From Zhuge Su Yeon's Perspective
Inside the ancestral hall.
Su Yeon settled into the patriarch's seat. He had arrived later than usual—not out of negligence, but because he had been caught up in a system mission which, though rewarding, had disrupted his morning routine.
As soon as he entered, his attention was drawn to the scene before him: Mei Lin stood a few steps ahead. To her left, two young women waited in silence.
A pair of sisters.
"Patriarch," Mei Lin greeted, her voice low, almost ceremonial.
A few words exchanged with her made the situation clear. The two girls had been brought there by Yu Jin to meet him. Initially, his younger brother had intended to stay with them until his arrival. However, according to Mei Lin, the elder sister had insisted he go on, not wishing to delay him further.
Result: Yu Jin had headed off to the library, dutifully leaving the task of receiving the guests to him.
Su Yeon sighed inwardly.
Ah… the power of beauty.
His gaze slid over the two, assessing them not as a man would, but as a strategist measuring new pieces placed upon a board.
As he had already imagined, there was no longer any trace of the girls covered in dust and grime—the cocoon had broken, and under the light of the ancestral hall, he now faced a beauty capable of enchanting hearts and deceiving minds.
The elder sister, Lan Xue, stepped forward and bowed lightly."Patriarch Zhuge… thank you for taking us in." Her voice was soft, but carried the polite weight of someone careful to maintain composure even in gratitude.
Su Yeon lifted a brow slightly."There is no need to thank me. It was, after all, my younger brother's request." His brief pause carried the same casualness as one commenting on the weather. "You are welcome to stay as long as you wish."
The girl seemed to consider for a moment, then held his gaze firmly."Then… if possible, I would like to contribute. To work for the clan, in some way."
"Work?" His tone didn't change, though there was a faint curiosity. "And what is your specialty?"
Lan Xue straightened her shoulders."My parents were hunters. I learned to track prey, set traps, tend to wounded animals… and I can also recognize some medicinal herbs from the mountains."
Su Yeon was silent for a while, as though weighing whether he was hearing a proposal—or the opening of another troublesome chapter of fate.
He had no intention of handing such tasks to these girls. He could already picture Yu Jin's furious face if his future lover ended up covered in blood from skinning beasts.
He would certainly blame him.
He let the silence linger a moment longer, until an idea came to him. Without rising, he leaned slightly to the side and withdrew a small dark wooden case from his spatial ring.
When he opened it, the soft light that escaped revealed a translucent pearl, its inner glow resembling the slow breath of a flame trapped in crystal. He approached the two girls with measured steps, holding the object as casually as if it were mere furniture—and yet with a care that hinted otherwise.
"This is a spiritual pearl," he said, voice low but clear enough that no repetition was needed. "An artifact that can sense the cultivation potential of those who touch it. Would you like to try?"
The question hung in the air, laden with the neutrality Su Yeon used when he was more interested in reactions than answers.
The item was a recent addition—just as recent as the spatial ring he now wore. Both shared a common trait: not impossible treasures to find in the wider world, but in Gray Sky they appeared as rare wonders. Simply because the city lacked craftsmen skilled enough to create them.
It had cost him only fifty points. The ring, ten. Both laughably cheap compared to their price in spirit stones on the capital's markets.
In recent days, he had already used the spiritual pearl to test all ten promising Zhuge youths. The results had been… acceptable.
Zhuge Tao and Zhuge Shan had shown green, third-grade potential. Not geniuses, but solid—enough to keep the clan from disgrace.
Zhuge Wen, Zhuge Min, Zhuge Rong, Zhuge Han, Zhuge Cai, and Zhuge Lin revealed cyan potential. Such talent could be considered genius material; if the Zhuge clan had not been so poor and isolated, they might already have joined great sects. In truth, the clan itself was what held them back.
Zhuge Fen, meanwhile, had revealed blue potential—coveted anywhere in the empire.
As for his siblings… he had not tested them. There was no need.
Something as small as potential could never block the path of predestined protagonists.
After all, Su Yeon knew potential was just that—potential. A high grade didn't guarantee greatness, nor did a low grade condemn one to mediocrity. It was merely a tool clans used to sort talent—a filter, not a law of Heaven.
His gaze remained on the girl before him. Lan Xue seemed hesitant, as though the simple touch of the pearl carried more commitment than it appeared.
Then, a sudden movement broke the moment."Jie-jie, let me try!" The childish voice rang out before the elder could react.
Lan Ya, light-footed and unfiltered in her curiosity, snatched the pearl directly from his hands. Lan Xue took half a step forward, alarmed."Ya!" she called, as though her sister were about to play with fire.
The pearl rested in the child's small hands… and then it glowed. A deep blue filled its core, spreading outward as though it had found something worthy of revealing.
Su Yeon observed in silence. Blue. The same as Zhuge Fen, the most gifted among the clan's ten prodigies.
Lan Xue looked at the light, then at him. Her expression made it clear: she didn't understand what it meant.
"Potential of a true genius," Su Yeon explained, his voice low but firm. "When your sister turns nine, she will be able to begin cultivating. With time, she could grow and contribute greatly to the clan."
He slowly reclaimed the pearl, wiping its surface with a thin cloth until it returned to its original state. Only then did he offer it again—this time to Lan Xue.She took it with less hesitation, closing her fingers around it.
The glow appeared almost instantly. Not the deep blue… but an intense indigo, surpassing the boundary of the ordinary.
A faint smile touched Su Yeon's lips."Sixth-grade talent… potential beyond that of a true genius." His eyes met hers. "You could become a very powerful cultivator… if you so choose. Are you willing?"
Lan Xue was silent for several moments, gaze fixed on the pearl's light. She drew a deep breath before answering:"I am willing."
Su Yeon nodded slightly and gestured to dismiss them."Mei Lin, prepare the necessary items for her to begin her cultivation path."
As they withdrew, the light from the stained glass seemed to follow their steps. Su Yeon returned to his seat, fingers resting on the cold jade, a faint smile forming.
Predictable. Simply predictable. A random girl met by the protagonist… happens to have potential beyond a genius.
Even so, once the three figures left the hall, Su Yeon thought no more of them.
His attention turned instead to another point of interest—the clan's library.
There, among shelves thick with dust and forgotten titles, was his younger brother. Yu Jin.
Su Yeon had given him no suggestions for martial techniques. He hadn't searched the system for anything suitable. Not for lack of options.
He simply wanted to see what kind of incredible technique his brother would, by sheer protagonist luck, stumble upon in the ancestral library. Perhaps a lost art, overlooked for years by everyone—including himself… the very kind of cliché he couldn't afford to miss.