"What have you done, Ran'er!?"
Mu Tianzheng's angry shout shook the small hall where Mu Yueran knelt. The man's face was flushed red, his eyes wide open, filled with fury and... disappointment toward his only daughter.
Hearing the rumors spreading among the disciples had deeply pained him. His chest tightened at the thought that Yueran had done something so disgraceful—something no respectable young woman should ever do.
Mu Yueran flinched. "F-Father..."
"Spit it out! I want to hear the truth from your own mouth," he shouted again. "What did I hear this morning from the elders?! The disciples are gossiping in the main hall! Your name was mentioned alongside three inner disciples! They said... you gave your body in exchange for a recommendation. Tell me, you didn't do that, did you?!"
He paced back and forth, fists trembling. He was furious and deeply disappointed. His hand was already raised, but Yueran was his only daughter—the legacy of the wife he had once loved dearly.
Mu Yueran bit her lip. "It's just—just gossip. They're jealous of me, Father. I never—"
"Silence!" Mu Tianzheng roared, his voice thundering like a storm.
"I can tolerate failure. But disgrace?" His glare pierced her like a dagger. "Do you know, Ran'er? I had so many plans for your future. I paved the path for you to stand at the top of this sect. I even sacrificed my own reputation to arrange your engagement with Lin Xian for closer ties with the elder's family! But what you did..."
Those words felt like a slap to Mu Yueran. She wanted to protest, to refute it all—but her mouth felt heavy, as if the world itself forbade her from lying.
"And now what? You're mocked, slapped, and accused of being a cheap woman who sells herself for status! You're worse than a prostitute!"
Mu Yueran's eyes widened. She was truly stunned by the words coming out of her father's mouth. They were so harsh, piercing straight through her chest, leaving her breathless.
She clenched her teeth. Her breath grew ragged. Tears slowly began to stream down her cheeks.
"Father... Lin Xian started it. He made me look like this! He's the one spreading those rumors—I'm sure of it!" Mu Yueran brought up Lin Xian's name. She was convinced he was the one behind all this. "I swear to the Heavens! I never did anything they accused me of."
Mu Tianzheng stared at her for a long time. This was what he had been waiting for—Mu Yueran's denial. It didn't mean she was innocent and others were wrong, but Mu Tianzheng needed something to cover his eyes. He needed a wall to blind himself.
"Are you sure, Ran'er?" Mu Tianzheng asked.
Mu Yueran nodded. "Yes. I'm sure Lin Xian was the one who first spread those false accusations. He just wanted revenge because I didn't love him." She explained.
Mu Tianzheng nodded. "I'll teach that boy a lesson." He patted his daughter's head. "Don't worry! Father will avenge everything that happened. He will suffer."
Mu Yueran nodded. At the same moment, Mu Tianzheng left the hall. Mu Yueran turned, and a wide smile stretched across her face—her plan had worked. She couldn't wait to hear what would happen to Lin Xian.
"Die, you bastard! I'll return the favor twice as hard," she said confidently.
Her hatred toward Lin Xian grew stronger. Even though there was no proof that Lin Xian was behind this, Mu Yueran was sure it could only be him.
Lin Xian's sudden change—it was too suspicious.
"He must've seen me with one of the inner disciples," Mu Yueran muttered. She walked toward the door. "Of course it's better to get close to them than rely on trash like Lin Xian. His dantian is damaged. What can I possibly depend on from him? Just trash."
[Mental Stability -55%. Emotion]
Lin Xian, seeing this, laughed loudly. Just as he expected, his plan had succeeded. He only needed to wait and apply a few finishing touches, and Mu Yueran's mental state would collapse on its own.
She would be ridiculed and shunned by the other disciples. The spreading rumors would isolate her completely.
"This is what you get for betraying me. You truly deserve it," said Lin Xian.
[Level up!]
Lin Xian turned his head at the sound of the notification. He looked and saw that he was now at Level 5. A good start, though he still didn't understand what leveling up actually did—his cultivation didn't increase at all.
[Name: Lin Xian]
[Cultivation Level: Qi Gathering (Third layer)]
[Level: 5]
[Karma Points: 45]
[Dantian Condition: Corrupted (85%)]
At first, he wanted to ignore it, thinking leveling up was meaningless. But then, something surprising happened.
Suddenly, an object appeared in his palm. It was round, only about the size of a thumb. Lin Xian frowned.
"A pill?" He looked closer. It resembled a spiritual pill. "But why is it golden? I've never seen one like this."
Lin Xian didn't think it was particularly useful, but he paused for a long while. He decided to store the pill and returned to his training.
By late afternoon, Lin Xian was relaxing in the garden, sipping tea he had brewed himself. He savored these peaceful days. Who knew when he'd get to enjoy such calm again?
He stood up, intending to return to the kitchen to make more tea. Suddenly, something fell out of his pocket.
"Isn't this..."
Suddenly, the golden pill released a strong light. It transformed into a multi-colored pill. Lin Xian picked it up, tilting his head.
"What kind of pill is this?" Lin Xian asked.
As the light gradually faded, a system notification appeared in front of his eyes.
[Pill Identified: Heaven's Marrow Reforging Pill]
[Grade: Legendary]
[Main Effect: Repairs damage to the dantian by up to 20%]
[Description: A rare pill believed to be crafted from heavenly dragon marrow and divine spirit lotus root. It only appears at critical moments for those chosen by fate.]
Lin Xian froze. His eyes widened as he read the effects of the pill. Something he had assumed to be useless turned out to be a legendary item that could greatly aid him.
"...Repairs dantian damage by 20%?"
His hands trembled—not from fear, but from the return of a hope he thought had long been lost.
He stared at the pill. Its shifting colors emitted a gentle yet overwhelming aura, like a sleeping dragon breathing atop a snowy mountain.
Lin Xian slowly sat back down. He placed the pill on the table, staring at it as if it were the only thing that mattered in the world. Then, he grinned widely.
"If I use it now... my dantian will be 65% recovered. That's a huge improvement."
He clenched his fist. He couldn't wait to try the pill he had just obtained.
"It's still not enough to fully restore my dantian... but this is already incredible."
Without further hesitation, he swallowed the pill.
His body instantly heated up. The surrounding temperature spiked, and in an instant, spiritual energy surged through Lin Xian's meridians, heading straight to his severely damaged dantian.
[Dantian repaired: 85% → 65% Corrupted]
Lin Xian winced, but a faint smile appeared on his face.
"This is an incredible beginning. I will step on all of you," said Lin Xian with a wide, satisfied smile.