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Chapter 29 — The First Step
Trouble started three days after the engagement.
Not that it was surprising.
The Xiao Clan had never needed much of an excuse to show its teeth — and Xiao Che, with his "crippled veins" and newly announced marriage to Floating Cloud City's untouchable goddess, was the perfect target.
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The Market
It began in the marketplace, in broad daylight.
I was there by coincidence, hood up as usual, restocking my supply of herbs and cheap talismans.
Xiao Che stood near the spice stall, a small bundle of supplies in his arms.
His steps were careful, deliberate.
Calm, even.
And then came the pack.
Xiao Yulong.
Xiao Ba.
And three others, their sneers already sharp enough to cut.
"Look at this," Yulong said loudly, his voice carrying over the din of the market.
"The cripple thinks he's worthy of the Yun goddess. Maybe she likes her men weak."
The crowd chuckled, nervous but curious.
Xiao Che didn't flinch.
Didn't even look up.
That calm, quiet dignity of his — the same that would someday grow into something unbreakable.
But right now, it just painted a target on his back.
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The Choice
I felt it then — that itch under my skin.
That pull.
I could walk away.
I could let the story play out.
Let the boy grow through pain like he was meant to.
But I'd seen enough simulations to know how thin that line could be.
A shove here, a twist there, and a future hero could just as easily die in the dirt, forgotten.
And I wasn't here to watch that happen.
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The Nudge
I moved through the crowd like a ghost, slipping into a narrow alley across from the square.
> [System Query: Minor Intervention Protocol?]
[Available Actions: Limited Force Projection, Environmental Manipulation, Concealed Support.]
"Concealed support," I whispered. "Just enough to rattle them."
The System hummed in acknowledgment.
A second later, a gust of wind surged through the square, sharp enough to slam loose crates into Xiao Yulong's legs.
Not enough to injure.
But enough to throw him off balance — and to make him look like a fool in front of everyone.
The crowd snickered.
Yulong's face burned red.
His mouth opened, ready to bark orders — until another gust rattled the stalls, knocking down a rack of trinkets onto his shoulders.
By the time he'd righted himself, Xiao Che was gone.
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The Ripples
I slipped away before anyone noticed.
Heart steady.
Breath controlled.
> [System Notification: Minor Timeline Divergence — Favorable Outcome Detected.]
[Risk of Detection: 0.1%]
Good.
Not too much.
Just a ripple.
Just enough to shift the current without capsizing the boat.
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Nightfall
That night, during meditation, the System chimed again.
> [Bloodline Synchronization: 20%]
[Passive Enhancement: Heightened Sensory Awareness unlocked.]
The world grew sharper in that instant — the hum of crickets outside my window, the faint crackle of energy beneath my skin, the steady thrum of my heart.
The path ahead was getting clearer.
The power in my veins was growing.
And for the first time since I woke up in this world, I felt something dangerous bloom in my chest.
Confidence.
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