System, You Didn't Say the Villain Can Read Minds! - Chapter 42

Chapter 42

◎An Accident Occurred.◎

“I declare the twenty-year Inner Sect Disciple Competition officially open!”

After reciting the lines, Mo Jiu sat down on the observation platform. The competition was presided over by the Great Disciple of the Second Elder, who announced the names of the dueling pairs.

The Great Disciple of the Second Elder was naturally an inner sect disciple, but she had already achieved Nascent Soul stage, disqualifying her from the competition. The purpose of this competition was to encourage inner sect disciples in the Qi Condensation and Golden Core stages to reach Nascent Soul early. The top three would receive varying amounts of Nascent Soul Pills and Qi Nourishing Pills.

Nascent Soul Pills could increase the success rate of reaching Nascent Soul, and Qi Nourishing Pills could increase cultivation base.

Mo Jiu: What is my cultivation level, again?

System: Jiu Jiu, you can’t be like this. If you don’t understand yourself well enough, it’s easy to arouse suspicion from those around you. When you announced the start just now, you didn’t fly on your sword. The Sect Master and the Second Elder are discussing whether you secretly got into a fight somewhere and were severely injured.

Mo Jiu: …That’s why I’m asking you.

This world was different from the last. She took over this body mid-way.

Since she only took over the body and not the memories, it would be strange if she knew anything about herself.

In the last world, although she didn’t have consciousness from the beginning, when she gained consciousness, both she and Yun Wenzhou were only teenagers. She genuinely lived in that world for seven years, plus the extra year after the apocalypse began, a total of eight years.

System: Alright, alright. Before Jiu Jiu has time to familiarize herself with herself, I’ll dump some information on you.

System: First, Jiu Jiu, you are at the Peak Nascent Soul stage, with dual Water and Wood spiritual roots. Water feeds Wood. You created the Water Moon Sword Art, which allows you to heal yourself while fighting. You planned to break through to the Soul Transformation stage before your disciples reached Nascent Soul, but unexpectedly, before you could go into seclusion, you were killed by the demonized Yun Wenzhou because you bullied the villain too severely.

System: Your Second Disciple, Yun Wenzhou, was a pure Water spiritual root before demonization, cultivating twice as fast as you. When you took her as a disciple, you were Nascent Soul and she was Qi Condensation. When you were killed, you were Nascent Soul and she was Demonic Nascent Soul. By the way, after she demonized, her Water spiritual root mutated into an Ice spiritual root, focusing only on killing, not healing.

System: Your Third Disciple, Ye Lan, before the destruction of the Moon Splendor Immortal Sect, was a pure Metal spiritual root. Although she didn’t have a Water spiritual root, Metal produces Water, so she also cultivated your Water Moon Sword Art. However, her cultivation speed was far inferior to Yun Wenzhou’s, and she was often bullied by Yun Wenzhou until she found the Star River Sword in the sect’s back mountain. Utilizing the sword’s characteristics, she accelerated the speed of elemental conversion several times over, which allowed her to catch up in cultivation and overwhelmingly defeat Yun Wenzhou in the Inner Sect Competition.

System: However, after the Moon Splendor Immortal Sect was destroyed, she was severely injured and her spiritual root was destroyed. For revenge, guided by the Star River Sword, she drew the water of the Blood Abyss into her body, was reborn in fire, and attained the Phoenix Sacred Body with a pure Fire spiritual root.

System: In short, you are Nascent Soul, and your two disciples are Golden Core.

System: You have dual Water and Wood spiritual roots. Yun Wenzhou’s Water spiritual root mutated into an Ice spiritual root. Ye Lan’s Metal spiritual root was destroyed, and she was reborn with a Fire spiritual root.

Mo Jiu: What about Yue Xinghe?

System: I told you, there is no Yue Xinghe in this world.

Mo Jiu: What about the Star Moon Goddess?

System: No.

Mo Jiu: Then just tell me the name of the soul residing in Ye Lan’s Star River Sword.

System: Star River Goddess.

Mo Jiu: Isn’t that just Yue Xinghe?

System: Star River Goddess, no Yue.

Mo Jiu: Artificial intellectual disability.

Mo Jiu figured it out. Although the background settings of each world were different, the character designs followed a pattern. She tentatively summarized the following points:

1. Ye Lan is definitely the Protagonist.

2. Yun Wenzhou is definitely the Villain.

3. She is definitely a cannon fodder who bullies Yun Wenzhou and is then killed by Yun Wenzhou.

4. Yue Xinghe, or rather Star River, definitely accompanies Ye Lan and provides assistance.

Although she didn’t know why this pattern existed and couldn’t rule out that it was just a plot device, if it were true in every world, then she wasn’t completely clueless when she took over the body.

While she was thinking, the competition had reached its final stage.

Both of her disciples had advanced to the final round.

She heard the Sect Master beside her praise her: “As expected of the Great Elder’s disciples. They are so formidable at such a young age. They are destined for greatness in the future.”

Yes, both are extraordinary.

Mo Jiu responded internally, politely saying: “Sect Master Sister, you flatter me.”

Wooden swords were used in the inner sect competition. Ye Lan couldn’t use the Star River Sword, but simply by carrying the sword on her back, her speed in executing the Water Moon Sword Art was no less than Yun Wenzhou’s.

Yun Wenzhou was expressionless throughout, her attacks decisive and ruthless. An uninformed person would think she was fighting a Demonic Cultivator, not her own Junior Sister.

Ye Lan barely parried, appearing strained, yet her tone was relaxed, even somewhat teasing: “Senior Sister, it’s just a competition. Why take it so seriously?”

“Why I am serious is clear to both of us,” Yun Wenzhou replied coldly.

They both knew their Master’s temper. Whoever lost would not only lose the reward but would also face punishment.

But they weren’t fighting because of that.

Ye Lan’s reason for needing to win was: [I promised Senior Star River that I would take first place. I can’t break my word!]

Yun Wenzhou’s reason for needing to win was: I made an agreement with Master for her to personally guide me in the Water Moon Sword Art. I cannot disappoint her.

Mo Jiu watched silently from the observation platform, yawning.

This was the drawback of having spoilers in advance. Knowing the result of this match already, she felt no tension whatsoever.

Barring any accidents, the winner would be Ye Lan.

However…

Inevitably, an accident occurred.

Ye Lan and Yun Wenzhou were fighting normally when Ye Lan suddenly slipped!

Huh? Who tripped me? …Crap!

Ye Lan watched helplessly as the tip of Yun Wenzhou’s sword came closer and closer to her throat.

Yun Wenzhou was momentarily stunned. It was too late when she tried to pull back her sword, so—

With a “poof,” blood splattered all over the arena floor.

Mo Jiu: “…”

Mo Jiu: What the…

Who said Ye Lan would win?

Ye Lan’s body fell, motionless in a pool of blood. It was unclear if she was still breathing.

She was wounded in the neck. The amount of bleeding suggested, by modern standards, that she was beyond saving.

Yun Wenzhou stood rigid, holding the blood-dripping wooden sword, her expression somewhat vacant.

She hadn’t killed anyone in this world yet. This was her first time, and it was the accidental killing of her Third Disciple in front of her Master. She didn’t know how to react.

Mo Jiu looked at her from afar, a pang in her chest.

Damn it. Even though she knew she wasn’t her, she was still affected by the expression on her face.

Mo Jiu stood up, tossed her sword into the air, leaped up, and landed steadily on the sword, flying towards the arena.

Her mind was full of getting to Yun Wenzhou to comfort her quickly, not knowing how she suddenly knew how to fly on a sword.

Ye Lan shouldn’t be dead, right? She’s the protagonist, after all?

Halfway through the flight, Mo Jiu suddenly felt dizzy, as if the whole world had tilted…

No, it’s not ‘as if’! She was sure her flying angle hadn’t changed. The world was tilting!

“What’s going on?” People in the world panicked and got up, unsure if it was due to the arena accident or the world’s shift.

Mo Jiu forcefully overcame the dizziness and landed in front of Yun Wenzhou, turning to look at Ye Lan on the ground, wanting to check her injuries.

But before she could squat down, Ye Lan moved.

Not in the sense of getting up, but her whole body floated upwards as if losing gravity.

As she floated, her body gradually darkened, as if covered by a layer of shadow.

Mo Jiu was all too familiar with this darkness that reflected no light.

It was Ye Lan’s ability from the previous world.

At first, Mo Jiu thought the Ye Lan from the previous world had possessed this world’s Ye Lan, but she quickly realized that wasn’t right.

The dark figure opened her eyes, revealing a pair of purple pupils to Mo Jiu.

Mo Jiu had never seen eyes of this color. They seemed to house an entire universe, the stars shining brightly.

But what emanated from these eyes was cold and dangerous, completely lacking the saintly feel of the previous world’s Ye Lan.

“Who are you?” Mo Jiu instinctively asked.

The dark figure gradually raised the corners of her lips, flashing a bizarre smile, and then swiftly flew into the high sky!

She needed no wings or sword, flying straight up and down, as she pleased.

“Destruction.”

The dark figure uttered these two words. Her voice seemed to come from another space-time, echoing across the land.

A pitch-black hand aimed at Mo Jiu and Yun Wenzhou, releasing a black laser beam!

A laser… can it be black?

Mo Jiu didn’t know; Mo Jiu couldn’t think. She simply acted on pure instinct—turning around at the fastest speed possible, she pushed Yun Wenzhou behind her, forcing her out of the laser’s trajectory!

In the end, only she was hit by the pitch-black ray, and her consciousness became blurred.

The System was silent. The System went offline.

Mo Jiu also went offline.

Mo Jiu’s body slumped forward weakly, but before she could completely fall to the ground, she straightened up as if pulled by an invisible thread.

Yun Wenzhou stood rigidly in place, watching the scene before her that defied comprehension, watching her Master gradually being engulfed by blinding golden light, completely unsure how to react.

After Mo Jiu’s body was engulfed by the golden light, her hair color gradually lightened until it became pure white.

She opened her eyes, met Yun Wenzhou’s gaze for a moment, said nothing, and turned to fly towards the dark figure in the sky.

“Target… locked…” She expressionlessly raised a hand in a grasping motion, seemingly grabbing the figure across the air, and then—”Sleep.”

The dark figure twitched in the air, then became still.

The shadow dissipated, revealing Ye Lan’s body.

Ye Lan’s eyes were open and vacant. She was completely dead.

Mo Jiu ignored her free-falling corpse, instantly flashed back in front of Yun Wenzhou, and then, without a word, cupped her chin and kissed her lips.

The sudden kiss caught Yun Wenzhou completely off guard.

The golden figure was also caught off guard—she didn’t know why she was doing this. Her brain felt stuck, almost incapable of thought.

But—

“I will… save you.”

Mo Jiu blinked, looking at the arena.

She was currently sitting on the observation platform, and her two disciples were in the arena.

The moment Ye Lan rushed towards Yun Wenzhou, a chill ran down Mo Jiu’s spine. In a trance, she seemed to see the image of her falling forward and being pierced through the throat by the wooden sword.

But it didn’t happen.

Ye Lan suddenly lowered her body, skillfully dodging Yun Wenzhou’s oncoming sword. She quickly closed the distance and struck Yun Wenzhou’s abdomen hard with the sword hilt, knocking her off the arena floor with one blow!

“The victor—Ye Lan!”

The crowd cheered.

Mo Jiu felt momentarily lost.

Everything was normal. This was the original plot. Nothing strange.

But why did she feel like something significant had just happened?

System: Reiterating mission: “The Weak are Unworthy of a Master’s Guidance.” Punish the defeated Yun Wenzhou. Time limit: One day.

Mo Jiu: “…”

This tone… this familiar, commanding tone.

Mo Jiu: You can change your personality, can’t you? It feels like you reverted to the original one.

System: This is irrelevant to the mission.

Mo Jiu: Did you restart again?

System: Irrelevant to the mission.

Mo Jiu: I’m starting to miss the System that called me Jiu Jiu. The one that called me Host was also good.

System: Failure to complete the mission will result in punishment.

Mo Jiu: I’ll give each of your personalities a name. I’ll call you “Arrogance.”

This time, the System was silent for a while before replying: A very suitable name for me.

Mo Jiu raised an eyebrow in surprise. She intended it as sarcasm, but the System actually accepted it.

Mo Jiu: Alright, Arrogance. Let me make a grand turn and leave Xiaozhou with a disappointed back.

She said in her heart, getting up from the observation platform with an indifferent expression and walking away with a flick of her sleeve.

Yun Wenzhou, who had been knocked off the arena by Ye Lan’s sword hilt, wiped the blood from the corner of her lips. Looking up and seeing Mo Jiu’s retreating back, her chest tightened, and she almost spat out another mouthful of blood.

Ye Lan came down from the arena and extended a hand to Yun Wenzhou: “Senior Sister, I apologize for the offense just now.”

Yun Wenzhou slapped her hand away: “Get lost. I don’t need your hypocritical sympathy.”

Mo Jiu studied how to fly on a sword on her way back.

While practicing happily, the System suddenly spoke: I think it is necessary to remind you of something.

Mo Jiu: What is it?

System: If everything could proceed according to the original plot, you wouldn’t be needed.

Mo Jiu: “…”

System: My point is, don’t assume everything will go according to the original plot. The Protagonist and the Villain are both susceptible to accidental death, which would lead to a world reset and must be strictly avoided.

Mo Jiu thought of the previous world’s Ye Lan, who was almost hit by a car, forcing her to risk an OOC action to save her.

She understood the System’s meaning: Besides the mission to bully the Villain, will you also give me missions to save the Protagonist?

System: No. According to the mission priority level, you first need to ensure the Villain does not die, then ensure the Protagonist does not die, then ensure the Villain can become the Villain, then ensure the plot proceeds according to the original plot, and finally, ensure your own character design does not go OOC.

Mo Jiu: …Your Library System seriously lacks staff, doesn’t it? Dumping all these tasks on one NPC?

System: Yes.

Mo Jiu: “…”

System: Every mission has a reward. The amount of the reward depends on the difficulty.

Mo Jiu: Fine, fine, I understand. I will protect Xiaozhou well. As for Ye Lan, she has a strong destiny. She doesn’t need my protection.

System: A thunder cloud is moving in Ye Lan’s direction. This world has an extremely strong intent to kill her. Please make sure to protect her.

Mo Jiu: ?

You said the world?

Wants to kill Ye Lan?

Wait a minute?

Is something wrong here?

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