Chapter 1: When Systems Become a Disaster

Chief Supporting Role System, Wanwu Youque System, Chef God System, Emotion System, Good Teacher System, Tycoon System, Kindred Spirit System...

Pop-up windows were jumping out one after another in his mind.

Lin Bai felt waves of dizziness; his brain was like a computer infected with a virus, with programs constantly loading in, to the point that his reactions to the outside world became much sluggish.

What the hell is this?

Is this a golden finger?

The hands of the Thousand-Hand Guanyin?

Either none come, or so many come at once; this is a rhythm that will play him to death!

Who would have thought that just as all his plans were starting, the golden finger would emerge so suddenly, coming in such a surging wave that it caught him off guard.

Lin Bai's voice came to an abrupt halt.

Heavenly thunder igniting earthly fire.

The only difference is that this world has Martial Art, has spirits, and, very likely, has immortal arts...

Be the second-in-command?

Calming his mind, Lin Bai still decided to try doing a system task.

【Collect one pure emotion generated towards you; Reward: Spirit +1.】

This time, the one encountering the Dragon Girl is the protagonist; he is substituting himself for the protagonist.

【First, you must open a restaurant; Reward: 10 taels of silver.】

Bullshit!

In the era Lin Bai lived in, either everyone strove to be first, showing off their unique personalities, wishing they were the best in the world; or they lay flat, salted fish until death.

Only four systems remained in an active state: the Wanwu Youque System, the Emotion Management System, the Chief Supporting Role System, and the Chef God System.

A disaster?

He is a person unwilling to be ordinary; after transmigrating, everything started from scratch, and he didn't think about complaining or blaming others. After figuring out the environment he was in, Lin Bai quickly planned a new life for himself, preparing to use the Luo Mansion as a stepping stone and utilize knowledge from Earth to reach the pinnacle of life once again.

It was precisely this personality that allowed Lin Bai to exploit a loophole; a story of "A Chinese Ghost Story," about a scholar's romantic encounter with a female ghost, gave him a strong sense of immersion, making him addicted to the point of ecstasy and leading him to regard Lin Bai as a soulmate.

"Hmm!" Lin Bai sized up Luo Congwen, considering finding a suitable entry point for the task.

After a moment, Lin Bai had already made up his mind and smiled: "Brother Luo, prick up your ears, the story that follows is truly wonderful."

Damn system!

The Chef God System looks like the most decent one among the several systems, but Lin Bai is a transmigrator who finally managed to figure out the structure of this world!

In this strange world, just surviving is already difficult; studying literature to become an official and learning Martial Art to secure one's safety are the right paths—what the hell is the point of being a Chef God...

The youth yearned for love, his mind filled with the graceful shadows of the female ghost. But after being warned by the bearded Yan Chixia that humans and ghosts walk different paths, he was naturally uncomfortable and returned to his room early, looking forward to the visit of Nie Xiaoqian.

A system family bucket?

With so many systems operating at full capacity, I'm afraid "996" isn't enough to describe his "blessing"...

"What happened after Xiaoqian left? Who is more powerful, the Tree Demon Grandmother or Yan Chixia? Is he going to take Yan Chixia as his master?" Luo Congwen didn't notice Lin Bai's abnormality; he pulled over a chair, sat opposite Lin Bai, and threw out a series of questions.

Perhaps the systems realized that running simultaneously would cause the body to collapse, so after most of the systems finished loading, they fell into silence.

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Chixia's hair and beard stood on end, his eyes turned blood-red, and as if possessed, he grinned hideously and lunged at him...

"Don't worry, Brother Luo, I'll be fine after a short rest, it's nothing." Lin Bai struggled to adapt to his brain, which was on the verge of collapse, dodged his hand, tremblingly picked up the teacup beside him, and took a difficult sip.

As for letting others experience what a Flaw is, he had no clue for now.

Half an hour later, the weak scholar Ning Caichen covered his face and wept...

"Your complexion looks so bad, should I call a doctor?" A scholar wearing a headscarf and a green robe reached out to touch Lin Bai's forehead.

Unlike the Wanwu Youque System, Lin Bai actually agreed with this so-called Emotion Management System; indeed, when you can easily influence others' emotions, things are done with half the effort.

A scream echoed through the Lanruo Temple, startling countless night birds into flight, and the Tree Demon Grandmother and the female ghosts shivered..."

It doesn't matter if the task content is missing a few words; it doesn't affect the understanding of the meaning, so it's harmless.

What is this lacking?

This is damn lacking in virtue!

A wave of nausea surged up from his throat!

Luo Congwen slammed one hand heavily on the table, interrupting Lin Bai: "Enough!"

Being a newcomer in an unfamiliar place, where is he supposed to find a big brother for himself?

Opening a restaurant requires "krypton gold" (spending money).

Can a remnant of the Nine Suns True Scripture be practiced?

Find a boss for yourself, and being the second-in-command is the most perfect existence in the world.

Does this count as bloatware or a golden finger?

Lin Bai has read ten thousand books and naturally knows that a system, as a famous golden finger, is enough to send a person to the pinnacle of life without any effort, showing off in front of others and becoming a glamorous social parasite.

In this world where demons and monsters run rampant, as an ordinary person, he must have some Skill to rely on; compared to working hard himself, a golden finger is obviously faster.

Seven days ago, he inexplicably arrived in this strange world. The social structure of this world is similar to a synthesis of ancient Chinese dynasties, with medical clinics, wine shops, inns, escort agencies, the Yihong Courtyard, the Government...

Lin Bai pondered for a moment, then picked up the teacup and took another sip, saying: "Don't be anxious, let's talk slowly."

"Emotions or something should be the easiest to manipulate!"

Feeling the four systems active in his mind, as well as the others lurking in the depths that might erupt at any time, Lin Bai had an indescribable feeling; why does this proper golden finger delivery feel like he's being violated!

"..." Luo Congwen's expression gradually turned from anticipation to dullness, and then his face turned bright red.

But he never thought that one day, he would be troubled by a golden finger.

But he was a scholar after all, and having encountered many things these past few days, he was mentally and physically exhausted; before long, he fell into a deep sleep. It is unknown how much time had passed when a noise in the room startled Ning Caichen awake..."

Flaw of what?

Of beauty?

Let alone.

The initial tasks of the four systems all seemed equally unserious.

Luo Congwen's eyes lit up, and his body twisted involuntarily: "Has Nie Xiaoqian come knocking?"

"Brother Lin, since it doesn't matter, why don't we continue talking about Ning Caichen?" Luo Congwen rubbed his hands, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

In Lanruo Temple.

Thus, Lin Bai aimed his gaze at the scholar opposite him.

The more exciting Lin Bai's story became, the more uncomfortable Luo Congwen felt; the mere thought of Ning Caichen being seven-in-seven by a bearded man...

Transmigrated to this world, Lin Bai was penniless and without kin. Having finally figured out the structure of the world, he relied on the awesome social skills he had mastered on Earth to connect with a scholar named Luo Congwen, thereby solving his food and drink problems...

Emotion Management System: When you learn to manipulate the emotions of others, you are the master of the world. Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, shame, fear, and surprise—go and deeply appreciate the mysteries of emotion!

Among the four initial tasks, the Emotion System was the easiest to carry out.

"Brother Luo, don't be impatient, just keep listening." Lin Bai chuckled, "Ning Caichen looked closely by the moonlight, only to see it was Yan Chixia who lived next door. He couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, and just as he opened his mouth to ask, 'Hero Yan, coming in the middle of the night...'"

But the reward given was changed from the Nine Yang Divine Art to the Nine Suns True Scripture, and it was even a fragmented copy; this was going a bit too far.

A series of calls awakened Lin Bai from his system-crash state. He turned his stiff neck to meet a pair of eyes filled with concern, the scene in his pupils gradually shifting from blurry to clear.

Lin Bai was a transmigrator.

Especially the Wanwu Youque System; not only were the issued tasks incomplete, but even the rewards were flawed...

Simply dog-shit.

Only a fool wouldn't use a golden finger.

Flawed?

If not for the sudden transmigration, the second half of his life would likely have been free of worry, and he should have lived happier than the vast majority of people.

As the bitter tea reached his stomach, the system loading in Lin Bai's mind finished. The overloaded CPU instantly became idle, and he completely regained his senses.

He was obsessed with immortal cultivation and identified with Ning Caichen. Lin Bai's story made him feel as if he were there in person, but this time the plot completely exceeded his expectations.

That feeling was like being engrossed in *The Return of the Condor Heroes* when Little Dragon Maiden suddenly encountered Yin Zhiping; it was like having a fly stuck in one's throat, making one wish they could stab the author on the spot.

An adulterated, adapted version of *A Chinese Ghost Story* was recounted from Lin Bai's mouth.

Luo Congwen sat upright.

"Right, right, tell it slowly." Luo Congwen nodded hurriedly, "What happened to Ning Caichen later?"

By comparison, manipulating emotions was much simpler and had the lowest cost.

Pausing for a moment, Lin Bai looked at the attentive Luo Congwen and said vividly, "Let us speak of that day, when Ning Caichen encountered the female ghost Nie Xiaoqian. It was the third watch of the night, and after being teased by the beautiful female ghost, he couldn't help but feel his heart flutter."

Lin Bai engaged in Belly-Defamation; he had pursued perfection for over twenty years, striving to ensure every step he took was meticulous and flawless, only then achieving a relatively successful life after graduating from university.

【Find a big brother for yourself; Reward: Luck +1.】

Is this the Venus de Milo?

F*ck!

The scholar was named Luo Congwen. His family was wealthy, and he had passed the prefectural examination, possessing the status of a government student. If he passed the academy examination next year, he would become a proper scholar (xiucai) and have status in official circles.

Therefore, people's lives here were even harder.

That's right.

Chief Supporting Role System: Do not be the initiator of fortune, nor the first to face disaster. If a tree stands taller than the forest, the wind will surely destroy it; if one's conduct is higher than others, the masses will surely criticize it. Do not contend, and no one in the world can contend with you.

【Let ten people experience the flaw of...; Reward: *Nine Suns True Scripture* (Fragmented).】

Yet this promising student had the heart of a chivalrous hero, thinking all day about punishing evil and promoting good, killing demons and eliminating monsters. However, he lacked the patience to study martial arts or temper his body, instead becoming obsessed with seeking immortals and inquiring about the Dao, neglecting his proper work.

"Brother Lin, Brother Lin..."

Such a system was simply reversing the wheels of history.

However, his mind remained in chaos, with pop-up windows jumping out one after another.

Whoever invented this system must have something wrong with them.

Lin Bai browsed the descriptions of the four systems:

Wanwu Youque System: There is no such thing as a perfect thing in the world; having flaws is the normal state of all things. You must teach everyone to learn to accept flaws and get used to regrets.

Pursuing perfection had already become his attitude toward life; why should he get used to flaws?

Meanwhile.

A notification of task completion arrived in his mind: 【Collected an angry emotion directed at you; Reward: Spirit +1 (Already issued)】.

(End of chapter)