Reborn as the Villain, No More Sidekick - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Transmigration—I Am the Prince Cao Xu:

-Inside the Wei Palace of the Great Qian Empire.

At this moment, Cao Xu sat looking confused.

“Where is this place? Wasn’t I just helping a poor young girl in the club whose father gambled away everything, leaving her to care for her sick brother? How did I end up here? Did someone drag me away while I was drunk?” He thought to himself.

The room around him had an ancient style, and before he could take it all in, a voice interrupted.

“Who are you, and why are you in the royal chamber?” A handsome man, dressed in luxurious robes but smelling of alcohol, demanded an answer.

“Is this a film set?” Cao Xu wondered aloud. The antique décor and the stranger’s ancient-style clothing left him dazed.

Before the man could respond, a mechanical female voice echoed in Cao Xu’s mind.

[The host’s consciousness has been restored. The system is now activated and working to secure your identity in this world.]

[You have replaced the Prince of Wei in the Great Qian Empire. You now possess the identity of Prince, the initial strength of an Innate martial artist, and the memories of him.]

Cao Xu’s eyes widened as he stared at the man in front of him. His figure gradually blurred and then disappeared completely, as if erased by an invisible hand.

“I’ve transmigrated!” Cao Xu realized, suddenly alert and no longer disoriented.

The next moment, a powerful energy surged through his body. There was no pain, only a warm flow of energy, and an unfamiliar yet steady breath filled his chest. His clothing transformed into attire appropriate for this era, his hair grew long, and a crown now sat on his head. At the same time, memories that weren’t his began to surface in his mind.

The system seemed considerate, not overloading him with too much information at once. It allowed him to slowly absorb the memories of the person he had replaced. Although he couldn’t yet process all 20 years of memories, Cao Xu quickly grasped the basics.

“Great Qian Empire, martial artists, Prince of the Wei,” he mused. This world resembled ancient martial arts stories, but the power levels were much higher. The strongest experts could slice through rivers, split mountains with a sword, and walk on air.

“The system is impressive. You made me a prince.” Cao Xu thought, still slightly dissatisfied. “But too bad I’m not an emperor.”

[The system replaces the person closest to the host upon transmigration. If the host had been closer to the emperor, the system would have replaced him.]

He chuckled to himself, “Huh. Seems I’m lucky then. It could’ve been worse. I could have replaced a regular commoner. That would have been pointless.”

Before his transmigration, he had wealth and comfort. If his new life was worse, there was no reason to have transmigrated at all.

[Host, don’t get too comfortable just yet. Do you know the Prince’s identity?]

“Isn’t he the Prince of Wei? What else is there to know?” Cao Xu asked, confused. He hadn’t accessed the full memories yet, so he hoped the system would clarify.

[The Prince of Wei was the sworn brother of the Son of Destiny in this world.]

Cao Xu’s expression soured. 

The Son of Destiny—the protagonist. Being close to the protagonist wasn’t always a good thing. If this protagonist brought bad luck, Cao Xu could end up as a sacrificial pawn.

[Furthermore, the Prince of Wei was married today. The bride is the heroine of this novel. However, she refused to consummate the marriage, and that’s why the prince is drinking alone instead of celebrating.]

[To make matters worse, the protagonist will soon disguise himself as a thief and attack the Prince of Wei, ruining his private parts. Later, at the heroine’s request, he will sacrifice himself to save the protagonist. In the end, the princess will run off with the protagonist.]

“What the hell?!” Are you trying to raise my blood pressure? Thanks a lot, system.” Cao Xu cursed. 

Though the system was describing the original prince’s fate, Cao Xu felt uneasy. He worried that he might follow the same tragic path, driven by the invisible force of destiny.

Destiny was no joke. Though it couldn’t be seen or touched, it influenced everything from the shadows. Even in a world of high martial arts, destiny couldn’t be underestimated.

[Host, don’t worry. With the system, you won’t be bound by destiny.]

The system’s assurance didn’t entirely calm Cao Xu. 

“What exactly can you do, system? Can you help me strengthen myself now?” he asked quickly, recalling the system’s warning about the imminent attack.

Despite inheriting the prince’s abilities, Cao Xu hadn’t yet fully adapted to it or absorbed the necessary memories. He wasn’t confident in his ability to defend himself, and even if he could unleash the full strength of an Innate martial artist, he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance against the protagonist.

His only hope was the system. If it wasn’t powerful enough, his best option would be to hide.

[Host, this is a villain system.]

“A villain system? Perfect. That suits me just fine.”

Cao Xu had no interest in being the protagonist’s loyal brother. Only a fool would stay loyal to a protagonist destined to destroy him. If he was to be anything, it would be a villain who specialized in taking down the so-called Son of Destiny.

[A newbie gift package is available. Would you like to open it, host?]

“What are you waiting for? Open it!”

[The host has received: Nine Yang Divine Skill, Heavenly Demon Skill, Peak Innate Strength, General Dian Wei, and 10,000 villain points.]

Instantly, the knowledge of the Nine Yang Divine Skill and Heavenly Demon Skill embedded itself in his mind. The techniques began to operate on their own, and his strength skyrocketed from early Innate to Peak Innate.

At the same time, a towering figure nearly two meters tall appeared before him, carrying two large halberds and wearing heavy armor.

“The last general, Dian Wei, greets the lord.” The man said, kneeling.

“General Dian, please rise,” Cao Xu replied, overjoyed. As the new Prince of Wei, sharing a surname with the historical figure Cao Cao, he felt a natural connection to Dian Wei. However, he wasn’t sure if Dian Wei’s strength would be sufficient in this new world.

[The host can check the strength of followers.]

“Check Dian Wei’s strength,” Cao Xu commanded.

[Name: Dian Wei

Loyalty: 100 (absolute loyalty)

Strength: Peak of Great Grandmaster]

“That strong?” Cao Xu was impressed.

In this world, martial ranks were divided into third-rate, second-rate, first-rate, Innate, Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster, Earth Immortal, and Heavenly Immortal. Once someone reached Innate, they were considered a true master. Grandmasters could establish sects, and with a Great Grandmaster in charge, a sect could become one of the most powerful. Even the imperial court would show them respect.

As for Earth and Heavenly Immortals, they were incredibly rare. In the past ten years, fewer than three Earth Immortals had appeared, and no Heavenly Immortal had been seen in over a century. It was uncertain if any still existed.

In such an era, the Great Grandmasters were considered the most powerful figures. They could fly short distances, slice through rivers, and shatter mountains with ease.

Cao Xu had already sensed that this Dian Wei wasn’t the same as the one from history. His presence was far more imposing, and his strength exceeded even the Peak Innate level. Still, the revelation that Dian Wei was at the Peak of Great Grandmaster exceeded Cao Xu’s expectations.

The stronger Dian Wei was, the more relieved Cao Xu felt. “With General Dian Wei by my side, no one will dare challenge me. Not even the so-called protagonist,” he thought, smiling.

Ah, but I’m a gentleman, he reminded himself, mentally shaking off any stray thoughts about women. Cao Xu mused, “I must learn from my mistakes and not let Dian Wei lose his halberds.” Those halberds, if properly wielded, would certainly protect him.

…

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