The city of Bagania didn't sleep that night.
News of Dan Mu's death spread like wildfire, slipping through alleys and banquet halls, whispered over boiling cauldrons and behind closed doors. People no longer spoke of the Golden Bamboo Inn with affection.
They whispered of a demon in human skin.
Of the man who absorbed souls.
Of Rahul Saini.
—
Atop the Golden Bamboo Inn, Rahul lay sprawled beneath the stars, hands behind his head, watching the night sky without a care in the world. A gentle breeze played with his hair. Below him, tension stirred like a rising tide.
He was aware of it all.
The fear. The curiosity. The chaos.
And he was feeding on it.
[DING! Emotional energy absorbed from Bagania District: +52 Fear, +27 Curiosity, +14 Hatred][Temporary Stat Boost: +10% Agility, +12% Perception, +8% Qi Flow Efficiency]
"They think hiding in shadows will protect them?" Rahul chuckled. "They have no idea they're nourishing me."
Ever since the Chaos Seed merged with his heart, something deep inside him had changed.
He could feel the people's emotions like tiny strings tied to his chest—every shiver, every glare, every whispered name. And it was beautiful.
But the peace wasn't going to last.
Not in this city.
Not after killing someone like Dan Mu.
—
By morning, the city guard had doubled.
Sect disciples patrolled rooftops.
And outside the inn, a sleek black carriage drawn by spirit horses pulled to a stop. Gold-laced banners bore the sigil of the Green Serpent Sect.
From within stepped a man whose mere presence made the air thicken.
His robes shimmered with jade light, and the tip of his walking stick glowed with faint silver runes.
The wind didn't touch him.
The ground trembled beneath his steps.
People on the streets bowed their heads instinctively.
He was a Core Elder.
Elder Suan of the Green Serpent Sect.
—
Inside the inn, Rahul sipped tea calmly while watching the door creak open.
The guests had vanished. Most of the staff had gone missing. Only a few bold—or foolish—souls remained, pretending not to eavesdrop from behind curtains.
Elder Suan stepped inside like a judge entering a silent courtroom.
He didn't shout.
He didn't threaten.
He simply spoke.
"You killed my disciple."
Rahul raised an eyebrow. "Your disciple tried to kill me first."
"He was family. Blood of my sect. He made mistakes, yes. But you—" his voice grew colder—"devoured him in public."
"And?"
"You embarrassed the Green Serpent Sect."
"Good. You needed a reminder."
A long silence followed. The tension crackled like lightning behind clouds.
Elder Suan finally smiled. "You must believe yourself untouchable."
Rahul didn't blink. "I believe myself unpredictable."
That's when Elder Suan moved.
He didn't draw a weapon.
He didn't form seals.
He simply vanished—appearing an inch from Rahul with his palm glowing emerald and deadly.
[DING! Combat Detected. Enemy Realm: Nascent Soul.][Chaos Boost Engaged. Host Elevated to Soul Formation Realm.]
Rahul's body blurred, slipping back just enough to avoid the elder's palm.
The counterattack came instinctively—his right hand snapping upward, fingers forming a strange, twisting sign in midair.
A mark appeared, etched in light.
[DING! First Chaos Technique Activated: "Eclipse Spiral: Void Thread Bind."]
Black threads surged from Rahul's fingers, invisible to normal eyes. They slithered through the air like serpents, spiraling around Elder Suan.
"Wha—?" the elder paused, trying to move—only to realize his limbs weren't obeying him.
The threads tightened.
[Effect: Chaos Bind – locks down spiritual flow, Qi meridians, and movement for 3 seconds per successful emotion tether.]
Rahul stepped forward slowly, each footfall echoing louder than the last.
"I can hear your emotions, old man."
He closed his eyes for a moment.
"Anger. Pride. Regret. Doubt."
He opened them again.
"Delicious."
[Absorbed: +42 Rage, +17 Fear, +8 Anxiety. Boosting Strength by +15% for 10 seconds.]
In that moment, Rahul struck.
One palm pressed into Elder Suan's chest.
Not with force—no. With intent.
Chaos Qi entered the elder like wildfire through dry wood, corrupting the natural flow of his spiritual energy.
Elder Suan screamed as his inner core trembled.
He jumped back with a burst of jade light, finally breaking free of the bind.
"You—You corrupted my Qi channels?!"
"Chaos doesn't kill," Rahul said softly. "It… rewrites."
Suan's face twisted with something deeper than pain—fear.
"This isn't cultivation… This is forbidden…"
Rahul tilted his head. "All rules are made by those who fear change."
—
Outside, cultivators and merchants gathered. Rumors grew.
"Elder Suan entered and hasn't come out.""Is he dead already?""Who is this innkeeper?!"
And then the doors slammed open.
Elder Suan stumbled out, clothes burned, face pale, body trembling. Not dead, but defeated. Not wounded, but changed.
He stared at the crowd.
Then whispered:
"…He is not a cultivator. He is Chaos itself."
And fled.
—
That single sentence was all it took.
By nightfall, Bagania trembled.
Sects recalled their disciples.
Merchants hired guards to protect their stores.
People burned incense and prayed outside the inn, hoping to avoid his wrath.
And inside the inn?
Rahul sat calmly, a book in hand, sipping wine. His Chaos Seed pulsed inside his chest—growing, feeding, laughing.
[DING! Emotional Surge Detected in Bagania: +178 Fear, +203 Curiosity, +97 Worship][New Skill Unlocked: "Chaotic Pulse – Disrupt spiritual formations within 50 meters for 3 seconds."]
He smirked.
Every moment he existed, he grew stronger.
And the world?
It was feeding him more than he ever dreamed.
But deep underground, far beneath the city…
An ancient seal shuddered.
A withered voice groaned in the dark.
"Chaos… has returned."
And the real game was about to begin.