> "I really just want a job with food and shelter, nothing more."
— Lin Zhou, the mortal forced to become the world's most stable factor
---
The sun was warm, and the breeze carried the savory scent of the street vendors.
Wearing muddy cloth shoes, Lin Zhou stood before the famed "Spirit Herb Street" of the imperial capital, eyes full of hope.
This entire street was lined with spirit herb shops and alchemy stores. Even the lowest-ranking errand boys here had meals and beds—already better than the ruined temple he currently slept in.
> "A spirit herb worker isn't bad at all... No cultivation, no fighting, just dig some dirt, spread some fertilizer, and you can survive lying flat."
He smiled and walked toward the nearest shop, "Biqing Spirit Herb Shop," just about to knock—when a hand suddenly blocked him.
"Wait!" a voice called out urgently.
Lin Zhou looked up. A young boy rushed out from the neighboring herb shop, face brimming with excitement.
The boy's hair was messy, skin fair, carrying a tattered herb tool bag on his back. Honestly, he looked even poorer than Lin Zhou.
"You're applying to be a laborer?!" the boy exclaimed.
Lin Zhou nodded. "Yeah. Does it come with food?"
"Wait here!" The boy dashed back inside, then dashed out again, grabbing Lin Zhou's hand. "Come! Join our shop! I'm Xiao Li! We've got food, a place to sleep, and even spirit herb soup every day!"
Lin Zhou blinked. "You… you're not afraid of me?"
"Why would I be?" Xiao Li asked, completely puzzled.
Lin Zhou muttered, "Lately… people kneel whenever they see me."
"You probably look like some noble's son or something. Big family background?" Xiao Li tilted his head.
Lin Zhou: "???"
---
[Spirit Herb Shop · Backyard]
Lin Zhou sat in front of the firewood shed, carefully sipping a hot bowl of spirit herb soup.
It had been a long time since he'd had anything warm.
Xiao Li squatted beside him, chewing on a sprout stem, staring at him with wide eyes.
"What did you do before this? Cultivator?"
Lin Zhou shook his head.
"Noble family?"
Another shake.
"Innate spiritual root awakened?"
Still no.
Xiao Li paused, then leaned in close, eyes full of confusion:
"…Then how are you even still alive?"
Lin Zhou thought for a moment, then answered earnestly, "By picking up leftover buns."
"..."
Xiao Li suddenly burst out laughing, clapping his shoulder. "Bro, I like your down-to-earth vibe. From now on, you're my big bro!"
Lin Zhou froze, heart trembling, eyes suddenly a little wet.
It had been so long since anyone smiled at him like that, treating him like a normal person.
> Everyone else feared his breath, his cough, even his footsteps.
> Only this boy named Xiao Li patted his back with pure sincerity and said—
> "You're my bro!"
In that moment, Lin Zhou truly wished… he could live like this forever.
---
[Across the Street · Sky Surveillance Array]
A floating formation hovered silently in midair, invisible to the public.
Inside, over a dozen figures stood in solemn silence, watching Lin Zhou through a divine mirror.
The lead inspector's face was grave. "Target has officially entered the spirit herb shop. His movements appear casual, but there's a chance he's attempting to 'quietly integrate into the human foundational system.'"
Deputy: "He drank the spirit herb soup. Any sign of a spiritual reaction?"
"No energy fluctuation detected. But… he smiled."
Gasps echoed throughout the formation. "He smiled?!"
The divine mirror pulsed brightly, locking onto the moment Lin Zhou smiled at Xiao Li's joke.
The inspector's voice grew heavy. "Based on previous observations—whenever he smiles, Dao resonance shows a slight tremor."
Deputy, voice shaking: "What do we do now?"
The inspector took a deep breath, eyes shifting to the formation's core.
> "Initiate Star-Level Surveillance Protocol."
"Notify Li Xinglan. The target's facial expression has shifted. She must assess it personally."
---
[Heavens Above · Starwatch Platform]
Clouds churned. Starlight danced.
Li Xinglan stood in the center of the celestial array, wearing a silver-white judicial robe. Her face was like frosted jade, her eyes gleaming like stars.
She remained still, staring coldly into the divine mirror.
Inside, Lin Zhou and Xiao Li were digging in the herb garden. Xiao Li tossed mud playfully while Lin Zhou watched helplessly.
After a long moment, she finally spoke, her voice colder than a glacier's breath:
> "...This is the one?"
"A mortal body, no spiritual roots, no system imprint, no causality threads… By all theory, he's a complete nobody."
She paused, voice turning sharper:
> "Yet wherever he appears, surrounding time-space nodes distort."
"He… is an anomaly."
Inspector: "Ma'am, shall we begin screening the people around him?"
Li Xinglan lowered her gaze—to Xiao Li, by Lin Zhou's side.
She was silent for three seconds.
> "Do not touch him."
Everyone was stunned.
"But he's closely associated with the target. If he's a guide or anchor—"
"I said—do not touch him."
There was no room for negotiation in her tone.
"Y-Yes, understood."
Li Xinglan closed her eyes, letting out a faint sigh.
> "Wait a bit longer."
"This Lin Zhou… is too quiet. Quiet like a coffin sunken at the bottom of the sea."
"If he doesn't move, the world remains at peace."
"If he does… stars and realms alike may fall out of balance."
---
[Dusk · Rooftop of the Herb Shop]
Lin Zhou sat under the eaves. Xiao Li handed him a small pouch of roasted beans.
"Bro, are you really not gonna consider cultivating? Even without a spirit root, you could try herb-based methods. Might help you bulk up at least."
Lin Zhou smiled and shook his head. "I just want to live peacefully."
He gazed at the setting sun, voice soft:
> "If I really am a disaster… then I have even more reason not to cultivate."
Xiao Li didn't quite catch that, but he scooted closer with a grin.
"What'd you say, bro?"
Lin Zhou turned, smiling gently. "Nothing. Just—thanks for the spirit soup today."
"No problem!" Xiao Li grinned like a puppy. "We're brothers for life now!"
---
[Chapter End · High Above the Skies]
Li Xinglan stood against the wind, cloak billowing, eyes fixed on the backs of Lin Zhou and Xiao Li sitting on the rooftop.
Her expression was void of emotion.
Slowly, she unsheathed her Judgment Spear and planted it before the star map, her voice flat:
> "If the day ever comes that he makes a move… I'll be the first to kill him."