My Core is the Boss

The mission issued this time was rather unusual. It bore a passing resemblance to the legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. Though really, only the character dynamics were similar. Their objective was to protect Wang Yuanyu and locate Ma Longhu.

The reason Qi Yuan reached for that particular folk tale as a comparison for this love triangle story was simple: in this version, Ma Longhu was a horse demon.[1]

The first thing Qi Yuan did upon entering the game world was kidnap Wang Yuanyu. To avoid unnecessary complications, he knocked her out on the spot and shoved her into a sack.

But of course, being a considerate man at heart, Qi Yuan was mindful of his captives' feelings. He didn't force her into anything against her will. Hence, before knocking her out, he thoughtfully produced several sacks and asked her which color she preferred. It was very democratic and attentive of him.

After she had chosen the black one, Qi Yuan slung the unconscious young woman over his shoulder and sprinted over a thousand li. As usual, he purged the world of demons. Only after he had slaughtered them all did he go looking for the last horse demon den. Naturally, they were no match for him.

Just like that, Qi Yuan exterminated the demon clan that Ma Longhu belonged to. Unfortunately, the man himself had vanished without a trace. To flush him out, Qi Yuan worked on two fronts at once.

On one side, he had someone impersonate him and established the Demon-Slaying Court to hunt Ma Longhu down. On the other hand, he secretly arranged for a group called the Sacred Principle Church to give Ma Longhu's family a proper burial.

The Sacred Principle Church was a minor religious organization. Its doctrine centered on harmony between humans and demons, advocating their coexistence. Coincidentally, its membership was composed mostly of humans.

During the great war between humans and demons, when humanity was at its lowest, the Sacred Principle Church had preached that humans should lay down their resistance. Only by doing so, they claimed, could peaceful coexistence with the demon race be achieved.

After the burial of the Ma Longhu's family, Qi Yuan pulled some strings through unofficial channels and had himself appointed the cemetery's groundskeeper. He sat there and waited for Ma Longhu to come pay his respects at his clan's graves. Yet three years passed but Ma Longhu had not appeared. The Demon-Slaying Court had no leads either.

Wiping out someone's entire family is genuinely a technical undertaking, I did all that preparation beforehand, and still can't find a single person.

Just then, light footsteps approached from nearby. Wang Yuanyu appeared in a wide-sleeved silk robe. "Sir. Dinner is ready."

A white jade pendant hung at her waist sash, which was embroidered with a unique bird. The black sack—the symbol of Qi Yuan’s generous and considerate nature—draped over her head, exposing only her eyes and lips.

Wang Yuanyu set three dishes before him and stepped back. A faint aroma drifted from the stir-fried cicadas, deep-fried dung beetles, and steamed crawling insects.

Qi Yuan stared at the spread with tired resignation. "Are you a bird? You've made nothing but insect feasts since the day we arrived."

Wang Yuanyu replied unenthusiastically, "It suits your status."

"I've confined you here for your own good."

As someone from Blue Planet, he had long since mastered the art of “I'm doing this for you. You have so much money. Why don't you donate more?” His reasoning to her was that he was trying to protect her and also wanted to avoid startling Ma Longhu away.

Wang Yuanyu's expression grew complicated. "Why did you knock me out and bring me here?"

She had never quite worked that out. Several years ago, she had gone on a spring outing with her closest friend. There, she encountered a strange man carrying a dozen or so sacks. He asked which one she liked, so she casually pointed at one. Then she fainted. When she woke, she was in this cemetery.

Qi Yuan said solemnly, "An old acquaintance asked me to protect you. The outside world is dangerous right now. Once I can ensure your safety, I'll let you go."

Wang Yuanyu stared at him for a long time. Her expression shifted subtly, then she turned and slowly left.

About a quarter-hour later, she arrived at her bamboo cottage, which was nestled deep within the cemetery grounds. The moment she stepped inside, a shadow flickered, turning into an old woman.

Wang Yuanyu wasn’t surprised. "Wang Niang, how is the investigation?"

The old woman had slightly sharp features, and her mouth somewhat resembled a bird's beak. "Young Miss, he seems to be a Bloodline Bearer from the Death Qi World."

Wang Yuanyu's eyebrows rose. "The Death Qi World?"

She had never heard of such a thing.

The old woman quickly explained, "To prevent the Dawn Chime, the Martial Lords of the Origin Land banded together and drew those with a destined connection from the Land of Death into the Death Qi World. They’re usually assigned with missions. That man should be tasked to protect you, hence why he brought you close.

"There are hidden powers stirring trouble in the Mountain-Sea Scroll, and the Origin Land itself is fraught with danger. You need not rush to return, Young Miss. You may as well remain here until the Master has fully recovered."

To the outside world, Wang Yuanyu appeared as an ordinary inhabitant of the Mountain-Sea Scroll. In truth, she was the bloodline descendant of a powerful Martial Lord of the Origin Land. The old woman even came from the Origin Land herself to serve as her guardian.

Wang Yuanyu gave a small nod. "Mhm."

With Wang Niang's presence, her memories had begun to recover.

Wang Niang added, "Young Miss, I have also found Tu Kongming. He is deeply concerned for your safety. Shall I bring him to you?"

He was Wang Yuanyu's childhood companion and longstanding admirer—the "Liang Shanbo" of Qi Yuan's analogy.

Wang Yuanyu hesitated at the name.

Seeing her waver, Wang Niang pressed on. "Like Young Miss, Tu Kongming is one of only two people in this realm who carry a direct Martial Lord bloodline, and can thus enter the Origin Land. He is worth cultivating as an ally. The rest are nothing but fakes."

1. This is a famous Chinese folk lore. Zhu Yingtai falls in love with Liang Shanbo while disguised as a man. Their love is doomed when her family forces her to marry a wealthy man named Ma Wencai instead, and the story ends tragically with both lovers dying and being reborn as butterflies together. Qi Yuan uses it as a loose comparison for his current mission, with the added joke that in this version Ma Wencai is literally a horse demon, since马 (mǎ) means horse. ☜