Chapter 24 : Bai Mulan

In a massive bed large enough to comfortably fit ten adults, a lone figure lay sprawled in deep slumber. Her long, snow-white hair cascaded over the edge like a shimmering waterfall, framing a face of exquisite beauty that would captivate anyone who saw her. She seemed like a celestial moon goddess who had descended to earth—if not for her current disheveled appearance.

Dressed in a casual white t-shirt that exposed her midriff and a pair of shorts, she lay in an awkward position. Her head rested precariously close to the edge of the bed, as if it might tumble off at any moment. One hand rested over her exposed stomach while the other dangled in midair. Beneath her hand, a phone lay on the bed, its screen dimming after playing a video.

Ring, ring, ring.

The incessant sound of the phone's ringtone echoed in the room, breaking the silence. After a few moments, her eyes fluttered open, revealing a sleepy, confused expression.

"Hmm?" she murmured, her voice groggy as she glanced around with a puzzled look. "Where am I?"

Suddenly, realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. Her eyes widened in alarm as she bolted upright.

"Damn it! I'm late!"

Bai Mulan hurried toward the shower, moving with the urgency of someone who had no time to spare. She quickly washed up and slipped into her pure white robe, the official attire befitting her title. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she approached the door and slowly pushed it open.

"Good morning, Saintess," greeted a row of maids waiting outside, their gazes filled with admiration despite her tardiness.

With a slight nod, Bai Mulan strode past them, her movements graceful yet commanding. Behind her, she could hear the maids murmuring in awe.

"As expected of the Saintess, even outside the sect, she's so dedicated to cultivating."

"Truly the greatest talent of this generation."

"Ah, I wish I could be the Saintess's personal maid…"

Hearing their whispers, Bai Mulan kept her usual calm and slightly aloof demeanor, but inwardly, she felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Thank goodness no one mentioned I overslept, she thought gratefully. She was especially thankful that she didn't have a personal maid who could freely enter her room—if anyone found out about her secret, it would be too embarrassing.

Unbeknownst to her admirers, Bai Mulan harbored a growing addiction to modern entertainment. It had become her guilty pleasure, something she indulged in late into the night. She could feel it subtly changing her personality, though she clung to her icy facade out of habit and a touch of embarrassment. Dropping her public persona now would feel too awkward.

Glancing at her palm, she remembered her match was starting in just an hour. The competition should have already begun, she thought, refocusing her mind.

As she entered the dining hall, her eyes immediately caught sight of a delicate cake sitting on the corner table. The dessert seemed to sparkle in her vision, and inwardly, her thoughts were filled with excitement. I want to eat that, she thought, practically envisioning stars in her eyes. Outwardly, however, she maintained a troubled and composed expression, trying to come up with a way to indulge without breaking character.

"Whose cake is that?" she asked, her tone flat.

The maids, watching her every movement with admiration, immediately noticed her gaze lingering on the cake. Misinterpreting her troubled expression, they assumed she was displeased.

One of the maids hesitantly stepped forward, her head slightly bowed in apprehension. "I'm sorry, Saintess. I have no excuse for this oversight," she said, her voice trembling.

Realizing the misunderstanding, Bai Mulan internally panicked. She wasn't angry—far from it—but her mere presence had made the atmosphere tense. Reluctantly, she decided to leave the situation behind.

"Don't let it happen again," she said in a measured tone. My cake… she lamented inwardly, her heart sinking as she turned to leave.

The maids continued bowing and expressing their gratitude for her "forgiveness," their admiration deepening.

"As expected of the Saintess."

"So wise and magnanimous."

Bai Mulan paid no attention to their praises, her mind consumed by thoughts of the cake she'd reluctantly left behind. A sense of grievance filled her as she walked toward the arena, knowing she no longer had time to indulge. With the match drawing near, she pressed forward, her mood weighed down by regret over the dessert that had slipped through her fingers.

Arriving at her seat, Bai Mulan cast her gaze toward the arena, waiting for her turn. However, her thoughts were far from the competition. She found such events tedious and lacked any real interest in whether she won or lost. To her, the idea of being the strongest was meaningless. Cultivation, for her, had become nothing more than a habit—a role she played to meet the expectations of her position as the Saintess. Outside the sect's directives, she had no ambitions or plans for her cultivation journey.

After some time, her turn finally arrived, and she made her way to the designated arena, only to find her opponent had surrendered before the match even began. Without sparing a second thought, she turned back toward her seat, uninterested in wasting time on the competition. As a Saintess, she had access to information like the schedule of her matches, which was why she rarely bothered to watch the rest of the proceedings.

A voice suddenly echoed in her mind, stopping her in her tracks.

[So this is the otaku heroine.]

[With that face and temperament, no one would ever guess she's a lazy woman who spends her free time playing games and watching anime.]

At first, Bai Mulan froze, stunned. She immediately assumed it was a sound transmission, but the bizarre content threw her into a state of panic. She scanned her surroundings, trying to locate the source of the voice, but found nothing.

Is someone trying to threaten me? she thought, her mind racing. What do they want? Realizing the implications of her figure and appearance, her face turned pale before she quickly masked her panic with an icy demeanor.

[But she's still a heroine destined to fall for the protagonist.]

[Despite being the Saintess and one of the most sought-after women in the cultivation world, she'll willingly share a man with other girls.]

[Truly, the protagonist's charm knows no bounds.]

The voice continued, and Bai Mulan stood frozen, her thoughts in chaos. Protagonist? Me? Heroine? Destined to be together? Her mind churned with confusion until a sudden realization struck her.

Wait… isn't this just like one of those brainless novels where the heroine can hear the villain's inner voice?

As an avid consumer of games, anime, and novels, Bai Mulan had encountered countless tropes, including this one. The situation felt almost surreal.

Am I inside a story now? And do I have my own protagonist?

Her thoughts quickly shifted to the usual traits of protagonists in such novels, and a shiver of disgust ran through her. No, no, no. There's no way I'm sharing a shameless, lustful man with other women.

Determined to rewrite her own destiny, Bai Mulan resolved to distance herself from any "protagonist" figure in her life. But then, another thought crept into her mind.

Wait a moment… isn't it common in these types of novels for the heroine to end up falling for the so-called villain whose voice she can hear?

Her expression darkened briefly before turning smug. Hmph. Don't lump me in with those useless, brainless heroines in the novels. There's no way I'd fall for some so-called villain. Or maybe… he's the real protagonist? Like those stories where the villain's leaked thoughts reveal he's the actual main character, and the supposed protagonist is just the antagonist in his narrative.

Feeling impressed by her own quick deduction, Bai Mulan's panic faded, replaced by a playful, mischievous look.

I want to see how this plays out, she thought. As a devoted fan of novels, there was no way she would miss the chance to experience such a scenario in real life.

As for my role… hehehe. I'll play along for now, as long as it doesn't involve anything disgusting like physical contact with my so-called destined protagonist. When the time is right, I'll disrupt the story at its most crucial moment.

Imagining the chaos she could cause, Bai Mulan smirked. The monotony of her life had just been shattered, and for the first time in a while, she found herself looking forward to the future.

Earlier, Bai Mulan had planned to return to her room and only reappear when her turn arrived. But now, her curiosity had been piqued, and she decided to stay. She was certain that the "protagonist" mentioned by the voice would participate in the competition. She wanted to see this so-called protagonist for herself and perhaps glean some useful information from the strange voice in her mind.

[As expected of the protagonist. Soon, he'll face the heroine and defeat her.]

[And naturally, the heroine will think he's unlike any other man, becoming curious before quickly falling for him.]

[Just imagine: the Saintess, sought after by countless cultivators, reduced to a devoted follower of some man. It must make countless men's hearts ache in frustration.]

Hearing the voice's commentary, tinged with mockery, Bai Mulan only felt mildly annoyed. After all, she had read plenty of similar remarks in novels before. So, the so-called protagonist would indeed participate. Hmph. Do I look like the kind of woman who would fall for someone so easily? She scoffed inwardly. It must be the protagonist's aura that causes people to fall for him.

"Wait…" A sudden thought struck her, and her face paled. In these kinds of novels, doesn't the heroine only hear the villain's inner voice because the protagonist's aura no longer affects her? She quickly reassured herself with this idea. But unease crept back in. What if I really do become some mindless tool, unable to control my emotions, and end up falling for that kind of man?

The more she thought about it, the greater her anxiety grew. She felt an impatient need to see this so-called protagonist, desperate to confirm whether her mind would remain her own when she entered the story's "plot." For a fleeting moment, she considered surrendering her fight entirely. However, the thought of her position as the Saintess and the implications of abandoning her duties made her quickly dismiss the idea. She had no choice but to face this "protagonist" directly, despite her growing unease about what might happen.

Hours passed, and Bai Mulan's anxiety deepened. Fortunately, she was seated alone, sparing her the embarrassment of anyone witnessing her increasingly tense expression. The voice in her head continued to chatter, rambling about irrelevant topics like the fights, and other trivial nonsense, much like an ordinary, thoughtless man. She didn't have the patience to engage with his drivel, focusing instead on her own apprehension.

[Oh, finally, the protagonist is here.]

[His opponent is the Azure Sky Saint, huh?]

[No matter who stands against him, he'll definitely win this competition.]

At those words, Bai Mulan's eyes darted toward the arena, scanning the crowd until she spotted him. A man with jet-black hair stepped onto the stage. Even Bai Mulan had to admit that his face was undeniably handsome. However, that didn't earn him any goodwill from her. Her gaze quickly shifted to his cultivation level, and she was momentarily stunned to see he was only at the 4th stage of Foundation Building. But she quickly dismissed her surprise. Of course, he's a protagonist. What protagonist can't defeat opponents with a higher cultivation level?

The match began, and Bai Mulan's attention sharpened. She was determined to observe every detail about this man, eager to learn as much as she could about him before their inevitable confrontation.