…
[ Ding! The host has entered a plot's trigger point… ]
[ Main task activated. ]
[ Ding! Main quest released: Kill the Son of Luck—Lin Yun. ]
[ Special condition (killing method): Only when Lin Yun's luck value drops below 3% can he be killed. ]
[Ding! Host has altered the storyline with his own actions. Newbie gift pack granted.]
"System?" Qin Yuan's eyes lit up briefly, but he kept it cool.
Yeah, it was weird—but in a world where he literally got dropped into a novel, a system popping up didn't feel that crazy. Honestly, he was kind of expecting it.
Still, a gift pack on top of that?
Not bad.
"Open the gift pack," he said casually.
[Ding! Congratulations. You've received: Villain Halo, Constitution Advancement Card, and an Eight-Turn Holy Pill.]
[Villain Halo]: Suppresses protagonist halos and prevents the people around them from turning into complete idiots. Note: Doesn't always work if someone is directly tied to the protagonist. In those cases, their IQ may still drop.
[Constitution Advancement Card]: Boosts your physique instantly, no side effects, no limits.
[Eight-Turn Holy Pill]: Grants 1,000 years of lifespan. If taken properly, may trigger a breakthrough.
Qin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
Now that… that was a real reward.
The Constitution Advancement Card was a great start. His body was already strong—he was born with the Chaos Body, one of the top-tier physiques in the world. With this card, it might evolve into something even rarer, like the Chaos God and Demon Body mentioned in old records.
The Holy Pill was even more useful—for someone else.
His grandfather, Qin Batian, had maybe a few years left. In the novel, the author explained it away with "old battle injuries" and said he didn't have long. Yeah, right. None of the other Great Emperors seemed to have that problem. It was just a plot device to make the villain weaker.
But now?
That pill might change everything.
Still, to Qin Yuan, the most important reward was the Villain Halo.
Everyone who's read novels like this knows the deal—once the protagonist shows up, people around him start acting like they've lost half their brain. Wise old elders suddenly become yes-men. Ruthless sect masters adopt him like a grandson. Logic? Out the window.
But not anymore.
With the Villain Halo, that kind of plot armor could be stripped away.
And even if the system warned it might not work on characters close to the protagonist?
That was fine.
Qin Yuan didn't plan on letting anyone get close.
…
"What else can you do?" he asked.
[ Ding! Available functions displayed ]
[Ways to reduce the protagonist's luck value and earn villain points:]
1. Disrupt the original storyline.
2. Steal his chances and opportunities.
3. Crush his ego.
4. Take or eliminate his allies, women, or other key characters.
[Note: The better the execution, the greater the reward. Exceptional actions may trigger bonus prizes.]
Now that… that was interesting.
Qin Yuan's eyes shifted to the beaten figure lying nearby—Su Qing, who looked like a sack of regret.
He could kill him.
But honestly? That'd be letting him off too easy.
A better idea was already forming.
He turned back to the crowd and spoke, his voice cold and sharp:
"Where's the elder from the Law Enforcement Hall?"
Everyone stiffened.
After a long pause, a middle-aged man in yellow robes stepped out, clearly nervous. "I'm p-present, Holy Son."
Qin Yuan didn't even blink. "State the penalty for someone who breaks into the Holy Son Hall without permission and causes a disturbance."
The elder gulped. "By sect rules… those who violate the sanctity of the Holy Son Hall are to receive the Five Thunder Torture, have their cultivation abolished, and serve ten years in the Black Demon Cave—before being expelled from the Holy Land."
Silence.
Then gasps. Dozens of them.
The Black Demon Cave.
The name alone was enough to make people flinch.
Even Su Qing, half-conscious on the floor, jolted upright, face pale.
That place was a nightmare. Spirits, demons, curses—it was basically a death sentence disguised as punishment. No one who went in came out the same… if they came out at all.
Ten years? No one lasted ten days.
And that was just the second half of the punishment. The Five Thunder Torture was a legend of its own—pure pain, no mercy.
It was the kind of thing reserved for traitors or monsters.
The entire crowd froze, staring at Qin Yuan.
He wasn't bluffing.
He was going to send Su Qing to hell.
"No, no, no—" Su Qing panicked, trying to crawl away. "Qin Yuan, you can't do this! I'm your future brother-in-law!"
His voice cracked, full of fear.
"Just hit me again if you want! Just—don't send me there!"
Then he changed tactics, switching back to what he thought would still work.
"Qin Yuan, come on! Don't you like my sister? I'll help you, alright? I'll talk to her! I'll get her to give you a chance! Just let me go this once!"
He sounded desperate.
He really thought Qin Yuan was still the same simp who bent over backwards at the mention of Su Mengyao's name.
…