Chapter 10 010 (Revised) Fulfilling the Duties of a Simp

When she woke up again, Lu Yuanyuan felt a suffocating sensation as if a huge boulder was pressing on her chest.

System: "Host's health has been detected to be below the safety threshold. To avoid a soul separation reaction, please replenish your health as soon as possible."

Lu Yuanyuan caught a strange, fishy odor. Her mind cleared, and she opened her eyes, only to find her vision completely black; she couldn't see anything. She tried to move, but realized she was completely sealed off, as if trapped inside a silkworm cocoon.

The thing that wrapped her was thick, soft, and supple, with a cool sensation.

Is it cloth or a quilt?

Lu Yuanyuan felt slightly bewildered. After groping around in the dark for a while, she finally figured out what it was. Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine, and her heart jumped into her throat.

It's all hair!

She was wrapped in her thick, flowing hair like a mummy.

That's right. When Yue Hong was running away from Dengtian Mountain, didn't his arrow hit a clump of wriggling hair?

Just then, as if sensing her awakening, the hair around her inexplicably began to stir and tighten.

Without a second thought, Lu Yuanyuan arched her body, trying to create space for herself to breathe. Unfortunately, the thin threads that would normally snap easily became an inescapable strangulation weapon when twisted together by thousands. Her hands and feet were tightly bound and pressed against her sides. Her bones and internal organs were squeezed inch by inch. She felt a sharp, clear pain through her skin, as if the razor-sharp strands of hair were cutting through it. Suffocation made her face turn purple and swollen; she lost the strength to resist, and the last breath of air left her lungs…

"Zheng—"

Just when she thought she was about to die here, the restraints suddenly loosened!

The moment dawn broke, precious air rushed into her lungs, and the rush of blood pounded against her eardrums. Lu Yuanyuan lay on her back, her nostrils flaring, gasping for breath. The light pierced her retina, making her eyes sting. Gradually, her vision cleared, and she saw a bright, gleaming sword light.

Lu Yuanyuan's knuckles twitched with difficulty, and when she looked up following the sword light, she froze.

A young man stood before her. His eyebrows were like ink paintings, and his lips were like cinnabar. However, when he looked at people, his dark blue eyes revealed a chilling coldness, like the shimmering water of winter, so indifferent that it shattered any romantic fantasies in the hearts of those around him.

He looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old. Unlike the muscular, heavy physiques of adult men, he was tall and slender, with long legs and a strong waist. He wore a snow-white robe and black boots, like a tall, emerald bamboo bathed in snow. The sword in his hand was about three feet long, its blade displaying a rare, faint crimson hue, like the vibrant colors of spring, blazing brightly.

At her most vulnerable moment, when she was caught completely off guard and saw Duan Lansheng appear, Lu Yuanyuan's breath froze instantly, and her fingers dug into her palms. The poisoned fang buried deep in her heart pierced even deeper, causing a dull, stabbing pain.

Unlike her brief encounter at the imperial palace last time, the Duan Lansheng standing before her, with his neatly arranged clothes and spotless robes, was the one who best matched the image of him in her memory.

In her past life, the last time she met Duan Lansheng, the situation was very similar to this one: he was high and mighty, while she was as pathetic as a drowning dog. The pain, resentment, grievances, and anger she felt then had become a deep-seated, ingrained wound, burning into her very bones. So much so that when she saw him again, she couldn't immediately and completely conceal her emotions.

Lu Yuanyuan gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and reminded herself with utmost rationality that she must not reveal anything.

...

On the other hand.

Duan Lansheng's gaze swept around the messy room and soon settled on the girl on the ground.

This was the first living person he found in the village who hadn't yet been eaten by the monster.

She lay flat on the ground, eyes closed, breathing weakly. Her clothes were wrinkled, but it was easy to tell that they were quite gorgeous palace attire, with large symmetrical vine and floral patterns embroidered on the sapphire blue silk. She also wore a pair of soft-soled embroidered shoes, the toes of which were adorned with a tuft of white fur and a luminous pearl, an attire not typically found on village women.

As she struggled, her hair came loose, the disheveled black strands obscuring her face. The sunset's glow streamed in from outside, casting a reddish hue on her earlobes, making the veins appear translucent.

The moment Duan Lansheng saw her face clearly, his gaze suddenly became fixed.

He always had a good memory, and he remembered most of the people he had interacted with within the last two or three months. So, in an instant, he matched that face with the Crown Princess of Yong Kingdom who had appeared on that rainy night.

How could she be alone in a place like this?

Were they kidnapped?

Duan Lansheng frowned slightly, sheathed his sword, and asked, "Who are you, and how did you get here?"

His voice, like his personality, was flat and lacked any dramatic inflection, conveying a calm and indifferent tone. However, because of its clear and resonant quality, like the clinking of jade, it was still quite pleasant to listen to.

After a moment of silence, the girl on the ground finally answered softly, "I... was captured by a monster."

Her voice, hoarse from panting, seemed injured. Slowly, she opened her dark eyes: "Are you a cultivator?"

"Yes." Duan Lansheng didn't say anything more.

"oh."

After a moment of silence, she said again, "Could you please help me up? I can't get up."

In this world, mortals either revere cultivators like gods or tremble with fear when they see them. If they are rescued by a cultivator in a monster's lair, they will be so grateful that they will shed tears of gratitude and wish they could kowtow several times on the spot. This girl's attitude, however, is strangely calm and casual.

He spoke words of pleading, but deep in his eyes lay a chilling undercurrent.

Duan Lansheng finally looked at her directly, but only for a moment before looking away, unfastening his sword and handing the scabbard to her.

The meaning is clear: he doesn't like physical contact with people.

His scabbard was cold; holding it felt like holding a block of ice, but it saved a lot of effort. Lu Yuanyuan used the leverage to sit up and looked around.

The sun was setting, and twilight was falling. It was a rough village house, its wooden door crooked and dilapidated against the frame. The earthen stove was covered in dust, the walls were cracked, and pots, pans, bowls, and other utensils hung on it. Bundles of firewood were piled against the wall, along with a broom, a water vat, and a dark, indistinct shape leaning against the wall.

That was a dead man.

The man, dressed in coarse cloth and wearing straw sandals, appeared to be the homeowner. His death was gruesome; he was emaciated and shrunken, resembling a skeleton. Most chillingly, every visible opening on his body—eyes, ears, mouth, nose—was crammed with long, black hair, like the tentacles of a monster feeding.

Although the roots of these hairs were broken and it was impossible to find where they came from, it was not hard to imagine the scene of them moving and burrowing into the person's body to feast and suck the blood and flesh dry.

The monsters in this world kill in all sorts of bizarre ways, some of them truly disgusting. Lu Yuanyuan couldn't stand it, and forcing herself to suppress her discomfort, she turned her head away.

However, this manner of death is quite fitting for the name of the new instance she is currently in, which is derived from [Clash with the Demon] – [Hair Demon].

The data transmitted to her by the system flashed before Lu Yuanyuan's eyes.

[Instance Name] Fa Yao

[Role Position] 18th-tier supporting character (with slightly more screen time than an extra)

[Probability of Encountering Danger] 100%

[Probability of death] 90%

[Instance Progress] 30%

[More information] has been unlocked. Please click to expand for details.

Hair Demon, as the name suggests, is a monster that is skilled at killing with its hair. This naming method is very direct and clear.

This thing was originally a product of the cultivation world. Due to the instability of the barrier between the two worlds, it escaped and entered the mortal world. Along the way, in order to escape the pursuit of cultivators, it almost lost a layer of its skin. When it arrived in the Langya Mountain area, it finally couldn't run anymore.

Coincidentally, on that very day, the Yong Kingdom was holding a hunting competition at Langya Mountain. The entire mountain was teeming with people. So, it used what was available, killed a royal guard, skinned him, and wore his human skin to conceal its demonic aura.

However, the Imperial Guard's corpse was quickly discovered by his colleagues, raising everyone's suspicions. This thing couldn't appear before anyone else in the same skin anymore; it had to change its appearance. So, it resorted to its old trick, borrowing Dang'er's skin to avoid the limelight.

Unfortunately, the borrowed human skin couldn't stay fresh forever. To quickly regain its peak condition, it needed to eat human flesh. This thing lived for a while with Dang'er's face, and its demonic power recovered to 40%. Then it decided to pull off a big heist before the skin rotted away.

Originally, he planned to eat Lu Yuanyuan and then flee overnight, but he was met with a cold shoulder. Not only did he not gain anything, but he was also injured by the bronze mirror and attracted the attention of the Imperial Advisor. Enraged, the demon had no choice but to flee the royal city and find a village to settle down and feed.

The villagers, powerless to even kill a chicken, thus became the demon's prey. Its flesh and blood were highly nutritious, and its demonic power was clearly far greater than when it was wearing the skin of a demon.

On the other hand, after being abandoned by his four incompetent teammates, Duan Lansheng never saw them again. But it was obvious to anyone that those four scoundrels had failed in their demon-catching mission.

For the past two months, Duan Lansheng had been searching for the demon alone. Yesterday, he came to the foot of this mountain and heard that five girls had gone missing while gathering firewood. Suspecting that a demon was behind it, he followed the trail and came here, where he met her.

Lu Yuanyuan covered her forehead, sorting out the information she already knew.

Being thrown into a dungeon, being targeted by the boss, and having a 100% chance of encountering danger are already set in stone.

If I'm not mistaken, this instance is very likely the stepping stone she used to enter Mount Shu in the original story.

She thought about it for a moment. In this situation, if she separated from Duan Lansheng, her chances of survival were zero. For her own life, she had to face reality and follow Duan Lansheng.

So, should she hide her hostility like she did when she needed Yue Hong's help, and not be so blunt, lest he abandon her?

"..." Lu Yuanyuan's fingertips twitched nervously, and she had an urge to bite her nails, but she resisted. She slowly stood up, lowered her face, and it was difficult for others to see her expression. They could only hear her soft and weak voice: "My name is Lu Yuanyuan. May I ask how you should address me, Immortal Master?"

Duan Lansheng paused for a moment, then gave his full name: "Duan Lansheng".

They didn't try to be mysterious by giving themselves any fancy titles, but they also didn't say a single unnecessary word.

Lu Yuanyuan nodded, looking at him with utmost sincerity: "Duan Lansheng, thank you for saving me just now. What should we do next?"

She emphasized the word "we," and secretly tightened her grip on the sword sheath. Since Duan Lansheng had come to save a few mortals, he shouldn't object to saving one more while he was at it.

However, to her surprise, Duan Lansheng suddenly pulled the sword back from her hand with force and quickly took a few steps back. Lu Yuanyuan thought he was going to refuse to take her as a burden, but upon closer inspection, he didn't seem to be refusing; rather, he seemed... unwell?

She was stunned for a moment, then tentatively took a step forward: "Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?"

But her approach was immediately stopped.

Duan Lansheng retreated to the door, bracing his shoulder against the frame to create distance between them. His breath was ragged, his beautiful face drenched in cold sweat, and he looked as if he were standing on end with sharp, piercing lines: "Don't come any closer... stay away from me!"

Lu Yuanyuan stopped, looking at his appearance, and a certain string deep in her mind suddenly rang.

Damn, she realized—how could she have forgotten the fact that Duan Lansheng's form was unstable on the night of the full moon and he might turn into a fox?

Yesterday was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and today is the 16th of August. The sun will soon be setting. The moon is fullest on the 16th, so tonight will be a perfect full moon night!

Was fate playing a cruel joke on her? This was a dungeon with a 100% chance of encountering danger and a 90% chance of death, and her powerful backer was even facing the risk of malfunction. A sense of crisis welled up within her, and Lu Yuanyuan forced herself to say, "Can you still move? If you can, let's hurry down the mountain before it gets dark. What if that monster comes back?"

Her words seemed to awaken Duan Lansheng. He took a deep breath, pressed his red lips tightly together, and suppressed his urge to lose control: "...It's too late, come with me."

The villager's house was structured like a courtyard house, with a room on each side. Duan Lansheng pushed open the door and entered one of the rooms, where there was no dead body and the windows and door frames were not dilapidated. Lu Yuanyuan followed closely behind.

This room was probably a bedroom for a family of several people. It was divided into two rooms by a wooden wall, with a bed for adults and children in each room. There was no door in the middle.

Duan Lansheng closed the door behind him, took out a talisman from his Qiankun bag, infused it with spiritual power through two fingers, and his sleeves fluttered without wind.

The next second, the cinnabar on the yellow talisman flashed red light and ignited, yet not a single residue fell. Then, an even more miraculous scene unfolded—the flowing, flamboyant incantations on the talisman's surface floated off the paper, drifted into the air, hovered for half a second, and then, like shimmering stardust, accelerated towards the doors and windows in all directions.

The moment it collided with the object, the runes shattered like gold and jade, transforming into a flashing golden light that melted into the wooden doors and windows, vanishing without a trace.

Lu Yuanyuan knew that this was a Taoist method of setting up a protective barrier. A house itself is a natural shelter, which is why ordinary people would paste door gods on their doors to ward off evil spirits. Using an intact house as a model to set up a protective barrier would be twice as effective.

"No matter what sound you hear, don't come over."

After setting up the barrier, Duan Lansheng left those words and stumbled into the inner room.

Lu Yuanyuan didn't chase after him. She watched his figure disappear inside, then climbed onto the only bed in the outer room, tied up her disheveled clothes again, and rolled up her arms and trouser legs.

When the demon was entangled with her, it cut open her clothes and made many wounds on them. Fortunately, they were all thin and shallow wounds, so there was no risk of major blood loss, and her clothes did not turn into a fishnet.

However, perhaps it was psychological, she felt a persistent itch and pain in the cut area, and her whole body felt uncomfortable. But scratching would only make it worse, so she could only endure it.

Lu Yuanyuan sighed. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything since last night. She was exhausted and hungry, and her life force was low, so she had no choice but to lie on her side in bed and force herself to rest for a while.

The wooden bed was so hard that she couldn't sleep soundly. She frowned, half-asleep, when she was suddenly jolted awake by a loud noise, startled, and sat up.

The sky outside the window had completely darkened, and the room was pitch black. The noise was coming from the side of the wall. Lu Yuanyuan was startled and uncertain. She got out of bed and went over to peek in. She saw that the bed in the inner room was empty, but there was a figure curled up in a ball on the floor against the wall.

At the same time, a phrase in bold capital letters appeared in her mind:

【Bang--

Hearing a loud thud, Lu Yuanyuan rushed into the inner room and saw the boy she had fallen in love with at first sight suffering unspeakable pain. Her heart softened and she couldn't help but rush over, stretching out her arms, hoping to melt away his troubles with her soft embrace and passionate tenderness.

But almost instantly, the soft restraints were violently broken free.

System: "Ding! Please fill in the plot within 10 minutes, or you will be punished."

Lu Yuanyuan: "...?"

She only met Duan Lansheng after she ascended Mount Shu in her previous life. Now she's still in the mortal realm—what kind of original plot is this?!

System: "According to the settings, after you fell in love with Duan Lansheng at first sight, you harassed him repeatedly. In your first playthrough, although there was no plot guidance, you did this on your own. In the second playthrough, due to a coincidence, you met Duan Lansheng earlier, so naturally, you had to fulfill your duties as a simp earlier as well. This is an extension of the logic."

Lu Yuanyuan rubbed her hair in frustration.

Nothing is more important than living, she knew that on the very first day she woke up in Yong Kingdom.

However, the experience of spontaneously maintaining one's character is vastly different from being forced to follow the plot by the system at gunpoint.

No matter how much I tried to console myself, I was still annoyed. Even though I knew it was wrong, a rebellious urge to go against the system still welled up inside me.

Wait, the original text says "soft wrapping"... soft wrapping?

Lu Yuanyuan immediately thought of a solution.

Looking around, she indeed saw a hemp rope hanging on the wall for binding things. Without changing her expression, she pulled it down and walked towards Duan Lansheng in the corner. After confirming that he was unconscious, Lu Yuanyuan squatted down and began to tie his body with the rope, circle by circle.

System: "Violation warning..."

Lu Yuanyuan said impatiently, "Where is it against the rules? The original text doesn't say what 'soft binding' is. If arms are bindings, then ropes can also be bindings, right?"

Perhaps convinced by her logic, the system's violation warnings stopped ringing.

Having found the loophole for the first time and successfully defied the system's requirements, Lu Yuanyuan felt a long-lost sense of relief, and her movements of tying up Duan Lansheng became even more vigorous.

This approach actually has another advantage—her health is already very low, so it's best to avoid any bumps or knocks. By using the rope to tie up Duan Lansheng instead of herself, when he breaks free, it's the rope that suffers, not her. This way, she can avoid being harmed.

One circle, two circles, three circles... five circles should be enough, right?

Lu Yuanyuan let out a sigh of relief and began tying a knot in the rope.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Duan Lansheng's eyelids trembled slightly, and he suddenly opened his eyes.