My Sword Between The Alpha's Lips - Chapter 9: Maxim’s Pov: Sealing the Deal

In a world fractured by conflict and haunted by shadows of the past, Kokushibo—the first Upper Moon demon—meets his end, only to awaken in a new life. Reincarnated as Crimson, a child born into a different family, he carries the memories of a past he cannot escape. Burdened by centuries of guilt yet indifferent to the present, he resigns himself to duty—until an unexpected bond with his newfound family begins to thaw his hardened heart. As he struggles between the weight of his past and the weight of the new life, Crimson must decide whether he will remain shackled to his former sins or embrace the possibility of peace.

When Zhou Shu woke up, he learned that he had become a Forging Apprentice at a workshop in the Forging Division of the Great Xia empire.

Emperor Xianwu ninth reincarnation, only to break through the shackles, was besieged and killed by masters from all walks of life.

Fortunately, a ray of divine consciousness traveled across thousands of planes to the earth and entered the body of the dead young man, just to get rid of the anger in his heart and to regain that peerless peak!

- Description from MTL

What if being the protagonist was actually the WORST possible choice?Li Hanfeng thought he'd gotten the short end of the reincarnation stick—transmigrated into a cultivation world with “only” Upper Grade spiritual roots. Sure, he joined the prestigious Shushan Sect, but compared to those Heavenly Grade chosen ones? He was clearly destined to be a background character.Then his golden finger awakened.The Karma Detection System.Suddenly, Li Hanfeng could see the true cost of every “opportunity” before him. That mysterious cave everyone's excited about?[Great Karma: Ancient Tomb][Death Rate: 97%].The beautiful junior sister asking him on a “simple” mission?[Path of Destiny][Triggers: Sect Destruction, Heavenly Tribulation, Outer Domain Demons].Wait... being the protagonist means a 90% chance of horrible death?!NOPE.While other disciples fight over “destiny” and “fortune,” Li Hanfeng discovers something incredible: his system doesn't just detect karma—it “rewards him for avoiding it”. Refuse a death flag mission? Get premium cultivation pills! Skip the mysterious inheritance? Unlock rare techniques! Dodge the protagonist route entirely?His cultivation speed actually INCREASES.“Junior Sister, I'm busy that day.”“Senior Brother, that treasure isn't for me.”“Sorry everyone, I'll pass on saving the world.”[Karma Severed Successfully! Reward: Immortal-Grade Technique]But there's a problem: the more protagonist flags he dodges, the stronger he becomes. And the stronger he becomes, the more the world tries to drag him into main character scenarios.Ancient masters want him as a disciple. Mysterious beauties keep appearing. Evil sects mark him as a threat. Even his own karma system seems shocked by how overpowered his “background character” route is becoming.Li Hanfeng just wanted to cultivate peacefully and avoid death flags.Instead, he accidentally became the most terrifying existence in the cultivation world.The kind of person who's so strong that destiny itself has given up trying to make him the protagonist.