—When one trash protagonist meets another, only chaos can ensue.
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Part 1: The Man Who Was Almost The MC
In the depths of the Scarlet Fringe—a place so irrelevant even the system forgot it existed—a silhouette emerged from the fog, limping, wheezing, clutching a shattered destiny token and a bundle of plotlines marked "Discarded."
He wore the tattered robes of an ancient sect, his sword hilt snapped, his hair dramatically messy, and his eyes filled with equal parts angst and misplaced confidence.
Name: Ye Tian.
Former status: Protagonist-Class Cultivator, Tier 7 Plot Armor Holder.
Current status: Homeless Narratively-Orphaned Disaster.
As he staggered toward the Abandoned Sect, he mumbled:
"They took everything… my cheat system left me, my fiancée eloped with my antagonist, and even my tragic backstory got plagiarized..."
He reached the gate, where Pan-Pan (now wearing a Dao Companion Security Hat) blocked him.
"State your genre and purpose!"
Ye Tian collapsed dramatically. "I… seek asylum… from the plot."
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Part 2: Wei Yun's Refuge for Washed-Up Plotlines
Inside the Sect Hall, Wei Yun sipped tea from a mug labeled "I'm the MC. Deal with it."
Mu Yao frowned at Ye Tian. "He reeks of mid-tier drama."
Tang Zhi, flipping a cursed script, muttered, "He's got serious rejected-wish-fulfillment energy."
Pan-Pan: "Can we keep him? I always wanted a pet protagonist."
Ye Tian clutched Wei Yun's robes. "You don't understand! I was supposed to be the Chosen One! I had a system, a white-robed rival, a childhood sweetheart who secretly cultivated in the moonlight…"
Wei Yun held up a hand. "Stop. You're hemorrhaging tropes."
The system dinged.
> ALERT: A Wild Failed Protagonist Has Joined Your Sect.
WARNING: May cause narrative disruption, unnecessary face-slapping, and accidental harem formation.
Wei Yun sighed. "Alright, Ye Tian. If you want redemption... you'll have to earn it the hard way."
Ye Tian blinked. "Through training?"
"No," Wei Yun said seriously. "Through customer service. You're on receptionist duty."
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Part 3: The Trial of Customer Complaints
One hour later...
Ye Tian sat at the front desk of the Abandoned Sect, surrounded by angry clients:
A ghost demanding her money back for a cursed cultivation manual.
A frog beast who wanted to file a discrimination complaint against lightning tribulations.
A middle-aged alchemist dad who kept accidentally exploding his kids during "experiments."
Ye Tian sweated. "I… I was born to slay dragons and dual cultivate under waterfalls, not THIS!"
Tang Zhi handed him a mop. "Time to clean the existential residue off the windows."
Mu Yao added, "If you survive day one, you can graduate to garbage scroll disposal."
Wei Yun? He was watching from the Sect Lord's Pavilion, sipping spirit wine, legs crossed like a smug fox.
"Nothing humbles a broken MC like bureaucracy."
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Part 4: Meanwhile, in the Plot Recycling Department…
The Sect's Plot Furnace—an infernal forge built to melt discarded story arcs—was suddenly glowing.
The discarded plotlines Ye Tian brought in… were reacting.
Suddenly, the shadow of an ancient villain—Lord Third-Rate Backstory—emerged.
"I WAS CUT FROM THE STORY… BUT I SHALL RETURN!"
Wei Yun's system dinged.
> EMERGENCY: The trash arc is reviving! Use comedy or chaos to suppress it immediately.
Wei Yun grinned. "Pan-Pan, launch the Meme Cannon."
Pan-Pan: "Loaded with 10,000 ironic sound effects and badly translated cultivation titles!"
BOOM.
The ghost of the plot exploded into "Celestial Princess Reincarnated as My Sword Wife: Volume 9."
Ye Tian screamed. "THAT'S MY ORIGINAL TITLE!"
Mu Yao: "Tragic. Do you want tissues or therapy?"
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Part 5: Rebirth of a Side Character
Despite all the humiliation, something changed in Ye Tian.
That night, he sat alone on the roof of the Sect Chicken Coop, clutching a tea kettle and reflecting on life.
"I was so focused on being the center of the world… I forgot how to just live."
Wei Yun sat beside him, dropping a pancake into his hands.
"You were a protagonist once. So what? Everyone gets demoted eventually."
Ye Tian looked up. "Then… can I still be useful?"
Wei Yun nodded. "You're our front desk cultivator now. And if you keep improving... I might even let you join the next ridiculous arc."
Ye Tian cried. "Thank you, Sect Master!"
Pan-Pan from the bushes: "Aww, character development!"
Tang Zhi: "Quick, someone screenshot this."
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End of Chapter 36
Next Time:
A mysterious elder appears, demanding to battle the strongest disciple of the sect…
Mu Yao steps forward.
Except she's drunk, holding a chicken, and trying to recite ancient poetry mid-fight.
Will the challenger survive the Drunken Sword Poetry Style? Or will he be pecked to enlightenment?