Bai Chen sat cross-legged on the bed, rubbing his face like a man who had slept through a whole season. His body still ached but the long wound on his back had closed. Two weeks unconscious, another half day stuck with the damn system, and now he was finally free.
He looked down at his thin body and sighed. "Forget cultivation. Forget politics. Forget the stupid heavenly system. I just need food."
His stomach gave an angry growl, almost shaking his ribs. He pushed himself up and brushed dust off his robe. His white hair caught a faint glimmer of light, but his eyes were tired.
He stepped outside the room, blinking against the sun.
Voices rose around him the moment people noticed.
"Look. Patriarch Bai Chen is awake."
"Impossible, he was half dead."
"They say the son, Xuan Chen, held the clan steady all this time."
"I heard the elders vanished. No one dares to speak why."
"Some say it was heavenly punishment."
Bai Chen stopped on the steps. His lips pulled into a faint smirk. He heard every word.
He let his gaze sweep the courtyard. For a moment his golden eyes flashed—Heavenly Vision. Thoughts of people spilled into his mind, fragments of gossip and fear. He saw clearly how stories had twisted while he slept. His son's schemes turned into rumors of divine punishment. Bloodshed turned into legend.
"Not bad, kid," Bai Chen muttered under his breath. "Too clever for your age."
But his stomach protested again, louder than pride. He rubbed it with a frown.
"Food first. I deserve noodles after almost dying."
He walked out of the Chen manor, ignoring the stares, and headed down toward the market.
The Market Streets
The city was alive. Merchants shouted prices from every side. Stalls filled with cloth, herbs, meat. Smoke rose from grills, the smell of roasted duck mixing with sweet candied fruits. Children darted between legs with sticky fingers and happy laughs.
Bai Chen walked slow, pretending to be dignified with his hands behind his back, but his eyes kept darting from stall to stall like a thief searching for treasure.
As he passed a group of scholar youths in clean robes, their voices carried clear.
"They say the brothel is holding an auction tonight."
"Auction? For what? More wine?"
"You fool. Not wine. A debut. The daughter of the Jade Beauty Fairy herself."
The boys laughed nervously, their cheeks red like they were already drunk.
Bai Chen frowned, stopping mid-step. He muttered, "Jade Beauty Fairy?"
He wasn't about to interrupt rich kids, so he looked around. His eyes landed on a beggar in a corner, wrapped in rags, shaking a bowl. Bai Chen crouched down in front of him.
"Old man. Tell me about this Jade Fairy's daughter."
The beggar raised his head. His eyes weren't cloudy like most beggars. They were sharp. He spoke slowly, clearly.
"You heard right. The Jade Beauty Fairy died years ago in childbirth. Her daughter was raised in secret. Now the brothel wants to show her. A flower forced to bloom where the mother wilted."
Bai Chen was silent a long moment. Then he asked, "And the clans? Will they attend?"
The beggar gave a low bitter laugh. "When has coin ever escaped a clan's nose? Every clan will be there. Even your enemies."
Bai Chen stared at him. Then the beggar stood, shook off his shawl, and disappeared down an alley like smoke.
Bai Chen muttered, "So that's how it is. Sell the girl's name, turn her into gold. Tch. A cage for another flower."
He looked away. His stomach growled again.
"Sympathy later. Food first."
The Restaurant
He turned a corner and nearly cried from joy. Ahead stood a tall signboard painted black with red clouds.
Madara Uchiha's Legendary Noodle House.
"Finally," Bai Chen whispered, walking faster. "My heaven. Your broth can revive the dead. Your spice can awaken the soul."
He pushed the door—
It didn't move.
A wooden sign hung across the entrance.
Closed. Will reopen after the Fourth Great Ninja War. Please wait until return from Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Bai Chen's mouth dropped. "What?"
He slapped the door. "You can't close. Not now. I almost died for this day. Infinite Tsukuyomi? That's your excuse? I live in reality, damn it!"
Passersby stared as he leaned against the door, half-crying.
One merchant sneered. "So this is the Chen Patriarch. Begging for noodles like a dog."
Bai Chen didn't even look up. He muttered, "Better begging for noodles than begging your wife to return home. She didn't, did she?"
The man turned red. "You—!"
But Bai Chen already walked away, muttering, "Ramen never betrays. Women do."
A Boy with a Voucher
At the corner of the street, a skinny boy waved papers in the air, shouting.
"Templates! Free food vouchers! Collaboration of the century. Brothel debut and restaurant feast together!"
Bai Chen froze. His head turned slowly, eyes wide. He marched toward the boy.
"Say that again."
The boy stepped back nervously. "Uh… free food vouchers. If you attend the brothel's auction tonight, you get vouchers for meals. Madara Uchiha's restaurant is part of it."
Bai Chen's eyes glowed like he saw heaven. He grabbed the boy's shoulders and shook him. "Food? Free? Where?"
The boy squeaked, shoving one voucher into his hand. "At the Red Silk Pavilion! Tonight! Stop shaking me!"
Bai Chen stared at the slip of paper, his hands trembling. He whispered, "System… did you hear that? Food and a show."
The system's cold voice echoed.
// Confirmation: Host is a glutton. //
"Shut up. This is destiny."
The boy stared at him, pale. "You're… insane."
Bai Chen tucked the voucher carefully inside his robe, like it was a sacred treasure. He leaned close to the boy and said, "Kid. Food is holy. Don't joke about it."
The boy ran off like he saw a ghost.
System Warning
As Bai Chen strutted down the road, the system chimed again.
// Warning: Host is walking into danger. Brothel debut means clans, spies, enemies. Recommend: stay home. //
Bai Chen laughed under his breath. "Stay home? What are you, my mother? If I stay home, I starve."
// Translation: host wants food. //
"Damn right. Food first, schemes later."
He touched the voucher again. "This isn't just food. This is cultivation destiny. Fate itself wants me to go."
// Translation: fate = free noodles. //
"Shut up before I sell you to scrap."
The system went quiet, sulking.
Sunset
By the time Bai Chen reached the market's edge, the sun was bleeding into the horizon. Lanterns lit one by one. The city changed color—red silk banners, gold light spilling onto cobblestone, whispers turning to open talk about the auction.
Men laughed loudly in groups, throwing coins in the air. Women muttered warnings to each other, hurrying home. Shadows moved in alleys—spies, watchers, blades.
Bai Chen looked up at the sky, his white hair catching the glow of lanterns. His eyes narrowed, half hungry, half amused.
"Brothel debut. Scheming clans. Hidden spies. All for one girl. And me?" He patted his stomach. "I just want noodles."
He smiled to himself, sharp but weary. Then he started walking, straight toward the Red Silk Pavilion.
The city pulsed with danger, but Bai Chen walked into it with steady steps.
Hungry, curious, and too stubborn to come.