I left the study, my mind racing with new calculations. As I walked through the family's central garden, a serene spot featuring an ancient willow tree, I noticed a familiar figure standing by the weeping branches.
It was Meira Su.
She often visited. Today, she wore a light blue robe that matched her calm demeanor. Her long hair was tied back, highlighting her quiet beauty. Unlike her sister, Meira was not flashy or overly charming. Instead, her presence was like a calm lake. There was a strength in her stillness that Su Lian's shallow antics could never match.
She turned as I approached, her clear eyes locking onto mine. "Arya," she said softly. She noticed the heavy weight in my expression. "Is everything alright? You look burdened."
Her concern was genuine. I saw it in her eyes. It was not the feigned worry Su Lian would have shown. This was real.
"Father just shared some tough news about the family," I replied, choosing my words carefully. It was the truth, but it revealed nothing of the new reality. "It's good to see a friendly face."
A flicker of surprise crossed her features. In the original Arya's memories, their childhood friendship had faded in recent years. His relentless pursuit of the Golden Core realm and his natural arrogance as a prodigy consumed most of his time. My warm greeting seemed to catch her off guard. A faint blush touched her cheeks before she composed herself.
"The Chen Family is strong," she said, her voice filled with conviction I knew was genuine. "And the Su Family will always stand with you. Don't forget that."
"I won't," I said, my gaze more intense than I meant. I was looking at a woman who had died for the fool I now inhabited. "I will not forget."
The moment hung in the air, charged with unspoken meaning. She gave me a confused nod, offered a polite farewell, and left, leaving me alone under the willow tree.
My decision was made. The marriage was a good first step, a necessary political move. But an alliance, no matter how strong, was still an external force. To truly survive and thrive, I needed a sword forged from my own strength.
I returned to the quiet sanctuary of my courtyard. I sat in the lotus position in the center of my training room and activated the mechanical interface in my mind.
[System Maker]
My plan was straightforward. I needed to harvest my first crop. But how to find the perfect target? There had to be a way. I was searching the system's functions for a tool for reconnaissance. A new option appeared on the interface.
[Celestial Luck Scan (Range: 1 Kilometer). Would you like to activate?]
A cold smile crept onto my lips. Perfect. "Activate," I commanded in my mind.
An invisible pulse radiated from me, spreading out in a perfect circle. In my mind's eye, a three-dimensional map of the Chen Estate and its surroundings appeared. The map was filled with countless auras of light, their colors indicating their favor from fate. Most were faint Grey Luck, the mortal fate of servants and guards. Among them were a few steady White Luck auras. The talented cultivators of the family, destined for regional significance but nothing more.
Then, my attention was abruptly seized by an aura so brilliant it looked like a miniature sun burning in the estate's garden. It was a majestic pillar of pure Gold Luck.
Gold Luck. The mark of a protagonist, a "Favored Child of Heaven." The system tag confirmed my disbelief.
[Target Identified: Meira Su. Luck Grade: Gold]
I was stunned into silence. Meira? I knew she was strong, and I knew she was fated to nearly kill Jin Hao in the original timeline. But I had assumed that was a burst of potential unlocked by a tragic final stand. I never imagined she possessed the same level of fortune as the protagonist herself. A chilling thought crossed my mind: the book I read, Alchemist Sovereign, was written from Jin Hao's perspective. Of course, it framed him as the sole hero. It was a biased account. This world was the reality, and in this reality, Meira was a Child of Destiny in her own right.
The system's main function was harvesting. A Gold Luck target would bring unimaginable rewards.
I quickly dismissed the thought. Why would I target her? The marriage alliance had been proposed. She was to be my wife, the future mistress of the Chen Family. Her fate was now linked to mine. Her luck was the Chen Family's luck. To harm her would mean harming myself. She was an invaluable and powerful ally to protect and keep by my side.
Setting aside the shock of this revelation, I refocused my scan, deliberately looking past that blazing golden sun for something more expendable. I searched for the more fleeting lights and soon found them.
The first was a bright White Luck aura inside the main estate, not far from my courtyard. [Target Identified: Chen Yue. Luck Value: High-White. Status: Fated Supporting Character (Traitor)]. I recognized the name immediately. The maid who would betray our family's secrets. Her luck was a short-term burst tied to the rewards she would gain from her betrayal.
The second White Luck aura was in the family's martial training grounds. [Target Identified: Chen Wei. Luck Value: High-White. Status: Fated Supporting Character (Coward)]. My cousin. His luck was tied to his choice to betray the family and surrender to Jin Hao, allowing him to survive the initial massacre.
Then my focus shifted to the third and most intense White Luck aura, located just outside the estate walls, in the poor district that housed the city's minor sects. [Target Identified: Lin Fan. Luck Value: High-White. Status: Minor Protagonist Template (Tragic)].
Lin Fan. The name clicked instantly, dredged up from a single paragraph in Alchemist Sovereign. An outer disciple of the Falling Star Sect, a perpetually talentless orphan. In the original story, he fell off a cliff during a mission and miraculously landed next to a Thousand-Year-old Sun-Swallowing Lily, a treasure that could change his fate. His luck was potent but fleeting, as another disciple promptly murdered him and stole it.
He had the luck to find a treasure, but not the strength to keep it.
They were perfect. Chen Yue, Chen Wei, and Lin Fan. A traitor, a coward, and a tragic fool. Each of them had a fleeting burst of White Luck, a fate meant to serve the original plot.
These three were an ideal starter pack. They represented three different aspects of short-term fate. Chen Yue's luck was tied to an act of betrayal. Chen Wei's was tied to an act of survival. Lin Fan's was tied to a fateful encounter with a treasure.