Lu Ming discovered very quickly that being a villain was significantly more stressful than reading about one.
The moment he left the courtyard and turned down a quiet stone pathway between the sect buildings, the confident expression he had been maintaining collapsed instantly. His shoulders sagged and he leaned against the nearest pillar as though he had just escaped a life-threatening situation.
Technically, that was not far from the truth.
He had just insulted the protagonist of a cultivation novel.
More specifically, he had grabbed Shen Qinghe's sword in front of the entire sect and publicly declared that it was ugly. The act had felt absurd while it was happening, and now that the adrenaline had faded, Lu Ming could hardly believe he had done it at all.
What made the situation even more ridiculous was the fact that the system had actually accepted it as a successful villain action.
A faint blue panel still hovered in the corner of his vision.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Mission Complete
Publicly Humiliate the Protagonist: SUCCESS
Villain Points Earned: +100
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming stared at the glowing text with a mixture of disbelief and suspicion.
"I barely did anything," he muttered under his breath. "If that counts as humiliation, then the standards for villainy in this world are dangerously low."
The system did not respond to his comment, but the panel remained floating in place as though patiently waiting for him to appreciate his accomplishment.
Lu Ming rubbed his temples.
The faint pulse of energy he had felt earlier was still lingering inside his body, and the sensation was both unfamiliar and slightly alarming. It was not painful, but it felt like something had quietly shifted inside him.
According to the memories he had inherited from the original Lu Ming, that feeling could only mean one thing.
His cultivation had improved.
Lu Ming looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers slowly while testing the strange current of spiritual energy flowing beneath his skin. Even though he had only received a small reward, the difference was still noticeable.
That realization made him pause.
"Wait," he murmured thoughtfully. "Villain points increase my cultivation."
The idea hung in the air for a moment while he considered it from several angles.
Cultivation in this world was not something that happened quickly. Most disciples spent years slowly refining their spiritual energy before advancing to the next stage, and even talented cultivators needed enormous effort to improve.
Yet the system had rewarded him with power simply for insulting someone.
Lu Ming frowned.
"Alright," he said quietly, "that part is actually interesting."
The system panel flickered.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Villain Points can be exchanged for rewards.
Available exchanges include:
• Cultivation Enhancement
• Skill Acquisition
• Rare Artifacts
• Special Abilities
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming's eyes widened slightly as he read through the options.
"So it's basically a villain upgrade shop," he said slowly.
He could not help feeling a small spark of excitement at the possibilities.
If the system allowed him to improve his strength quickly, then surviving in this world would become much easier. The original Lu Ming had been a moderately talented cultivator, but he was nowhere near the level of the protagonist.
If Lu Ming wanted to avoid dying in Chapter 27, then he would need every advantage he could get.
Unfortunately, the system had already decided what his next step would be.
The panel flickered again.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
New Mission Issued
Objective: Steal the protagonist's spiritual herb.
Time Limit: 48 hours.
Reward: 200 Villain Points
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming stared at the new mission.
Then he slowly exhaled.
"You cannot possibly be serious."
He pushed himself away from the pillar and began pacing along the quiet walkway while reading the mission again. The words did not change no matter how many times he looked at them.
Steal the protagonist's spiritual herb.
Lu Ming pressed his fingers against his forehead.
"Let me get this straight," he said to the air. "Your plan for keeping the story intact is to have me commit theft against the guy who eventually becomes the strongest swordsman in the world."
The system responded in the same calm mechanical tone.
Villain actions must escalate to maintain narrative conflict.
Lu Ming groaned.
"That is exactly the opposite of what I want."
He had barely survived humiliating Shen Qinghe once. The idea of stealing something from him sounded like a much faster route to an early grave.
Unfortunately, the system did not appear interested in negotiating.
The mission panel remained floating stubbornly in front of him.
Lu Ming stared at it for a long moment before sighing.
"Fine," he muttered. "But I am doing this carefully."
He resumed walking along the path toward the inner sect residence halls while trying to recall everything he knew about the next part of the story.
According to the novel, Shen Qinghe would soon discover a rare spiritual herb that grew on one of the mountain cliffs near the sect.
The herb was not particularly valuable on its own, but it was an important ingredient for refining a cultivation pill that would significantly increase Shen Qinghe's strength.
If the protagonist lost that herb, the entire sequence of events in the story would change.
Lu Ming stopped walking.
"That might actually work," he said thoughtfully.
If he stole the herb before Shen Qinghe found it, then the protagonist would never know it had existed in the first place. The system would still consider the mission complete, but Shen Qinghe would not have a reason to come looking for revenge.
Lu Ming nodded slowly to himself.
"Yes, that sounds like a perfectly reasonable solution."
The system panel blinked.
Host strategy acknowledged.
Lu Ming smiled faintly.
For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt like he might actually have some control over his situation.
Of course, that optimism lasted exactly three minutes.
He had just reached the entrance to the inner sect courtyard when a familiar voice spoke behind him.
"Senior Brother Lu."
Lu Ming froze.
He turned slowly.
Standing a few steps away was Shen Qinghe.
The protagonist looked exactly the same as he had in the courtyard earlier. His grey robes were simple compared to the elaborate clothing worn by most inner disciples, but the calm confidence in his posture made him stand out anyway.
Lu Ming's mind immediately filled with alarm bells.
He forced himself to smile politely.
"Junior Brother Shen," he said carefully. "Is there something you need?"
Shen Qinghe studied him quietly for a moment.
"I wanted to ask about the sword."
Lu Ming blinked.
"The sword?"
"The one you inspected earlier."
Lu Ming felt a sudden urge to flee the scene immediately.
Unfortunately, running away from the protagonist would probably make the situation even worse.
He folded his arms and tried to appear calm.
"What about it?"
Shen Qinghe's gaze remained steady.
"You said it was ugly."
Lu Ming cleared his throat.
"Yes."
"I would like to understand why."
The question caught Lu Ming completely off guard.
For a moment he simply stared at Shen Qinghe while trying to figure out whether this was some kind of trap.
"I was insulting you," he said finally.
Shen Qinghe nodded slightly.
"I am aware of that."
Lu Ming felt his confidence begin to unravel.
"Then why are you asking?"
Shen Qinghe rested a hand lightly on the sword at his waist.
"A sword reflects the heart of its owner," he said calmly. "You inspected it carefully before making your judgment. That suggests you noticed something specific."
Lu Ming blinked again.
This conversation was not going the way he expected.
In the novel, Shen Qinghe had reacted to insults with quiet anger that eventually exploded during the duel in Chapter 27. The version of Shen Qinghe standing in front of him now seemed more curious than offended.
Lu Ming struggled to think of an answer that would end the conversation quickly.
"Well," he said slowly, "the blade is slightly uneven near the guard."
Shen Qinghe's eyebrows lifted almost imperceptibly.
"That is correct."
Lu Ming paused.
"…Wait, really?"
"The sword was damaged during a training match last year," Shen Qinghe explained. "The weapon hall repaired it, but the flaw remains if you know where to look."
Lu Ming stared at him.
"So when I said it was ugly…"
"You noticed the imperfection."
Shen Qinghe looked faintly thoughtful.
"That is unusual."
Lu Ming resisted the urge to bang his head against the nearest wall.
He had not actually noticed anything. The insult had been completely random.
Now the protagonist seemed to think he had made some kind of insightful observation.
"Well," Lu Ming said awkwardly, "I have a good eye."
Shen Qinghe nodded slowly.
"I see."
An uncomfortable silence followed.
Lu Ming began looking for an escape route.
"If there is nothing else," he said carefully, "I should return to my residence."
Shen Qinghe stepped aside without protest.
"Of course."
Lu Ming walked away as calmly as possible, although his heart was racing by the time he reached the corner of the courtyard.
The system panel appeared again.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Unexpected Interaction Logged
Protagonist Interest Level: Increased
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming stopped walking.
"…What does that mean?"
The system did not elaborate.
Lu Ming rubbed his face in frustration.
"I humiliated him. Why would his interest increase?"
No answer appeared.
After a moment he sighed and continued toward his residence.
If he wanted to complete the herb mission, then he would need to leave the sect grounds soon. According to the novel, the plant grew on a cliff near the western mountains, which meant he would need to travel several hours to reach it.
The sooner he left, the better.
Unfortunately, the moment he opened the door to his residence, he realized something else had gone terribly wrong.
A group of disciples was waiting inside.
They all turned toward him at the same time.
"Senior Brother Lu!"
Lu Ming stared at them in confusion.
"What are you doing here?"
One of the disciples stepped forward eagerly.
"We heard about what happened in the courtyard earlier."
Lu Ming felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"Oh no."
The disciple continued excitedly.
"You exposed the flaw in Shen Qinghe's sword in front of everyone. That was incredible!"
Several others nodded enthusiastically.
"No one has ever embarrassed him like that before!"
Lu Ming closed his eyes.
This was not how the story was supposed to work.
The original Lu Ming had been hated because of his arrogance and cruelty. Instead of building that reputation, Lu Ming seemed to be accidentally impressing people.
He forced a polite smile.
"It was nothing important."
Another disciple shook his head.
"Senior Brother is too modest."
Lu Ming looked toward the ceiling as though hoping divine intervention might arrive.
It did not.
Instead, the system panel appeared once more.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Villain Reputation: Growing
Current Status: Confusing
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming groaned quietly.
"If this keeps happening," he muttered to himself, "I am never going to survive this story."