The Male Lead Always Thinks My Script is Wrong - Chapter 5

Chi Li let out a low groan, as if trapped in the clutches of a nightmare. Slumped over the horse’s back with her eyes pressed shut, she didn’t wake, but continued to murmur in broken fragments, “Go back… can’t go back… I don’t want to…”

The worry etched on Hong Luan’s face softened slightly at these mumbles. She unfastened her outer robe to cushion Chi Li’s head and gently stroked the girl’s back. “Alright, alright,” she soothed. “We won’t go back. Don’t be afraid.”

Even as she comforted Chi Li, Hong Luan made sure to keep pace with Ji Shinian.

Just as Ji Shinian had predicted, the sky had completely darkened. A thick, ink-black night gradually swallowed the forest. The moon peered tentatively over the mountain, but it remained dull and hazy, as if veiled in mist, casting a pale, sickly light.

Between two cultivators, two phantasms, and a person leading a horse, there didn’t seem to be much potential for conversation. However, once Hong Luan had settled Chi Li’s tremors, she unexpectedly took the initiative to speak to Ji Shinian. “You are Miss… Ji, correct?”

Ji Shinian was busy silently marveling at how well-behaved Li Moyan’s glowing pipe was, floating right in front of him to light the way—and didn’t bother turning around. “What is it?”

One time could be an accident, but two or three times? Ji Shinian wasn’t blind. This phantasm’s inexplicable focus on him was practically written all over her face. It was glaringly obvious.

“It is nothing. I simply wished to express my gratitude for your help to both Chi Li and myself,” Hong Luan said softly. “Good things happen to good people.”

 Ji Shinian paused for a beat before emphasizing, “There are three of us here.”

“It is not the same,” Hong Luan said, shaking her head.

Her cryptic hesitation made Ji Shinian wonder if he was secretly the mastermind behind this hidden realm. He glanced at Li Moyan, who looked equally bewildered.

As for the male lead, there was no need to check. Since a moment ago, Ji Shinian could feel a seemingly calm gaze landing on him periodically. It felt like needles against his back.

The composed observation, the fear of the Blood Plague Insects, and now the young girl’s stubborn gratitude—it hadn’t even been a full day, and this “young lady from the countryside” was already burdened with three suspicious points. It would be stranger if people didn’t suspect him.

Ji Shinian ignored Hong Luan’s last remark and walked ahead with his head down.

They traveled in silence along the mountain path for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense. Deep within the lush forest, a silhouette gradually emerged. As they drew closer, they saw it was a building nestled among jagged rocks and wild overgrowth. The eaves had collapsed and the plaster was peeling, yet the layout still hinted at a former grandeur.

“Looks like a Taoist temple,” Li Moyan noted. He picked up half a wooden plaque from the ground, squinting to read it by the light of his pipe. “The… what Master Temple?”

The plaque was likely part of the main sign. The break was jagged and uneven, leaving only the weathered characters for “Master Temple” visible.

Xiao Shu pushed open the swaying wooden door with a heavy creak. He flicked a Light Talisman from his fingertips, which dissolved into sparks that rushed inside, barely illuminating the sizable hall.

“If my knowledge serves me,” Xiao Shu said, “this should be the Dharma Master Temple.”

The interior was roughly twenty people wide. Dark red stains smeared the walls and the coffered ceiling, making the murals unrecognizable. On the altar sat a gilded statue nearly two meters tall, reclining in a resting pose. Despite being covered in verdigris, one could still see the intricate carvings of flowers, birds, fish, and mythical beasts on its robes a testament to the craftsmanship involved. However, from the neck up, the head of the statue was missing.

“Why is the Dharma Master Temple in such ruins?” Li Moyan was clearly startled by the eerie sight. “I have heard that the ‘Dharma Master’ is a title for the Lord of the Four Qi in the Northern Border, a figure revered by all…”

He asked suspiciously, “Could this temple have been destroyed by mountain bandits?”

“No.” Xiao Shu found a few sticks of incense by the altar and lit them, his voice calm and steady. “The people of the Northern Border view the statue of the Dharma Master as an avatar of the Lord himself. Unless they were seeking their own death, they wouldn’t destroy a statue that protects a hundred-mile radius from monstrous intrusions.”

Hong Luan helped Chi Li lie down in a clean corner of the temple. Hearing this, she pressed her palms together and looked at the mangled statue. “If that is the case, whoever cut off the head must have harbored extreme hatred for the local people and the Dharma Master…”

No, actually, that hatred is aimed right at you, Ji Shinian thought to himself while looking at the gruesome damage.

The Dharma Master statue was modeled after the first Lord of the Four Qi, but due to the influence of offerings and spiritual energy, the appearance would shift slightly to reflect each successive Lord—specifically, only the face would change.

Zhou Hongluan’s son had disappeared three years ago, yet the face of the statue had remained the same. In this vision of Chi Li’s, the head—which would have borne her son’s likeness, was conveniently missing.

It was pure, unadulterated malice.

“Are we spending the night in this ghostly place?” Ji Shinian frowned. From beneath his veil, he cast a side-long glance at the sleeping Chi Li. “I haven’t had a single drop of water all day!”

In this moment of deep reluctance, he finally remembered he was playing the role of a mortal girl. Going a day without food simply wouldn’t do.

As soon as he spoke, Li Moyan pulled some dry rations from his person as if he were a game character refreshing his inventory. He handed them over with both hands. “It was my oversight. We are in a difficult spot, so I hope the Young Lady will not find this too meager.”

It seems this loyal servant is reliable after all. Ji Shinian took the rations and sat down next to Hong Luan. “Uncle Li, were you trying to starve me to death?”

Without lifting his veil, he began breaking off pieces of the food to eat.

[I’ve been hungry all day, so it’s normal not to be picky.] To maintain his persona, Ji Shinian made a preemptive strike against the system.

[Understood.] The electronic screen of the Tiansuan System dimmed for a moment. [Host, please be careful. Tiansuan detects a 10% pollution level here. This temple seems strange.]

[Makes sense. This place looks like the core of the phantasm.] Ji Shinian chewed on the rations, but his mind focused on the numbers on the screen. [Pollution… what exactly does that mean?]

[Pollution is the manifestation of curses and resentment on people or objects. Take the Corpse Thrall as an example; its pollution is usually 1%. The one you saw earlier had 2%. You, Host, have 0.5%. Although it’s much lower than the level of a supernatural creature, you are still not a ‘normal’ human.]

[I suspect you’re insulting me. A Living Puppet isn’t human to begin with!] Irritated, Ji Shinian had a sudden thought. [Check Chi Li for me.]

Ding-dong! Requirement detected… Host’s points are insufficient. Permission level not upgraded. Unable to perform scan.

My apologies, Host…

Is this some classic trope where the system gets vague the moment a key character appears?

Ji Shinian ignored the predictable response. He wasn’t the type to wait around for opportunities.

He surveyed his surroundings. Li Moyan was keeping watch at the door. Xiao Shu had finished checking the incense altar and was moving behind the statue. Hong Luan was staring blankly at the statue, her expression filled with a sadness that perhaps stemmed from a mother’s instinct.

At this moment, no one in the temple was paying attention to the “mortal” young lady. Sensing the time was right, Ji Shinian reached for his hairpin, but this time his target was Chi Li.

A streak of snowy light flowed across the floor, slithering through the cracks in the tiles toward Chi Li’s back.

Based on his past experience, there were few in the entire Central Heavens Realm, unless they were cultivators above the Golden Core stage or possessed extraordinary luck, who could withstand this technique designed to extinguish supernatural evils.

But now, as Ji Shinian felt his power being repelled by a barrier, his heart went cold. He scanned the room to ensure no one was watching, calmed his breathing, and surged his spiritual energy into his fingertips.

The silver hairpin wobbled slightly in his hair from the force—

At that exact moment, the unconscious Chi Li suddenly snapped her eyes open and spat out a mouthful of blood!

“Chi Li!” Hong Luan was terrified by the sudden movement. She jerked her gaze away from the statue and rushed to help her friend sit up, her voice a mix of joy and anxiety. “You’re awake! Why are you coughing up blood?”

“I—I—” Chi Li’s eyes were bloodshot, her tone thick with fury. But in the blink of an eye, she wiped the blood from her lip and leaned weakly into Hong Luan’s arms, trembling and tearful. “I’m alright… I… those bandits took my child, Hong Luan… Who are these people?”

Ji Shinian didn’t miss Chi Li’s probing gaze. He pulled his hand away from his hairpin, pretending to fix a stray hair near his temple, and finished the last of his rations. “Isn’t it obvious? You were being hunted by bandits, and we were kind enough to step in and save you.”

As he spoke, Xiao Shu appeared from behind the statue, standing directly opposite Ji Shinian. His eyes were half-lidded, and his gaze fell precisely on Ji Shinian’s hand.

Oh, for heaven’s sake!

Before Ji Shinian could even begin to regret his meddling, Xiao Shu’s eyelids lifted. His gaze seemed to pierce through the veiled hat and the physical shell, seeing right through Ji Shinian with ease.

Xiao Shu gave a faint, inscrutable smile. He looked down at Ji Shinian, those dark eyes appearing bottomless.

While staring at Ji Shinian, he didn’t forget to respond gently to the girl, “I am but a humble traveler. Seeing you and your friend in danger, I was fortunate enough to be of assistance. Please do not worry.”

Ji Shinian could swear on his master’s masterpiece, this Living Puppet body, that he saw a flash of killing intent in the man’s eyes.

[The male lead seems very wary of the Host!] Tiansuan chimed in uninvited.

[No kidding.]

Ji Shinian thought irritably that “wary” was an understatement; the man was practically sharpening his blade.

The Tiansuan screen turned blue. [But you are the ‘female lead’! If he’s this suspicious, how are you going to cooperate to finish the story?] It flashed pink again. [By the way, Host, what exactly is your original form? If I wasn’t inside your head, even I wouldn’t have noticed your move just now!]

[Thanks, but we’re just business partners. Don’t go poking into my private life.]

Ji Shinian suppressed Tiansuan in his mind. He couldn’t figure out how a male lead at the first stage of the Profound Realm could detect his movements.

Moreover, this style of smiling in public while plotting in private—well, honestly, if he encountered a “mortal” who acted suspiciously more than three times a day, he’d think they were up to no good too.

Li Moyan had also noticed Chi Li waking up. He moved to stand behind Ji Shinian, gripping his pipe and watching Chi Li intently.

Seeing Li Moyan’s reaction, it was clear he hadn’t noticed the earlier maneuver. Ji Shinian understood now—Xiao Shu probably already had a preconceived notion that he was strange.

After all, if even a Golden Core cultivator hadn’t noticed, how could a mere Profound Realm cultivator detect a move that should have been seamless?

“I… I see. Thank you all.”

As Xiao Shu spoke, Chi Li’s expression seemed to soften. She clutched Hong Luan’s sleeve, her face a mask of desperation. “My child… my child was taken by the bandits. Since you are all powerful people, please help me… I truly cannot live without my child, sob…”

As she spoke, tears began to fall. She looked like the picture of absolute agony.

“Chi Li, it’s alright.” Hong Luan didn’t notice anything unusual about her friend. She pulled Chi Li into her arms and patted her back. “These people are very kind-hearted. They said that once you woke up and told us where the child was lost, they would help you find him.”

Hong Luan asked worriedly, “Chi Li, where exactly did the bandits take your child?”

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