Chapter 42: Was Mu Tao’s Blackening Inevitable?
As the glowing characters dissipated, Li Yu fell into deep thought.
The big iceberg, whose presence always made her uneasy, was finally asleep. She should be happy, but she couldn’t help but sigh.
She hadn’t cared about that question in Suiqiong Cave earlier.
But now, she felt that something that could make someone so persistent couldn’t be insignificant.
Her resolute dismissal of his question, without knowing the context, seemed cruel.
According to the original setting, Weisheng Xuanzhu’s hibernation could last anywhere from a few hundred to a thousand years, an unpredictable duration.
Simply put—the longer he stayed awake, the longer he slept.
It was something beyond his control.
As one thinks during the day, so one dreams at night. Having not received the answer he wanted before falling asleep, she wondered if he would have a long, unsettling dream.
If so, that would be rather tragic.
But then again, although she didn’t know the story behind that question, it was likely something the original owner did, not her. She was just a passerby trying to muddle through.
Yes, it wasn’t her fault; there was no need to feel guilty.
It was pointless to dwell on it; she might as well hope her colleague had a good sleep, free from strange dreams like hers.
“Master…”
Li Yu turned to look at Mu Tao, who was still standing by the table.
Mu Tao: “Was that a message from Qingxuan Revered One?”
Li Yu: “Mm.”
Mu Tao: “Lingyao Revered One has entered hibernation…”
Li Yu: “Mm.”
Mu Tao: “I heard that his hibernation always lasts a long time.”
Li Yu: “Yes, a very long time.”
“I’ve never actually met Lingyao Revered One,” Mu Tao muttered, a hint of regret in her voice.
Li Yu was surprised. “You’ve never met him?”
Mu Tao nodded. “Not exactly never. He never came to Chaoxi Pond, and I didn’t dare go near Qingke Hua, so I’ve only ever seen him from afar, in crowds.”
It made sense. Given Mu Tao’s low status on Mount Chao Yao, she was ostracized everywhere. If it weren’t for Si Qinglan’s frequent visits, she probably wouldn’t have had many opportunities to interact with her either.
“I finally got to know Senior Brother a little better and visited Qingke Hua a few times with Qin Yuan to see Qin Ruoheng and the little black bird, but I’ve never encountered Lingyao Revered One.” Mu Tao lowered her gaze, her regret deepening. “Now that he’s in hibernation, I won’t be able to meet him.”
Li Yu couldn’t help but smile wryly. “Why are you so eager to meet him?”
Mu Tao tilted her head and blinked. “He’s so powerful, who wouldn’t want to meet him?”
A simple, understandable reason, like an ordinary person’s admiration for a celebrity.
But if you asked her, that guy was only pleasant to look at from afar. Close contact was best avoided.
That oppressive aura, that cryptic speech, every encounter gave her a headache.
But since it was someone the little protagonist wanted to meet, she might as well offer an empty promise.
“If you want to meet him, after he wakes up, I’ll take…” Li Yu paused and corrected herself, “…send a message to Qingxuan Revered One and ask her to take you to see him.”
Mu Tao opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it.
Li Yu knew her promise was far-fetched.
Hundreds or thousands of years, what did that even mean?
If nothing unexpected happened, she would be long gone from this world by then.
Li Yu looked out the window at the snow-covered mountain, lost in thought.
She felt unsettled.
She couldn’t explain it, but she wasn’t as calm as usual.
Her mind raced with countless thoughts, tangled and without focus.
How long would she stay in this world?
What kind of ending would she bring?
How would she leave, and what impact would her departure have on this world?
And so many other questions…
These fleeting thoughts buzzed around in her mind.
Amidst this chaos, she suddenly remembered something from the original story.
Fragmented, unclear, but it made her realize a serious problem.
—Her mission completion rate was only 30%!
Li Yu had to admit, she was careless.
An old habit she couldn’t break.
Life after returning to the mountain had been too peaceful!
She had learned some spells, her compatibility was stable, and even those angst-ridden plot points designed to advance the protagonists’ relationship in the original story hadn’t happened.
Everything was going so well that she had almost believed she could live peacefully like this forever.
But that was impossible.
Just because some plot points hadn’t happened didn’t mean none of them would.
The system hadn’t given her a clear roadmap, but when unavoidable main storyline missions arrived, it would force her to participate and assist her in completing them.
Like with the City of the Undying incident, the system had been very clear—no avoiding it.
If she had to guess, those crucial plot points that significantly impacted the protagonists were all part of her mission completion rate.
Regardless of how the character relationships changed, she couldn’t avoid these plot points.
If she tried, at best, the mission would fail, and she would be trapped in this world.
At worst, she might be erased by the system or face a deadly “plot kill,” resulting in a bad ending.
And coincidentally, a very important plot point in the original story happened to occur during the winter of Weisheng Xuanzhu’s hibernation.
—Kun Peng Monarch enters hibernation, demons attack, Suiqiong Cave collapses, the Upper Spirit Lamp is stolen!
Although she had forgotten the details, she clearly remembered the consequences!
This event was crucial to the protagonist’s blackening, the key moment when her Demon Bone was exposed!
The reason she remembered was that she only started paying close attention to the novel after this event!
She remembered everything that happened afterwards!
The protagonist’s seal was broken, resentment surged into her body, causing a terrifying phenomenon.
Although the male protagonist suppressed her demonic energy, the various hidden immortal sects were alerted, and the protagonist’s secret was exposed.
Later, her master brought her back to Mount Chao Yao.
The mountain gates opened, immortals from all over arrived, judging the girl with the Demon Bone.
The rest of the story was predictable.
Thinking of this, Li Yu felt a phantom pain in her chest, as if the sword from her dreams was still haunting her.
She had been too naive, too focused on insignificant matters.
The most important thing about Weisheng Xuanzhu’s hibernation wasn’t whether he would have nightmares or whether she would have a chance to take Mu Tao to see him in a few hundred or thousand years.
The crucial issue was that with him gone, Mount Chao Yao was left with only Si Qinglan, who had recently expended a significant amount of energy, and her, who hadn’t even mastered intermediate spells!
Si Qinglan had mentioned Weisheng Xuanzhu’s hibernation more than once during her visits.
Ever since Li Yu’s failed closed-door cultivation and the subsequent weakening of her power, Si Qinglan had been worried about Weisheng Xuanzhu falling asleep.
Many factions knew that the Heavenly Demon Soul Seed was sealed within the Upper Spirit Lamp, which was sealed within Mount Chao Yao.
And many coveted the power of the Heavenly Demon.
Born from the deepest resentment, its ability to corrupt was incredibly strong. Whether immortal, demon, god, or devil, those with weak wills could be swayed by it.
The reason no one dared attack Mount Chao Yao for the past few millennia was because of Cangming Revered One and Lingyao Revered One.
Yes, all the deterrence had nothing to do with Si Qinglan.
Without Li Yu and the Kun Peng Monarch of the North Sea, the seal on the Upper Spirit Lamp wouldn’t have lasted so long.
It wasn’t difficult to see that Si Qinglan resented the Upper Spirit Lamp being sealed on Mount Chao Yao.
For her, it was a bomb, and her two colleagues were the ones keeping it stable.
For millennia, the bomb had been stable.
Then, one colleague weakened, leaving her relying solely on the other.
But the other colleague wasn’t invincible; he also needed rest.
This had made Si Qinglan incredibly anxious for the past year.
But there was nothing she could do. Weisheng Xuanzhu had already announced his need for hibernation last year. Him delaying it until this winter was already pushing his limits.
Now that he was finally asleep, Si Qinglan must be panicking.
This butterfly message, only six characters long, wasn’t Si Qinglan’s usual style.
But thinking about it, Li Yu could almost hear Si Qinglan’s anxious voice.
She suddenly felt a headache.
“Li Yu” in the original story was still quite powerful during this period.
The reason the Upper Spirit Lamp was stolen was because of the demons’ sudden and targeted attack.
Mount Chao Yao was usually peaceful, so no one was prepared.
By the time they reacted, the lamp was already gone.
If they had known about the attack in advance, even with her weakened cultivation, the original Li Yu would have been able to defend Suiqiong Cave.
But there were no “ifs” in life.
Or rather, when there were “ifs,” there were usually “buts.”
And now, the “if” had appeared.
If she wanted to, she, as Li Yu the Exalted Immortal, could predict the demon attack and defend Suiqiong Cave.
But, she wasn’t the original Li Yu.
She barely knew any spells. Could she truly defend Mount Chao Yao?
Or rather, did the system want her to defend Mount Chao Yao?
【Host, I have something to say, not sure if I should…】
Here it comes, the system finally couldn’t stay silent.
Spit it out; I’m mentally prepared.
【The host’s arrival has indeed changed many things. These changes appear positive on the surface, but upon closer inspection, they might not be entirely beneficial.】
I think you’re right.
But I don’t quite understand; could you be more direct?
【Have you heard of the butterfly effect, Host?】
The butterfly effect…
【Your arrival in this world improved the relationship between “Li Yu” and Si Qinglan, allowing you to obtain the [Unasking Flower] before the City of the Undying incident, something the male protagonist didn’t have in the original story.】
【Because of the [Unasking Flower], you were able to change Qin Ruoheng’s fate, saving her from having her soul scattered.】
Why was it suddenly bringing this up?
What did this have to do with the current situation?
【Everything!】
【Think about it, Host, what has changed compared to the original story because of this altered ending?】
Was it deliberately making things difficult for her?
Knowing she hadn’t read the novel carefully, now it was testing her on the details?!
【Boohoo…】
Boohoo, boohoo, always crying!
It made her suffer for ten days or half a month just to assist with an intermediate spell!
What was it even good for?!
Li Yu couldn’t help but rant at the system.
The system fell silent, perhaps offended.
Li Yu took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
As she exhaled, a realization dawned on her.
She finally understood what the system meant!
Because she had received the Unasking Flower from Si Qinglan, they had another option in the City of the Undying, an option to save Qin Ruoheng.
This choice gave both Qin Ruoheng and the little black bird a better ending than in the original story.
On the surface, it was positive, but was there a price?
The answer was yes.
Originally, the price should have been paid by Qin Ruoheng, and perhaps the little black bird.
But the plot changed, and so did the price.
Now, she and Si Qinglan were paying it.
Although she had only suffered for ten days or so, she hadn’t fully recovered.
Lately, she had been feeling more tired than when she first arrived.
It wasn’t her imagination.
Initially, although feeling weak, she only slept because she had nothing else to do.
But recently, despite having many things she wanted to do, she often lacked the energy, even dozing off while sitting and thinking.
Weisheng Xuanzhu had also told her not to use divine power for the next hundred years.
Clearly, her current condition was concerning, though she, as a layman, couldn’t fully grasp the extent of it.
As for Si Qinglan, after saving Qin Ruoheng, she had become so weak that her temper had worsened.
Even if they knew about the impending demon attack now, they might not be able to stop it.
Was this the butterfly effect the system spoke of?
Changing one outcome affecting another…
【The host is correct; the current situation is indeed dire!】
Then what should she do?
【The system recommends letting nature take its course!】
Letting nature take its course?
So, do nothing and wait for the main storyline to unfold, right?
【Yes, with Mount Chao Yao’s current strength, directly confronting the demons might lead to a worse outcome!】
Li Yu pondered.
So, the system wanted her to follow the original plot.
Her mission completion rate probably hinged on this event.
She sighed.
“System, I’m curious about something. If you still want to cooperate with me, I expect honest answers, not cryptic word games.”
Li Yu’s inner voice was cold, not angry, just calm and serious.
The system was silent for a moment, then replied,
【Ask away, Host.】
“I always thought I was here to prevent the protagonist from blackening, but now I feel that I might be wrong.” She asked seriously, “Can you give me a straight answer? If certain plot points are inevitable, is the protagonist’s blackening also predetermined?”
【I apologize, Host, but the system cannot provide a definitive answer to this question.】
【However, the system can tell you that whether the [Upper Spirit Lamp] is stolen or not, the protagonist’s Demon Bone being exposed and her subsequent trial are unavoidable main storyline points.】
So, Mu Tao’s blackening was inevitable?
【The host needn’t be so pessimistic. The author’s plot isn’t unchangeable. Haven’t you already successfully altered one ending?】
Li Yu looked at Mu Tao.
The little girl was sitting on the floor, her eyes closed, practicing her cultivation techniques.
The plot could be changed, but her identity couldn’t, right?
The little protagonist, with her Demon Bone, was destined for a difficult life in the immortal world.
【Host…】
“No need to say anything more, I’ll follow the main storyline.”
【Huh?】
“Next time, if there are unavoidable plot points, just tell me directly, no need to beat around the bush.” Li Yu said calmly. “I’m just here to do my job. You’re the client; I’ll listen to you.”
【Uh…】
“But besides those unavoidable plot points, everything else is up to me. You just need to assist me, not advise me.”
Li Yu looked at the ice flower by the window.
It was just following the main storyline, what was so difficult about that?
She knew the rest of the plot. No matter what happened, she would stay by Mu Tao’s side.
She wasn’t the original owner, nor the male protagonist.
Saving the world, the Dao, what did those have to do with her?
She was just here to complete a mission.
Her mission wasn’t complicated, just complete the main storyline and prevent the protagonist from destroying the world.
As long as she achieved these two goals, everything else was secondary, right?
Since Mu Tao’s Demon Bone was destined to be exposed, then let it be exposed!
Then she could switch to demonic cultivation, which was better than forcing herself to cultivate immortal techniques with a demonic body.
And since Mu Tao was destined to be judged by the immortal sects, she would protect her!
After that, she would accompany her to the Demon Realm, no longer having to worry about character compatibility!
Now that she had unlocked so many skills, with the system’s assistance, her combat abilities shouldn’t be inferior to Mo Yichu’s in the original story, right?
What the male protagonist could do, she could do!
What he couldn’t do, she could also do!
As long as she didn’t die, she could take the risk. A little bed rest wasn’t a problem; she had someone to take care of her.
The protagonist’s despair and desire to destroy the world in the original story might not have stemmed solely from loneliness and helplessness but from the realization that even after obtaining everything she craved, there was no one to share it with, no one who cared about her happiness or sorrow.
Just like Qin Ruoheng, who found “freedom” three hundred years ago.
Li Yu gently touched the ice flower.
She knew the original ending, knew which path wouldn’t work.
She wouldn’t let Mu Tao suffer the same fate.
No matter how much others hated her little disciple, she would always protect her.
Even if the author’s plot was filled with malice, she would make sure Mu Tao knew that no matter what happened, she would always be there for her.
This way, even if Mu Tao became the powerful Demon God in the latter half of the story, she wouldn’t have to worry about being stabbed!
【Host, you, you…】
No need to persuade me, I’ve changed my survival plan!
She had been thinking about it the wrong way!
Trying to redeem a demon destined to be rejected and harmed by the righteous path with love, wasn’t that just moral kidnapping?
Going with the flow was the best approach!
The Little Demon God Nurturing Plan!
Officially commencing today!
【Protagonist Blackening Value +1%!】
【Current Protagonist Blackening Value: 46%!】
Li Yu: “…”
Although she didn’t know why, she no longer feared the increasing blackening value.
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