Chapter 1: The Cultivator Awakens
Liang Wei stood at the main hall doorway, his gaze fixed on Mei Lian, the woman who had once consumed every ounce of his heart. The cold edge in his chest hadn't dulled—it had sharpened. Three months before the heir tournament, he had been humiliated, betrayed, left with nothing. And now he had returned, the memories of that day burning in him, silent and lethal.
Mei Lian approached, a tentative smile on her lips, her hands trembling as she offered a small, glowing pill. "Liang Wei… if you… if you give me this," she began, voice honeyed, "I might consider… holding your hand."
Wei's eyes narrowed. The nausea of disgust curled in his stomach. He did not like her. Not one shred of the old affection remained. He reached out, snatching the pill from her hand. SMACK!
Mei Lian recoiled in surprise. Her eyes widened. "W-what—why?"
His voice was cold, unflinching. "I have no interest in your games."
The hall erupted. Servants froze mid-step. Clan members whispered. Even her mother's face reddened with fury.
"You insolent boy!" Mei Lian shrieked, pointing a trembling finger. "How dare you refuse me! I… I belong to you!"
Wei's hand remained steady as he stepped closer, his aura flickering faintly, a calm storm of cultivation energy. Pac! Pac! His movements were precise, deliberate, echoing the satisfaction of authority.
"You are mistaken," he said evenly. "You belong to no one now. Not to me, and not to anyone who manipulates others."
Mei Lian's jaw dropped. "You… you can't do this! You—"
"Silence," Wei interrupted, cutting her off without raising his voice. His gaze shifted to the maid who had entered quietly, wide-eyed.
"Master, I… everyone thinks you're still a simp. They laughed, thought this was all an act," she whispered, nervously glancing at the flustered Mei Lian.
Wei ignored her comment. He had no time for gossip. His focus was on control, strategy, and positioning.
Turning back to Mei Lian, he said, "You are dismissed. Leave my service."
The room froze. Whispers ran like wildfire. Mei Lian staggered back as if he had physically struck her. "Y-you… you can't! This must be a ploy to get my attention!" she exclaimed, disbelief and panic colliding in her voice.
Wei's lips curled slightly, not in humor, but in cold certainty. He took a step back, giving her space to process, his aura a calm blade slicing through the tension. "It is not a ploy. It is fact. Do not follow me, do not speak to me, and do not underestimate me again."
Mei Lian staggered, trying to gather her composure, but her shock was evident. "Impossible… he—he couldn't—"
Wei turned on his heel, THUMP!, leaving her in the hall as he walked silently to his room. His footsteps echoed softly, a measured rhythm that seemed louder than the chaos he left behind.
Once inside, he leaned against the window frame, gazing at the distant mountains. Thoughts of the past life ran through him silently: Mei Lian's betrayal, Zhao Rui's smugness, the heir selection day that had ended in humiliation. No words escaped him. Only cold calculation and a new sense of purpose.
The room was quiet. Only the hum of his internal energy whispered through the air. Then, a soft, mechanical chime resonated in his mind, startling in its clarity.
System Notification:
[System Activated: Revenge Protocol]
Host: Liang Wei
Memory Retention: Full from previous life
Goal: Ascend to the top of the Azure Cloud Sect.
Tasks: Will appear periodically. Completing tasks rewards cultivation, strategic power, and influence.
Note: Failure is permitted only to learn. Success ensures dominance and retribution.
Wei's lips curved into a faint, controlled smile. The system had confirmed his path. His rise, his revenge, his ultimate mastery—it was no longer just a dream. It was a plan, measured and unstoppable.
He settled into the chair by the window, watching the hall where Mei Lian still fumed in disbelief. The maid peeked in again, whispering nervously, "Master… are you truly… acting?"
Wei's gaze didn't waver. He was not acting. He was preparing. Every whisper, every laugh, every doubt in the household was fuel. Every blink of disbelief from Mei Lian was another spark for the fire he would use to rise.
Task 1: Observe betrayal targets and plan retribution.
The system's words hummed inside him, familiar yet foreign, mechanical yet alive. This time, he would not fail. The past had been cruel, but the future… the future belonged entirely to Liang Wei.