I found my mother in her sitting room, the morning light filtering through paper screens as she worked on an elaborate embroidery.
The phoenix taking shape under her needle was exquisite—each feather rendered in different shades of red and gold silk.
She looked up as I entered, her expression shifting from concentration to that calculating look I'd come to recognize.
"Zhou'er, what brings you to see your mother so early?" she asked, setting down her needlework with deliberate care. "Have you finished your morning exercises already?"
"Yes, Mother. I was hoping to explore the city today. There's much I need to learn about the world beyond our compound walls."
Lin Mei's perfectly shaped eyebrows arched slightly. She was beautiful, as all of Father's concubines were, but there was a sharpness to her beauty—like a blade hidden in silk.
As the third concubine with only one son, her entire future rested on my shoulders. Every decision she made revolved around that simple fact.
"The city can be dangerous for a young master wandering alone," she said, though I could see her mind already working through the possibilities. "There are ruffians, pickpockets, and worse, our city is full of cultivators. You're too valuable to risk, my precious genius son."
She paused dramatically, one hand pressed to her chest. "But then again, a true genius needs to see the world to grow properly. How can you surpass others if you remain sheltered like a greenhouse flower?"
I waited patiently while she performed her little drama. Mother enjoyed these little theatrical moments, as if life were a stage play where she was perpetually the suffering but noble concubine.
"Very well," she declared finally. "But you'll take protection." She clapped her hands twice, the sharp sound echoing in the room. "Summon Bai Ning Ning immediately."
A servant scurried away, and within moments, a young woman entered and bowed gracefully. She couldn't have been more than seventeen, with the kind of alert, watchful eyes that spoke of martial training.
Her movements were fluid and controlled—clearly a guard, though her lack of cultivation aura marked her as a mortal.
"Ning Ning, you'll accompany my son today," Mother commanded, her tone leaving no room for disagreement. "Guard him with your life. He is the future of our branch of the Lin family."
"Yes, Mistress Lin. I understand completely," Bai Ning Ning replied, her voice steady and professional.
Mother turned back to me, her expression softening into something almost genuine. "Be careful, Zhou'er. You're far too precious to lose to some city mishap. And do try to learn something useful while you're out—perhaps observe the merchants, see how business is conducted. Your father would approve of such practical education."
As we left the compound, I couldn't help but marvel at how different the Blue Wind Empire's capital felt compared to my expectations.
The streets were wider, the buildings grander, and there was an energy in the air that spoke of prosperity and strength rather than the decline I'd expected from the novel's descriptions.
"Miss Bai," I began as we walked through the merchant district, dodging around a cart loaded with spiritual herbs,
"I've been studying the Empire's political structure for my lessons. Could you tell me about the Imperial Family's current strength? My tutors speak in generalities, but you must hear more concrete information."
She glanced at me with surprise, clearly not expecting such a mature question from a five-year-old.
"Of course, Young Master. Our Emperor, Cang Tian, is extraordinarily powerful—he's reached the seventh stage of the Emperor Profound Realm, and he's only seventy years old."
I nearly stumbled over a loose cobblestone.
Seventh stage Emperor Profound? In the novel, the Blue Wind Empire's emperor had been a weakling, barely maintaining order through political maneuvering and eventually succumbing to poison.
"Seventy is quite young for such achievement," I managed, keeping my voice level despite my racing thoughts.
At least it was a great feat in this backwater Empire.
"Indeed! Some court scholars predict he might even reach Tyrant Profound before his hundredth birthday. It would be unprecedented in our Empire's history."
Her voice held genuine pride. "His Majesty's strength ensures our prosperity. The neighboring nations don't dare provoke us with such a powerful ruler."
"How does he compare to other major powers within the Empire?" I pressed, needing to understand just exactly when I was.
"The four major sects' leaders are mostly in the early to mid-stages of Emperor Profound," Bai Ning Ning explained as we paused to let a procession of merchant wagons pass.
"So the Imperial Family maintains clear superiority. The Blue Wind Profound Palace, being directly under imperial control, is naturally the strongest, followed by the four major sects."
"It keeps the Empire remarkably peaceful," she continued.
"No one dares challenge such overwhelming strength. Even the traditionally arrogant Burning Heaven Clan keeps its ambitions in check."
My mind raced through the implications. This wasn't the weakened Blue Wind Empire from the novel—this was a nation at its peak, with power structures that could maintain stability for decades more.
"The sect leaders must be formidable in their own right," I ventured, trying to confirm my growing suspicions. "What are their names? I should know these things for my education."
Bai Ning Ning seemed pleased by my interest. "You're quite right, Young Master. The Heavenly Sword Villa is led by Sect Master Ling Tianni, a legendary swordsman who's said to have comprehended the sword intent. Frozen Cloud Asgard is headed by Palace Mistress Feng Qianhui, renowned as the most beautiful woman in the Empire—though they say her ice-cold demeanor matches her sect's cultivation methods."
My heart sank and soared simultaneously.
These weren't the leaders from Yun Che's time—these were their predecessors. The timeline was becoming clear: I was at least one generation, possibly two, before the story's beginning.
"And the other two sects?" I asked, though I already suspected the answer.
"Xiao Sect's patriarch is Xiao Juetian. Burning Heaven Clan is led by Fen Moran, whose mastery of fire profound arts is unmatched in the Empire."
All the previous generation. All still alive and at their peak.
As we continued through the city, I pretended to observe the shops and their wares while my mind worked furiously. I was early—very early.
The opportunities Yun Che would eventually claim were still untouched.
The Sky Poison Pearl, the trials of the Dragon God and Phoenix, even the Primordial Profound Ark—they were all still waiting, unclaimed and undiscovered.
But then reality crashed down on me like an avalanche.
Every single one of those legendary opportunities required either impossible luck or the ability to fight far above one's cultivation realm.
The Phoenix trial demanded a trial of mind, which I was not comfortable with due to being a reincarnator.
The Dragon God's trial was even more severe.
It was maddeningly circular—a joke of the highest order.
To obtain a cheat ability, you needed to possess a cheat ability already.
And the primary cheat that made everything else possible—the Evil God's inheritance that would transform Yun Che's worthless profound veins—wouldn't arrive for at least another two decades.
"Young Master?" Bai Ning Ning's concerned voice pulled me from my spiraling thoughts.
"You seem troubled. Is everything alright?"
I forced a small smile. "Just thinking about cultivation. Sometimes it feels like the truly fortunate are born with advantages the rest of us can never catch up to."
She nodded thoughtfully as we resumed walking. "My father once told me something Master Fang said: 'The heavens are fair—everyone receives opportunities, but not everyone recognizes them when they appear, and fewer still have the courage to grasp them.'"
The words were meant to be comforting, but they only emphasized my predicament. I knew exactly what opportunities were coming, but I lacked the means to seize them.
"Miss Bai," I said as we paused before a weapon smith's shop, "thank you for answering my questions."
"Of course, Young Master. You're remarkably focused for one so young."
I was about to respond when suddenly—
[System Notification: Supreme Knowledge System has been activated]
The translucent blue box appeared directly in my vision, causing me to freeze mid-step. My eyes widened in shock as the impossible stared back at me.
I have a system.
After all my lamenting about needing cheats to get cheats, about being disadvantaged compared to the protagonist—the universe had apparently decided to prove me wrong.
"Young Master?" Bai Ning Ning's concerned voice seemed distant. "Is something wrong?"
I blinked rapidly, the notification still hovering in my vision.
A system.
An actual ticket-to-supremacy system like in those novels I used to read back on Earth.
"I... I just remembered something important," I managed, my voice slightly shaky. "We should head back soon."
Supreme Knowledge System.
The name itself sent my mind racing with possibilities. What could it do? What advantages would it provide? And why had it activated now, of all times?
As we began walking back toward the compound, I could barely contain my excitement.
Everything had changed in an instant.
The game was no longer rigged against me—I had just been dealt a wild card.
.....
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