I Rely On The Collapse Of The Character Setting To Survive In The Hands Of The Male Lead Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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The horsewhip struck the hollow of the palms casually, the corners of the mouth curved into the widest arc, and a triumphant laughter resonated from within the body. No matter how one looked at this series of expressions and actions, they did not seem like those of a good person.

Lin Qingyang was gradually regaining his composure while maintaining this posture, but the next second, he was shocked by the scene before him.　

Naked…..man!!!

On the ancient, simple, and precious pearwood bed, a young man with an ‘open and honest'[1] demeanor was currently bound.

His dark green long hair resembled ink, and his translucent white skin was akin to ice jade. Just by looking at these features, Lin Qingyang, with his straight male aesthetic, almost felt embarrassed and turned away, thinking he had seen a woman.

However, what was truly before his eyes was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old young man with long hair. Moreover, the background scene accommodating him was ancient and classical, completely unlike a modern setting.

Lin Qingyang’s dizzy brain neurons were continuously stimulated by the sudden appearance of the scene before him.

Is this a prank? A reality show? Or… is he dreaming?　　

No… he… He clearly died. The final scene of his painful death was so vivid. How could there be a mistake? What is happening now?

In the midst of chaotic thoughts, he met a gaze filled with hatred. It was dark, ominous, and murderous, turning into crimson in his eyes.

If glares could materialize, Lin Qingyang would undoubtedly be torn to shreds right now.

His whole body couldn’t help but shudder. Before he could make sense of the situation, a mechanical female voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

[Ding! Successfully making eye contact with the protagonist of this story, activating the system.]　　

Lin Qingyang: “What the heck?”

【Character binding successful, character: Lin Qingyang. Identity: Eldest son of Marquis An Nan. Starting role: The ultimate courting death cannon fodder.】

Lin Qingyang: “Why do I have a premonition of impending doom? This familiar plot?”

【Plot progress: 0%. Account points: 10. Exchange Shop not yet open】

Lin Qingyang: “Is it true that I’ve transmigrated into a book with a system?”　

【 Congratulations, Host’s soul has been chosen by the Heavenly Law of “The Path of the Tyrant Slaughterer”!】

The…..The what! This is outrageous! Congratulations, my foot!

…

“The Path of the Tyrant Slaughterer” was a niche novel he had read several years ago.

It narrated the bloody development journey of the tyrant Chu Lishu.

Although the detailed plot had long been forgotten, two things left a deep impression on Lin Qingyang: a cannon fodder character with the same name as himself, and the character setting of the male lead.　　

Having read countless novels, Lin Qingyang had never encountered a male lead like this. Not the overbearing and arrogant type, not a self-insert Jack Sue, and there were no heavenly encounters with a golden finger. Even terms like “beauty with a tragic background,” “paranoid,” and “yandere” were overly generous in his view.

He was a completely blackened character, a crazy person who couldn’t see a single bright spot in human nature.

Before he turned into an insane tyrant, Chu Lishu, also known as His Highness the Crown Prince Yuan Ran. He was once a wise crown prince adored by the nation, admired by the young people of the Great Zhou, skilled in both governance and warfare. The imperial court had high expectations for him, entrusting him with the radiant future of the country.

However, a single battle destroyed everything.　　

The Crown Prince, representing the royal family, commanded the army on the front lines. Initially in a winning position, awaiting negotiations, he became impatient, sought quick success, and pursued victory single-mindedly. As a result, the elite forces of the Great Zhou Dynasty, totaling two hundred thousand, were annihilated. The battlefield was strewn with corpses for miles, and rumors circulated that the Crown Prince had also perished in that battle, with no remains left.

Losing three cities consecutively, the Great Zhou Dynasty faced its most significant and shameful defeat since its founding. The enemy forces continued to advance, like a sharp blade aimed directly at the capital. Everywhere they went, bodies littered the fields, and blood stained the mountains and rivers. This brought unimaginable despair to the people of the Great Zhou. At that time, the ailing Emperor, upon hearing the news of the battle, spat blood and passed away on the spot.

The sudden death of the emperor left only a young prince, incapable of ruling. Following the Empress Dowager’s proposal and discussions among the officials, it was decided to elect Prince Ying, the emperor’s younger brother, as the new ruler to guide the Great Zhou through these challenging times.

From that point on, the former Crown Prince became the scapegoat etched onto the pillar of shame in the Great Zhou Dynasty, while the new emperor was hailed as the savior.

However, just thinking about this plot, one could deduce that the male lead was framed and betrayed.

So, after the male lead traversed through the earthly purgatory and underwent a significant change in temperament, three years later, he reappeared, already blackened, and the path of revenge officially began.

Assuming the identity of Chu Lishu, the nephew of the Lin family, he infiltrated the capital. Starting with a frail body and no soldiers or forces, he used his exceptionally clever intellect and ruthless tactics to maneuver through the major aristocratic families. From the capital to the imperial palace, from the former dynasty to the inner court, he stirred up trouble, drawing everyone into his schemes. Playing with political and emotional manipulation, he gradually dismantled all forces that stood in his way from within. By the time everyone realized what was happening, the grand structure had crumbled, and there was no turning back.

They looked up, and the person emerging from the highest darkness was none other than the former Crown Prince they had been incessantly reviling.

At this point, Chu Lishu held substantial power and smoothly reclaimed his imperial throne. The bloody struggle for succession came to an end. The people thought they were on the verge of peace, only to find that the nightmare had just begun.

From the perspective of the Great Zhou Dynasty, it welcomed a formidable politician, strategist, and reformer. During his reign, he conquered all neighboring nations posing a threat to the Great Zhou, and even those without threats had to submit. He forced the eradication of their own cultures and adopted the Great Zhou culture, doubling the size of the Great Zhou’s territory. It became the most powerful empire in the world at that time, referred to by foreign histories as the Divine Empire.

However, such an iron-fisted political figure was simultaneously tyrannical and ruthless, facing widespread rebellion and isolation due to his unpredictable and capricious nature. He surpassed all tyrants in history combined.

Because scholars gathered to write a petition against him, he burned all the books and scrolls of that school of thought, and mercilessly killed numerous scholars who spoke out, causing a rupture in cultural continuity.

Similarly, when a region rebelled against him, he annihilated the entire population of that area, leaving no survivors. The corpses of the rebels hung on the walls of the dead city, exposed to the elements for decades.

Countless instances of disregarding human decency followed, including the brutal killing of his own younger brother, forcing his mother and imperial concubines to engage in ilicit sexual relations until they die. And forcefully marry the wives of loyal ministers and virtuous generals.

If anyone dared to speak out against him, whether it be the Empress Dowager, Imperial Tutor, founding meritocrats, or long-serving officials from various dynasties, regardless of their status, he would have them killed.

It was a true case of “those who follow me prosper, those who oppose me perish!”

Even if people’s hearts did not submit willingly, he always found a way to eliminate potential threats in advance. Like an invisible black net shrouding everyone in the Great Zhou Dynasty, it cast a chilling shadow, dissuading any thoughts of resistance.

The imperial power had completely fallen into his hands, serving as a tool to fulfill his ambitions and seek excitement. After many years, having had his fill of games and losing interest in life, he, who had been with countless women, left no heirs. He didn’t build tombs, erect monuments, or leave any trace behind. He set the imperial palace ablaze for three days and nights, turning corpses to ashes, letting them drift away with the wind, leaving no mark on this world.　　　

A tyrant who could bring himself to this point has been unheard of throughout history, making him seem like a madman.

In later generations, most evaluations and curses were directed at him due to the countless lives he had taken. His posthumous title became Emperor Zhoulu[2].

…

Lin Qingyang still remembered the complex feelings he had when finishing this book. To be honest, the whole story was about watching the male lead deceive, manipulate, kill, and seek revenge—it was just too much negativity. The male lead suffered too much in the early stages, and in the later stages, he became too ruthless, surpassing a reasonable degree and making the reader uncomfortable.

Moreover, the author couldn’t handle such a large-scale political intrigue plot, pitting one character against all the others in the entire book. The male lead’s cleverness was lacking, and the story often resorted to characters suddenly losing their intelligence or convoluted conspiracies that felt forced. Some of the coincidences were so overdone that even Lin Qingyang found himself dizzy and bewildered at times—there were just too many plot holes.

Of course, there’s another crucial point—what about the female lead?! Whether in the nominal role of empress or someone involved in romantic entanglements, she never appeared.

The male lead did indeed have many women, a full harem, but they were mostly treated callously, used and then discarded. There was no hint of emotion, even when faced with someone genuinely in love with him.

It seemed as though, in his heart, love, friendship, and family bonds had completely disappeared.

Now, Lin Qingyang found himself transmigrated into a world controlled by this tyrant, and he was cast as the ultimate cannon fodder. It felt like he had entered hell mode—absolutely mind-boggling!

In the midst of shock, the cold and ruthless mechanical female voice in his mind continued its relentless urging.

【Host, please complete the plot progression, upgrade your character, live until the grand finale, and you will fully possess this identity.】

“I request to switch to another world! Any world will do!”

No kidding. In this world, anyone is just a pawn in the hands of the protagonist. Even for those who genuinely care about him—women who love him, loyal subordinates, concerned elders—when the time comes for sacrifice, the male lead shows no mercy. The only difference is how and when they die, not if. No one is safe, and the only way out is to switch worlds.

【You can return to the original world. Note: In the original world, the host’s body has already been cremated.】

Lin Qingyang covered his mouth, crying, and acknowledged his misfortune, “Switching characters is also fine…”

The mechanical female voice seemed uninterested in dealing with him and directly announced Lin Qingyang’s future.　　

【Cannon Fodder Survival Plan officially started. Best of luck! Novice Mission: Prevent the male lead from completely blackening.】

As Lin Qingyang observed the current scene and listened to the voices in his mind, fragmented memories of the original body began to resurface. Every nerve in his brain felt like it was tearing apart and rearranging. He struggled to accept everything happening around him.

Without giving him a moment to ponder silently, someone nearby him already started buffing him to court death.

“Young Master, what’s wrong? We’ve brought the person for you. Don’t worry, no one has seen, and we’ve drugged him. You won’t need to tie him up later. Young Master can take care of him. Does Young Master want me to help clean him up and make preparations in advance?”　

Lin Qingyang mechanically turned his head to look at the audacious fellow beside him—a young lackey dressed in the uniform of a green attire servant, earnestly persuading him to go on a suicidal mission.

On the bed, with azure bedding accentuating the fair, cold complexion of Chu Lishu, his slender and supple figure displayed the beauty of youth. His face, stunning everyone upon arriving in the capital, was said to be the dream lover of countless women in the capital once his delicate features fully matured.

At this moment, bound by red ropes, with blood staining his mouth corners and palms from struggling, there was a captivating sense of cruelty.

The young version of the tyrant was undergoing the final test of humanity.　

Due to the effects of the drug, he couldn’t speak, but his pitch-black, unfathomable phoenix eyes stared intensely at Lin Qingyang.

Those eyes held the desperation of a dying beast, transitioning from deep-seated hatred to unwillingness and finally to despair and confusion.

According to the original plot, Lin Qingyang, a cannon fodder character, was preparing to behave inappropriately towards the straight male character Chu Lishu. He planned to forcefully possess the male lead, making him a male concubine.

In any other novel, such a plot wouldn’t succeed, but in this context, not only did the cannon fodder succeed, but he also secretly kept the male lead, tormenting him for three days and nights. It was truly an infuriating situation, pushing the already darkening male lead over the edge, crushing the last shred of his humanity. That’s why the novice mission was to prevent the male lead from completely blackening.　　

This is easily solvable; just stay away from the male lead since he’s a clear-cut straight guy.

“…Young Master?” The savvy attendant looked at his young master in confusion, providing a timely reminder.

Lin Qingyang, quick-witted and decisive, lifted the whip in his hand and cracked it in the air, hitting the attendant’s shoe.

Startled, the attendant, although not in pain, immediately knelt down, “This servant is at fault. Has this servant… done something wrong? Please, Young Master, enlighten me!”

“You damned fool! How dare you bring the Young Master[3] to my bed? What is the meaning of this?!” Lin Qingyang roared indignantly.

Fortunately, based on his memories, he had just entered and hadn’t interacted with the male lead yet. He had only made a gesture of preparing to whip and a wicked smile, which could be explained with some effort.

“Youn… Young Master, wasn’t this what you asked for? You wanted this servant to secretly drug Young Master Chu, bring him back, and you said you must have him tonight, didn’t you?” The attendant, confused and feeling wronged, explained.

You’re still speaking!

Lin Qingyang almost follow along and kneel with him. There was really no need to recall these details so vividly.

Intentionally portraying the fierceness of the original body, Lin Qingyang cracked the whip, knocking the attendant’s servant hat off. Due to his lack of skill, he nearly rebounded the whip onto his own face.

“Nonsense!” This matter absolutely couldn’t be acknowledged. “This is the Young Master. No matter how playful I am usually, I would never do such a thing!”

But the attendant was like a block of wood, “It’s really…”

“That’s enough! You must have misheard. I clearly said to invite Young Master Chu over for a chat after he finished class. Even if I have some disagreements with him, I would never give such an order!” Lin Qingyang didn’t give the attendant a chance to confess. He dropped the whip, rushed forward, and quickly covered the male lead’s naked body with a blanket.

“Cousin Lishu[4], I apologize to you. It seems my servant has made a terrible mistake and done such an outrageous thing. I’ll immediately untie you and send you back. Today’s events are really a misunderstanding.” Lin Qingyang, while clarifying the situation, began untying Chu Lishu.

But as he raised his eyes, he saw Chu Lishu’s cherry-red, full lips move. The bloodstains at the corners of his mouth looked eerie. Looking up further, he met those eyes.

The icy gaze sent chills down Lin Qingyang’s spine.

Suddenly, a warning sounded in his mind.

【Danger Alert! The host’s life is in danger.】

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