After Taking Away the Beautiful Supporting Female Lead [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 1

Beneath a heavy night sky, the raindrops shifted from a slow drizzle to a frantic downpour.

Suddenly, a bolt of purple lightning exploded like light from a shattered jar, tearing through the dull, humid curtain of rain. It simultaneously illuminated the dim interior of a hut, revealing a woman lying atop a pile of straw.

The woman wore red robes and had hair as dark as ink. Her long, shapely eyebrows twitched slightly at the red dot between them, and her tightly closed lashes slowly fluttered open, revealing eyes shimmering like water.

Xu Zhiwei’s expression was still somewhat dazed. As she surveyed her surroundings, a sense of unreality tugged at her heart.

“System, are you there?” she asked tentatively.

[Welcome, Host, to the myriad small worlds! I am your caring System 1568. You can call me ‘The World’s Number One Invincible Little Sweetheart’!]

“…” For some reason, this system gave Xu Zhiwei an ominous feeling.

Is this thing actually reliable?

Xu Zhiwei’s encounter with the system stemmed from a near-fatal car accident. The system had frozen time and proposed a deal: if she agreed to bind with it and travel through various worlds to save tragic villainous supporting females—preventing them from “blackening” and accumulating enough “Goodness Points”—she could avoid her demise in reality.

Looking at the out-of-control car inches away from her, Xu Zhiwei knew that if time resumed, she would surely die. She had accepted the request instantly.

While lost in thought, a sharp pain shot through her temples as a massive influx of world data flooded her mind.

This plane was a world of cultivation. The female villain, Qiang Wu, was an exquisite mermaid who had been injured during a clan struggle and was rescued by a demonic Daoist. Pure-hearted, Qiang Wu was deeply grateful and promised to grant the Daoist one wish that did not violate the Heavenly Dao. Little did she know the Daoist harbored evil intentions; after tricking her onto land, the Daoist crippled half her cultivation and sold her to the human imperial family for a commission.

Severely weakened, Qiang Wu fell into the hands of the nobility. Because she refused to submit, she was frequently tortured until she was bloodied during the “domestication” process. Eventually, she found an opportunity to slaughter everyone and escape.

Her first act was to find that deceitful Daoist and grind her bones to ash.

However, because her hatred was too deep, Qiang Wu’s personality warped entirely, veering far off the world’s original trajectory. Eventually, even the world’s protagonists died at her hands, leading to the total collapse of this small world.

Xu Zhiwei’s job was to stop the villain from blackening and destroying the world.

After processing the information, Xu Zhiwei fell silent for a long moment. “So… why do I have the same name as this demonic Daoist?”

[Surprise! Are you shocked? The Host’s current identity is that very same demonic Daoist!]

Xu Zhiwei took a deep breath, and after checking the current world progress, she nearly fainted.

Tonight! In the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn! The supporting female lead is supposed to be handed over to those nobles by ‘me’!!!

Realizing the urgency, Xu Zhiwei scrambled up from the ground and began searching for her.

She was currently in a dilapidated Daoist temple. In the gloom, she had to rely on memory to feel her way toward the mermaid who had been placed under a restrictive spell and knocked unconscious.

Finally, as a bright flash of lightning tore through the sky, she spotted a white figure lying in the corner.

Xu Zhiwei rushed over. As she knelt, her hand brushed against something cold and slippery. By the faint light, she saw a silver-shimmering fish tail. Due to the lack of water, it was folded over itself like layers of a white peony, yet its beauty remained undeniable.

Qiang Wu had reverted to her tail because her spiritual power was dissipating, making it impossible to maintain human form.

Following the tail upward, Xu Zhiwei saw a face as pale as snow. Pale blue hair, like seaweed, draped over an exquisite, ethereal countenance—half-demon, half-immortal, and breathtakingly beautiful.

But Xu Zhiwei had no time to admire her. She hurriedly searched Qiang Wu’s body for the source of the restrictive seal. If it wasn’t broken, Qiang Wu wouldn’t be able to leave.

As Xu Zhiwei felt around, a pair of azure demonic pupils snapped open, glaring at her with pure malice.

Xu Zhiwei looked up and met that bone-chilling gaze. Her hand slipped, and she fell directly onto the beautiful mermaid.

The mermaid’s body was cold and refreshing, but to Xu Zhiwei, that temperature currently radiated a terrifying chill.

She tried to push herself up, but her wrist was suddenly seized by a fair, slender hand. The grip was so tight that Xu Zhiwei couldn’t help but gasp.

Qiang Wu pulled the woman closer. Upon recognizing her face, her azure pupils constricted, and a flash of murderous intent flickered in her eyes. She spat out words like ice: “Xu. Zhi. Wei!”

Qiang Wu tried to sit up, a muffled groan escaping her throat. A red magic circle lit up on the ground behind her, and several blood-red chains formed from spiritual energy pierced through her shoulder blades and bound her hands, pinning her back to the ground.

Xu Zhiwei’s wrist was finally freed.

Qiang Wu struggled with all her might, only to find she could barely muster any spiritual power. Her struggles were futile. She glared at Xu Zhiwei, her beautiful eyes brimming with hatred. “Xu Zhiwei! What did you do to me?!”

She cursed herself for trusting this wicked cultivator. Humans were indeed the most treacherous race.

Xu Zhiwei rubbed her wrist and sighed, watching the red chains tighten as Qiang Wu struggled.

“Don’t move. I’m helping you undo it.”

But how could Qiang Wu believe her? Her struggling intensified, and crimson blood immediately soaked through her shoulders. She bit her lip hard to endure the agony. Faint white scales shimmered on her snowy neck, and her azure pupils began to slit as she neared a state of feral transformation.

“Get away!!!” Qiang Wu shrieked, then groaned in pain.

“Stop moving.” With an anxious expression, Xu Zhiwei pressed down on Qiang Wu’s shoulders. She thought she saw a red light flicker on the side of the mermaid’s neck. She reached out to brush away the long, soft hair to investigate, but in the next heartbeat, a sharp, piercing pain shot through her forearm.

Warm blood welled up under Qiang Wu’s sharp teeth, sliding over her lips and chin before dripping into her hair.

Qiang Wu thought Xu Zhiwei would pull away in pain, but to her surprise, the woman stayed close despite the injury.

Warm fingertips pressed gently against the vulnerable side of Qiang Wu’s neck. A steady stream of warmth spread from that point, flowing through her entire body.

A slight numbing sensation caused Qiang Wu to loosen her jaw. She lay back on the ground, panting slightly.

The red magic circle on the floor flared with a final burst of light before the blood-red chains dissolved into the air.

Having broken the restrictions, Xu Zhiwei let out a heavy sigh of relief. She stole a glance at the bleeding wound on her arm.

Man, this mermaid’s teeth are sharp.

[Host, you only have five minutes left.]

Xu Zhiwei froze. She gritted her teeth and mentally cursed the system for not telling her sooner.

She prepared to pull Qiang Wu away, but her gaze fell on the exposed fish tail, and she felt a headache coming on. Qiang Wu’s spiritual power had been mostly destroyed by “her”; the mermaid couldn’t manifest legs on her own right now.

Released from the array, Qiang Wu lay pale on the floor, her eyelids half-closed, projecting a fragile, broken beauty.

Xu Zhiwei leaned in, a hint of hesitation in her eyes. “I’ll use my spiritual power to help you manifest human legs. Don’t fight me. We’re really running out of time.”

Without waiting for an answer, she pressed her palm against the fish tail. A faint red glow spread from the contact point until it enveloped the entire tail.

Qiang Wu’s brows knit tightly. The struggle against the array had exhausted her; she didn’t even have the strength to push this hypocritical cultivator away.

Beads of sweat formed on Xu Zhiwei’s forehead. Beneath her palm, the tail gradually shifted into the shape of legs. tattered robes covered the long, fair limbs, leaving only the slender, elegant ankles and the arches of her feet exposed, which shimmered with a faint white light.

There was no time or means to find her shoes.

As the system warned her that only two minutes remained, Xu Zhiwei scooped Qiang Wu up from the floor. Thanks to her status as a cultivator, Qiang Wu felt exceptionally light in her arms.

Qiang Wu was startled at first, then instinctively moved her hand to Xu Zhiwei’s slender throat. “Xu Zhiwei, you’re seeking death!!!”

Xu Zhiwei looked helplessly at the fierce-looking mermaid. The girl had no strength in her hands; they were even trembling. It seemed the original owner had truly crippled most of her power.

“We can talk about our ‘issues’ later. For now, can you just be good?” Xu Zhiwei spoke in a coaxing tone, her pace never faltering.

As she stepped outside, a massive gust of wind blew rain onto them, bringing a biting chill.

“Let go of me!” Qiang Wu continued to threaten her. Her pale fingernails suddenly sharpened; with just a bit of force, she could pierce Xu Zhiwei’s skin. A thin line of crimson blood trickled down Xu Zhiwei’s neck.

Just as Xu Zhiwei was about to speak, her expression suddenly froze. She tightened her grip on Qiang Wu and pivoted sharply, moving half an inch from where she had stood.

In an instant, a sharp arrow grazed her cheek and slammed into the rickety doorframe behind her. The door finally gave way under the impact, crashing to the ground and splintering with a loud bang.

The sudden turn of events stunned them both.

With lingering fear, Qiang Wu looked at the arrow—which vibrated with dense spiritual energy. That arrow had been aimed at her.

The System erupted in a sharp, blaring alarm: [Oh no, oh no! Host, the buyers have arrived early!!!]

Xu Zhiwei pursed her lips. Looking through the curtain of rain at the dark mass of people approaching, her face turned grave. She hadn’t expected them to bring so many men.

“Daoist, it seems you’ve run into some trouble. Fortunately—” A woman in black holding a bow stood in the rain, smiling brightly. “—we arrived early.”