Volume 1, Chapter 14 – She’s Lying to You!
Song Shiyuan left in a state of disarray.
Lu Zhuxin stood in the courtyard, watching the Sword Sect junior sister retreat with a vacant expression. A mischievous smile crept onto her lips.
"Little Shiyuan, you're such a delight."
[Host, what's the point of deceiving her like this? As long as she thinks it through, she'll realize there's no evidence for what you just said.]
The system's cold, female voice echoed in her mind.
Lu Zhuxin's smile widened; her mood was undeniably good.
"Oh, I know Song Shiyuan isn't that naïve."
"Right now, she's under the spell of my beauty, temporarily dazed and trapped in her own thoughts."
"Just give her some time to recover; she'll come to her senses."
[...]
The system fell silent, taken aback by her narcissism.
"I don't expect a few words to make this girl lose faith in Song Shixuan."
"What I want is to plant a seed of doubt in her heart."
"As long as that seed lingers, and I nurture it now and then, it will eventually bloom into the fruit I desire."
With a villainous laugh, Lu Zhuxin cupped her face in her hands.
"So now, let her doubt, let her worry, and let her defenses crumble in confusion."
"That's when I'll strike."
[Is it really necessary to go to such lengths for Song Shiyuan?]
The system didn't understand.
[She's already your concubine. Wouldn't it be simpler to just take her body? With her sense of justice, she wouldn't have the courage to approach Song Shixuan again, right?]
"..."
Lu Zhuxin fell into a brief silence, contemplating the suggestion.
[What's wrong? You never considered this method before.]
"No, I've thought about it," she replied. "I've been considering it since the beginning."
"But while this method works on others, I can't predict the outcome with Song Shiyuan."
[?]
The system sent a question mark.
"Song Shiyuan, the heroine, is a bit special."
She was the first heroine to appear in the original text, but she joined the harem later on.
She was the only one who grew up alongside the male protagonist, Song Shixuan.
Her character was upright, enthusiastic, and fiercely opposed to evil.
With immense talent and unwavering tenacity, she grew stronger with every setback.
A natural sword practitioner, she was both strong and independent.
Unlike Song Shixuan, who had factions offering him opportunities, everything she had was earned through her own hard work.
In other novels, Song Shixuan would have been the archetypal overpowered protagonist.
[But why would such a strong and independent heroine willingly become Song Shixuan's woman—a man known for having countless lovers—and share her bed with a multitude of women?]
"Stupid system, shut up! You're so annoying!"
Lu Zhuxin reacted like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.
"The two things in this world that defy reason are love and smut. Understand?"
[Tsk tsk… ]
Lu Zhuxin brushed off the system's nagging and returned to her train of thought.
Song Shiyuan is still in the early to middle stages of the plot currently, not yet fully developed.
And although the Fox Monarch of the Departed World—one of the main villains—had little presence in the narrative, her strength was formidable, ranking her among the top-tier antagonists.
This was precisely why she could so easily manipulate Song Shiyuan, who lacked the protagonist's halo1.
But if Lu Zhuxin were to force Song Shiyuan's hand, she feared the heroine of this harem novel might quickly devolve into a tragic heroine2.
Song Shiyuan's tenacious spirit would only push her further away if met with coercion.
"Therefore, force can't be an option," Lu Zhuxin concluded.
"Of course, there's another reason I'm hesitant to use force."
A sorrowful expression crossed her face.
"I'm not a real woman! I don't understand the intricacies of a woman's heart."
The thought weighed heavily on her.
"Being kept as a concubine by a female fox demon and being deflowered by a man—does it hold the same significance for Song Shiyuan?"
She couldn't be sure.
"Of course! If I were still in my original male body, I would have gone straight for it—no need for this convoluted twists and turns!"
[…So the Fox Monarch's identity is restricting your performance, huh?]
"Cough…" Lu Zhuxin cleared her throat, "Forget it. I'm a pure love advocate."
"I won't resort to forceful tactics with girls."
[…Pure love? You have the nerve to say that. ]
Lu Zhuxin ignored the system's comment, letting the silence settle once again.
Shortly after Song Shiyuan's departure, several little fox demons, who had previously played the role of vicious concubines, cautiously emerged from their hiding spots.
They cast apprehensive glances at Lu Zhuxin, their eyes wide with uncertainty.
"Your Majesty…" one of them ventured, the quiver in her voice betraying their unease.
Despite acting according to Lu Zhuxin's earlier instructions, they were now fraught with doubt. Would Her Majesty be pleased with their performance? After all, standing before the Fox Monarch, how could they dare truly embody the cruelty of their characters?
The consequences could be dire if they had gone too far and angered Her Majesty.
"You did a good job," Lu Zhuxin said, noting the little fox demons' fear. "Although there are still some flaws, it's enough."
Relief washed over the fox demons at the praise.
"Then, Your Majesty, what's next?" one of them asked, her voice a blend of eagerness and trepidation.
"Next?" Lu Zhuxin mused, her gaze drifting toward the direction where Song Shiyuan had vanished.
"Hee hee, of course, it's time to add fuel to the fire while Little Shiyuan is still in a daze."
Meanwhile, Song Shiyuan stumbled back to her room, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion.
The words spoken by the little fox demon echoed relentlessly in her mind.
Could the person colluding with the Fox Monarch really share her surname? Was it possible that he was Brother Shixuan?
Had he distanced himself from his fellow disciples for this reason?
Because he wasn't actually captured?
"No! That's not right! Song Shiyuan, how can you think like that?" she chastised herself.
"As a sword practitioner, don't you understand the true nature of fox demons?"
"Fox demons are the most cunning and insidious of races! Their greatest pleasure lies in manipulating hearts!"
"Throughout history, how many sword practitioners have fallen prey to their charms, wasting their talents in the mire of seduction?"
"The Lingxiao Sword Sect forbids any contact with fox demons for a reason."
"That's a lesson etched in blood and tears by generations of sect elders!"
"That little fox demon, who appears so innocent, is still a fox demon at heart."
"She's lying to you!"
"Every word she utters is a web of deceit!"
"Her intentions are tainted!"
"Every syllable she speaks—"
"Cannot be listened to!"
"Cannot be believed!"
"Cannot be pondered upon!"
"She's lying to you!"