The Master of the House vs. The Ultimate Waste of Space
If an invisible observer were to pan a camera across the guest chamber at this exact moment, they would witness a scene of profound cosmic imbalance.
On one side of the room, sitting perfectly rigid upon a heavy mahogany chair, was a man who looked like he had been personally sculpted by the heavens to ruin lives.
Grand General Lao Shi Chen was the epitome of peak Alpha dominance: strong, well-built, impossibly tall, and radiating an atmospheric pressure that practically screamed, *"I will devour your entire lineage until nothing is left but dust."*
On the other side of the room, perched precariously on the edge of the silk-covered mattress, was a creature that could only be described as a complete and utter waste of space.
Disheveled, ordinary, and sweating so furiously that he was practically creating a localized weather system in the guest wing, this youth looked less like a mysterious protagonist and more like a high school student who had accidentally stumbled into a military tribunal.
The contrast between the two men was as vast as heaven and earth. One was glorious, handsome, and draped in imperial majesty; the other was a trembling puddle of modern anxiety wrapped in luxury linen.
**Shao Tien:**
*Hey! Author! F*cker! What kind of description is that?! Who are you calling a waste of space?! I'll have you know I had an excellent credit score in my past life! (>π<)/
====°°°°°
The Paranoia of a Supreme Predator
Lao Shi Chen (ML POV)
When the strange youth had first returned to the waking world, his entire consciousness had been single-mindedly hyper-focused on food.
Now that the servants had delivered the trays, I sat in silence, waiting with the grueling patience of a hunter for him to finish his meal.
I monitored his every movement. My sharp, analytical gaze tracked the way his hand trembled slightly as he picked up his chopsticks, the cautious rhythm of his chewing, and the visible, nervous gulp that traveled down his throat every time he swallowed a mouthful of rice.
*Who is he truly? A spy? A highly trained assassin dispatched by a rival faction?*
I couldn't jump to immediate conclusions.
On the surface, his movements were clumsy, unrefined, and entirely devoid of martial discipline.
He lacked the calluses of a standard warrior, and his physical frame was dangerously weak.
Yet, my tactical training forbade me from lowering my guard. In the world of espionage, the most dangerous enemies are the ones who appear completely helpless.
Perhaps this pathetic, trembling display was nothing more than a flawless act designed to make me underestimate him. After all, the core mystery remained unsolved.
Why was an ordinary, undocumented youth wandering through the perilous border mountains? How did he end up embroiled in a fatal conflict with three massive Alpha bandits, wielding a high-tier spiritual blade that materialized out of thin air and vanished the exact moment he lost consciousness?
Based on the abysmal combat performance I had witnessed in the clearing, he didn't even know how to properly grip a hilt. He swung that weapon like a panicked peasant swatting a hornet.
Yet, the sword itself possessed an ancient, otherworldly pressure.
*I need answers,* my inner predator growled, my instincts practically itching with impatience.
I needed to peel back the layers of this ordinary Beta's facade and discover exactly what kind of game he was playing.
=====°°°°°
The Inner Musings of a Reincarnated Eldest Senior
Shao Tien (POV)
If this terrifying, brooding supermodel kept staring at me like I was a particularly interesting piece of raw meat, I was going to choke on my own saliva.
The dumplings, which had tasted like absolute heaven just five minutes ago, now felt like blocks of dry cement in my throat.
I was chewing as slowly as humanly possible, desperately trying to buy my brain enough time to construct a series of valid, legally binding excuses.
But it is exceptionally difficult to forge a believable alibi when you don't even know what crimes you are being accused of!
*Listen to me, you stupid system,* I grumbled furiously within the privacy of my own mind.
*I am not a child! I am a fifty-year-old corporate grandpa! In my past life, I managed entire accounting departments, endured three recessions, and dealt with tax audits that would make this General weep!
I already did my time! I worked my forty hours a week! Why is it so fundamentally difficult for a tired old soul to just rest in absolute, unbother peace?! (T. ,T)*
I was so deeply immersed in my internal mid-life crisis that I didn't even notice my hands acting on pure survival instinct, emptying every single plate on the tray until nothing but crumbs remained.
A sharp, deliberate coughing sound broke the silence beside me.
My head snapped up. Lao Shi Chen was looking directly at me, his golden-brown eyes narrowing with an intensity that made my spine turn to absolute jelly.
Without a word, he reached over, effortlessly lifted the massive wooden tray with a single, muscular arm, and set it aside on a nearby table.
He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, his voice dropping into a serious, bone-chilling register.
"Now. Can we talk?"
I genuinely almost swallowed my own tongue. The sheer weight of that single, simple sentence caused a massive wave of pure, unadulterated panic to explode inside my chest.
*(System! System, you f*cker, get up here right now! I need backup! Where is that one-hundred-point amnesia package we discussed?! help me!)*
'*Ding!~*' the system's voice rang out, dropping a tiny pixelated emoji of a beach umbrella into my peripheral vision.
'*Host, the system is currently experiencing a high volume of digital maintenance updates and is incredibly busy as of right now! Therefore, please excuse me while I go on break. Hehehe!~*'
*(You absolute, f*cking piece of absolute software sh*t!!! I will format your hard drive!!!)*
Before I could finish mentally dismantling the system's maternal line, the Male Lead spoke once again, cutting through my panic like a razor-sharp imperial blade.
"What is your name?"
*Here goes nothing,* I thought, bracing myself for the absolute worst. (T.T)
"S-Shao Tien," I squeaked out, my voice dropping so low it was practically a pathetic, miserable whisper.
"Are you feeling well?" the General asked, his eyes scanning my face for any sign of deception.
"Y-Yes. Perfectly fine. Never better," I lied, despite the fact that my heart was currently attempting to break the land-speed record inside my ribcage.
"Did you know that you have been asleep for almost three full days?"
"O-Oh? Really?" I widened my eyes, slapping a hand over my mouth to deliver an Oscar-worthy performance of pure, unadulterated shock.
"Three days?! Wow! That is... truly crazy! Golly, I had no idea!"
The General's expression didn't change an inch. My lousy acting didn't even register against his mental fortress. He simply adjusted his posture, his gaze turning incredibly cold.
"Then, can I ask you a personal question?" Lao Shi Chen said, his voice dripping with an implicit, terrifying threat.
"If you do not wish to answer my inquiries, then I will have no choice but to hand your body over to the imperial palace's Ministry of Justice for an official interrogation."
My entire soul practically withered and turned to ash right then and there.
*The Ministry of Justice?! Interrogation?!* That was just a fancy, historical-drama way of saying **"torture chamber"**!
They would bring out the whips, the red-hot irons, and the finger-crushing devices!
*The f*ck?! I am conceptually a fifty-year-old grandpa! My spiritual knees have arthritis! If they even show me a pair of rusty pliers, my soul will instantly separate from this mortal vessel and vanish into thin air!
Aigooo~ can someone please just give this elderly citizen a single breath of fresh air?! My old soul cannot handle this level of high-stakes drama!*
The General clearly noticed the way my entire face paled, capturing the exact moment my internal defenses crumbled into dust.
I let out a heavy, long-suffering sigh of absolute defeat, slouching my shoulders in a way that signaled I would comply with whatever he wanted.
He acknowledged my surrender with a sharp, imperceptible nod, and immediately launched his first tactical strike.
"Are you a swordsman?"
"N-No," I answered honestly.
There was no point in lying about that; he had personally witnessed me swinging that glowing broadsword like a blind toddler trying to hit a pinata.
"If you are not a swordsman," Lao Shi Chen continued, his eyes narrowing to sharp slits, "then where exactly did you obtain a spiritual weapon of that caliber?"
"I... I just picked it up!" I blurted out, frantically weaving a white lie on the fly, hoping against hope that his dense Alpha brain would buy it.
"I was running for my literal life from those three terrifying Alpha bandits, and I saw something shiny reflecting in the grass! I just grabbed it and started swinging it around blindly because I didn't want to die! I don't even know where it went!"
The General didn't pursue the question further. He didn't say whether he believed my absolute garbage excuse or not; he simply moved on to the next item on his mental checklist with ruthless efficiency.
"How did you arrive at the bandits' mountain hideout in the first place?"
"I was dragged there by them!" I claimed, immediately shifting gears into full victim mode. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying with every ounce of my spiritual being to force a few tragic, sorrowful tears out of my tear ducts to make the story more convincing.
*Come on, eyes! Just a few microscopic droplets of moisture! Just a little bit of historical tragedy performance, please!*
Nothing came out. My tear ducts were as dry as the Sahara desert. ('π')/
Giving up on the waterworks, I opened my eyes and sniffled pathetically instead.
"They... they captured me on the road. They tried to touch me, to do unspeakable things to my innocent person, and I had to fight with everything I had just to break away from them!"
"So that is what occurred," Lao Shi Chen murmured softly.
His voice was entirely flat, completely unreadable. I couldn't figure out for the life of me if he was genuinely accepting my narrative or if he was currently calculating the most efficient way to have me executed for perjury.
"How old are you?"
*Huh?!* I blinked, temporarily thrown off balance.
*Even my age?! Why does an ancient military general need to know the specific demographics of my driver's license?!*
"I am sixteen years old," I lied smoothly, utilizing the generic background package data.
"An orphan. My entire family was tragically killed by bandits when I was a child. I have been wandering the lands alone ever since."
"Uhm..."
A low, deep rumble of acknowledgment came from his throat.
The silence stretched on for one agonizing second before he leaned forward, his eyes locking onto mine with a level of intense, suffocating focus that made my heart stop entirely.
He was about to ask the one question I absolutely, fundamentally despised answering in this bizarre, hormone-driven world.
"Are you an Omega... or a Beta?"
*What the actual f*ck!* Internal alarms started blaring at maximum volume inside my head.
*What is that specific look for?! Why are your eyes suddenly flashing with territorial curiosity?!*
"I am a Beta!" I declared, puffing out my chest and delivering the line with the absolute, 100% false confidence of a man who was actively hiding a highly volatile biological secret.
I even threw a sharp, defiant glare his way to solidify the lie. (>3<)/
"Is that so," Lao Shi Chen said quietly.
I blinked. Was I hallucinating, or did I just detect a distinct, unmistakable tinge of profound disappointment laced into his deep register?
*Eh? Disappointment? Why on earth would you be disappointed that I'm a regular, unbothered Beta?!* Did this absolute maniac actually *want* me to be an Omega just so he could participate in some trashy, fated-mate romance trope?!
Go find someone else to satisfy your possessive alpha instincts, you oversized supermodel! This grandpa is strictly retired from the dating scene!
Before I could even opening my mouth to ask him what his problem was, the General suddenly stood up.
His massive frame completely blocked out the candlelight, casting a vast, ominous shadow over the entire bed.
He looked down at me, delivering a cold, freezing warning that instantly shattered any remaining illusions of safety.
"Until I have personally confirmed that every single word you have spoken today is the absolute truth, you are strictly prohibited from stepping a single foot out of this courtyard," Lao Shi Chen commanded, his voice dropping into a dark, resonant register filled with dense killing intent.
"If you attempt to escape, or if you cross the perimeter boundaries... death will await you. Do you understand?"
I swallowed hard, my throat clicking loudly in the quiet room. I nodded my head so vigorously I was genuinely worried my neck was going to snap off its hinges.
Well, I certainly didn't want to experience the physical sensation of having my head cleanly severed from my shoulders! I like my neck exactly where it is, thank you very much!
Satisfied with my terrified submission, the General turned on his heel, his heavy imperial robes sweeping across the floor as he calmly walked out of the chamber, the heavy wooden doors clicking shut behind him.
The exact second the lock turned, a massive, explosive sigh of relief escaped my lips, my entire body collapsing backward onto the plush pillows like a deflated balloon.
*Hah...* I stared blankly at the ceiling, my heart slowly returning to a normal rhythm.
*I hope everything is going to be alright. I hope his investigators are completely incompetent.*
My eyes slowly drifted toward the empty space in the air where the system's interface usually floated.
A dark, vengeful scowl settled onto my face, my fingers curling into tight fists as my inner grandpa completely took over.
*That f*cking system... just you wait. The very next time you show your pixelated face in front of me, I am going to find a way to physically reach into the network and cut you into a million microscopic pieces, even if you are nothing more than a stupid, floating ball of light!!!* ('π')//
=====°°°°°
The Tactical Debrief
Lao Shi Chen (ML POV)
I stepped out of the guest quarters, the cool night air immediately washing over my face, carrying away the lingering, stagnant scent of the medicinal herbs.
I walked down the long, covered corridor of my estate, my long strides purposeful, my mind actively processing the data I had just extracted from the youth.
"General Lao," a low voice called out from the shadows.
My personal shadow guard, a highly trained elite operative who had served me through three border campaigns, materialized from the darkness, bowing deeply at my side.
"Report," I commanded, not breaking my stride.
"Our scouts have thoroughly swept the area of the forest where the confrontation occurred, General. We found the remains of the three Alpha bandits exactly as you left them. However... we also discovered traces of an encampment roughly three miles north.
It appears the youth's story carries some weight. There were signs of an undocumented captive having been dragged through the brush."
I paused, stopping at the edge of the central courtyard, my eyes reflecting the silver light of the moon.
"And the weapon? Did the scouts find any trace of a spiritual blade or an artifact core left behind in the dirt?"
"Nothing, sir," the guard replied, his voice filled with genuine confusion.
"We utilized our high-grade spiritual compasses and environmental sensors. There was absolutely zero residual energy signature left in the area. It is as if the weapon never existed at all."
My eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
*Fascinating.*
Shao Tien claimed he had simply "picked up" a shiny object while running for his life. It was a transparent, laughable lie.
A spiritual blade capable of self-vanishing and leaving behind a zero-energy footprint was an imperial-grade artifact—something that could only be bound directly to a soul through an ancient, highly exclusive blood ritual
. It was physically impossible to just "find" such an item lying in the grass like a common coin.
He was hiding something.
Something massive.
And yet, when I had asked him about his dynamic... when I had looked directly into his wide, panicked eyes and demanded to know if he was an Omega or a Beta...
I tightly closed my fist, a sudden, irrational wave of irritation washing through my veins.
He had answered with absolute, unyielding confidence.
*"I am a Beta!"* his voice had cracked slightly, but his scent had remained entirely stable—flat, plain, and entirely devoid of the sweet, intoxicating pheromones that naturally belonged to an un-mated Omega.
My jaw clenched slightly as I remembered the sudden, heavy weight that had settled into my chest upon hearing those words.
*Disappointment.*
It was an absurd, entirely illogical emotion for a Grand General to feel. Why should I care about the biological dynamic of a suspicious, undocumented wanderer?
If he were an Omega, it would only complicate my investigation, introducing unnecessary political and biological variables into my estate.
As a Beta, he was simple. He was manageable. He could be integrated into the military training programs without causing a single disruption among the Alpha soldiers.
And yet, my inner predator felt entirely unsatisfied. It was as if my instincts were screaming at me that the plain, ordinary scent radiating from his skin was nothing more than a beautifully constructed illusion.
"Keep a constant watch on the guest courtyard," I ordered the shadow guard, my voice dropping into a dark, freezing register.
"Do not allow him to leave the perimeter under any circumstances. If he makes a single move toward the outer walls, apprehend him immediately. But... do not harm him."
"Understood, General Lao." The guard bowed and vanished back into the shadows as seamlessly as smoke.
I looked back toward the distant window of the guest chamber, where a faint, flickering candlelight was still visible through the paper screen.
*Shao Tien...* I thought, a slow, dangerous smile playing at the corners of my lips.
*You may have convinced yourself that your white lies have bought you safety. But in my house, the truth always finds a way to the surface. Enjoy your rest while you can. Your evaluation begins tomorrow.*
=====°°°°°
The System's Strategic Retreat
Inside the safety of the locked guest chamber, the air pressure had finally returned to a level that allowed a normal human being to breathe.
Shao Tien was currently buried beneath three layers of heavy silk blankets, muttering a continuous stream of modern profanities into his pillow.
Suddenly, a soft, glittering golden light began to manifest in the center of the dark room.
'*Ding!~*'
The system interface popped back into existence, a small, pixelated emoji of a little angel wearing a halo floating gently above the bedpost.
'*System maintenance protocols have successfully concluded!~*' it chirped, its voice dropping into an incredibly sweet, sugary tone that was clearly designed to avoid immediate physical violence.
'*Welcome back, Host! The system would like to officially congratulate you on surviving your very first high-stakes military interrogation with 100% of your physical limbs still attached! That is a monumental achievement for a fifty-year-old grandpa soul!~*'
Shao Tien didn't even move. He simply slid his head out from beneath the pillow, fixing the floating ball of light with a deadpan, murderous glare that could have curded milk.
"You went on break," Shao Tien said, his voice entirely devoid of emotion.
"Right when he threatened to throw me into a torture chamber. You literally logged off and left me to fend for myself against a seven-foot-tall apex predator."
'*Oh, Host, you hurt the system's feelings!~*' the AI whined, dropping a tiny animated emoji of a crying child into his field of vision.
'*The system didn't log off! The system was simply optimizing your survival parameters from behind the scenes! If the system had interfered directly during an Alpha's interrogation sequence, his natural possessive instincts would have flared, causing him to suspect you even further! By leaving you to deliver your own raw, authentic, completely pathetic performance, you successfully triggered his protective instincts! Look at the data, Host!~*'
A glowing neon blue screen materialized in front of Shao Tien's face, displaying a series of shifting graphs and percentages.
_________________________________
System Metrics & Parameter Log
**Male Lead's Suspicion Rating:**
65% *(Dropped from 85%!
Status: "Thinks you are a pathetic, ordinary wanderer who needs constant supervision.")*
**Dynamic Masking Protocol:** 100% Stable
*(Beta scent parameters are fully functioning. No leakages detected.)*
**Host's Remaining Dignity:** 0.2%
*(Status: Critical Failure, but spiritually alive.)*
__________________________________
Shao Tien stared at the screen, a heavy sigh escaping his lips as he rubbed his temples.
"I don't care about the suspicion parameters anymore. Did you hear what that absolute psycho said before he left? He said if I leave this courtyard, death awaits me! I am literally under house arrest in a historical romance novel!"
'*But Host, a luxury courtyard inside a Grand General's private estate is practically a five-star resort!~*' the system cheered happily, spinning around in a joyful little circle.
'*You have access to high-end imperial catering, silk blankets, and a beautiful view of the central gardens! This is the perfect environment for a retired grandpa to enjoy his senior years! All you have to do is stay inside, look ordinary, and wait for the plot to progress!~*'
"And what happens when his investigators discover that my 'Orphaned Amnesiac Scholar' background doesn't actually exist in any imperial record?!"
Shao Tien demanded, tossing a plush slipper directly at the floating light.
"What happens when he realizes I lied about my entire identity?!"
'*Do not worry, Host!~ The system mall has high-grade bureaucratic forgery services available for future purchase! As long as you keep earning points by interacting with the Male Lead, we can rewrite the imperial archives whenever we want! So please, sleep well, stay safe, and get ready for tomorrow's mandatory character interactions! Hehehe!~*'
Shao Tien rolled over onto his side, pulling the blankets all the way over his ears to drown out the system's annoying, high-pitched digital voice.
"I am going to find a way to delete you," he whispered into the darkness of the room, his eyes slowly closing as the sheer physical exhaustion of the day finally claimed his consciousness once again.
"Just you wait, you corporate spreadsheet... this grandpa isn't going down without a fight."
Outside the window, the wind howled softly through the bamboo trees of the courtyard, the shadows of the estate growing longer as the capital city drifted into a deep, uneasy sleep. The pieces of the grand board had been set, the lies had been spoken, and the ultimate game of survival was officially underway.