Li Tian didn't ask for trouble. Trouble seemed to have signed a long-term lease in his life without his permission.
After the meeting with Mei Lin the previous evening, he had thought things might settle. She'd teased him about his lazy ways, he'd deflected with his usual sarcasm, and they had parted with the easy comfort of two people who'd known each other since they were barely tall enough to peek over the kitchen counter.
Now, less than twelve hours later, someone was following him. Again.
He didn't turn around immediately. That would make it seem like he cared. Instead, he kept walking at the same leisurely pace through the outer sect training grounds, hands folded behind his head. The morning sun was warm. The breeze was pleasant. And the cultivation manuals in his storage ring were still gathering dust where he'd left them.
"Li Tian!"
He finally glanced over his shoulder. A tall, broad-shouldered outer sect disciple was jogging toward him, his expression somewhere between excitement and suspicion.
"Uh… yes?" Li Tian asked.
"You're the one who beat Senior Brother Han in a single move yesterday, right?"
"Beat?" Li Tian frowned. "I was just reaching for a rice cake. He happened to be in the way."
The man stared at him as if trying to decide whether this was false modesty or a calculated insult. "Well, the news has spread. Everyone's saying you've been hiding your true cultivation level. Some think you're already at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage."
Li Tian yawned. "I'm at the peak of wanting breakfast."
The man hesitated, then lowered his voice conspiratorially. "There's a group from the inner sect who's… curious about you. They might come to test your strength."
"Fantastic," Li Tian said dryly. "Maybe they'll bring snacks."
When the man left, Li Tian sighed and started toward the dining hall. This was becoming a problem. Every time he accidentally revealed a fraction of what he could do—whether by swatting away an insect that happened to be a low-tier spirit beast or catching a falling roof tile—rumors exploded.
And the more the rumors grew, the less peace he had.
---
By the time he reached the dining hall, three tables had gone silent. A group of junior disciples whispered furiously, stealing glances at him. Someone dropped a bowl. Someone else muttered, "That's him."
He sat down at an empty table and began eating, ignoring the stares. Mei Lin appeared a moment later, setting down her tray across from his.
"You've done it again," she said.
"What?"
"You've managed to stir the entire sect without lifting a finger. Literally."
Li Tian pointed his chopsticks at her. "You make it sound like I planned this. I'm just living my life, Mei Lin. Eating my rice cakes. Avoiding unnecessary effort."
"Mm-hm." She took a sip of her tea, eyes sparkling. "Well, brace yourself. I heard that an inner sect prodigy, Luo Feng, has taken an interest in you."
Li Tian paused mid-bite. "Luo Feng… the one who supposedly tamed a rank-four spirit hawk with just his aura?"
"That's the one. And apparently, he's coming here this afternoon."
Li Tian groaned. "Why can't people just… leave me alone?"
"Because," Mei Lin said sweetly, "you're like a cat pretending to be asleep while surrounded by mice. The mice eventually figure out you're a tiger and start poking to see if you'll roar."
"That analogy was too elaborate for breakfast."
---
True to Mei Lin's warning, Luo Feng arrived shortly after lunch. He was tall, with a calm but sharp gaze, wearing the distinctive dark-blue robes of the inner sect. Several disciples trailed behind him, clearly here to witness whatever was about to happen.
Li Tian was napping under a tree.
The shadow fell over him before the voice came. "You're Li Tian?"
Li Tian cracked one eye open. "Unfortunately."
"I've heard you possess great strength, yet remain in the outer sect. I'd like to spar."
Li Tian sat up slowly. "I'd like a nap."
The crowd murmured. Luo Feng's lips curved faintly, as if amused. "Are you refusing?"
"Not refusing," Li Tian said. "Just… unmotivated."
Something about that seemed to challenge Luo Feng more than outright acceptance. He gestured toward the open training ground nearby. "A single exchange. If I win, you owe me a favor. If you win, I'll leave you alone."
That last part caught Li Tian's attention. "Leave me alone… forever?"
"Until fate crosses our paths again," Luo Feng corrected.
Li Tian sighed. "Fine. But don't complain later."
The duel lasted exactly one move.
Luo Feng unleashed a burst of spiritual pressure that made the watching disciples gasp. Li Tian simply stepped aside and tapped his opponent lightly on the shoulder. Somehow, the tap sent Luo Feng sliding back five paces, his footing unsteady.
Silence. Then murmurs. Then outright chatter.
Luo Feng straightened, studying Li Tian with new interest. "Interesting. Very interesting."
"You lost," Li Tian reminded him.
"And I'll honor my word. But I suspect this is not the last time we meet." He turned and left, the crowd parting before him.
---
That evening, Mei Lin found Li Tian sitting by the pond, tossing pebbles into the water.
"So," she said, "you've made another… impression."
"I'm starting to think impressions are overrated," Li Tian muttered.
"You say that, but deep down…" Mei Lin's voice softened. "…you've always had a knack for standing out, Tian. Even when we were kids. Remember the time you convinced Elder Chen's rooster to follow you around the market?"
"That was for the free meat buns," Li Tian said.
She smiled. "See? Always a hidden motive."
They sat in companionable silence for a while, the ripples from the pond catching the fading light. Somewhere in the distance, a bell rang, signaling the end of the day's training.
Li Tian stretched. "I'm going to bed."
"Try not to become the talk of the sect before breakfast tomorrow," Mei Lin teased.
"No promises."