On the screen with eye protection mode enabled, the twenty hour countdown for the writing software’s confinement room finally reached zero. After copying the newly written chapter, the author opened the web novel platform and habitually clicked on the comment section first.
A new comment sat right at the top.
“What the hell is the author writing? Do you even know how to write a power fantasy? Shi Zhaorong comes from a better background than the male lead, has a higher cultivation level than the male lead, and is even described as ‘exceptionally beautiful.’ What kind of supporting male character is written like this? He’s clearly the author’s real favorite! Why not just make him the male lead instead?”
Several replies appeared beneath the comment, all expressing agreement.
The hand gripping the mouse tightened.
“That’s foreshadowing! Foreshadowing! Do you people even understand what that means?”
Closing the comment section, he went to the chapter update page. In a fit of pique, he created three new chapters in one go: The Death of Shi Zhaorong (Part One), (Part Two), and (Part Three). Each chapter contained more than ten thousand words. After filling in the chapter details, he moved the cursor to the bottom right corner, clicked the button, and published them.
Less than two minutes later, new comments began appearing.
Reader A: “Holy shit, am I seeing things? Did I read that title correctly? My Young Master Shi is dead?”
Reader B: “I thought he was going to have some much more significant role in the story. And this is it? That’s all he gets?”
Reader C: “This is downright supernatural. I started reading this novel specifically to see when this arrogant supporting character would finally get beaten into submission or recruited by the male lead. I kept following the story for that moment, only for the author to kill him off without even giving him a direct connection to the male lead. It’s like walking ten miles to a supermarket in the blazing midday summer heat because you desperately want an ice cold Coke, only to arrive and discover that the fucking supermarket has put all its Coke in a heated display cabinet!”
The comment quickly received a massive number of likes.
The author, whose pen name was A Big Goose Stewed in a Milk Pot, had been waiting in the comment section ever since the update went live. Now, he was completely dumbfounded.
Something wasn’t right.
When Shi Zhaorong had first appeared in the story, most of the comments had been complaints and dissatisfaction. He had listened to his readers and painfully decided to kill Shi Zhaorong off. So why had so many readers suddenly come out of the woodwork demanding that the supporting character stay alive?
Reader D: “Stupid author.”
A Big Goose Stewed in a Milk Pot silently clicked the report button and selected the reason: Personal attack against the author.
Reader E: “This isn’t how it’s supposed to work! In danmei, cross that out, I mean male oriented fiction, this isn’t how things are supposed to go! The male lead and this character should have started out as enemies, becoming acquainted through their clashes. They should have competed against each other while gradually winning each other over, slowly letting go of their past grudges until they finally became willing to face life and death together. That’s how male oriented fiction is supposed to work! An arrogant supporting male character is practically the destined wife of a Long Aotian male lead! Now that Zhaorong is gone, who’s going to be the ‘female lead’? That fiancée who disappeared three hundred chapters ago? The novel has already reached Chapter 301, and she’s still nowhere to be seen! Or those insignificant female characters whose names the male lead can’t even remember?”
As more and more readers discovered the latest update, the number of dissatisfied comments increased at an alarming rate.
A Big Goose Stewed in a Milk Pot was utterly bewildered.
He was a newcomer to the world of online fiction. Fortunately, his very first long form novel had achieved a modest degree of success. It wasn’t a runaway hit, but he had managed to build up a stable readership.
Shi Zhaorong was an important supporting male character in his novel. He was exceptionally handsome, came from a noble and prestigious family, and possessed a distinctive personality that made him stand out from the crowd. He had an undeniable air of superiority and charisma. Quite a few readers had complained that he overshadowed the male lead, and A Big Goose Stewed in a Milk Pot had been deeply troubled by their criticism.
In the end, he had reluctantly written the character’s death into the story, only to find himself facing an even greater controversy.
He couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
Sigh. Maybe I should go make myself a cup of coffee and clear my head first.
The bespectacled young man, whose appearance was more scholarly than robust, picked up his water cup and stood. Unfortunately, he failed to notice the power cord lying across the floor.
A burst of crackling electricity rang out.
The young man collapsed to the ground. There was no further movement.
Meanwhile, on his computer screen, every chapter in the author’s backend had turned red and become locked. The notification displayed an error message that had never appeared on the website before.
Abnormal story status. The chapters will become available again once the author has made the necessary corrections.
…..
The rosy glow of dawn pierced the lingering chill of the frosty night. Spiritual branches unfurled their leaves, and morning dew glittered like pearls. An intricately carved wooden screen adorned with auspicious floral patterns concealed a bed within its delicate latticework.
Behind the bed curtains, a young man’s feathery lashes trembled. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
Shi Zhaorong gazed blankly at the canopy above him, his mind clouded with confusion. It took him quite some time to regain his senses.
He had experienced a dream.
A dream about his own death.
In that dream, he had become enemies with a young man for various reasons. While pursuing the other party, he had accidentally wandered into a perilous place and brought about his own demise.
Yet what troubled him even more than his death was the chain of consequences that followed it.
After he died, his mother became convinced that the young man bore an undeniable responsibility for his son’s death. She swore to fight him to the bitter end, refusing to rest until one of them had been destroyed. However, the young man repeatedly managed to escape death by the narrowest of margins. In the end, it was Shi Zhaorong’s own friends and relatives who perished one after another. His family line was wiped out, and Lingdu itself fell into ruin.
It had been a truly terrifying dream.
Could it be some kind of premonition? Was that young man destined to be his downfall?
[Welcome back! The Loyal Dog Male Second Lead Cultivation Plan is now officially activated. It is a pleasure to serve you. I am your system, as well as your golden finger.]
Shi Zhaorong suspected that his eyes were playing tricks on him.
A large, dusty grey goose was standing beside his bed, and it was actually transmitting its voice directly into his mind?
He slowly sat up. His raven black hair slipped down over his slender shoulders, revealing a fine red mark between his brows that extended vertically like a hanging needle, adding an extra touch of striking beauty to his already exquisite appearance.
[You should have already witnessed the scene of your death in your dream. That is something that may happen in the future. I have come to help you avoid that possibility.]
“How did you get in here?”
Shi Zhaorong displayed very little wariness. His tone was casual, as though he were addressing a harmless little animal that had suddenly appeared in his home.
Unfortunately, the question was too sensitive, and the system had no way to answer it. It decided to respond to a completely different question instead.
[Poof! I just appeared like that! That’s how systems work. Plenty of novels nowadays don’t bother explaining where the system comes from at the beginning anymore.]
Shi Zhaorong didn’t understand what it was talking about, but there was nothing particularly strange about a goose saying a few things that humans couldn’t comprehend.
“You said you could help me avoid the calamity in my dream. How do you intend to do that?”
Realizing that Shi Zhaorong had taken an interest in its proposal, the system waddled forward a couple of steps, drawing closer to him. Its soft, fluffy chest pressed against his ankle, and the sensation was surprisingly comfortable.
[There is often a certain kind of person in novels who possesses all the fortune and destiny of the world. Although their personalities and ways of doing things may differ, every single one of them is destined to accomplish extraordinary feats that no one before them has ever achieved. They are the Chosen Ones of Heaven, also known as the male leads. Those who oppose them will suffer losses and humiliation at best, while at worst, they will lose their lives and have their cultivation destroyed. On the other hand, those who form good relationships with them often receive considerable benefits…]
Someone who possesses all the fortune and destiny of the world?
There was no doubt about it. The system must be talking about him.
Shi Zhaorong had always been generous and magnanimous. He nodded in understanding.
“Go on, then. What is it you want?”
The system froze.
It had forgotten that the young master had always possessed an exceptionally strong sense of self worth.
It tried to correct his misunderstanding.
[Uh… Ahem! Apart from the male lead, there is often another kind of character in novels. He can simultaneously be the male lead’s best friend, his worst enemy, his most loyal follower, and his selfless mentor in life. He is an important figure on the male lead’s path to ascension, helping him climb all the way to godhood. In return, he and his family will receive immense benefits. After all, when one person achieves the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven…]
[This character is called the second male lead.]
[And you, my friend, are precisely such a glorious and magnificent second male lead.]
Although Shi Zhaorong had grown up surrounded by wealth and privilege, he was neither a spoiled wastrel nor someone who enjoyed listening to flattery. The system’s exaggerated words failed to impress him. Instead, he furrowed his brows and asked, “I’m the second male lead? Why am I second?”
[Ahem, ahem.]
The system awkwardly changed the subject.
[Let’s return to your companion. He’s actually quite pitiful. He grew up without a father or mother, had to live under someone else’s roof, and endured constant disdain and mistreatment…]
As the system continued its explanation, Shi Zhaorong’s resistance began to soften slightly. His long lashes lowered, and he fell into thought.
The young master’s second defining personality trait was that he simply could not bear to hear about anyone suffering.
In the original story, although Shi Zhaorong stood on the opposite side of the male lead, he was by no means a villain. He was an exceptionally generous person who always stood up for his own people and protected those under his care. Moreover, had it not been for the male lead, he would never have become entangled in a bitter feud with him in the first place.
That was precisely why a considerable number of readers had hoped that he and the male lead would eventually put aside their differences, reconcile, and become the male lead’s loyal subordinates.
“I understand now.” Shi Zhaorong suddenly saw the light. “So this is what people mean when they say a situation is utterly tragic and inhuman, right?”
He had learned this idiom from the Confucian and Daoist master who had taught him the basics of reading and writing when he was very young. However, this was the first time he had ever connected the expression to an actual situation in real life.
The system was rendered speechless. Well, it hasn’t quite reached that level of tragedy.
Shi Zhaorong had only understood about half of the concepts the system had explained, but he had managed to grasp the most important point. “You’re telling me all this because you want me to help the male lead you’ve been talking about? And helping him is the key to resolving the calamity that threatens me?”
The system hurriedly nodded its goose head. [Exactly! I’ve named this operation the Loyal Dog Male Second Lead Cultivation Plan. All you need to do is go through thick and thin with the male lead and become brothers who have shared life and death experiences. That way, you can defy the heavens, change your destiny, and eliminate the threat of death!]
No matter how he looked at it, this plan seemed like a profitable deal.
It wouldn’t cost him much money, yet he would be able to win over someone who might potentially be a Chosen One of Heaven. Even if the system’s claims turned out to be false, he could simply consider it an act of kindness, something worthwhile to do every day.
Shi Zhaorong nodded. “Understood. I’ll raise him into a loyal dog of a second male lead.”
[…]
The system was struck dumb once again.
You’re not supposed to raise the male lead! You’re the one who’s supposed to be raised into the second male lead!
However, the young master had already made his displeasure with the identity of the “second male lead” abundantly clear. Continuing to argue against him would obviously be an unwise decision. The system chose to keep its mouth shut. Perhaps it could find an opportunity to gradually correct the young master’s understanding at a later time.
Shi Zhaorong yawned and reached out to pat the system’s goose head. “Although I don’t know where you came from, you seem rather interesting. I’ve wanted to keep a pet for a long time, but I’ve never come across one that caught my fancy. From now on, you can stay with me.”
As a young master who possessed absolute confidence in both his abilities and his personal charm, Shi Zhaorong accepted the mysterious, unknown goose before him with remarkable ease. He had never liked wasting his time worrying, guarding against others, or indulging in unnecessary suspicion. Besides, this was only a goose. Even if something went wrong, he was perfectly capable of dealing with it.
He lightly tapped the jade ring beside his bed.
Two maidservants entered through the door, carrying a basin of water and a set of fresh clothes. One was dressed in purple, while the other wore green. Both possessed breathtaking beauty, their appearances as lovely as flowers.
According to the usual conventions of novels, whenever an author wanted to portray a pampered young master who had been spoiled since childhood, they would invariably have him surrounded by several beautiful maidservants.
Shi Zhaorong took this convention a step further. Not only did he have maidservants accompanying him wherever he went, but the ones standing beside him changed with every appearance he made in the story. Every single one of them was beautiful, loyal, and capable. This had left countless readers who identified with the male lead green with envy.
Naturally, such extravagant behavior was completely at odds with the rules of the Xuanzhen Sect.
Cultivators pursued transcendence beyond worldly affairs, immortality, and carefree freedom. As a renowned and upright sect, the Xuanzhen Sect naturally held its disciples to the same standards and forbade them from indulging in worldly pleasures.
However, Shi Zhaorong came from an exceptionally prestigious family and had been pampered since childhood. His mother simply couldn’t bear the thought of her precious son having to endure any “hardship” within the sect. She had even forced the sect master of Xuanzhen to make an exception to the rules for him.
If anyone wondered why the sect master of one of the most powerful sects had yielded to such an unreasonable demand, the answer was probably because he had to call that woman Elder Sister.
The pressure of their blood relationship was simply too overwhelming.
In any case, as long as Shi Zhaorong didn’t parade his servants around the sect and draw everyone’s attention, his sect master uncle was willing to turn a blind eye to the matter.
While allowing the maidservants to help him change his clothes, Shi Zhaorong gave them two instructions. “There are two things I need you to take care of. First, find someone from the Cauldron Artifact Peak to make a nest for the goose. It must be made of jade and gold.”
If one were to ask the disciples of the Cauldron Artifact Peak whom they admired most throughout the entire sect, even their own peak master would have to take a step back. The undisputed first place would undoubtedly belong to their beloved Junior Brother Zhaorong.
There were three reasons for this.
He was generous. He never interfered in the actual design process. And he never held up their funding.
No matter how many precious materials they used, materials they would normally have been reluctant to waste on experiments, or how many artifact forging techniques they tried out that had no practical use whatsoever, as long as the finished product met the expected requirements, Shi Zhaorong would pay for every single expense in full.
Where else could they find such a wonderful client?
He was practically their benefactor, a parent reborn!
The moment the system heard his words, it thrust its goose head forward, its goose eyes widening in disbelief.
A golden goose nest? For me?
For one brief moment, it felt that going along with the young master’s wishes and raising the male lead into a loyal dog might not be such a bad idea after all. However, it only needed to glance at the translucent panel floating in its field of vision to regain its senses.
[Status: Transmigration]
[Reason for Transmigration: Your writing was so terrible that you transmigrated into your own novel.]
[Conditions for Completion: Revise the plot and bring it in line with readers’ expectations.]
[Chapters Awaiting Revision: 301]
[Mandatory Plot Point: Shi Zhaorong must become the male lead’s most loyal subordinate, or Shi Zhaorong must be killed by the male lead.]
Getting home is still the priority.
The system automatically ignored the second option. The young master wasn’t a bad person, after all. It couldn’t bring itself to do something so utterly devoid of conscience.
“Use that as the bedding for the goose nest, too.” Shi Zhaorong pointed toward the white fox fur cloak resting on the rack.
It was a congratulatory gift he had received from his elders when he successfully formed his Golden Core. Shi Zhaorong found it too bulky and cumbersome, and he had been looking for a suitable excuse to get rid of it for quite some time.
“But if my uncles and elders ask about it…” Shi Zhaorong lowered his feathery lashes, looking slightly troubled. The young master wasn’t particularly good at lying.
The girl in purple smiled sweetly and helpfully supplied an excuse for him. “The young master’s pet likes it so much that he simply can’t bear to take it away.”
Shi Zhaorong’s eyes lit up. He nodded. “Good! That’s exactly what we’ll say.”
A question mark slowly appeared above the system’s head.
Are pets only meant to be used as scapegoats?
Still, for the sake of the golden nest, it decided to put up with it.
“Young Master, what is the second matter?” the older and more composed maidservant in green asked.
“Pack a few Qiankun pouches and wait for me at the foot of Yunlai Peak.”
The two maidservants answered in unison, acknowledging his instructions.
As someone who had no need to engage in productive labor, Shi Zhaorong favored robes made from richly textured fabrics and preferred vivid, brilliant colors. The outfit he wore today was no exception. Its wide sleeves fluttered gracefully, and its flowing sashes danced in the breeze. A white inner robe formed the base, while a vivid scarlet cloak covered it from the outside. Elaborate golden ornaments shimmered across the fabric like scales, their dazzling brilliance radiating an almost blinding sense of aristocratic splendor.
Once he was fully dressed, the maidservant in green brought out a box of rouge. She carefully traced a cloud pattern along the red mark between Shi Zhaorong’s brows. After examining her work for a moment, she smiled with satisfaction.
The maidservant in purple then presented him with a folding fan made of jade and gold. Shi Zhaorong accepted it and turned his attention back to the system.
“Come to think of it, do grey geese actually exist?”
He had never seen a grey goose before.
Mistaking his question for an expression of disdain toward its appearance, the system immediately took offense.
[Of course grey geese exist! Have you never seen the world before? I’m a black maned goose! I’m famous for having fine bones and tender meat. I’m absolutely delicious!]
Shi Zhaorong immediately seized upon the key phrase.
“Absolutely delicious?”
The system froze.
It seemed to have dug its own grave.
Shi Zhaorong crouched down and reached out toward the goose. The system attempted to flee, but before it could get away, Shi Zhaorong grabbed it by the ankle. Trapped, it could do nothing but flap its wings helplessly on the spot.
[Don’t eat me! I’m too old! I won’t taste good! I’m useful! Eating me would be a terrible waste!]
With a soft click, a golden ring was slipped around the goose’s foot.
Shi Zhaorong gave it a solemn warning. “Make sure you wear it properly. Otherwise, someone might catch you and eat you.”
Judging by its design, the object had originally been intended as a finger ring. It had been crafted using several different techniques, and its surface shimmered with a flowing radiance. Though miniature in size, it was exquisitely intricate.
A careful examination revealed that it also possessed storage capabilities, with an interior space roughly one zhang square.
According to the original novel’s setting, magical treasures were divided into five ranks: magical artifacts, spiritual artifacts, treasure artifacts, immortal artifacts, and divine artifacts. In addition, they were classified into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.
Judging from its brilliance and the size of its storage space, this ring was unquestionably at least a Profound grade treasure artifact.
It was worth a fortune!
The system immediately abandoned all dignity and bowed at lightning speed.
Young Master! You are my eternal boss!
Shi Zhaorong unfurled his golden fan with a flourish.
“Come on. Let’s go and have a look at this male lead you’ve been telling me about.”
[Author’s Note:]
P.S. The young master is inexperienced and has never encountered many poor people, people like the author, for example. My new novel has just been released, so please add it to your collection and leave comments! I’m rolling around on the floor begging you all!