Chapter 85-The Manga Pariah's Guide to Self-Salvation
[Percy, you're done for. You'll never be able to forget Zhao Mei in this lifetime...]
[Sensei, what happened to my kid? How did he go into the Demonic Domain and just disappear?]
[Here it comes, here it comes! The white moonlight second male lead, an essential character for any male-oriented webnovel protagonist, has arrived!]
Hot threads related to Zhao Mei had practically taken over the entire forum. After finishing the latest chapter, every reader had only one image left in their mind—
The youth, bathed in fire, smiled as he bid farewell to his companions. His calm face seemed prepared for a graceful death, yet his eyes held a trace of undeniable sorrow. His somber, black figure was more dazzling than the flames themselves.
[#1: Who would have thought the "Glorious Oath" would be fulfilled so soon? You really shouldn't raise flags before a battle!]
The "Glorious Oath" referred to the words Zhao Mei had said to Percy: "It would be no problem at all, even if it meant bearing all the glorious, overwhelming responsibilities for you." This line had already become a famous quote for the PerMei cp.
[#2: Oh my god, if it wasn't for Zhao Mei, given Percy's sense of responsibility, he would have likely chosen the role of the traitor to stay behind. Zhao Mei knew this, so he made the choice to sacrifice himself without telling anyone...]
[#3: Mom, I'm scared! The PerMei ship is getting so much content. I'm seriously starting to suspect it's a last supper!]
[#4: He is submissive, he is concerned, he is devoted, he is destructive, I forgot the middle parts, but in short, all the things that have been considered beautiful in East Asian women for millennia have been bestowed upon him. He is devastatingly beautiful—the perfect character for this meme has appeared!]
[#5: Let's not attribute all of Zhao Mei's choices to the cp. He clearly did it for everyone in the Cloud-Soaring Squad.]
[#6: The user above is on point. I'm sick of the Zhao Mei momo stans and the PerMei shippers. The reason Zhao Mei did this is because he's a charming young boy, not because of love, okay?]
[#7: Old Uncle is pushing the ship this hard, wouldn't it be impolite not to take a bite?]
[#8: Is no one discussing whether Zhao Mei will actually be okay? Ever since the Glorious Oath, I've felt like Zhao Mei was raising a flag, something feels off... like something bad is bound to happen sooner or later.]
[#9: PerMei really reminds me of some classic, dominant M/M ships. The second male lead who devotes his life to the like-minded protagonist. I truly feel for him.]
[#10: Can't say about the future, but he should be fine this time at least. Zhao Mei is so popular, and there are still so many secrets about him that haven't been revealed. Old Uncle would absolutely not be willing to kill him off right now (can't rule out the possibility of him going crazy in the future).]
[#11: Sacrificing himself for his companions under the identity of a "traitor." If I were Percy, I would never forget Zhao Mei's gentle and melancholic eyes for the rest of my life. He's the one and only designated white moonlight of this manga!]
[#12: Speaking of which, shouldn't Zhao Mei's identity be revealed soon? He has already become an inseparable member of the Cloud-Soaring Squad. I'm guessing when Zhao Mei reappears, he will tell Percy his true identity, and the two will finally open up to each other completely.]
[#13: Hyped for Zhao Mei's return! I'm a simple person. I just love the drama of a lover coming back from the dead and the widower being overjoyed.]
[#14: Hyped +1! Waiting for Zhao Mei to return and stun everyone!]
When Li Yixin saw Zhao Mei disappear into the sea of fire, she was so anxious that tears were about to fall. The lively discussions on the forum calmed her down a bit. No matter how crazy Old Uncle got, he couldn't possibly kill off a popular character so suddenly. The officials were even planning to sell Zhao Mei merch, and she heard the preview images were coming out this week.
As for those PerMei shippers having a feast, Li Yixin had already learned to cope. This was the miserable life of a solo stan for one half of a super popular cp; you get it shoved in your face wherever you go.
For her, as long as Zhao Mei was alive and well, and as long as he didn't go OOC, she would continue to support this character.
Li Yixin was originally in a good state of mind, until she came across another piece of news on the forum, then switched to the manga app to confirm, and was left completely speechless.
Sometimes, it's not a good thing when the character you stan is too popular, because you tend to run into strange fellow fans.
The manga platform that serialized King of the Demonic Domain had launched an event to select the most popular female character, with the winner receiving promotional splash screens across multiple platforms.
Currently, the one with the highest votes in this "Most Popular Female Character" poll was—unbelievably—Zhao Mei!
When Li Yixin saw the black-haired, green-eyed boy ranked among a group of female characters, her vision went dark. She couldn't comprehend this world.
Would everyone please accept their favorite's gender!
If you love male characters, go stan a male character. If you love female characters, go stan a female character. Stop arbitrarily changing your favorite's gender!
This manga platform primarily featured shonen manga with strong male protagonists, so the female characters in the popular works were generally less popular, and their fans weren't as dedicated. Although King of the Demonic Domain wasn't the platform's most popular manga, Zhao Mei's popularity quickly stood out among the group of female characters, and his vote count was leading by a landslide.
This voting event was quickly shared on the forums and immediately exploded into a heated thread.
[#1: I laughed for ten minutes before I could post this. Babe-Mei has really become Babe-Sis this time!]
[#2: A great victory for the momo stans!]
[#3: Where do I vote? I want to join in on the fun.]
[#4: Isn't this a bit inappropriate? It was originally a female character poll, why would you vote for a male character?]
[#5: Even the officials don't see a problem with it, people in the comments section should stop making a big deal out of it.]
[#6: Zhao Mei sent his friends away amidst a trial by fire. That's another witch-like image for him! Why can't he participate in the female character poll?]
[#7: I tried, and none of the other male characters can be nominated. Only Zhao Mei got through hahaha, the chosen Babe-Sis has appeared!]
This thread immediately attracted a large crowd. Many were originally just there for the fun, but as the argument involved more and more characters, they quickly joined the fray.
[#56: If you have a gender identity disorder, please seek treatment as soon as possible. Your favorite is a male! Males are forbidden from participating in all female activities!]
[#57: The Ye Zheng stan above seems to have run out of tricks. When you can't win the argument, you resort to pulling the political correctness card?]
[#58: The classic move of the female-character mom fans. If you have this much energy, go vote for your girl, okay? Stop attacking us real women.]
[#59: I'm a Zhao Mei stan and I can't accept this either. Do you guys really want Zhao Mei to be labeled as a female character on a big screen?]
[#60: Stop arguing. The top stans can talk their talk, but the momo stans will just keep on 'momo-ing'.]
[#61: Don't even start, #58. Ye Zheng's votes are climbing fast. She's already in fifth place. Looks like she'll surpass your transgender boy-toy soon.]
[#62: We Ye Zheng stans are just more in touch with the real world and don't pay much attention to these kinds of events. It doesn't mean we're dead...]
[#63: We Bai Muqing stans may be few, but we're not dead either... I'm so sick of some of these mom fans who love to take their boy-toys into the women's restroom.]
[#64: In a corner no one cares about, our baby Lucy has also climbed to fifteenth place.]
Tang Mingxi only found out about this voting event after Li Yixin complained to her about it.
Hearing that Ye Zheng wasn't in the latest update, she hadn't even opened it yet.
As a K-ent fan, she was much more familiar with voting events than the 2D-world fans. She quickly rallied fellow stans on various platforms to vote—the small splash screen reward didn't matter. She was currently setting up a birthday support group for Ye Zheng, planning to crowdfund for a big-screen ad to celebrate Zhengzheng's birthday.
But she couldn't swallow this insult. Damn it, do they really think we Ye Zheng stans are easy to bully?
Tang Mingxi quickly finished the latest chapter, trying to find an ugly picture of Zhao Mei or a plot hole to criticize. But it turned out this chapter was entirely Zhao Mei's highlight moment. For a moment, she couldn't find any weakness in her rival!
She admitted that the rival boy-toy was somewhat attractive, but the mere fact that he was male meant he had already lost completely to Ye Zheng!
[#589: Hilarious. After reading the update, I thought your son disappeared in the Demonic Domain for his companions. After seeing the poll, turns out he disappeared to secretly get a sex change?]
[#590: Your mouth stinks, user above. Is it fun to distort Zhao Mei's character arc? Your girl is as flat as a virtual avatar skin. Even if she had surgery to become a man, I still wouldn't like her.]
[#591: Listen to the sound of the Ye Zheng mom fans getting triggered. Zhao Mei is a divine maiden, a saintess, a witch. What's it to you?]
[#592: On point. The female-character mom fans should stop with the moral grandstanding. Even if Zhao Mei were really a girl, I'd still like him, simply because he's far more charming than your favorite.]
Tang Mingxi gritted her teeth. The current voting situation was indeed not in their favor. Zhao Mei's plot highlight this week had spurred on a huge number of people, and his vote count was still rising. The poll was set to end on the day of next week's update. Even if Zhengzheng had a highlight moment, it would be difficult to surpass Zhao Mei and become the most popular female character.
Sorry, baby. Mom's having a bit of trouble fighting this uphill battle... Tang Mingxi thought with a sigh. She left one last sarcastic comment and then logged out of the forum to wait for the next favorable turn of events. She would take back everything then!
[#623: Wishing your son a successful sex change operation. Go for it!]
Feeling the System hesitating in her mind, Ye Zheng's curiosity was piqued. "Is there something you want to ask?"
At this moment, the youth was in a magnificent palace. There were no long tables or flames, only stone walls with intricately carved patterns looking down on her, and twelve doors surrounding her.
After passing the trial by fire, Ye Zheng had been transported by the maze to the first palace.
The marks she had carved on the stone wall were still there. There was no mistake.
[Ahem, it's nothing. Just that the manga has been updated again, and it's stirred up a bit of a storm on the forums.]
It couldn't possibly tell her that everyone was having a heated argument about her gender transition.
Even it was terrified when it saw that poll, fearing that the platform officials would expose Ye Zheng's identity just like that. Fortunately, the Zhao Mei fans and Ye Zheng fans already had a long-standing feud. How could they possibly believe that the rival they were viciously attacking was actually part of the same family?
The System sighed. Thank goodness, thank goodness. It seemed the Zhao Mei persona could be kept under wraps for a long time. There was still room for optimism.
"Have there been any manga spoilers?"
[Not this time. After all, I gave you a big one last time. Any more spoilers would be disrespectful to the protagonist.]
"I see."
Ye Zheng lost the desire to take out her phone. Given the current situation, time was exceptionally precious to her.
The black robe had been burned away in the recent trial by fire. Now, she wore a sleek, black form-fitting suit under a light silver armor, like a loyal knight from an ancient temple.
After noticing the large pool and fountain in the palace, Ye Zheng had already planned to leave the team. Having a sufficient water source was the basis of her confidence in deciding to be the "traitor."
However, she had miscalculated one thing. The maze actually suppressed abilities. After enduring the trial by fire in a wretched state, what was even more disappointing was that she had been transported back to the starting point.
Ye Zheng placed her hand on the door they had chosen to enter before and found that it was sealed shut, impossible to push open. It seemed the maze wouldn't allow her to take shortcuts.
"I thought that by enduring the trial by fire, I would have passed the test. I didn't expect it to send me back to the starting line."
Ye Zheng let out a laugh, her expression icy.
"In the original story, was it also like this?"
"System, speak. Your reaction tells me that everything I just did was what I would have done in the original story."
The System did not try to stop her, and no action points were deducted.
A silent atmosphere spread through the empty palace.
[In the original story, this was one of the few highlight moments for Saintess Ye Zheng. Sacrificing herself for her companions. This has always been your character role.]
[You will be trapped here until Percy pulls out the Divine Sword and the maze collapses.]
The System said, unable to bear it.
This was a crucial plot point for Percy. The laws of the manga would not allow anyone to interfere or sabotage it. Not just Ye Zheng, but the other members of the Cloud-Soaring Squad would also be trapped one by one in different palaces, all to lift Percy up with friendship and bonds to his place of destiny!
[The Divine Sword belongs to Percy. This is an unchangeable fact, just like your hair that you cannot cut.]
[Ye Zheng, you are not fighting Percy for the Divine Sword. You are fighting against the laws that maintain this world, against a decisive will from a higher dimension! Can you understand!]
[If you exceed the limits allowed by the law, you will be erased!]
The System shouted, losing its composure. This kind of crucial plot point could not be overstepped.
"Is it that this world doesn't allow it, or is it that the 'Company' doesn't allow it?"
The silent girl asked abruptly.
The System choked, momentarily unsure how to answer.
[We are not the enemy trying to hinder you... but we are not here to help you either.]
The System finally admitted.
[The risks you take by crossing the line are yours alone to bear. Regardless of success or failure, it is all precious... data for the Company.]
After saying this, the System went completely silent.
Ye Zheng sat quietly, leaning against the cold floor. In the vast and magnificent palace, the twelve merciful gods carved on the doors all seemed to be watching this lost child.
Her short black hair was slightly scorched. Ye Zheng had a feeling that this magical wig she bought from the black market wouldn't last much longer—but that was fine. She wouldn't be needing it for long anyway.
Suddenly, she pulled a silver coin from her sleeve. This was the common currency of the empire. Typically, its heads side was engraved with two crossed swords symbolizing glory and enterprise, and the tails side with an exquisite shield.
[Are you going to flip a coin?]
The System popped up again.
Ye Zheng laughed, a bit of warmth in her smile this time. "I thought you were silenced again."
"When people are faced with a dilemma, they often seek comfort from external forces. It's very common."
[Leaving an important decision to luck doesn't seem like a good choice.]
"And yet, the final blow that determines victory is often luck."
Ye Zheng said calmly.
[Alright, so how will you decide?]
The System's voice was a little tense.
"If the side with the two swords faces up, I will continue with my plan."
The System understood. The other side meant giving up the plan, but it still asked, just to be sure, "Then what about the other side?"
"The other side? If the shield is tossed, I give up the plan."
Ye Zheng laughed again, as if the System had asked a very stupid question.
[Wait, what if it lands on its edge!]
"If it lands on its edge, I'll toss it again."
Ye Zheng placed a finger to her lips, shushing.
"Alright, I'm starting."
The girl sat cross-legged on the floor, one hand supporting her from behind, the other toying with the silver coin.
The Saintess rarely adopted such a casual posture. Under the watch of the twelve divine statues, she tossed the coin in her hand. The silver light traced a beautiful arc in the air and landed in the girl's palm.
The System practically held its breath—as a non-biological entity, it understood the meaning of this phrase for the first time.
The moment it saw the result, it was not surprised at all. It felt as if a fateful certainty had finally settled.
[Go.]
[If this is fate... the direction of the Divine Sword, based on the original plot, should be to your southeast.]
The System said calmly.
"Thank you."
Ye Zheng replied just as calmly. She stood up from the floor and tucked the silver coin back into her sleeve.
The metallic luster of the silver coin was hidden once more. No one but Ye Zheng would ever know—
This coin was engraved with two crossed swords, symbolizing glory and enterprise, on both sides.
She would never leave herself to fate.
Whether it was good luck or bad luck, all paths would lead to the inevitable road.
Forward, towards the destiny she had personally tailored for herself—keep moving forward!
Ye Zheng stood before a door, meeting the gaze of the divine statue carved on it, which was holding a sword with both hands.
It was no coincidence that Sierra had set fire to the Divine Plaza, nor that her Holy Journey Knights Order was the first to enter the Divine Plaza for rescue efforts.
She had buried two things for herself in that magnificent statue in the Divine Plaza.
A Dragon Bone, and a meticulously crafted... Golden Sword.
"I don't need you to choose me."
Ye Zheng stared at the divine statue on the stone door and said without a sound.
Then, she pushed the door open.
Author's Note:
I'll try to write more these few days. I also want to get to the scene I've been planning in my head for so long...
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