Wasn't Following the Plot Enough? Why Did the Dialogue Matter Too?

Xiao Muchen's lecture was interrupted yet again, and this time, impatience showed on his face.

"What has you so flustered?" His cool, clear voice did nothing to calm the disciple who had come to report.

"Master, an army of a hundred thousand from the Demon Realm has broken through our gates and injured dozens of disciples. They're heading toward Clearwind Hall now."

Before Xiao Muchen could speak, the disciples below erupted into an uproar.

"What?"

"The Demon Venerable actually attacked us? Has he gone mad?"

"Heavens, exactly! Mere people of the Demon Realm dare attack our Cultivation Sect? Senior brothers, junior brothers, let's stop them too! Let's show the Demon Realm's army the strength of our Cultivation Sect!"

As some disciples stirred up the crowd, quite a few people rose to their feet.

"Come on, let's show those people from the Demon Realm the full strength of our Sect!" The disciples attending the lecture rushed out together.

"Wait, come back, come back! The people of the Demon Realm aren't to be underestimated!" the reporting disciple hastily called.

But no one listened to him.

Su Ying looked at Xiao Muchen.

Sure enough, he swept his sleeve and flew straight out, then strode to the front of the disciples and led everyone toward Clearwind Hall.

"Oh, Master's gone!" Ling Xian exclaimed, hurriedly moving to follow.

"Be careful, junior sister." Ping Qingyun hastened after her too.

Watching these fools prepare to become cannon fodder, Su Ying truly couldn't laugh. Once they finished playing cannon fodder, her mission days would never know peace again.

She sighed.

Tragic.

Truly tragic.

Su Ying followed at a leisurely pace.

She had no choice but to attend this battle, because Ling Xian would soon shove her out to take a blow.

Still, she wouldn't be injured, because Xiao Muchen would block the attack for her.

Precisely because of that, Ling Xian would grow jealous, assume Xiao Muchen had feelings for Su Ying, and get carried off by the great demon king Feng Moyuan in a moment of distraction.

Seeing her trailing leisurely behind the other disciples, the system grew anxious: [Host, start running! You're supposed to be a disciple worried about her master right now. You should follow right behind him and swear to protect him.]

[Does he need my protection?] Su Ying continued at her leisurely pace. Several disciples hurrying over from behind had already passed her.

[No...] The system suddenly couldn't remember what it had just said.

In any case, he didn't need it.

[Exactly. Not only does he not need my protection, he'll even save me and cause the Female Lead to misunderstand. Why should I run so fast? This mission has changed so much of the plot that I'm worried some bug might crop up. Walking slowly conserves my energy. If a bug really does appear and puts me in danger, I can dodge it and keep driving the plot forward. Doesn't that make perfect sense?]

The system: [...]

How was it that this whole string of sophistry actually sounded rather reasonable?

Slow as Su Ying was, she still reached Clearwind Hall with the others.

Looking at Feng Moyuan standing in the center of the grand hall, she narrowed her eyes slightly.

Although this wasn't her first time seeing the great demon king, nor her first time witnessing this scene, she still couldn't help being dazzled every time.

[So handsome.] She sighed inwardly.

[Host, you already have young fellow cultivator Chu Yu,] the system reminded her.

[That doesn't stop me from admiring this great demon king's good looks,] Su Ying replied.

His ink-black hair was tied high, and his red robes set off skin fairer than snow. His slender face had exquisite features: swordlike brows, star-bright eyes, bewitching violet irises, a high nose bridge, and vivid red lips.

The faint, languid curve of his lips was enough to enchant everyone around him.

Everyone involuntarily drew in a sharp breath.

Was this the Demon Venerable?

He was far too beautiful.

They had always considered Xiao Muchen the most handsome man in the Cultivation Sect, yet now Feng Moyuan's beauty outshone their master's a million times over.

Ling Xian stood to one side, equally spellbound.

[Tell me, how can this great demon king be so gorgeous and still not get to be the Male Lead? Isn't his fate too bitter, only getting to be a tragic Male Supporting Character?] Su Ying discussed it with the system.

Everyone was captivated by Feng Moyuan's beauty, but no one noticed the twitch at the corner of his mouth or the sharp glint flashing through his violet eyes.

[Host, you asked this same question the last time we reached this scene,] the system reminded her. Its answer last time had been that the author needed to establish proper values, so a man whose beauty was too bewitching couldn't be the Male Lead.

The Male Lead ought to be someone like Xiao Muchen, his face brimming with awe-inspiring righteousness.

[Oh.] Su Ying continued studying Feng Moyuan. By chance, her gaze met his, and her heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

[Whoa, this great demon king's violet eyes are just like our Chu Yu's. Say, could Chu Yu be the great demon king's illegitimate son? The kind who ended up lost in the mortal world.] Su Ying started gossiping with the system again.

Hearing those words, Feng Moyuan couldn't help narrowing his eyes.

This woman was truly courting death!

She actually suspected him of having an affair with another woman?

No woman in the world was worthy of his beauty, so he had never had a woman!

[Host, the Demon Venerable never had a child of his own, even by the ending,] the system stated matter-of-factly.

Feng Moyuan narrowed his eyes.

Surrounded by the disciples, Xiao Muchen looked at Feng Moyuan, and a sense of familiarity welled up within him.

Those violet eyes...

He suddenly remembered the disciple in Su Ying's courtyard.

The genius with a level-ten spiritual root...

Xiao Muchen couldn't spot Chu Yu. He glanced at Su Ying instead and discovered that she was staring at Feng Moyuan without so much as blinking.

That look in her eyes... was it adoration?

Su Ying liked the Demon Venerable?

Recalling what Ping Qingyun had reported, Xiao Muchen's gaze darkened.

Su Ying had easily entered the Demon Venerable's barrier without the aid of any magical artifact.

So, could she really be colluding with people from the Demon Realm?

Otherwise, how could they have so easily opened the Cultivation Sect's barrier and broken in?

Though Xiao Muchen was suspicious, this was no time to investigate. He drew the Azure Edge Sword, its gleam flashing as he pointed it at Feng Moyuan.

"Feng Moyuan, you've led so many demons through our gates and injured so many of my disciples. What is your intent?" His voice was cold enough to pierce bone, carrying an oppressive force that brooked no argument.

[They're going to fight, they're going to fight! Ah, I really want to open a betting pool and make some money.] Su Ying watched the spectacle with the air of someone who didn't mind the trouble growing bigger. Although things would turn tragic for her later, that didn't spoil her current enjoyment of the show.

Even if she had already watched this particular show four times before.

Feng Moyuan abruptly froze. That damned woman!

He really wanted to twist her head off and use it as a stool!

"Xiao Muchen, your disciple breached my barrier, disrupted my cultivation, and nearly rendered a thousand years of my cultivation worthless. Today, I've come to demand an explanation. Either you obediently hand over that disciple so I can rip out her tendons, flay her, and devour her spiritual root to replenish my cultivation, or I'll slaughter your entire Cultivation Sect!" Feng Moyuan delivered his threat.

Su Ying frowned. [That's not right. This dialogue is wrong. Was there dialogue like this in the original novel?]

[No,] the system confirmed after checking.

Feng Moyuan frowned. Wasn't following the plot enough? Why did the dialogue matter too?

He'd miscalculated!

Before Xiao Muchen could speak, the surrounding disciples began discussing it. "Which disciple was it? Does our Sect have someone like that?"

"Yes!" Ping Qingyun suddenly declared loudly.