The first rays of dawn painted the thin screens of my window in shades of soft gold and rose. I woke up feeling a profound sense of balance. My body felt stronger, and my mind sharper. The spiritual energy within my Dantian surged like a sea of liquid gold, noticeably deeper and more powerful than the day before. The night had been productive.
As if summoned by my waking thoughts, a series of notifications flashed through my vision.
[Subsystem Host 'Lin Fan' has died. Harvest complete.]
[Inheritance Processed: Cultivation of Qi Condensation, Seventh Layer.]
[Subsystem Host 'Chen Yue' has died. Harvest complete.]
[Inheritance Processed: Cultivation of Qi Condensation, Fifth Layer.]
[Subsystem Host 'Chen Wei' has died. Harvest complete.]
[Inheritance Processed: Cultivation of Qi Condensation, Fourth Layer.]
[All inheritances have been refined and integrated into Host's Golden Core.]
[Progress towards Middle Stage Golden Core: 18%.]
A satisfied smile crept onto my face. Eighteen percent. From three disposable "White Luck" targets. It was an impressive return for just one day's work. The path to the Middle Stage, which would have taken the original Arya years of secluded cultivation and many precious resources, had just been shortened significantly. This was the power of the System Maker.
I got out of bed, my movements fluid and strong. I completed my morning routine with calm precision. I bathed, dressed in the formal white and crimson robes of a Chen Family direct heir, and tied my hair back with a simple jade clasp. To anyone watching, I looked like a disciplined and serene young master, ready to start another day of cultivation and study. Inside, I was already planning my next harvest, figuring out which of the domain's minor geniuses would yield the most.
My peaceful morning was interrupted by a frantic knock on the door of my courtyard.
"Young Master Arya! Young Master!" a servant called, his voice full of panic.
I composed my face into a mask of calm and opened the door. It was a young servant named Ping, his face pale and his eyes wide with terror.
"What is it, Ping? Speak calmly," I said, keeping my voice reassuring.
"It's... it's Young Master Wei!" he stammered, his words rushing together. "He's... he's dead! They found him in his room this morning! The Third Elder's courtyard is in chaos!"
I let my eyes widen, allowing a flash of shock to appear on my face. I placed a hand on the servant's shoulder, a gesture of support and authority. "Dead? What happened?" My outward reaction was a concerned cousin trying to understand a tragedy.
Internally, a cold wave of satisfaction washed over me.
"No one knows, Young Master!" Ping continued, his voice trembling. "The room... they say it's a nightmare. Blood everywhere. They're saying it was a cultivation failure, but... it doesn't make sense!"
"I see," I said, my expression growing grim. I squeezed his shoulder gently. "Thank you for letting me know, Ping. Go assist where you can, but do not spread rumors. The family needs calm right now."
"Yes, Young Master," he replied, bowing deeply before hurrying away, looking immensely relieved to have delivered the terrible news.
I stood alone in the doorway for a moment, letting the mask of grief settle more firmly on my features. Chen Wei. My jealous cousin. His end was pathetic, but his contribution was valuable. I had a part to play now. I needed to be the caring elder brother, the stable support in a time of crisis. It was a role I knew well from my past life, dealing with corporate issues. The principles were the same: manage perceptions, control the narrative, and project an unshakeable confidence.
I headed toward the Third Elder's residence. The news had already begun to spread through the estate like wildfire. The usual morning tranquility was replaced by a fearful atmosphere. Servants gathered in anxious clusters, their whispers following me as I walked. Junior family members, their faces a blend of fear and morbid curiosity, hurried in the same direction.
They all fell silent and bowed as I approached, their eyes filled with a mix of respect and a desperate need for guidance. I was the family's top genius, Arya Chen. In chaotic moments, people naturally looked to the strongest for answers. I gave each of them a reassuring nod, my expression conveying a seriousness that calmed their nerves. I was playing my part perfectly.
The courtyard of the Third Elder, my uncle Chen Feng, was a scene of controlled chaos. Family guards had cordoned off the entrance to Chen Wei's personal pavilion, their faces grim. My uncle stood by the entrance, his face ashen and his shoulders hunched. Next to him, his wife, Third Aunt, was weeping uncontrollably, supported by two stoic-looking maids.
"Uncle, Aunt," I said, my voice low and filled with a measured sympathy.
My uncle looked up, his eyes red-rimmed and filled with a tumult of grief and confusion. "Arya," he rasped. "You've heard."
"I came as soon as I heard the news," I said, moving to his side. "What has happened?"
He shook his head, a sign of deep helplessness. "We don't know. The healers... they say his life force was completely gone. The room..." He shuddered, unable to continue.
I placed a hand on his shoulder, channeling the calm authority my role required. "Let me see."
The guards parted to let me through. I stepped into Chen Wei's room, and even I felt a flicker of surprise at the sheer destruction. The place looked like a slaughterhouse. Blood splattered across the walls, pooled on the expensive carpets, and stained the shattered remnants of what looked like a desk and a decorative vase. The air was thick with the metallic smell. In the center, a hastily covered form lay on the floor.
A few family elders and healers were already inside, their faces a mixture of horror and confusion.
"Cultivation deviation?" I asked the lead healer, my voice a low murmur.
The old man shook his head, his brow deeply furrowed. "It makes no sense, Young Master Arya. The boy was only at the Second Layer. A deviation at that level might cause some internal bleeding, perhaps a ruptured meridian. This... this is something else. The wounds on his body are numerous and varied. It looks as if he was attacked by a beast or tortured."
"But the estate's defenses were not triggered," one of the elders pointed out. "No assassin could have entered, and no beast could have appeared here."
Whispers began to circulate among the junior cousins gathered outside.
"Did you hear? Wei said he saw shadows in his room at night..."
"I heard it was a curse. The Jin Family... they practice strange arts..."
"It must have been a ghost, a vengeful spirit..."
I listened to the theories, my face a mask of grim contemplation. Ghosts, curses, assassins. They were looking for a mystical explanation for what was a simple and sad story of greed and ignorance. Their fear and confusion were the perfect cover. No one would suspect the truth: that Chen Wei had done this to himself.