Fated Deception: How I Accidentally Married a Nine-Tailed Fox

Chapter 1: Supreme Level Great Bargain

The evening air hung heavy over the imperial city of the Shenling Empire. Summer heat still radiated from the stone streets despite the setting sun. In the Ministry of Industry’s Artisan Compound, craftsmen gathered under streetlights to enjoy the cooler evening air, some playing chess, others simply conversing in the shared courtyard.

Lu Yuan dragged his recliner to his doorstep, half-lying down with a melting popsicle in one hand and a palm-leaf fan in the other. He alternated between cooling himself and swatting at the persistent mosquitoes that seemed determined to feast on his exposed legs.

Though half a month had passed since his arrival, everything still felt dreamlike. One moment he’d been enjoying hot pot and singing in his modern home; the next, he’d awakened here—in another world, another time.

As someone who’d devoured countless time-travel novels, Lu Yuan adapted quickly to his situation. He even felt somewhat grateful—no truck had hit him, no painful death preceded this transition. But his contentment ended there.

This world existed in a strange middle ground between ancient and industrial. The Shenling Empire possessed factories and basic lathes, yet most citizens lived in poverty. Those who could afford a daily steamed bun made with white flour were considered wealthy. Adding two slices of fat meat to one’s diet? Practically royalty.

Lu Yuan frequently found himself cursing his circumstances. Back home, he’d been nobody special, but at least he ate well. Here, meat remained a distant luxury.

His one consolation was his unexpectedly favorable position. As a craftsman in the Ministry of Works—one of the imperial court’s six ministries—Lu Yuan held the equivalent of an iron rice bowl. His income remained steady regardless of external conditions, and his profession carried prestige.

Better still, he possessed official registration as an imperial city resident. This meant any future children would inherit this status, guaranteeing them employment through the street office if necessary. Most compound residents had migrated from surrounding villages and lacked this privilege; their children would face significant barriers to housing, employment, and other necessities.

And yes, Lu Yuan did have a system—though explaining it made him uncomfortable.

Simply put, his power revolved around taking advantage of others. When a merchant rounded down his bill by two cents, those two cents became the foundation of his ability. The system would then apply a multiplier to this small advantage. A tenfold critical hit on those two cents would yield Lu Yuan twenty cents in profit.

The problem? In this era of universal hunger and penny-pinching, opportunities to gain even the smallest advantage proved exceedingly rare. After half a month, Lu Yuan had barely benefited from his supposed power. And even when it worked—how much difference could a few extra coins really make?

The thought only soured his mood further. Mosquitoes seemed to sense his frustration, swarming more aggressively around him. Between the heat and the insects, Lu Yuan abandoned his fan and decided to walk.

He’d heard about a forest east of the city where people hunted cicada dogs. Perhaps he could catch some, fry them with salt… though the thought of wasting precious oil quickly dampened this fantasy.

Lu Yuan strode past the yard without acknowledging the chess players or card games. He had little interest in his neighbors, who seemed perpetually scheming to exploit him.

His situation followed the classic time-traveler’s pattern—orphaned upon arrival, yet fortunate enough to inherit the most desirable residence in the compound. As one of the original five families, Lu Yuan occupied a spacious north-south facing brick house exceeding 100 square meters, complete with a private yard. The newer arrivals made do with cramped, flimsy dwellings where opening a window might mean intruding into a neighbor’s space.

Between his enviable housing, formal craftsman position with a monthly salary of 23 yuan, and lack of family obligations, Lu Yuan had become a target for opportunists. Women frequently visited bearing small gifts of cake or thread, hoping to establish connections. Since his arrival, Lu Yuan had promptly ended these transparent gestures—though he kept careful mental notes of everyone’s true intentions.

As he left the compound, still contemplating the quickest route to the East City Gate, a blinding light suddenly flashed before him. When the dazzling glow finally subsided, six large characters materialized:

[SUPREME CLASS GREAT BARGAIN]

Lu Yuan froze, bewildered by the floating text, which hovered—he realized after a moment—directly above a neighbor’s head. The elderly woman hummed cheerfully to herself as she walked toward the compound entrance.

Lu Yuan blinked, narrowed his eyes, and approached with a calculated smile.

“Well, well,” he called out. “Aunt Wang! Why so happy today?”