As soon as Adrian entered, Evelyn looked up at him with a start. Her voice was soft, though there was a trace of worry beneath it.
"Adrian, son…what are you doing here?"
Adrian inclined his head slightly.
"Mother, I needed to speak with Father about something important."
Victor turned his serious gaze to him and said in a measured tone,
"Son, we're in the middle of a critical meeting right now. Please wait for a little while. Come sit over here."
Adrian nodded.
"All right, Father."
He turned with a calm, deliberate step and moved to one of the empty chairs along the side of the hall. Slowly, his gaze swept over the room. Besides Victor and the two Madams, there were three other people present—members of the Elder Council.
A faint light glimmered in Adrian's golden eyes. As he looked toward the first Elder, unseen words floated before his vision:
Status
Name: Elder Yi
Cultivation Realm: Soul Transcendent Stage – 2
Destiny Points: 12
Occupation: Elder of the Thorne Clan
Relationship: Loyal
Threat Scope: Grade (B)
Adrian inclined his head slightly in thought. Then his gaze shifted to the second Elder.
Status
Name: Elder Zhu
Cultivation Realm: Soul Fusion Stage – 4
Destiny Points: 18 → 1
Occupation: Elder of the Thorne Clan / Spy of the Fire Force Empire
Relationship: Traitor
Threat Scope: Grade (B)
As Adrian studied Elder Zhu, a flicker of intrigue flashed in his eyes. A faint smile curled at the corners of his lips.
"Interesting…" he murmured inwardly.
Finally, his gaze settled on the third Elder.
Status
Name: Elder Han
Cultivation Realm: Soul Fusion Stage – 7
Destiny Points: 14
Occupation: Elder of the Thorne Clan
Relationship: Loyal
Threat Scope: Grade (C+)
Adrian drummed his fingers lightly against his thigh in a slow rhythm.
"So in the end…there really was a traitor among us. No wonder all of Father's plans kept failing…"
Just then, the System's voice echoed in his mind:
[ Mission – 2 ]
Mission:
You have discovered that a member of the Clan Council is a traitor. Uncover them with solid evidence.
1️⃣ Apprehend the traitor with sufficient proof and extract all information about their schemes.
Reward:
System Shop Unlock
1,000 Shop Coins
Time Limit:
7 Days
Adrian closed his eyes and asked silently—
"System, isn't 1,000 Coins rather little? What exactly am I supposed to buy with that?"
The System's voice was utterly steady.
"Host, these are your initial Coins. As you complete missions, the rewards will increase in proportion to the difficulty and significance. Your growth will be measured through these."
Adrian gave no reply. He simply lowered his eyelashes and listened quietly to the ongoing Council discussions. Elder Han was showing Victor some documents, while Elder Yi questioned certain points with grave intensity—but Adrian's golden eyes never once left Elder Zhu.
About half an hour later, the meeting finally ended. The three Elders rose and one by one left the hall. When the doors closed behind them, Adrian drew a deep breath and opened his eyes.
His gaze settled firmly on Victor. There was no hesitation in his voice—only a clear, resolute conviction.
"Father. You should keep a close watch on Elder Zhu."
Victor's brows lifted slightly. He spoke in a low tone,
"Son, we've had Elder Zhu investigated more than once. Nothing has ever been found that would justify suspicion."
Hearing Adrian's grave voice, Victor fell silent for a while. His gaze rested steadily on his son's face—there was no longer any trace of childishness there, only an unwavering coldness and conviction.
After several moments lost in thought, Victor finally spoke in a low tone:
"All right, Adrian… I will give you a chance. If what you say proves to be true, then from this day on, in all matters of the Clan, I will hear your counsel first. But remember this…"
His voice grew deeper.
"…The Clan is surrounded by many crises. The enemy is waiting to strike from every direction. I'm giving you full authority regarding Elder Zhu—but you alone will handle this matter. I will not send any Elder or Guardian to assist you. This responsibility is yours."
Adrian lowered his head with a calm, frosty composure.
"I won't disappoint you, Father."
Then he raised his gaze again.
"I would like to go outside for a while. There are things I need to see for myself."
Victor looked into Adrian's eyes for a moment— as if he wanted to say more—then he only nodded.
"All right, go. But be careful."
Adrian inclined his head respectfully and, without any hurry, turned to walk toward the door. The measured sound of his footsteps echoed through the council hall for several moments.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Selena turned anxious eyes on Victor.
"You let him go out alone…? Victor, have you forgotten that just a few days ago someone tried to kill him? What if the enemy is still waiting for him?"
Victor let out a long breath. In his eyes was a mixture of worry—and a strange, quiet confidence.
"Selena… there is something I see that perhaps you and Evelyn cannot. Adrian is no longer the same child. His dantian… it may already have fully healed. There is a depth in his aura—a weight I have never felt before. I believe his cultivation has risen far beyond what we knew."
Both Selena and Evelyn gasped at once.
"What…?" Selena's voice trembled with disbelief.
"Without a Saint Grade Healing Pill, it's impossible for anyone's dantian to completely recover!" Evelyn protested immediately.
Victor lowered his head slowly.
"I don't have an answer to that. I can't clearly perceive his cultivation anymore. But the way he moves…the steadiness in his eyes…it all tells me something profound has changed within him. Perhaps this evening, I will need to examine Adrian's energy myself."
Saying this, Victor took a blue jade slip from his pocket and poured his spiritual energy into it. The jade lit up with a soft glow—he had just sent a message to the Clan's surveillance division.
After dispatching the signal, Victor stood up.
"I will speak to some of the Elders outside."
With slow, thoughtful steps, he left the hall.
Meanwhile, Adrian—
Adrian emerged from the Clan Hall. The faint breeze stirred the edges of his robes as he descended the hundreds of stone steps. When he finally reached the open courtyard, he paused and lifted his gaze to the sky.
The vast blue expanse filled him with a sense of unfamiliar freedom.
Without any haste, he began walking toward the city gates. As he moved, his golden eyes scrutinized every person, every wall, every rooftop around him in meticulous detail.
People on the street started whispering the moment they saw him. His sense of hearing was far sharper than that of ordinary humans—so even the faintest murmurs reached his ears clearly.
A middle-aged merchant was speaking quietly to his companion:
"Look…that's Young Master Adrian. Just a few days ago, he was attacked. But see how he walks—as if nothing ever happened…"
The other man replied in a voice tinged with contempt:
"He deserved every bit of it. Did he ever care for the Clan? All he ever did was shout at servants, bully the weak, and harass women… That's all he was ever good for."
There was no anger in Adrian's eyes. He simply listened—like a cold observer cataloging every word.
Not far behind him, a man in brown clothes, his face hidden behind a cloth wrap, was carefully trailing him. Every step he took was measured, brimming with cautious intent. Adrian's heightened senses picked up on him instantly—but he showed no outward reaction.
He continued strolling through the city's winding alleys, studying every building, every lane, every shop—absorbing this new world piece by piece, as if determined to understand it in its entirety.
After some time, his gaze fell upon a large building in the main market. Encircled by tall red stone walls stood a prestigious restaurant—Moonstone Pavilion.
Adrian approached it with slow, deliberate steps. Inside, the hall was scented with the gentle aroma of sweet incense, and hundreds of people sat quietly, drinking tea and eating.
He made his way to a table in the corner and sat down.
A young waiter hurried over at once.
"Young Master, what would you like?"
Adrian's voice was calm and cool.
"Bring me some hot tea and a light snack."
The waiter bowed and left.
Adrian rested his fingers on the table, his gaze sweeping the hall with quiet intensity—as if he wanted to know everything about this place, every face, every story.
Inside the restaurant, he awakened all his senses. He could hear every voice clearly—the whispered gossip, the loud conversations, the idle complaints—nothing escaped him.
About an hour passed before Adrian finally stood up. A faint look of satisfaction played across his face, as if he had uncovered some unspoken secret.
As he stepped out the door, a shining system screen materialized in front of him:
[ Mission – 1 ]
Mission:
Gather intelligence about your surroundings and assess your current situation.
✅ 1. Understand the city's layout
✅ 2. Learn the city's present condition
✅ 3. Study the city's history
Reward:
+1 Bottle Body Refining Pills (Saint Rank)
+1 Bottle Bone Marrow Refining Pills (Saint Rank)
Time Limit: 8 hours
Status: Completed
The system's voice resonated around him:
"You have completed all required objectives. The first mission has been successfully accomplished. The rewards have been safely stored in your inventory. You may collect them whenever you wish."
Adrian chuckled softly under his breath.
"No matter what world it is…people always find a café the best place to gossip. A cup of tea in hand and meaningless chatter on their lips…"
Leaving the restaurant behind, he stepped once more into the winding alleys of the city. As he walked, his gaze fell upon a branch of the Alchemy Association. For a moment, he stood in front of it, considering whether to go inside and inquire about medicines—but remembering how little money he carried, he turned away.
He continued to survey the state of the city with careful eyes. On every street, in every shop, on every face, he saw the same lines of worry etched deep.
The relentless raids of the bandits had crippled trade. Merchants had stopped coming. Work had grown scarce, and people were slowly sinking into hunger and poverty.
With his keen hearing, Adrian caught fragments of conversation as he passed:
"…all the grain costs twice as much now…"
"…no one can find work…children are crying from hunger…"
"…it's all because of those bandits…who knows when they'll strike again…"
Each word left a fresh unease in his mind.
He could feel it clearly—this crisis wasn't just a matter of some bandits. Somewhere in the shadows lurked a deeper conspiracy. And if Elder Zhu truly was a spy for the enemy empire, then this problem was far more complicated than it appeared on the surface.
The more he thought about it, the heavier his head began to feel. In the end, he took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
"Thinking any further is pointless… I'll take this one step at a time."
Just then, the system's voice echoed once more:
[ Mission – 3 ]
Mission:
Your Clan is facing an unprecedented threat.
1️⃣ Strengthen the Clan
2️⃣ Secure reliable allies and support
3️⃣ Revitalize the Clan's economy
4️⃣ Bolster the Clan's military power
Reward:
+1 City Defensive Formation (King Rank)
+1 City Energy Gathering Formation (King Rank)
Time Limit: 1 year
Failure:
All your loved ones will die
Adrian's eyes had barely narrowed in apprehension when yet another notification appeared:
[ Mission – 4 ]
Mission:
Eliminate all bandits.
1️⃣ Completely destroy at least one bandit group
2️⃣ Exterminate all groups
Reward:
Based on the number of bandits killed
Time Limit: 1 month
Failure:
You will lose 5 Destiny Points
Reading both missions back to back made Adrian's temples throb with pain. He pressed his palms to his forehead and hissed in frustration—
"System, have you gone insane? How am I supposed to shoulder all of this in a single day? I've barely arrived in this world…and you've already turned me into a beast of burden."
The system's voice remained as neutral and impassive as ever—
"If you wish to remain alive, all of this is necessary."
Adrian didn't answer. His breathing grew a little heavier. He cast one last glance over the marketplace before he turned away, his steps slow and heavy, as if the weight of every new responsibility had settled across his back.
( A/N - This is the longest chapter till now, with more than 2100 words. Please support a little, give comments and reviews.)