Wen Chen walked steadily along the stone path leading back to the Wen Clan compound. The last faint traces of Shen Yuelin's presence had long dispersed, but her cold yet graceful image lingered briefly in his mind like an aftertaste of winter wind.
He touched his chest lightly.
Why did she appear here? And why observe me?
His expression remained calm, as usual, but inwardly he felt a growing awareness.
The world beyond their small clan was vast… and dangerous.
As he stepped through the wooden gates of the Wen Clan, the warm hum of activity washed over him. Servants hurried with baskets of herbs, young cultivators shouted during sparring practice, elders debated minor clan matters.
Life moved as it always had.
But Wen Chen sensed something beneath the surface—
A quiet tension.
A faint imbalance.
A subtle fear buried behind familiar faces.
He didn't know its cause.
But he felt it.
---
A Mother's Worry
"Chen'er?"
A gentle voice drifted toward him. Wen Chen turned to see his mother, Mei Lanhua, approaching gracefully with a basket of folded garments in her arms. Her long robes fluttered lightly, and her eyes, always soft and warm, held both relief and concern.
She reached him and lightly touched his cheek.
"You were gone longer than usual," she said softly. "Did something happen?"
Wen Chen shook his head calmly.
"I simply trained farther into the woods."
Her eyes narrowed with maternal suspicion.
"Farther into the woods is where beasts wander." She sighed and placed a hand over her heart. "You must not give your mother shocks like this."
Wen Chen bowed his head slightly.
"My apologies, Mother."
She smiled and pinched his cheek gently.
"You have grown even calmer than before… sometimes too calm."
Wen Chen did not respond.
What could he say?
He couldn't tell her about the orbs.
He couldn't tell her about the Talent Panel.
He couldn't tell her about Shen Yuelin.
Some things were better carried alone.
---
A Father's Silent Burden
That evening, as lantern light glowed along the courtyard walls, Wen Chen walked into the main hall where his father, Wen Jiayi, stood reviewing parchment scrolls. His brow was furrowed, his posture slightly slouched—clear signs of worry he never allowed others to see.
The doors creaked lightly, and Wen Jiayi looked up.
"Chen'er," he greeted, instantly softening. "Come."
Wen Chen approached.
"Father, you look troubled."
Wen Jiayi exhaled slowly, rolling up a scroll.
"Troubled? Perhaps."
He forced a small smile.
"A clan leader carries storms in silence."
Wen Chen did not press further.
Instead, he simply asked,
"Is there anything I can help with?"
Wen Jiayi looked at his son, surprised by the maturity in his calm eyes.
His voice lowered.
"Soon… but not yet."
He placed a gentle hand on Wen Chen's shoulder.
"Just continue growing strong. That will help our clan more than anything."
Wen Chen nodded.
But as he turned to leave, he felt it again—
A faint uneasiness clinging to his father's presence.
As though heavier matters lurked just beyond the threshold of discussion.
---
Night Training — and Orbs
When the moon rose and the clan settled into quiet, Wen Chen slipped into the back courtyard. He raised a wooden practice sword and struck the air with smooth, controlled motions.
One strike.
Another.
Another.
His movements were graceful yet grounded—each motion calm, precise, steady like flowing water.
As his body warmed, faint shimmering lights blinked into existence.
Orbs.
Dozens of them.
Small, pale, transparent to all except him.
Wen Chen's expression did not change.
He continued striking, footwork gliding across the stone floor.
When he pivoted around a practice pillar, he brushed his hand against the air.
[Luck Orb Obtained +1]
[Luck Orb Obtained +1]
[Luck Orb Obtained +1]
More floated toward him from the lingering echoes of earlier clan training.
He exhaled softly.
Only I can see them…
He opened his hand and lightly tapped another.
[Luck Points: 8 → 12]
With a single thought—
---
🔥 Talent Panel Appears
— Talent Panel —
Name: Wen Chen
Cultivation: Body Tempering (Stage 1)
Talent Grade: Mortal-Low
Luck Points: 12
Talent Ability: Upgrade Potential Through Luck (Available)
Note: Upgrading talent increases cultivation speed, comprehension, and physical strength.
---
Wen Chen closed it again with a blink.
Not yet.
He wasn't ready to upgrade his talent just blindly.
He wanted to understand more.
Observe more.
Wait for the right moment.
His calm heart beat with steady conviction.
---
Eavesdropped Voices
Just as he resumed his movement technique, two voices drifted from beyond the courtyard wall. He froze, quiet as a shadow.
"The Wen Clan… is weakening."
"The Liang Clan demanded tribute again today."
Wen Chen's grip on his wooden sword tightened slightly.
The second voice continued:
"The elders fear the Patriarch can no longer hold things together."
A heavy pause.
"Do you think… the clan will fall?"
Wen Chen's heartbeat slowed.
Even now, his calm didn't waver.
But inwardly, something tightened—
Something unfamiliar…
Something like responsibility.
He stepped away silently, not letting them know he heard.
---
Facing the Truth
He returned to his room and sat cross-legged on the floor. The moonlight seeped through the window, painting pale streaks across the wooden panels.
The clan was declining.
His father bore it alone.
His mother worried but stayed silent.
The elders argued behind closed doors.
The youths trained with uncertainty in their eyes.
This clan was his home.
His foundation.
His responsibility.
Wen Chen rested his palm on his knee, breathing softly.
Then I must grow stronger.
Calmly.
Steadily.
Quietly.
He closed his eyes.
The Talent Panel glowed faintly behind his thoughts.
Tomorrow would begin the changes.
For him.
For the clan.
For everything.
---
Midnight—A Sudden Surge
As Wen Chen sank deeper into his breathing exercises, the last traces of Shen Yuelin's spiritual energy suddenly flickered into existence far beyond the walls.
Not aimed at him.
Not attacking.
Just passing by.
Yet the moment it brushed the air—
Three orbs blinked into existence.
Wen Chen's eyes snapped open.
Floating gently.
Silent.
Unseen by anyone else.
He raised his hand.
Touch.
[Luck Orb Obtained +1]
[Luck Orb Obtained +1]
[Luck Orb Obtained +1]
His Luck Points surged.
His breathing grew calmer, steadier, deeper.
He knew then—
The Wen Clan's quiet days were ending.
And his role within it was about to shift.