The Hated One Follows the Path of Ruthlessness After Being Reborn

Du Chunwen was once a little beggar. Because his constitution made him suited to dual cultivation, he was brought to a cultivation sect to be the child bride of the young immortal boy, Jiang Yixing. He knew that everything he had was thanks to Jiang Yixing, so he lived cautiously every day.

But his senior brothers still said he was after Jiang Yixing's money. His master said his timid nature would only embarrass Jiang Yixing whenever he went out. His senior sisters said he was mediocre and would be cast aside sooner or later. After that, Du Chunwen didn't dare touch even a single spirit stone belonging to the sect. He spent every day hiding in his cave, no longer going out, and practicing swordsmanship until he nearly damaged his foundations.

He thought that if he was just careful enough, he could keep living peacefully by Jiang Yixing's side. He never imagined he would end up dying at the hands of one of Jiang Yixing's admirers.

Reborn, Du Chunwen no longer wanted to be as spineless as he had been in his previous life.

He stopped hoping for Jiang Yixing's kindness and treated their dual cultivation as a transaction. All he wanted was a large pile of spirit stones, so they could settle all debts and grievances.

He had never been suited to the sword in the first place. He stopped studying swordsmanship for Jiang Yixing and turned instead to the Path of Ruthlessness, living only for himself.

Later, he became a revered master of the Path of Ruthlessness. All he heard was worship and praise. No one dared mention his past, and no one knew that he'd once had a cultivation partner: none other than Yixing Daojun, the leader of the sect.

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Jiang Yixing wanted to spend every day with that boy, but was warned that he was the sect's hope and had to put the greater good first. He wanted to give the boy every good thing, but was stopped and told that, as the sect's future leader, he couldn't indulge his whims.

In the end, Jiang Yixing watched the boy who had once been devoted to him drift farther and farther away. Then one day, he heard that the boy had become a revered master of the Path of Ruthlessness.

Theme: When all else fails, you can always start over.