Through the eyes of Zhuge Su Yeon
I followed every word of Yui Lan's conversation.Not out of the caprice of a zealous brother, but because when one cultivates the habit of watching the whole board, one learns that the most dangerous conversations are rarely shouted. And the one my dear sister was leading... was a thread far too delicate to be lost.
The problem was that, in the end, I wasn't sure what irritated me more: the deliberately light tone with which that young man dared flirt with her, or the certainty that sooner or later, Yui Lan's choice would draw new enemies to the clan.
It didn't take much to understand his nature.A practitioner of the poison path.
And not just some careless apprentice destined to die in his own lab; this one already knew the line between cure and crime.
And my sister... well, Yui Lan no longer looked like a little girl unable to defend herself.
But I had no intention of pretending this wouldn't tangle with my own plans.
Having a poisoner as an ally can be useful, yes, but it is a usefulness that charges dearly.
And my beloved siblings had a particular talent for stumbling into plots not written for them... until the author, out of pure malice, decided to include them.
So, as I crossed the side corridors of the arena toward the exit, I was already adjusting pieces on my board.
What had been done... would not be undone easily.
With the end of this tournament, the Zhuge clan would inevitably begin to change. Not abruptly, like a wall collapsing in a single day, but subtly. And if there's one thing I've learned through the years, it's that gradual changes are the hardest to reverse.
These thoughts followed me as I left behind the muffled echoes of the arena and stepped into the living streets of Grey Sky.The sun was already low enough to stretch shadows long, painting tiles in copper and banners in crimson. The air carried the smell of heated dust and street spices.
Half a step behind me, Mei Lan walked with the firm posture she had worn since the first day she became my right hand. It wasn't exaggeration to call her that. Since I assumed the patriarch's role, most of the clan's daily affairs—from hall maintenance to minor disputes—passed exclusively through her, few ever reaching me unresolved.
Behind her, the clan's youths spilled into the street like a small, disorderly procession. They laughed, traded jests, retold moments of their matches with exaggerated enthusiasm. Each seemed to rewrite their own fight, adding heroic gestures and more dramatic cuts than had actually happened.
Mei Lan kept her pace steady, attentive to the street yet never losing sight of those trailing behind.
— "And Mei Xue?" I asked casually, as if only filling the walk with talk. "How is she doing?"
The corner of Mei Lan's lips softened, and her eyes—still forward—gleamed with a light that rarely appeared.
— "Better than ever," she answered. "One of the clan elders, a specialist in formations, discovered her talent. He decided to teach her personally."
It wasn't an empty phrase. Pride was evident, but not in the inflated tone many used to brag about kin. It was a quiet, assured satisfaction, the kind of joy born of knowing how much it had cost to reach this point.
— "She's always been dedicated," Mei Lan continued. "But now... her eyes are full of purpose."
I nodded, noting her posture and tone as she spoke of Mei Xue.
— "Good... good... good," I murmured, each word clicking into place like pieces fitting on the board forming before me.
Truth be told, though I kept my face unreadable, the matter was no surprise to me.The "discovery" of Mei Xue's talent by an elder was nothing more than a piece I myself had nudged—a careful push disguised as a happy accident.
According to the System, the greatest formation talent in the entire Zhuge clan wasn't in any elder. It belonged to a girl who had never once touched a formation. A girl named Mei Xue.
Formations...The most ingenious of auxiliary professions.In the cultivation world, to speak of formations is to speak of the art of manipulating heaven and earth within a bounded space. They are invisible webs traced with patterns of Qi, jade, and spiritual metals, channeling energy, distorting senses, amplifying or suppressing forces. A good formation can seal a gate as firmly as a thousand guards; hide an entire valley from mortal and divine eyes; summon firestorms in a desert or make a medicinal garden bloom under eternal snow.There is no limit to what a well-designed formation can invoke—so long as one knows the pattern, the material, the precise point where each line must be inscribed.
And this was what I needed more than anything else.With precise application of this art, I could mold the Zhuge clan's territory and halls into more than stone and wood. I could turn our headquarters into a living organism—one that breathed, watched, and punished without invaders ever realizing it. A labyrinth of illusions and traps for enemies, a sanctuary of cultivation and abundance for us.
I knew, however, that such an undertaking would not be finished in a day. Nothing of true value ever is. The result I sought would demand time... and more than one move.Mei Xue becoming a formation specialist was only the first.
But with enough time and patience, if every piece was placed correctly, I knew this would only be the beginning of building a clan capable of chilling the spine of any unsuspecting guest.
This was not about gratuitous intimidation, but presence. The kind of presence that does not threaten, does not raise its voice, does not brandish weapons... and yet makes every visitor measure their words twice before speaking. A territory whose very breath warned: "This is not a place for recklessness."
For as much as I valued discretion as philosophy and method, it would be an unforgivable waste not to use the Family Investment System placed in my hands. In my previous world, wasting capital was an insult to intelligence; here, wasting spiritual resources and talent was an even greater insult—almost a personal offense to my former reputation as an investor.
Investment, after all, is not hoarding. It is sowing.
And so, I had found a new goal in this world.
Cultivating in absolute silence until untouchable by all still stood firm.
But now, I also intended to raise a mountain—an unseen mountain, yes, but tall enough to cast its shadow over anyone unlucky or lucky enough to find it.
If fate had handed me tools, then every grain of jade, every thread of talent, every opportunity, no matter how small... would be planted with the sole purpose of watching that mountain grow.And one day, when it could no longer be ignored, perhaps the other clans would understand that the greatest threat does not come from the one who shouts... but from the one who builds in silence.