We both entered the dining hall. The first thing that greeted my ears were the voices of people talking about the hot news. How Chen Wu, Su Ling and Fu Yang got into a fight with Zhang Kun and the society of the Crimson Sword sect, even got hit by a sect master’s projection but managed to survive

  We stepped into the dining hall together and the noise hit first, everyone was talking about the recent event, how Chen Wu, Su Ling and Fu Yang fought with Zhang Kun and confronted Crimson Sword Sect operatives, even survived a sect master's projection.

  By dinner time, we had practically became heroes. The disciples kept coming up to congratulate us. Asking questions. Wanting to hear every detail.

  "Fu Yang! Is it true you tried to kill the spy yourself?"

  "Did you really face Sect Master Shen's attack?"

  "You got rescued by Elder Yun himself"

  I played my role. "I was just helping Chen Wu. He's the one who did everything."

  They were excited about it. The brave cultivator who was ready to sacrifice himself for the sect. The loyal disciple who almost narrowed the line between life and death to save his sect.

  Chen Wu was nearby, surrounded by his own crowd. He looked tired but pleased. Smiling at the attention. While answering questions patiently.

  And Su Ling… she was just looking at me, coldly. I looked at her for a while. Nodded a little bit with my head, like a thumbs up, but she didn't responded.

  The system backlash was still affecting her. Making her irrationally hostile. She probably couldn't even enjoy the celebration because looking at me filled her with anger that she couldn't explain.

  Then I noticed Mei. She was across the hall with the other Greenbrook disciples. Lin, Jian, Wei, and little Hua.

  But now it was Mei who was staring at me too.

  Shit..Another supporting character experiencing backlash.

  The celebration continued for another hour and when it finally ended, I returned to my quarters feeling satisfied.

  The next morning, I headed to the Medical Hall early.

  Elder Yun's token would grant me access to better medicines. I could accelerate my recovery while maintaining the appearance of being damaged. But today something felt off as I walked through the sect.

  The disciples I passed didn't treat me the way they did last night. Just... looked away or gave me strange wary glances.

  At first, I thought I was imagining it, but it kept happening.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  A group of outer disciples who'd been celebrating with me last night walked past without a word. They wouldn't meet my eyes.

  Two inner disciples whispered to each other as I approached, then went silent when I got close.

  A servant who'd been friendly yesterday now hurried past like I was untouchable.

  What the hell?

  I reached the Medical Hall. Elder Han examined my meridians with his usual efficiency. "Healing well," he grunted. "The premium medicines will accelerate your recovery significantly. Come back in three days."

  He handed me new bottles which seemed of better quality than before. The treatment was definitely upgraded.

  On the way back, I passed more disciples. Again the same reaction.

  I returned to my quarters and opened the door.

  Wei Feng was there, packing his belongings into a bag.

  "Wei Feng?" I said. "Where are you going?"

  He glanced at me. Just once. That same expression everyone else had been giving me.

  Then he went back to packing without answering.

  "Wei Feng, what's going on?"

  SILENCE.

  After he finished packing his things he picked up his bag and walked toward the door. I stepped aside to let him pass.

  The door closed with a loud thud and I stood alone in the room, thinking that something had happened between evening and morning. Something that turned the entire outer disciple population against me.

  What could have happened?

  Is their a new information about Zhang Kun? We reported everything we saw to Elder Yun… did Chen Wu say something which made all of them think negatively of me?

  Surely not, he was still supportive towards me this morning when I saw him. Wait. That must be it.

  Rumors, ofcourse... someone must have spread rumors about me. And I guessed exactly who it could be.

  Su Ling…….Mei. The supporting characters experiencing system backlash.

  They must have spent last night spreading poison and turning disciples against me. Redirecting all the praise and attention back to Chen Wu where it "belonged."

  Standing alone in my empty room, I started laughing. It slipped out before I could stop it.

  So that’s what they chose?

  I pressed a hand against the wall to steady myself. Spreading rumors? And then what?

  I laughed harder.

  The absurdity of it…. These supporting characters trying to use human tactics against someone who'd survived literally hell.

  It was almost endearing in its stupidity.

  But then I stopped laughing and got serious.

  If I think about this carefully, right now, this was nothing. Disciples avoiding me didn't actually impact my plans. I didn't need their friendship. I needed Chen Wu's trust and the sect's resources. Both of which I still had.

  But

  This was at fifty percent corruption.

  What would happen at sixty percent? Seventy? Ninety?

  The system backlash was tied to corruption progress. The more I corrupted Chen Wu, the more the supporting characters would react, (like Newton's third law.)

  Su Ling was already experiencing irrational hostility and Mei was joining her. If this continued escalating…

  At what point would they stop at rumors?

  At what point would they decide I needed to be eliminated?

  Su Ling was at the Foundation Establishment peak stage. Stronger than me even if I wasn't suppressing my cultivation.

  If she snapped completely and the backlash drove her to actual violence. If she convinced others to help her.

  They could kill me………….

  And unlike my tutorial villain days, death may be permanent now. I leaned back against the wall. This was a real problem which was slowly growing and I needed a solution.

  Option one: Kill these supporting characters before they could act.

  Tempting isn't it. But impractical. I couldn't just kill Su Ling without raising suspicion. She was an inner disciple. Chen Wu's close friend. Her death would trigger investigations.

  And there were others. Mei. Other disciples. How many would I need to kill before the backlash stopped?

  Option two: Discredit them before they could organize. It is possible. If I made Su Ling look unstable, irrational, unreliable... her accusations would carry less weight. When she finally snapped and tried to expose or attack me, no one would believe her.

  That had potential.

  If I could use her own irrational behavior against her. Make her look paranoid and later Chen Wu doubts her judgment.

  Turn her into the problem instead of me being the problem….

  Option three: Accelerate the corruption, the most riskiest option. But maybe the most effective. If I could push Chen Wu to complete corruption quickly - seventy, eighty, ninety percent in rapid succession - maybe the supporting characters wouldn't have time to organize. They'd be reacting, scrambling, unable to mount effective resistance before it was too late.

  Speed over caution.

  I sat there thinking for a long time.

  The room was quiet and empty. Just me and my calculations. Finally, I made a decision.

  Combination approach….

  I'd discredit Su Ling while accelerating corruption. Make her look unstable to Chen Wu. Push his doubts about the sect, about righteousness, about everything he believed. Drive the corruption up fast before the backlash could organize into real danger.

  Risky but necessary. I couldn't afford to be passive and couldn't just react to their moves.

  I needed to be proactive and aggressive. Pushing forward relentlessly.

  That was how you survived. Not by playing it safe. By moving faster than your enemies could respond.

  I opened my system screen.

  [CORRUPTION PROGRESS: Chen Wu→50%]

  [WARNING: Supporting charact

  er backlash increasing. Recommend accelerated corruption timeline OR elimination of hostile NPCs.]

  The system agreed with my assessment….