Reborn As A Villainous Cannon Fodder

The glow of the monitor illuminated Yino's pale face in the otherwise dark room. Empty energy drink cans and takeout containers formed a small fortress around his gaming setup. His fingers danced across the keyboard with practiced precision, executing a combo that would have taken most players weeks to master.

"Almost there," he muttered, eyes locked on the screen where his character—a sword cultivator with flowing white robes—dodged a barrage of spiritual attacks from a demonic fox spirit. The game, "The Fallen Immortal," had consumed his life for the past eleven months, and he was finally approaching the end of its first season.

His phone buzzed beside him. Another message from his mother. The third one today. Yino glanced at it briefly:

"Son, please remember to eat something proper today. I left some dumplings in the fridge. Love you."

A pang of guilt made him hesitate, his character nearly taking a fatal hit in that moment of distraction. He refocused, narrowly escaping with a well-timed parry.

"Sorry, Mom," he whispered to the empty room. "Just need to finish this first."

At twenty-six, Yino knew he should be doing more with his life than playing games until dawn. His engineering degree from a respectable university had opened doors, but he'd walked through none of them. After graduation, he'd taken a simple data entry job that required minimal effort, freeing his evenings and weekends for gaming. The death of his father two years ago had only deepened his retreat into virtual worlds.

The screen flashed as his character executed the final strike against the fox demon. The creature's body dissolved into motes of light, and a congratulatory message appeared:

[Season One Complete! The Fallen Immortal will return with Season Two: Path of Darkness]

Yino leaned back in his chair, a mixture of satisfaction and emptiness washing over him. Eleven months of grinding, strategizing, and memorizing every side quest and hidden technique had led to this moment. He was among the first players worldwide to complete the game's initial season.

The victory felt hollow.

He checked the time: 3:47 AM. Outside his window, the first hints of dawn were beginning to break over the city. Another night lost to the game. Another day he'd spend bleary-eyed at work, counting the hours until he could return to the artificial satisfaction of leveling up and acquiring rare items.

Yino stood, stretching muscles that had grown stiff from hours of immobility. His stomach growled, reminding him that he'd skipped dinner again. He made his way to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator to find the dumplings his mother had mentioned.

As he waited for them to heat in the microwave, Yino scrolled through the game's forums on his phone. Players were already speculating about the upcoming season, posting theories about new realms and hidden bosses.

One thread caught his attention: "Villain Character Analysis: He Yino."

He Yino—the seventh young master of the Grand Tutor's Mansion. A minor villain who appeared early in the game only to be swiftly killed off by the female sword immortal, Yuyan. Yino remembered the character vaguely; a wastrel young noble with untapped demonic potential who served as an early obstacle for the protagonist. The forums were filled with jokes about his quick demise and speculations about what might have happened if he'd lived longer.

"Poor bastard," Yino mumbled, biting into a dumpling. "Cannon fodder from the start."

As he ate, he scrolled through the character's limited lore. The seventh young master had a mysterious Western Region demon bloodline, access to vast resources through his family, and an aunt who was secretly a demon messenger. So much potential, yet in the game, he was nothing more than an early-game stepping stone.

Yino's phone buzzed with a notification from his work calendar: "Meeting with Manager - Performance Review - 9:00 AM."

He grimaced. Five hours from now, he'd be sitting across from a manager who was half his age, listening to thinly veiled suggestions about "engagement" and "career development." The thought made his stomach clench.

"Just need to get through tomorrow," he told himself, finishing the last dumpling. "Then maybe I'll start looking for a better job."

The same promise he'd made last month, and the month before.

Exhaustion suddenly hit him like a wave. Yino stumbled back to his bedroom, collapsing onto his unmade bed without bothering to change clothes. As consciousness began to slip away, his thoughts returned to the character from the game—He Yino, the doomed young master.

"If I were him," Yino murmured into his pillow, "I'd have played it differently. All those advantages... what a waste..."

Sleep claimed him, dreams mixing with the game's vibrant world of immortals, demons, and ancient Chinese fantasy. In his dreams, he wasn't Yino, the burned-out gamer with unfulfilled potential. He was someone else—someone with a second chance.

The incessant beeping of his alarm dragged Yino from a dream of flying swords and mountain peaks. He groaned, fumbling for his phone to silence it. 8:15 AM. Less than five hours of sleep, and he already felt the familiar pressure building behind his eyes—the herald of another migraine.

"Not today," he muttered, forcing himself out of bed and into the shower. The cold water shocked his system awake, a temporary remedy for exhaustion. As he dressed in the only clean shirt he could find—a wrinkled button-down that his mother had ironed last week when she visited—Yino caught his reflection in the mirror.

Dark circles underscored bloodshot eyes. His once athletic frame had grown soft from months of minimal movement and poor nutrition. At twenty-six, he already looked worn down by life.

"You look like shit," he told his reflection flatly.

The reflection offered no argument.

Yino gulped down a pain reliever with cold coffee and grabbed his laptop bag. His performance review was in thirty minutes, and the office was a twenty-minute subway ride away—if he hurried, he might make it with seconds to spare.

Outside, the city was already in full motion. People rushed past him, each locked in their own morning routine. Yino joined the flow, descending into the subway station where the air was thick with humidity and impatience.

As he waited for the train, his phone buzzed with a message from his manager:

"Looking forward to our meeting this morning. Might have some exciting opportunities to discuss."

Yino snorted. In corporate language, "exciting opportunities" usually meant "additional responsibilities without additional pay." Still, he composed a polite response:

"Looking forward to it as well. See you soon."

The train arrived, packed as always. Yino squeezed in, finding himself pressed between a businessman shouting into his phone and a student with music blasting through headphones. He closed his eyes, trying to center himself.

His mind drifted back to "The Fallen Immortal." The game's lush landscapes and intricate mythology had offered him an escape from the crushing monotony of his existence. In that world, actions had consequences. Skills improved with practice. Merit was rewarded. The system made sense in a way real life never had.

The train lurched, jolting Yino from his thoughts. An automated voice announced his stop was next. He readied himself to exit, adjusting his bag and inching toward the doors.

As the train slowed, his phone buzzed again. Yino pulled it out, expecting another message from his manager. Instead, it was a notification from the game's forums: "Season Two: Path of Darkness – Early Access Available Now!"

Yino's heart skipped. Early access wasn't supposed to be available for another week. His fingers moved automatically, clicking the link to confirm the news. The forum erupted with excitement—a server error had accidentally granted early access to a small percentage of players.

The train doors opened. Yino hesitated, transfixed by his phone. Season Two. Right now. All he had to do was go home, log in, and...

"Are you getting off or what?" someone behind him snapped.

Yino blinked, stepping off the train just as the doors began to close. The crowded platform pushed him forward, toward the exit and the office building where his manager waited.

But his mind was elsewhere, calculating possibilities. If he turned around now, went back home, he could be among the first to experience Season Two. By the time the developers fixed the error, he could already be levels ahead of everyone else.

His performance review could be rescheduled. What was one more black mark on his record compared to this opportunity?

Yino stopped in the middle of the station, causing several annoyed commuters to collide with him. He muttered apologies, stepping aside to make a decision.

Go to the meeting, endure the veiled criticisms, promise to do better. Or turn around, race home, and dive back into the world where he felt alive.

It wasn't really a choice at all.

Yino texted his manager: "Family emergency. Need to reschedule."

Then he turned, heading back toward the platform where trains would take him home. His pace quickened with each step, excitement building. He'd order delivery, stock up on energy drinks, and lose himself in the game until he couldn't keep his eyes open.

In his rush, Yino didn't notice the wet floor sign. His foot slid on the slick surface, and for one suspended moment, he felt weightless. Then gravity reasserted itself. He pitched forward, arms flailing for balance that wouldn't come.

His head struck the edge of a metal bench with a sickening crack.

Pain exploded behind his eyes, then quickly faded to a strange numbness. Distantly, he heard shouting. Someone was kneeling beside him, pressing something against his head. The world began to dim at the edges.

"The game," Yino tried to say, though he wasn't sure if the words actually left his mouth.

As consciousness slipped away, his final thoughts weren't of his mother who would receive the call, or the life he'd never fully lived. Instead, he thought of He Yino, the doomed seventh young master with all that wasted potential.

If only I had a second chance...

Darkness claimed him, absolute and final. But somewhere beyond the darkness, bells chimed softly, like an invitation to another world.

A melodious bell sound came from the top floor, attracting the attention of countless patrons.

The music at the Phoenix Pavilion suddenly stopped, and the customers looked up, only to be captivated by a pair of dazzling, beautiful white legs.

Pale gold inlays outlined a phoenix feather pattern on the young girl's calves.

The bell that made the sound was tied to her milky ankle with a red string.

The beautiful girl wore a red dress embroidered with jade, a fox spirit mask half-covering her phoenix-like face, her calves wrapped in snow-white stockings with flower patterns. Her fair milky feet stepped on the stairs, as light as an immortal treading on lotus flowers, seeming out of place in the worldly, money-driven environment of the Phoenix Pavilion.

The patrons were all speculating about which family's precious daughter she might be.

After all, the Phoenix Pavilion was not exactly a respectable establishment.

The girl was strikingly beautiful, dressed in elaborate and exquisite attire. What inspired even more awe was the pair of bells tied to her feet, engraved with the seal of the Grand Tutor's Mansion.

Who in Luo City didn't know about the Grand Tutor's Mansion?

In the lands of the current Great Dragon Dynasty, anything bearing the seal of the Grand Tutor's Mansion was considered a prized possession of the mansion… including people.

"The Mistress of the Hundred Spirits Pavilion?!"

"This old woman has failed to greet you from afar. May I ask what brings the esteemed Mistress to our humble establishment today?"

Madam Yue from the top floor almost ran over, bowing and fawning.

The beautiful girl narrowed her phoenix eyes, her gaze searching and locking onto a private room behind Madam Yue.

"Is my young lord playing here?"

"Yes, but young lord is only drinking tea, he hasn't even called for any dancers... Surely this doesn't violate your household rules?"

Madam Yue asked cautiously, feeling nervous.

Under the fox spirit mask, the girl's vermilion lips curled into a relieved smile: "Of course it doesn't violate the rules."

"Then, Mistress, you are here for...?"

"Don't be nervous. My young lord was scolded at the mansion during the day and felt wronged."

She smiled sweetly: "This young lady is just feeling sorry for young lord and wants to perform a dance to cheer him up~"

As she spoke, she turned around to show off her carefully prepared Western Region dance costume.

"( •᷄‎ࡇ•᷅ )"

Madam Yue thought she must have misheard.

The Mistress of the Hundred Spirits Pavilion was one of the nine most respected pavilion masters in the underworld. Countless officials and nobles sought her favor, and even elders from immortal sects had to kneel at her feet to discuss business...

How could such a woman be willing to debase herself to please a young master from Luo City with an extremely bad reputation?

"My Lady, please don't tease this old woman..."

Madam Yue smiled awkwardly.

The girl's smile slowly turned into a frown.

"Do you really think you're worth my teasing?"

Beneath the fox mask, her phoenix eyes pierced coldly through Madam Yue's heart.

Madam Yue broke out in a cold sweat, not daring to make a sound.

The jade faced girl walked to the private room where the seventh young master of the Grand Tutor's Mansion was located, then raised an eyebrow:

"What are you standing there for?"

"You're the madam of the Phoenix Pavilion, please be sure to properly introduce my young lord later… to this young lady, the newly recruited Western Region dancer."

She smiled shyly, her pretty eyes crinkling as the pure glow of her angelic face lit up once more.

...

...

...

...

Yino had been sitting in the Phoenix Pavilion drinking tea all day.

Ever since he was reborn as the cannon fodder villain in the game *Fallen Immortal*, Yino had been playing the role of the useless seventh young master of the Grand Tutor's Mansion.

This year, he was already sixteen years old.

According to the plot of Fallen Immortal from his previous life, at the age of sixteen, He Yino would die at the hands of an immortal named Mo Yuyan.

Yuyan was the sword prodigy of the Wuji Sect and one of the most popular female protagonists in the game Fallen Immortal.

She was the disciple of the sect leader, and her visit to the Grand Tutor's Mansion this morning represented the intentions of the Wuji Sect leader.

Being able to cooperate with an immortal sect like the Wuji Sect should have been a joyous occasion for the Grand Tutor's Mansion.

But for Yino, it was a funeral.

He hadn't been reborn into a good role, becoming the villainous cannon fodder of the seventh young master.

When a villain encounters a female protagonist, it's like a goblin encountering a saint.

Not to mention being just a small fry cannon fodder.

According to the memories of his previous life, in the millions of storylines of Fallen Immortal, the two most probable ways for Yino to die were almost always related to Yuyan.

Either he would offend Yuyan at the Grand Tutor's Mansion and be killed with a single strike. Or he would be taken to the mountain by Yuyan, join the Wuji Sect, and then encounter the newly debuted protagonist, dropping equipment for the main character.

In any case, meeting that woman would definitely not end well.

So, Yino chose to run away from home on the day Yuyan visited the Grand Tutor's Mansion.

If he couldn't beat her, he could at least avoid her, right?

Yino was already playing the role of a useless young master, so no one would be suspicious if he spent a few days hanging around the Phoenix Pavilion.

He was only sixteen this year, still very young.

Being reborn as a young master in the Grand Tutor's Mansion, Yino not only possessed immense power and resources but also harbored mysterious Western Region demon blood!

With such a godly starting point, it would be too wasteful to just be a stepping stone for the protagonist!

If the script were changed, letting Yino hide in the Grand Tutor's Mansion in the early stages, enjoying endless resources, developing for a few years until his cultivation was complete before emerging, then awakening his hidden bloodline to shock the world, and using Yino's knowledge of the previous life's plot to punch the villain boss for equipment and step on the protagonist to snatch opportunities...

-By then, why should I fear Yuyan?-

-With having the Innate Frost Resistance Holy Body? She'd be too cold even to warm my bed.-

In the private room, the finely dressed young man smiled coldly, picking up his teacup and taking a sip.

Due to the family rules of the Grand Tutor's Mansion, Yino never touched women when he came to the Phoenix Pavilion, purely drinking tea.

He wasn't always so well-behaved. In the past, Yino was also curious and couldn't resist temptation, indulging in some intimate contact with the dancing girls.

But when he returned home that night, his aunt smelled the scent of wild women on him and used it as leverage to threaten to tell his father.

Yino feared his father's merciless iron palm. He didn't dare to resist and was manipulated by his aunt for a long time, accompanying her shopping during the day and even having to fetch water to wash her feet at night.

What a disgrace for a villain! Which noble young master would let a mere girl bully him like this?

"Xinyao must be a dog spirit, that's why her nose is so sensitive"

Yino couldn't help but complain.

But as soon as he finished speaking, the door to the private room was pushed open…

"Young Lord, excuse the interruption."

Madam Yue smiled apologetically as she led in a stunningly beautiful dancer in a jade-embroidered dress.

Yino inexplicably felt a chill on his neck, as the girl's eyes under the fox spirit mask were cold.

"What's this about?"

Yino raised an eyebrow, slightly confused: "This young Lord doesn't have money to call for dancers... and did she just glare at me?"

"No, no, no."

Madam Yue's expression was a bit awkward, but she still managed to squeeze out a smile and persuaded: "This young lady is a newly recruited Western Region dancer at our Phoenix Pavilion! Young Lord, please consider it as watching a dance to evaluate her skills for this old woman, free of charge."

As she finished speaking, the beautiful girl also concealed her coldness and nodded with a smile.

"What's there to appreciate about dancing?"

"She's as flat as a cutting board, don't you know this young Lord prefers something bigger?"

Yino lounged casually, dismissing her with a frivolous tone.

He knew well that beautiful dancers were like thorny roses. The more you look, the more desire clouds your judgment. It wasn't that Yino really thought her chest was small, Absolutely not.

He was afraid of his aunt's dog-like nose, one misstep could lead to eternal regret, and if caught at home, he would have to wash his aunt's feet again.

"Oh my, Young Lord, your eyes must be playing tricks on you!"

Tonight's Madam Yue seemed very uneasy. Hearing Yino mock the dancer, her heavily made up old face was covered in large beads of sweat.

"This old woman won't disturb you anymore, please close the door and take your time chatting."

She said hurriedly, leading the dancer into the room, then closing the door and retreating.

In the private room, only the lightly dressed girl wearing the fox spirit mask and Yino remained.

"Sigh..."

"Young lady, save your energy. Sit here and have a few cups of tea with me, then please leave."

Yino sighed, gesturing with his eyebrows for the girl to sit down.

But she stood still and said with a coldly:

"Young Lord doesn't want to watch my dance because he thinks this servant's chest is too small?"

As she asked, she deliberately squeezed her arms together, emphasizing the volume of the small buns under her light dance dress.

"I was just joking, did I hit a sore spot?"

Yino chuckled lightly, calmly appraising the beautiful dancer before him: "To be honest, with your elegant demeanor and stunning beauty, you're surely not a courtesan, but rather someone carefully trained from a young age in some noble household... Moreover, judging from Madam Yue's fearful reaction, you must hold considerable power, so the patron who sent you to my room can't be an ordinary person."

"Anyway, I can't touch you either way, so what's the point of watching you dance?"

"I'm a vulgar person, you should go find those cultured gentlemen who appreciate art and have taste to drink tea with."

Yino bluntly stated his analysis. He was known as the useless young master of the Grand Tutor's Mansion. Women who came to flatter him were only after money and power. For such a noble and beautiful dancer to come and flatter a waste like him, it couldn't be of her own volition.

Otherwise, why would she glare at him as soon as she entered the room if Yino hadn't offended her?

And besides... Yino vaguely felt that this girl wearing the fox spirit mask looked familiar.

It was a spiritual quality unlike ordinary women!

"Patron? Cultured gentlemen?"

Listening to Yino's analysis, the girl tilted her head slightly, a mocking and disdainful smile appearing under the fox spirit mask:

"Young Lord certainly has an active imagination."

"But Young Lord doesn't know, how many officials and talented men in this world admire this young lady, they don't even have the chance to see me once!"

She smiled with knitted brows, her lips curling up in a confident and proud way.

But soon, her phoenix eyes curved into a coquettish arc:

"If Young Lord doesn't believe it, why not verify it with your own hands?"

"This servant knows~"

At this point, she narrowed her phoenix eyes: "Although Young Lord verbally disdains it, you're actually worried about falling for this servant's charms, but you're too afraid to make a move because of this servant's noble status, right?"

The girl spoke very coyly, also walking towards him.

Yino was speechless, not expecting this girl to understand men's thoughts so well.

She lightly lifted her gauze skirt, voluntarily displaying a glimpse of her fair milky white legs under his gaze.

"Don't worry, this servant can serve Young Lord first tonight."

"After Young Lord has had a taste and feels at ease, this servant will then perform a dance for Young Lord, to properly appreciate the art?"

She said these last words almost bending down, her vermilion lips pressed against Yino's ear.

The alluring soft voice penetrated his ear, causing his whole body to tremble and his earlobe beginning to turn red.

He furrowed his brows, struggling several times.

But she cupped his face, making him look directly into her eyes.

Yino couldn't escape, deeply gazing into the pair of pale golden phoenix eyes under the fox spirit mask, finally entranced.

That gaze was so alluring it could form strings, like a city-toppling dancer who had fallen in love.

"Mmhm~"

"Wasn't Young Lord worried about a trap just now?"

"How come after just a few words, Young Lord's eyes have become fixed?"

She lightly licked her vermilion lips, her sleeves hiding her blushing face, smiling somewhat victoriously.

She lightly lifted her milky leg, giving a coquettish look.

Although Yino verbally resisted, at least his hands were honest.

As he gradually caressed her jade like leg, feeling the softness of her skin against his palm, the girl under the fox spirit mask also secretly bit her vermilion lips, her beautiful leg involuntarily letting out a muffled groan at the moment of being touched.

Yino curiously looked up at her.

But the girl's blushing face only smiled awkwardly yet politely: "Isn't this the kind of atmosphere Young Master likes?"

"I do like it, so is this also part of your act?" His cold eyes raised slightly.

The girl's expression remained unchanged, unable to answer yes or no.

She chose to smile mysteriously: "What does Young Lord think?"

"I think you've kept your chastity since childhood, and haven't been touched much by men. But tonight, someone gave you the task of winning me over, forcing you to sacrifice yourself to let me take advantage of you?"

"Young Lord really loves to imagine things—it's just acting."

She still smiled with an unchanged expression.

"Is that so? Then let me verify further?"

Yino smiled coldly, his tone changing from cautious to somewhat playful.

His fingertips followed her milky white leg, slowly and rhythmically caressing downwards.

Under his gaze, as his fingertips inch by inch caressed the smooth skin of her leg, the girl under the fox spirit mask gradually changed from cold indifference to shy blushing, and finally even the little fang biting her vermilion lip began to tremble slightly.

"Young lady, your acting is quite good, isn't it?"

Yino was still deliberately teasing her.

But in the next second, his peripheral vision caught sight of a golden curved line embroidered in the shape of a phoenix feather pattern on the girl's lower leg under her skirt.

The frivolous smile on his face gradually froze.

The childhood memories etched in his bones made his eyelids start to twitch inexplicably.

This kind of tattoo-like totem wasn't rare, it was a racial mark that every demon would have after transforming into human form.

But the golden phoenix feather pattern, and especially its location on the lower leg, Yino had only seen once in his life at the Grand Tutor's Mansion, and the memory was particularly deep.

He had washed the feet of the owner of these phoenix-marked milky legs for years

No one in this world had a deeper memory of these beautiful legs than him!

"Young Lord , why have you stopped touching?"

"Could it be that Young Lord has guessed who the patron is who has carefully nurtured this servant since childhood?"

"Oh my! The behind-the-scenes patron who instructed me to seduce you, couldn't it be that seventh young Lord of the Grand Tutor's Mansion?"

This time, it was the girl's turn to tease with a fake surprise.

This time, it was also Yino's turn to break out in a cold sweat.

The beautiful girl snorted coldly, suddenly raising her leg under her skirt, placing her foot wrapped in white flower-patterned stockings on the wall behind him.

Yino glanced back, only to find that the bell tied with a red string to the girl's ankle was now just inches from his face.

*Ding ding*

The bell made a sound as the jade foot swayed.

It was the prize Yino had won at the age of seven for first place in the Luo City Children's Martial Arts Competition: the Luo Fei Bells.

Later, to thank his aunt for teaching him martial arts, he gave this string of bells to his aunt as a token of gratitude when he returned home.

Upon closer inspection, the outside of the bell was engraved with the word [He], symbolizing the Grand Tutor's Mansion, but the inside actually had [Yino] engraved as well.

"Aunty… Is this also a form of trap?"

Yino's lips twitched slightly, looking somewhat resigned towards the fairy like girl.

Yuan Xinyao took off her fox spirit mask, revealing a pure and radiant young girl's face:

"If it's trap, then congratulations~~!"

"Yino, except for you secretly calling your aunty a dog and flaty, your performance at other times has been quite good. Although I don't know where you learned your leg-touching technique, at least this time you weren't easily bewitched by a bad woman, which is already a big improvement from when you were fourteen."

"But... What if this isn't trap, but your aunty coming to bring her foolish nephew who ran away from home back?"

As her words fell, the previous satisfied smile also faded.

Yino's expression was once again stunned.

She lowered her gaze, no longer teasing him.

She gently stroked the young man's face, her voice becoming gentle, her otherwordly face also showing some concern:

"He Yino."

"From childhood to now, although you've been a little pervert and caused plenty of mischief in the mansion..."

"But in your aunty's heart, you're only superficially frivolous, and have always been a sensible and considerate good child"

"You should know… This morning, when the immortal lady from the Wuji Sect came to visit the Grand Tutor's Mansion, the elders of the family were all speaking well of you, hoping that woman would agree to take you up the mountain to cultivate..."

"But you ran away to hide in a place like this."

"Can you tell me why~"