Waking Up
The first thing Bai Chen felt was softness. Not blood. Not broken bones. Not the stink of corpses. Just softness. A pillow under his head, sheets tucked tight, the faint smell of sandalwood in the air.
He blinked a few times, white hair falling into his eyes. He yawned and stretched like a man who had slept too long.
"Mm. That was good. Haven't slept like that in…" He scratched his head. "Actually, never."
Then memory hit him like a blade.
"Wait. Hold on. I was lying in blood. I killed half the elders, crippled my brother, and dropped like a dog. How the hell am I here?"
He sat up fast. His chest was fine. No stabbing pain. His meridians calm. His core humming, even stronger.
"Am I dead again? Reincarnated?"
He pinched his arm. It hurt.
"Nope. Still here. Guess the kid dragged me home."
Strange Sight
He swung his legs off the bed, feet bare against the floor, and shuffled to the door.
When he pushed it open, sunlight poured into the courtyard. And what he saw nearly dropped him.
The Chen estate was alive. Servants carried planks of wood, hammering. Maids planted flowers. Disciples painted the gate bright red. The whole place looked brand new.
Bai Chen rubbed his eyes. "Did I respawn as emperor? Or did my kid sell our land to carpenters?"
One servant noticed him. The man froze, then hit his knees.
"Greetings, Patriarch Bai!"
The words spread like fire.
All around, servants and disciples dropped to the ground.
"Patriarch Bai!"
Bai Chen's jaw went slack. "Oh no. Don't bow. Don't start with this. I'm just a tired guy with bad luck. Don't call me patriarch like I'm holy."
But they did. Every last one.
The Throne
He followed the voices to the main hall. The big doors were wide open.
And there, on his throne, sat Xuan Chen.
The boy looked too calm for his age. Hair neat, eyes sharp, scrolls stacked in front of him.
"Sell the broken spears to the traders. Melt the scrap. Carpenters will bring ten round tables tomorrow. Round tables mean unity. Write it down. Unity sells."
The few elders left scribbled down his words like scared students.
Bai Chen stood frozen in the doorway. "What the hell. Did my son get possessed by a seventy-year-old minister? He's thirteen."
Xuan Chen looked up. For a second, his serious face softened. "Oh. You're awake, Father. Good nap?"
Bai Chen pointed a finger at him. "Nap? Kid, I nearly died! And you—you stole my chair!"
Xuan Chen shrugged. "Somebody had to sit here. Don't worry, I kept it warm."
Bai Chen clutched his chest like he'd been stabbed again. "Ungrateful brat."
System
The chime rang in his head.
// SYSTEM NOTICE: HOST UNCONSCIOUS FOR 14 DAYS. //
// BODY HEALED. //
// CULTIVATION: GOLDEN CORE, MID STAGE. //
// PRIMARY SWORD DAMAGED. ITEM RECYCLED. +2 POINTS. //
Bai Chen froze. "Wait. My sword broke? That sword was my baby!"
// IT WAS JUNK. BE GRATEFUL. //
Bai Chen dropped to his knees. "Junk? That blade cut fifty people in one hall! You heartless thing."
// STATUS DISPLAY LOADING. //
Golden letters appeared in his mind.
Host: Bai Chen
Cultivation: Golden Core – Mid Stage
Strength: Average
Agility: Average
Essence Control: Average
Defense: Average
Luck: –30
System Points: 2
Bai Chen squinted. "Why does everything say average?"
// BECAUSE YOU ARE AVERAGE. //
"And my luck… minus thirty?! No wonder I trip, get ambushed, stabbed—"
// CORRECT. YOU ARE CURSED. //
Bai Chen dragged his hands down his face. "So I'm the heavenly dao in truth, but here I'm just a guy with cursed luck."
// AFFIRMATIVE. //
"I hate you."
// MUTUAL. //
He groaned. "Fine. I've got two points. Put them in strength."
// CONFIRMED. STRENGTH: AVERAGE → AVERAGE+. //
Bai Chen's face darkened. "Average plus? That's all?"
// YOU ARE NOW STRONGER THAN 51% OF FARMERS. //
"…I'll delete you one day."
// TRY. //
Father and Son
He walked into the hall muttering. Xuan Chen raised an eyebrow.
"Still arguing with your ghost, Father?"
"Yes! It says my luck is so bad clouds follow me like dogs."
Xuan Chen smirked. "Explains a lot."
Bai Chen dropped into a chair. "And my sword's gone. The system turned it into two points. Two. That's it."
Xuan Chen leaned on his hand. "Don't complain. I kept the clan together. The servants respect us. The merchants trade again. And we have flowers."
Bai Chen stared. "Flowers?"
Xuan Chen nodded to the courtyard. Blossoms swayed in the sun. "A clan that smells good feels good. Politics."
Bai Chen rubbed his face. "Kid, you're thirteen. At thirteen I was stealing buns from street stalls. How did I end up with you?"
Xuan Chen's lips curved. "You'll thank me later."
Testing Strength
Bai Chen clenched his fist, qi surging. The floor cracked.
He snapped a chair leg in his hand. Servants gasped.
Xuan Chen sighed. "Father, that was expensive."
Bai Chen coughed. "Quality test."
The servants bowed low, hiding their laughter.
Whispers
The hall grew quiet. Too quiet.
But outside the walls, the city buzzed. Merchants whispered that the Patriarch was awake, stronger than ever. Spies reported on the son ruling like an old fox. And in faraway clan halls, suspicion grew.
Bai Chen yawned, stretching like he might fall asleep again. "Maybe another nap…"
He didn't see the storm brewing outside. For now, he had a bed. He had flowers. And for once, people bowed instead of stabbing him.