Chapter Twenty-Three: A Mix-Up in Romance-When the Brother Became the Female Lead Collector

The sunset over the Magical Beast Mountain Range dyed the horizon orange-red. Xiao Yan squatted by a stream, gnawing on some dry rations as he stared resentfully at Xiao Feng, who was chatting happily with Xun'er a short distance away. Ever since the teleportation array malfunctioned and brought him here, he had witnessed three similar scenes. His big brother always managed to hit the "hero saves the beauty" plot point right on target, while the fated encounters that should have been his sprouted wings and flew straight to Xiao Feng.

"Yao Lao, tell me, is this fair?" Xiao Yan sent a message into his ring. "Xun'er was supposed to smile at me, but now she's blushing at Third Brother!"

Yao Lao's voice trembled with suppressed laughter. "Kid, your brother's got quite the air about him... Ahem, mature and steady, and carrying Emperor Flame, too. He's more popular with the girls than a greenhorn like you."

"But he's my brother!" Xiao Yan wailed inwardly as he watched Xiao Feng take off his coat and drape it over Xun'er's shoulders. She accepted it with a shy expression. "And Cai Lin's even more ridiculous! Yesterday she clearly came looking for me, but as soon as she saw Third Brother, she went and gave him a Snake Clan Sacred Artifact!"

Yao Lao fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Maybe... it's a system bug?"

As they spoke, a woman's cry for help rang out in the distance. Xiao Yan sprang to his feet on instinct, only to see Xiao Feng already darting off ahead of him, Emperor Flame dancing in his palm as he headed straight for the source of the sound. By the time Xiao Yan caught up, Xiao Feng was facing off against a woman in a green dress. A signature medicine pouch hung at her waist—the mark of Xiao Yi Xian.

"I'm Xiao Feng. Miss, are you in danger?" Xiao Feng asked gently. The patterns of his Emperor Scale glimmered softly in the sunset.

The woman in green blushed, then threw herself straight into Xiao Feng's arms. "Brother Xiao, save me! Those bad men want to capture me and make me refine medicine!"

Xiao Yan's pupils contracted. Wasn't this the scene of his first meeting with Xiao Yi Xian in the original story?! He watched helplessly as Xiao Feng patted the woman's back and comforted her softly. When she looked up, her eyes were full of adoration.

"Xiao Yi Xian..." Xiao Yan muttered. "Get a grip! I'm the one who's supposed to be your destined match!"

Yao Lao finally couldn't hold back his laughter. "Hahahaha! Kid, it looks like your brother's stolen your 'Protagonist Halo'!"

By nightfall, the group had settled in a cave to rest. Xun'er sat beside Xiao Feng of her own accord, bandaging a scrape on his arm. Xiao Yi Xian, meanwhile, clutched her medicine pouch and insisted on feeding him one of her newly refined Beauty Pills. Even Yun Yun, who happened to pass by, was moved by Xiao Feng's "righteous devotion to the Xiao Clan" and left him a communication jade slip from the White Cloud Sect.

Xiao Yan bit into his roast meat, grumbling furiously to himself. This plot's gone completely off the rails! What happened to Xun'er's aloof persona? What about Xiao Yi Xian's Woeful Poison Body? How'd they all turn into the "Xiao Feng Big Brother Fan Club"?

"Xiao Yan, pass me the water, please," Xiao Feng said with a smile, completely oblivious to his younger brother's psychological trauma.

Xiao Yan handed over the water flask without expression. Then an idea struck him. "Third Brother, don't you think Miss Xun'er is beautiful?"

Xiao Feng raised an eyebrow. "Certainly. The young lady of the Gu Clan has an extraordinary bearing."

"What about Xiao Yi Xian?"

"Kindhearted, with an exceptional talent for alchemy."

"Sect Master Yun Yun?"

"She's devoted to the greater good and a respectable senior."

Xiao Yan's mouth twitched. This guy had no idea he was winning over all the female leads! He decided to change tack. "Third Brother, actually, they're all..." Before he could finish, a system notification interrupted him:

Ding! Host triggered the "Brother's Fated Encounters" plot and earned the "Little Brother's Little Brother" achievement!

Xiao Yan received the "Lonely Boy" title and a Single-and-Happy Pack ×1.

"System, are you messing with me?!" Xiao Yan roared inwardly, only to see Xiao Feng suddenly point outside the cave. "Something's happening!"

Everyone rushed out of the cave. The Soul Clan's Nether Ghost Ship hovered in the air, with Hun Dan and Gu Yuan, under his control, standing at its bow. Hun Dan held a jade slip from the Soul Burial Abyss and waved with a sneer as countless Nether Ghost Fires rained down on the ground.

"Protect the ladies!" Xiao Feng shouted. Emperor Flame transformed into a shield, protecting Xun'er and Xiao Yi Xian behind him. Xiao Yan gripped the Heavy Xuan Ruler, but Yun Yun had already made the first move, fighting alongside Xiao Feng. The two worked together seamlessly—more harmoniously than Xiao Yan and Yun Yun had during their first battle.

"Ahhh!" Xiao Yan screamed in despair, swinging his ruler at the ghost fire. "Did this lousy system send my script to Third Brother by mistake?!"

Yao Lao coughed twice. "Calm down. Maybe it's a good thing... Look, your brother's winning them over for you first. Won't it be easier when you take over later?"

"Who wants it to be easy?!" Xiao Yan wailed. After Xiao Feng and Yun Yun drove off the ghost ship, they actually began discussing "how to rebuild the alliance between the Xiao Clan and the White Cloud Sect." The look Yun Yun gave Xiao Feng was unmistakably one of admiration and affection.

Hun Dan watched it all from the ship and suddenly burst into laughter. "Xiao Feng, you've stolen Xiao Yan's women, but do you know they all share a 'Destined Protagonist Bond'? Once the system bug is fixed, they'll all return to Xiao Yan—and you'll be left with nothing!"

Xiao Feng frowned. "What are you talking about?"

But Hun Dan had already vanished into the black fog. Seeing his brother's confused expression, Xiao Yan suddenly saw the light. So all of this was caused by a system malfunction that had switched their roles! Once the system was fixed, everything would go back to normal!

At that thought, Xiao Yan suddenly felt relieved. He even felt like laughing. He patted Xiao Feng on the shoulder. "Third Brother, enjoy your 'protagonist treatment.' Don't hold back."

Xiao Feng looked completely baffled. "What protagonist?"

Xun'er misunderstood him and said softly, "Little Brother Xiao Yan, don't be sad. Your brother is an upright man. He'll surely treat the ladies well."

Xiao Yi Xian nodded along. "That's right. Brother Xiao is one of the finest men in the world!"

Seeing their earnest expressions, Xiao Yan nearly burst out laughing. He decided not to reveal the truth for now. The system would be fixed anyway, so he might as well watch his brother struggle through the "wrong script"—and maybe take the opportunity to make Xiao Feng suffer a little?

Right on cue, the system notification rang:

Ding! Host activated "Sit Back and Watch the Show" mode and received the "Younger Brother's Resentment" buff (Attack Power +10%, Snark Power +100%).

Late that night, Xiao Yan sat alone atop a mountain, gazing at the starry sky. Yao Lao suddenly spoke. "Kid, are you really going to let your brother keep stealing your women?"

Xiao Yan chuckled. "No. I'm going to help him steal them even more thoroughly. When the system's fixed, maybe I can even take Hun Dan's 'Destined Protagonist' halo, too. Besides..." A sly glint flashed in his eyes. "Watching Third Brother scramble to handle three girls is way more interesting than cultivating."

Yao Lao shook his head with a laugh. "You're getting more and more devious. Still, perhaps this is for the best. If it helps Xiao Feng break through his emotional barriers, he might master Emperor Flame even faster."

The mountain breeze swept by, and in the distance, Xiao Feng's conversation with Xun'er drifted over. Xiao Yan's lips curled up as he tightened his grip on the Heavy Xuan Ruler. No matter how scrambled the plot became, he still believed that his own fated encounters wouldn't slip away in the end. Besides... watching his brother fret was just too much fun!