Why Did Senior Brother Turn Evil?

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Ji Hantong transmigrated into an old-school cultivation novel as the male lead's doomed master, his ultimate golden finger.

The System required him to stick to three rules:

1. Be the male lead's perfect golden finger.

2. Maintain the image of a pure and noble immortal lord.

3. Follow the plot obediently, then fake his death and leave. He must not develop any strange feelings for the male lead.

Ji Hantong carried out his role like a textbook example:

When the protagonist was bullied by his fellow disciples, he stood up for him.

When the protagonist was mocked for his background, he took him as a disciple and backed him up.

When the protagonist made mistakes in his cultivation, he taught him the proper techniques and passed on everything he had learned in his life.

Later, when the protagonist was in mortal danger, Ji Hantong abandoned his wedding ceremony with his senior brother and sacrificed himself to save the male lead, his soul scattered to the winds.

Before he left, his senior brother, dressed in wedding red, clutched his wrist tightly. "Hantong, are you really going to leave?"

"Senior Brother, I'm sorry..."

Beneath a sky full of red silk, Ji Hantong looked back. Shen Lanchuan's lonely figure entered his eyes, and for some reason, his heart faltered.

After returning to the modern world, Ji Hantong was downcast. He had thought everything in the cultivation world was merely a fleeting illusion that he would eventually forget. But a few days later, the System begged him to return and fix things:

His senior brother, Shen Lanchuan, a paragon of the righteous path whose heart was steadfast, had slaughtered eight hundred sects, extracted the male lead's immortal bones to use as candle wicks, and was now holding the fate of the Three Realms in his hands as he waited for Ji Hantong to return.

Ji Hantong stared into the water mirror at the man whose demonic aura soared to the heavens: red eyes like blood, black hair turned white, standing atop a mound of bones, yet carefully cradling Ji Hantong's shattered life token in his hands.

The System added in a trembling voice, "After you... left, Shen Lanchuan, who had been the leader of the righteous path, somehow turned evil. Now he's preparing to drag the entire cultivation world to hell with him!"

Later, deep within the demon palace, candlelight flickered. Shen Lanchuan pinned Ji Hantong against a cold bed. The chain around Ji Hantong's ankle rang clearly as he struggled.

Shen Lanchuan's fingertips gently brushed Ji Hantong's trembling lips. His voice was low and frenzied. "Junior Brother, let's see where you can run this time."

Reading Guide:

At its core, this is a story about two silly lovebirds stumbling their way through a relationship. Both are devoted and faithful, each other's first love, firmly one-on-one. No pairing changes, no switching roles, no wishful fantasies. Readers who obsess over control issues are not welcome.

They are both deeply in love with each other. The gong's feelings are more obvious early on. The shou is a little slow on the uptake, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love him. Their feelings are mutual.

The disciple will definitely have plenty of scenes, but they're all in service of the couple and won't steal the spotlight.

There is a BL side couple with limited screen time. No other side couples with different orientations. The author loves a world where everyone gets along.

"Ancestor, This Fox Doesn't Want to Be the Ruler of a Fallen Kingdom!"

Chi Xiyi is a fox.

After an accident, he took the place of a young prince of the current dynasty. Unexpectedly, before long, the young prince's tyrant older brother was on his deathbed.

With his dying breath, the tyrant gripped Chi Xiyi's hand and stammered, "M-my younger brother must be the equal of the Great Ancestor."

So the clueless fox, who knew nothing about governing a country, was pushed onto the throne. The dynasty was already riddled with troubles and on the brink of collapse, looking very much like it was about to fall.

Chi Xiyi burst into tears. Ancestor, save me! This fox doesn't want to be the ruler of a fallen kingdom!

To his surprise, his cry really did summon the ancestor of the Xiao family.

The Great Ancestor, Xiao Fuxu. History records that he "conquered new lands with bow and horse, and ruled with an iron fist." He raised an army at seventeen and unified the Central Plains at twenty-five. During his forty years on the throne, he drove the northern Di and Rong tribes back and quelled floods in the south, personally laying the foundations of a dynasty that lasted three hundred years. He was an emperor for the ages.

Lately, Xiao Fuxu had often felt dazed. Every now and then, he would inexplicably fall asleep, and when he opened his eyes again, he would find himself in a different era.

The empire he had built with his own hands was now riddled with troubles and on the verge of collapse, and its current ruler was a fool.

Xiao Fuxu: This is bad. The kingdom seems about to fall.

In that case, I'll just conquer the land again.

The first day of teaching the silly fox

Xiao Fuxu: The Empress Dowager's maternal family is the Pingning Marquis household, sworn enemies of the Duke of Yingguo's family, which backs Consort Li. Mentioning her in front of the Empress Dowager is taboo.

Chi Xiyi: What big chicken? Are we having chicken legs for dinner?

Xiao Fuxu: ...Never mind. Foxes love chicken. I'll put up with it.

The silly fox truly had no talent for governing. Xiao Fuxu criticized him while still finding himself unable to resist guiding him through his official duties, step by step.

"Aren't foxes supposed to be clever? How are you this stupid?"

"Tsk, listen carefully this time. I'm not explaining it again."

"You crybaby, don't cry. Fine, I'll tell you."

Somewhere along the way, he ended up luring the silly fox into bed.

Chi Xiyi's Journal of Saving the Kingdom:

First month, seventeenth day, sunny

With the Big Ghost's help, I successfully killed a corrupt official. Fox is so clever! (≧◇≦)

Second month, first day, rainy

The Big Ghost told Fox a way to make money. Fox's treasury is gradually filling up. Fox is going to become a little golden fox! ^_^

Fourth month, fifteenth day, sunny

The Western Regions sent a red fox fur cloak as tribute. Terrifying! T^T Fox will never go to the Western Regions!

The Big Ghost says he's never hunted a fox. What a good ghost! So today I'll let him stroke Fox's tail for a little while longer. Just a little while!

Seventh month, twenty-sixth day, cloudy

What good ghost? Scratch that, scratch that. Xiao Fuxu is the worst ghost ever! Fox's butt hurts so much! o(╥﹏╥)o

#Weren't you supposed to be the ruler of a fallen kingdom? How did you become the founding emperor's empress?

#Ancestor, our Great Zhou seems doomed. Your descendant isn't just a fake, he's gay too.

#Wait, that's strange. Ancestor, are you gay too? ()

#Never mind, so this is what the Ancestor's Way means.

Theme: Pay more attention to the people around you.