A strange, weightless feeling settled in Lián Xù's gut.
It wasn't just a bad day. It was a catastrophically bad existence. Yet, the initial wave of dread crested and broke against a wall of eerie calm.
Panic required energy, and energy was a resource he couldn't afford.
Observation. Analysis.
Those were free.
Alright, he thought, straightening up.
Weakest continent.
No power.
No money.
Check, check, and check.
His eyes flicked over the room, lingering on the aged bed, the polished floor, the faint dust in the sunbeams.
Everything looked ordinary.
Everything hid chaos.
Finally, the weight of his reality settled. A long, slow sigh slipped from Lián Xù's lips, soft enough to vanish into the distant clamor of the court outside. It was neither despair nor resignation—more the quiet acknowledgment of a trap he hadn't yet fully mapped, a storm he had no idea how to navigate.
I should've been the protagonist—a heaven-defying genius with talent practically spilling from my pores. Instead… I get reincarnated as a powerless emperor.
No cultivation.
No strength.
And my so-called goldfinger? The Heavenly Misjudgement System.
Great. Just… great.
"Let me guess," Lián Xù muttered under his breath, voice low and bitter, "my missions all have to do with being misjudged?"
As if the universe had been waiting for him to despair, a faint chime echoed in his skull.
[Detecting Host Discouragement.
Initiating Mission.]
[Core Mission Activated:
Elevate Broken Rivers Continent to rank 1st.
Reward: Omniscient Supreme Emperor.]
Lián Xù stared blankly at a water stain on the wall shaped vaguely like a screaming face. A snort, dry and involuntary, escaped him.
"And how, precisely, am I supposed to do that, O heavenly system?" he murmured, dripping with sarcasm, fully aware he wasn't expecting an answer.
[Accumulation of 'Misjudgement Points.'
Greater the misjudgement, greater the reward and points.
Points can be used to purchase items in the System Store or upgrade the system.
Current System Level: 0.
Store Status: Locked. (Insufficient points)
Accumulated Points: 0.]
Lián Xù contemplated in silence, rubbing his chin in thought.
Misjudgement Points.
Ding!
[Initial Points Awarded: +15.
Source: Page 'Hong.' ]
Lián Xù blinked. He replayed the last moments. His raised hand. The page's flinch. The awestruck whisper about 'majestic composure.'
The System… easily giving him points. For that?!
He laughed softly, the sound echoing off the stone walls. "So, in other words… I do nothing, people panic, and I get rewarded."
[Affirmative. Path to power lies in sustained misjudgement.]
Lián Xù's internal eyes lit up faintly.
That's right… Points. Rewards.
Not enough points now… but if I accumulate them…
A real, sharp laugh escaped him this time. It was the laugh of a man who has just learned the rules of reality have been rewritten as a particularly absurd game.
The roar from the other side of the room reached a new crescendo.
"I WILL TOLERATE THIS INCOMPETENCE NO LONGER!"
The general chaos sharpened into the distinct, angry rumble of many voices arguing in a stone hall.
The throne room.
And they had just received the first review of his performance from Page Hong.
[Objective Updated:
Step into the Throne Room. Sustain misconception title of 'Useless Emperor.'
Duration: 3 Days.
Reward: Mortal Rank Cultivation, +5000 Misjudgement Points.]
He blinked. "Wait… I have to pretend to be useless? You mean, play dumb on purpose?"
[Correct. Maintaining the persona will earn points and contribute to your rise.]
Lián Xù leaned forward, spinning the idea in his head. "So… if I act like a complete disaster, people will think I'm hopeless, and that… actually makes me powerful later? That's… deliciously ironic. I like it."
Then his smile faltered. "Hold on. How does that even count as an act when I am useless? How is it any different from what I already am right now?"
Silence.
…You useless, garbage-tier system.
[Recommendation: Host compliance advised. Benefits significantly outweigh drawbacks.]
Lián Xù exhaled.
Fine. Playing useless? Sure I'll entertain you.
Lián Xù clasped his hands together, glancing toward the throne room. The heavy silk dragon robe draped over the chair smelled of faded sandalwood and duty. He shrugged into it.
"Alright, let's see how much trouble a perfectly confused emperor can cause in three days. If I survive, maybe I get a cultivation rank out of this circus. Maybe even unlock that fancy store you mentioned."
Lián Xù smirked, one hand on the latch, one hand on the truth.
"Let's see what the world believes today."
[Observation: Host exhibits readiness. Mission progress begins upon entry.]
The grand doors groaned shut behind Lián Xù, sealing him inside the roar. The page's cry—
"His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor!"—was a pebble tossed into a waterfall, vanishing without a ripple.
Not a single head turned.
Lián Xù stepped into the cacophony, steps measured against the cracked black marble. Ministers tugged at ornate sashes, faces puce. A general barked, spittle flying, while a messenger tripped, scattering letters like startled birds.
To his right, a noble in sapphire blue wrestled a crimson-robed rival, hands locked in silent absurdity. The factions buzzed, adding noise rather than quelling it.
By the dais, leaning lazily against a pillar, the head Eunuch Li snored. Chin on chest, collar vibrating softly. In the middle of a crisis. In the emperor's direct line of sight. Audacious. Almost admirable.
Lián Xù ascended the dais.
The moment his palms touched the armrests, the cold stone stirred—heat blooming beneath his skin as the surface flowed, transmuting into smooth jade. By the time he settled fully into the seat, the Dragon Throne had awakened, its dull gray sheen burning into radiant gold.
Lián Xù lifted his gaze.
Silk sleeves whipped in frantic motion. Spittle flew mid-air at the corners of shouting mouths. Eyes blazed, jaws clenched, words caught before they could escape.
A symphony of chaos.
Lián Xù cleared his throat—a firm, projecting sound.
Nothing.
Invisibility field? he thought, tilting his head, eyebrows twitching.
"System, have I been rendered spectral?"
[Analysis Complete:
Host lacks Imperial Charisma and Cultivation Aura.
Presence comparable to a moderately interesting piece of furniture.
Visually present; imperceptible to heightened senses.]
Lián Xù shifted his feet, adjusted the folds of his robe, rubbed the bridge of his nose.
A throne room rug. Fantastic.
A familiar staple of the genre surfaced.
"System," his voice was low, a careful negotiation.
"I believe the standard protocol for most goldfinger systems is a newbie gift. Something to encourage participation. You know... to prevent immediate game-over situations."
The System's silence stretched—long enough to become conspicuous.
A dry sigh escaped Lián Xù. He raised a hand in mild exasperation. "A metaphorical training wheel?"
A faint, almost apologetic chime echoed.
[Query Acknowledged.
Clarification: The Heavenly Misjudgement System is a Version 0.9.3 Prototype.
The 'Newbie Giftpack' is scheduled for development in Phase 2.]
Lián Xù stared inwardly at the words.
A prototype?!
He wasn't a chosen one.
He was a beta tester.
A lab rat dropped into a snake pit with a note pinned to his back that read observe reactions.
Lián Xù tilted his head, one brow raised, fingers drumming lightly against his thigh.
His internal sigh—a wave of profound, weary resignation—must have been palpable. He frowned, adjusting the robe sleeve that swallowed his wrist.
[Detecting Host Discouragement.
Admin Override Initiated.
Granting… Compensatory Starter Gift.]
Lián Xù blinked in surprise.
"Compensatory…?"
Learning that an initial reward would be granted, Lián Xù's expectations surged.
A faint, apologetic chime echoed in his mind, and suddenly the weight of jade materialized in the inner fold of his robe.
He drew it out: a square of pale yellow jade, a coiled dragon etched across its surface.
Solid. Real.
And absurdly, unmistakably obvious.
The System has rewarded him an emperor's seal.