Qi Ji transmigrates into a xianxia novel as a messenger.
She's the kind of cannon fodder who carries messages between two warring sides, the sort who gets killed on sight. If she fails her mission, she'll even be struck down by heavenly lightning.
In the original story, she delivers a message from the villainous antagonist to the number one sect, and the male lead nearly kills her with a single sword thrust.
Later, she'll become a medicinal ingredient. The male lead will cut out her heart to save the female lead, earning the protagonists a reputation for saving the world.
When she arrives, she's just about to deliver a message for the villainous heretic cultivator.
Qi Ji seeks out the Demon Lord.
If the righteous sects don't want her, she'll go to the biggest, baddest villain around.
She's going to set the record straight about him.
The main hall is burned down, and the cultivators linger outside the Demon Realm.
Demon Lord: [Approach the Demon Realm and die.]
Qi Ji stands before the elders of the various sects. "The Demon Lord asked me to tell you not to go wandering around anymore. Heretic cultivators are running rampant, so you righteous sects should focus on cultivation. It's all up to you to attain immortality and benefit the world as soon as possible."
The various sects: The Demon Lord is so kind. He's so powerful and busy, yet he still takes the time to care about us. We were the ones thinking too small.
The demon clans are in turmoil, and the two factions fight fiercely over territory.
Demon Lord: [Make a single sound, and there won't be enough left of you to bury.]
Qi Ji stands before the two Demon Kings. "The Demon Lord asked me to tell you not to make such a ruckus anymore. If you fight until both sides are exhausted and someone takes advantage of you, they'll occupy your home, sleep in your bed, and beat your kids."
Demon Kings x2: The Demon Lord is so kind. We were careless. We'll stand together and won't let the Demon Lord down.
The Demon Lord, so arrogant that everyone feared him, became a beacon of hope in the hearts of the various sects and all the immortals, mortals, demons, and monsters, righteous and wicked alike. Whenever people talked about him behind his back, they'd say, "The Demon Lord is so kind."
While admiring the Demon Lord, they would also praise the girl who delivered his messages day after day.
And for those who weren't fans, the girl's Gatling gun was just as deadly.
Qi Ji became the biggest villain of them all.
The protagonists, holding the script: This can't be right!
Demon Lord: .
Li Xinglie was born proud and cold, neither wholly righteous nor wholly wicked.
As the acting Demon Lord, his power was so overwhelming that the Six Realms trembled in fear.
He had always preferred peace and quiet, wanting no part in the world's affairs.
That is, until a little girl barged into his domain and earnestly begged to become his messenger.
She came back every day covered in injuries, causing trouble that he had to clean up.
She was so noisy. At first, he found it hard to get used to her.
Later, when Qi Ji was about to have her heart cut out by the male lead, now an Immortal Lord, to save the female lead, the world witnessed the Demon Lord leave his mountain for the first time. The realms were shaken, and his power stunned all directions.
Qi Ji: "Come on, hiding behind the Demon Lord is so cool!"
She'd been on her own since she was a kid, and other than Pinduoduo, this was the first time anyone had protected her.
[Reckless chatterbox with a short life and a cold face that's secretly adorable x an arrogant, world-weary king. Not a strong female lead.]
Core message: Hard work always pays off.
