Ren had exactly one peaceful day.
He treasured it like a rare artifact.
No summons.
No accusations.
No Zhao Kun-shaped problems trying to ruin his mood.
He spent the morning cultivating, the afternoon cultivating bad posture, and the evening cultivating existential dread—also known as "thinking about the future."
> Body Tempering Progress: 16% → 19%
Ren opened his eyes, satisfied. "Nineteen percent. I'm officially one-fifth of a real cultivator. Please hold your applause."
> System Advisory:
Host improvement rate above expected curve.
Ren smirked. "It's the sarcasm. Really circulates the Qi."
He stood, stretched, and immediately regretted it as his muscles protested like an angry committee.
"Relax," he told his body. "We're fragile, not useless. There's a difference."
---
Peace ended at sunset.
A group of outer disciples blocked the path to his room, arms crossed, expressions unfriendly in a very rehearsed way.
Ren stopped, glanced at them, then sighed.
"Let me guess," he said. "You're here to teach me a lesson, extort me, or dramatically misunderstand my intentions."
One of them sneered. "You think you're funny."
Ren nodded. "I do. The audience varies."
They moved closer.
> System Warning:
Multiple hostiles detected.
Cultivation disparity: Significant.
Ren cracked his neck. "Ah. The classic numbers advantage. Very bold. Very insecure."
One disciple lunged.
Ren didn't try to overpower him—that would've been stupid. Instead, he stepped sideways, letting the attacker stumble forward into his friend.
Chaos followed.
Not elegant chaos.
Not powerful chaos.
Just confusing chaos.
Ren ducked, weaved, tripped someone with a badly timed foot, and loudly narrated the whole thing.
"Careful—watch the elbow—ah, see? That's why teamwork matters."
A fist grazed his shoulder. Pain flared.
Ren hissed. "Okay, rude."
> Body Tempering Stress Response: Activated
Resilience temporarily increased
Ren used the opening to shove the attacker into a wall.
Not strong.
Just enough.
The commotion drew attention. Voices shouted. Footsteps approached.
The attackers froze.
Ren straightened his robe, breathing hard.
"Well," he said cheerfully, "this has been a wonderful bonding exercise. Let's never do it again."
Elders arrived moments later.
The disciples scattered like guilty pigeons.
Ren stood alone, bruised, dusty, and very much still alive.
> System Update:
Combat Exposure Logged
Survival Instincts: Sharpened
Body Tempering Progress: 19% → 21%
Ren wiped blood from his lip. "You know, I really would've preferred meditation."
---
Later that night, Ren sat on his bed, applying salve with practiced annoyance.
> System Notification:
New Event Triggered
Yin-Yang Harmony Opportunity Detected (Low Risk)
Ren froze.
"…Excuse me?"
> Details:
Location: Bamboo Spring Pavilion
Time Window: Tonight
Participant: Compatible Yin-aspected disciple (identity concealed)
Ren stared at the panel.
Then at the door.
Then back at the panel.
"System," he said slowly, "are you telling me that after all this character development, my reward is a suspicious nighttime rendezvous?"
> Affirmative.
Ren leaned back, rubbing his face. "This feels like a trap."
> Probability of trap: 38%
Ren snorted. "Those are fantastic odds in this sect."
He stood, adjusted his robe, and grabbed his dignity—what little he had left.
"Well," he muttered, "if I'm going to walk into danger, I might as well do it sarcastically."
Outside, the night was quiet.
Too quiet.
Ren headed toward Bamboo Spring Pavilion, heart steady, mouth already preparing commentary.
"Alright," he whispered to the darkness, "let's see if this is enlightenment… or just another terrible decision with spiritual consequences."
Somewhere in the shadows, fate smiled.
And sharpened its knives.