Warm steam curled from the bowl, carrying the scent of rice and herbs. Chen Yuze lowered his eyes, watching his mother gently scoop up a spoonful of congee, her hand trembling.
"Chen'er… open your mouth," Mei whispered. Her voice was soft, but raw and scraped thin from days of weeping.
Her eyes were swollen and red, as though she'd been crying every moment since her husband's funeral. Loose strands of hair clung damply to her cheeks.
Her robe, once bright, was dull and patched, its frayed sleeves stained with herbs and oil.
Chen Yuze hesitated.
He was Mo Tian—the Heavenly Demon who had once ruled above all. His will could shatter mountains. His roar could silence sects. He'd slain righteous heroes and devils alike.
Yet now, he sat on a narrow wooden bed, in a body small enough to fit into the crook of a mortal woman's arm… being fed congee by a mother whose tears fell silently into his bowl.
Mei smiled through her grief, pushing the spoon closer to his lips. "Just one bite, Chen'er… please."
He parted his lips, and the rice porridge touched his tongue. The taste was simple—warm, slightly sweet, laced with bitter herbs. He swallowed, feeling the heat travel down into this tiny, fragile body.
Mei's eyes glistened. "Good boy… That's my Chen'er."
A flicker of something unfamiliar twisted in his chest.
Warmth…? Or guilt?
He studied her face. How could this woman, broken and exhausted, still smile at him like he was the center of her world? He was not her son. The true Chen'er was gone, his soul replaced by a demon's.
Yet…
She weeps for me. She feeds me with trembling hands. And even though I am no longer the child she bore… she calls me her son.
He felt his throat tighten.
I am Mo Tian… I should not care. But…
He clenched his tiny fingers around the edge of the blanket.
I may be reborn, stripped of power… but she is mine now. And no one… no one takes what is mine.
He lifted his gaze to Mei and, in a voice that trembled with youth but rang with hidden steel, whispered, "I'll protect you."
Mei blinked, eyes filling anew. "Chen'er…" She pulled him into a gentle embrace. He stiffened at first—but slowly allowed himself to lean into her warmth.
A while later, Mei carried the empty bowl away, leaving Chen Yuze sitting alone on the creaking bed.
Outside, faint voices drifted through the paper walls.
"…the outer disciples get all the resources, while we servants barely have rice to eat."
"That's the way of the sect. Strength rules. Who cares for servants?"
"Did you hear? Elder Sun says they might dismiss more servant families now that the manservant Chen died."
Chen Yuze's eyes narrowed.
Through the thin wooden slats of the window, he watched the courtyard. Outer disciples in grey robes strutted past, wearing polished jade pendants that marked even the lowest cultivator rank.
They held their heads high, flicking disdainful glances at servants who bowed low as they hurried by.
A few outer disciples stopped to laugh at a young servant girl struggling to carry two heavy buckets of water. One of them casually stuck out his foot, tripping her.
Water splashed across the stone walkway, and the girl fell hard, knees scraping bloody.
The disciples barked laughter and strode away, robes swaying.
So it's the same here as in the demon realm… The weak exist only to be trampled.
Anger flared in his chest.
When I ruled, no one dared treat my servants with scorn. Even the heavens bowed before my will.
He clenched his tiny fists and forced himself to calm.
First… I must understand this world's rules.
He exhaled slowly and thought, System.
Instantly, a blue screen shimmered into existence before his eyes, floating in midair, letters glowing like celestial fireflies.
[ Status Panel ]
[Name: Chen Yuze
[Age: 1]
[Race: Human (Mortal Realm)]
[Cultivation Level: None]
[Potential: ???]
[Title from Previous Life: Heavenly Demon – Mo Tian]
[Affiliation: Cloudveil Sect – Outer Region]
[Father: Deceased]
[Mother: Alive]
[System Access: [Granted]]
A smirk curled at the edge of his lips.
So this world truly grants me a system… interesting.
He focused, and the panel shifted. New lines of text unfurled, like scrolls rolling open.
[ Beginner System Quests ]
[Absorb Qi for the first time → Reward: +1 Spiritual Sense]
[Successfully condense Qi into Dantian → Reward: Unlock cultivation stat]
[Complete ten low-tier chores → Reward: Minor Qi Boost]
[Warning: Cultivation currently locked due to insufficient soul-body synchronization.]
Chen Yuze's eyes glinted.
So that's how it is… This body can't handle my true power yet. I have to synchronize soul and flesh. A mortal vessel…
He let out a soft, humorless laugh.
From commanding nine realms… to starting as a servant's child with chores for cultivation points.
He might have wept, if he were a weaker man. But he was Mo Tian. Heavenly Demon. A sovereign who clawed power from the heavens themselves.
He stared at the glowing panel, jaw set.
Fine. If the heavens want me to start from nothing again… so be it.
I'll start from the dirt. I'll crawl if I must.
But remember this, world—
I will rise again. And next time, not even the heavens will dare betray me.
Outside the window, the rain fell harder, drumming against the roof tiles like the steady beat of a war drum.
Chen Yuze leaned back against his thin pillow, eyes glinting in the candlelight.
For now… I'll play the obedient child. Let them all underestimate me. Let them mock the servant's son. The day will come when they'll kneel.