Chapter 14: System vs. System—The Battle of the Cheaters
The morning after the "Empress Taming" session was unusually quiet. Xu Yanluo sat on his terrace, enjoying a cup of spiritual tea served by Mu Qinglan, while Ye Ziyun—now officially part of the "Inner Circle"—was busy brushing his white hair.
Inside his mind, a very grumpy, maid-dressed Empress Yaoyin was currently scrubbing the virtual floors of his spiritual palace.
"I'll kill you... I'll wait for a thousand years and then I'll kill you..." she muttered.
'Less talking, more scrubbing, Yaoyin,' Yanluo thought with a smirk.
Suddenly, a massive crimson alert flashed across his vision. It wasn't the usual snarky tone.
[WARNING! WARNING!]
[System Notification: "Ling"]
[Detection: A High-Level "Anomalous Entity" has entered the Imperial Capital.]
[Type: Foreign System Host.]
[Host Name: Lu Chen.]
[System Type: "Great Harem Seeker System".]
Yanluo paused, his tea halfway to his lips. 'A Harem Seeker System? You're telling me there's another "Protagonist" in town whose job is to steal my women?'
[Ling: Affirmative. He is currently 500 meters away. His system allows him to see "Affection Ratings" and "Purity Meters." He is currently targeting the Fox Princess, Hu Ruyan.]
Yanluo's red eyes narrowed. "Shameless. Absolutely shameless."
The Encounter
In the royal marketplace, Hu Ruyan was busy shopping for new silks, her nine tails swishing happily.
Suddenly, a handsome youth with a generic "cool guy" vibe stepped into her path. This was Lu Chen. He flashed a perfect, 45-degree angle smile—the kind of smile that was scripted to work on 99% of female NPCs.
"System," Lu Chen whispered internally. "Check her stats."
[Host Lu Chen's System: Target Identified.]
[Name: Hu Ruyan (Fox Princess).]
[Purity: 10/100 (Extremely Low).]
[Affection for Current Partner: 99/100.]
[Advice: Use 'Memory Alteration' or 'Heart-Stealing Fragrance' to reset her mind.]
Lu Chen frowned. '10/100 Purity? That bastard Xu Yanluo must be a beast. No matter. Once I use my "Prince Charming" aura, she'll be begging to join my sect.'
"Fair lady," Lu Chen said, his voice dropping into a deep, soulful baritone. "I see a dark cloud over your destiny. You are tied to a man who does not deserve your light. Why stay in a cage when you could fly with—"
SMACK.
A spatial ripple tore through the air, and a black-leather-soled boot connected directly with the back of Lu Chen's head, slamming him face-first into a pile of spiritual watermelons.
Yanluo landed gracefully beside Ruyan, his hands in his pockets.
"Sorry," Yanluo said, looking down at the groaning "Hero." "My foot slipped. It has a habit of reacting to the smell of 'Generic Protagonist Bullshit.'"
The System Clash
Lu Chen scrambled up, his face covered in watermelon juice. "SYSTEM! Why didn't you warn me?! Use the 'Domain of Suppression'!"
[Lu Chen's System: Activating—]
[Ling: Oh, no you don't. Master, I've found a back-door into his code. Permission to 'Delete' his charisma buff?]
'Do it,' Yanluo smirked.
Suddenly, the golden aura surrounding Lu Chen flickered and died. His "perfect" hair became greasy. His "cool" clothes turned into rags. Even his breath started to smell like old onions.
The crowd of onlookers, who had been admiring him a second ago, now drew back in disgust.
"Ugh, who is this hobo?"
"He tried to flirt with the Prince's consort? How disgusting!"
Lu Chen stared at his hands in horror. "What... what did you do to my System?!"
"I'm a Developer, Lu Chen," Yanluo whispered, leaning in so only the other Host could hear. "You're just a User. I don't need a 'Heart-Stealing Fragrance' when I can just edit your existence into a 'Creepy Stalker' archetype."
Yanluo turned to Ruyan, who was looking at Lu Chen with pure revulsion. "Ruyan, do you want to keep shopping, or should I turn this guy into a garden gnome?"
"He smells bad, Yanluo! Let's go!" Ruyan pouted, hugging Yanluo's arm and dragging him away.
The Night of the "True" System
Back at the villa, the victory over a fellow System-user called for a celebration.
Yanluo sat on his throne, with Yao Qingxue on one side and Ye Ziyun on the other. Hu Ruyan was at his feet, and the two other consorts were busy preparing a "Spicy Bath."
"You were so cool today," Ziyun whispered, her hand sliding into his. "The way you didn't even let that man finish his sentence..."
"I have a zero-tolerance policy for people who try to steal my loot," Yanluo said, pulling her into a kiss that made her toes curl.
Inside his mind, the Maid-Empress Yaoyin stopped scrubbing. She looked at the screen showing the physical world and let out a frustrated huff.
"Bastard... even other Systems can't beat him. Is there no one in this world who can humble him?"
[Ling: Probably not. By the way, Yaoyin, the Master says he wants his 'Aura Massaged' tonight. Since you're a spirit, you'll have to manifest as a 'Dream-Wife.']
Yaoyin's face turned red. "I am an Empress! I will not—"
[Ling: The Master is currently thinking about giving you more 'Handcuff Education.']
"...What color of silk should I manifest in?" she whispered, defeated.
Yanluo chuckled aloud, much to the confusion of his hugging consorts. The "Lower Realm" was fun, but with other System-users starting to pop up, it was time to level up for real.