Love Game in Eastern Fantasy – Esther Yu, Ding Yuxi

Ling Miaomiao, an ordinary office worker, loved Saturdays the most. This Saturday, her most important plan was to watch her idol Fu Zhou's new work, "Catching Demons. " Just as Ling Miaomiao was engrossed in the story, Tao Zong suddenly called to say there would be a meeting and asked her to notify everyone. Everyone had to be in the office by noon. Ling Miaomiao didn’t even finish her sentence about it being Saturday before Tao Zong hung up.

So, Ling Miaomiao put on her headphones and boarded the bus to the company, listening to the novel while on the way. During the meeting, she remained immersed in the world of "Catching Demons" until Tao Zong called her name, snapping her out of her daydream. She was then assigned work that had to be submitted by Monday. After listening to the novel all day, Ling Miaomiao felt it was somewhat absurd; after all, Fu Zhou was her favorite author.

The story had no major twists until the very end, and in her frustration, she typed out her thoughts in the comments section. However, before she could post it, the computer screen suddenly displayed strange patterns, and then she was sucked into the screen, disappearing without a trace. Ling Miaomiao fell from the sky and found herself in a completely different environment, one that looked ancient.

Not only were the surroundings dressed in ancient style, but even the maidservants were in traditional garb. When she looked in the mirror, she realized she was also wearing ancient clothing. Just as she was recovering from her shock, everything around her suddenly froze, and a mechanical voice rang out: she had entered the story, and from now on, she was Lin Yu, the vicious female supporting character she often criticized.

To return to reality, she had to complete the main quest and survive until the end, which included eliminating the great demoness and completing secondary tasks. The first secondary task was to enter the bridal chamber with Liu Fuyi. Startled, Ling Miaomiao tried to escape, but when the system disappeared, everything resumed. She ran out of the room and was struck by lightning, nearly meeting a tragic end. Once more, Ling Miaomiao found herself back at the beginning.

Xiao Wan came to her with wedding attire. Ling Miaomiao sneakily entered the courtyard, cautiously testing the waters, but ended up getting hit again. It seemed she was truly stuck in a bug. With no other options, Ling Miaomiao decided to wear the wedding dress, thinking, "If I'm getting married, then so be it! " She donned the wedding dress and married the male lead, Liu Fuyi.

In the plot, this was a fake marriage intended to lure out the great demon. Liu Fuyi was quite the gentleman, inviting Ling Miaomiao to drink a ceremonial cup with him. Suddenly, she felt a chill run down her back; it seemed the great demoness was coming! Liu Fuyi warned her not to look back, but he himself was captivated by the mirror demon in the reflection and walked towards it, bringing the demon into the real world.

In an instant, the mirror demon clashed with Liu Fuyi and then vanished. As Ling Miaomiao huddled in a corner, trembling, the system's voice congratulated her on completing the beginner's task. She calmed down, recalling that in the original plot, she was supposed to tear up Mu Yao's talisman! Fearing being blamed for harming the female lead, she hurriedly urged Liu Fuyi to save her.

Mu Yao was still fast asleep in her room, while the mirror demon silently approached her, eyes filled with malevolence. Mu Yao sensed it and got up to confront the demon. Liu Fuyi arrived just in time to protect her, causing the mirror demon to disappear again. When Ling Miaomiao rushed in, Liu Fuyi had closed the door. Mu Yao warned her that the mirror demon was still inside!

The silence in the room was terrifying as the mirror demon trapped all three of them in the mirror world. Ling Miaomiao urged them to find the real mirror demon and shatter it to return to reality. With her prompt, Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao carefully searched among countless mirrors and finally located the real demon, encountering Ling Miaomiao in the process, but she was held in a life-or-death situation by the mirror demon.

The demon often harmed grooms on their wedding night, as they couldn't resist its temptation, while their brides were usually oblivious, like its own master. To save Ling Miaomiao, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi put down their magical tools, but despite being demon catchers, without their tools, they were just ordinary people. The mirror demon was about to start a massacre when suddenly, a blinding sword energy surged forward.

After a flash of light, Ling Miaomiao saw the male second lead from the novel: the sickly, ruthless black lotus, Mu Sheng, Mu Yao's brother. Ignoring the mirror demon's threat, Mu Sheng swiftly destroyed it with his blade, and the group instantly returned to the real world. Mu Sheng was about to deal a fatal blow to the mirror demon, but Liu Fuyi advised him to put her in the demon-catching tower.

However, Mu Sheng, being an overprotective brother, wouldn’t hear it. Luckily, Mu Yao’s physical condition drew his attention, giving Liu Fuyi time to confine the demon in the tower. When Mu Sheng realized his sister had been supported by Ling Miaomiao, he quickly embraced her. Finally free, Ling Miaomiao took a good look at Mu Sheng—this was her husband in the book. Originally, Mu Sheng didn't love Lin Yu; he married her just to humiliate her.

After their marriage, he treated her terribly and even used a love curse on her, causing her immense suffering, a fate she brought upon herself. Ling Miaomiao trembled; Mu Sheng’s terrifying character was truly someone she couldn’t afford to provoke. Mu Sheng expressed his dissatisfaction with Liu Fuyi, saying that if he hadn’t returned, his sister would be dead. Yet Liu Fuyi not only abandoned her but also married another woman.

Ling Miaomiao found herself tearing up, which caught Mu Sheng's attention. He asked her whether she felt envious or resentful. Only then did Ling Miaomiao recall that Mu Sheng despised Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi being together. She felt overwhelmed by Mu Sheng's powerful aura and collapsed onto the ground after he left. Upon waking up, Ling Miaomiao realized she hadn’t returned to her world as she had imagined. She carefully reflected on the book's worldview.

Nine hundred years ago, the Cataclysm descended upon the world, and the sorcerer Mu Qingshi gained enlightenment to mend the heavens. After the Cataclysm, people began to fear demons, and sorcerers gradually turned to demon hunting, with the Mu family becoming a renowned name in this field. Seven years ago, the Demon King, a vengeful female spirit, rampaged through the Mu family, leaving only Mu Yao and Mu Sheng alive.

Along their journey, they met Liu Fuyi and later Lin Yu, who was now Ling Miaomiao, joining the main cast. Ling Miaomiao was dazzled by Lin Yu's jewelry box, while the servants served exquisite bird’s nest soup. Despite the lavish lifestyle, Ling Miaomiao remembered that in the book, Lin Yu's father was a corrupt official, and all this wealth was built on the backs of the people. As the servants urged her to fetch her father, Ling Miaomiao felt nervous.

To others, she might seem suspicious, but when she saw her father from the book, who looked exactly like her father in real life, she immediately forgot everything else and rushed into his arms.

Governor's Mansion of Taicang. Mu Yao was preparing to set off again, but Mu Sheng was concerned about her injuries, insisting they should wait until she had recovered. Mu Yao worried that staying in the official's residence would be uncomfortable, as both she and Liu Fuyi were unaccustomed to the strict rules. Mu Sheng, however, resisted, mumbling that he had matters to attend to here.

He had long suspected that it was Ling Miaomiao who took Liu Fuyi's talisman, intending to frame Mu Yao by having someone else kill her. Coincidentally, he found a strand of Ling Miaomiao’s hair on the door, confirming his suspicion. He had checked almost everyone’s hair in the mansion; only a few remained. Meanwhile, Ling Miaomiao was still caught up in the joy of reuniting with her father.

In the real world, her father had passed away, and now, being able to see a long-missed family member filled her with emotion. Upon hearing that the demon had been defeated, Lord Lin immediately ordered a feast to thank Mu Yao, Mu Sheng, and Liu Fuyi. However, the steward reminded him that his health was not suitable for drinking, which prompted Ling Miaomiao to interject. "That sounds like hypertension! " she thought.

Health had to come first, so she insisted he follow the doctor's advice. Deeply touched by her concern, Lord Lin teared up. He expressed his gratitude to Mu Yao and Mu Sheng, although Mu Sheng seemed indifferent. Ling Miaomiao glared at him but covered for him by drinking in his place, only to get drunk after one cup. Later, Mu Yao scolded Mu Sheng for his rude behavior, but Mu Sheng dismissed the hypocrisy of people like Lord Lin.

“With his position, how could he afford such a grand mansion? ” he scoffed. After sobering up, Ling Miaomiao planned to enjoy a hearty meal. Yet, the maid brought only a meager portion, explaining that Ling Miaomiao’s former self was known for strict dietary restrictions and a melancholy disposition—quite unlike the present Miaomiao. Trying to stick to her role, Miaomiao quickly devised a logical explanation.

She claimed her health was poor and that building strength was essential if she hoped to complete her tasks. She requested a jump rope and, to her father’s surprise, dragged him into a workout session. However, he quickly tired and, upon spotting Mu Sheng nearby, handed the jump rope to him before running off, leaving Ling Miaomiao struggling to keep up. Mu Sheng, growing suspicious, compared her hair to what he had gathered, though Miaomiao had secretly taken care of it.

Still dissatisfied, he questioned her other maid, Huayi. Ling Miaomiao remembered this unfortunate maid from the story: she had attracted Liu Fuyi’s attention with a bracelet, which led the jealous Lin Yu to marry her off to a crippled kitchen worker. Heartbroken, Huayi had later thrown herself into a well. Feeling the weight of yet another accusation, especially after learning that Huayi had a blind mother depending on her, Ling Miaomiao wavered.

She told herself it was all fiction, yet she couldn’t resist devising a plan to save Huayi. She arrived just as Huayi was about to jump into the well, but she tripped and fell beside Mu Sheng. Expecting some sort of dramatic “princess carry” moment, she was disappointed when Mu Sheng simply dodged her. Ignoring him, she rushed to the courtyard where Huayi was, but Mu Sheng used an instant-transference spell to reach Huayi first and saved her.

Miaomiao comforted Huayi, reassuring her that marriage was off the table. Witnessing all this, Mu Sheng’s suspicions about Miaomiao’s actions grew once more. Quick-witted, Miaomiao managed to deflect his suspicion, silently vowing to survive until the end without slipping up. But the system was unrelenting and issued her second mission: to swap Mu Yao’s healing medicine to delay their departure. Ling Miaomiao sneaked into the kitchen.

In the original story, Mu Sheng had returned after hearing Mu Yao was in pain and accused Lin Yu of tampering with the medicine. This revelation led to the exposure of corruption in Lin’s family, resulting in the execution of the entire household. Trying to convince herself that completing the mission would allow her to return home, Miaomiao felt a pang seeing her father again.

Cleverly, she swapped the medicine with a tonic instead of a laxative since the system hadn’t specified the type of replacement. Bringing the medicine to Mu Yao’s room, she was surprised to find Mu Sheng there, insisting on tasting it himself before giving it to Mu Yao. Yet, despite her efforts, Mu Yao still suffered unbearable pain after drinking it, and Mu Sheng, enraged, killed Miaomiao on the spot. When she reopened her eyes, she was back in the kitchen.

Realizing her change had led Mu Sheng to return earlier and her own premature death, Miaomiao tried different methods, from altering the formula to using a tonic, but each time ended in Mu Sheng’s swift retribution. After countless deaths, she became numb to it all. This time, she tried simply bringing a bowl of water, hoping for success, but Mu Yao still experienced pain.

At last, Miaomiao understood the issue: it was the heavy-metal glaze on the pot, to which Mu Yao was allergic. After preparing the medicine in a safe pot, Mu Yao showed no symptoms, and Miaomiao finally completed the second novice task. Overwhelmed, she hugged Mu Yao, crying with relief, much to Mu Sheng’s bewilderment.

Liu Fuyi brought Mu Yao a small trinket for her recovery, while Mu Sheng remarked dryly, watching Miaomiao lingering by Mu Yao’s side, “It seems she doesn’t need it.

Ling Miaomiao was eagerly picking out blush with Mu Yao when thoughts of her mother crossed her mind. Her mother was still in her original world, and Miaomiao felt a pang of longing. Misunderstanding, Mu Yao thought Miaomiao was referring to another world as a form of comfort and mentioned her own mother. In truth, she envied Miaomiao's freedom, as she had been born into the Mu family, destined to become a demon hunter.

Suddenly thinking of Liu Fuyi, Miaomiao rushed outside to fetch him, asking him to bring the prepared grasshopper to Mu Yao, pushing the plot between the main characters forward. In the book, Lin Yu insisted on this grasshopper, causing quite a mess. Such plotlines felt dull to Miaomiao. After completing her mission, Miaomiao straightened up and left.

Outside, Mu Sheng was visibly irritated, not understanding why Miaomiao, an outsider, could make Mu Yao laugh so easily, while it was so difficult for him to cheer up his sister. Finding him jealous was amusing to Miaomiao, and Mu Sheng clenched his fists in frustration. To provoke him further, she hugged Mu Yao tightly, forcing Mu Sheng to apologize. Leaning against Mu Yao, Miaomiao teased Mu Sheng with a challenging look.

Mu Yao instructed Mu Sheng to make amends by personally peeling fruit for Miaomiao, and with Mu Yao backing him, Mu Sheng dared not protest. Mu Sheng quickly found a chance to retaliate by chasing after Miaomiao, offering to give her a massage, which scared her into apologizing. In the midst of this, Miaomiao spotted a dust demon, and Mu Yao explained to Mu Sheng that this was the lowest type of demon, omnipresent in their world.

These dust demons were as common as mosquitoes, and Miaomiao grew curious about other demons. Mu Sheng mocked her lack of experience, but Mu Yao urged him to patiently explain. Mu Sheng then set aside his disdain to teach her about the level nine demon, the vengeful woman, who was the ultimate boss of the story. Suddenly serious, Mu Yao declared that they would eliminate the vengeful woman, no matter the cost.

Late at night, Mu Sheng recalled childhood memories of a voice that claimed to be his mother, the vengeful woman. Miaomiao genuinely liked Mu Yao, but at that moment, the system instructed her to infiltrate Mu Yao’s bedroom and destroy the “Hundred Demon Mountain and Sea Map. ” The book stated that the map was a family heirloom of the Mu family, damaged a century ago.

Mu Yao always carried it with her, hoping to restore it and find the vengeful woman. Mu Sheng suspected that Liu Fuyi was getting close to Mu Yao for the map, leading to their disagreement. In the book, Lin Yu overheard their conversation and secretly burned the map, believing this would cause Liu Fuyi to leave Mu Yao. Miaomiao internally screamed in disbelief—what a ridiculous plot twist! Now she had to run through it all over again.

Stealthily, Miaomiao made her way to Mu Yao’s bedroom, overhearing a conversation between Mu Sheng and Mu Yao. Surprisingly, they were arguing about her. Mu Sheng believed Miaomiao's intentions were malicious, while Mu Yao patiently reassured him that they both were unsure how to make friends, but Miaomiao was different; she was Mu Yao’s first close friend. Hearing this made Miaomiao feel guilty, prompting her to run outside and scold the system, only to be hit by a falling meteor.

Resetting her scenario, Miaomiao decided to just get through this silly plot quickly. Before leaving, Mu Sheng placed a talisman on Mu Yao, ensuring she could sleep peacefully. Immediately after, Miaomiao sneaked into Mu Yao’s room and located the map. Just as she hesitated to set it on fire, the candle ignited the mountain and sea map, and she managed to snatch away a piece.

However, as she exited, she ran into Mu Sheng, leading to her being killed three times. On the fourth attempt, in a moment of desperation, she held onto Mu Sheng’s hand and confessed her feelings for him, finally allowing her to pass and complete all novice tasks. In the courtyard, Mu Sheng was practicing, and Liu Fuyi challenged him to a sparring match. Just then, Mu Yao rushed in, flustered, declaring that the map was missing!

Inside the room, Miaomiao was selecting jewelry to give to Mu Yao as compensation. Liu Fuyi found the map’s fragment just as Miaomiao entered, and Mu Sheng simultaneously suspected both Miaomiao and Liu Fuyi. He immediately drew a heart-burning spell, claiming that whoever received it would never tell a lie. Liu Fuyi, unable to tolerate Mu Sheng's nonsense, reprimanded him, but Mu Sheng only sought the truth and, leading by example, accepted the spell himself.

Mu Yao could no longer bear it and said that it was she who accidentally burned the mountain and sea map last night, resolving the farce. Back in her room, Ling Miaomiao felt a wave of guilt; it turned out that Mu Yao believed Mu Sheng was the one who stole the map.

Over the past few days, Liu Fuyi had been in seclusion, and Lin Yu was an outsider, but Mu Sheng was different—he knew all her secrets and had always opposed her search for the vengeful woman. Mu Sheng wanted to explain that he was just afraid of Mu Yao getting hurt by the vengeful woman.

However, in a fit of anger, Mu Yao said something hurtful: if she could easily injure a friend she had gone through life and death with, how could it be any different for her parents, who were not even Mu Sheng's biological parents? Hearing this, Mu Sheng's expression filled with disappointment.

At that moment, Miaomiao, who had been struggling with whether to enter and confess, pushed the door open and heard the system's voice: the ten-day novice protection period had ended, and from now on, the storyline could not be reset. Startled, she immediately etched the protection of her life into her heart and turned to leave. Mu Sheng remained in a low mood.

He had thought he could always be by Mu Yao’s side, but now it seemed that she no longer needed him. Darkness slowly crept into his heart. Ling Miaomiao wanted to comfort him, but he showed no appreciation for her concern. The system then issued a side quest: win over Mu Sheng, or she would never return to the real world.

The target favorability was set at one hundred percent, but currently, Mu Sheng's favorability towards Miaomiao was negative two hundred percent! Feeling hopeless, Miaomiao thought that although she had done some wrong things, she had been forced into those situations. Still, she felt guilty about wiping out an entire family. Recalling the incident where the governor's mansion had been destroyed was truly tragic.

Looking at the two maids beside her, Miaomiao felt a pang of sympathy and considered letting them go. However, they remembered all the kindness she had shown them over the past few days and were unwilling to leave. Lin Fu heard that Ling Miaomiao was interested in magic, so he bought some nice items to cheer her up. Miaomiao pretended she had never seen them before while inwardly complaining that they were just voice-activated lamps, refrigerators, and fans.

But upon hearing their prices, she felt a twinge of pain; it was unfair that Lin Fu would be executed for embezzling so much money. This time, Miaomiao was determined not to lose her father. To protect her family, Miaomiao specially had someone brew soup to send to Mu Sheng, but he crushed the flowers she brought in front of everyone. Miaomiao had no choice but to kneel and plead for mercy.

In a fit of rage, Mu Sheng nearly attacked her, prompting Miaomiao to run to Mu Yao to vent her frustrations. Along the way, she cleverly used provocation to extract Mu Yao's true feelings about Mu Sheng—he was her only family. Yet even if Mu Sheng heard Mu Yao's heartfelt words, his favorability toward Miaomiao did not change. Miaomiao felt frantic; she really needed a strategy manual for dealing with black lotus characters!

One of the maids suggested that the upcoming Moon Invitation Night was a fictional festival in the book, and also a romantic scene between Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi. In the story, after they lit the lanterns together, Mu Sheng, filled with jealousy, secretly shot down their lantern, causing a fire. While trying to put it out, he discovered the rice store was empty, and in a bad mood, he killed Lin Fu on the spot.

Miaomiao initially wanted to stop Lin Fu from continuing the lantern festival, but he had already made plans with Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao, mistakenly thinking that Miaomiao liked Liu Fuyi and wanting to please her. Meanwhile, Liu Fuyi privately sent a message to the valley, revealing that he had his own agenda in getting close to the Mu siblings. Liu Fuyi in the book wasn’t inherently bad; he was just indecisive.

Suddenly, Miaomiao slapped her forehead and called for the most extravagant clothes to be brought to her—she was going to compete with Mu Yao for the male lead! Mu Yao was also carefully getting ready, even though she usually didn’t enjoy such occasions, she was excited to go with someone important.

Mu Sheng, overhearing this, felt pleased, thinking that Mu Yao remembered her promise to accompany him to the lantern festival, unaware that she was actually looking forward to going out with her close friend. On the day of the Moon Invitation Night, Miaomiao and Mu Yao both dressed dazzlingly and complimented each other. Behind them, Mu Sheng and Liu Fuyi couldn’t understand a word they were saying—one thought Miaomiao was pretentious while the other was at a loss for words.

That night, Miaomiao's mission was to ruin the romantic scene between the main characters. If Mu Sheng didn’t get angry, the warehouse wouldn’t catch fire, and her father would be safe. Miaomiao invited Liu Fuyi, but Mu Yao pulled her away to play games, insisting she would help Miaomiao win.

Although the situation wasn’t what she had imagined, at least the direction was right. Mu Sheng should be in a better mood now, but unexpectedly, his favorability towards Ling Miaomiao decreased by fifty percent. He watched the two of them together, jealousy bubbling up inside him. He wanted to make a scene to get some snacks, but Mu Yao focused all her attention on Ling Miaomiao. Frustrated and angry, Mu Sheng crossed his arms and left.

As Mu Sheng was feeling down, he was bumped into by a pair of siblings, reminding him of his childhood with Mu Yao. They had gotten separated while attending a lantern festival, which was why he looked forward to going with her again. Seeing this, Ling Miaomiao didn’t want his hopes to be dashed and reminded Mu Yao of their childhood story.

Mu Yao quickly recalled that during that lantern festival, she had twisted her ankle, and Uncle Seven had been furious, even scolding Mu Sheng. It was during that time that Mu Yao promised to take him to enjoy the lantern festival properly once he healed. She won the first prize and received a beautiful lantern to give to Mu Sheng. Mu Sheng snapped out of his disappointment.

Ever since he was young, he had been fascinated by the stories of the Charming Lady. That lantern festival was when Mu Yao was supposed to win him the Charming Lady’s lantern. He felt happy and touched but still pretended to be aloof, claiming he had forgotten all about it. When he saw Mu Sheng smile, Ling Miaomiao finally felt relieved, while Liu Fuyi also looked at Mu Yao with a smirk.

Ling Miaomiao suddenly felt a bit guilty, saying that she had been too focused on having fun with Mu Yao and Mu Sheng, neglecting Liu Fuyi. She encouraged Liu Fuyi to bravely pursue his heart’s desire. Lin Fu, seeing the two of them standing together, was pleased but wondered if Liu Fuyi would end up being part of their family.

As the lantern festival was coming to an end, the organizer had to secretly cheat to ensure the governor's daughter was happy, counting all four of their winnings to finally give her a prize lantern. Ling Miaomiao thoughtfully invited everyone to come up and receive the award, as they were friends after all. Mu Sheng realized that it was Ling Miaomiao who had reminded Mu Yao about the lantern festival, but he resented her meddling.

The four of them released their lanterns, silently making their most important wishes. Ling Miaomiao had initially wished for many things, but Mu Sheng said that one could only make one wish; otherwise, it was too greedy. So she wished for the safety of all lovers in the world, as safety was the greatest wish of ordinary people. Upon hearing this, Mu Sheng felt a surge of emotion and magically wrote the words “Peace” in the sky.

Everyone looked up, hoping for the simplest of things. Ling Miaomiao heard the system notification that Mu Sheng’s favorability towards her had significantly increased, currently standing at zero percent. She secretly rejoiced, feeling that he no longer disliked her and that her father would be safe! However, Ling Miaomiao's happiness didn’t last long. A lantern fell onto the grain warehouse, causing it to catch fire and creating chaos.

She rushed towards her father, wanting to get him out, but Lin Fu, the governor, wouldn’t abandon the situation. He turned and ran toward the flames. Ling Miaomiao followed, desperate not to lose her father again, even pleading with Mu Sheng to save him, fearing others would discover the warehouse was empty. Mu Sheng urged her to calm down and take a closer look at the warehouse—it was full!

Once the fire was extinguished, Ling Miaomiao asked Lin Fu why the warehouse was full. She had always thought her father was corrupt, but it turned out he was not. Her grandfather was the richest man in Jiangnan, and their household had relied on that wealth for many years. There was not a bit of ill-gotten gain involved; the warehouse had been empty because they had supplied it to the palace for the dowager Zhao.

Lin Fu had been used as a tool to gather wealth for the dowager! The warehouse had been replenished because Lin Fu had spent all his savings. When she was young, Ling Miaomiao had said she wanted to be a noble lady, which had prompted her father to take up an official position. Now that she wished for his safety and happiness, he had given away all their wealth.

At that moment, Mu Sheng noticed something strange with the messenger, walking closer. Suddenly, the box in his hand moved, and an invisible golden toad jumped out, heading for the warehouse's silver. After feasting, the toad transformed into a gigantic creature. Mu Sheng initially wanted to take it out in one blow, but if he killed it, the treasure would disappear with it. Watching the family silver being swallowed, Ling Miaomiao panicked.

Mu Sheng couldn’t care less about the gold and silver; stopping the creature from harming the world was the most important thing. They discovered that the toad had stopped moving after swallowing a rice ball from a child. Thinking quickly, Ling Miaomiao led everyone to feed the toad human food, and eventually, it spat out all the gold and silver. The invisible golden toad was captured by Liu Fuyi and put into the Demon Suppression Tower.

Each year, the gold and silver from the warehouse were secretly transported to the capital by the dowager Zhao with the help of messengers. The messenger presented forged evidence, but Mu Sheng burned it on the spot. Lin Fu immediately perked up, shouting that he wanted to resign, suggesting that the dowager Zhao could find someone else for her wealth. Ling Miaomiao's perception of Mu Sheng changed drastically; she hadn’t expected him to speak up for others. Yet, Mu Sheng was not gentle, recalling that he had tossed the rice balls Mu Yao had given him to the toad and demanded compensation from her!

Lin Fu resigned from his official position and spent all his wealth, sending the household servants away. In the blink of an eye, the once grand estate was left with only Ling Miaomiao and her father. Worried about her father’s low spirits, Ling Miaomiao hurried to comfort him. However, Lin Fu’s sadness wasn’t for himself; it was for his daughter. At such a beautiful age, she was facing poverty for the first time.

She had never experienced the life of a poor family and didn’t know what it was like. But Ling Miaomiao understood all too well; it was Lin Fu, raised in a wealthy household, who had no idea how to live in hardship. Ling Miaomiao took her father to the market to buy supplies. Using her excellent bargaining skills, she managed to get a lot of items, leaving Lin Fu dumbfounded.

When they returned home, Ling Miaomiao cooked a feast for her father. Having been accustomed to a life of luxury, she found that even this simple life could be quite enjoyable. However, Lin Fu had never done these things before, and his demeanor changed significantly. He found it strange and Ling Miaomiao made up an excuse, saying she had learned from the maids.

Then she mentioned a dream she had, where he was her father in that world too, a place without monsters, where their family of three lived happily—ordinary but without suffering. Ling Miaomiao had always led a joyful life until one day she stood up for a bullied classmate and got called to the school. Her father rushed to the school after receiving the call, even buying her milk tea on the way, which led to a car accident.

Although the classmate was punished after Ling Miaomiao transferred schools, it remained the darkest day of her life. Upon hearing Ling Miaomiao’s story, Lin Fu was overcome with emotion, tears flowing freely. Although it was just a dream, it felt so unfair. In that world, he hadn’t even had the chance to say a final word to her. Yet, he knew he couldn’t blame Ling Miaomiao.

As a father, he regretted leaving his daughter alone in this world and not taking better care of her. Mu Sheng, who was eavesdropping in the corner, was also moved but chose not to interrupt. In the middle of the night, Mu Sheng came to chat with Ling Miaomiao. At first, she felt it was inappropriate, but then she realized that since she wanted to win him over, this was a golden opportunity!

Mu Sheng was intrigued by the dream she mentioned and proposed they play a game of Go to catch her off guard. Ling Miaomiao wasn’t very good at Go, so she cleverly suggested they play Connect Four instead. After a few rounds, her favorability dropped by twenty-five percent. It was hard for a single Ling Miaomiao to flirt, so she decided to take a break. Mu Sheng asked Ling Miaomiao what her name was in that dream.

She answered honestly and even asked him to call her Ling Miaomiao from then on, as if it were her nickname. Mu Sheng didn’t have a nickname, only a courtesy name: Ziqi. The next morning, Liu Fuyi packed his belongings, ready to leave. Since he had approached them with ulterior motives, he decided to act as if they had never met. Just then, he received orders to stay by the side of the Mu siblings.

Today was the day Mu Yao and Mu Sheng would face their punishment, and Mu Yao didn’t want to say goodbye to Ling Miaomiao; they were from two different worlds. Ling Miaomiao suddenly remembered that today was their departure day and hurriedly got up to catch up with them. In the book, Lin Yu became a lonely girl forced to join them. If they left now, the plot would be interrupted!

Ling Miaomiao chased after Mu Yao and proposed to join them, but Mu Yao refused, saying she had to be responsible for Ling Miaomiao’s safety. Ling Miaomiao made up an excuse, claiming she didn’t want to be trapped in this kind of life. Liu Fuyi and Mu Sheng both agreed, and seeing this, Mu Yao had no choice but to relent, deciding that the four of them would set off together to explore the world!

With the demon-hunting team formed, Lin Fu, who had overheard Ling Miaomiao’s words, felt very low, but he didn’t stop his daughter. Ling Miaomiao thanked Mu Sheng for speaking up for her; otherwise, Mu Yao wouldn’t have taken her along. However, Mu Sheng didn’t care whether she was included or not, and his words were sharp and cutting. Lin Fu saw the four off as they boarded the boat.

Suddenly, he received good news: Ling Miaomiao had asked him to buy a temple before leaving, and when they dug the foundation, they discovered a gold mine containing ten thousand taels of gold. Their family was wealthy again! Ling Miaomiao experienced the life of a rich second generation through a god-like perspective. Although she felt reluctant to leave Lin Fu, she knew she couldn’t turn back.

On the boat, Mu Sheng suddenly confessed to Ling Miaomiao that he had actually helped with the fire that burned the mountain and sea map. Otherwise, how could a mere candle have caused such destruction? But Mu Sheng still believed that Ling Miaomiao approached Mu Yao with ill intentions. As he set off with her, he intended to keep a close watch on her and tear away her facade!

When reading the book back then, Ling Miaomiao had skimmed through it quickly, especially glossing over the subplot involving the second male lead, which remained rather vague. Now that she was trying to win over Mu Sheng, it turned out to be no easy task. Ling Miaomiao had initially assumed the plot would follow the original story, where the four of them would go directly to the Shengjing.

However, since the Lin family hadn’t been implicated, they no longer had any reason to go to Shengjing for clues. Instead, they arrived at a small town and checked into its only inn. During dinner, Mu Yao noticed that Ling Miaomiao seemed low in spirits and thought perhaps the food wasn’t to her taste. Little did she know that Ling Miaomiao was racking her brain to steer the plot back on track.

Later, Ling Miaomiao suggested they set out for Shengjing, but Mu Yao replied that a place like Shengjing wouldn’t usually harbor monsters; the primary task of a demon slayer was to exterminate demons. She reassured Ling Miaomiao that they could stay at the inn for a while, where she would teach her some spells, and only after she’d learned to protect herself would they head to Shengjing. Ling Miaomiao quickly agreed.

Back in her room, Mu Yao found Liu Fuyi helping her tidy up her bedding. He had seen her first prepare bedding for Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng but hadn’t had time to do his own, so he came over. Liu Fuyi seemed a bit out of sorts recently and, blushing, quickly found an excuse to leave. Mu Yao wanted to teach Ling Miaomiao some spells, but Mu Sheng scoffed at the idea.

Then, with a mischievous glint, he offered to teach Ling Miaomiao himself. Ling Miaomiao repeatedly refused and shot a pleading look at Mu Yao, but it was no use. Mu Sheng wasn’t planning to teach her any useful spells, so Ling Miaomiao brought up Mu Yao. Only then did Mu Sheng reluctantly teach her a basic fire-spark spell. Although it looked simple, Ling Miaomiao was at a loss, especially with Mu Sheng’s lack of patience.

She practiced for half a day but couldn’t even manage a single spark. Mu Sheng told her she needed a magical artifact, then handed her a ladle as an improvised artifact. After a whole day of fruitless efforts, Ling Miaomiao decided it was more urgent to increase Mu Sheng’s favorability. Since she and Mu Sheng were in a master-disciple relationship, and such relationships often turned romantic in novels and dramas, Ling Miaomiao devised a careful plan.

Ling Miaomiao sneaked into Mu Sheng’s room and placed cute dolls on his bed. But Mu Sheng wasn’t charmed at all; he simply burned them, causing his favorability rating toward her to drop by two percent. Ling Miaomiao pestered him to teach her more about demon-slaying knowledge, pointing out that there were no high-level demon-slayers yet. While Mu Sheng shared some techniques, Ling Miaomiao still struggled to learn them.

When she tried to act coquettish, his favorability dropped by another two points. One day, as Ling Miaomiao was practicing spells, a water demon suddenly sprang out of the water tank behind her and abducted her. Mu Sheng sensed something amiss and went to check the courtyard, where he confronted the water demon. Unable to defeat Mu Sheng, the demon only wanted a drop of his blood.

He even tried to use Ling Miaomiao as a shield, but Ling Miaomiao, quick-witted, managed to escape from his grasp. The demon accidentally injured Mu Sheng and caught a whiff of the scent of demon blood—Mu Sheng was part demon! Ling Miaomiao was utterly shocked; this secret wasn’t supposed to be revealed until the story’s end! Just then, Mu Yao appeared.

Afraid she would learn the truth, Mu Sheng used a reversal talisman to pull them all into a mirrored realm. In this domain, Mu Sheng’s powers were weakened, making it difficult to deal with the water demon. Ling Miaomiao watched from a corner as Mu Sheng suffered wounds all over his body, looking increasingly desperate.

The water demon relentlessly attacked the secrets Mu Sheng wished to keep hidden, until finally, in a fit of rage, Mu Sheng unleashed his full strength and killed the demon. His energy was now in disarray, preventing him from lifting the barrier for a while. Concerned, Ling Miaomiao ran over to Mu Sheng.

He handed her a talisman, instructing her to use it to open the barrier at noon and leave, and then to give all her blood to Mu Yao once outside. Everyone desired his blood, but Mu Sheng wanted only his older sister to have it. Ling Miaomiao was so frightened by his final-sounding words that she began to cry, tearing up the talisman. No matter what, she was determined that they would leave together!

Even if Mu Sheng was part demon, Ling Miaomiao only wanted him to survive. Mu Sheng’s eyes softened a bit as he told her to remove his hair tie. As Ling Miaomiao lifted her hand, the force of his energy knocked her back, injuring her as well. But despite her injuries, she crawled back to Mu Sheng, bloodied, and reached out to remove his hair tie.

She was once again knocked back, while a dark mist swirled around Mu Sheng, revealing his demonic form. Yet Ling Miaomiao’s eyes held no fear—only a glimmer of relief, which took Mu Sheng by surprise.

When Ling Miaomiao woke up, she found Mu Sheng beside her, chattering away about how Mu Yao had been taking care of her these past few days. Ling Miaomiao immediately sprang out of bed and pulled open his clothes to check his injuries, which made Mu Sheng feel embarrassed. He even peeled a small rabbit-shaped apple for her, which made Ling Miaomiao smile so much that her eyes disappeared.

After Mu Sheng left, Ling Miaomiao realized that his favorability toward her had greatly increased. Although it was only 8. 5, it was a vast improvement from being negative! Mu Sheng came back again, still puzzled as to why Ling Miaomiao had risked her own safety to save him, especially since they weren’t even close. He also wondered if what Ling Miaomiao had said that day was true. Ling Miaomiao nodded.

Although it wasn’t exactly as Mu Sheng imagined, she did care about him a great deal. Mu Sheng’s heart softened, which was a good thing for Ling Miaomiao, but she felt a little guilty. As for their disappearance, Mu Sheng explained that Ling Miaomiao had accidentally fallen into the water. Mu Yao was upset, believing that Mu Sheng hadn’t taken good care of Ling Miaomiao.

Ling Miaomiao, acting on her own, decided to wash the bloodstained clothes Mu Sheng had worn that day, using the soap she had made herself. Mu Sheng was quite surprised by this, and Ling Miaomiao playfully blew bubbles, which made him laugh. The atmosphere between them became subtly ambiguous as their eyes met. Ling Miaomiao asked Mu Sheng why, whenever he encountered danger, he refused to take off his hair tie, especially since he seemed so powerful without it.

Mu Sheng explained that when he took off the hair tie, he lost control of himself. He feared that one day, even the hair tie might not be enough to contain his power. Ling Miaomiao continued washing the clothes and softly asked, “Can you stop bleeding so much in the future? ” Mu Sheng agreed, and when she raised her hand with water droplets on her hair, he reached out and gently touched her face.

His eyes flickered with emotion, and after a long sigh, he placed a binding charm on Ling Miaomiao’s back. He knew that Mu Yao would never accept the truth about his demonic nature, so he decided to send Ling Miaomiao home. They would head west, and once she was safely home, everything would be okay. The next morning, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi couldn’t find Ling Miaomiao.

The innkeeper said she had left early in the morning with her bag, heading home. Mu Yao was a little upset, thinking that at least a proper goodbye should have been exchanged. Mu Sheng stopped her from going after Ling Miaomiao, stating that as the daughter of a noble family, Ling Miaomiao should return home soon.

However, Mu Sheng hadn’t expected that Ling Miaomiao hadn’t gone to the direction of Taicang County, but instead headed east, towards the deep bamboo forest, which the innkeeper said was known to be the territory of a great demon. Mu Sheng, Mu Yao, and Liu Fuyi immediately spurred their horses and raced towards the east. Meanwhile, Ling Miaomiao, under the control of a charm, was walking aimlessly forward when she suddenly fell into a huge pit.

The charm also fell out of her reach. Ling Miaomiao found herself standing before a massive bamboo stalk, where a bamboo demon let out a terrifying screech. The demon had been looking for someone to make new clothes out of, and by the time Ling Miaomiao tried to escape, it was already too late. She was caught by the demon’s vine-like tendrils, which bound her tightly. Suddenly, a straw doll fell beside her, and the vines disappeared.

A small bamboo demon appeared from the bamboo. It turned out that this little demon, named Cui Cui, was too timid and had set up the trap to protect himself by spreading rumors about a great demon in the bamboo forest. Cui Cui explained that he had once lived with his grandfather here, but his grandfather had since passed away. His true form was a small bamboo shoot, and he never intended to harm Ling Miaomiao.

Upon sensing Mu Sheng’s presence, Cui Cui quickly hid. Ling Miaomiao, seeing Mu Sheng’s imposing figure, quickly stood in front of the little bamboo demon to protect it. Mu Sheng found Ling Miaomiao, but she was a bit angry, especially because Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi were upset about her leaving.

Seeing that Mu Sheng didn’t seem to understand what he had done wrong, Ling Miaomiao deliberately said that she had come here to practice magic and was planning to surprise everyone. Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi stopped being angry, but Mu Sheng was in trouble now. Mu Yao had the inn prepare a special gourd chicken for Ling Miaomiao, and gave her both chicken legs.

Mu Sheng, feeling guilty, helped peel an orange for her, but Ling Miaomiao purposely refused to eat it. She had spent so much time trying to win his favor, but today, even if her favorability dropped to negative, she would not give in! However, surprisingly, Mu Sheng’s favorability went up instead of down. Ling Miaomiao decided to deliberately ignore him, but it only caused his favorability to increase even more.

Liu Fuyi made a protective talisman for Ling Miaomiao, and as she was about to refuse, she noticed that Mu Sheng’s favorability was increasing rapidly. Realizing that she had accidentally triggered this, Ling Miaomiao quickly took the talisman, thanked Liu Fuyi, but her favorability with Mu Sheng still dropped a little.

Liu Fuyi spoke up for Mu Sheng in front of Ling Miaomiao, and when Mu Sheng had gone to rescue her, he seemed unusually anxious, which was the first time Liu Fuyi had seen him like this. Later that evening, Ling Miaomiao brought oranges to Mu Sheng to make peace. But Mu Sheng instead asked her why she hadn’t reported him to Mu Yao. Ling Miaomiao, feeling speechless, explained that she had repaid kindness with kindness.

She leaned forward, asking Mu Sheng not to drive her away again. In response, Mu Sheng crafted a small magical ring for her, and personally placed it on her finger.

Ling Miaomiao felt the magical artifact ring was too small, but Mu Sheng personally placed it on her finger. She paused, then withdrew her hand, took a step back, and glared at him, sulking by herself. Despite now having Mu Sheng’s personally crafted magical item, Ling Miaomiao’s magic skills didn’t improve, so she set her eyes on Mu Sheng’s demon-catching rod.

The water demon had told her that it was a low-level artifact and looked worn, but Mu Sheng treasured it greatly. It turned out that Mu Yao had made it herself, making it the most important thing to Mu Sheng. Ling Miaomiao felt a bit disheartened, realizing that Mu Sheng prioritized Mu Yao’s matters over her own feelings.

But Mu Sheng was indifferent, explaining that his purpose in life was for Mu Yao, and otherwise, he couldn’t see the point of a creature like him existing. Ling Miaomiao felt a pang of sympathy and jokingly told him he should see a therapist. Under the moonlight, the two watched the stars together, and Ling Miaomiao spoke about her own world. Although she was ordinary there, she still wanted to return, as it was the world that belonged to her.

Initially, she yearned to go home, but meeting Mu Sheng, Mu Yao, and the others gave her a sense of belonging to this world as well, including its demons and magic. But Mu Sheng focused on something else, realizing that this might be why she was struggling to learn magic. Ling Miaomiao then told Mu Sheng to call her Miaomiao, and she would call him Ziqi. Only then would she agree to train.

Though Mu Sheng appeared nonchalant, when he called her “Miaomiao,” a slight smile appeared on his lips. Mu Sheng used magic to set off fireworks for her, successfully advancing their progress to 35 percent. Early the next morning, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi also learned Ling Miaomiao’s name. Ling Miaomiao finally mastered creating firecrackers, and Mu Sheng encouraged her to continue practicing her core energy.

While they played around, the little bamboo demon Cui Cui suddenly appeared, timid as ever but still determined to follow Ling Miaomiao. Because Ling Miaomiao had arrived, the Mu family’s aura was everywhere in his territory. Demons were drawn there due to rumors that the Mu family possessed the blood of extreme yin.

Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng quickly went to discuss this matter with Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi, and Mu Yao guessed that the rumor might have been spread by the vengeful woman demon. Cui Cui stubbornly stuck with Ling Miaomiao, but Mu Yao, who despised demons, would surely kill him if she found out, so Cui Cui reluctantly left. Late that night, Mu Yao heard a noise outside her window and saw Liu Fuyi.

Growing up, she had trained in magic and once wondered if she might be the destined heavenly-grade demon hunter, but after meeting Liu Fuyi, she realized his renowned reputation was well-deserved and genuinely hoped he would achieve that rank. As they prepared to set off, Ling Miaomiao discovered that Cui Cui had transformed into a ladle, insisting on following her.

Cui Cui explained that he wanted to find his grandfather, who had been taken by a demon hunter who couldn’t distinguish between good and evil. He believed his grandfather might still be alive. Ling Miaomiao was touched by his story, but this character, Cui Cui, wasn’t in the original plot, and she’d already deviated from the main storyline too much. In the end, she reluctantly refused Cui Cui.

As they left the inn, Mu Yao reminded Ling Miaomiao not to show pity, as demon nature is unpredictable. Hearing this, Mu Sheng’s heart darkened once again. Halfway through their journey, they stopped for a meal, and Ling Miaomiao went to collect firewood but ran into danger. It turned out Mu Sheng was the one who frightened her on purpose.

He then burned the protective charm Liu Fuyi had given her and offered her a sachet resembling a beanbag instead, insisting that as his disciple, her protective item should come from him. Although Ling Miaomiao was initially annoyed, she happily accepted it and tied it to her waist. When Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi saw it, they thought she had picked up a random beanbag somewhere.

Mu Sheng had been in high spirits lately, and Mu Yao was gratified to see that for the first time in years, Mu Sheng had found a friend, and having Ling Miaomiao around was wonderful. When they reached a small town, Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi went to arrange accommodations, while Ling Miaomiao admired the town’s simple folk customs. Just then, her money pouch was stolen.

It turned out the child’s father had passed away, and he had been stealing to pay for his mother’s treatment. Ling Miaomiao, feeling sympathy, gave him some money. At the inn, the innkeeper told them about the tale of Lost Valley. No one in town had ever ventured there, as it was considered an ominous place. The rumor had been spread by a swindler who carried an official-looking waist token from the Astronomy Bureau.

The four of them watched with clenched jaws as he scammed people, but even after they revealed their identities, he still warned them against entering the valley, insisting it was truly a place of misfortune!

On the way back to the inn, Cui Cui transformed into a hairpin, unknowingly attaching himself to Ling Miaomiao’s hair. The innkeeper mentioned that his wife had gone to visit her family five years ago and was finally coming back tomorrow. The group sensed something strange—since they arrived in this town, every household mentioned someone away who would return the next day.

Suddenly, a woman’s wailing sounded outside; it was the mother of Douya, the child who had stolen money earlier. She was begging the Heavenly Official, as Douya had gone to Lost Valley to get a talisman for her. She anxiously pleaded for the Heavenly Official to save her daughter. The Heavenly Official used a Forgetfulness Spell on Douya’s mother, claiming he was helping them, as Douya wouldn’t return from Lost Valley and he was simply easing their pain.

Unconvinced, Mu Yao’s group immediately headed to Lost Valley, determined to fight whatever demons lay within and rescue Douya. As they went deeper into the valley, the mist grew thicker. Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi moved ahead to scout the path, while Ling Miaomiao followed Mu Sheng, but the two soon got separated. Ling Miaomiao spotted a figure and followed it, only to find a strangely-behaving Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi.

She then stumbled into a mysterious place, and the system informed her that she had failed the quest and was about to be erased. In the real world, Ling Miaomiao was moving forward in a daze, muttering for herself to be let out. Cui Cui, realizing she was about to drown, transformed back into human form to hold onto her tightly.

But Ling Miaomiao still became engulfed in a water sphere, and a dark force lulled her to sleep, promising to erase her troubles. Luckily, the sachet Mu Sheng had given her woke her up, allowing her to break the water sphere and save herself. Mu Yao, Mu Sheng, and Liu Fuyi also experienced something similar—they lost themselves as soon as they entered the valley.

Ling Miaomiao and Cui Cui went looking for them and came across Mu Sheng, who was walking in a trance. Mu Sheng, once a homeless child, was adopted into the Mu family thanks to Mu Yao’s compassion but endured mistreatment. The children mocked him, demanding he remove his headband, and when he did, he transformed into a white-haired demon. His inner demon was the fear that Mu Yao would discover his true nature.

Ling Miaomiao and Cui Cui tried to wake him but couldn’t hold him back, so Ling Miaomiao positioned herself in front of him and entered the water sphere with him. Inside his inner demon, she called out brightly, urging him to wake up, telling him that what he saw wasn’t real. Mu Sheng finally snapped out of it, shattering the water sphere, and they were safe at last.

This was the Water Demon’s curse, which trapped people in spheres and drowned them in their darkest fears. Unable to contact Mu Yao and the others, Cui Cui hesitantly offered to help by trying to connect with his kind to locate their companions. Liu Fuyi’s inner demon was his own self, heavier than anyone else’s. Mu Yao’s inner demon was the memory of the Mu family’s massacre, where the vengeful woman demon killed her family.

But Mu Yao’s mind was strong, and she quickly broke free from her inner demon. Suddenly, Cui Cui was flung by a magic array. His kin explained that demon hunters from the capital had set up this array, strengthening the Water Demon.

Mu Yao found that Liu Fuyi was deeply trapped in his inner demon and couldn’t escape, so Ling Miaomiao and Mu Sheng used Cui Cui as a signal base to connect with them, and they arranged to meet outside. Exhausted, Cui Cui fainted, and Ling Miaomiao softened, deciding to find a way to take Cui Cui with them on their journey. On the way out of the valley, Mu Sheng deliberately vanished to scare Ling Miaomiao.

When he reappeared, she threw herself into his arms, crying and demanding he swear never to leave her again. From that point on, the two walked hand in hand, leaning on each other as they continued forward.