The screaming woke Marcus up.
Not his own screaming this time, which was progress. Someone else was having a bad morning down in the servants' quarters. He rolled over, squinting at the pale light coming through his window. Dawn, maybe? His internal clock was still fucked from the whole reincarnation thing.
More screaming. Definitely multiple people now. Marcus dragged himself out of bed, curiosity winning over comfort. His bones felt better today - the soreness from rapid cultivation gains was finally fading. Small mercies.
He threw on yesterday's robes because washing clothes was apparently a weekly thing here, and headed toward the noise. The servants' wing was on the opposite side of the manor, past the kitchens and storage rooms. Places he'd rarely been allowed to go before.
The hallway reeked of panic-sweat and fear. Servants were clustered outside one of the dormitory rooms, whispering frantically. They scattered when they saw him coming, bowing quickly before scurrying away. Still scared of him after yesterday's confrontation with Elder Liu.
Good. Fear was useful.
Marcus pushed through the remaining crowd to see what the fuss was about. Inside the room, three servants lay unconscious on their beds. Their faces were pale, breathing shallow. They looked... drained. Literally.
"What happened here?" Marcus asked, though he had a pretty good idea.
An older woman, head of housekeeping maybe, wrung her hands nervously. "We don't know, Young Master. Found them like this during morning rounds. They won't wake up."
Marcus knelt beside one of them, a middle-aged man who worked in the stables. The guy's cultivation base felt weak, unstable. Like something had taken a bite out of it.
[Scanning target... Subject has suffered severe qi depletion. Cultivation reduced from Level 2 to barely Level 1.]
Interesting. Someone else had been feeding. But who? Marcus was pretty sure he was the only one with a devouring system in the manor.
"Has this happened before?" he asked.
The housekeeper shook her head rapidly. "Never, Young Master. We've sent for the physician, but..." She trailed off, clearly thinking this was beyond normal medicine.
Marcus stood up, mind racing. If someone else was draining servants, that was either very good news or very bad news. Good if it meant he had an ally. Bad if it meant competition.
"I'll look into this," he told the gathered servants. "Make sure they're comfortable and keep me informed if anything changes."
They nodded gratefully, happy to have someone taking charge. Marcus left them to their worry and headed back toward his room. But instead of going inside, he took a detour to the family library.
The library was dusty and neglected, full of old cultivation manuals and family histories that nobody bothered reading anymore. But it might have information about unusual cultivation techniques. Specifically, ones that involved draining other people's power.
Marcus spent the morning digging through moldy books and cracked scrolls. Most of it was useless - basic cultivation theory, outdated fighting techniques, boring genealogies. But buried in a stack of forbidden texts, he found something interesting.
"Demonic Absorption Techniques of the Blood Moon Sect." The book was bound in what looked like actual human skin, which was both gross and promising. Marcus flipped through pages of disturbing illustrations and incomprehensible diagrams until he found a section that made him stop cold.
"Soul Devouring: The practice of consuming another's cultivation essence through direct contact. Practitioners report rapid advancement at the cost of spiritual corruption. Note: Extended use may result in complete loss of humanity."
Loss of humanity. That sounded bad. But the rapid advancement part was exactly what Marcus needed. He kept reading.
"Advanced practitioners can drain multiple targets simultaneously, or consume essence remotely through prepared conduits. Masters of this technique have been known to level entire cities by feeding on the population."
Cities. That was thinking big. Marcus liked ambition.
"Warning: Soul Devouring attracts the attention of higher demons, who view such practitioners as either threats or potential servants. Prolonged use without proper safeguards invariably results in demonic possession or worse."
Or worse. What could be worse than demonic possession? Marcus decided he didn't want to know right now.
A knock at the library door interrupted his reading. "Young Master? Your father wants to see you."
Great. Marcus hid the book under a pile of boring histories and went to find Father.
The old man was in his study again, looking over account books with a frown that could sour milk. The Chen family finances were apparently as healthy as their reputation - barely hanging on.
"Sit," Father said without looking up.
Marcus sat in the uncomfortable chair and waited. Father finished whatever calculation he was doing, then finally met his eyes.
"Three servants were found unconscious this morning. Drained of qi." Father's voice was carefully neutral. "Do you know anything about this?"
Direct question. Marcus considered lying, but decided on partial truth instead. "I heard about it. Strange situation."
"Indeed. Especially since it happened the night after you demonstrated some very unusual abilities." Father leaned back in his chair. "Care to explain?"
"Not really."
That got him a sharp look. "I'm not asking as your father, Marcus. I'm asking as head of this family. If you're involved in something that could bring danger to our house, I need to know."
Fair point. Marcus weighed his options. Father seemed more pragmatic than moral, but there were limits to what even he would accept.
"I'm not involved in what happened to the servants," Marcus said carefully. "But I may know what caused it."
"Explain."
Marcus pulled the forbidden book from under his robe - he'd grabbed it on the way out. "I found this in our library. It describes techniques that match what happened to them."
Father took the book, flipping through pages with increasing alarm. "Where did you get this?"
"Third shelf, behind the boring stuff. Been there for years probably."
"This is a Blood Moon Sect manual. They were wiped out a century ago for practicing demonic cultivation." Father slammed the book shut. "Why were you reading it?"
"Research. If someone's using these techniques, I figured we should know what we're dealing with."
Father studied him for a long moment. "You think someone in our manor is practicing demonic cultivation?"
"Makes sense, doesn't it? Servants getting drained, strange techniques appearing overnight. Either we have an infiltrator or..." Marcus shrugged.
"Or one of our own people has fallen to darkness," Father finished grimly.
They sat in silence for a moment, both thinking. Finally, Father spoke again.
"I'm calling in a specialist. Someone who can detect demonic qi and root out the source." He looked directly at Marcus. "Until then, you stay close to the manor. No wandering alone, especially at night."
"Am I a suspect?"
"Everyone's a suspect. Including me." Father's expression was unreadable. "Demonic cultivation is insidious. It corrupts slowly, making the practitioner believe their actions are justified. By the time the changes are obvious, it's usually too late."
That was uncomfortably accurate. Marcus had been feeling perfectly justified in everything he'd done so far. Was that normal ambition or demonic corruption? Hard to tell the difference.
"What about my training?" Marcus asked. "The academy deadline?"
"Continues as planned. But supervised. Elder Liu will be monitoring your sessions personally."
Perfect. More time with the one person who already suspected him. This was getting complicated.
Marcus left the study and headed for the training grounds. If he was going to be watched, might as well give them a good show. Plus he needed to test something he'd been thinking about since reading the Blood Moon book.
The training ground was a flat area behind the manor, marked with wooden practice dummies and weapon racks. Usually it was empty except for Elder Liu's formal lessons, but today Marcus found someone already there.
Mei Lin was going through sword forms, moving with the enhanced speed and strength of her new cultivation level. She looked good. Confident. Powerful. The breakthrough Marcus had forced on her was holding steady.
"Morning," he called.
She turned, face lighting up when she saw him. "Marcus! I was hoping you'd come by."
"Testing out the new power?"
"It's incredible. I feel like I could fight a whole pack of spirit beasts." She demonstrated a particularly complex sword technique, qi flowing through her blade like liquid light. "I wanted to thank you again."
"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't mention it to anyone."
Mei Lin nodded quickly. "Of course. Our secret." She paused, then added, "I've been thinking about what you said yesterday. About reaching Level 4."
Here we go. "And?"
"I want to try. Tonight, if you're willing."
Marcus studied her face. The eagerness there, the hunger for more power. He'd seen that look in the mirror lately. "It'll be more dangerous this time. Higher levels mean more risk."
"I understand."
"Do you? Because the technique I used on you... it changes people. Makes them different."
"Different how?"
Marcus thought about how to explain it. "Hungrier. For power, for advancement, for more than you had before. It's addictive."
Mei Lin was quiet for a moment. "Is that such a bad thing? Being hungry for more?"
"Depends what you're willing to eat."
She didn't ask what he meant by that, which was probably smart. Instead, she went back to her sword practice, movements sharp and precise. Marcus watched her for a while, thinking.
The system whispered in his mind. [Subject shows excellent compatibility with forced advancement. Recommend continued cultivation for future purposes.]
Future purposes. That sounded ominous. "What kind of purposes?"
[Host will require allies for academy trials. Subject could prove useful if properly developed.]
Made sense. The academy would pit students against each other in competitions. Having someone loyal and grateful could be an advantage. Even if that loyalty came from addiction to his power.
"Alright," Marcus said to Mei Lin. "Tonight. Same place. But bring something for the pain this time."
She grinned. "Already planned on it."
The rest of the day passed slowly. Marcus tried to act normal, eating meals with the family, pretending to study basic cultivation texts. But his mind kept wandering to the drained servants and whoever was responsible.
If it wasn't him - and he was pretty sure it wasn't - then who? Another family member seemed unlikely. Father and his brothers were traditional cultivators, following orthodox techniques. That left servants, but which one would have access to demonic cultivation methods?
Unless...
Marcus had an uncomfortable thought. What if the system wasn't unique? What if other people in this world had similar abilities? The book mentioned that demonic techniques could be learned, practiced, mastered. Maybe someone else had found a different path to the same power.
Competition. That would be bad for his plans.
Evening couldn't come fast enough. As soon as the sun set, Marcus slipped out of the manor and headed for his meeting with Mei Lin. But instead of going straight to the garden, he took a detour through the servants' quarters.
The hallway was empty, most people already in their rooms for the night. But Marcus could hear whispered conversations through thin walls, fragments of worried discussion about the morning's incident.
"...never seen anything like it..."
"...qi just gone, like it was sucked away..."
"...something evil in the manor..."
Evil. That stung more than it should have. Marcus had done terrible things, sure, but evil seemed harsh. He preferred 'pragmatic.'
A door opened ahead of him, light spilling into the hallway. A young servant stepped out, probably heading to the washrooms. The guy was maybe twenty, built like he worked in the stables. Low cultivation level, probably Qi Gathering 2 or 3.
Perfect test subject.
Marcus moved fast, grabbing the servant's arm before he could react. The guy opened his mouth to yell, but Marcus clamped his other hand over it.
"Quiet," Marcus whispered. "This will only hurt for a second."
He bit down on the servant's wrist, system activating immediately.
[Consuming qi essence... Processing...]
The servant's eyes went wide with terror as his cultivation drained away. Energy flowed into Marcus, warm and electric. Not as much as he'd gotten from Wei, but still substantial.
[Consumed: Qi Gathering Level 2 cultivation base (partial). +8 Qi Capacity, +3 Strength.]
The servant went limp in his arms, unconscious but breathing. Marcus dragged him back into his room, arranged him on the bed like he'd collapsed naturally. To anyone checking, it would look like the same mysterious condition that had hit the others.
Marcus felt good. Really good. Power coursed through his veins, and his cultivation base felt more solid than ever. This was so much easier than hunting for herbs or stealing from the garden.
[Current cultivation: Qi Gathering Level 1 - 95% complete. Breakthrough imminent.]
Almost there. One more feeding and he'd reach Level 2, putting him ahead of schedule for the academy deadline.
Marcus made his way to the garden, mind buzzing with energy and possibilities. The night air felt electric against his skin, and he could hear heartbeats in the distance. Dozens of them, scattered throughout the manor. So much available power, just waiting to be harvested.
Mei Lin was already there, pacing nervously among the replanted herbs. She had a bottle in her hand - something for pain management, like she'd promised.
"Ready?" Marcus asked.
She nodded, though he could smell her fear-sweat from here. "What do I need to do?"
"Same as before. Circulate your qi as fast as possible, push your limits. I'll handle the rest."
Mei Lin closed her eyes and began gathering energy. Marcus watched her cultivation base spin up, qi flowing faster and faster through her meridians. She was stronger than before, more capable of handling the stress. Good.
But as she pushed toward her breakthrough point, Marcus noticed something strange. Her qi wasn't just circulating - it was pulling in energy from somewhere else. Tendrils of power were seeping into her cultivation base from the surrounding environment.
From him.
Marcus stepped back, alarmed. "Stop."
"What? I'm almost there, I can feel it—"
"Stop now!"
Mei Lin's eyes snapped open, cultivation cycle disrupted. The energy flow stopped, but Marcus could still feel a connection between them. Faint but present, like a thread linking their cultivation bases.
"What happened?" she asked. "Why did you stop me?"
Marcus stared at her, pieces clicking together in his mind. The mysterious servant drainings. The ease with which Mei Lin had accepted his help. The way she craved more power after just one taste.
"You've been feeding," he said quietly.
Her face went pale. "What?"
"The servants who were drained. That was you, wasn't it?"
Mei Lin backed away, shaking her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
But Marcus could see it now. The slight tremor in her hands, the way her qi was tinged with something darker than normal. When he'd forced her breakthrough, he hadn't just widened her meridians. He'd passed along something else. Something hungry.
"The connection," he murmured. "When I fed you my qi, it carried part of the system with it."
"System? What system?"
Marcus laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Congratulations, Mei Lin. You're like me now. A predator."
Her face crumpled. "I didn't mean to. I was just so hungry all the time, and they were right there, and I thought maybe just a little..."
"How many?"
"Just three. I was careful, only took a little from each. I didn't think it would hurt them so much."
Three servants. The exact number that had been found drained that morning. Marcus felt a mixture of pride and concern. Pride that his technique was spreading, concern about losing control of it.
"We need to talk," he said. "About what you've become, and what that means."
They found a quiet spot in the garden, away from prying eyes. Mei Lin sat heavily on a stone bench, looking lost and scared. Marcus remained standing, mind racing through implications.
"I can't stop thinking about it," she said quietly. "The hunger. It's always there now, gnawing at me. And when I feed, it feels so good. Like this is what I was meant to do."
Classic addiction symptoms. The system - or whatever version of it she'd inherited - was rewiring her brain to crave more power. Just like it was doing to him.
"How strong are you now?" Marcus asked.
"Qi Gathering Level 4. Almost Level 5." She looked up at him with desperate eyes. "Is that wrong? Am I turning into some kind of monster?"
"We're all monsters," Marcus said. "Question is whether you're going to be a successful one."
That seemed to calm her slightly. "What do I do? I can't keep draining servants. Someone's going to notice the pattern."
"You're right. Random feeding is sloppy, dangerous." Marcus sat beside her on the bench. "But targeted feeding... that could be useful."
"Targeted how?"
Marcus smiled. "The academy exam is in ten days. Know how many cultivation geniuses from rival families will be attending?"
Understanding dawned on her face. "You want me to drain the competition."
"I want us to drain the competition. Together. You handle the preliminary rounds, I'll take the major threats in the finals."
It was a good plan. Elegant, efficient, with built-in misdirection. If multiple contestants started losing power, it would look like sabotage rather than demonic cultivation. And with Mei Lin as his hidden weapon, Marcus could eliminate threats before they became problems.
"What's in it for me?" Mei Lin asked.
"Power. More than you can imagine. Help me get into the academy, and I'll help you reach Foundation Building within a year."
Her eyes went wide. Foundation Building was typically a decades-long goal for most cultivators. The promise of reaching it in months was intoxicating.
"Deal," she said without hesitation.
They shook hands, sealing the agreement. Marcus felt the connection between them strengthen, their cultivation bases resonating in harmony. Partners in hunger.
As they parted ways, Marcus felt satisfied with the night's work. He'd gained a powerful ally, solved the mystery of the drained servants, and made significant progress toward his academy goals.
The system whispered approvingly in his mind. [Excellent work, host. Corruption spreads as intended.]
"Corruption?"
[Power shared is power multiplied. Each ally you create increases your influence exponentially. Soon you will have an entire network of feeders, all linked to your will.]
A network. That was thinking bigger than Marcus had imagined. Not just personal power, but a whole organization of people like him. People who understood that strength was everything and morality was for the weak.
Marcus fell asleep that night dreaming of academies full of drained geniuses, and a future where nobody would ever look down on him again.
The hunt was just beginning.