The Abusive Novel System Pleads with Me to Resign

Ye Qingchen felt utterly exasperated. Suddenly, his presence here seemed downright absurd.

Ji Liantan knew he had come. His own father knew he had come. He had always prided himself on his ability to deceive others, manipulating them like puppets in his hands.

Yet now, those two were the ones playing along with his act.

And just who else was this witch planning to reveal his secrets to next?

By the time the grand competition ended, wouldn't everyone—whether they were supposed to know or not—be feigning ignorance while secretly aware of everything?

Ye Qingchen couldn't stand the humiliation of being treated like a fool by a bunch of idiots.

After a long silence, he suddenly said, "Maybe I should just leave. Abandon this competition and head straight to the Forbidden Sea to quell my inner demons."

Shen Ying patted him on the shoulder. "Don't be shy! My master definitely won't go around shouting about your presence here."

Ye Qingchen stared at her intently. "You think Sect Leader Ji is the one who leaked it?"

Shen Ying shrugged. "Then maybe it was the eldest disciple? Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not the type to blab."

Ye Qingchen took a deep breath. "Let's go. Upstairs first."

At that moment, Ji Liantan and his group were already ascending the stairs. Seeing the two of them dawdling, Ji Liantan called out impatiently, "What are you still lingering here for?"

Shen Ying rolled her eyes. "Worry about yourself, Senior Brother. I don't need your concern."

Ji Liantan's heart skipped a beat. Their unresolved argument from before still hung between them.

Was she being so dismissive of him now because that hypocrite Ye Qingchen had been badmouthing him behind his back?

Furious, he snapped, "Don't forget—your role here is to assist me."

"Instead, you're running around with some suspicious outsider, neglecting your duty. And now you have the audacity to act so insolent?"

Shen Ying waved him off impatiently. "I am doing my job."

"Thanks to the combined efforts of me and my 'suspicious' ally here, we've eliminated the White Bone Sect—a formidable competitor."

"Can you honestly say I've done nothing?"

Before Ji Liantan could respond, the Ninth Junior Brother clapped his hands and cheered loudly, "Wow—Senior Sister is amazing!"

"I heard the White Bone Sect had big plans this time. That ugly freak Gu Lun even gathered a bunch of sinister artifacts. For Senior Sister to take him down so quickly is a huge help to you, Senior Brother."

He then turned to Ji Liantan, his eyes brimming with exaggerated indignation and sympathy for Shen Ying. "And yet, Senior Brother, you—"

Shen Ying nodded approvingly. "At least Ninth Junior Brother has good eyes."

Ji Liantan's face darkened. He placed a hand on the massive axe the Ninth Junior Brother was leaning on and forcefully tilted it ninety degrees to the left.

The Ninth Junior Brother immediately shut his mouth, no longer daring to stir the pot.

With the first-floor entrance about to close, Ji Liantan couldn't afford to keep arguing with Shen Ying.

After shooting her a glare, he led his group upstairs.

Shen Ying motioned to Ye Qingchen. "Come on, let's go up too."

Ye Qingchen nodded, feeling slightly better seeing Ji Liantan just as frustrated as he was.

However, when they reached the next floor, there was no trace of the group that had gone ahead—not even Ji Liantan's party, who had only been a step ahead of them.

Ye Qingchen frowned. "Where did they go?"

Shen Ying shrugged. "Probably because of that formation."

She pointed to an inconspicuous engraving near the entrance—a neat, square pattern that blended into the floor's design, easy to miss at a glance.

Ye Qingchen muttered, "So we should be careful where we step."

Before he could finish, Shen Ying shoved him from behind. "Careful? We're going in either way."

Caught off guard, Ye Qingchen stumbled into the formation—and in an instant, his surroundings shifted.

He turned to scold Shen Ying, only to find she wasn't there.

A thick, eerie mist surrounded him, its presence unsettling. The moment it appeared, Ye Qingchen realized he could no longer use his spiritual senses to scan the area.

Then, the Old Ancestor's voice echoed:

"Young one, what kind of companions do you prefer?"

Shen Ying, hearing the same question, didn't hesitate. "Good-looking ones."

The voice seemed to choke for a moment before letting out a sinister chuckle. "As you wish."

Three figures emerged from the mist, slowly approaching her.

Shen Ying's heart raced with anticipation. Earlier, she had mentally catalogued the most attractive participants in the competition.

As the figures drew closer, she wondered if they were the fiery-haired warriors from the Blazing Blood Sect or the exotic beauties of the Venomous Serpent Sect.

But when the mist cleared, she was met with three leering, grotesque-looking demonic cultivators.

The trio's eyes gleamed with predatory delight as they sized her up, though their expressions faltered slightly when they remembered how swiftly she had dealt with Gu Lun.

After exchanging glances, they quickly composed themselves and greeted her with forced politeness.

"Ah, Fellow Cultivator Shen of the Joyous Harmony Sect."

"What an honor to journey alongside such a beauty."

"Rest assured, we'll protect you from any danger ahead."

Shen Ying, however, wasn't listening. Her face fell in utter dismay.

She glared at the ceiling and demanded, "This is what you call 'as I wish'?"

"Are these three what you consider 'good-looking'?"

"Old Ancestor, what do you even look like? Are you as much of an eyesore as these half-baked excuses for men?"

"I've heard that none of the past demonic ancestors were ugly. Are you the exception?"

"If you can't play fair, then don't play at all. My eyes don't deserve this abuse."

She was genuinely furious. How dare they mock her standards?

The Old Ancestor, clearly incensed by her lack of reverence, growled, "Oh? You have no choice. If you're so capable, feel free to find others beyond these three."

Shen Ying scoffed. "Who cares? I'll just quit."

"Others stay because of ambition—for the competition, the treasures, or their sect's demands."

"But I'm only here for fun. You think you can blackmail me?"

With that, she pulled out her exit token, ready to leave immediately.

The token allowed one free entry and exit—a last resort for abandoning the competition.

Few had this privilege, as most demonic sects demanded absolute dedication, even at the cost of life.

Those who did were either high-ranking disciples or held special status.

Though Shen Ying didn't have Ji Liantan's level of authority, she could easily excuse her departure—even to the Demon Sovereign—by pinning it on Ye Qingchen's involvement.

The Demon Sovereign had never been harsh with her anyway.

Her decisive move left the Old Ancestor momentarily stunned.

The exit token was already activating.

The Old Ancestor quickly replied, "Fine, fine, I'll arrange three good-looking ones for you."

As soon as he spoke, three rather plain-looking individuals were swept away by a thick mist.

His easy compliance left them utterly stunned.

However, a gleam flashed in Shen Ying's eyes—he wasn't even willing to let her leave.

It seemed the Old Ancestor's intentions were rather intriguing.

Lost in thought, three new figures appeared before her.

Upon seeing them, Shen Ying was finally satisfied. The old man's taste was, after all, still normal.

Aside from one handsome cultivator each from the Bloodflame Sect and the Venomous Toxin Sect, Ji Liantan was also brought before her.

The moment he saw her, the tension in Ji Liantan's expression eased slightly.

He stepped forward, giving her a once-over. "Are you alright?"

Shen Ying, still preoccupied, didn't answer.

Unexpectedly, Ji Liantan immediately recalled her coldness and distance since their last parting.

His temper flared. "So what if I didn't let you touch me then? You can make up for it now—happy?"