They finished eating quietly, the kind of silence that comes when both people have too much on their minds.
Xiao Yue washed the bowls first, her movements a bit tense. Then she wiped her hands and finally looked at the items on the table. She took a deep breath and nodded to herself.
"Okay… now I'm ready."
Max stepped beside her.
"Good. Let's go through them one by one."
She reached for the Purple Cloud Crane Beast Flame first. Her fingers hovered over it, nervous.
"It won't hurt me, right?"
"It won't," Max said. "It's gentle to those it recognizes. And I picked it specifically because it suits your temperament."
She nodded and placed her palm over it. The flame melted into her hand like warm water, disappearing under her skin. She shivered once and exhaled.
"…It feels… alive."
"That's normal. You'll adjust to it in a day."
Next, she picked up the jade bottle. She uncorked it carefully and inhaled the faint spiritual scent.
"How much do I take?"
"Just a drop every night," Max replied. "More than that will cause headaches."
She nodded and put it away safely.
Finally, she held the Soul Embryo Core. The gentle light pulsed in her hands like a heartbeat.
"It's warm."
"It'll merge with your soul once you meditate tonight. Don't resist it."
"Alright."
Xiao Yue organized all three gifts neatly, almost too carefully, as if they might break if she breathed wrong. Then she turned to Max.
"…Thank you. Really."
Max waved it off.
"You don't need to thank me. Just work hard."
"I will."
She looked down at her hands for a moment, then straightened her back.
"I'm going to start meditating. If anything strange happens… you'll know, right?"
"Yeah," Max said. "I'll be nearby."
She hesitated, then gave him a small smile before heading to her room.
Once the door closed, Max stretched his arms.
"…Alright. Tomorrow begins real training."
The System chimed inside his head.
[ You really have a soft spot for siblings. ]
"I gave her a whole year to show her true face. She genuinely cares about Xiao Tian, so why not help her back?" Max shrugged. "Plus, I'm a social guy. I like being surrounded by people."
[ What are your next plans, host? ]
"Nothing major. I'll help her refine her first pills, add more supplements in her meals so her talent grows faster. Then tomorrow, I'll take her to the Miteer family auction house…" Max grinned. "There's that hot girl who works as the receptionist. I want her to taste a more refined, more… enjoyable Max."
The System paused.
[ Host, that sounded extremely suspicious. ]
Max smirked. "Good."
He leaned back on the wooden chair, stretching his legs as the night breeze drifted in through the window.
The System flickered again.
[ So your goals are: train your sister, boost her talent, make her into a proper alchemist, and flirt with the receptionist? ]
"Exactly. A balanced life."
[ Host, that is not what 'balanced' means. ]
Max waved dismissively.
"It does in my dictionary."
He stood up and cracked his neck, gaze drifting toward Xiao Yue's room. Soft fluctuations of Qi spilled out through the door—gentle, steady, controlled.
She was already merging with the Soul Embryo Core.
"Good progress," Max murmured. "If she keeps this speed, she'll hit Dou Master sixth stage in two months. And Alchemist Grade One within half a year."
[ That's fast even by protagonist standards. ]
"Yeah," Max said proudly. "I'm building my own protagonist."
He walked to his own room, closing the door softly.
Tomorrow, he would start giving her foundational techniques, teach her how to handle beast flames, and slip a few talent-enhancing herbs into her meals without her noticing.
"And after that…" Max smirked. "Auction house visit."
[ Host… ]
"What?"
[ You are becoming dangerously confident. ]
"Hah. Tell me— is there anything in this world that can threaten me?"
[ No. Not even the Great Three Thousand Worlds above this realm can match you. ]
"So I'm not overconfident," Max said with a lazy grin. "I just know my worth."
The System fell silent for a moment.
[ …You are terrifying, I guess. ]
Max laughed lightly. "Good."
He rolled onto his side, staring at the faint moonlight spilling through the window.
"Besides," he added, "confidence is important. If I walk around scared, who'll follow me?"
[ Host, you don't need followers. You can destroy continents by sneezing. ]
"Exactly," Max said. "Which is why I need people around me. Siblings, friends, allies… My people."
The System hummed.
[ And beauties. You forgot to mention beauties. ]
"That goes without saying."
Max closed his eyes, sinking deeper into the bed.
"And tomorrow is step one. Yue becomes an alchemist. Her future changes. My influence grows."
[ And you go flirt with the auction girl. ]
"That too."
The System sighed.
[ Host… destiny shatters wherever you go. ]
Max smirked.
"Then it better break beautifully."
Max shifted under the blankets, letting the cool night air wash over him. His eyelids grew heavy, but his mind was wide awake—planning, calculating, imagining tomorrow.
A slow grin curled on his lips.
"Tomorrow's going to be fun."
[ Host, define 'fun'. ]
"Helping Yue refine her first pill…
Teaching her Qi control…
Letting her absorb that beast flame…
Then visiting the Miteer Auction House and meeting that lovely receptionist girl—what was her name again?"
[ Host, it's actually the owner as well as the auctioneer there. Ya Fei. ]
[ The red-haired chick you're thinking about is actually Ya Fei. She is the boss of that branch and the main auctioneer. ]
"Oh right, my mistake… after many years I got mixed up," Max muttered, stretching as he laid down.
The next day, he walked into the living room and found his sister doing something strange—kneeling beside a small wooden box.
"Hey, sis, did you take the legacy?"
"Yes," she nodded. "And I found a good body-strengthening lotion, so I made some for you."
She passed him a cool jade bottle wrapped in cloth.
"Take it later after washing. It will improve your physique even more."
She stood up, dusting off her clothes.
"Now go wash up. Breakfast is almost ready."
She gently pushed him toward the washroom before heading back to finish cooking.
***
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