"Young Master Arya," he said, his voice a dry whisper like old parchment. "It is late. I trust the funeral was a success."
"It served its purpose, Uncle Feng," I replied, using the respectful title that the previous Arya had always used. "But it has raised a new question. I need information."
"As always, the Silent Archive is at your service," he said, putting down his brush.
"The Spirit Cauldron Sect," I started. "I want all the information you have on their core disciples. Specifically, I'm interested in a young man who was with Sect Master Yao today. He is thin, reserved, and looks to be about my age."
Elder Feng frowned for a moment in thought. "Ah," he said, a spark of recognition in his eyes. "You must mean Shi Ran. The Sect Master's personal disciple. A curious case."
"Tell me everything," I commanded.
Elder Feng rose and shuffled over to a large wall of labeled scrolls. He ran a bony finger along the shelves before pulling out a tightly-bound jade slip. "Shi Ran is not a name many people know," he said, handing me the slip. "He is a ghost within his own sect. He is rarely allowed outside. But we have collected some information over the years. This is all of it. Read it here. This information cannot leave the archive."
"Understood," I said, taking the smooth jade slip. I sat down at a reader's table in the corner of the candle-lit room. I took a deep breath and infused a sliver of my spiritual sense into the slip.
The information flooded my mind. It was a straightforward stream of data, but it told a story more tragic and compelling than any novel.
Subject: Shi Ran.
Age: 22.
Cultivation: Peak Foundation Establishment.
Talent: Unconfirmed, suspected Earth Grade Pill Spirit Physique.
Status: Personal disciple of Spirit Cauldron Sect Master, Yao Guang.
Origin: Orphaned son of Shi Jian and Liu Mei, a pair of rogue alchemists from the Green Valley region.
The report started with the official story, the one the Spirit Cauldron Sect shared with the world. Seventeen years ago, Yao Guang witnessed a terrible spirit beast attack. He found the mangled bodies of the two alchemists and their only surviving son, a traumatized five-year-old boy. Moved by pity and impressed by the boy's latent talent, he adopted him and brought him back to the sect as his personal disciple. A heartwarming tale of kindness.
But the Silent Archive dealt in harsh truths. The report continued with notes from a different source.
Intelligence Report (Source: 'Shadow Sparrow' - asset embedded in Green Valley City): Shi Jian and Liu Mei were not just random rogue alchemists. They were a well-known couple in the local area, famous for their innovative but unorthodox pill recipes. Seventeen years ago, they made a breakthrough: their five-year-old son was a one-in-a-million alchemy prodigy, believed to have a legendary Pill Spirit Physique. They were thrilled. They felt their small home wasn't suitable for nurturing such talent. According to our asset, they were preparing to travel to Clearwater City to meet the Chen Family, hoping to have their son trained by true alchemy masters.
My eyes narrowed. This directly involved us.
The report continued.
Incident Report (Cross-referenced with sect travel logs): Sect Master Yao Guang was on a "resource-scouting mission" in the Green Valley region at the same time. The "spirit beast attack" happened less than two days after Shi Jian had shared his plans with our asset. The bodies of Shi Jian and Liu Mei showed wounds that didn't match a standard beast attack, typical of a high-level fire-based technique, which was Yao Guang's specialty. There were no beast tracks found at the scene.
The conclusion was chillingly clear. Yao Guang had discovered the prodigy, coveted his talent for the Spirit Cauldron Sect, and when the parents refused to give him up, he murdered them, created a cover story, and took the child.
The report then detailed Shi Ran's last seventeen years within the sect, compiled from various low-level informants.
Notes on Treatment: Shi Ran is rarely seen in public. He spends about eighteen hours a day in the sect's core alchemy chambers. He refines a significant portion of the sect's hardest Tier 3 and Tier 4 pills. He has no official title beyond "personal disciple" and lacks the privileges of a core disciple. Reports from our assets in the sect describe Yao Guang's treatment of him as that of a tool. He is kept under constant watch, his resources are strictly controlled, and he faces harsh punishments for any failed refinements. He is a slave alchemist.
It painted a picture of long-term abuse. Yao Guang had created a pill-making machine fueled by deceit.
But the final piece of intelligence made a cold smile spread across my face.
Recent Development (High-Priority Intelligence): Three months ago, Shi Ran was granted a supervised leave to visit his home village, supposedly to pay respects at his parents' graves. Our sources say he secretly met with the "Shadow Sparrow" asset, who is now an elderly man. The details of their conversation are unknown, but the asset passed away two days later. Since Shi Ran returned to the sect, his demeanor has become colder and more withdrawn. He has also been seen making failed inquiries into acquiring high-grade poisons and assassination techniques through the sect's underground network.
I withdrew my spiritual sense from the jade slip, the chilling facts from the report settling into a clear picture.
He knew his savior was his parents' killer. He knew his life of servitude was built on a foundation of blood and lies. He was trapped, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator enslaved by a peak Golden Core master, the head of his own sect. He was powerless, helpless, and consumed by a hatred so deep it must be eating him from the inside out. He was a volcano of vengeance, buried under a mountain of fear.
A skilled alchemist. A heart full of hatred for a clear enemy. A desperate need for power. He had the motivation, the talent, and a compelling story. All he needed was the tool.
And I was there to provide it.
I handed the jade slip back to Elder Feng, my face expressionless. "Thank you, Uncle Feng. This has been very informative."
"A tragic story, isn't it?" the old man murmured.
"Indeed," I replied, my voice lacking emotion. "A great tragedy."
I left the Silent Archive and walked back through the moonlit estate. The plan was already taking shape in my mind. I sat down at my desk, the moon casting my long shadow across the room. With a single thought, the familiar blue interface of the System Maker appeared in front of my eyes.
[Subsystem Creation Interface]
[Enter Subsystem Name:]
This one needed to be unique. It needed to tap directly into his hatred, into his identity as an alchemist, into his desire for bloody revenge.