Ren returned to his room just before dawn with the careful gait of a man who fully expected fate to trip him on the last step out of spite.
It didn't.
Which immediately worried him.
He shut the door, leaned against it, and exhaled. "Okay. No stabbing. No ambush. No sudden elders descending from the ceiling. Either I'm improving… or the universe is winding up."
> System Update:
Ethical Harmony Route: Active
Progression Style: Gradual, Stable
Side Effects: Slower gains, fewer scandals, reduced chance of assassination
Ren stared at the panel.
"…You're telling me I can trade raw power for not being murdered?"
> Affirmative.
Ren nodded decisively. "I choose life. Very controversial, I know."
He flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. The guided resonance had left his Qi smoother, less prone to panicked flailing. It felt like the difference between a nervous intern and a slightly more confident intern.
Progress.
> Body Tempering Progress: 23%
Qi Flow: Coherent (Low)
Ren smiled. "Coherent. I've been chasing that my whole life."
---
Morning brought rumors.
By the time Ren reached the courtyard, whispers followed him like a poorly optimized background process.
"I heard he met someone at Bamboo Spring Pavilion."
"They say it was secret cultivation."
"No, I heard it was a trap."
"I heard he cried."
Ren winced. "Wow. None of those are accurate, and somehow all of them hurt."
Zhao Kun stood among a small group, watching Ren with narrowed eyes. When Ren caught his gaze, he gave a friendly wave.
Zhao Kun turned away, jaw tight.
> Passive Effect: Innate Sarcasm
Enemy Irritation: Sustained
Ren clasped his hands behind his back. Consistency is key.
Su Meilin approached later, expression unreadable.
"You were at Bamboo Spring Pavilion last night," she said quietly.
Ren blinked. "Ah. So the rumor mill works overtime."
"Was it reckless?" she asked.
Ren considered. "Yes. But in a controlled, consent-heavy, non-lethal way."
She sighed. "You really don't help your reputation."
Ren smiled gently. "I'm trying to help my survival."
She studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Be careful who you trust."
> System Update:
Target: Su Meilin
Favorability: 32% → 34%
Trust: Deepening (Cautious)
Ren watched her leave and murmured, "Noted. Trust sparingly. Sarcasm generously."
---
That afternoon, Elder Zhou summoned him.
Ren entered the elder's chamber with the posture of a man prepared to be disappointed but hoping for snacks.
"Lin Fan," Elder Zhou said, eyes sharp. "You've caused… ripples."
Ren bowed. "I prefer to think of them as gentle disturbances."
"Your cultivation remains weak," the elder continued, "yet your mind is stable. Your conduct last night avoided incident."
Ren perked up. "I knew not dying would pay off."
Elder Zhou ignored him. "You will be assigned to Hall of Records duties."
Ren paused. "Is that… punishment?"
"Observation," the elder replied. "You'll copy manuals. Clean shelves. Listen more than you speak."
Ren nodded solemnly. "I will do my best to fail quietly."
> System Notification:
New Assignment: Hall of Records
Benefits: Knowledge access, reduced conflict exposure
Risk: Boredom (Severe)
Ren smiled. "I've survived worse."
---
The Hall of Records smelled like dust, ink, and forgotten ambitions. Ren spent hours copying manuals he couldn't yet practice, absorbing theory while his body lagged behind.
Still, something clicked.
Patterns.
Balance.
Flow.
> Qi Insight Gained: Minor
Body Tempering Progress: 23% → 25%
Ren blinked. "Reading made me stronger. My parents would be so vindicated."
As evening fell, Liu Yan passed by the doorway, hesitating.
Ren looked up. "Relax. I'm busy making friends with books."
She smiled faintly. "I wanted to say… thank you again."
Ren nodded. "Anytime. Responsibly."
> Favorability (Liu Yan): 14% → 18%
When she left, Ren leaned back, stretching.
"System," he said, "status check."
> Status Summary:
Cultivation: Early Body Tempering (25%)
Routes Active: Ethical Harmony
Allies: Forming
Enemies: Motivated
Probability of future chaos: Very High
Ren grinned.
"Perfect," he said. "I was worried things were getting manageable."
Outside, the Azure Blossom Sect settled into evening calm—
unaware that its most unlikely variable was quietly, sarcastically, and steadily becoming something far more dangerous than a prodigy:
A survivor who learned.