Xu Nian was starting to believe she must have owed some karmic debt to this novel in her past life.
How else could she have ended up transmigrating into a cultivation story right after finishing it—only to become the beloved little junior sister of a whole nest of future villains?!
She'd thought life in a villain's den would be nerve-wracking—offering incense and praying for survival every day.
But reality was...
"How many grapes did Little Junior Sister eat today?"
"First Senior Brother… just three."
"Lu Jin, go check if those grapes were too sour. She didn't eat more—clearly something's wrong with the taste."
—
"Junior Sister, wear this jade pendant. It can block a deadly calamity."
"…Third Senior Brother, I'm just weeding in the back hills."
"There are beasts in the back hills too. Stay alert."
—
"Niannian, come sleep in my room tonight."
"Th-thank you, Senior Brother?" Xu Nian blinked, eyes wide in fear.
Fourth Senior Brother, Xie Linyuan, replied flatly, "The window in your room leaks. You coughed three times last night."
Xu Nian: ??? What is wrong with you people?!
Curled up in the corner of her room, she trembled slightly, wondering if these guys had been possessed by some obsessive lover brain bugs.
Especially First Senior Brother, Shen Wang. He had all the trademarks of a deranged villain: frosty eyes like the first winter snow, a dangerous aura, and yet—
"If the sect dares send you to weed again, I'll tear the Sect Master's roof off."
"No, please don't!" Xu Nian nearly jumped up on the spot. "Weeding is great! I love manual labor. It's very therapeutic!"
Shen Wang's brow furrowed. His voice dropped, cold and quiet, "You love it? Do you even realize how weak you were when you fainted? You almost died."
Xu Nian mumbled, "Wasn't I ambushed or something…"
"Mhm. I already chopped him up." Shen Wang said this so casually, it was like discussing the weather.
Xu Nian: …Why do you sound so calm while I feel like a criminal listening to this?
She tried to recall the original plot. The "junior sister" character did exist in the novel, but she died early—used only as a minor tragic catalyst for the villain arc. Fortunately, she had transmigrated before that fatal incident.
Now, instead of being discarded, she was being treasured like some precious porcelain doll by five soon-to-be-villains. She wasn't even allowed to walk on her own. If she so much as breathed too heavily, someone would ask if her "inner demons were acting up."
She wanted to run—But also couldn't bring herself to leave these devastatingly handsome, overprotective weirdos.
Was this… being the exclusive mascot of the villain gang?!
—
Then came the sect's annual sparring tournament.
As a "baby sprout" disciple, Xu Nian technically didn't need to participate. But Shen Wang insisted she "build experience." He even personally set up a full defensive array around her body—basically turning her into a human pinball.
As expected, before she could even make a move, her opponent's spiritual energy sent her flying out of the arena.
The entire place fell into stunned silence.
Her opponent stepped forward, wanting to help her up—only for Shen Wang to step onto the platform, unsheathing his sword with a cold expression.
"Did you just… touch my sister?"
"I—I didn't! I swear! She just bounced off the array and flew away!"
Shen Wang's eyes narrowed, lips curling into a cold smile. "Oh? So you're saying… you're wind?"
Xu Nian broke into a cold sweat and leapt in between them. "Senior Brother! This is a swordsmanship match, not a death match!"
Before she could finish, Third Senior Brother Bai Qi smiled and raised a hand. "Come, let's settle this. My sister got hurt—trauma like that takes years to recover from. Let's consider it psychological damage, maybe grade three injury compensation. Pick: spirit stones… or your life?"
The whole crowd: "…"
Xu Nian facepalmed as the entire sect stared at her and her group of certified lunatics in utter disbelief.
Later that night, the Xuanqing Sect issued a public announcement:
"To ensure the safe cultivation of core disciple Xu Nian, from today onward, no duels shall involve her directly, nor may anyone approach within three meters. Offenders will face penalties—ranging from spiritual fines to expulsion from the sect."
Xu Nian nearly burst into tears.
She finally understood.
These senior brothers—
Seemed crazy…
But were actually even crazier than they looked.
The only way to survive?
Stay cute. Stay quiet. Don't poke the bears.
—
But fate, of course, wasn't going to let her off easy.
That very night, a robotic voice echoed in her mind:
[Ding! Plot deviation detected. Reconstructing world timeline.][Alert: You are currently in a 'Fusion Variant Script'—multiple villain fate routes active.][Mission Objective: Prevent all senior brothers from turning evil. Survive until the novel's original ending.]
Xu Nian froze.
"…You're only telling me this now?!"
The system paused three seconds. [Good luck, Host.]
She sighed into the night sky. "My fate is mine to control… but can I at least not be the sect's walking mascot?"
[Apologies. Your 'Beloved Mascot Buff' is now permanently bound.]
[Current status: Villain Favorability Score – 96%.]
Xu Nian: "…"
Well. At least she wasn't going to die.
...She was just being pampered to death.