Chapter 1
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[Ding! Congratulations, Host! Your soul has been selected by The Heart of the Ruler!]
Qiao Han: Huh?
[The system will assist the host in embarking on a wonderful journey. The host only needs to: 1. Complete the corresponding character tasks. 2. Collect emotional points from the male lead.]
Qiao Han: Oh! Huh?
[Once the main storyline of the world concludes, the host can unbind the system, achieve independence, and start your own cultivation life.]
Qiao Han: Is that so? ~
[The system is matching you with the most suitable binding character... Feel free to laugh, don’t hold it in...]
Qiao Han: Hahahahahaha!
Imagine this: after you die, you can choose a novel world for an adventure, meet your favorite paper character, participate in his story, and make up for all your regrets while reading. Would you laugh?
This is like being hit on the head with a giant pie of happiness—crazy, right?!
The Heart of the Ruler is a male-oriented cultivation novel that Qiao Han has read at least ten times.
If you ask whether this novel is good...
Well...
Just look at the comment section filled with warnings, and you'll see it's destined to be a flop lost in the sea of web literature.
"Don't read it; I’m so mad I could scream! The male lead is such a victim, Shi Chui."
"I’m the real victim here for being tricked into reading the ending. It’s definitely a bad ending! I thought there would be a twist."
"Is the male lead a saint? Who cares, let him die! Why not just turn dark and destroy everything?!"
"This is the first time I've seen such a miserable male lead in a male-oriented cultivation novel."
"I have just one question: where’s the male lead’s harem? So many girls locked outside the harem gates? Just seeing but not tasting? Are they trying to suffocate the readers?!"
"So what did the male lead's life even amount to? I seriously suspect that the second male lead is the real protagonist."
With comments like these, you can see the overwhelming dissatisfaction in the comment section.
It's not that the author writes poorly; it's just that he has a rebellious streak—he writes whatever the readers don't want to see, and his framework and character setup don't align with current trends.
This story is about the male lead, Xiao Jiuci, who is an orphan. He was taken in by the leader of the Qingyun Sect. By the age of five, he was tested and found to have a rare Ice Spirit Root, and he was taken in as the sole disciple by a genius sword master. His cultivation went smoothly, and by the age of eighteen, he reached the Golden Core stage, achieving unprecedented success—a true prodigy of his generation.
Not only does he possess a handsome appearance and extraordinary talent, but his character is also impeccable. He treats immortal lords and ordinary people alike with kindness, humility, and respect—an ideal gentleman.
He is the master brother of the Qingyun Sect, praised by everyone in the cultivation world, serving as a role model for the younger generation.
When elders in the sects teach their juniors, they often begin with: “Learn from Qingyun Sect’s senior brother! Even if you had just one-thousandth of his excellence, I wouldn't have to worry about you at all.”
Such a perfect idol, destined for a bright future, suddenly faces a sharp turn of fate during a treasure hunt in a secret realm.
His spirit root was destroyed, his Golden Core was taken, he got accused of releasing demons and breaking seals, and he even caused the leader's death, resulting in his expulsion from the sect. He later reveals his half-demon identity, facing misunderstandings and pursuits, with the girls he encounters either giving up halfway or having their own motives.
From being a favored son of heaven to being hunted by everyone—this is a true tragedy.
It seems the author wanted to fit every trope of a strong and tragic character onto Xiao Jiuci.
All readers, including Qiao Han, thought it was enough; a strong counterattack should have come by now.
But the author stubbornly disagrees.
There are counterattacks, there are slaps in the face, there are twists, but there is no dark transformation.
Even when Xiao Jiuci sensed the world’s fickleness and the coldness of human nature, he remained steadfast in his true character, holding his head high, with a clear conscience before the heavens and earth, and staying true to his moral compass.
If he was the only one capable of saving the world, then it was his responsibility, and he would take it on without complaints or regrets.
In the end, despite various misunderstandings and slanders, Xiao Jiuci sacrifices himself to save the world.
Readers who made it to the final circle commented: "Great, I’m already in the hospital on oxygen."
It truly feels like a suffocating pressure.
The comment section was filled with uniform comments: "Author, are you crazy?!"
No matter how much the author tormented the characters before, as long as the male lead could have a good ending, the readers were willing to tolerate it and swallow their disappointment.
But not only did the author not deliver, he added one final blow.
People resolved their misunderstandings and appreciated Xiao Jiuci's sacrifice, but a hundred years later, the tales about him gradually faded. No one wanted to mention that the one who saved them was a half-demon abandoned by the world.
As a result, the remaining readers were left devastated by the final segment, which poisoned the entire reading experience, leading to countless warning posts, cursing, and leaving in frustration.
Qiao Han, who had just encountered this novel, was still young and carried a rebellious, anti-establishment attitude. He wanted to see what kind of story could evoke such warnings.
As a result, he fell deep into the rabbit hole. It wasn’t that Qiao Han enjoyed self-torture; it was simply that the male lead, Xiao Jiuci, had utterly captivated him.
Having read countless novels, Qiao Han had never seen such a perfect character. During certain periods of his life, Xiao Jiuci became a source of solace, a guiding light in how he approached life and actions.
Qiao Han’s admiration for him could be summarized as it started with the portrayal of his looks, became loyal through the display of his character, and was cemented by his dazzling talent.
Before the tragedy struck, he had good looks, martial prowess, emotional intelligence, and an admirable personality—he was charismatic, a natural leader, someone who made others unconsciously follow in his footsteps. He treated people sincerely, and it was not an exaggeration to say countless beautiful words could be used to describe him.
After the incident, he remained unchanged, consistently embodying his gentle yet determined persona. He would not let external factors make him ugly or extreme, always acting with integrity and remaining upright. He had countless opportunities to turn dark and succumb to despair, yet he never hesitated for even a moment.
He wasn’t someone who didn’t know how to fight back against oppression, nor was he a saint who swallowed his grievances. He simply dared to bear responsibility and do what he felt was right.
While reading the novel, Qiao Han would often curse the author, wishing he could scold him and force him to change the story. Such a good male lead should not suffer like this; he deserved to ascend and become immortal, and he had both the talent and the determination to do so.
However, the world didn’t give him a chance; it only allowed him to be a powerful and gentle tragic hero.
Qiao Han was heartbroken for his own male lead, so many times he imagined that if he could ever enter the story, he would definitely go meet him.
He would bring warmth and shield him from hardship. When everyone else was against him, he would stand by his side, supporting him all the way, ensuring he never had to live through the original text’s miserable fate again.
And now, his dream had come true! Hahaha...
But the next moment, Qiao Han couldn’t laugh anymore.
The scene in front of him twisted, and before he even realized where he was, an overwhelming spiritual pressure struck him like a massive stone.
It hurt so much that it felt like he had been hit head-on by a giant truck, crushing his insides and rearranging his organs. Not to mention the intense pulling sensation that penetrated his body, leaving him pale and kneeling on the ground.
The air around him became thin, making it hard to breathe; he could only gasp for breath.
A sharp, mature female voice shot towards him with a warning.
"Young Master Qiao, even though you haven’t officially married Ci'er in a formal ceremony yet, Qingyun Sect will not tolerate such deception and trickery from you."
Qiao Han was in so much pain that he felt dizzy and couldn’t clearly hear what the other person was saying, but he caught a few keywords.
Suddenly, an ominous premonition swept over him.
The voice continued, now filled with obvious disdain.
"Moreover, whether this Daoist couple marriage can even happen is still in question. Let me ask you again: is the one engaged to Cier you, or your sister, Qiao Wan?!"
Qiao Han’s face instantly changed, as if struck by a bolt from the blue!
【Ding, character binding successful! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the villain character ‘Qiao Han’.】
Qiao Han: Ohhhh! Nooooo!
Was this really the "same-name transmigration law"? He should have changed his name the moment he saw that the character he despised the most in the book had the same name as him!
System: 【…There’s no need for that. This character plays a crucial role. Besides, he is the only one who has ever had a legitimate marriage title with your male god.】
Qiao Han felt a wave of goosebumps rising all over his body. "Ahhhhh, stop! Please don’t say it! I feel like I’ve dishonored the male lead!"
The villain ‘Qiao Han’ had a disgusting character setting. While the cultivation world didn’t care much about gender in Daoist partnerships, in a male-targeted novel, giving the male lead a male Daoist partner was off-putting.
Not only was the male lead definitely straight, but the character ‘Qiao Han’ was hateful enough on his own.
Qiao Han was born into the prestigious Qiao family, a cultivation clan where some descendants had a chance of inheriting the special Luoyan Mystic Physique, making them the ideal partners for dual cultivation. It was said that the last person to ascend in the cultivation world, a millennium ago, was a Sword Sovereign and his wife from the Qiao family.
Unlike a furnace, this physique required the owner to be conscious and willing for it to work, so forced cultivation was not an issue. Whenever a descendant with this physique was born, the Qiao family would prearrange a marriage with a close family ally.
For the Qiao family, it was a way to solidify their position and gain the protection of prominent sects. For the major immortal sects, it was a way to pave a smooth path to the heavens for their most talented disciples, making it a mutually desirable arrangement.
Thus, when Qiao Wan and ‘Qiao Han’ were still young, their marriages were pre-arranged.
Initially, ‘Qiao Han’ was chosen to marry Qin Xiu Zhong, the direct disciple of Wanren Sect, who was close to them geographically. Qin’s talent was comparable to Xiao Jiuci’s, and he came from a prominent family background.
But Qin Xiu Zhong was a tragic "waste turned genius" character. In his youth, he experienced nearly the same misfortune as Xiao Jiuci and later became the second male lead in the story, forming a competitive yet sympathetic relationship with Xiao Jiuci. After Xiao Jiuci sacrificed himself, Qin Xiu Zhong became the number one immortal in the world.
Before that happened, though, ‘Qiao Han’ successfully annulled his engagement to the now "useless" Qin Xiu Zhong.
The Qiao family’s scheming father took advantage of a loophole. When Qingyun Sect’s leader arranged Xiao Jiuci’s marriage, he left behind only a token, allowing the father to manipulate the situation.
Qiao Wan, who was supposed to marry Xiao Jiuci, was sent to Moonwatching Island by her father and stepmother to train. Once one entered that island, they couldn’t leave for a hundred years. ‘Qiao Han’ then replaced his sister and, at eighteen, boarded the immortal ship sent by Qingyun Sect to fetch Xiao Jiuci’s betrothed.
Though surprised to see that the marriage partner was male, the leader of Qingyun Sect kept his word. Xiao Jiuci had no choice but to honor the engagement and successfully imprinted the marriage contract. As for the formal wedding ceremony, it was supposed to take place after they developed some feelings, but then disaster struck Xiao Jiuci.
After Xiao Jiuci lost even his Golden Core, ‘Qiao Han’ forcibly broke the contract, abandoned the male lead, and fled Qingyun Sect.
Later, every time ‘Qiao Han’ encountered Xiao Jiuci’s ups and downs, he would trample on him, even going as far as trying to kill him at his worst moments. Xiao Jiuci’s exposure as a half-demon was largely due to ‘Qiao Han’, who seemed to treat their marriage imprint as the biggest stain on his life, targeting Xiao Jiuci at every turn. He was a villain constantly courting death.
Though ‘Qiao Han’ met a tragic end, it wasn’t at Xiao Jiuci’s hands, fulfilling the idea of karmic retribution.
So, when Qiao Han was told he had transmigrated into this character, it was worse than death.
At the moment, he was living the scene where ‘Qiao Han’ had been at Qingyun Sect for a short time, only to have the sect leader’s wife discover the swapped engagement and bring him in for questioning.
"Still not speaking the truth?!" Lady Jiang’s anger grew when Qiao Han remained silent, her oppressive aura crushing him to the point that he nearly collapsed.
Qiao Han’s mouth was filled with the taste of blood, and he was suffering greatly.
He thought, "Of course I want to speak! But, dear madam, could you ease up on the pressure a bit? I can hardly breathe! Do you even want me to say anything?"
"Mother, don’t... don’t be like this. Young Master Qiao hasn’t even built his foundation yet. He can’t withstand this. Senior Brother will blame us when he returns," came a timid voice.
"Su Wei, stay out of this! Mistress is right. Senior Brother’s marriage is not a game. If this is all a lie, how can someone with such poor conduct become Senior Brother’s Daoist partner? It would be a disgrace to our sect!" another fierce female voice chimed in. "And he’s been causing trouble everywhere, relying on his status. Even the disciples are complaining. This matter must be investigated thoroughly."
As the woman listed his wrongdoings, the pressure on Qiao Han grew even stronger.
Just as he felt like he was about to cough up blood, the hall doors burst open with a loud bang. A piercing, cold energy rushed in.
Someone supported Qiao Han’s arm, and the immense pressure was lifted from him in an instant.
The sound of disciples respectfully calling "Senior Brother" echoed through the hall.
Qiao Han took a deep breath, but at that moment, his heart seemed to stop. Everything around him faded away, leaving only the description of Xiao Jiuci from the original text flashing in his mind:
On Qingyun Mountain, wearing azure robes, the Ninefold Golden Core, his heart set on saving the world, an unparalleled gentleman, the Ice Soul Sword in hand, the pinnacle of his generation, unmatched by any.
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Awww this looks so good, wish the simp MC all the good luck in the world! Thanks for the translation!
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