It was morning. Wen Nian had just woken up when she spotted the delectable new update.
What followed was an emotional roller coaster of constant holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.
She rode the story's ups and downs to the very end of the ride, then let out a deep breath to steady herself.
"I know I shouldn't feel this way, but it was really, really good!" She pressed her hands to her burning cheeks.
She'd always been in the protagonist's camp — by all logic, she shouldn't be drawn to a villain character.
But this particular villain was simply too beautiful.
It was a manga, after all. Your moral compass followed your aesthetic compass. And besides, did Bi Xi even count as a real villain? His way of thinking was just different from normal people's. So what if he was overindulgent? Look — he was even doing it to help You Shuo. He didn't mean any harm. Did a cat need to care about the proper way to hunt? No, it didn't!
Wen Nian opened the forum. The first thing that greeted her eyes was the ecstatic villain fans.
【[Character Thread] Edge's #1 Male Ghost, Edge's #1 Powerhouse, Edge's #1 Grand Villain — Demon God Bi Xi. All in favor? All opposed?】
OP
So stunning I stayed up all night and made a wallpaper!
[Image]
Wen Nian immediately saved the image and set it as her wallpaper.
"Aaaaaaah he's so hot!" She covered her face.
The manga panels themselves were already stunning enough — those slightly narrowed eyes, the fingertips tapering to inhuman sharpness, the way his tongue traced across a fingertip with a cruelty that somehow carried an air of uncanny, gentlemanly refinement.
In a word: explosive visual tension. Nothing was shown and yet the raw allure was off the charts.
29L
Has Fat Fish finally had an awakening? Drawing this well!
30L
I'm devouring this I'm devouring this I'm devouring this I'm devouring this—
I'd trade my soul too, Bi Xi-sama! I'm totally willing to become one with you!!!
31L
Rise, power Bi Xi fans! This is the golden age! The most brilliant era!
Our Bi Xi-sama is the best in the world!
32L
Look at that commanding presence, look at that bewitching physique — rise, power Bi Xi fans!
33L
So here's the real question: is Bi Xi a non-human entity, or my personal human?
34L
Every time I see threads like this I marvel at the diversity of the human species. Aren't you people scared?
35L
It's not like he's going to jump out of the manga and kill us! Mommy fans and power fans and shipping fans — we call the shots!
I want it all!
...
It was early morning but the forum was buzzing. Plenty of people had been chasing the update, and every page was flooded with new threads about the latest chapter.
【[Discussion Thread] Bi Xi's identity is finally revealed. The Trisolaran has finally shed the Trisolaran label — his new title is Demon God.】
【[Discussion Thread] LiTao, does Bi Xi's wish-granting work like the Black Holy Grail — twisting the wish itself — or does the right to interpret the wish belong entirely to him?】
【[Character Thread] Yiluoqi, you fool!】
【[Character Thread] New round of voting — please vote for our boy Yiluoqi. Just consider it a send-off for him, okay friends!】
【[Discussion Thread] Is the newly debuted character the next member of the protagonist's team?】
【[Discussion Thread] Detail king analysis: the Tianli Sect behind Yiluoqi isn't appearing for the first time!】
【[Character Thread] So here's the thing, our Clip Bro has been toyed with by this godforsaken world AGAIN — please cast your precious vote for the most tragic protagonist, Clip Bro.】
【[Character Thread] Can the villain stans stop trashing the protagonist's team? Stay in your own lane!】
...
【[Character Thread] Yiluoqi, may you be free in your next life.】
OP
And stay away from telecom scams.
1L
Pfft, telecom scams???
2L
I mean, you have to admit that phone call DID connect him to someone!
3L
Moshi moshi, this is Bi Xi's Devil Trading House. What would you like to trade?
What's that — you'd like to trade your soul? Very well, sir. Transaction complete.
What's that — you're asking about freedom?
Well, you have to admit dying makes you pretty free!
4L
Yiluoqi stan here. I'm sad he's dead, but honestly, this ending isn't much worse than anything else for him.
Why didn't he trust that You Shuo could help him break free from the Tianli Sect? Why didn't he trust that the Nightwatch could give him a chance? Why did he keep aiding the enemy for so long?
Some of my earlier doubts have been answered now. Some things had signs all along. We could already tell you might not have been all that happy, but when you were walking freely in the sunlight, did you ever think about how many people died because of you? If Bi Xi hadn't appeared and Shuo-ge's sister had actually died and he broke down and stopped investigating — could you really have kept sitting by his side, comforting him with a clear conscience?
Just like you said — you were a coward. Too scared to shatter everything you had, so you kept sinking deeper until there was no turning back.
Whether it was Bi Xi killing you or Shuo-ge killing you, given Shuo-ge's mental state, Bi Xi doing it might actually have been the kinder option.
Let it go. It's over. Be a good person in your next life.
And stay away from telecom scams.
Was that your personal devil hotline or something?
5L
Are you Yiluoqi stans ever going to quit hahahaha!
...
【[Discussion Thread] Is the Demon God a deus ex machina powerhouse, or has Fat Fish been laying the groundwork all along?】
OP
When I first heard the title "Demon God," my first reaction was that Fat Fish had lost it and the manga was about to nosedive. My second reaction was that something felt off.
So I went back through the earlier chapters, and lo and behold, I actually found the foreshadowing.
[Image]
Old Captain Lin Quan didn't have much screen time, since her role was essentially You Shuo's mentor — once she'd guided him into the Hidden World, her purpose was fulfilled.
But in the story, our Clip Bro initially didn't trust her, so in that scene she said one line:
【"It's not like I'm some man-eating Demon God."】
Fat Fish, you terrifying genius!
1L
Fat Fish, you terrifying genius!
Bi Xi, you terrifying monster!
2L
Terrifying genius!
3L
The title is "Demon God," but at the end of the day it's just above SS, right? If you're above SS, then the rank classification would be SSS.
The power level hasn't actually broken — it's just that the Trisolaran's steamroller entrance was a bit hard to take.
If SSS is this strong, how is Clip Bro supposed to escape?
4L
Double-S is already a world-altering existence — for example, 【Red Moon】's barrier. Calling a triple-S a god is completely fair.
Just like he said — he says he's number two, and nobody dares claim number one. He simply is the most powerful being in this world.
The question is why he's so fixated on Clip Bro, an A-rank, in particular.
5L
Because of the transaction?
6L
The transaction?
Yiluoqi is looking down at you from heaven in disappointment.
7L
OP actually has a great angle here. In manga, the standard trope is for the senior mentor character to pass down all their techniques and power-ups to the protagonist right before dying — that's just a normal golden finger. But if we're trying to trace the logic, this is the only thread to pull on.
Why did Lin Quan choose You Shuo? Keep in mind, at the time he was just an ordinary person — a dropout working odd jobs to scrape by, who hadn't even awakened his ability yet. What made Lin Quan think he could lead a team?
Looking at it now, Yiluoqi clearly had issues with his background, sure. But back then — Yiluoqi, Sui Xiao — which one of them wasn't more established than You Shuo? They were born into the Hidden World. They had abilities, they had strength. What did You Shuo have back then? All he had was his sister.
If You Shuo hadn't been an outsider dropped into the captain's seat, knowing absolutely nothing about the Hidden World, two-thirds of the early team conflicts in the manga could have been avoided.
So can we hypothesize that the reason Lin Quan chose You Shuo is the same reason Bi Xi values You Shuo?
And with Yiluoqi's storyline opening up the main thread about the parents' deaths, it feels like there's a very deep pool lurking beneath the surface.
8L
Side note — having a sister is actually the real win here.
The other two don't even have blood relatives. You Shuo has a biological sister. You Shuo wins!
9L
Bi Xi is the real winner!
Regardless of his motives, You Shuo's soul already belongs to him.
...
【[Fan Work Thread] Your name, my shackle.】
【[Discussion Thread] Anyone want to meet up at the Konghai Tower convention in Jinli City?】
...
Wen Nian spent half an hour browsing the forum. Then inspiration struck, and she posted a thread of her own.
【[Discussion Thread] Does nobody else think Green-eyed Kitty is pitiful?】
As the saying went, the moment you felt sorry for someone, you could no longer bring yourself to hate them.
Rationally, Wen Nian knew Bi Xi had no moral compass to speak of — but then again, he didn't need one. The supreme Demon God didn't care about rules and constraints. What mattered most was that he was having a good time.
But Wen Nian still couldn't forget that bar — that lonely silhouette.
The first step of writing fan works: move yourself first.
Wen Nian had successfully moved herself, and with great solemnity, she typed out these words.
OP
A lonely devil has finally found his connection to this world, but the human who drew him into the mortal realm is destined to walk a path that leads away from him.
And so the devil grants his every wish, hoping only that the distance between them won't keep growing.
Here — a soul, freshly hunted prey from Bi Xi. Do you like it?
Could you please not throw it in the trash?
It was still morning, but the forum was active. Wen Nian soon received replies.
1L
Is this the price I pay for waking up early? Posting stuff this cursed first thing in the morning?
2L
OP's lost her mind!
3L
Diagnosed: mommy fan. The mommy fan of all mommy fans.
4L
Did I not read the manga or did you not read the manga? Hasn't Bi Xi been toying with You Shuo this whole time?
5L OP
Can't he be sincere?
6L
????????
OP, take a look at what you just wrote and tell me that's not unhinged.
They couldn't see eye to eye. Wen Nian closed her phone and got ready to head to the library.
It was the weekend, and she'd slept in. The moment she pulled back her bed curtain, she saw that her roommate had already packed up and was about to head out.
Wen Nian marveled once again — her new roommate was truly, truly busy. She seemed to have come back at some ungodly hour last night.
Seeing Wen Nian was up, You Ling waved hello. "Good morning, Wen Nian."
"Good morning, Lingling." Wen Nian said.
You Ling blinked, a faint blush creeping up her ears, then murmured a couple of "mm-hmm"s. "I'm heading out first."
"Oh, one thing." She'd already opened the door, but she leaned her head back inside, tilting slightly to look at Wen Nian. "For manga readers like you — what kind of vote-soliciting methods would actually work, enough to make you voluntarily vote?"
This was Wen Nian's area of expertise. She sat up straight, crossed her legs, and raised one finger. "If you're not a character stan, it comes down to mood and atmosphere — events, activities, or if the person rallying votes puts in enough effort to touch people's hearts. For someone like me who is a character stan, I already have a character I want to vote for, so there are only two scenarios where I'd vote for someone else's pick. One: vote swaps. Like, I voted for her pick last round, so this round she votes for mine. Two: freebies. Receive gifts, feel obligated — take someone's merchandise, and feel guilty enough to return the favor."
"What about canvassing on a large scale?" You Ling asked, blinking earnestly.
Wen Nian rubbed her chin in thought. "Still freebies, probably. When you get nice fan merch, you feel like you should give something back — and since you can't pay with money, voting for that person's pick is only fair."
"Although this volume's top spot should be between You Shuo and Yiluoqi. Yiluoqi's death was so tragic that his fans will rally hard. Not sure if he can actually challenge You Shuo for first place." Wen Nian said.
What she didn't notice was that You Ling froze after she finished speaking.
What — dying tragically means you can challenge You Shuo for first place?
What — did that mean she had to die too for a shot at the top?
Wait, hadn't she already died? Why didn't her death boost her rankings? Because she didn't get any screen time?
Yes, because she didn't get any screen time. She was an outsider. When her brother appeared in the manga, he hadn't brought her along. She was a minor, expendable extra on the margins.
You Ling pushed open the dorm room door with full-bodied resentment. "Got it. Thanks, Wen Nian~"
You Ling waved goodbye to Wen Nian and shut the door.
Wen Nian sat cross-legged on her bed, thinking and thinking, but couldn't come up with any other methods. Five minutes later, the belated realization hit her.
"Oh right, I forgot to ask Lingling if she wanted to check out the convention this afternoon together. My memory!"
...
【Commencing calculation...】
【Retrieving newly associated bullet comments.】
【Retrieval complete.】
【Retrieving newly associated forum threads.】
【Retrieval complete.】
【Retrieving new large-scale online discussion metrics.】
【Retrieval complete.】
【Current heat level: 16921】
【100 heat = 1 hour of survival. System automatically deducts heat required for Host's activities.】
【Host's remaining active time: 169:00:00】
...
You Ling scrolled through the group chat she'd joined last night, browsing with her head down. These ability users lurking in the forums were hard to find, but she knew how to run a sting operation.
Even in broad daylight, people in the chat kept saying Green-eyed Kitty, Green-eyed Kitty over and over. So scary, Green-eyed Kitty.
You Ling: "?"
So they were mommy-fan-ing her, were they? She'd remember this.