Chapter 47-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
The manga had only been updated for ten minutes, but it already showed several hundred bullet comments.
The beginning picked up from the previous chapter's plot. Considering the possibility of a parasitic crisis erupting in the shelter that the contestants couldn't stop, Percy and the others decided to quickly eliminate the Demonic Domain and contact the Sei Curia to handle it. Meanwhile, Ye Zheng from the Crown Prince's team insisted on staying at the shelter, and Bai Muqing and Lucy stayed with her.
"Please rest assured and leave it to us. Everyone will be saved."
In the manga, the blood-stained Saintess spoke calmly and with conviction.
Readers were now over the shock of Ye Zheng's contrasting image from the last chapter, and the voices of doubt grew louder.
Even when the manga frame no longer showed Ye Zheng, with only Percy's internal monologue expressing his worry, the bullet comments were still stuck on arguing about Ye Zheng.
[Humorous statement. Hope she can do what she says.]
[Bai Muqing and Lucy be like: Sis, don't drag us into this!]
[I don't get why the bullet comments hate Ye Zheng so much. Isn't it normal for people to have different ideas?]
[You don't need a reason to hate a do-gooder (a term for someone naively altruistic to a fault).]
[What if she actually pulls it off? I was neutral about Ye Zheng before, but now I feel for her so much I want to support her...]
[The problem is Ye Zheng hasn't shown any convincing strength so far. Only otaku bros would like her for her looks, right?]
[Any girl who supports Ye Zheng can sit at the same table as the otaku bros.]
Li Yixin looked at the bullet comments, her heart feeling a little heavy. On one hand, she felt the malice in these comments towards Ye Zheng was excessive. On the other hand, she could strangely understand why these people disliked Ye Zheng so much—
Because in the vast majority of works she had read, there were always female characters like this. They were overly emotional and dragged down the whole team. They seemed kind, but in reality, they lacked the strength to save anyone and would only put more people in danger.
Li Yixin vaguely understood that the creator needed such a simple-minded female character to advance the plot. Besides, there were many well-developed female characters, yet the stereotype for this type of female character was hard to eliminate. This led her, upon seeing Ye Zheng's statement, to also immediately doubt if she could really do it.
She felt this mentality was wrong, yet she felt confused and upset because she realized this wasn't right.
The girl holding her phone shook her head and continued reading.
The Lingyun Squad and the Divine Academy cooperated, the two teams clearing out monsters on the road together. Besides Yin Kong who could predict fate and Bai Muqing who stayed to watch the shelter, the other members of the Divine Academy also had very mystical abilities that were dazzling to watch when combined.
Even without Zhao Mei and Lucy, the Lingyun Squad still had perfect coordination. Facing a giant insectoid monster held back by the Divine Academy, Percy turned a dead branch into a sharp spear, using Roy's flames to accurately hit the monster's eye. The black-haired, blue-eyed boy then used Kaile's barrier to leap, his two hands formed into a greatsword striking from the air, plunging deep into the monster's head and ending its life completely.
Percy stood on the monster's corpse, his expression calm, a hint of barely perceptible worry in his brow.
[Ahhh, Percy, Mommy loves you!]
[Baby is so strong!]
[This Metal Transmutation ability is so cool. I'm getting more and more curious about the protagonist's hidden second ability.]
[I love protagonists like this who are strong, kind, and smart!]
[The plot is so much better when it's focused on Percy. Old Man (a nickname for the creator), stop giving side characters so much screen time (specifically referring to the two healers).]
[Why are you shading our Zhao Mei? He didn't hold anyone back. If you're going to diss Ye Zheng, leave my son out of it!]
In the manga, Percy's figure suddenly blurred as another giant monster emerged from the ground. Li Yixin's heart tightened. She figured the real core monster had appeared, and everyone was in for a tough fight.
Everyone's expression grew tense, including the readers outside the screen. But unexpectedly, the next moment, Percy looked up, and a head of golden hair shone brilliantly under the blazing sun.
Sykes jumped down from the top of the giant monster's head. He looked displeased, his golden eyes grim. The monster behind him, with its immense and oppressive aura, was instantly turned to dust.
Li Yixin couldn't help but cover her mouth as she watched. Although Sykes was extremely unpleasant, his face more than made up for this flaw. The bullet comments erupted in screams again, with all sorts of "hubby," "mommy loves you," and "PerSy shippers are eating well," everyone was exceptionally excited.
After staring excitedly at Sykes's handsome face for a while, Li Yixin suddenly thought, since this monster was so easily dealt with by Sykes, could this Demonic Domain be cleared this simply?
As expected, things weren't that simple. On the next page, Percy raised the same question.
"Wow, he must be super strong. Looks like Percy and Sykes will have to team up to solve this?"
If she were still a Sykes/Percy shipper, she would definitely be screaming at the upcoming development. Now, having been baptized by flame wars, she had become a solo stan, but that didn't stop her from looking forward to two powerful, handsome guys teaming up to fight monsters. That was the biggest appeal of a shonen manga, after all!
Li Yixin scrolled down with anticipation. The manga's perspective shifted, and the figures of Percy, Sykes, and the others were gone. A close-up of a woman with purple hair and purple eyes appeared on the screen. She was leaning against a railing, her eyes holding a deep meaning.
"Ha, as expected, the real core is here."
"Not even the Crown Prince's well-raised dog can sniff it out. It could only be in the shelter, where abilities are isolated."
On the screen, a massive monster with a human head and an insect's body, like a giant centipede, rose up. Its height almost reached the shelter's ceiling, exuding an oppressive presence.
Li Yixin was startled. The real final boss was in the shelter? Also, didn't Wu Shu say she was taking her team to forfeit the competition?
Following that, an even more unexpected plot unfolded. The suddenly-appeared Wu Shu reached a cooperative agreement with Ye Zheng and the others. After some probing attacks on the monster, the four girls quickly formed a clear battle plan, and the one leading the action was none other than Ye Zheng.
Under Ye Zheng's arrangement, Bai Muqing and Lucy were in charge of distraction, while she and Wu Shu would deal with the monster's weak point.
In the manga, the girl calmly arranged the plan. Her gentle demeanor had more stability and a hint of rational sexiness than usual, making people trust and be fascinated by her.
Li Yixin turned on the bullet comments. This time, at least, it wasn't a screen full of malice.
[What a great group of four girls!]
[Does anyone get it? Ye Zheng has a kind of 'dom' feel to her...]
[It's better not to act rashly. It would be safer to wait for Percy and the others to arrive.]
[Wu Shu is only B-rank, and Ye Zheng is a healer. This plan is too reckless.]
[They get criticized for being saved by men, and they get criticized for acting on their own without men. If you can't stand seeing girls succeed, just say so.]
[Go, babies! I'll kick away anyone who's nitpicking!]
When Wu Shu teleported with Ye Zheng to the top of the monster's head, Ye Zheng wrapped a water chain around Wu Shu's wrist, the other end held in her own hand, explaining with a smile that the water chain was necessary. The bullet comments were completely taken over by Ye Zheng stans.
[My fated master has appeared...]
[I was wondering what was missing from my empty neck. Turns out it was a water chain from Zhengzheng!]
[(Feral puppy appears)(Pushes everyone aside)(Viciously snatches the water chain)(Puts it on with peace of mind)]
[Why has the Old Man switched to yuri baits? Is fujoshi bait not enough for him anymore?]
[I've been saying it all along, my girl is definitely the gentle 'white on the outside, black on the inside' type. Those who don't get it, goodbye forever!]
[Came to follow the manga after seeing a video of this girl. She has this subtle hint of madness, I love it.]
Seeing this, Li Yixin realized that there were more Ye Zheng stans than she had expected. The moment it was Ye Zheng's turn in the spotlight, they all emerged, like koi in a pond swarming for food.
With the water chains on, the two began their move. Wu Shu used her blade to cut along the monster's spine. Corrosive flesh and blood splattered towards her but was blocked by a crystalline water membrane. The visual tension was intense. She stopped at one spot and plunged her blade deep to probe the monster's weak point.
At that moment, the human-headed insect monster suddenly went berserk. Wu Shu was quickly thrown off. She used her ability to teleport and land, then looked up to see that Ye Zheng had also fallen and was hanging in mid-air, gripping the blade Wu Shu had left behind.
Seeing Ye Zheng in danger, Li Yixin's premonition for tropes kicked in again. The Old Man had written many descriptions of Percy's special feelings for Ye Zheng, and everyone could see he wanted to make Ye Zheng the official female lead. She thought the previous backlash on the forums had made him back off, but looking at this development, it seemed a romance plotline was about to start again.
The protagonist always has to appear at the most critical moment. Ye Zheng had done very well so far, Li Yixin thought. At least it was clear she wasn't some kind-to-a-fault, brainless character. Having Percy show up at the critical moment to save her and finish off the monster would be a very reasonable arrangement.
Her finger swiped across the screen. As expected, in the next scene, Ye Zheng's figure, suspended in mid-air, suddenly fell. Accompanied by the monster's spray of blood and a loud bang, the girl's body drifted down like a single, light feather.
Li Yixin was expecting the hero-saves-the-damsel scene to play out, but what caught Ye Zheng was not Percy's sturdy, metal-transmuted arms, but a swarm of colorful butterflies.
She stared at the screen, and it took a while for her to realize that was Lucy's ability.
Speaking of Lucy, although she was an indispensable member of the Lingyun Squad, her role in the team was the least prominent. Perhaps it was because her butterflies were more support-oriented, adding some splendid visual effects to battles but rarely playing a key role.
But this time, Li Yixin learned that Lucy's ability could not only apply negative effects to monsters but also save people at critical moments?
Ye Zheng was gently brought to a safe landing by the butterflies, and behind her, the ferocious, massive monster was motionless, as if all sound had ceased.
"Sorry, I shot that weak point with a gun and killed the monster."
The Saintess explained apologetically to Wu Shu, as they had originally agreed to give the points to her.
What Li Yixin was concerned about was, wait, the monster was actually defeated?
Ye Zheng's one shot while falling had actually managed to eliminate the core monster?
That is to say, there was no need for Percy to step in now. The four girls present had successfully resolved this crisis, just as Ye Zheng had promised— We will save everyone.
After the four dealt with the monster, they, under Ye Zheng's lead, methodically arranged for the ordinary people to evacuate. This was the first time Li Yixin had seen such clean-up work; the protagonist's team usually just left after defeating the monster.
Only after everything in the shelter was concluded did Percy, Yin Kong, Sykes, and the others arrive late. Surprisingly, the legendary Pope also appeared, looking like a very approachable elder.
This chapter was truly anti-trope. Li Yixin hadn't even recovered from the plot twists when she saw another shocking scene.
The usually unapproachable Crown Prince actually took a comical fall. After getting up with a dark expression on his face, his shirt was torn in several places, revealing his fair chest muscles and waist, making him look like a flirtatious and sexy boy.
Li Yixin's jaw dropped. She was actually a big fan of the Crown Prince's powerful and sharp aura; it had a strong hormonal appeal to a power-admirer like her. But this exceptionally "frank" appearance was, admittedly, a feast for the eyes.
"Rich, and generous."
The girl in front of the screen commented after a moment of silence. She never expected His Highness the Crown Prince would one day go down this path.
She held her phone and took a moment to process. The plot of this update had sent her on an emotional roller-coaster. Everything was different from what she had imagined, but for some reason, she was quite happy watching it.
There were handsome boys in action scenes, and there was eye-candy for the girls. As for the bonds and battles against adversity that a hot-blooded shonen manga should have, the four girls in the shelter delivered.
"What's up with the Old Man? Did he get advice from a master recently?"
Still wanting more, Li Yixin clicked into the forum. Everyone must have strong feelings about this update, just like her.
As expected, new hot posts were popping up on the forum. During this period where Zhao Mei had no screen time, Ye Zheng had replaced him as the new topic of conversation. There were several posts with Ye Zheng's name at a glance.
[Serious Discussion: What exactly is Ye Zheng's role?]
Li Yixin clicked on the hottest post.
[#1: Ye Zheng's screen time seems to be increasing lately. I wasn't very optimistic about the Old Man's ability to portray female characters, but the last two chapters have been a pleasant surprise.]
[#2: After today's chapter, I take back my previous criticisms of Ye Zheng. If Ye Zheng is the female lead, I can accept it. She doesn't seem like a useless damsel-in-distress but a female lead who can accompany Percy all the way to the championship.]
[#3: All those who were preemptively mocking Ye Zheng got slapped in the face, right? She did what she said she would do.]
[#4: Am I the only one who thinks Percy's screen time was cut again? I don't know what Ye Zheng's role is, I only know Percy is the one and only male lead.]
[#5: The Percy fan above is hilarious. One of you fantasizes about my girl being a blood bag for your son, acting like it's a gift, and another is like a replicant, copying and pasting your "male lead" everywhere.]
[#6: I don't know what Ye Zheng's role is, but I really enjoyed the girls' teamwork in this update. Thanks to Ye Zheng, my girl Lucy finally got some different screen time.]
[#7: I can't tell if the Old Man is trying to promote a female lead or not. Anyway, it seems Sykes got a new role in this chapter, but nobody cares.]
[#8: My Sykes-stan heart is breaking. That last scene was completely OOC! If the Old Man doesn't know how to sell male characters, he shouldn't try. Male characters don't look good dressed like that! He looks like a male host!]
[#9: Wu Shu's outfit is quite similar to Sykes's torn clothes. How come no one is speaking up for Wu Shu saying it doesn't look good? You say Sykes looks like a male host, but you're not sparing your own fave either (lol).]
After a brief derailment, more discussions about Ye Zheng poured in.
[#17: Her role is either villain or hero. You can see that Ye Zheng has a bit of a 'white on the outside, black on the inside' feel, but overall she's a very kind little girl, a true Saintess!]
[#18: Ahhhh, this chapter completely pulled me into the fandom!]
[#19: The person who told Ye Zheng fans not to celebrate too early, come out and show yourself. If you knew who my fave was, you'd think I was blessed too~]
[#150: Ye Zheng stans are so funny. It was clearly a team effort of four people, and Ye Zheng was just lucky to get the last hit on the monster, but her fans are hyping her up to the heavens.]
[#151: Defending the person above! I don't even dare to speak anymore. They make it sound like Ye Zheng is so powerful. If you disagree, you're a misogynist who loves male characters.]
[#152: Seeing you two above so triggered makes me happy. Doesn't your great male lead get his achievements by stepping on his teammates' shoulders? How come when it's my girl, it's just 'luck'?]
[#153: I don't get it. As a girl, shouldn't you be happy to see a female character get more spotlight? If you love being a mom-fan to male characters so much, why don't you just cut your good boy out of the manga and make him a child model on Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social media app).]
Li Yixin couldn't help but laugh a little. She felt that what the Ye Zheng fans said was quite reasonable, even if some of them were a bit harsh. A well-written female character would make her feel more immersed as a female reader. Besides, for a manga to have depth, both the main and supporting characters needed to be three-dimensional, not just mindless foils for the great male lead.
Li Yixin was pleasantly surprised. She originally didn't have high expectations for the Old Man, a male creator, but now it seemed that Tang Mingxi could safely support female characters in King of the Demonic Domain.
However, when she scrolled to the latest comment on the post, she frowned in confusion.
[#511: Ye Zheng stans, stop celebrating. The Old Man just threw shade at this chapter on his social media. Who knows whose puppet Ye Zheng is? (lol).]
[#512: It's been reposted thousands of times in QQ zone. Ye Zheng is the OC of some capitalist's daughter who is also a 'dream girl' (fans who want to pair with a character) for Percy. That's why she has so much screen time. You're just stanning the rich girl's avatar.]
[#513: Why do I feel like this is all to serve the PC agenda on gender issues? I hate this kind of nonsensical political correctness the most. No wonder this chapter was so bad.]
[#598: ...As a Ye Zheng stan, I take back my praise for the creator. He doesn't deserve it.]
"What does this mean?"
Ye Zheng was still sitting on her bed scrolling through the forum. She looked puzzled when she saw the word "puppet," and then she saw "PC agenda." Two new words in a row made her a little curious.
What puzzled her even more was the shift in public opinion. What on earth did this manga creator say?
The system hissed and mumbled.
[These words are hard to explain... Let me show you this creator's latest post. It's like something an idiot would write, so stupid...]
The system's mechanical voice read aloud.
[An Ordinary, Yet Extraordinary Manga Worker V: Creation is always like dancing in shackles, but seeing that everyone likes it, I'm happy too. After all, I'm really not good at drawing female characters, so this makes it easier.]
"This is the manga creator's post?"
[Yeah, sounds so two-faced and nasty!]
The system sounded much angrier than she did. After all, the system's treatment seemed to be linked to her popularity. Such an ambiguous statement would definitely damage her reputation among the readers, and her popularity might even drop significantly.
"That's good."
Ye Zheng, on the contrary, started to smile.
"I'd be annoyed if he claimed the character 'Ye Zheng' as his own."
The usually gentle and quiet Saintess spoke with a rare child-like tone, "He'd better hate me more. Knowing that he's upset puts my mind at ease."
Ye Zheng had been annoyed with this manga creator for too long. If the readers who liked her started to like the creator by association, she would be the one feeling down.
A flash of inspiration suddenly crossed her mind. Ye Zheng quietly suppressed her smile and lowered her eyes to look at her phone screen.
How strange. The system, the creator, and her own existence—what kind of method connected them all to function together?
Why would the manga creator make such a statement? How much did he really know about this "Ye Zheng" who had deviated from the original plot?
It seemed that both the world inside and outside the manga were full of unknown mysteries.
Ye Zheng put her phone away, got off the bed, and tidied up neatly. She changed into the Saintess's classic white dress, looking as if she were about to go out.
The system was still muttering in Ye Zheng's mind.
[A creator publicly ostracizing a character, this has never happened before! You really are a heroine plagued with disasters.]
"Will he affect my ability to use action points to change the plot?" Ye Zheng asked suddenly.
[Of course not. The com—anyway, he doesn't have the authority to interfere.]
Ye Zheng noticed the system's stutter, as if it was intentionally hiding some information. She didn't press for now. As long as she knew the idiot creator wouldn't affect her actions in the manga world, that was enough. She had more important things to do at the moment.
"Then let him watch."
"Watch how the foolish world he fabricated will become my world."
Author's Note:
I really hate the word 'puppet'.
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