Jin Yu left the tea pavilion with a satisfied smirk, his eyes gleaming with mischief. The scent of fresh tea lingered in the air, blending with the cool evening breeze. He exhaled slowly, savoring the moment.

  "A misunderstanding is even more profitable than deliberate provocation. Looks like I’ll have to disguise my actions as misunderstandings from now on. That Kang Li looked gentle, but her potential is even higher than that Zou… hmm, women's anger truly knows no bounds, hehe."

  "Since today has been so bountiful, I’ll calmly add the influence points to myself when I get home."

  Haozi, who was following behind him, finally let out a helpless sigh.

  "Young Master… why do you enjoy angering people so much?"

  Jin Yu's smirk faltered for a fraction of a second. Why, huh?

  He knew the answer—his Dominion System was his golden finger, his only real advantage in this world. By making people furious, he could accumulate influence Points and become stronger. But there was no way he could say that out loud.

  Instead, he shrugged. "What do you mean? I wasn’t trying to anger anyone. It’s not my fault people are so sensitive."

  Haozi’s face twitched. "Young Master… you were laughing while they got angry."

  Jin Yu chuckled. "Coincidence."

  Haozi sighed again, deciding to drop the matter.

  Jin Yu's smirk returned, but deep inside, a strange unease settled within him.

  I need to be careful… The more people I provoke, the more dangerous this gets. But without influence points, I’m just another weakling in this world.

  Afterall , I don't know if I'll be able to go back to Earth.

  For now, he had no choice but to continue.

  The Jin manor

  The Jin Manor stood tall under the moonlight, its stone walls exuding an air of prestige. As Jin Yu stepped inside, the familiar scent of sandalwood greeted him.

  "Haozi, don’t disturb me unless it’s something important. I want to be alone," Jin Yu said, pushing open the door to his room.

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  "Yes, Young Master."

  Jin Yu nodded and shut the door behind him. The moment he was alone, his mischievous grin stretched wider.

  He leaped onto his bed, rolling across the silk sheets like a child who had just received a treasure.

  "What sword technique? With my influence points, I'll soon be more powerful than everyone else, hehehe."

  With a flick of his fingers, he summoned the system interface.

  Dominion Protocol Interface]

  Name: Jin Yu

  Core Attribute: influence

  Physique: 8

  Internal Strength: 0

  Spiritual Technique: Uninitialized

  Qi Affinity: Holy Qi

  Cultivation Technique: Uninitialized

  Trait: Invading Qi immunity

  Influence Points: 9,959

  JIN Yu clicked his tongue. "Who’s the bastard that left a nine at the end? You can’t even break through to the next number? Weak thing!"

  The moment he complained, the system responded.

  Influence +500 (Anger)

  Influence +700 (Anger)

  Influence +150 (Frustration)

  Jin Yu burst into laughter. "My farmers are working hard! Keep it up! But who the hell owns this 150, you are frustrated?

  The system really needs to start telling me who contributes these influence points."

  "Was it my father? He was definitely angry at me earlier. Or maybe that little vixen? No… she’s too weak to give so much. Ah, whatever. Time to add points."

  Hovering his finger over Physique, he pressed the + sign.

  Ding!

  Physique: 8 → 9

  A wave of heat surged through his body, making his muscles feel tighter, stronger. His skin tingled as if energy was pulsing beneath it.

  "I heard ten is the limit for a normal adult human. What happens if I go beyond?"

  He pressed + again.

  Ding!

  Physique: 9 → 10

  This time, the warmth didn’t fade quickly. It rushed through his limbs, filling every inch of his body with power. His muscles felt denser yet more flexible, his entire form lighter and more refined.

  Curious, he clenched his fist and thrust forward.

  Boom!

  A loud cracking sound echoed through the room. He blinked. His wooden bedpost had splintered where his fist met it.

  "Oops."

  He stared at his fist, then at the broken bedpost.

  "Alright, that’s some serious strength. Maybe I should be careful when shaking hands."

  Still excited, he pressed the + on Internal Strength.

  Ding!

  Ding!

  Ding!

  Each increase made his blood feel heavier, yet more energized, like a current of fire flowing through his veins. But after the fifth increase, sweat poured from his forehead.

  "Damn, this is like sitting in a sauna!"

  He tore off his robe and fanned himself. After a minute of unbearable heat, a cool wave of relief washed over him, leaving him feeling lighter, faster, stronger.

  He clenched his fists. This time, as he moved, his body cut through air effortlessly, like a predator built for battle.

  "This is insane… I’ve never felt this powerful before!"

  Just as he was about to test his strength again, a knock came from outside.

  "Young Master, the Old Master sent the Sanctum Blade Technique over."

  Jin Yu opened the door and took the scroll. He smirked. "That old man still hasn’t given up, huh?"

  Flipping through the manual, he skimmed through it lazily. Just as he was about to toss it to Haozi, a notification appeared.

  Ding! Cultivation Technique Added.

  His smirk deepened. "Just as I thought."

  He handed the book to Haozi. "Take care of this for me. I’ll look at it later."

  Haozi hesitated. "Young Master, you should listen to the Old Master and train. No matter what, you should at least have the strength to protect yourself."

  Jin Yu raised an eyebrow. "Haozi, are you telling me to train? Does that mean you think I’m weak?"

  Haozi tensed. "No, Young Master! I only meant that—"

  Jin Yu waved a hand. "I get it. You’re looking out for me. But tell me one thing—" He narrowed his eyes. "If the day comes when I fall into danger, will you stand beside me?"

  Haozi’s expression hardened. Without hesitation, he dropped to one knee. "Even if I have to put my life on the line, I will protect you!"

  Jin Yu chuckled, satisfied. "Then I have nothing to worry about. Just don’t die too early—I still need someone to carry my luggage."

  Haozi blinked, then let out a helpless chuckle. He clutched the cultivation manual tightly.

  "Young Master believes in me…"

  He bowed deeply. "I will never let you down!"

  Jin Yu yawned. "Good. Now get out—I want to sleep."

  As Haozi stepped out, his heart burned with renewed determination.

  Jin Yu lay back on his bed, smirking.

  "Cultivation, power, and loyalty… everything is falling into place."