Looking at your phone while crossing the street will bring retribution.
Qu Xiangxiang’s eyes widened as she stared at the male lead lying on the ground, blood streaming endlessly from his forehead, his temple twitching uncontrollably.
She had transmigrated. When she crossed the street, the light was green, so she confidently walked while scrolling through a novel on her phone. Out of nowhere, a car slammed into her, sending her flying. When she woke up, she had landed inside the very novel she’d been reading—reborn as the vicious cannon-fodder side character who shared her exact name.
If not for the fact that this character’s ultimate fate was being thrown into the Ten-Thousand-Snake Pit by the twisted male lead to be fed to serpents, Qu Xiangxiang might have been grateful to Heaven for giving her a second chance at life after the accident. But now, compared to being tossed into that pit, dying under the wheels of a car didn’t seem so bad.
“Dog spawn.”
She hadn’t yet recovered from her shock and fear when a mocking laugh sounded behind her. “What’s wrong? Not convinced?”
Dog spawn—the one insult the male lead could never tolerate. Born of a union between a cultivator and a demon, his bloodline was impure. That was why Qu Xiangxiang, along with most of Cangxuan Mountain, looked down on him.
No need to guess—the speaker was Lin Zheng, the flunky who followed the cannon-fodder side character around in the original story. Her fate was slightly better than Qu Xiangxiang’s: the male lead pierced her heart with a single sword strike. At least she died with her body intact.
Qu Xiangxiang’s eyes bulged. Sister, are you insane? That’s the male lead—the author’s precious son! How dare you?
Mu Hanzhang, the male lead, didn’t bother to retort. He simply lifted his bloodied face and fixed Lin Zheng and Qu Xiangxiang with a cold, venomous stare.
Under those eyes, Qu Xiangxiang felt as though a poisonous snake had coiled around her. She drew a deep breath and turned to Lin Zheng. “Lin Zheng, you should head back first.”
She knew nothing useful. Staying here would only add fuel to Mu Hanzhang’s hatred.
“Why?” Lin Zheng protested.
Qu Xiangxiang recalled the novel’s plot and lowered her voice deliberately. “I think I just saw Senior Brother heading to the cultivation hall.”
“Really?” Lin Zheng’s face flushed bright red. “Then… then I’ll leave this dog spawn to you. I’m going!”
Another landmine avoided. Qu Xiangxiang forced a smile, gritting her teeth. “I know. Go quickly.”
Finally rid of the human landmine, she imitated the cannon fodder’s haughty demeanor. Snorting unnaturally through her nose, she looked down at the battered Mu Hanzhang. “Can you still stand?”
A droplet of blood splashed onto his hand. He seemed utterly unconcerned about his wound, his filthy face radiating icy disdain. “None of your business.”
As a modern woman with proper education, Qu Xiangxiang felt a pang of pity at the sight of him—bloodied, bullied, his clothes soaked in red. It was a disturbing image. She raised her chin, feigning impatience. “You’re coming with me.”
Mu Hanzhang remained silent, unmoving, clearly unwilling to acknowledge her.
Qu Xiangxiang crouched, pinched his chin, and smiled. “You don’t have a choice. If you don’t want more suffering, I suggest you behave.”
Blood clung to his lashes, making his phoenix eyes even more striking. Qu Xiangxiang couldn’t help sneaking a few extra glances. No wonder he was the male lead—even battered, his face was devastating.
“Get lost!” Mu Hanzhang slapped her hand away.
Unfazed, Qu Xiangxiang copied the cannon fodder’s actions from the novel. She spread her palm and called softly: “Zhuoyue, come forth.”
A silver whip shimmering with faint light appeared instantly in her hand. She pressed the whip against his cheek, playing her role to perfection. “Either you walk with me willingly, or I’ll drag you bound. Your choice.”
Though Mu Hanzhang would one day awaken as the strongest Emperor of the cultivation world, his spiritual root was currently sealed. He had no power to resist—even against a weakling like Qu Xiangxiang.
Yes, she wasn’t just a vicious cannon-fodder. She was also a useless good-for-nothing.
This life was bitterer than bitter melon.
Even with his deep scheming, Mu Hanzhang had no choice but to yield under brute force—for now.
Qu Xiangxiang strutted ahead, feigning arrogance while her mind raced. Mu Hanzhang followed coldly behind. For the early chapters of the novel, this scene wasn’t too far off-script. She hadn’t finished reading *The Emperor’s Decree*, but she knew the cannon-fodder Qu Xiangxiang was a pampered, brainless young lady. She despised Mu Hanzhang’s mixed bloodline, and with his spiritual root sealed, his power was lower than hers—barely. She took every chance to humiliate him, trampling his dignity. That was why, once he broke free of his restraints, the first person he killed was her—and in the cruelest way.
Before transmigrating, she had just reached the chapter where Cangxuan’s disciples encountered demon serpents. Mu Hanzhang, hiding his awakened demonic bloodline, tricked Qu Xiangxiang into entering the Ten-Thousand-Snake Pit alone. Cloaked in invisibility, he followed and shoved her mercilessly into the pit. That was when the car hit her, leaving her ignorant of the rest of the plot.
He had waited because his bloodline was unstable, his spiritual root sealed, and his dantian bound by a suppression spell. With elders and disciples everywhere, he couldn’t risk exposure. Only then did he strike.
The original cannon fodder never realized how terrifyingly cunning Mu Hanzhang was. But Qu Xiangxiang, having read the book, knew he was no lamb to the slaughter. If he ever revealed his true mind openly, she’d probably develop trypophobia.
The Ten-Thousand-Snake Pit? Qu Xiangxiang shivered. Mu Hanzhang was a ruthless, calculating villain. With his current impression of her, she could already imagine herself torn apart by serpents. Honestly, if not for her decent mental resilience, she wouldn’t be able to keep up this act.
Back at her courtyard, she pressed her thumb against the lock’s spell. A faint green glow circled twice, and the bronze lock vanished.
Don’t ask why she had her own courtyard. The answer: money.
Money, weeds in the brain, and sick behavior—that’s the standard package for a vicious side character.
“Go in.” She lifted her chin arrogantly. Mu Hanzhang was sharp; she had to keep up the act so he wouldn’t realize her soul had changed. Otherwise, she might die even faster.
He narrowed his eyes, unmoving, clearly distrustful.
“Relax. If I wanted to do something, I wouldn’t dirty my own courtyard.”
“So, what’s your goal?”
“I just realized you’re rather handsome. Fits my taste.”
The blood had dried, tightening his skin. He didn’t need a mirror to know how ghastly he looked.
“Qu Xiangxiang, are you insane?”
She faltered, then forced herself to continue calmly. “…So I think bullying you is pointless.”
“You want to kill me?”
“I want to keep you.”
Qu Xiangxiang: “?”
Mu Hanzhang: “…………”