Zhang Nan had transmigrated, and it had been over a year.
During that year and more, he would greet the God of Transmigration with a full spectrum of curses every single day. Starting from their eighteenth generation of ancestors, he would disparage the God of Transmigration until they were utterly worthless.
In his previous life, he was a "demolition rich second generation," able to live comfortably for three generations just by collecting rent. His days of eating and waiting to die were incredibly cushy; he had never even thought about transmigrating. But not only did he transmigrate, he did so in a tragic way.
There were many tragic transmigrators before him, making it hard to compare whose fate was worse. Zhang Nan didn't want to compete over tragedy; he wanted to compete over transmigration benefits.
When transmigrating to an unfamiliar world, if you didn't have some kind of benefit to rely on, you'd basically die. He had this benefit, and it was the most cost-effective system.
This system was unbelievably awesome. It could exchange for various levels of cultivation techniques, elixirs, and even rare heavenly treasures.
The system didn't talk to him, nor did it need any explanation. The moment he opened his eyes, he knew how to use it: how to bind, how to issue tasks, how to distribute rewards... everything was clear in his mind. The only problem was that Zhang Nan couldn't use this system directly.
Because Zhang Nan was the system, a system that could only bind to female hosts.
How cool was that? How utterly mind-boggling!
At first, he was somewhat calm. At least he had transmigrated with his physical body, not as a spirit or soul. Plus, with the system's additional attributes, as long as the host was cultivated, he could also benefit. The "female" host gender requirement even led Zhang Nan to some rather unhealthy fantasies.
Like issuing "hanky-panky" missions, what rewards to give for what positions, reaching the peak of life just by hanky-panky... The scene was too beautiful to imagine.
But the brutal truth later made him realize that such beautiful scenes were truly just fantasies.
During his time transmigrating, he had already gone through three hosts in a row.
The first was an elegant beauty, gentle, serene, knowledgeable, and reasonable. After the system bound to her, the beauty told her parents about it. Her parents then sought doctors for medicine and Daoist priests for exorcisms. When they found the jade beauty's "possession" couldn't be cured, they had her beaten to death with a stick to preserve family honor.
Learning from his lesson, he chose a clever little maid with no parents for the second host. The maid consciously kept the secret, diligently completing tasks and improving herself. Then, the clever little maid chose to rise up and challenge her master, only to be beaten to death.
For the third host, Zhang Nan, having learned from his painful experiences, found an intelligent girl. The girl was unassuming, kind-hearted, and completed all the tasks Zhang Nan assigned with quality and quantity assured. Just as the path to rise seemed within reach, the girl fell in love with a young, handsome scion of a noble family, and her IQ plummeted to rock bottom. In the end, the scion tricked her out of everything, then poisoned her and abandoned her body in the wilderness.
As the system and attendant for the third host, he was hunted down by men sent by the scion and eventually fell into a river. When he woke up, he was already in a prison cell.
"Damn it, is there no reliable host left? Are they trying to screw over their dads and their systems?"
Zhang Nan lay on the straw, sighing with genuine lament.
Now he understood: being able to bind only female hosts was absolutely not a benefit. Compared to men, women were too emotional, most lacked stable temperaments, and had obvious shortcomings in emotional intelligence. In modern society, one could find strong women or tomboys, but in this feudal Central Dominion, it was purely wishful thinking. They either weren't cautious enough and got themselves killed, or they were too trusting and were harmed by others.
"Where am I now? Were they the ones who caught me? Doesn't seem like it..."
Zhang Nan sighed and sat up, looking around. He was such a high-level system, a being that determined others' fates; he couldn't just casually die. Life had to go on, and he still needed to find a host, but this time, he absolutely had to find a reliable one.
"Miss, this is not a place for you to be..."
"I heard someone was picked up from the river, so I came to see."
"Miss, that person's origins are unknown, most likely a bandit. The yamen will come to take him away soon..."
"Why are you talking so much nonsense? I said I just wanted to look. Get out!!"
Hearing the conversation outside, Zhang Nan's heart instantly chilled.
In the Central Dominion, martial arts reigned supreme, and fighting and killing in the streets were common. The local government office was largely for show, rarely arresting actual murderers. If a victim pressed the matter, they'd just drag someone out of jail and chop off their head to take the blame. Being in a private family prison was fine, but being locked in the yamen's jail pretty much meant waiting to die.
"Oh, you're awake." A girl of fifteen or sixteen walked in from outside, standing outside the cell and observing him.
"Where are you from? Who are you?" The girl had a flat chest, slender waist, and a loli figure. She was very pretty, and her eyes were full of curiosity.
Zhang Nan remained silent, secretly sending a command.
[Beginner stage, scan, target x1 found...]
[Name: Lin Qingqing; Gender: Female; Age: 15; Cultivation Realm: None... Meets requirements... Can bind...]
Scanning the other party's information was just an unconscious instinct. Zhang Nan had no intention of binding this girl.
Once a system was bound, it couldn't be voluntarily unbound unless the host died. This girl, at a glance, was a pampered young lady from a noble family, with "innocent and ignorant" written all over her face. She was even less reliable than the three previous hosts who had met untimely ends.
"Why aren't you talking? Are you mute?" Lin Qingqing waved at Zhang Nan. "Come here, open your mouth, let me see your teeth."
Zhang Nan's forehead veins throbbed. "Your sister, she's really unreliable."
"So disobedient, not fun." Seeing Zhang Nan didn't come over, Lin Qingqing was disappointed and muttered, "Forget it, it's not interesting. Just hand him over to the yamen."
He jolted.
"That's right, it's a matter of life and death right now, no time to be picky. Even if she's brainless, I have to endure it. You're the one."
Looking at Lin Qingqing, who was about to turn and leave, Zhang Nan gritted his teeth.
[Host Lin Qingqing, bind system, do you accept?]
Lin Qingqing, who was walking, paused and looked around.
"Just accept it already!" Zhang Nan was annoyed.
This was another thing that irritated him. Many other systems could forcibly bind, so why was his so weak that he had to ask for permission?
Zhang Nan sent the binding command again.
"Who, who is it?" Lin Qingqing was clearly startled. She quickly turned her head, saw Zhang Nan, and rushed over. "Were you talking to me? You're not mute?"
He kept his mouth shut and sent the binding command again. But this time, besides the binding command, he added something extra.
[Host Lin Qingqing, I am the Pinnacle of Life System. Install the system, complete tasks, and you can earn exchange points. Exchange points can be redeemed for martial arts techniques, elixirs, weapons... helping you become a generation's strongest, save the world, and reach the pinnacle of life...]
Seeing Lin Qingqing's eyes light up more and more, Zhang Nan couldn't help but feel a bit smug.
As a tycoon who had given more than a dozen "alliance leader" rewards in his previous life, He was definitely well-informed. Although he had repeatedly failed in choosing hosts, his ability to con people was always successful. However, based on previous failures, Zhang Nan decisively removed words like "Prince Charming" or "rich, handsome, and tall." To make these women more reliable, he couldn't let them think about men.
[Host Lin Qingqing, bind system, do you accept?]
Lin Qingqing stole a glance at him, then stealthily walked aside and whispered, "System Uncle, even if I redeem martial arts techniques, I can't practice them. I've tried before, but Grandpa and Daddy both said I had no talent and couldn't learn. Besides, I'm a girl, isn't fighting and killing not very good..."
"Just accept it, stop talking nonsense, women are so troublesome! And 'Uncle,' uncle your sister's uncle!" Zhang Nan was utterly depressed.
This body was twenty-five years old, considered "older" among transmigrators, but not old enough to be an uncle. However, he couldn't quibble about age with the host, otherwise, it might arouse suspicion. If his system body was discovered, even though this era didn't have vivisection for research, there was no guarantee he wouldn't be treated like the first beautiful host and be beaten to death as a monster.
[This system was born at the dawn of chaos, witnessing countless geniuses and prodigies, and not one was stronger than you. Those who say you have no talent are mere mortals. Your grandpa and daddy are both idiots... Ahem, in short, you are the greatest genius in the world, otherwise, you wouldn't have been chosen. What if you're a woman? Fujoshis can hold up half the sky! Moreover, you are a hero among women, the pinnacle among fujoshis... gag...]
Zhang Nan hadn't eaten for a long time, but after sending these words, he actually felt like vomiting.
[Host Lin Qingqing, bind system, do you accept?]
This time, Lin Qingqing finally stopped talking nonsense and accepted.
[Host Lin Qingqing, binding confirmed, system inserting... Inserting 1%... Inserting 1.5%...]
Although it wasn't his first time binding a system, seeing certain words still made Zhang Nan feel a pang in his groin. He hadn't set this; it was the default from the start.
[...Inserting 99.6%... Inserting 99.8%... Inserting 100%... Ding dong, insertion complete!]
"Hahaha, I'm going to save the world! I'm going to reach the pinnacle of life!!!!" Lin Qingqing burst into maniacal laughter.
"Damn it, what an idiot," Zhang Nan thought, speechless.
"Forget saving the world, save me first!" After the system binding was complete, Zhang Nan would soon fall unconscious. He had no time to deal with this silly girl anymore, so he directly sent the newly compiled mission content.
[Mission: Save Zhang Nan]
[Hint: As a future peerless powerhouse, before saving the world, you must possess a kind heart. This temporarily down-on-his-luck divine man before you will be your first test. Work hard, beautiful maiden...]
[Difficulty: Beginner]
[Time Limit: One day]
[Reward: Exchange Points x100]
[Note: This is an initial mission, the host must accept. Refusal or mission failure will result in the host's obliteration.]
"There's no such thing as a free lunch. If you want rewards, you'll have to work your ass off."
With that maliciously added note, he glanced at the confused and terrified Lin Qingqing, then Zhang Nan confidently passed out.