The morning began like every other.
Smoke.
Heat.
Silence.
Wei Liang carried coal.
Step.
Lift.
Throw.
Repeat.
Nothing about the furnace courtyard suggested change.
And yet—
Something was off.
The outer disciples were quieter.
Not calmer—
More… restrained.
Even Zhao Heng hadn't shouted once since dawn.
Wei Liang noticed it immediately.
Something happened.
He didn't ask.
Didn't look around too much.
He simply continued working.
Observation was only useful when it didn't attract attention.
By midmorning—
The answer arrived.
A bell rang.
Not the dull iron clang used to signal work shifts.
This one was deeper.
Clearer.
It echoed across the entire Ashen Peak Sect.
Once.
Then again.
And again.
Three times.
The furnace courtyard froze.
Servants stopped mid-motion.
Disciples straightened.
Even the fire seemed quieter.
Wei Liang lifted his head slightly.
Assembly bell.
From the memories in this body—
That bell only rang for one thing.
Orders.
From above.
"Everyone line up!"
Zhao Heng's voice cut through the silence.
This time—
Sharp.
Focused.
No arrogance.
Only urgency.
Servants scrambled into uneven rows.
Heads lowered.
Hands at their sides.
Wei Liang stepped into position.
Still.
Quiet.
Watching.
Footsteps approached.
Not rushed.
Not heavy.
Measured.
An elder.
Wei Liang recognized the robe before the face—deep gray, embroidered with faint ash-colored patterns along the sleeves.
Elder Cangsong.
The Ashen Peak Sect Leader.
He rarely came to the lower courtyard.
Which meant—
This mattered.
The courtyard bowed as one.
Wei Liang followed.
Lowering his head.
But not his awareness.
Elder Cangsong stood before them.
Tall.
Thin.
Eyes sharp and unreadable.
He didn't waste time.
"The sect has received a directive," he said.
His voice wasn't loud.
But it carried.
Every word clear.
Controlled.
"A marriage alliance has been confirmed between Ashen Peak Sect… and the Shen Family of Coldbrook City."
A ripple passed through the courtyard.
Not loud.
But noticeable.
Wei Liang didn't move.
Shen Family.
He knew the name.
Powerful.
Wealthy.
Far above anything in this place.
"The alliance has already been agreed upon," Elder Cangsong continued. "The Shen Family requires support. We require stability."
His gaze passed over the rows.
Calculating.
Then—
It stopped.
On someone.
Wei Liang didn't look up.
But he felt it.
That attention.
Sharp.
Deliberate.
"The candidate has been chosen."
Silence deepened.
No one breathed.
Elder Cangsong spoke the name.
"Wei Liang."
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
The words didn't settle.
Didn't register.
Then—
They did.
The courtyard shifted.
Not loudly.
But the change was immediate.
Eyes turned.
Some confused.
Some shocked.
Some—
Amused.
Zhao Heng blinked.
"…Him?" someone muttered under their breath.
"A servant?"
"That's a joke…"
Wei Liang remained still.
Head lowered.
But inside—
Everything had already begun moving.
Why me?
The question came—
But only once.
Then disappeared.
Because the answer didn't matter.
This wasn't selection.
It was placement.
A servant had no value.
Which made him—
Expendable.
Wei Liang understood immediately.
Political sacrifice.
Elder Cangsong continued as if nothing unusual had happened.
"You will depart within three days," he said.
No explanation.
No negotiation.
Just—
Decision.
Wei Liang finally spoke.
Not loudly.
Just enough.
"This disciple understands."
The words were simple.
But they carried.
Because—
There was no hesitation.
No fear.
No protest.
Elder Cangsong's gaze lingered for half a second longer.
Then moved on.
"Prepare yourself."
He turned.
Left.
The pressure lifted.
But the silence didn't break immediately.
Then—
It shattered.
"A servant becoming a son-in-law?"
"Are they serious?"
"He'll die before he even reaches Coldbrook."
Laughter.
Whispers.
Disbelief.
Zhao Heng stepped closer.
This time—
Openly.
"…Looks like your luck ran out," he said.
Wei Liang turned his head slightly.
Met his eyes.
Calm.
"Maybe."
That answer—
Again—
Was wrong.
Zhao Heng frowned.
He wanted fear.
Or panic.
Or anger.
Anything he could push against.
He got none of it.
"…Don't die too quickly," Zhao Heng muttered. "It'd be a waste of entertainment."
Wei Liang didn't respond.
He turned.
Walked back toward the furnace.
The work resumed.
But everything had changed.
Coal still burned.
Heat still pressed.
Servants still moved.
But now—
Every glance lingered longer.
Every whisper followed him.
Wei Liang continued working.
Step.
Lift.
Throw.
But inside—
His thoughts were already moving ahead.
Shen Family.
Marriage.
Alliance.
None of it was coincidence.
And the system—
Still said nothing.
That—
Was more interesting than anything else.
That night—
Wei Liang sat in his alcove.
Silent.
Still.
The pagoda appeared.
The first floor open.
Waiting.
Wei Liang looked at it.
"…You knew," he said quietly.
No answer.
But for the first time—
He felt it clearly.
Not just presence.
Not just observation.
Intention.
Faint.
Hidden.
But real.
Wei Liang's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…Then I'll see what you're planning."
Because now—
He was no longer just surviving.
He had been placed.
And wherever he was sent—
He would not remain what they expected.
Far above—
The shattered heavens stretched endlessly.
Unmoving.
Uncaring.
But somewhere beneath them—
A servant had just been chosen as a sacrifice.
And neither the sect—
Nor the system—
Had realized what they had just set into motion.
End of Chapter 10