The morning air thickened as Su Chen descended from the shrine. His thin robes fluttered in the wind—patched, tattered, unfit for anyone with pride.
But pride no longer lay in appearances.
His gaze locked with Lu Shan's.
The same arrogant brat who once crippled him for speaking too boldly.
Lu Shan arched a brow, visibly amused. "Well, well. The little rat from the shrine still lives."
Villagers quickly stepped back, pulling their children behind them. The Crimson Serpent Sect promised opportunity—but everyone knew it could just as easily bring ruin.
Su Chen walked forward, silent, hands clasped behind his back.
The years had reshaped his soul, even if his body was young again. He no longer bowed before scorn. He had watched gods burn. He had killed gods with his own hands.
What was a barking dog to the Void Sovereign?
Lu Shan leapt down from his beast-drawn carriage with theatrical flair. The two-headed ox snorted, its red-scaled hide glistening beneath the morning sun. His crimson robes shimmered with light spirit-thread, and a short saber rattled proudly on his hip.
"You must be Su Chen," Lu Shan said, circling him like a wolf. "The village's stray mutt."
Su Chen didn't blink. "That's me. And you're Lu Shan, the 'talented' outer disciple with a fragile ego."
Gasps erupted from the crowd. Several villagers paled.
Lu Shan's smirk faltered for a breath. Then he laughed—loud, forced. "What did you say?"
"You heard me," Su Chen replied, voice cool as still water. "In another life, you crippled me because someone weaker dared stand tall."
Lu Shan froze.
Then narrowed his eyes. "What did you just say?"
Too soon, Su Chen thought. He doesn't know about the System. He doesn't know I remember.
He smiled faintly. "Just a dream I had."
Lu Shan stepped closer, inches from Su Chen's face. "You think you're funny?"
Su Chen leaned in slightly. "No. I think you're predictable."
The air snapped with tension. Lu Shan's fingers twitched near his saber.
Behind him, one of his armored attendants growled, "Shall we teach the mutt some manners, young master?"
Lu Shan raised a hand. "No need. He'll learn soon enough."
He sneered. "You're coming to the sect as a servant, aren't you?"
Su Chen gave a slight nod.
"Good," Lu Shan said, voice dripping venom. "I'll make sure you're assigned to latrine duty. Let's see how long that sharp tongue lasts when it's gagging on filth."
> [System Notification]
[Trigger: Optional Objective – Defeat Lu Shan in the First Combat Trial]
[Reward: Permanent Strength Boost (Low Tier)]
[Bonus: Skill Replication Unlock – Tier I]
Su Chen's eyes flickered.
Noted.
He'd need to reach Qi Gathering before the trial. Time would be short. But he remembered the sect's layout, its hidden chambers, its corrupt instructors ripe for manipulation—or elimination.
He had done it before.
But this time, he'd write the script.
Lu Shan clapped mockingly. "See you in the cage, shrine boy."
He turned with a flourish, mounting the carriage as if riding off to war.
Su Chen stood still as the beast-cart rumbled toward the village square, where the other orphans were being rounded up.
He took a deep breath.
Control.
In his last life, he acted in anger.
Now, he calculated.
> A sword drawn too early dulls before the killing blow.
An hour later, Su Chen sat crammed in the back of the beast carriage, squeezed between two wide-eyed boys and a sobbing girl. No one spoke to him.
He didn't mind.
His eyes were fixed on the winding path ahead. Beyond the rising cliffs, nestled between jagged peaks, the Crimson Serpent Sect loomed like a coiled beast.
He remembered its halls.
Its cruelty.
Its secret vaults.
And the man who guarded the gate—
Elder Hai, the drunk who hid deadly secrets beneath his smile.
> [System Notification]
[Anchor Opportunity Detected: 3 Days Until Sect Entry Begins]
[Warning: Anchor resets will overwrite all progress beyond this point.]
Three days.
To prepare.
To infiltrate.
To conquer—or reset and try again.
Su Chen smiled.
He was back at the beginning of the path.
But this time, he already knew where every trap was buried.
And who had placed them.