Qingling Sect,
Qingzhu Peak, shrouded in misty immortal energy, was bathed in the first rays of sunlight that spread across the mountain like a brilliant tapestry of seven-colored glass.
At the mountain’s summit, there stood a delicate little chamber. Inside, a young man with a sword-like eyebrows, and deep, starry eyes, dressed in a white robe with black patterns, sat dazed in front of a bronze mirror.
Lin Mo had a headache—because he had transmigrated.
What troubled him was not that he had taken over the body of a weakling, but rather that his new identity was that of the eldest senior brother of Qingzhu Peak, one of the twelve peaks of the esteemed second-rank Qingxuan Sect.
From his inherited memories, Lin Mo realized that this body’s original owner had excellent talent and an impressive background. With dual spiritual roots of water and wood, he had already reached the late Foundation Establishment stage at the young age of twenty-five. He hailed from a renowned cultivation family with considerable influence. He had both parents alive, a master of pure and noble character, an adorable and lively junior sister, and even a fiancée whose talent surpassed his own.
Moreover, his luck wasn’t bad—his training expeditions often led to unexpected gains.
He had always been kind and responsible toward the disciples of Qingzhu Peak, treating his master, juniors, and fellow disciples with sincerity, though his manner was sometimes strict.
But it was precisely because of this seemingly flawless background that Lin Mo felt uneasy.
According to typical novel tropes, wasn’t this the perfect setup for a cannon fodder character?
And what was the most concerning part?
A year ago, the sect welcomed a new junior disciple. This junior disciple was extraordinarily handsome but had some minor flaws in his spiritual roots. It was said that his father was a close friend of the Qingzhu Peak Master, which was why he had been granted the special privilege of joining the sect.
His cheerful and outgoing nature quickly won over everyone on Qingzhu Peak, from junior disciples to senior disciples—even their master was quite fond of him.
Oh, and one more thing—this junior disciple’s surname was Ye, and his given name was Kai.
No matter how Lin Mo looked at it, this new junior disciple seemed to have the protagonist’s aura.
Lin Mo adjusted his attire briefly. According to his memories, at this time, he was supposed to go and greet his master at the peak of Qingzhu Peak.
As he stepped out, he happened to pass by a room where he overheard a conversation.
The voice was exceptionally gentle, like a warm spring breeze, bringing peace and comfort to the listener. It was as serene as a morning lake, untouched by any disturbances.
Was this the voice of the newly admitted Junior Brother Ye?
“Fifth Senior Sister, is your injury feeling any better?”
“I should be fully recovered in a few more days,” replied a young girl dressed in blue robes. Her fair right leg was currently bound between two spirit-infused wooden supports with a vine-like material. Her lips were pale, and her entire face looked drained of color.
Ye Kai carefully applied spiritual medicine to her wound with great focus.
The blue-robed girl, observing his strikingly handsome side profile, felt her cheeks grow warm.
After tending to her injury, Ye Kai took out some delicately crafted pastries from his robe. “Fifth Senior Sister, try these. I made them using spiritual fruits—they’ll help with your recovery.”
Only then did the blue-robed girl realize that he was intending to feed her. Her already flushed face turned an even deeper shade of red. She hesitated before opening her lips slightly to take a bite, avoiding his gentle, affectionate gaze.
As the pastry melted in her mouth, a sweet flavor filled her senses. Her eyes sparkled. “It’s so sweet! It tastes amazing!”
Ye Kai chuckled softly. “Since you like it, I’ll make them for you all the time.”
With that, he extended another piece of the pastry toward her lips.
One fed, and the other ate. As the pastries were finished, Ye Kai gently wiped the crumbs from the corner of the pink-clad girl’s lips with his sleeve.
Their actions appeared intimate, almost naturally affectionate.
Ye Kai sighed, seemingly unintentionally, “It was just a sparring practice, but Senior Brother Lin was too harsh. How could he injure you like this?”
The blue-robed girl shook her head. “This isn’t Senior Brother Lin’s fault. I was distracted during the fight, and honestly, I’ve been neglecting my training lately.”
“Fifth Senior Sister, you’re too kind!” Ye Kai’s eyes were filled with heartache. “Girls should be cherished. Training is meant to improve battle experience, not to cause injuries—it’s supposed to help prevent getting hurt in real fights.”
“In my opinion, cultivation should be a gradual process. One shouldn’t rush it. But Senior Brother Lin’s training is far too harsh—waking everyone before dawn to practice without rest, and he’s especially strict with you, Senior Sister. It’s just too inhumane.”
The blue-robed girl lowered her gaze slightly, recalling the past years. No matter the weather—stormy rains, freezing winters, or scorching summers—Lin Mo would always be the first to drag her out of bed to train. Even when she wasn’t feeling well, she was still required to practice. If she woke up late, punishment and scolding were inevitable.
She had intended to defend Lin Mo, but the words got stuck in her throat. A trace of gloom appeared in her eyes.
Outside the doorway, Lin Mo, who happened to be passing by, felt it was completely unfair to the original owner of this body.
In the original Lin Mo’s heart, he had deeply cherished this junior sister.
The girl Ye Kai called “Fifth Senior Sister” was Shen Ke’er. At the age of eight, her family was wiped out in a disaster, and it was Lin Mo—who was out on a training mission at the time—who brought her back to the sect.
Her aptitude was average, possessing three spiritual roots. Normally, such talent would not qualify her for the inner sect, but because of Lin Mo, she was accepted as an inner disciple of Qingzhu Peak.
Since he was the one who brought her back, Lin Mo personally took care of all her daily needs.
Fearing that she would fall into despair after losing her family, he treated her like his own little sister. He made delicious food for her, bought her fun trinkets to cheer her up, and even gifted her valuable treasures he obtained during his travels.
Naturally, her cultivation was also under Lin Mo’s strict guidance.
Lin Mo understood the brutal rules of the cultivation world, where only the strong survived. Thus, he was indeed harsh with her training.
But it was precisely because of his strict training, along with the rare medicinal fruits and pills he provided, that in just seven short years, Shen Ke’er had advanced from an ordinary mortal to the early Foundation Establishment stage. Was that not impressive?
After all, for most cultivators with three spiritual roots, reaching the Foundation Establishment stage typically took at least ten years, sometimes even decades.
Before Ye Kai arrived, Shen Ke’er had been very close to Lin Mo. No matter what happened, the first person she would think of was not their master but Lin Mo.
Of course, that was all in the past.
Ever since Ye Kai joined Qingzhu Peak, Lin Mo had clearly felt Shen Ke’er becoming distant from him.
She now clung to Ye Kai, often staying by his side. Even when she went out, she would bring back gifts for him. She had even started giving Ye Kai the precious pills and spiritual fruits that Lin Mo himself had been reluctant to use but had originally prepared for her.
And it wasn’t just Shen Ke’er—everyone on Qingzhu Peak, including the other disciples and even their master, liked Ye Kai.
Now, all Shen Ke’er could remember was how strict Lin Mo had been with her, while all the kindness and care he had shown her had been completely forgotten. If it weren’t for Lin Mo bringing her back to the sect back then, she might have suffered the same tragic fate as her parents. If he hadn’t pushed her so hard in training and provided her with precious resources, how could she have built a solid foundation and secured her place in Qingzhu Peak in such a short time?
But now?
Well, Lin Mo had no intention of continuing to care for Shen Ke’er.
She could do whatever she wanted from now on—it had nothing to do with him.
He wasn’t the original Lin Mo. Why should he keep playing the role of a devoted caretaker for someone so ungrateful?
He wasn’t going to be a fool anymore!
His time and resources would be reserved for his own cultivation. After all, in the world of cultivation, strength was everything!
Just then, a system notification echoed in his mind.
[Detected host’s newfound clarity—Activating ‘Make Them Regret’ System!]
…What the hell?
Lin Mo blinked in disbelief.
Did he actually have a system?
Could it be that he really had the protagonist’s template?
But… what was this “Make Them Regret” System?
[This system can absorb the regretful emotions of those around the host caused by the host’s “words” or “actions.” These emotions will be converted into energy, forming “Regret Points.” Regret Points can be used for lottery draws and can also directly improve the host’s cultivation techniques and cultivation realm.]
[Reminder: Regret Points can only be obtained from others’ emotions towards the host. The identity of the other person and their relationship with the host will influence the amount of regret points gained.]
Lin Mo was puzzled. He understood the part about identity, but what did “relationship with the host” mean?
[The host must figure it out on their own!]
Was there a newbie gift package at least?
[Nope!]
Lin Mo: “…” What’s the point of having you then?
Resigned, Lin Mo checked his personal status panel.
Host: Lin Mo
Race: Human
Physique: None
Aptitude: Dual Spiritual Roots (Water & Wood)
Cultivation Level: Late Foundation Establishment
Techniques:
- Profound Rank, Upper Grade – Spirit Green Art (Third Layer)
- Profound Rank, Middle Grade – Rejuvenation Art (Third Layer)
Skills: - Cooking: 5
- Planting: 1
- Formation Arts: 1
- Alchemy: 1
Regret Points: 0
(Note: Both skills and techniques are graded from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest.)
The panel matched what Lin Mo knew about himself.
However, he still had no idea how to make others feel regretful in order to earn Regret Points.
As he pondered this, he noticed a disciple cleaning the residence nearby.
Lin Mo recognized him—his name was Gu Zi. Calling out to him, Lin Mo gestured for him to come over.
Gu Zi put down his broom and greeted him respectfully, “Senior Brother Lin, good day!”
Lin Mo spoke nonchalantly, “Gu Zi, want to play a game with me?”
“A game?” Gu Zi looked shocked. Had he misheard? His usually strict senior brother, who was all about discipline and training, was asking him to play a game?
Lin Mo nodded and explained the rules.
Gu Zi’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Senior Brother Lin, if I guess which hand holds the spirit stone correctly, you’ll give it to me?”
“Would I lie to you?”
Gu Zi hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. Even though Senior Brother Lin was strict, he had never gone back on his word.
The game began. Lin Mo tossed a low-grade spirit stone into the air and caught it. His hands moved quickly, shuffling back and forth, making it nearly impossible to track.
Lin Mo smirked slightly and asked, “Which hand?”
Gu Zi thought hard before answering, “Left hand!”
Lin Mo opened both hands—a mid-grade spirit stone sat in his right palm.
Gu Zi’s face fell. “Ah! If only I had picked the right hand!”
As an outer sect disciple, his monthly allowance was only two low-grade spirit stones. A mid-grade spirit stone was worth a hundred low-grade spirit stones. If he had guessed correctly, he would’ve struck gold.
[Ding! Detected regret from another person—Regret Points +13.]
Lin Mo’s eyes brightened—his hypothesis was correct!
Encouraged, Lin Mo continued playing the game with Gu Zi several more times.
But each time, Gu Zi lost.
After losing over ten rounds in a row, Gu Zi started to feel suspicious.
Was Senior Brother Lin messing with him?
Otherwise, how could he keep losing every single round?!
Lin Mo quickly noticed an interesting pattern—the first few times he earned 10 Regret Points per round from Gu Zi, but as the games went on, the points gradually decreased. By the last round, he had only gained 2 Regret Points.
Seeing Gu Zi’s increasingly suspicious gaze, Lin Mo simply smiled. “Want to play one more round?”
By this point, Gu Zi had no expectations of winning. He figured he’d just finish this game and then find an excuse to escape back to his chores.
But to his surprise…
He won.
Staring in disbelief at the mid-grade spirit stone in his hand, Gu Zi’s voice trembled. “Senior Brother, is this real? I can actually keep this mid-grade spirit stone?”
Lin Mo nodded slowly. “You won the game, so of course, it’s yours.”
Tightly clutching the spirit stone, Gu Zi’s face beamed with joy as he bowed deeply.
People always said that the Senior Brother of Qingzhu Peak was cold, difficult to get along with, and completely unapproachable. He had believed that rumor.
But now… not only did Senior Brother Lin take time out of his day to play games with him—an outer sect disciple—he even gave out mid-grade spirit stones as rewards!
Just a moment ago, he had doubted Senior Brother Lin’s character…
Thinking of this, Gu Zi wanted to slap himself for being so foolish.
After Gu Zi left, a system notification chimed.
[Ding! Detected regret from another person—Regret Points +50.]
Lin Mo was quite pleased—he had squeezed quite a bit of wool out of Gu Zi.
Now sitting on 203 Regret Points, he decided it was time to increase his strength.
[System Upgrade Costs]
- Profound Rank Upper Grade Technique (Lv. 3 → 4): 500 Regret Points
- Profound Rank Middle Grade Technique (Lv. 3 → 4): 300 Regret Points
- Foundation Establishment → Golden Core Stage: (Cost varies)
- 1st-Grade Golden Core: 500 Regret Points
- 2nd-Grade Golden Core: 1,000 Regret Points
- 3rd-Grade Golden Core: 2,000 Regret Points (scaling upward)
Lin Mo was dumbfounded.
He had spent all this time farming Regret Points, and 200 points weren’t even enough to upgrade anything?!
[Tip: The host may use Regret Points to enter the lottery—100 points per draw. Possible prizes include: Skills, Spirit Stones, Techniques, Pills, Artifacts, Physiques, etc.]
Seeing the wide variety of prizes, Lin Mo felt a little excited. He was curious—what could he draw?
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have received: 88 Low-Grade Spirit Stones!]
…???
Lin Mo stared at the system message, stunned.
He had used one mid-grade spirit stone (worth 100 low-grade spirit stones) and gotten back only 88 low-grade spirit stones?! Was the system scamming him?!
“System, are you messing with me?”
[Reminder: All lottery outcomes are based on fixed probabilities. Naturally, the rarer the prize, the lower the chance of winning. The host may spend additional Regret Points to either “specify” the type of reward or increase the chances of winning better items.]
Lin Mo thought for a moment—this actually made sense.
Since he still had enough points, he decided to try again.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have obtained: “Sword Heart Clarity” Physique.]
Lin Mo’s heart skipped a beat.
This time, he had actually hit the jackpot.
