I Transmigrated as a Doomed Villain and Awakened a Rebate System, Then Pampered the Protagonist’s Fiancée to Heaven - Chapter 2:

Chapter 2: Seizing the Opportunity

Although Liu Ruobing was merely an early-stage character designed to make the protagonist look good, she was by no means short of spirit stones or cultivation resources. After all, she was the personal disciple of the Ethereal Sect’s Fourth Elder. With a master at the Spirit Realm backing her, how could she possibly be poor?

Chu Qiuran racked his brain, unable to think of anything that could catch her attention. Then, a scene from the novel suddenly came to mind.

A month later, the protagonist would discover an old well deep in the outer sect’s back mountain. Beneath it was a secret passage leading to an underground cave. Inside that cave lay a small pool of ten-thousand-year-old stalactite essence. 

Using it, the protagonist would cleanse his body, strengthen his aptitude, and earn his first fortune.

“Right now, Ye Feng hasn’t found the stalactite essence yet. If I go first…”

Though stealing someone’s opportunity was a bit immoral, survival mattered far more than morality when one’s life was on the line.

Chu Qiuran didn’t consider himself a good person, but he also wasn’t a bad one. After only a moment’s hesitation, he set out toward the bamboo forest described in the novel’s memory.

The bamboo forest was vast. It took him half a day to locate the dried-up well. The moon was already high—it was midnight. After confirming that he was in the right place, he leapt down into the well and began knocking against the bluestone slabs, searching for the hidden passage.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

A hollow sound echoed from the left. Clearly, it was empty inside. Chu Qiuran clenched his right fist and struck hard—the stone slab shattered, revealing a dark tunnel beneath. Seeing this, he exhaled in relief. 

He hadn’t made a mistake; there really was a secret passage here.

By early dawn, Chu Qiuran had returned to his quarters. In his hands were two jade bottles filled with ten-thousand-year-old stalactite essence—the exact same quantity mentioned in the novel.

The stalactite essence had the special ability to cleanse the body and improve one’s aptitude. In the original plot, the protagonist used one bottle, and since further use was ineffective, he sold the other. Now, if Chu Qiuran gifted both bottles to Liu Ruobing, he would receive a tenfold rebate from the System—twenty bottles in total.

He could then trade those twenty bottles for higher-value treasures and gift them again for another tenfold rebate. Repeating this cycle ten times, the wealth he could accumulate was beyond imagination.

But the real question was—how could he give something to Liu Ruobing?

She was the personal disciple of the Fourth Elder. Although she hadn’t yet advanced past the Foundation Establishment Realm and left the outer sect, a mere registered disciple like him had no way of approaching her directly.

As his mind raced, a memory suddenly flashed before him—his college roommate, the ultimate simp.

That guy used to wait outside the girls’ dorm every day with gifts for his so-called goddess. He never missed a day. Even though she eventually ran off with a rich second-generation heir, at least his gifts were delivered.

Liu Ruobing trained with her sword at the outer sect’s martial arena every day. Why couldn’t he do the same—wait by her door with gifts?

Though Liu Ruobing was proud, she wasn’t unreasonable. 

In the original novel, her resentment wasn’t without cause. She simply refused to entrust her future to someone like Ye Feng—a useless man who couldn’t even break through Foundation Establishment.

Later, when she advanced to the Pill Condensation Realm and became an inner disciple, she brought her master to confront Ye Feng, using her power to dissolve their engagement. Ye Feng, unwilling to accept humiliation, kept growing stronger. 

Liu Ruobing, unable to believe she’d misjudged him, challenged him again and again. In the end, she fell into inner demons, forever stuck at the Pill Condensation Realm, unable to reach the Spirit Realm.

After sorting out his thoughts, Chu Qiuran immediately grabbed the two bottles of stalactite essence and headed toward the martial arena to imitate his simp roommate’s strategy.

Inside the martial arena, a cold and graceful woman wielding a longsword flickered across the field like a shadow. The sound of clashing blades rang out—it was Liu Ruobing, the Fourth Elder’s personal disciple.

Opposite her stood Bai Luoluo, a short-haired girl hailed as one of the strongest among the outer disciples. She blocked Liu Ruobing’s strike with her spear. The two sparred for nearly two hours, yet neither could claim victory.

“Enough, enough! Every time we fight, I end up half-dead. Next time, don’t drag me into another match,” Bai Luoluo complained as she sheathed her spear.

Liu Ruobing sighed and shook her head. “Among the outer sect’s female disciples, only you can match me evenly. I’m stuck at the bottleneck of Pill Condensation. Please forgive me for troubling you so often.”

Proud and aloof, Liu Ruobing kept her distance from male disciples. Yet few female disciples were strong enough to challenge her, so she constantly pestered Bai Luoluo for sparring sessions, hoping that combat might inspire a breakthrough.

“Fine, fine,” Bai Luoluo said helplessly. “But I’m warning you now—every time we spar, you owe me a Jade Marrow Pill. That’s a fair price.”

The Jade Marrow Pill was a Foundation Establishment-level pill that boosted cultivation. Ordinary outer disciples only received two per month. 

Liu Ruobing, however, possessed over twenty. Since they no longer helped her progress, she didn’t mind giving them to Bai Luoluo as payment.

After finishing their match, the two sat down to recover, sipping spiritual liquid to restore their depleted spiritual Qi.

“Ruobing, the assessment for registered disciples is coming up soon. If I remember right, your fiancé—”

“Don’t mention him!” Liu Ruobing snapped, her calm expression instantly hardening into anger.

Bai Luoluo fell silent. The image of that useless man—five years in the sect and still stuck at the 3rd stage Qi Refining Realm—flashed through Liu Ruobing’s mind, darkening her face further.

A worthless man like that had no right to be her fiancé. He wasn’t worthy of her!

After recovering her Qi, Liu Ruobing and Bai Luoluo left her private training hall together. Just as they stepped outside, a figure suddenly blocked their path.

It was none other than Chu Qiuran.

Being stopped by a mere 9th stage Qi Refining Realm registered disciple left the two of them momentarily stunned.

Before they could react, Chu Qiuran dropped to his knees, holding two jade bottles high above his head, shouting loudly, “Senior Sister Liu Ruobing, whose beauty and talent are unmatched! As a humble registered disciple, I dare not covet you, but I’m willing to dedicate everything I have! I happened upon two bottles of ten-thousand-year-old stalactite essence and have come today to present them to you!”