As the last echoes of my vow faded into the cool night air, Meira tightened her grip on my hand. Her eyes sparkled with a deep emotion that momentarily took my breath away. She simply nodded, a silent promise that meant more than a thousand extravagant oaths. The moment felt fragile and perfect, yet here I was, the transmigrator who had planned every move with the precision of a chess master, completely unsure of what to do next.
In the books I had read, a moment like this always ended with a kiss. That cinematic touch would strengthen our bond and mark the start of our romance. My mind began to calculate. The setting was ideal: a moonlit balcony, the climax of our shared struggle, a beautiful woman looking at me as if I were the only man in the world. All the pieces were in place.
She must have noticed the turmoil in my eyes. She stepped a little closer, her gaze steady and full of trust. Her lips parted slightly. The invitation was clear. She closed her eyes, surrendering to me in that moment of vulnerability.
And I… froze.
My heart raced, a chaotic beat that had nothing to do with my Golden Core. The careful planner who saw the world as a field was replaced by the unsure reader I had once been. What was I doing? This was Meira Su. In Alchemist Sovereign, she was a symbol of great tragedy and strength. Her loyalty was so fierce that she had nearly killed the protagonist. She was the very woman I had just tied my family's future to.
Kissing her in a moment born from a lie we both created, felt wrong. It felt like a shortcut, something a fool like Arya might do in a moment of misplaced passion. I had chosen to ally with her for strategic reasons.
I pulled back, just a little, but it was enough to break the spell.
Her eyes fluttered open. A fleeting hint of disappointment crossed her face before being replaced by her usual calm. She offered a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Oh, you absolute idiot, a voice screamed inside me. What have you done? She closed her eyes! She offered you everything, and you hesitated! You fool!
My internal scolding was relentless. I had played the role of the unshakeable leader, the master strategist, the grieving cousin, all without flaw. But in this real moment, I had stumbled like a first-year disciple trying to pull off a simple spell.
A grim determination washed over me. Next time, I promised myself, half of me was motivated and half was self-deprecating humor. Next time, I wouldn't let it slip away. It would be a deep kiss, lasting no less than five minutes. I'd keep track.
The absurdity of the thought cleared my mind. I needed to regain my composure and return to what I was good at: planning, calculating, and seeking my next advantage.
I exhaled quietly and shifted my gaze from Meira's beautiful face to the estate below. The last of the funeral guests were leaving, their carriages little sparks of light in the darkness. My mind, seeking the comfort of a strategic view, activated the system's power without even thinking.
"Activate Celestial Luck Scan," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
An invisible pulse radiated outward. My mental map of the estate filled with the familiar Grey and steady White auras of my family and servants. But I focused on the procession of carriages leaving the main gate. I filtered out the lesser lights, looking for anything significant.
The delegation from the Myriad Beast Hall showed a cluster of White auras, nothing special. The Lei Family's carriage glowed with a few brighter Whites, as expected of master craftsmen. Then I scanned over the group from the Spirit Cauldron Sect.
Their Sect Master had a respectable Blue Luck aura, the sign of a minor character with a good destiny. That came as no surprise. He was an important figure in the area. However, trailing not far behind him, almost hidden in his master's powerful shadow, was a disciple I hadn't noticed before. His luck was a vivid sapphire.
Blue Luck. A sign of a minor genius, a core disciple meant to become a regional expert.
I focused on him immediately. I had seen him at the funeral, a quiet youth standing behind the Sect Master, with his head down, his presence nearly invisible. His name and face didn't ring any bells from the pages of Alchemist Sovereign. The book mostly dealt with the conflicts in Clearwater City in its early arcs. Minor geniuses from other sects who weren't directly involved simply didn't get mentioned. He was an unknown factor but had a level of luck that surpassed any of my former targets.
He was the perfect investment.
My mind was now sharp and focused.
Meira must have sensed the change in my demeanor. "What is it?" she asked, pulling me from my thoughts. "You saw something."
I turned to her, my expression calm and unreadable again. "Just the last of our… esteemed guests," I said, glancing towards the departing Jin Family carriage. It served as a convenient distraction. "It seems our troubles aren't over yet."
She understood immediately, her expression turning serious. "They will pay," she said, her voice cold with promise.
"We will ensure that," I replied gently, squeezing her hand one last time before letting it go. The warmth lingered on my skin. "But for now, you should go back to your family and rest. We've both had a long few days."
She nodded, though some reluctance remained in her eyes. I walked her to the main gate like a proper host and watched her carriage vanish into the night before turning back to the quiet estate.
The night was far from over for me.
I headed to a secluded pavilion in the western part of the estate. This was the "Silent Archive," the unassuming center of the Chen Family's intelligence operations. While it looked like a library, the scrolls there didn't hold cultivation techniques; they contained secrets.
Elder Feng, a wise old man at the Late Stage of the Golden Core realm, was the keeper of the archive. His loyalty to the Chen Family was unwavering. He had served my grandfather and now my father. His days were spent surrounded by a thousand whispered secrets and hidden truths.
He sat behind a large desk, carefully transcribing a coded message when I entered. He looked up, his sharp eyes meeting mine.