Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

The wind blew softly through the willows, rustling the tall green reeds by the riverbank.

The young man standing by the thicket blinked once, then twice, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand to make sure the sight in front of him was real.

A grown woman, covered in silver fur, torn silk, and deep red gashes, was lying face down right at the water’s edge.

Her silver tails were spread out like a ruined fan, half-soaked in the gray river mud, not moving at all.

Ye Fan, the adoptive son of Ye Family, adoptive brother of Ye Hongyan.

That was his identity.

To the people living inside the thick stone walls of the Ye Heavenly City, he was just a lucky boy picked up from the dirt years ago.

An orphan who had been given a clean bed, three meals a day, and a fine surname because of an old promise made by the clan patriarch.

He wore the fine robes of someone only those rich heirs can afford, and with his intellect, he was able to gain the recognition of the clan elders.

However, he has a secret...

He stood frozen in the damp grass, his chest rising and falling fast as he stared at the woman’s limp form.

...And that is, ever since he got adopted by the Ye Family, he had started to remember things.

Things of another time, of a mundane life, in a mundane world.

It had started with strange dreams when he was only seven years old.

He would wake up in the middle of the night, sweating through his thin cotton blanket, seeing strange metal boxes rolling down hard black roads, tall towers made of gray stone and shiny glass that had no torches, and tiny handheld slates that lit up with moving pictures.

He remembered sitting in front of a glowing box with a plastic board under his fingers, typing out numbers until his eyes burned, worrying about late rent, cold instant noodles, and the sound of morning alarms ringing through cheap speakers.

There were no flying swords there.

No grand ancestors who lived for ten thousand years.

No beasts that could tear down city gates with a single swipe of a paw.

Just a dull, ordinary life that had ended under the bright yellow lights of an empty crosswalk on a rainy night.

And just like that, as the dreams continued, he realized, that this was already his second life.

Truth be told, he was actually scared.

Living in a grand martial family was not a fairy tale.

In the storybooks he had read in his past life, people who woke up in another body would laugh at the heavens, pick up a magical ring, slap every young master who crossed their path, and gather ten thousand beauties by their side.

The real world was nothing like that.

The real world was cold, sharp, and smelled of copper and ash.

He has an adoptive mother who seems hell bent on getting rid of him, and looked at him as if he were a pile of horse dung dragged into her clean parlor.

She never smiled at him, and whenever he walked past her high pavilion, her cold eyes followed his back like two sharp iron daggers.

She constantly cut his monthly spirit stone allowance, sent him to the draftiest courtyard near the stables, and assigned him the hardest chores in the gardens, clearly waiting for him to make a single mistake so she could have the guards break his legs and toss him into the wild mountains to feed the wolves.

He also has adopted sister who was one of the top experts of the top academy.

Ye Hongyan was a name that sat heavy on the tongues of kings and sect leaders alike.

She was a grand genius, a woman whose power and influence brought terror to entire provinces, sitting high in the Clock Tower of the Imperial Academy as one of their most dangerous teachers.

She lived in the clouds, breathing the pure air of the most prestigious institution, so far above him that he has yet to even formally meet her face to face.

That was the worst part of it all is that he was not a trash cripple who could hide in the corners without anyone noticing, but he was certainly no genius either.

His inner channels were decent, his bones were straight, and he could gather energy faster than a common street farmer.

But ”above average” was the most dangerous place to be in a great clan.

It was not enough to earn the protection of the old ancestors, but it was just enough to make the other young masters view him as a tiny thorn in their eyes.

In a world where great masters could split an ocean in half with a flick of their wrist, an above average boy with no backing was just cannon fodder waiting to be sent to the front lines of someone else’s war.

Ever since he had fully recovered his memories, he had lived with his neck pulled in, walking softly, speaking quietly, and trying his best not to draw anyone’s attention.

And this time, he had walked out of the city gates early in the morning because the matriarch had spent the previous evening hinting that the clan might send him to manage a dangerous iron mine near the border.

His chest had felt tight, his thoughts messy and sour, so he had grabbed his things and walked down the riverbank to listen to the water.

And then, this woman had fallen out of the sky.

Ye Fan took half a step forward, his boots squelching in the wet mud.

He leaned down, parting the tall reeds with his hand.

Even with her silver hair matted with dark blood and her lilac dress torn to ribbons, the woman’s beauty was stunning.

Her skin was as white as fresh cream, her nose straight and delicate, and her eyelashes were long, resting against her cheeks like soft black feathers.

The nine silver tails spreading out behind her in the dirty water twitched every few seconds, weak and shivering from the cold.

”Is she... dead?” Ye Fan whispered to himself, his heart hammering against his ribs like a frightened rabbit.

If a master of this level died right at his feet, and her enemies followed the scent of her blood to his spot, he wouldn’t even have time to scream before being turned into meat paste.

His first instinct was to turn around and run back to the city as fast as his legs could carry him.

But, at that moment...

Ding!

A clear, sharp bell rang out directly inside his skull.

It was not a sound carried by the river wind, but resonated straight from the center of his thoughts, loud, crisp, and familiar, instantly freezing his boots in the mud.

Before he could react, a flat, translucent square of bright azure light popped up out of nowhere, hovering about two feet in front of his nose.

Clean black letters formed rapidly across the glowing glass, blinking with a steady, rhythmic pulse.

[Detected a Celestial Beauty!]

[Binding the Host with the Wife Investment System...]

[Successful]

Ye Fan stood completely still, his mouth hanging half-open, as the words burned into his eyes, and a wave of heat rushed from his stomach straight to the top of his head.

A system!

It was a real, honest-to-god system!

Ye Fan was so excited his hands began to shake uncontrollably, his breath came fast and shallow, his fingers digging into the fabric of his trousers.

Ever since he recovered his memories, he had cursed the heavens for dumping him into this meat-grinder of a world without a single golden finger.

He had spent his nights reading ancient manuals, praying to old stone tablets, and looking under strange rocks, hoping to find an old grandpa’s soul or a magic sword.

Nothing had ever worked.

But now, it finally appeared!

As expected, a system is a must have transmigrator pack for people like him!

In all the stories from his previous life, this was the great tool!

The one thing that allowed an ordinary clerk, an unwanted stepchild, or an ignored outer disciple to rise from the mud, step on the heads of ancient emperors, and climb to the top of the sky!

With this little blue board in front of him, he didn’t need to fear the cold matriarch anymore!

”System!” he called out inside his thoughts, his voice trembling with eager anticipation. ”What can you do? What are your rules? Do you give out divine pills? Do you make me invincible right away?”

The blue glass flickered, and a soft, pleasant mechanical voice echoed inside his ears.

[Reply to Host: This system operates on the principle of karmic return through romantic investment. By binding a specific female target whose beauty, talent, and destiny reach the required grade, the Host can invest resources, care, and treasures into them.]

The text shifted, rolling down the screen.

[For every act of investment made toward a bound target—whether it be medicinal herbs, high-grade cultivation manuals, protective treasures, or sincere acts of healing—the Host can receive twice to ten thousand times return from the System!]

Ye Fan’s eyes grew as wide as saucers.

Twice to ten thousand times!

If he gave a simple healing herb worth ten copper coins, the system might hand him back a high-grade spirit root worth a mountain of gold!

If he gave a common iron sword, he might get back an ancient divine blade capable of cutting through clouds!

It was an endless, money-printing furnace that used girls as the source...okay, that sounded so wrong.

[Ding! High-tier target detected within one meter of the Host.]

[Target: Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, Wei Zhingyi.]

[The System asks: Does the Host wish to bind this target as Investment Partner Number One?]

Ye Fan excitedly agreed!

”Bind her! Quick, bind her right now!” he shouted inside his mind without a fraction of a second of hesitation.

A woman who possessed nine tails, dressed in fine silk, and fell from the clouds was clearly an extraordinary figure!

You would have to be an idiot to let a prize like this slip through your fingers!

[Ding! Target binding complete.]

[Generating Target Status Panel...]

The blue screen flashed, and a detailed profile opened up before Ye Fan’s gaze.

[Target: Wei Zhingyi]

[Race: Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox]

[Identity: Palace Mistress of the Blissful Immortal Coupling Palace]

[Cultivation Realm: 9th Stage Heavenly Saint]

[Status: Severe Internal Trauma, Cracked Meridians, Blood Depletion, Coma.]

[Special Note: Although the target’s physical body has entered a deep protective sleep, her spirit senses remain extraordinarily sharp due to her high cultivation realm. She can faintly perceive and feel everything happening in her immediate surroundings.]

Ye Fan was shocked...then his eyes widened in delight.

9th Stage Heavenly Saint! His knees nearly went weak beneath him.

A 9th Stage Heavenly Saint was a figure that even the patriarch of the Ye Family had to treat with deep bows and polite tea!

In this province, someone of that realm could wipe out an entire city with a casual sweep of their sleeve!

She was just one single step below the legendary Supreme realm!

And then his eyes caught the special note at the bottom.

She was awake inside her head!

Even though her eyes were shut tight, even though her body lay limp and bloody in the mud, her high-level spirit could still hear his footsteps, smell the air, and feel every touch upon her skin!

A wild, brilliant joy flooded Ye Fan’s chest.

This was an incredible opportunity sent straight from the heavens!

If he took care of her, not only would he receive rewards from the system, but he will probably gain some of her affection too!

Think about it! A grand Heavenly Saint, chased by enemies, battered, bloody, and left to die in a muddy ditch like a stray animal.

If an ordinary boy came along, cleaned her bloody fur, fed her warm soup, patched her wounds, and protected her while she was completely helpless, how could her heart not be moved?

When she finally opened her eyes and regained her god-like strength, she wouldn’t just be his bound system target—she would be his greatest shield!

If the matriarch tried to send him to the iron mines, this fox lady could turn the entire Ye Family courtyard into dust with a sneeze!

”This is my path to the top,” Ye Fan muttered under his breath, his eyes shining with pure determination.

With that, he decided to bring her back to the clan and take care of her.

He didn’t care about the mud anymore as he stepped right into the cold, brown water of the river, the mud sucking at his cloth shoes, and knelt down beside the fallen woman.

”Excuse me, senior,” he whispered softly, making sure his voice sounded as gentle, polite, and harmless as possible, knowing her spirit senses were listening to every word. ”I am just an ordinary disciple from the city. I do not mean any disrespect. You are badly hurt, and wild beasts roam these reeds at night. Let me take you somewhere safe.”

He carefully reached out with his hands, and felt that her skin was cold, shivering against the damp drafts.

Gently, he slid his left arm beneath her pale shoulders, supporting her neck so her head wouldn’t drop back into the dirty water.

With his right arm, he scooped her up beneath her knees, gathering her nine limp, heavy silver tails into his lap so they wouldn’t drag along the sharp rocks.

”Hup!”

Ye Fan grunted, his back muscles straining.

Even though she looked slender and light as a feather, her body carried the dense, heavy weight of an ancient saint whose bones were filled with condensed power.

He had to circulate his above average energy through his legs just to stand up without tumbling over.

Her head fell against his chest, her soft, torn fox ear brushing lightly against his neck.

A faint, sweet scent of blooming plum blossoms and fresh blood drifted into his nose, completely covering the bad smell of the river mud.

Ye Fan adjusted his grip, holding her securely against his chest, keeping his eyes firmly ahead to show he held no improper thoughts.

He then turned around and began the long, careful walk back toward the side gates of the Ye Family compound.