The one thousand spirit stones were locked in the Lin family vault. The immediate financial pressure had eased, but the air in the estate remained thick with tension. It was the quiet before the storm, and Lin Xiao knew it. He sat in his room, the System interface glowing before him like a loyal companion.
[Current Karma Points: 440]
"System, display my available skills and their costs. Focus on information gathering and subterfuge."
The screen flickered, presenting a new list.
['Eavesdropper's Ear' (Tier 1): Amplify hearing within a 50-meter radius. Cost: 80 KP.]
['Keen Eye' (Tier 1): Notice minor details and track movements with enhanced precision. Cost: 70 KP.]
['Minor Misfortune' (Single Target): Inflict a small, inconvenient event on a target. Cost: 25 KP.]
['Veil of Anonymity' (Tier 1): Slightly blur your features and presence from casual observation. Cost: 100 KP.]
He was pondering his options when a commotion erupted from the main courtyard. Shouts, the clatter of weapons, and a voice he recognized—booming, arrogant, and utterly enraged.
Wang Jian had arrived.
Xiao didn't rush. He purchased 'Eavesdropper's Ear' and 'Veil of Anonymity' for a total of 180 KP. The world suddenly became a symphony of clear, distinct sounds—the rustle of leaves, the panicked heartbeat of a servant, and Wang Jian's furious bellows.
"...A FAKE! You dare swindle ME? You think you can pollute my cultivation with your worthless weeds?!" Wang Jian's voice was a blade of pure fury.
Xiao activated the 'Veil' and slipped out, moving to a shadowed archway overlooking the courtyard. Wang Jian stood there, flanked by four armed guards. In his hand, he held the now-wilted Fading Star herb. His face was a grotesque mask of rage. Lin Zhan stood before him, pale but resolute, a few loyal family guards at his back.
"The transaction was complete and witnessed, Young Master Wang," Lin Zhan said, his voice steadier than Xiao expected. "You inspected the goods yourself."
"YOU USED SOME SORCERY!" Wang Jian shrieked, crushing the herb in his fist. "I will have compensation! Ten thousand spirit stones! Or I will burn this hovel to the ground!"
This was the critical moment. A direct confrontation would be suicide. But a master strategist never fought on the enemy's terms.
"System," Xiao thought, his mind racing. "Analyze Wang Jian's current spiritual state. Is there any lingering effect from the 'Phantom Starlight Blossom' aura?"
[Scanning...]
[Target: Wang Jian. Emotional State: Volatile. Qi Instability detected. Residual traces of high-grade spiritual illusion have caused a minor feedback loop in his perception, heightening paranoia and aggression.]
Perfect. He wasn't just angry; he was spiritually unbalanced. A push in the right direction, and he would be his own worst enemy.
"System, purchase 'Minor Misfortune.' Target: Wang Jian. Make it... personal and embarrassing."
[Charging 25 KP. 'Minor Misfortune' activated.]
Just as Wang Jian was drawing a gleaming saber from his waist, a loud, undignified gurgle echoed from his stomach. His face, once red with rage, suddenly turned a shade of green. His majestic aura flickered. He clutched his abdomen, a look of profound and unexpected discomfort twisting his features.
One of his guards leaned in. "Young Master? Are you unwell?"
"I... It's nothing!" Wang Jian hissed, trying to reclaim his fury, but the moment was broken. The dramatic tension he'd built was punctured by a sudden, urgent need for a privy.
From his shadowed perch, Xiao spoke, his voice modulated by the 'Veil' to sound distant and echoing, as if coming from multiple directions at once.
"The heavens punish the greedy, Young Master Wang. Perhaps your own foundation is too unstable to handle such a potent treasure's residual karma."
Wang Jian spun around, trying to locate the source of the voice, but saw only shifting shadows. The words struck a nerve, preying on the very instability the System had detected.
"Who said that?! Show yourself!"
But another stomach cramp doubled him over. Humiliation began to outweigh his rage. He couldn't lay siege to a clan while fighting a war on two fronts.
"T-This isn't over, Lin Zhan!" he stammered, sweat beading on his forehead. "The Wang Cartel will crush you! Let's go!"
He beat a hasty, undignified retreat, his guards scrambling after him, confusion on their faces.
The Lin family courtyard was left in stunned silence, then erupted into relieved murmurs.
[Karmic Event Resolved: 'The Unwelcome Guest']
[Karma awarded for: Defusing a violent confrontation (80 KP). Publicly humiliating a rival a second time (120 KP). Strengthening clan morale (50 KP). Total Award: 250 KP.]
[Current KP: 510. Host is demonstrating acceptable proficiency.]
Lin Zhan looked toward the archway where Xiao had been, but his son was already gone.
Back in his room, Xiao wasn't celebrating. He was planning. Wang Jian would be back, and next time, it wouldn't be with a small guard detail. It would be with the full force of the Wang Cartel. Defensive measures were needed. But they required more than just KP; they required resources and leverage.
"System," he commanded. "Cross-reference all clan ledgers and my father's notes. Identify the Wang Cartel's single most valuable, non-liquid asset."
The screen flashed, processing the vast amount of data now stored in Xiao's photographic memory.
[Analysis Complete. Primary Asset: The 'Blackridge' Spirit Stone Mine (Diminishing Returns). Produces low-grade spirit stones. Estimated remaining yield: 3 years.]
A mine. A depleting asset. But every asset had its secrets.
"Deep scan. Are there any geological anomalies, rare material deposits, or hidden dangers in that mine that the Wangs are unaware of?"
[Initiating Deep Karmic Scan... Cost: 50 KP.]
[Scanning...]
[Anomaly Detected. The mine's westernmost shaft, declared 'unstable' and sealed by the Wangs, contains a significant vein of 'Fever Moss.']
Xiao's eyes lit up. Fever Moss! It was a Tier 1 alchemical ingredient, not immensely valuable on its own, but it had a very specific, and very annoying, property. When ground into dust and ignited, it produced a smoke that was harmless to most creatures, but was intensely irritating to a common, low-level spirit beast the Wangs used for heavy labor—the Iron-Hide Bull.
"System, map the mine's ventilation system and the location of the Wang's bull pens."
A complex schematic appeared. The ventilation from the western shaft, if unsealed, would drift directly towards the pens.
A truly devilish smile spread across Lin Xiao's face. He wouldn't attack their guards. He wouldn't assault their treasury. He would target their logistics. Their entire operation relied on those beasts to haul the raw stone. A mine full of panicked, uncontrollable spirit beasts wasn't a mine; it was a riot.
He had found his next thread. He would snarl their entire operation without a single drop of blood spilled, earning Karma and crippling their economy in one move.
The Azure Phoenix was ready to pluck the Wang Cartel's feathers, one by one.