After Transmigrating into a Book as a Cannon Fodder Character, The System Turned out to be Completely Unreliable! - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Of Course I Would Choose to Become a Demon, Never a God

Ye Lingxi forgot for a moment. “We… we…”

“She’s your sword spirit, isn’t she?”

“My sword spirit?” She repeated.

“I didn’t expect your sword spirit to already take on human form?” Lan Mushu pinched Ji Fuyu’s small cheek. “So cute.”

“How dare you treat me like—” Ji Fuyu hadn’t even finished speaking before Ye Lingxi shut her mouth with a hand. The crow on Ji Fuyu’s shoulder fluttered in alarm.

Ji Fuyu whimpered, muffled, while Ye Lingxi smiled and went along with Lan Mushu’s assumption. “That’s right, she’s my sword spirit. I didn’t expect her to be so powerful as to take human form.”

Since the system wasn’t around, it was fine to pretend for now.

Clearly, Ji Fuyu wasn’t thrilled about being mistaken for some silly system.

Ye Lingxi leaned close to her. “Unless you want her to find out your true identity?”

Ji Fuyu seemed to consider the logic, then crossed her arms and nodded.

Relieved, Ye Lingxi let her go. “Sorry you had to see that. We were just arguing—don’t mind us.” She gave Lan Mushu a sheepish look.

Lan Mushu advised kindly, “You two should get along better. Otherwise, accidents can happen.”

“Yes, yes.” Ye Lingxi nodded obediently and then turned to glance at Ji Fuyu and then at the fallen princess.

Lan Mushu approached too. “It’s getting late. We should find a place to rest.”

“I completely agree! A hundred percent! Let’s go, now!” Ye Lingxi said enthusiastically.

Lan Mushu sighed. “Then help me carry her.”

“Oh, okay.” Ye Lingxi rolled up her sleeves and got to work. Off to the side, Ji Fuyu looked increasingly annoyed.

The crow on her shoulder chirped, “Jealous?”

Ji Fuyu grabbed its beak. “Crows shouldn’t talk.”

Jing flapped his wings in protest but couldn’t speak. Ji Fuyu finally let go. “You’re too noisy.”

“You should be more gentle. No one will like you otherwise,” Jing muttered, rubbing his sore beak with a claw.

Ji Fuyu turned a frosty gaze on him. “You talk too much.”

Jing zipped his beak shut.

They returned to the ruined temple. Ye Lingxi had just set the woman down and collapsed on the floor. “I’m done. Totally done.”

“Useless,” Ji Fuyu commented calmly.

Ye Lingxi glared up at her. “You didn’t carry anyone! You try it! Easy to talk big when your back doesn’t hurt!”

Ji Fuyu: “…”

“Xiao Xi,” Lan Mushu gently interrupted.

Ye Lingxi pouted. “Fine, I know…”

If not for hiding her identity, I’d really let her have it. She huffed in Ji Fuyu’s direction.

Ji Fuyu sat cross-legged on the ground. Lan Mushu lit the green fire again and set it in a rusty iron pot. “Aren’t you returning to your sword?”

Ji Fuyu looked up. “This ki—”

“Cough! Cough!” Ye Lingxi interrupted with a fake coughing fit. Ji Fuyu held her tongue.

Lan Mushu tilted her head. “Are you okay?”

“No, no, just something in my throat.” Ye Lingxi then shot Ji Fuyu a subtle X-sign with her hands, a signal Ji Fuyu didn’t fully get but took the hint anyway.

“I stayed inside too long. I just wanted to stretch my legs. You guys go ahead and sleep.”

How unexpectedly thoughtful.

Ye Lingxi stared at her suspiciously. During the lull, Lan Mushu pulled a blanket from her sachet and draped it over the unconscious princess. Ye Lingxi took out two more, giving one to Ji Fuyu.

Ji Fuyu held the blanket in front of her face. “Where did you get this?”

“Oh, it’s from the sachet. Lan Mushu gave it to me—handy, right?” Ye Lingxi proudly shook the sachet.

Ji Fuyu: “…”

She shot Ye Lingxi a glance, clutched the blanket, and said, “You sleep. I’ll keep watch.”

“Gladly!” Ye Lingxi collapsed immediately.

Lan Mushu: “…”

Ji Fuyu: “…”

Jing: “…”

Lan Mushu bowed slightly. “Thank you.”

Ji Fuyu closed her eyes, entering meditation.

Jing whispered, “That girl is pretty interesting.”

Ji Fuyu said nothing but responded, “Mm.”

“Oh ho, you admit it?”

“She’s my appointed guardian. She’s mine. So are you.”

Jing: “…”

“Sorry, but my duty was almost complete the day I hatched from my egg. But since you chose to become our demon king, I’m free now.”

Ji Fuyu turned to him. “Then why are you still here?”

“I want to see if you can really become the Demon King.”

Ji Fuyu: “…”

“You’ve lost your power, your forehead lacks a demon mark—you’re not truly the Demon King yet.”

Ji Fuyu touched her own forehead. “Of course I chose to become a demon. I’d never choose to be a god.”

“You’re still angry about what happened back then, aren’t you?”

Her pupils contracted, and she glared. “Do you want to die?!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll shut up. Whatever you become, I’ll support you. I’m your guardian, after all—born to serve you.”

Ji Fuyu looked away. “Good.”

The night deepened. Lan Mushu’s green fire flickered out in the pot.

Ji Fuyu suddenly jolted awake, stood, and sniffed the air. Jing also woke up. “My king, it’s the same black mist from earlier.”

“I know,” Ji Fuyu replied.

“What will you do?”

“I’ll absorb it—see if my power comes back.” Ji Fuyu stepped outside, looking up at the drifting black mist in the sky. “Still daring to defy me?”

The mist seemed to float and dance provocatively in front of her.

She snapped, trying to grab it but missed. Furious, she shouted, “How dare you play with me!”

She raised her arm. “Jing! Get it for me!”

“Got it!” Jing flew up, shifted into human form mid-air, and with one motion captured the black mist, dragging it down.

He landed in front of her. “Here you go. Enjoy.”

As the mist tried to escape, Ji Fuyu inhaled deeply and sucked it into her mouth. Afterward, she opened her hand—no power returned.

Still nothing? Does that mean… she must redo the bond?

Jing asked, “Any reaction?”

Ji Fuyu’s face darkened. She turned her back, clearly troubled.

Jing hovered in front of her. “Really nothing? Then I’ll catch you something stronger. Something with more resentment.”

“Pointless. None of it helps,” she murmured, dejected.

“Then what’s left?”

“There’s only one way left to try.” Ji Fuyu said slowly.

“What way?”

Ji Fuyu’s eyes drifted to Ye Lingxi, sleeping soundly.

Jing looked startled. “Then… good luck.” He turned back into a crow, perched on her shoulder, and stared at her curiously.

Ji Fuyu took a deep breath and returned to the decaying hall. All night, she kept watch, eyes never leaving Ye Lingxi.

Ye Lingxi stretched and scratched her back, then sat up and rubbed her eyes—only to find Ji Fuyu staring at her from right across.

“AHHH! You scared me!” She clutched her chest. After what they saw yesterday at the graveyard, waking up to a demon—no, a demon king—right in front of her was terrifying.

“You’re awake?” Ji Fuyu said in her cold voice.

Ye Lingxi thought she misheard. “What, did you choke on something last night?”

Ji Fuyu: “…”

She pursed her lips, eyes full of annoyance.

Ye Lingxi leaned back, trembling. Did I offend her again?

Lan Mushu woke up, hearing the commotion. Ye Lingxi rushed to her side, clinging to her arm. Ji Fuyu watched it all.

“You got water?” Ye Lingxi asked.

“Where’s yours?”

“Out. You know the sachet has limited space.”

Lan Mushu, unable to refuse her, handed her a pot. “Here.”

After a couple of gulps, Ye Lingxi said, “Thanks.”

Lan Mushu nodded toward Ji Fuyu. “Give her some too.”

Ye Lingxi glanced at Ji Fuyu, then reluctantly offered. “Here. Drink.”

Ji Fuyu turned away. “I don’t need water.”

“You don’t?” Lan Mushu asked. “Right, sword spirits probably don’t need that. But it won’t hurt, right?”

“No,” she replied coolly—her constant cold tone stung Ye Lingxi’s heart. She wished Ji Fuyu would say less sometimes.

Ji Fuyu saw her weird reaction but ignored it. “So… what do you plan to do with her?”

Both of them turned to look at the unconscious princess.