In a low-tier academy of the Nightshade clan, fourteen-year-old Ryo sat at the back of the classroom, fingers tracing the words on the page: ten minor clans, eight noble clans, and four pillars of power.
Ryo had short black hair, brown eyes, pale skin, and an average face and build—nothing about him that demanded attention.
"Books out!" The instructor barked, chalk screeching against the blackboard. "Today, we learn about Qi and cultivation."
Ryo flinched but kept his eyes on the book. Cultivation—something he was both curious about and secretly despised.
He was curious about the theory, but fighting? He hated it. His father's disappointment lingered in his mind—how he lacked grit in combat. His finger slid across the phrase minor clans—a dream not his own, but a goal to make his parents proud.
His father's words echoed: "Ryo, you are the most talented cultivator the Tanaka family has seen. You will be the one to elevate us, the minor clan."
Ryo came from a peasant family in Tazakt State, under Nightshade's minor clan rule. Life wasn't fair. People always wanted more—more power, more status—and those dreams often crushed those beneath them.
He sighed and turned the page.
His mother, who always hummed a tune while cleaning their small but familiar hut, told him a harsh truth when he was young—a truth that still resonated.
"In this world, my dear, as much as I wish life could be different for you, power is all that matters. Without strength, you are nothing but dirt to be stepped on. You may hate fighting, but my dear, for me—keep fighting."
His finger traced the lines on the new page: Demon venerable clan, worshippers of the original sin of desire... He wondered if such a being actually existed.
"Ryo! What have I said about not paying attention?" The instructor yelled, throwing a piece of chalk at Ryo's head, jolting him backward.
Ryo yelped and rubbed his head as the class laughed. He avoided their disdainful stares, feeling their weight like a physical burden on his shoulders.
"Now, tell me: what is the essence of Qi?" Instructor Jiang Lu folded his arms, waiting. "If you get this wrong... YOU CAN GET OUT OF THIS ACADEMY!"
The shout made many classmates jump, rubbing their ears, before they waited with anticipation and resigned disappointment for Ryo's answer.
Ryo closed his book, a sigh escaping his lips before he spoke, voice soft but steady. "The essence of Qi is spiritual energy and nature energy. Spiritual energy strengthens the soul, and nature energy fortifies the body. If you reach a higher realm of cultivation, you can teach your body to not separate these energies but combine them, this realm is called Qi refining..."
"ENOUGH!" The instructor's face flushed red as he gripped his biceps, anger contorting his weathered features.
Classmates shook their heads. Ryo barely passed physical exams but dominated theory tests.
A girl at the front of the class shook her head with a mocking smirk. She had striking purple hair that caught the light and sharp blue eyes that glinted with mischief. "Do we really have to witness this back-and-forth between you two every day? If you want him expelled, you'll have to do it in a physical exam."
The instructor was about to scold her, but bit his tongue. Offending the young lady from the patriarch of the Nightshade clan would not be smart.
Some snickered in agreement. No one liked the peasant, but they grudgingly respected his smarts.
Ryo said nothing and waited for the instructor to continue.
The instructor glared at Ryo a moment longer before waving his hand. "Class dismissed. Get out, all of you."
Ryo stood, gripping his book as he walked out, his steps calmer than inside, avoiding the instructor's burning gaze.
Walking through the academy corridors, Ryo thought about how he got here. Peasants normally don't get the privilege of education unless sponsored, selected, or scoring full marks in theory.
Ryo got full marks. So, as one of the few in the academy among minor clan heirs and disciples, he was not welcome.
He stepped into the sunlight, shielding his eyes until adjusted.
His grey silk robe fluttered in a soft breeze, ears twitching at distant laughter and chatter.