Chapter 1-2

Su Manor - Midnight
Inside one of the luxurious guest bedrooms, a tall, young man was engaging in an unusual conversation with the air.

"So you're telling me that the original owner of this body..... eee, what's his name again?"

Despite the man appearing somewhat delusional for talking to no one, as if afflicted by schizophrenia, a mechanical sound suddenly emerged and responded to his query.

[Yang Huo!]

"Right, Yang Huo... So, this guy is actually a fully grown scoundrel who bullied everyone around him? With the most notorious reputation throughout the empire as the most arrogant disciple of the Myriad Void Sect?"

[Correct!]
"This has to be a joke... How the heck did I get myself into this?"

While muttering repeatedly, "This got to be a dream," over and over, the man couldn't shake off the info dump he received from his newfound companion, the System.

Yang Huo, the original inhabitant of this body, held the esteemed position of a core disciple within the renowned Myriad Void Sect. Acknowledged widely as one of the most promising members of the unanimously agreed-upon, golden generation.

So indeed, it wasn't surprising that the former Yang Huo became excessively proud, belittling anyone he deemed untalented. Mortals, in particular, disgusted him, and Yang Huo would prefer bathing in a puddle of mud than touching commoner's skin for even a second.

Yang Huo also routinely suppressed any new disciple showing potential to surpass him, earning him a reputation as a notorious bully within the sect. On missions, he ensured everyone, enemies and allies alike, to fully understand that they were inferior to him in all aspects of strength, intellect, and future prospects.

This turned Yang Huo into an infamous arrogant celebrity amongst high officials and wealthy merchants around the empire.... and as for the commoners, Yang Huo's disdainful treatment that ensure these commoners to grovel on dirt whenever in his presence.... just ask yourself, what kind of reputation would emerge from this?

"Dammit, and now I'm the one having to deal with the repercussions."

The new Yang Huo sighed in exhaustion, allowing himself to fall onto the soft bed with a satisfying 'thump!'

"No wonder you were poisoned to death by your own servant, foolish bastard"

Yang Huo opened his eyes and observed a small black dragon floating in front of him with a hint of annoyance.

"Hey, aren't all Systems supposed to have a screen-like appearance? Why the heck do you have a form?"

The dragon responded with a look of haughtiness.

[Hmph! That's boring! Why would I want to be a rectangular, dull shape? Having dragon-like features is way cooler and more imposing!]

Yang Huo couldn't help but roll his eyes.

'Yeah, right. With this small size, you can only look like a moving noodle at best.'

Yang Huo sighed once again and ridiculed the dragon with a disappointed expression.

"And to think the reason I got this second, crappy life is because some System wanted a Host that does cool, mastermind things."

When the System sensed Yang Huo's gaze, it halted its motion abruptly. It couldn't accept Yang Huo's insolent and ignorant comment.

[What's wrong with that? What's the point of life if you don't have cool moments every so often? And what's cooler than being an eminence in the shadow pulling strings from the back?]

[Flexing against supreme player with pure strength is overdone! But flexing against elite tactician in real-life chess with pure intellect and deception?]

The dragon suddenly shuddered in cloud nine as it delved into its wild imagination.

Yang Huo couldn't help but shoot a disgusted look.

"Seriously, having you with a form is making things worse. You look like a pervert!"

[Hmph! I am not! You're just jealous of my badass jet-black appearance! I am a great divine dragon! How could I be a pervert!]
Yang Huo felt like his life was inching closer to death by exhaustion with each passing moment spent with this seemingly perverted System.

Yang Huo shook his head and decided to focus on the main point.

"Whatever..... so how do I get System points? I assume I earn points from scheming against others?"

[Nice guess! But wrong!]

The dragon suddenly transformed into a mini demonic human figure, complete with long horns and black wings. Adorned in a sleek business suit, the System then began its explanation, accompanied by a presentation board.

[Scheming against others only applies to enemies! A true manipulator controls both internal and external factors, managing allies and enemies alike!]

[Leading others by the nose, turning favorable situations even more advantageous, manipulating others using their own words or weapons, and forging new opportunities from the impossible—all count and allowed!]

"So anything goes as long as I don't rely on my strength then?"

[That's not really.... ugh, you'll figure it out later! Figuring this out can be considered a task to become a great Host!]

Yang Huo shook his head in disbelief, he was truly dealing with a kid.

"Let's put that on hold.... where am I? I don't have the original's memory, is this my bedroom?"

Yang Huo examined his surroundings, it was nice for sure, with ample moonlight accompanied with aromatic incense. But it was just that—luxurious. It lacked a sense of ownership, devoid of personal touches. It felt more like a hotel room.

But Instead of answering Yang Huo, the System offered encouragement.

[Thrown into a foreign world with barely any information, it will be harsh! But I believe in you, Host! Your journey to the apex begins now! And I'll be here cheering you on!]

Like a cheerleader, the dragon dance with its bright eyes shone with anticipation.

Yang Huo's eyes twitched watching the ridiculous mascot. He hadn't anticipated the System withholding even the most basic information. Did it want him to die quickly?

He suspected that this System only revealed the original's body reputation only to create a headache for him!

Suddenly, a notification appeared, and a screen popped into Yang Huo's vision.

DING!

[Beginner's gift had been provided! Please check the System's inventory!]

It seemed the System was sensible enough to at least provide the bare minimum of assistance.

Curious, Yang Huo opened his System's inventory to see what gift he received. Among the items were one bottle of Life Condensing pill, two bottles of Dragon Breath pill, one bottle of Meridian Mending pill, a Harmony Strike sword, and 10,000 high-spirit stones.

Upon inspecting the contents, Yang Huo nodded in great approval. These items were valuable, even when compared to the original's storage ring. The spirit stones alone nearly doubled his savings, and he believed the quality of the other items was in no way inferior.

It was indeed very generous for a beginner's gift. But...

"System, let's make a deal. I'll exchange all of this."

I Have a Fiancee?!

"System, let's make a deal. I'll exchange all of this."

The System was slightly stunned, it didn't anticipate this move.

[Exchange? For what? Host, just so you know, my stuff is expensive! These gifts may seem valuable to you, but they′re merely beginner's gifts! They hold no value!]

Yang Huo rolled his eyes.

"You think I don't know that? I'm trading these items for the former Yang Huo's information. Do you realize how foolish it is to live someone else's life without knowing anything about them? Do you want me to be accused of possession?"

"Or what? Is it still not enough? I don't mind adding a few more spirit stones."

The System stood frozen in its place.

The logic made sense, but... why did it feel so cheap? Didn't it want to witness how its Host would cleverly navigate suspicions arising from sudden memory loss and a drastic change in personality?

Well, this was certainly a smart move from its Host but..... why was it so anticlimactic? Where's the excitement in this?!

On one hand, the System didn't wish for such an anticlimactic solution, but on the other hand, refusing a wise choice from its Host contradicted the core fundamentals of the System's belief.

Hmm... to exchange or to not...? Why was such a seemingly simple question proving so difficult to answer?

A few minutes passed by while the System grappled with a moment of crisis. But in the end...

[Fine! But I'll change the deal! I'll give you something el–... eh? Where's my Host?]

The System had only just realized. How was its Host nowhere to be seen? Did he run away in fear? Why was the room empty with its door wide open?

"Apologies for the inconvenience, Young Master Yang, but the elders wish to talk to you."

"Hmph, to think this is how you guys treat your guests? To disturb them in the middle of the night, there better be a good reason for this."

Yang Huo glanced at the servant walking in front of him before scanning the surroundings.

He really didn't expect this sudden event. A maid had knocked on the door, asking him to meet with the elders. Fortunately, with enough context clues, he safely guessed that he was an important guest in this place and acted accordingly.

But for what reason would the elders call him in the dead of the night?

While Yang Huo pondered the countless possible reasons, suddenly, a regally adorned black owl gracefully settled on his shoulder, catching Yang Huo off guard.

'....System?'

[Host! How could you leave your precious System like that! This is unacceptable!]

Yang Huo was speechless.

'Why are you blaming me? Who told you to have no sense of awareness?'

'....So? Do you accept my offer or not?'

[Ggrr... I accept! But I'm giving you something else instead!]

Yang Huo raised his eyebrow with doubt, 'Is it useful?'

[Worth every penny!]

Right after that, a System notification appeared, revealing a large body of text before Yang Huo's eyes.

He quickly skimmed through the text, only to have his jaw drop in surprise.

Initially, Yang Huo thought he was delving into a biography of his body's predecessor, but no! It unfolded as the story of two people—himself and his fiancée, Su Meiying!

'What the hell?!!? I have a fiancee?!'

[Kekeke, congratulation Host! To think you can get yourself a girl without lifting a finger! You must be a great monk in your past life!]

Unfortunately, as one might expect, this story confirmed just how much of a jerk Yang Huo truly was. Yet, it also revealed a slight twist!

And that was, Yang Huo was not always a jerk! This was unexpected!

The story disclosed that Su Meiying and he were once childhood friends. They would often secretly escape from their respective family and meet in various places before being dragged away by their servants.

And since each of them was considered the apple of their respective households, this was seen as a joyous thing... until the day came to test their aptitude.

While Yang Huo showcased spectacular compatibility with cultivation, ranking as the best even within the entire empire, Su Meiying, in stark contrast, displayed no aptitude whatsoever. Her body actively rejected Qi, preventing its flow through her meridians.

This caused a massive rift on the two families' relationship. Yang Huo was forbidden from any contact with Su Meiying, while she became the black sheep of the Su family. Their once profound friendship gradually withered, leaving them as strangers living in entirely different worlds.

But of course, the story didn't stop there.

Several years later, calamity befell the Yang family. In the span of a single night, they vanished from the face of the earth, brutally killed and tortured. Rumors circulated that the attributing downfall of the Yangs was from fear surrounding Yang Huo's exceptional talent—essentially, an attempt to nip the budding threat in the bud. Fortunately, a passing Daoist intervened, saving the young Yang Huo. Thus, as the sole survivor, Yang Huo sought refuge in his saviour's sect, ultimately becoming a disciple of the esteemed Myriad Void Sect.

'....No wonder the former Yang Huo developed such a twisted personality'

Upon reflection, everything fell into place. The former Yang Huo had endured two harsh lessons from the cruel world.

The first lesson manifested when Su Meiying became the family's black sheep. It taught the former Yang Huo that despite all the gifts and care from his family and others, it had a shallow foundation and everything would crumble instantly when his talent were to disappear. The harsher the treatment Su Meiying had to endure, the worse Yang Huo's obsession to prove his talent and showed everyone of his promising future became.

The second lesson unfolded when his entire family perished in a single night. Yang Huo learned that everyone, talentless or not, will fear and always be jealous of those of great talent, and that no matter how great your aptitude was, without strength, everything will be taken by the greedy hyenas. And this haunting realization fueled Yang Huo's disdain for the weak and his determination to suppress anyone with the potential to stand equal to him.

But of course, this was merely speculation from him. Perhaps the former Yang Huo was indeed just a jerk and his story had nothing to do with his toxic personality. But at least, everything made sense with this reasoning.

'....But, to think I am here because the former Yang Huo wants to break his engagement with Su Meiying.'

As it turned out, due to their initially great relationship, the heads of each family decided to arrange the two together.

And even if the plan was annulled after the aptitude test, since the Yang family had all died, the rumor had recently resurfaced in the city again. This was fueled further by the rumor that the Su family still possessed the written contract to this day.

When the original Yang Huo discovered this a few days ago, he was immediately furious. He finished whatever business he had prior and came to the Su family late in the evening. But who would have thought the man would die not long after he arrived at the guest room?

Yang Huo naturally found the situation ridiculous. After all, the former Yang Huo was a jerk through and through. In the story, he was one of the primary reasons for Su Meiying's misfortune.

[Su Meiying? Whether she got killed, burned, rape, or even commit suicide. What has that got to do with me?]

[You want me to help you? Why? Is it my fault that there are people who despise you?]

[My people stole your necklace? This was a keepsake from your mother? Then consider this a lesson that being weak is a sin]

[If you want to blame someone, blame your mother, didn't she die after giving birth to you? Maybe she should have brought you to accompany her to the underworld]