After Transmigrating into a Book as a Cannon Fodder Character, The System Turned out to be Completely Unreliable! - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Why Don’t You Kneel Before Your King?

While Ye Lingxi was fast asleep, she heard a faint rustling sound.

The black mist from earlier circled above her head a few times but couldn’t enter her body. So it shifted its target—to Bai Luotang, who was sleeping inside the room.

It slipped into Bai Luotang’s body with ease. Her body began to twitch and writhe, tossing the blanket to the floor. A sudden scream jolted Ye Lingxi awake.

“What happened?!” She threw off her blanket and rushed into the room, only to witness a chilling scene: black mist was rising from Bai Luotang’s seven acupoints, twisting her body unnaturally.

Ye Lingxi immediately summoned her broken sword and slashed at the mist. But no matter how many times she cut it, it reformed. “Isn’t this the same black mist I encountered outside?”

It was relentless—impossible to sever.

What now?

As she hesitated, the mist lashed out at her. She dodged, but her waist slammed into the doorframe.

“Huff—” She gasped, her breathing uneven.

The mist had fully entered Bai Luotang’s body. Ye Lingxi knew this was bad.

Now possessed, Bai Luotang’s eyes turned pitch black. Her smile twisted with malice, and the mist still clung to her body. “Didn’t expect it to be this easy to control such a body,” she said in a voice that grated like nails on glass.

Ye Lingxi snapped, “Get out of her!”

The mist, now speaking through Bai Luotang, sneered, “Why should I listen to you? This body suits me just fine.”

Ye Lingxi: Of course it does. She doesn’t have much spiritual power—makes her an easy target.

Wait—possession?

Wasn’t this supposed to happen later in the story? Why now, while Mo Huaishu was in seclusion?

“How can I get you to leave her body?”

The mist replied, “Leave? Not a chance. And you—I’ll devour you too!” It lunged at her with bare hands.

But Ye Lingxi wasn’t helpless anymore. With her divine sense and spiritual power awakened, she dodged and leapt aside, sword in hand. Just as she was about to strike, the mist turned Bai Luotang’s face toward her.

Seeing her face, Ye Lingxi hesitated. Her sword lost its edge. The mist took advantage of her pause and struck her in the stomach. “Give me your spiritual power!”

Ye Lingxi couldn’t dodge in time. Just as she thought she’d have to start over again, a figure appeared and shielded her, countering the blow. Ji Fuyu turned to her. “Are you alright?”

Ye Lingxi shook her head and coughed, unable to speak. Her dazed eyes seemed to say, What do you think?

Ji Fuyu gathered her strength and blasted the mist away. It hit the ground and skidded to a stop. As the fog cleared, she saw the figure clearly. “Demon King?”

“Why don’t you kneel before your king?!” Ji Fuyu’s fury surged, her demonic energy sweeping through the room like a storm. The mist raised its arms to shield itself.

Once the wind died down, it tried to talk its way out. “My king, I was just passing through.”

“Passing through?” Ji Fuyu’s voice was laced with rage. “You think I’ll believe that nonsense? This is a cultivation sect—you shouldn’t even be able to enter. How did you get in?!”

The mist hesitated, then pointed at Ye Lingxi. “It was her! I followed her in!”

“What?” Ye Lingxi was stunned.

“We fought outside the sect, remember? I slipped in behind her.”

The more it spoke, the more speechless Ye Lingxi became. Yes, they had fought—but she wasn’t the only one who attacked it.

“My king, please stand up for me. She hit me!”

Ye Lingxi nearly coughed up bl00d. Seriously? That’s how you twist the story? Sure, I hit you—but you attacked me first! And now you’re attacking us again for no reason?

Ji Fuyu looked down at the injured Ye Lingxi. “Is that true?”

Ye Lingxi opened her mouth to explain. “Yes, but she attacked me first. I was just trying to buy you some peach blossom pastries in town, and she ruined everything.” She leaned against Ji Fuyu pitifully. “Master, you have to stand up for me too.”

If she can play the victim, so can I.

Ye Lingxi leaned into Ji Fuyu with a smug look, shooting a triumphant glance at the mist-possessed Bai Luotang.

The mist: “…”

“No! My king! She’s lying!” the mist panicked. “Please believe me!”

Ji Fuyu stared coldly. “Whatever you are—you’re going to die.”

“No! My king! We’re the same kind! Why are you siding with cultivators? They’ve always been enemies of the demon race!”

Ji Fuyu hesitated.

Sensing an opening, the mist pressed on. “Don’t you remember? It was the Moon God who sealed you away!”

That struck a nerve. Ji Fuyu’s fury exploded. She grabbed the mist-possessed Bai Luotang by the collar. “You dare bring that up?! I’ll destroy you!”

She placed her hand on Bai Luotang’s head and forcibly extracted the mist.

It shrank into a small, writhing mass in Ji Fuyu’s palm. She casually laid Bai Luotang on the ground. Why was it so easy for her to extract the mist, when the female lead had to go through so much trouble to save her?

Ye Lingxi didn’t have time to think—clutching her aching stomach, she rushed over and helped Bai Luotang up.

“She’s okay… just unconscious.”

She turned to Ji Fuyu. “What are you going to do with that thing?”

Ji Fuyu smiled. “Eat it.”

“Huh?” Ye Lingxi was stunned.

Seeing her expression, Ji Fuyu teased, “What, are you disgusted by me?”

Ye Lingxi quickly shook her head. “No, not at all.”

Of course she wouldn’t dare be disgusted. She muttered to herself, “Why does Bai Luotang attract demonic energy so easily?”

Ji Fuyu overheard and replied, “Because she’s absorbed too much demonic energy. The demons mistake her for one of their own, which makes her an easy host.”

That explanation clicked for Ye Lingxi. So she’s not a demon—just a cultivator who absorbed too much demonic energy to extend her life. No wonder she was possessed so easily.

“Thank you,” Ye Lingxi said sincerely.

Ji Fuyu blinked. “What did you just say?”

“I said thank you!” Ye Lingxi repeated louder. “Did you hear me that time?”

Ji Fuyu’s face flushed slightly as she nodded, still holding the mist. “I heard you.” But in that moment of distraction, the mist seized its chance and escaped.

Startled, Ji Fuyu chased after it, using her demonic power to trap it midair. “Trying to run? First you delay me from retrieving my sword, and now you think you can escape right under my nose?”

The mist struggled desperately, but there was no way it could escape Ji Fuyu’s grasp. Just as she was about to absorb it, it suddenly darted toward Ye Lingxi’s face and shot into her eyes.

Ji Fuyu reached out but missed.

“Ah—it hurts!” Ye Lingxi screamed, clutching her eyes as the black mist burrowed deeper. Her hands twisted in pain as she grabbed Ji Fuyu’s clothes. “It hurts! Please help me!” Sweat poured down her face.

Ji Fuyu roared, “Get out of her!” and tried to extract the mist with her claws. She managed to pull out half and devoured it, but the other half remained lodged in Ye Lingxi’s eyes.

The pain subsided, but Ye Lingxi could no longer see.

She blinked, confused. “Is it gone?”

“It’s out…”

“Then why can’t I see anything in the night sky?”

Ji Fuyu gently took her hands and pulled her into her arms. “Maybe it just hasn’t fully cleared yet.” She tried to probe Ye Lingxi’s eyes with her power—but no matter what she did, she couldn’t extract the remaining mist.

What’s going on? Has the mist entered her divine sense? Is it beyond reach now?

She tried to enter Ye Lingxi’s divine sense—but was blocked. She couldn’t get in.

This is bad.

Inside Ye Lingxi’s divine sense, the remaining half of the mist floated, preparing to devour her from within. “You dared to frame me earlier—now that I’ve possessed you, the king can’t destroy me.”

“Divine sense… where is it?”

It drifted for a while before finding her divine sense—already shaped like a human with open eyes.

“So this is it. Let’s see how you handle this!” But the moment it approached, the eyes snapped open and obliterated it.

“No—how is this possible? Why is her divine sense so powerful?!”

As it vanished, Ye Lingxi’s eyes flared with golden light—and the pain returned in full force. She cried out before collapsing unconscious.

Ji Fuyu hadn’t even reacted before Ye Lingxi went silent. “Ye Lingxi!” she shouted, which summoned the system.

Spirit Cat (System): Host?

It turned to Ji Fuyu. What happened to her?

Ji Fuyu couldn’t explain. The noise inside had already drawn the attention of patrolling disciples.

“Senior Disciple?”

Several disciples rushed in, calling out to Ye Lingxi and Bai Luotang.

Spirit Cat (System): Not good—others are here.

Ji Fuyu heard them too and knew she had to leave.

The disciples entered to find Ye Lingxi unconscious, Bai Luotang still unresponsive, and signs of a fierce battle all around.

“This is bad! Something’s happened!”