The heavy footsteps paused directly outside the door.
Jiang Chen, pressed against the rough, dusty wall behind the laundry pile, barely dared to breathe. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat in his ears. Every muscle in his frail new body screamed with tension, a stark reminder of his current vulnerability. He could feel the vibrations of Young Master Li's impatient tapping foot through the worn floorboards.
[He's trying the door. Standard procedure for assessing a servant's diligence. A locked door indicates defiance. An unlocked one, complacency. Both punishable, of course. Rather inefficient, if you ask me.] The System's voice was as calm as ever, almost infuriatingly so, given the mortal peril Jiang Chen faced.
A metallic click echoed, followed by a low growl of frustration. "Ming, you useless sack of bones! Did you lock the door?!" Young Master Li's voice was closer now, muffled only slightly by the thin wood. A moment later, the door creaked open, revealing a sliver of the corridor. Light spilled into the dim room, illuminating the swirling dust motes.
Jiang Chen squeezed his eyes shut, trying to shrink further into the shadows. He could practically feel Young Master Li's gaze sweeping across the room. He imagined the arrogant sneer, the contempt in those eyes. The air grew heavy, charged with an oppressive, familiar presence that made his stomach clench. It was the presence of cultivation power, unbridled and unchallenged.
[He's scanning the room. His cultivation isn't high, merely Qi Gathering Stage 3, but his senses are sharper than the average servant's. He won't notice your pathetic qi signature, but your physical presence is... conspicuous.]
"Hmph. The rat finally learned to hide, did he?" Young Master Li's voice was laced with a chilling amusement. The footsteps advanced, slow and deliberate, towards the center of the room. Each step was a hammer blow against Jiang Chen's nerves. He could hear the rustle of robes, feel the slight shift in the air as the young master moved.
Jiang Chen forced himself to slow his breathing, to control the tremor in his limbs. He thought of his previous life, of situations where quick thinking had been his only weapon. He was no fighter, not yet, but he was a survivor.
[He's approaching your general vicinity, Host. Specifically, that towering pile of soiled textiles. Quite the aroma you've cultivated there.]
A shadow fell over Jiang Chen. He risked a tiny peek through a gap in the fabric. A polished leather boot, exquisitely crafted and surprisingly clean for this environment, was mere inches from his face. Above it, the hem of a luxurious, dark blue cultivation robe. Young Master Li was standing right there, his back to Jiang Chen, his gaze sweeping over the rest of the squalid room, perhaps looking for another servant to torment.
"He thinks I'm already out cleaning the latrines," Jiang Chen realized. The System hadn't told him to hide behind the laundry; it had told him where Ming would likely hide, a prediction based on Ming's usual habits. It was a test, or perhaps just the System's sadistic sense of humor.
[Insightful, Host. A servant's duties are predictable. His presence, however, suggests he was moments from a very unpleasant awakening. Current trajectory: he's about to turn. Recommended action: initiate your first cultivation. Or, if you prefer the classic approach, pray fervently.]
"Cultivation? Now?" Jiang Chen mentally shrieked. He had no manual, no idea how.
[Indeed. You have acquired the Basic Cultivation Manual from your successful avoidance of death-by-boot. Accessing… Now. It's rudimentary, but it allows for initial Qi absorption into the Body Tempering realm. Focus. Visualize. Breathe.]
A torrent of information suddenly flooded Jiang Chen's mind—a dizzying array of diagrams, energy pathways, and precise breathing techniques. It was overwhelming, yet strangely intuitive. The Basic Cultivation Manual wasn't just a book; it was directly imprinted into his consciousness. He instinctively understood the concept of drawing in Spirit Qi, the pervasive energy of the Xuanjie Continent.
As Young Master Li began to pivot, his foot shifting, Jiang Chen, driven by pure instinct and a desperate will to live, focused. He centered his mind, forcing himself to follow the instructions imprinted in his memory. He took a slow, deep breath, and as he exhaled, he felt something. A faint, almost imperceptible warmth spread from his navel, a tiny spark. It was the whisper of Spirit Qi, drawn into his nascent Body Tempering Stage 1 realm.
It was barely a trickle, but it was something. A minuscule, almost imperceptible ripple in the ambient energy of the room.
Young Master Li paused. His head tilted slightly. "Hmm? What was that?" His gaze snapped back towards the laundry pile, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.
[He sensed it! A tiny spike in ambient Qi from your accidental absorption. You're a beacon in the darkness, Host. A very, very weak beacon, but a beacon nonetheless.]
Jiang Chen froze. He hadn't wanted to activate anything; he just wanted to survive. His heart pounded. This was it.
"Probably just a rat," Young Master Li grumbled, though his eyes lingered for another moment on the laundry pile. He gave it a dismissive kick that sent a jolt through the fabric, narrowly missing Jiang Chen's head. Then, with an exasperated sigh, he turned fully, stalked out of the room, and slammed the door shut, leaving Jiang Chen alone in the dust-filled silence.
Jiang Chen remained absolutely still for a full minute, listening intently, before slowly, cautiously, he crawled out from his hiding place. His body was stiff, covered in dust, but he was alive. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple.
[Mission Complete! Reward: Basic Cultivation Manual (already delivered). Initial Spirit Qi absorption successful. Current Realm: Body Tempering Stage 1 (Initial Qi Foundation). Congrats, Host. You're no longer completely useless. Merely mostly useless.]
Jiang Chen collapsed onto the straw mat, chest heaving. He looked at his hands, then closed his eyes, recalling the impossible rush of information, the sudden warmth. He had actually done it. He had cultivated.
"Not completely useless, huh?" he muttered, a faint, tired smile touching his lips. He might be weak, might be at the bottom of the barrel, but he had a system, a newly awakened power, and a stubborn refusal to be anyone's punching bag. Young Master Li might have kicked him, but he hadn't broken him. Not this time.