was already under her control, why stop there? What about the entire martial arts world?

She decided to put in the hard work. Carrying that sword, already satiated with the blood of her kin, she “visited” every major sect from south to north, east to west. Those who weren’t convinced, she beat until they were; those who talked back, she castrated until they shut up.

With absolute martial prowess, she not only solidified her position as the Leader of the Hidden Sword Villa but also seized the throne of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader in one fell swoop—achieving what even her former idol had never managed.

Just as she planned to share this good news with her idol…

Guess what happened?

The Hehuan Sect Leader’s “love brain” hadn’t healed at all. Not only had she failed to pull herself together, but she had also doubled down. She was scouring the land for men who resembled her lover in appearance or temperament, bringing them back to the sect and pampering them in every way. She even allowed these men to meddle in sect affairs, letting them drain the resources and internal energy that the female disciples had worked so hard to accumulate.

Furthermore, she was forcing decent women into prostitution, turning the Hehuan Sect into a literal den of vice. It was no longer a sanctuary; it was a gold-consuming pit that sucked the blood of women dry.

And so, the protagonist stormed the Hehuan Sect once again. She killed the men she saw, and she killed the women who protected those men; she had completely “seen red.”

She could not tolerate the defilement of the sect that represented her ideals. Finally, she stood before the Hehuan Sect Leader. She was about to demand answers, but before she could speak, the Sect Leader—eyes bloodshot—shrieked and lunged at her to kill her.

Left with no choice, they fought. This time, however, the protagonist won with great ease.

In her final moments, the idol she once looked up to finally regained a glimmer of clarity. She smiled at her vacantly and said, “Thank you. Please… become the new Leader of the Hehuan Sect.”

Thank you? Why thank you? And me, the new Leader? Why?

She didn’t understand. Why her? She had killed her lover and driven her to her death—how could she look at her with such an expression and say such words?

At the very end of the diary, she wrote:

Is this a curse? A shackle? Or the destiny of ten thousand women? Regardless, everything I desired is now in my hands.

After closing the diary, Si Xiaoxiao felt like she had just read a “power fantasy” web novel—the kind with a powerhouse female lead who castrates anyone who makes her unhappy and can’t stand the sight of a single male.

Si Xiaoxiao didn’t even think the “Qi Deviation” described in the diary was a real deviation; it felt far too righteous for that.

This is exactly how one should strike!

However, there was one problem. While this identity was incredibly cool and powerful, was it perhaps too powerful? She felt like she didn’t possess a lick of martial arts.

Even worse, there were probably a lot of people trying to kill her—at least one was already lying in her bedroom.

After taking over the Hehuan Sect, the original owner had captured the remaining survivors. Her subordinates, assuming their boss must love women since she killed men everywhere, had sent the most beautiful and outstanding candidate—the poor little Saintess—directly to her bed.

This was such a cliché “Girl’s Love” setup, only this time the background involved “kill-if-unhappy” radical feminism. Otherwise, Si Xiaoxiao would have really given it a one-star review.

So, the system was starting to trend-hop into feminist themes now? Would the side quests follow suit?

Si Xiaoxiao spoke to the system in her mind: “Old Sys, our side quest isn’t going to be ‘Revitalizing the Hehuan Sect,’ is it?”

【Your vision is too narrow,】 the System replied disdainfully.

Revitalizing an entire sect is “narrow”?

“Improving the status of women?” Si Xiaoxiao asked cautiously.

【Ding! Congratulations to the Host for triggering the hidden side quest: Correct the distorted patriarchal martial arts world into an orthodox matriarchal martial arts world.】

This system really dares to dream! Weren’t you a very simple R20 (adult) system before? Why are you starting to mess with feminist issues?

【Well, I had an update recently, so I downloaded some content the audience likes to see.】

Hearing this, Si Xiaoxiao immediately said, “Let me be clear: I’m using all my strength just to stay alive. If you want to do something that big, you’d better go invite ‘God’ Li Ting.”

【The Host doesn’t want to do it? But the bonus is as high as eight figures…】

Si Xiaoxiao immediately slammed the table in righteous indignation: “I’ll do it! Wherever there is a man, there shall be my blade!!!”

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