Before I fight, I think.
Lord Raq' Mu, Great-General of Ochelon
It turned out that Lord Offal' Kest was not the only one aware of the approaching Breakthrough Matrix Season; a once-in-a-century phenomenon where the mainland's diluted cultivation essence thickened again. With the right method and matrix formation, legends could be born. Buried deep in the Yan Manor's library, an unsuspecting reader stumbled upon this knowledge.
His name was Tez' Mu.
A remarkable person—in all the wrong ways.
Tez' Mu's greatest problem was simple but devastating: he was stuck. A prodigy who had once defied expectations, he now found himself trapped in an agonizing cultivation bottleneck. Born as the fourth child of Lord Raq' Mu, the youngest and strongest Martial Sage in history; and Lady Essa-kest' Mu, a water affinity cultivator so gifted she halted her journey at Martial Lord by choice; Tez' Mu had been heralded as the next great legend of Ochelon.
And for a while, he lived up to the prophecy. At eleven, he awakened his cultivation spirit and advanced at a terrifying pace, reaching Martial Skills by fourteen. Then disaster struck.
His body could no longer absorb cultivation essence.
Two years passed, each one darker than the last. Diagnosis after diagnosis, remedy after remedy—nothing worked. Well-meaning advice blurred together with cold indifference. The world, once full of promise, turned hostile. Tez' Mu withdrew into himself, driven by a single, unrelenting force: to not rest, never rest, until he found something that would cure him of his sickness, for he considered it such.
And surely it was, for, lately, whenever he tried to cultivate, his chest would seize, his oasis would burn, and he would cough up blood.
It was quite fateful that he found information about the Breakthrough Matrix Season in the Yan Library, for the young master of the house, Dor' Yan, heir to the Yan Manor and Tez' Mu's soon-to-be brother-in-law, was suffering from the same fate as him.
But Dor' Yan was not merely bottle-necked. He had been born a cultivation cripple, forever denied the path that ruled noble society. Without the ability to cultivate at all, he instead mastered the art of command: politics, coercion, and martial training— skills every child born to a noble house in Ochelon definitely learned, but tended to abandon once they started cultivating. It was the only way when raw power was out of reach.
Dor' Yan had endured many taunts in his life, but he was not really worse for the wear, for due to whatever reason, Tez' Mu's own sister, Royan' Mu, the most eligible bachelorette in Ochelon, fell in love with him. Nothing but shock and disbelief responded to the announcement of the tiny Yan family that young Lady Royan' Mu; the eldest daughter of the Mu family, Martial Grandmaster, disciple to Guild Master of the Healer's Guild; was engaged to the only son and heir to the Yan Manor!
The first backlash was about half a dozen attempts on Dor' Yan's life, no doubt the work of the heart broken young masters of Ochelon, though no one was apprehended. Within a week of the announcement, four Yan family shops were mysteriously set on fire, their ship sailing in ransacked, its goods stolen, sailors wounded—one thrown overboard.
And just recently, a nameless girl had run through the streets, dragging a dirt-covered child and screaming that Dor' Yan had abandoned his son.
Tez' Mu shook his head even as he remembered all this and pulled down the dusty tome that would change his life.
Sometimes he wondered—if he had remained stuck at Martial Skills, would everything that happened afterward have never come to pass?
For if Tez' Mu had known, as he turned the pages of that tome, what was going to happen to him in just a year, he might have been tempted to abandon Ochelon altogether.
To flee the mainland like his brothers had done.
But he didn't.
The book was titled 'The Hyghest and Moste Intricat Methodes of Cultivacioun', its subtitle written in old symbols. He flipped it open with casual disinterest, his eyes skimming the dense lettering—until he came to a page covered in matrices drawn in intricate triangular formations.
"Huh?"
Tez' Mu had attempted a matrix formation breakthrough before. He was sure he would have succeeded, if at the critical point his little sister Chan' Mu had not walked smack right through the formation. Tez' Mu still had not forgiven her, and she remained cold to him as well, not apologizing, for, as she reasoned, no one drew important matrix formations in the center of the courtyard.
His excitement, however, was short-lived. Beneath the matrices, a postscript in faded ink read:
In the season of Breakthrough Cultivation, the Breakthrough Matrix Formation shall be effective. None shall undertake this Formation of such gravity, but he who has attained the degree of Kingly Matrix Practitioner or has wit of greater wisdom.
Tez' Mu scowled. "What! Where am I supposed to find a King-tier Matrix Practitioner!?"
But even as he grumbled, he tore out the pages of instructions. He was about to shut the book when a passage on the next page caught his eye.
The Breakthrough Matrix Season occurs at the meeting of the stars Limaz and Sotir.
"Oh, I see." He tore that out too.
Walking back to the table, he dropped into his chair and buried his face in his hands, exhaustion weighing down on him. Sleep was just beginning to claim him when a soft yet insistent voice called his name.
"I'm coming!" He stashed the pieces of paper torn from the book into the side pocket of his trousers and then hurried out of the vast library. He was still quite surprised at how many academic resources the Yan family had managed to collect.
When he reached the front room of the manor, Royan' Mu stood with her back to him, a tall, commanding figure in an elegant wudan, a flowing gown of deep indigo silk, embroidered with silver-threads. The fabric shifted like water with every movement, the long sleeves tapering into delicate loops around her fingers. Her braided curls, a rich reddish-brown, cascaded down her back, woven with fine golden wire and tiny beads. The light from the lanterns kissed her deep brown skin, accentuating the smooth, polished glow of it.
"Where's your fiancé?" Tez' Mu asked dryly.
She turned, her large, expressive eyes catching the light, framed by thick lashes. A smile broke across her face, revealing pearly white teeth.
"He's gone into the city to pick out a few things for our wedding."
Tez' Mu rolled his eyes. The very reason he had disappeared to wander the Yan Manor was because his stomach could no longer stand the icky displays of the two lovebirds. Why he had even agreed to accompany his sister in the first place, he had already forgotten.
"Are we leaving now?"
Royan' Mu huffed, turning up her nose. "Try to be a little more friendly. Dor' Yan was disappointed—you wouldn't even say a word to him. He likes you, you know."
Tez' Mu scoffed. "Am I the one getting married to him? It's bad enough that you both are all over each other. Do I have to watch as well?" He turned away and gestured for a passing Yan servant. "Prepare a horse for me."
"What's up? Where are you going?" Royan' Mu frowned. The carriage of the Mu family was waiting to convey them back home.
"Ar' Rion's."
"Aren't you coming home for dinner?"
Tez' Mu snorted. "Sis, Raq' Mu is the last person I want to see right now," he replied ominously.
"Don't be silly. Father wouldn't devour you, you know? It's been long since we've all seen him; I'm sure he'd like for everyone to be present."
"I reckon not." Tez' Mu's voice turned cold. "Raq' Mu can eat his dinner in peace without his good-for-nothing son ruining the atmosphere."
"Tez'!" Royan' Mu threw up her hands in exasperation, "you're too critical of yourself! What's a little cultivation bottleneck that you're acting as if it's the end of the world!"
The servant returned, bowing.
"The horse is ready, ke."
"Thanks," Tez' Mu strode out without looking back.
In the courtyard, a dappled gray horse flicked its tail, waiting. He swung himself into the saddle, adjusting the reins just as the servant approached again, hesitant.
"Uh— where should I come to fetch it back?"
Tez' Mu raised a brow. "Is your Yan Manor so derelict you can't afford to lose a single horse?"
The servant paled, waving his hands hurriedly. "N-no, it's just—that's the young master's horse—"
Ah.
"Fine." Tez' Mu exhaled. "Come to the Rion house later."
The servant hesitated. "The Rion house?"
Tez' Mu sighed. "Never mind. I'll have my servant return it. Rest assured, it'll be cared for in the Mu Manor stable."
The servant's face lit up with relief and excitement as he bowed.
Before the boy could start listing Dor' Yan's horse's favorite types of hay and water, Tez' Mu yanked the reins and spurred forward.
He rode out of Yan Manor, down the Ji District, scanning the streets. Another family had taken over the market—one that, even a blind man could see, rightfully belonged to the Yan family.
He could now guess why.
Aside from the young master and a few aging relatives, Yan Manor was empty. A dwindling household.
Dor' Yan, as it were, was their last 'flame' as an old adage would put it. No wonder his mother was not too pleased with this engagement. It was more like the Yan family wanted to use Royan' as their stepping stone back into the limelight. A noble lady affiliated with the Healer's Guild would no doubt take issue with another family's illegal occupation of her husband's territory.
Tez' Mu guided his horse onto the left fork, heading out of Ji District. Just as he came to the gate, however, he was forced to slow down, and even to bring his horse to a halt, by a tall scar-faced man with dirty long hair Tez' Mu turned his nose up at. Only nobles had the leisure and ease to grow out their hair. Others, like this man, who worked under the sun and in the sand, only brought reproach on this hairstyle, he thought privately.
"Yes?" Tez' Mu frowned. The man looked slightly affronted. He was perhaps used to being the law.
"Who are you?" He asked. When Tez' Mu didn't answer, the man continued, digging his finger in his ear and pulling out a clump of earwax, which he cleaned on his sleeve.
"I didn't see you enter our Ji District this morning, or anytime for that matter. Did you use a teleportation scroll? That's not allowed."
Tez' Mu's horse pawed the ground, mirroring its rider's irritation. "I didn't."
"Then—"
"I was in a carriage."
"Ah. Then your driver must've paid your fare. You'll have to pay yours now." the man shrugged, palm up.
Tez' Mu raised his eyebrows. "Fare?"
"Yes. Our Ji Family is the one protecting and maintaining this road. Naturally, you wouldn't enjoy your trip if it weren't for us. Did you know how bad it was before—?"
"Cut the nonsense." Tez' Mu snapped, "I'm not paying any damn fare. Are you an idiot? How do you think the Scith would like to hear about this?"
It was the man's turn to snort.
"The Scith?" He chuckled, "boy, if you won't pay the fare I'll have to seize your horse and then you can better appreciate what our Ji Family has done to maintain this road by walking it yourself."
Tez' Mu's patience reached its limit. "How much is this fare?"
The man grinned, showing rotten teeth. "A hundred kerahs."
Tez' Mu let out an incredulous snort.
"Really! I'm surprised you haven't built some sky-high towers on this 'your road'!"
"It's in the works," the gate-keeper grinned widely.
Around them, carriages and pedestrians passed freely, no one stopping to pay. Tez' Mu glowered. "What about them?"
"These are our Ji District's customers and partners," the man replied smugly. "We have an understanding. You, however, are a stranger."
Tez' Mu tilted his head. "Oh? And whose rule is this?"
"Eminent Ji," the man answered proudly.
Tez' Mu blinked. "Eminent Ji?" Then, realization dawned. "Wait—Fifth Judge Muri' Ji of the Scith? That's your lord?"
The gatekeeper faltered. He hadn't expected the name to roll off Tez' Mu's tongue so casually. "Watch your mouth, you—"
Tez' Mu suddenly laughed. Loudly.
"Hah! I had no idea! I really had no idea it was that 'Ji'! I thought it was some great noble family that repressed the Yans," He shook his head, amused. Then, eyes glinting, he leaned down from his horse.
"Listen carefully," he said, voice light but sharp. "I'm not paying a single coin. Go tell your Lord Ji—" he raised his ringed index finger, "—that the Ke of House Mu sends his greetings. And tell him to watch his back."
With that, he yanked the reins, rearing the horse onto its hind legs before galloping off without a backward glance.
Only when he had left for a few moments did the gate-keeper regain his breath.
"The Ke—" he muttered nervously, placing his hand over his chest, "the young master of House Mu?! Oh my, why is it him?! My lord would have killed me if I offended a Mu!"
Tez' Mu finally rode into Joavir, the reeking, poor, interconnected backstreets of the imperial capital. Ochelon, especially the capital, was like this—opulent at first glance, a city of towering industries, grand academies, high-walled manors, and bustling markets, making the capital look flourishing, without any speck or display of hardship or poverty. But behind that polished facade lay the truth: an intricate network of alleys; the residences of those who did the menial jobs in those institutions. Here lived the laborers, the servants, the hands that toiled to keep the illusion intact. Without them, the capital would collapse into ruin.
The horse whined, its flanks heaving from the hard ride. Tez' Mu dismounted in front of the largest, cleanest house on the street and knocked briskly. The door unlatched before he had even finished. A tiny face peeked out, then lit up.
"Brother Mu!"
Tez' Mu sighed, shaking his head as he stepped inside.
"It's Brother Tez', not Brother Mu," he corrected—for what had to be the ninety-eighth time. But the little one's front teeth were missing, and without them, Tez' was a battle she could not win.
"Where's Ar'?" he asked, glancing around the modest front room.
"Being punished," she answered with a conspiratorial grin.
Tez' Mu frowned. "For what?"
"Rion-deran found him with a presence-concealing matrix gadget. She thinks he stole it from the Academy."
Tez' Mu groaned. "I gave him that! Where is he?"
"Back courtyard."
He didn't waste another second. The archway leading to the courtyard was crowded with children, their eyes wide as they watched the spectacle unfolding. Tez' Mu waded through them like parting river reeds and entered just as Heyu' Rion raised the whip in her hand.
"No—stop!" He threw himself between her and Ar' Rion, bracing for the sting.
Heyu' Rion halted mid-strike, eyes narrowing in recognition. "Tez' Mu?"
She lowered the whip, clearly displeased by his interruption. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see Ar' Rion." Tez' Mu turned, eyeing his friend, who was kneeling stiffly, his forehead damp with sweat. "You dumb brat—couldn't you have told her?"
"She wouldn't believe me," Ar' Rion muttered, his lips pouting.
Tez' Mu sighed, then turned back to Heyu' Rion. "I'm sorry, Rion-deran. I gave him that matrix."
Heyu' Rion's sharp gaze pinned her son. "And why does he need it? What are you trying to hide from me, Ar' Rion?"
"Nothing! Nothing!" Tez' Mu jumped in before his friend could make things worse. "It's for an assignment! We have a test on concealment next week. He didn't have a matrix to practice with, so I lent him mine. That's why I'm here—to study with him."
But Heyu' Rion wasn't buying it. Her lips curled in a slight sneer as she raked her gaze over him. "You? Study? You're not even carrying books."
Tez' Mu rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh—well, it's a practical study session..."
Mothers. They had an unnatural talent for sniffing out lies.
Heyu' Rion crossed her arms over the whip. "I have my eyes wide open, Ar' Rion. Any mischief—" She didn't finish the sentence. She didn't have to. The message was clear.
As she turned and left, the children scattered like startled birds, their gazes still darting warily after her. Tez' Mu wondered how such a temperamental person could run an orphanage. The children were terrified of her, and rightly so, but they had nowhere to go. Their fear was also mixed with deep gratitude and respect, creating a complicated relationship. As for Ar' Rion, he was Heyu' Rion's own son, born under possibly unhappy circumstances. Yet, he was loved and raised well, however strictly. With her income from working in the opulent side of the capital Heyu' Rion took care of her son and about two dozen orphans.
House Rion, therefore, though not noble, was respected by all the residents of the backstreets. Heyu' Rion was like a little queen herself, a benevolent mother-figure for adults and children alike, earning her the well-deserved title of Rion-deran, a high honor she did not belittle.
Tez' Mu exhaled, then reached down and pulled Ar' Rion to his feet.
"Next time, say something instead of kneeling like an idiot."
"You don't know my mother," Ar' Rion muttered. "The more I insist I'm innocent, the more she believes I'm guilty."
Tez' Mu smirked and clapped him on the shoulder. "Tough luck. Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm starving."
Ar' Rion hesitated. "You're not eating at home? Isn't your father returning today?"
Tez' Mu's jaw tensed. So even in Joavir, Raq' Mu's return was news.
"So you know, huh," his tone was cold.
Ar' Rion chuckled at his expression. "Who in Ochelon doesn't know? The great general, head of the House of Mu, the most powerful Martial Sage of the mainland, is returning victorious." he said, his tone reverent.
Tez' Mu scowled, his face reddening. "Oh, stop it."
His father's name always stirred something bitter in him.
He pushed the uncomfortable thoughts aside as they entered the kitchen, where children gathered eagerly around the food. To his surprise, Kel' Ruan, his other friend, was at the stove, apron tied over her yellow dress.
"What are you doing here?" he asked incredulously.
Kel' Ruan turned, startled, then blushed slightly before composing herself. "Ar' Rion invited me to lunch. I figured I should make myself useful. What are youwearing?"
Tez' Mu straightened, attempting a posh expression. "I was paying a social call."
Ar' Rion and Kel' Ruan burst into laughter, and Tez' Mu, unable to hold it, snickered as well.
"I wanted to say, is your conscience so deadened you wish to show off here in Joavir of all places?" Kel' Ruan shook her head, "meanwhile, where did you go?"
"Yan Manor," Tez' Mu replied, grabbing two wraps of hubak from the tray and holding out a bowl. "By the way, after a long dreary afternoon, my sister finally set her wedding date. You're both invited."
"Hm?" Kel' Ruan eyed him skeptically as she ladled thick broth and fish into his bowl. "You mean it?"
"Of course. What's the point of being in the family if I can't even invite two friends? I might as well move in with Ar' Rion at this rate—" He yanked his bowl back as more broth threatened to overflow. "Enough, Kel' Ruan! Am I a pig you want to fatten up?"
"You picked the biggest bowl," she shot back, sticking out her tongue.
One of the younger girls darted forward with a rag to mop up the spilled soup. She worked quickly, sneaking glances toward the door, clearly wary of Rion-deran.
Tez' Mu winced, taking a seat at the long wooden table in the kitchen. "Sorry."
She smiled. "No problem, Brother Tez'."
He tilted his head towards the bowl as he started to eat. "What's your name again? I can't keep up. I don't know how Ar' does," he bumped his friend's arm. They both sniggered.
"Yui. Peony."
Kel' Ruan sighed dreamily. "That's such a nice name. I wish mine meant something pretty."
"Kel' is nice," Ar' Rion mumbled.
Kel' Ruan blushed. "Young miss. It doesn't mean anything."
"It means your family loves you," Yui chimed in, eyes bright.
Kel' Ruan rolled her eyes. "I'm not a young miss of some noble family. I wish," she also came over and sat down, unwrapping her wheat mounds and starting to eat slowly.
"Your kind of family is the best," Tez' Mu spoke after swallowing a morsel, "no undue pressure; you can do things at your own pace. Also, you don't lack whatever you need, do you?"
Kel' Ruan snorted lightly. "Yeah—except no mother, no father. Just a big sister drowning in work—"
"Isn't Lord Ruan your father?" Ar' Rion asked, frowning.
"I hope not," Kel' Ruan muttered, her eyes darting nervously, "Still, I'd take a mother like yours any day."
Tez' Mu arched an eyebrow. "Mine? Or Ar's?"
"Yours, maybe." Kel' Ruan flushed slightly. "She must be so kind."
Tez' Mu barked a laugh. "Kind?"
Kel' Ruan frowned. "Well, yes! I remember when she came to the Academy. She was amazing. The way she manipulated water, how effortlessly she taught us—everyone loved her!"
"Hah." Tez' Mu scoffed, crushing her fantasy in one stroke. "Powerful? Yes. Nice? Essa-kest' Mu? I'd never describe her like that in a thousand years."
"Oh, come on," Kel' Ruan pushed. "I can understand if your father is strict, but your mother too?"
Tez' Mu bit down on a stiff piece of fish. He chewed slowly, then swallowed. "If she's so sugar-sweet, why do you think I spend so much time here?"
Ar' Rion shrugged. "Maybe you're just overreacting."
"Yeah. Or maybe you're the problem," Kel' Ruan added, eyes twinkling. "If even someone like her doesn't like you, then surely, you must be the issue."
Tez' Mu scoffed again. "I wish you'd see them for what they really are." He exhaled sharply. "Forget it. I come here to escape the Mu Manor, not to drag it along with me."
"Fine." Kel' Ruan threw up her hands. "We'll see for ourselves at the wedding. Don't back out on that invitation."
Tez' Mu smirked. "I won't. You'll have them by tomorrow."
Satisfied, Kel' Ruan dug back into her food. The boys had finished. As Yui cleared their plates, she lingered near Tez' Mu, murmuring under her breath.
"What?"
"Nothing," she stammered, her face going hot before scurrying away.
Ar' Rion chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "She's dead set on you, Tez'."
"She's not the only one," Kel' Ruan said loftily.
Tez' Mu and Ar' Rion, who were now at the sink, exchanged glances, then burst into laughter.
Kel' Ruan huffed. "What's so funny?"
Tez' Mu grinned. "Nothing at all."
She narrowed her eyes. "It's because of Keiran', isn't it?"
Tez' Mu felt himself stiffen. "Why are you bringing her up?"
"Hmph. Everyone knows she's your betrothed, so you won't—"
"Hum hum!" Tez' Mu cleared his throat loudly. "Ar', shall we go practice?"
"Sure." Ar' Rion got up.
Smirking, Kel' Ruan washed her hands at the sink and followed them out—only for all three to stop in their tracks.
A figure stood in the courtyard. A tall boy in Mu Manor servant robes.
Tez' Mu quickened his pace and met him first. "Sari?" he called the servant's name, "What's up?"
Sari bowed. "Your father wants to see you."
Tez' Mu groaned.
Kel' Ruan and Ar' Rion caught up, exchanging glances. "What's wrong?"
Tez' Mu's voice dropped. "Apparently, Raq' Mu has noticed that his problem is missing."
Ar' Rion frowned. "What does that mean?"
Tez' Mu sighed. "Nothing good." He hesitated. "You two carry on. I'll see you tomorrow. If I'm still alive." he added, and followed the servant out of the house. Ar' Rion glanced at Kel' Ruan, his brows raised.
"Is it me, or is Tez' Mu being overly dramatic?"
Kel' Ruan exhaled, pulling her sleeves down as she followed the departing figures with her eyes. "Not just you."