Five years had drifted by since the "Chili Powder Incident," and Aditya had mastered the most
difficult art of all: the art of being remarkably average.
At twelve, he stood by the village gates, looking like a background character in someone else's
epic. His tunic was perpetually dusty, his hair was a bird's nest, and he was currently engaged in
a life-or-death struggle with a fibrous piece of sugarcane.
In front of him stood Radhika, now fifteen.
The change was jarring. Dressed in the shimmering, green-silk robes of an Inner Disciple, she
looked like a jade statue come to life. A fine sword hung at her hip, and her presence was sharp
enough to cut the morning mist. To the village, she was a soaring phoenix. To Aditya, she was
still the girl who used to steal his dessert when he wasn't looking.
"I can't believe I'm leaving you here," Radhika said, her eyes rimmed with red. "Aditya, look at
you! You're twelve and you still haven't reached Level 1 of Qi Condensation! What will you do if
a bully picks on you?"
"I'll run, Didi," Aditya said, cracking the sugarcane with a satisfying snap. "Running is very
healthy. It's basically cardio cultivation."
Radhika stomped her boot, a small crack appearing in the dirt. "You Baigan! Stop being so 'lite'! I
spoke to my Master. He said you can join as a kitchen servant. At least you'd be safe under my
shadow."
Aditya shook his head gently. "And miss Amma's mango pickles? No way. Besides, someone
has to talk to the buffalo. He's been very sensitive lately depressed, even."
[System Message]
Detected Emotion:Heartbroken Frustration (Radhika).
Gain: +25 Spite Points.
Total Points: 4,500.
Aditya felt a twinge of guilt, but he couldn't go. Entering a Sect meant being poked, prodded,
and scanned by bored Elders.
[Current Status: Qi Condensation - Level 8 (Hidden)]
At twelve, Level 8 was a biological impossibility. He wasn't a genius; he was a glitch in the
Matrix. He needed the slow village life to bake his "Perfect Foundation" without some old man
trying to turn him into a medicinal pill.
"Fine!" Radhika shoved a heavy pouch of silver into his chest. "Buy better food. If anyone
touches a hair on your head, tell them your sister is the 'Green Leaf Sword.' I'll be back in three
years for the Great Tournament. Don't you dare die!"
She hopped onto a flying carriage, the wind from the take-off nearly blowing Aditya's messy hair
into a new zip code. As the carriage vanished into the clouds, the villagers turned to Aditya with
looks of genuine pity.
"Poor boy," Ramu Kaka whispered loudly to his wife. "His sister flies to the heavens, and he's
still here chewing on sticks. Some are born to be eagles; others are born to be... potatoes."
Aditya turned to Ramu Kaka, flashing his most "dim-witted" and humble smile.
"Uncle, you're right. Being a potato is great. No one tries to hunt a potato, but everyone loves
French fries."
[System: +10 Spite Points from Ramu Kaka's Confusion.]
The Three-Year Plan
With Radhika gone, Aditya finally had some breathing room. His parents were occupied with the
farm, and his "bossy" guardian had flown the coop. It was time to get to work—in the laziest way
possible.
He retreated to a hidden cave behind a waterfall at the edge of the forest.
"System," Aditya muttered, leaning against the cool stone. "Show me the path of least
resistance."
[Target: Foundation Establishment Stage] > [Method: 10,000-Year Hibernation Breath
(Slow-Growth Mode)] > [Time Remaining: 3 Years]
"Three years of napping and snacking?" Aditya sighed in relief. "Now this is cultivation. No
screaming into the void, no coughing up blood, no standing shirtless under a lightning storm like
a maniac. Just peace and quiet."
The Cunning Side-Hustle
But napping didn't pay for "High-Tier Alchemy Kits." To farm more Spite Points, Aditya decided
to lean into the village's superstition. He became the local "Fortune Teller."
He didn't use divine insight; he used basic psychology and his System's Hostility Radar.
When the local bully, a thick-necked lad named Somu, came to ask if he'd ever be rich, Aditya
squinted at his palm. "I see... I see a lot of water. Avoid the well on Tuesday. Also, your left ear
looks unlucky. Maybe try talking 50% less?"
Somu would leave annoyed and confused. [+15 Spite Points]
Then, on Tuesday, Aditya would "accidentally" spill a bucket of soapy water near the well. Somu
would slip, do a spectacular backflip into the mud, and return to Aditya the next day, convinced
the boy was a god-tier prophet.
Within two years, the village was terrified of Aditya's "prophecies," yet they couldn't be mad at
him because he was just so nice about it.
The Uninvited Guests
By age fourteen, Aditya had grown taller, though he kept his aura as thin and weak as a wet
paper towel.
One afternoon, the peace was shattered. A group of disciples from the Black Sun Sect—a rival
to Radhika's—rode into the village on armored horses. They looked like they owned the sun and
were just leasing the earth to everyone else.
The leader, a young man with a golden headband, kicked over a vegetable stall just because it
was in his way. "This place smells like cow dung. Hey, you! Boy on the bench!"
Aditya opened one eye. Miya, even in the middle of nowhere, these people won't let me nap.
"Yes, great Immortal Master?" Aditya scrambled off the bench, bowing so low his forehead
nearly hit the dirt.
"Bring us the best wine and the prettiest girls," the leader barked. "Now! Or I'll burn this dump to
the ground."
Aditya's eyes flickered. Burn the village? That's where I keep my mango pickle jars. You've
crossed a line, golden head.
"Oh, Master! Of course!" Aditya squeaked, his voice trembling with "fear." "But... the best wine is
kept in the 'Cursed Cellar' at the edge of the woods. Only a brave warrior like you can enter. A
humble, talentless boy like me is too scared of the ghosts."
The leader sneered, his chest puffing out. "Cursed? My Qi can shatter any ghost! Lead the way,
brat!"
Aditya smiled. It was the smile of a tiger looking at a very confident, very stupid goat.
"Right this way, Master. Please, watch your step. The mud is... exceptionally slippery today."