Broken-Soul Peak didn't welcome visitors. It tolerated them the way an irritated landlord tolerates noisy tenants. Lin Feng strolled across the cracked courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back, humming a cheerful tune that absolutely did not match the atmosphere. Tiles snapped under his feet. A roof beam leaned sideways as if contemplating early retirement. A broken bell trembled whenever the wind sighed.
He nodded approvingly.
"Very traditional. Very haunted. Excellent ambiance."
A soft chime sounded in his head.
[SYSTEM]
Environmental Scan Complete.
Stability: Poor
Ghost Density: High
Cursed Objects: Seventeen.
Recommendation: Immediate retreat.
Lin Feng ignored the entire suggestion.
He pushed open the doors to the main hall. They groaned like they regretted being touched. Dust coated the floor like ancient snow. Incense bowls lay cracked and scattered. An old statue slumped sideways, its carved face half-erased by time.
Lin Feng pressed the statue upright.
It leaned immediately in the opposite direction.
He pressed it again.
It leaned back.
He sighed. "Feng shui is complicated."
The system chimed lazily.
[SYSTEM]
Facility: Main Hall
Condition: Ruined
Unlock Cost: 20 Sect Points
Host's Capability: Insufficient
Lin Feng nodded as if this was exactly what he expected.
He checked the pantry next. Cobwebs occupied most of the space like territorial landlords. A lonely jar sat in the corner. A ghost mouse floated by, glaring at Lin Feng for disturbing its ghost-business.
Lin Feng glared back.
The mouse left.
[SYSTEM]
Host intimidates low-level spirit.
Success: accidental.
At the back courtyard, a soft glow flickered behind a collapsed beam. A small ghost hovered there—thin, trembling, its form wobbling like a thread of weak candlelight. It clutched a broken talisman, unable to grasp it properly.
The system scanned:
[Ghost Detected]
Cultivation: Spectral Vein Realm (Low)
Emotion: Grief
Aggression: Minimal
Threat: None
The ghost whimpered softly, reaching again for the talisman. Its fingers slipped through helplessly.
Lin Feng crouched beside it.
"Lost something?"
The ghost hesitated, then pointed weakly at the talisman.
Lin Feng picked it up, dusted it carefully, and held it out.
The ghost blinked, its form shivering once before dissolving into a faint mist of peaceful blue light.
[SYSTEM]
Action logged: Peaceful resolution
Reward: +1 Sect Point (Pending)
Note: Host has unusual talent for nonsense negotiation.
Lin Feng slipped the talisman into his sleeve.
"First customer satisfied."
A sudden coldness spread through the courtyard.
The Chained Woman stood under a broken lantern, half in shadow, half in weak light. Thick chains wrapped around her arms and waist, dragging across the stones with a soft metallic whisper. She watched Lin Feng without blinking.
Lin Feng nodded like greeting a distant neighbor.
"Good timing. Might need help lifting a beam later."
Her chains rattled once—quietly. A warning? A greeting? Impossible to know.
He simply continued walking, unfazed.
Near the old practice yard, the soil lay unusually flat. A half-buried plaque caught his eye. He dug it out and brushed the dirt away. A faded inscription remained:
"Where sanity breaks, enlightenment begins."
Lin Feng smiled.
"Lovely motto."
[SYSTEM]
Relic detected.
Classification: Sect Inscription
Function: Unknown
Store for later.
He tucked the plaque under his arm.
He spent the next hour moving a fallen beam, sweeping a small patch of ground, pretending to fix a roof tile, placing the cracked lantern on the altar, and straightening a sign that immediately tilted again. None of it truly improved anything, but he acted as if he'd achieved architectural miracles.
The Chained Woman observed silently, her chains resting like sleeping serpents on the ground.
A soft tone chimed:
[SYSTEM]
Mission Complete: Scout the Sect Grounds
Reward: +2 Sect Points
Inventory updated.
Lin Feng stretched comfortably.
"Excellent progress. We're almost a functioning sect."
The cracked lantern flickered once on the altar, as if responding.
The Chained Woman slightly lifted her head, acknowledging… something.
The mountain still felt haunted, heavy, and dangerous.
But now it also felt like it was quietly watching.
Lin Feng dusted off his robe.
"Tomorrow we clean the storage room. After that… a visit to Willow Town."
He smiled at the empty courtyard, as if expecting applause.
The Horizon Sect was still in ruins.
Still silent.
Still forgotten.
But it was no longer empty.
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