The Empress Chose My Bride, and Now I’m Stuck with a Yandere at -9999 Affection - Chapter 32:

Chapter 32: The Upgraded System

The moment Jiang Xuan heard that familiar mechanical voice from the system, he suddenly felt a glimmer of hope—maybe he could turn this around. To buy more time with Xiao Hongxin, he took the initiative and wrapped his arms around her fair neck. “Sister Hongxin, can you give me a little time to process this? Don’t worry, I won’t run away. It’s just… I’ve always had some concerns.”

“You have concerns about being with me? Is it because of your fiancée?”

“Mm, yes. Actually, my marriage with her isn’t as simple as it seems. I told you long ago, Sister Hongxin, aside from being the young master of the Jiang family, I’m also the Holy Son of a hidden sect. But I was chosen mostly because of my looks. The sect has a rule: the Holy Son can only marry the Saintess of the sect. That rule exists to motivate the female disciples to cultivate harder.”

“The selection criteria for the Saintess are extremely strict. First, she must be a peerless martial genius. Second, she must be strong enough to crush every other prodigy of her generation. After nearly three years of selection, the sect finally picked a woman who could bear that responsibility—Nangong Liuyun. I know you’re very powerful, Sister Hongxin, but compared to Nangong Liuyun, there’s still quite a gap.”

“This time, the only reason you were able to take me away from the Nangong residence was because she had an urgent matter and left. Her strength is terrifying—she reached the peak of the 9th stage Martial Emperor Realm at only 20 years old. Even the Sect Master said she’s a peerless monster destined to suppress an entire era. So I never resisted this marriage, because I knew it was my fate, something I couldn’t change.”

As he finished speaking, Jiang Xuan gently kissed Xiao Hongxin on the cheek. “Vice Pavilion Master, you should put me down now. We can pretend none of this happened today.”

After a long silence, Xiao Hongxin finally spoke, “I noticed it. Pavilion Master, you changed how you address me again. Do you really think such a little trick can fool me? You’ve seriously underestimated my determination. Hmph, so just because she’s a peerless genius, she can take whatever she wants? Just because she’s strong, she can steal someone else’s love?”

“The man I’ve set my heart on will never be taken from me. 9th stage Martial Emperor? So what? She’s too young. I might not lose to her.”

Jiang Xuan was a little surprised to hear that. He secretly activated the system’s scan function—and unexpectedly, the scan results were even better now.

Name: Xiao Hongxin
Current Cultivation: 3rd stage Martial Emperor Realm
Background: Disowned daughter of the Xiao family – Shenwu Empire
Spiritual Root: Rare Immortal Spirit Root
Current Favorability: 9999
System Tip: The beauty is head over heels. A single night of spring is worth a thousand gold. Suggest the host enjoy the moment.

Jiang Xuan, “?????”

He had been feeling touched when the system displayed her background information for the first time, thinking the new scanning feature was heartwarming. But when he saw the system’s so-called “tip,” he nearly lost it. Although he really wanted to argue with the system right away, now was not the time—he had to calm Xiao Hongxin down first. Otherwise, with his fragile little body, he might not survive another round.

Besides, he still didn’t know when Nangong Liuyun would return. If she came back early and came looking for him directly, he’d be doomed. After all, she had once told Jiang Xuan that if he dared to leave the Nangong residence, his punishment would be not being able to get out of bed for three whole months.

Thinking of that, Jiang Xuan’s legs went weak. He hesitated, then looked at Xiao Hongxin and said, “Sister Hongxin, I know you’re in a hurry, but please wait. Why don’t we both leave the Jiang family first? I don’t think it’s safe for me here anymore. My… my fiancée said… if she found out I snuck out of Nangong residence, she’d… she’d make sure I stayed in bed for three months…”

“What? Pavilion Master, your fiancée is that domineering? She even wants to restrict your freedom and break your legs? That’s outrageous!”

“Ah? Yes, yes, she’s that overbearing… let’s leave here first.”

Xiao Hongxin misunderstood him completely, but Jiang Xuan didn’t bother correcting her. He just wanted to escape the Jiang family. He had a bad feeling that Leng Wushuang, Xia Xiaoyu, or Murong Ying would all be arriving soon. Instead of waiting around for a warzone to erupt, it was better to escape while he still could. Once he got stronger with the system’s help, he’d come back for sure!

Just then, Xiao Hongxin slowly set him down, her expression firm. “Anyone who tries to hurt Pavilion Master—I won’t let them go. Pavilion Master, let’s stay right here in the Jiang family. When your fiancée arrives, I’ll take revenge for you!”

Jiang Xuan, “?????”

What the hell? Where did this pig teammate come from? Staying here wouldn’t help at all. In fact, it was dangerous. And it wasn’t just Nangong Liuyun he had to deal with—it would be an entire lineup of terrifying women. Worse, the root cause wasn’t even that he was a scumbag—it was his face. Those patrons just couldn’t let him go!

Ultimately, it was all the system’s fault. If it hadn’t told him to max out his charm stat, he wouldn’t be in this mess.
Scan System, “?????”

Snapping back to reality, Jiang Xuan decided to persuade Xiao Hongxin to leave with him. He walked over, took her hand, and looked at her with a pitiful expression. “Um… I really don’t want you to stay here, Sister Hongxin. I know your strength has improved a lot since before, but even if you can fight Nangong Liuyun, at best you’ll both be seriously injured. I don’t want to see you hurt…”

Hearing those words, Xiao Hongxin felt a soft tremble in her heart. [Pavilion Master cares so much about me… he’s even worried I’ll get hurt. That proves he loves me! Otherwise, why wouldn’t he worry about Nangong Liuyun, only me? After so many years, he’s finally responded to my feelings. What do I do? I can’t say no when he looks at me like that!]

Visibly moved, Xiao Hongxin quickly nodded. “Alright… I’ll listen to Pavilion Master. Let’s leave through the secret passage. But if your domineering fiancée dares show her face, I won’t let her off lightly!”

“Mm-hmm, let’s go then.”

As Jiang Xuan finished speaking, he let out a sigh of relief and gave a small smile—so dazzling that it made Xiao Hongxin briefly dazed. Deep down, Jiang Xuan thought, [The women of this world really care about saving face too much. The difference in strength is obvious, but they still insist on charging head-on. What are they thinking? And why do they all fall for the weak and kind type? Only when I act soft and sincere can I persuade them. But why is it that the more I act weak in bed, the less they want to let me go? They even say they feel guilty and tell me to endure it—without showing the slightest mercy. This is seriously twisted. In the end, only getting stronger will let me escape their control.]

Soon, Xiao Hongxin led Jiang Xuan into a secret passage hidden inside the room. As they entered, Jiang Xuan’s consciousness drifted into the system’s mental space.

“System, you finally finished upgrading! Where’s my upgrade gift pack? Hurry, give it to me—I want to see what goodies you’ve got.”

[Ding! Host, there is no upgrade gift pack included with this system update.]

Jiang Xuan, “?????”

“What? No gift pack? That’s seriously disappointing. So, what new functions did you get from this upgrade? Tell me.”

[Ding. This system has optimized the scanning function.]

“Okay… and then?”

[Host, as stated previously, the system’s scanning function has been optimized. Additionally, based on changes in a target’s Favorability score, this system will now offer heartfelt suggestions to help the host respond more effectively. With your already unmatched looks and maxed-out charm, you can do whatever you want in this world.]

Jiang Xuan, “?????”

After hearing that, Jiang Xuan exploded. His tone turned icy as he said, “System, I’ve been looking forward to this upgrade for years. I believed once you succeeded, you’d finally pull me out of this pit of suffering. But what did I get? Two full days of waiting, and this is it? You dare call this an upgrade? Do you even realize what I’ve been through these past two days?”

“Because I’m too weak, I’ve been toyed with and humiliated. Afterward, I even had to smile and praise them just to survive. Where’s the ‘doing whatever I want’? I’ve only been the one others do whatever they want with! I never even had a chance to turn things around!”

“But I kept telling myself to endure it, because your upgrade was my only hope. And what did I get? Despair.”

[Host, this system—]

“Don’t call me ‘Host.’ That person died the moment you started your upgrade!”

After giving the system a harsh scolding, Jiang Xuan finally felt a bit refreshed. With everyone else being a powerhouse, this poor system was the only one he could bully. Still, he really had been let down. After all that buildup, there wasn’t even a gift pack. The stinginess hadn’t changed at all.

But calming down, Jiang Xuan realized he had gone too far. The system had been with him for so many years. Even if it hadn’t helped much, at least it stayed. Even if it didn’t contribute, at least it got tired. After all, it served a loser like him—getting tired made sense.

So Jiang Xuan spoke again in a gentler tone, “System, I know I got a little emotional earlier. Don’t take it personally, okay? You’ve never given up on me, always stayed by my side—thank you. If one day my fragile little body can’t take it anymore and I fall in the middle of a battle of jealous lovers, just collect my corpse for me, alright? No matter how pathetic my life is, every day I’ve lived in this world is precious to me…”

Before Jiang Xuan could finish, the system suddenly interrupted.

[Host, I wasn’t done speaking. This upgrade also included a hidden feature. This hidden feature might allow you to finally step onto the path of cultivation.]

Jiang Xuan, “!!!!!”

His eyes lit up instantly, and his tone changed at once. “System, you know me so well! While you were upgrading, I kept praying for your safe return. So, what’s the hidden feature you’re talking about? Whatever it is, I’ll take it seriously—after all, it’s your heartfelt gift!”

The system’s mechanical voice replied slowly, [This hidden feature is called: Spiritual Root Replication.]

Jiang Xuan, “!!!!!!”