Chapter 2: How disrespectful it is to dress like this in public!

“General, watch out!”

Before Yi Lan could react, a sharp arrow plunged straight into her left shoulder.

The pain slowly brought her back to her senses.

She lowered her gaze to the arrow embedded in her shoulder.

The arrowhead was buried deep, and crimson blood seeped out from around it, dripping down the plates of her armor.

Her eyes followed the drips and found that she was still holding that person’s body in her arms.

And in the other’s chest were the same arrows, many, many of them.

Jiang Wenting was dead.

She had betrayed her.

It was these sharp arrows that had killed her.

In the future, more soldiers would die from these same arrows.

It was all her fault.

Her fault for not noticing sooner, for giving her the chance to betray them.

If she had discovered it earlier, would she not have died?

Would the soldiers not have died…

The Beilin army’s arrows continued to fly in their direction.

The soldiers used their weapons to block them again and again.

Soldiers who couldn’t dodge in time were struck one after another.

Yi Lan watched their falling bodies, watched the enemy’s relentless volleys of arrows.

After half a second’s hesitation, she finally let go of the body in her arms, stood up, and forcefully snapped the shaft of the arrow in her shoulder.

Her long spear sliced through the night sky as she swore an oath.

“I, Yi Lan, Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Border Army, swear upon my life that the enmity of this night shall be avenged!”

Then, she let out a sharp whistle.

Her steed came galloping at the sound.

She flew onto the horse, raised her long spear, and struck the horse’s flank heavily.

The horse neighed loudly and shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, leaping over the shield wall and charging ahead.

“Kill—”

The chaotic sounds of slaughter tore through the sky.

The enemy’s arrows fell like a torrential downpour, all aimed at her.

She brandished her long spear, urging her horse to dodge, continuously pushing forward, charging alone into the vanguard of the Beilin army.

During the charge, she was struck by enemy arrows.

She seemed to feel no pain, pulling them out raw and hurling them back, piercing the throat of the archer who had shot them.

“Quick, stop her!”

The enemy vanguard commander belatedly grew terrified.

The shielded soldiers quickly formed a line.

Seeing this, Yi Lan clamped her legs tightly against the horse’s belly, drew her long spear back, and slapped its flank with the shaft.

The horse whinnied in pain and leaped forward, clearing the countless shields.

She was now only a few meters from the vanguard commander.

Yi Lan swung her long arm, and with one strike of her spear, the leader’s head was sent flying more than ten meters away, blood spraying everywhere.

She raised her spear and shouted, “The Beilin vanguard commander is dead! Soldiers, kill them for me!”

This gave the Southern Border Army a new backbone.

On the vast grasslands, there was no solid defense.

The shielded soldiers formed ranks at the front while the archers behind them let loose a barrage of arrows.

The enemy cavalry, now leaderless, lost their former arrogant momentum after a single volley of arrows.

After several clashes, the Beilin army gradually fell into a weaker position.

Just as the soldiers were about to catch their breath, enemy forces suddenly charged in from the east and south.

The seventy thousand soldiers of the Southern Border Army were surrounded on three sides.

The men were already exhausted, but with no other options, they could only fight with all their might to carve out a bloody path.

Yi Lan and her vice-general charged at the very front.

Both were already wounded, but the spears and weapons in their hands never ceased their motion.

The fierce battle lasted the entire night.

The morning glow reflected on blood, and corpses littered the field.

The surviving soldiers’ battle robes were stained with blood, the flesh beneath their cold armor capable of nurturing a two-foot blade.

Finally, they carved out a bloody path.

And just then, the border defense army, with banners bearing the character “Jing,” arrived from a distance.

The weary soldiers saw their own army and their eyes instantly lit up.

They waved their weapons and shouted, “Reinforcements are here! Reinforcements are here!”

“Giddy-up!”

As the commander, Yi Lan spurred her horse forward to meet them.

Who would have thought that the opposing leader would suddenly give a hand signal.

The soldiers behind him immediately gripped their longbows, nocked their eagle-feathered arrows, and drew them taut.

With a “swoosh,” tens of thousands of arrows flew with the wind, streaking like meteors towards Yi Lan’s heart.

In the next second, the great protector-general of the Southern Border, along with her soldiers, were frozen in place by the oncoming arrows, forming a bloody tableau.

She could not close her eyes in peace.

[Hello, Yi Lan. Welcome to the 21st century. This is an era where the internet economy is extremely developed. There is no war here, no slaughter. You can fully enjoy a quiet and beautiful life, on the condition that you complete a small task.]

Amidst her daze and dull pain, Yi Lan heard a strange voice.

The voice was very mechanical, devoid of emotion.

She searched all around but couldn’t find its source.

Confused, she asked, “Who is there?”

[I am System 001. You unfortunately perished in the bloody battle of Biluo Peak, but you don’t seem to be very satisfied with this ending. The system has conducted a comprehensive search and detected that in this world, there is someone who might be able to resolve your inner conflict. May I ask if you know Jiang Wenting?]

Jiang Wenting!

The moment those three words registered in Yi Lan’s mind, all her anger, grievance, and hatred erupted.

She subconsciously tried to raise her spear, only to find that her limbs and senses were unresponsive.

Her surroundings were a sheet of darkness, but that voice was exceptionally real.

“Where is Jiang Wenting?” she asked with heavy intent.

The voice seemed not to have heard and repeated itself.

[May I ask if you know Jiang Wenting?]

“Tell me, where is Jiang Wenting?!”

Yi Lan’s aura was menacing.

Even as a mere soul, the general’s presence was no less than when she was alive.

However, faced with the cold, mechanical system, her question was met with a non-answer.

The system repeated once more: [May I ask if you know Jiang Wenting? You only need to answer, know, or do not know.]

After the mechanical voice had repeated itself dozens of grating times, Yi Lan finally lost her patience and said, “I know her!”

[Ding dong, match successful. Please wait…]

Sensation returned to her limbs, and the surrounding darkness gradually dissipated, replaced by the lively and bustling scenes of a city.

City life?

Yi Lan’s eyes widened.

A familiar figure appeared in her line of sight.

That person was several times taller than usual, floating in the sky, her chest and back brazenly exposed.

She held a tube of blood-red lipstick in her hand, applying it to her lips with an alluring gaze.

She didn’t immediately reprimand the other, but instead subconsciously went to adjust her own robes.

“Jiang Wenting, to be dressed like this in public, what has become of your decorum!”

Her fingers touched her blood-soaked armor, and only then did she realize.

She instantly raised her spear and pointed at the image of Jiang Wenting in a backless dress and fiery red lips on the commercial electronic screen.

“Speak! Why did you deceive this general?!”

In the sea of people, passersby couldn’t help but turn their heads.

After a quick glance, some even stopped in their tracks.

[“Wow, is that cosplay? It’s so realistic!”]

[“Yeah, she has such a powerful presence. But who is she cosplaying as? Do you guys know?”]

[“No idea, but she’s probably a fan of Film Empress Jiang, right? Her recent show, ‘The City in Spring, Grass and Trees Deep,’ is a huge hit…”]

The MV continued to play.

Yi Lan’s hands were covered in blood.

Ignoring the stares of the crowd, she stood in the middle of the road, glaring with wide eyes at the person on the screen.

Even after the green light ended and the crowd dispersed, she remained frozen in place.

Cars behind her honked incessantly.

A patrolling traffic officer saw her and walked over to shoo her away.

“Hey, what are you doing? Can’t you see it’s a red light!”

Yi Lan didn’t move.

The officer reached out to push her away.

Yi Lan tightened her grip on her spear, about to engage him in battle, but at that moment, the mechanical voice appeared in her mind again.

[Host, you mustn’t. This is a society ruled by law. You are currently obstructing public traffic order. Law enforcement personnel are intervening in your behavior. Please cooperate immediately, or your future actions will be restricted, and you will not be able to find the real Jiang Wenting.]

Yi Lan: ???

The system had said a lot before that she didn’t quite understand, but she understood the last part: unable to find the real Jiang Wenting.

But it also felt like she didn’t understand.

She focused her gaze and looked at the screen again.

Jiang Wenting’s figure was gone, replaced by an image of a cartoon squirrel pushing a pinecone.

At the same time, the law enforcement officer easily pushed the stunned Yi Lan off the crosswalk, and traffic returned to normal.

“Can’t you see the red light? You young people really have no limits when you’re playing around…”

The officer gave Yi Lan a verbal lecture.

Passing pedestrians would occasionally glance at her.

But her mind was preoccupied with finding Jiang Wenting for revenge.

Now, learning that the one who just disappeared was a fake, where was she supposed to find the real one?

“Be more careful next time, understand?” the officer asked, wanting to confirm she’d received the message after finishing his lecture.

Yi Lan raised her head and looked at him with icy eyes.

“What’s with that look? Still not convinced, are you?” the officer reprimanded.

The system quickly chimed in to smooth things over: [Host, quickly say you understand, so this system can take you to find your mission target, Jiang Wenting.]

Hearing this, Yi Lan hesitated for half a second before saying haltingly, “I… I understand.”

The officer grumbled a few more words before returning to his post.

Yi Lan stood by the side of the road, looking at the slowly moving vehicles and the strangely dressed pedestrians, a dawning realization creeping in.

‘So this is what hell looks like!’

‘Where is Jiang Wenting now? She did so many evil things, will she go to hell? And where are all the soldiers who died? When we meet in the underworld, how should I face them…’

[Host, this is not hell, nor is there any underworld as you call it. Jiang Wenting’s identity is that of a Film Empress. The system has detected that she is currently filming in Yacheng. However, it is over 130 kilometers from here to Yacheng. You are currently penniless, and your identity is that of a helpless and dependent mental patient. This system really can’t think of a way to send you to meet Film Empress Jiang.]

Yi Lan: ?

What was this thing?

Why had this voice been with her ever since she regained consciousness, yet she couldn’t see it?

Yi Lan couldn’t help but ask, “Who are you?”

[I am your System 001, Host. I told you before. You unfortunately perished in the bloody battle of Biluo Peak, but you were not satisfied with this ending. Therefore, this system has given you a chance for revenge.]

“A chance for revenge?”

[Yes, Host. Didn’t Jiang Wenting betray you? You can betray her in the same way.]

“The same way?”

[This system has detected that in this world, Jiang Wenting is a workaholic. Therefore, your mission is to find a way to get close to her, make her fall in love with you and give up her career and future for you, and then you dump her.]

“Dump her?”

[That’s right, dump her. Make her lose everything, drive her to despair, and die. Wouldn’t you have achieved your goal then?]

Yi Lan didn’t understand what “dump her” meant, but she caught the information related to “death” and immediately asked, “Where is Jiang Wenting now?”

Seeing that an agreement had been reached, the system said happily: [Don’t be anxious, Host. This system will now think of a way to take you to meet your mission target, Jiang Wenting.]