The sun was an unrelenting hammer pounding down on the yard behind Old Man He's house.
Jin was drenched, sweat running down his forehead and neck, but his mind was nowhere near the heat. He held a trembling horse stance, every muscle screaming, while in his head he repeated over and over like a mantra:
Status! System! Open attribute panel! Anything, damn it!
There was nothing—no holographic blue screen, no ancient voice in his head. Just silence.
He clenched his teeth until his jaw hurt. Seven days. Seven days in this village, and he still hadn't found his "golden finger." He had checked every inch of this absurdly handsome body: no mysterious rings, no jade pendants, no dragon tattoos that appeared with heat. He had tried meditating to "sense Qi" until he fell asleep three nights in a row.
So now he was trying the most cliché and brutal method of all: pushing his body to the limit in the hope of awakening a sealed bloodline or a latent Divine Physique.
A little more… Maybe it's like in The Reborn Immortal Emperor—the system only activates at the brink of death…
A stab of guilt pierced through him, nearly making him lose his balance. It was because of the lie he had told Old Man He to stay. That he and Wei were heading to the Eight Celestial Peaks Sect.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa…" he muttered through gritted teeth, the effort turning the words into a low growl. "But it was the standard move from the manual. Secure a base of operations."
He knew that without that excuse, they would still be wandering along some dusty road. They needed a break. Thanks to that lie, they had a roof and a deadline: eight days until the sect's examiner returned. Eight days to find his advantage—his cheat. Otherwise, they would have to take the test as two ordinary mortals, the worst possible start for any transmigration story.
Sweat dripped from his chin onto the ground. His legs were on fire, but his golden eyes burned—not only with determination, but with growing frustration.
Come on! A body like this can't be normal. There has to be something! A Dragon Soul? A Phoenix Heart? Give me a sign!
At that moment, in the middle of his inner monologue, he felt it. A presence. A gaze fixed on his back.
He would recognize that presence anywhere; it was the same one that had been watching him intermittently since they arrived. A faint smile curved his lips despite the strain. Again.
He could feel her gaze, probably from the shadow beneath the eaves or beside the wooden fence. He could picture it clearly: hands tightly clasped in front of her chest, small body leaning slightly forward, her wide, frightened eyes following his every movement.
The pattern had started on the third day. The day of the incident.
Jin remembered it like a textbook scene. Xiao Lian had wandered too far, and suddenly, a muffled cry reached his ears. When he went to check, the stage was already set: the girl, her back pressed against a tree, paralyzed with terror, and a pair of coyote-like creatures circling her. Their fur was rust-red, and their eyes were far too intelligent. To him, they were clearly "level 1 mobs." A tutorial event.
Even so, the girl's fear was real. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, unable even to scream as the beasts closed in, sniffing the air. Jin didn't think. He grabbed a thick branch, shouted—more to break the girl's trance than to scare the creatures—and stepped in front of her. A couple of solid blows later, the Rust Hounds fled into the undergrowth.
For him, it had been routine. For Xiao Lian, it had not.
Later, when Old Man He came running, pale as a ghost, and embraced his granddaughter with trembling hands, Jin understood why. The missing piece of the puzzle.
Years ago, a "beast tide" had ravaged the region. It had not been a simple stampede, but a coordinated catastrophe, a disaster that had wiped out entire villages. Xiao Lian's parents had been devoured by it.
She was a survivor. A living scar of that day.
Jin clenched his teeth, the memory adding another layer of weight to his training. His legs trembled violently, but he did not yield. For her, those creatures were not mere animals. They were the echo of a night that, in her mind, had never ended.
Without turning, Jin spoke in a low voice, the words slipping out with effort between his controlled breaths.
"Relax… There's nothing here that can hurt you." A soft breeze was the only response.
As the sun began to paint the sky orange, the presence behind him finally moved. Soft, hesitant steps over the dry earth.
"Big Brother Jin…" The voice was a whisper, as if afraid to disturb the air. "Grandpa… says he has something important to tell you. At dinner."
Hearing her, Jin finally allowed himself to exhale. He relaxed his stance, and his legs, pushed to the limit, gave way in an uncontrollable tremble. He straightened slowly, his back creaking in protest, and turned to look at her for the first time all afternoon.
Seeing her there, cheeks flushed and eyes filled with innocent admiration, Jin smiled. For the first time in days, it was a smile without calculation or ambition—genuine and warm.
"Alright. Thanks for letting me know, little lotus."
Instinctively, he raised a hand and ruffled her hair. The gesture felt natural. There it is, Jin thought, part of his mind analyzing the situation coldly, the 'adorable little sister who needs protection' event flag. A classic. Even so, the feeling was real. In just a few days, Xiao Lian had gone from being a mere side character to a real person to him.
She froze for a second, surprised by the contact, then lowered her head, hiding a small smile. "Dinner… is almost ready," she murmured before turning and running back toward the house.
Jin watched her go, then stretched his arms, feeling the burn in his muscles. "Well, let's see what kind of plot event the old man has prepared for me…"
Meanwhile, in another corner of the village, where the houses gave way to nature, Wei Han stood like a statue. With his eyes closed and a wooden sword in hand, his posture was flawless. The air around him seemed dense, heavy. Unlike Jin's brute-force training, what Wei Han practiced was something deeper.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes. A cold glint crossed his dark gaze, and his body moved.
The wooden sword traced an arc that split the air. The sound was not a whistle, but a tear. From that first movement, he did not stop. Every step, every turn of the wrist, every slash and thrust merged into a lethal dance, as beautiful as it was terrifying. There were no embellishments—only purpose. The purest form of efficiency.
After a final horizontal slash that stopped a millimeter from his own neck, the vibration ceased. Silence returned. Without a word, Wei Han turned and walked back toward Old Man He's house.
Dinner was simple and comforting. They ate in mostly comfortable silence, broken only by the sound of bowls. Jin noticed Xiao Lian's gaze on him. When their eyes met by accident, the girl immediately lowered her head, fixing her attention on her rice with exaggerated focus. Jin had to suppress a smile.
When they finished, Old Man He sent Xiao Lian to wash the dishes. As soon as the girl disappeared, the atmosphere in the small room changed.
The old man looked at Jin, his expression turning grave. "Young Master Jin… could you grant this old man a favor?"
Here it comes, Jin thought, his mind sharpening. He nodded. "Of course, Grandpa He."
They stepped out into the night courtyard. Pale moonlight bathed the ground. Suddenly, the old man turned and gave a deep bow. Jin flinched, taking a step back.
"Grandpa He! What are you doing?"
"I know my request is shameless…" the old man said without raising his head. "But I can see that both Young Masters have an extraordinary future. You will be accepted into the sect—it is certain." Jin felt a tightness in his chest.
"The only thing this old man asks… is that, during the journey, you take care of little Lian'er." The words fell like stones. "H-her…?" "Yes. Xiao Lian is one of those selected. Tomorrow, she will depart for the sect's trial," Old Man He replied.
Jin fell silent. This was no ordinary favor. It was a grandfather entrusting him with his only and most precious treasure. It was the "escort mission" of the opening arc. Instinctively, he looked around for his teammate. No sign of him.
Of course… the cold genius always disappears during emotional character development moments, he muttered inwardly with irony.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and accepted the role the story offered him. When he opened them again, his hesitation was gone. He helped the old man straighten up.
"Grandpa He, lately little Lian'er hasn't stopped following me everywhere." The old man looked at him, surprised. "If she's going to embark on this journey, I'll protect her. After all… isn't that what older brothers are for?" Jin replied with a broad smile.
The old man's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you… Young Master Jin."
Hidden in the deep shadows behind the house, Wei Han sat cross-legged. He had heard every word. Without opening his eyes, a single word slipped from his lips, as cold as a blade.
"Shameless."
And he returned to his meditation.