Ren discovered three universal truths within the first hour of working in the Hall of Records:
1. Dust was immortal.
2. Ancient cultivators had atrocious handwriting.
3. Boredom was a far more aggressive enemy than Zhao Kun.
He sneezed, narrowly missing a stack of jade slips. "Amazing," he muttered. "I survive sect politics, ambushes, and my own reputation, only to be assassinated by filing."
> System Reminder:
Host assigned task: Copy manuals accurately.
Ren dipped his brush. "I am being accurate. Accurately miserable."
Still, as the hours passed, something subtle happened.
The diagrams—circles intersecting, spirals flowing into each other—started to make sense. Not as techniques, but as ideas. Balance wasn't force. It was timing. Yielding. Knowing when not to push.
Ren paused, brush hovering.
"…Huh," he said. "So that's why I keep getting punched. I always push."
> Qi Insight: Minor Comprehension
Concept Learned: Yielding Before Flow
Body Tempering Progress: 25% → 26%
Ren stared at the update. "I learned that by not fighting. Incredible. Every self-help book owes cultivators an apology."
---
Footsteps approached.
Ren didn't look up. "If you're here to yell at me, please take a number. If you're here to bribe me, I accept snacks."
A quiet laugh answered him.
Su Meilin stood at the doorway, arms folded, clearly amused.
"You're adapting quickly," she said.
Ren shrugged. "I adapt out of spite."
She stepped closer, eyes scanning the shelves. "Elder Zhou watches this hall carefully. He doesn't assign it lightly."
Ren smiled thinly. "So this is less punishment and more… academic exile?"
"More like a test," she replied. "One you're passing."
> Favorability (Su Meilin): 34% → 36%
Ren blinked. "I passed something? Should I sit down?"
She ignored him. "Be careful. Knowledge draws attention."
Ren leaned back. "So does breathing in this sect. I'm just multitasking."
Su Meilin studied him for a moment longer before leaving. "Don't let your mouth undo your progress."
Ren watched her go. "No promises."
---
Later, as dusk crept in, Ren reached a sealed shelf—older manuals, poorly catalogued, mostly ignored.
One scroll caught his eye.
"Pre-Harmony Resonance Notes (Incomplete)"
Ren frowned. "That sounds suspiciously relevant."
He unrolled it carefully.
The text was fragmented, but one line stood out:
Balance is not found in partners alone, but in the cultivator's intent.
Ren went still.
"That's…" He swallowed. "That's different."
> System Alert:
External Philosophy Detected
Compatibility: Moderate
Integration Possible (Slow)
Ren smiled. "You hear that? I'm expanding my worldview. Very dangerous."
He copied the notes meticulously, committing them to memory.
> Hidden Progress:
Mental Stability: Increased
Route Deviation Risk: Reduced
Ren leaned back, satisfied. "Look at me. Growing without exploding."
---
As night fell, Liu Yan passed by again, hesitating at the door.
Ren glanced up. "If this is about rumors, I plead 'selective silence.'"
She shook her head. "I heard you were assigned here. People say you're being… protected."
Ren snorted. "Protected is generous. Shelved is more accurate."
She smiled despite herself.
> Favorability (Liu Yan): 18% → 21%
"Be careful," she said softly. "Zhao Kun is angry."
Ren waved a hand. "Zhao Kun wakes up angry. I just give him direction."
When she left, Ren rolled his shoulders and looked at the system panel one more time.
> Status Check:
Body Tempering: 26%
Qi Flow: Improving
Allies: Wary but growing
Enemies: Watching
Sarcasm: Unchecked
Ren grinned.
"Alright," he said to the empty hall. "Bring on Chapter Fourteen of my very preventable death."
Outside, the wind rustled the bamboo.
And somewhere in the sect, Zhao Kun made a decision—
one that would ensure Ren's next few days were anything but quiet.