Chapter 1: Reborn as the Villain
A soft, yielding sensation met his hand...
Li Jiansan’s eyes snapped open.
Li Jiansan, oh Li Jiansan, you’ve let yourself go, haven’t you? Just because you earned six hundred yuan in manuscript fees, you’ve let it get to your head and dared to visit a brothel.
But this... why am I still dressed in ancient garb? You’ve gone too far—cosplay now, really?
As Li Jiansan counted the breathtaking beauties in the room, he was more than a little startled by the scene before him.
“Young Master Void, you’re awake?”
At the sound of that name, Li Jiansan froze.
That’s the villain from my own novel!
No way... could this place really be...
Li Jiansan’s mind was in pieces: he had actually transmigrated into the world of his own novel.
This world was known as the Great Jiang Empire, a realm where strength reigned supreme. There were no cell phones here, nor any WiFi—only a cultivation system honed to its peak.
The cultivation ranks here were: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Profound Connection, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Divine Transformation.
If you couldn’t cultivate, you wouldn’t survive for long in this world.
Transmigrating was one thing, but to become a villain—a disposable one at that, doomed to die within a few chapters—was simply too much to bear.
Li Jiansan recalled the details of this villain: the young master of Shengjing Sect, already fifteen years old, yet hadn’t even broken through the Qi Refining stage.
His pathetic cultivation wasn’t due to any innate defect, but simply because he refused to cultivate.
Worse, he flaunted his position as the young master, forcing others to address him as Young Master Void.
If he were the ultimate big boss, that would be one thing. But as a two-bit villain doomed to perish within three chapters, what was the point?
“Li Jiansan, today you will die a miserable death!”
A voice dripping with hatred thundered from outside.
Immediately, the room fell silent—so silent, not even a whisper could be heard.
Boom!
A young man in white strode in with bold, confident steps.
Handsome beyond compare, with bright eyes and flawless teeth, he was a striking figure from every angle—a perfect beauty, radiating a natural aura as if accompanied by his own theme music.
Surely, this was the protagonist’s halo.
Li Jiansan studied the youth closely.
The young man fixed his cold gaze on Li Jiansan. “Li Jiansan, prepare to die!”
His aura was deep and unreadable—clearly a seasoned martial artist.
Li Jiansan blinked innocently. “Sorry, do I know you?”
The youth’s fury seemed barely containable, his clenched fists creaking audibly.
“Three days ago, you injured my father, Lin Chong. And now you dare to act as though nothing happened? Today, you’ll pay the price!”
“Lin Chong?”
After a moment’s thought, Li Jiansan’s tense brow relaxed a little. Just an injury—nothing major, no need to panic.
Turning his head, a hint of reminiscence in his eyes, he asked, “You mean Lin Chong, the one who drew his sword to right wrongs on the road?”
“Drawing swords to right wrongs... Is that all?”
“To be taken down so easily by Young Master Void, and still dare to claim to right wrongs? What a joke...”
The crowd in the room snickered at their exchange.
In this world, heroism required strength. Without it, trying to play the hero was nothing but foolishness.
The laughter only twisted the young man’s face further with anger as he glared at Li Jiansan, a murderous aura erupting around him.
His presence was overwhelming and unfathomable—a figure not to be trifled with.
Despite their hidden mockery, no one in the room dared provoke the youth directly.
Even the women, skilled at masking their emotions, couldn’t hide the shifting air from the young man, whose years of martial training had made him sensitive to the subtlest changes.
He raised his voice, “My father’s martial prowess is unrivaled—his title, ‘Leopard-Head Lin Chong,’ is respected by all! How could you, a mere boy, have beaten him? You must have used some dirty trick—that’s the Shengjing Sect’s way!”
Li Jiansan smiled sheepishly. “My friend, you must be mistaken. I, Li Jiansan, have always been kind-hearted and helpful. I bear no grudge against your father, nor could I have fought with him. There must be some misunderstanding.”
As he finished, everyone in the room shot him strange looks.
You, infamous for violence and debauchery, a genuine scourge, now claim to be a good person? Who would believe you? Even if you wanted to change, it’s far too late.
The young man jabbed a finger at Li Jiansan, cursing, “Your villainy is known to all. No one, not even a three-year-old, would believe your lies!”
Li Jiansan replied earnestly, “No, truly, you misunderstand. The truth is—”
“Silence!” the young man barked. “With everyone watching, you accused my father of assault and theft. Now you refuse to admit it?”
At those words, Li Jiansan’s frail body trembled.
How awkward—there was no way to talk his way out of this. The protagonist had come knocking, all bluster and fury. Was he really going to die in his very first scene?
Seeing the veins bulge on the boy’s face, Li Jiansan hastily said, “Friend, don’t be angry, just listen—”
But the youth, shaking with rage, roared, “Enough talk—take this!”
With that, he darted forward, swift as lightning, launching an attack at Li Jiansan.
A resonant hum filled the air as the youth unleashed his palm, sending blast after blast of energy roaring forth, thunderous and fierce.
What now? This was hell mode from the start...
“Ding.”
“Strongest Villain Trade System successfully bound.”
“Congratulations, host, system activated.”
“All living things, from martial gods above to commoners below—if they desire, you are their master!”
Yeah, keep talking.
The appearance of a golden finger didn’t cheer Li Jiansan much.
Honestly, he’d have preferred to go back and spend his hard-earned six hundred yuan.
As a seasoned web novelist, he had read more stories than he could count. He knew these tropes all too well: lots of hype, but in the end, you still had to go out and grind.
Utterly pointless. He’d rather be back squandering his six hundred yuan...
“Master, this is no ordinary system. This is the Villain Trade System. With it, you can trade with any living being on the continent—no need to fight monsters and level up. You can idle your way to the top!”
“Let’s give it a try, then,” Li Jiansan decided. If he could really idle his way to the peak, why not?
“Danger detected. Host entering strongest state. Duration: thirty minutes.”
“Host: Li Jiansan.
Power: Invincible.
Talent: Supreme.
Martial Arts: None.
Techniques: None.”
Li Jiansan blinked. “Strongest state? This powerful? So whenever I’m in danger, I can enter this mode?”
“Yes, but you only get ten uses.”
Just as he felt a surge of joy, Li Jiansan nearly cursed out loud.
This was a lifesaving trump card—ten uses meant ten lives. And already, you’ve made me use one?
As the youth’s attack neared, Li Jiansan choked back his anger.
Glancing at the young man, he commented, “Thunderclap Palm—about seventy to eighty percent as strong as your father’s. Not bad.”
As the youth struck with all his might, Li Jiansan remained calm, sidestepping with ease to avoid the assault.
Though the youth’s palm missed, the invisible force slammed into the ground, sending dirt and stones flying, leaving a massive five-fingered crater.
No wonder the protagonist was so formidable—one palm from a distance carried such power.
Still, as long as I’m fast enough, even an emperor can’t touch me.
“If this conflict can’t be settled, I’ll just have to end you now—nip the problem in the bud,” Li Jiansan thought, his mind made up in an instant.
He struck back with his own palm, unleashing an invisible thunderous imprint toward the youth.
Upon seeing Li Jiansan’s move, the young man froze in disbelief.
Because Li Jiansan was using the Thunderclap Palm—the very same family technique he himself had practiced since childhood!
What shocked him even more was that Li Jiansan’s mastery of the Thunderclap Palm was far superior—far more refined and powerful than what he had achieved after years of relentless practice, even surpassing his father’s skill.
Could it be... had his father truly been defeated by this man?
The women in the room were even more stunned. Wasn’t Li Jiansan notorious for never cultivating—a true martial arts wastrel? How had he suddenly become so powerful?
Could he really have learned a martial art just by watching it once?
The young man stood silent for a long moment before finally speaking, his voice trembling, “That’s... my family’s secret art. How did you learn it? And why is your mastery greater than mine?”
Li Jiansan replied coolly, “Because I’m a genius. Any supreme martial art you possess, I can master at a glance. The Thunderclap Palm is indeed a first-rate technique, but in your hands, it’s wasted. Only I can bring out its true potential. Understand?”
As he finished, every eye in the room was fixed on him, all wearing expressions of utter disbelief.
The infamous, violent, debauched, good-for-nothing Li Jiansan—a martial arts prodigy? It seemed even rumors couldn’t be trusted...