Kssshhhh... kssshhhh...
A sharp, incessant static, like a thousand red-hot needles, drilled deep into Lin Rui's brain. He spasmed, a vicious tide of agony washing over every nerve ending. It felt as if his bones were being shattered piece by piece, his flesh seared by an invisible flame.
Consciousness drifted in a boundless void of darkness and pain, a foundering ship about to capsize.
He felt himself torn in two. Or maybe, it was two different souls trapped in the same body, brutally colliding, tearing at each other. One was himself, Lin Rui, from the neon-drenched nightlife of Los Angeles, the man who'd taken a bullet to the head on a rainy night. The other... was filled with bitter indignation, venom, and a despair that was carved into its very bones.
"But... I'm already dead."
The cold rain, Wang Ruohan's face a blur of neon-slicked clarity, the pain that tore through his chest... it had all felt so real. So what was this?
Chaotic images, fractured sounds, and a deluge of jumbled information flooded his mind like a broken dam. The Tanxiao Realm, Qingluo Prefecture, Zhuyun Town, a young boy... Cultivation, a family clan... and...
"Spirit-Corroding Powder..."
The three words flashed through his chaotic consciousness like a blood-red brand, terrifyingly clear.
A sinister, chilling aura surfaced along with them. His instincts, honed in his past life as a private investigator, immediately latched onto the potent malice within that name.
This poison didn't just target the body. It seemed to be... contaminating, eroding something deeper.
As the thought crossed his mind, the kssshhhh of static grew even more piercing. A distorted, grayscale image filled his vision, like a failing signal on an old television screen, rife with chaos and ill omens. Behind the static, something seemed to squirm, to watch.
The agony intensified again. He was about to be torn apart by the twofold torment.
Just then, his hand reflexively clenched around the object he'd been holding all along. It was a scroll of some kind, cool and supple to the touch—perhaps beast hide, or specially treated bamboo slips.
A faint but strangely vital coolness flowed from the scroll, seeping into his limbs like a spring rain on parched, cracked earth. The bone-deep agony was actually suppressed, just slightly, by this weak pulse of vitality. Even the grating static in his mind seemed to diminish.
Like a drowning man grasping at the last straw, Lin Rui clung to that single thread of coolness with every ounce of his remaining consciousness, a raw instinct for survival.
An unknown amount of time passed. The strange, cool energy trickled through his mind like a steady stream, clearing some of the chaos.
At last, Lin Rui's consciousness broke free from the searing pain, achieving a moment of clarity.
He shot upright.
His hand brushed against something cool and rough. It was a bamboo mat, covering his body. A thick, decaying smell, a mixture of damp earth and incense, filled the air, making his nose itch. The light was miserably dim, with only a few slivers filtering through unseen cracks above, barely tracing the outline of a cramped, dilapidated stone chamber. The corners were piled with indistinct junk.
"Holy shit. At least they didn't bury me alive," Lin Rui thought, a wave of fear washing over him. If he'd woken up a moment later, he might have been performing a real-life escape room, coffin edition.
The thought had barely formed when more, clearer memory fragments slammed into his mind.
The original owner of this body was also named Lin Rui, a disciple of the Lin family in Zhuyun Town. His aptitude for cultivation was appallingly bad, making him the laughingstock of the younger generation. While his branch of the family, led by the current patriarch Lin Tianhua, never went hungry, the furtive glares and scorn were a constant presence. His father, Lin Yuntain, had left on a journey years ago and was never heard from again, his fate unknown. And a few months ago, he himself had noticed something wrong with his body. His pitiful bit of cultivation began to regress, his life force draining away day by day—the work of that damnable Spirit-Corroding Powder. The memories also contained the intricate web of relationships in the Lin family, their strict hierarchical rules, and the difficult situations of other disciples from minor branches.
Looked like this starting hand was tougher than the trickiest case he'd ever taken.
As Lin Rui quickly processed this new information, his detective's sharp hearing caught a faint sound.
Creeeak—
From outside the stone door, which was almost perfectly flush with the wall, came the sound of extremely soft footsteps.
More than one. At least two people, deliberately muffling their steps.
Pure instinct took over. Lin Rui's muscles tensed for an instant before he forced them to go completely slack. He lay back down, pulled the bamboo mat over most of his body, slowly held his breath, and shut his eyes, the perfect picture of a corpse.
Sure enough, the stone door was pushed open a crack. Two furtive figures slipped inside.
"Feng-ge, this waste of space... he should be dead, right?" one of them whispered.
The other grunted, his voice coarse. "After this long with the Spirit-Corroding Powder, it'd be a miracle if he wasn't. We have to finish the job that person gave us."
Lin Rui's mind raced. Feng-ge? That person? Key information. He remained perfectly still, but his ears were pricked.
"So... so we get rid of... him... now?" the first voice asked, laced with nervousness.
"No shit! You want to save him for New Year's? Hurry up, before one of the deacons or elders finds out. The longer we wait, the more can go wrong."
Lin Rui could sense one of them approaching. The footsteps grew closer, carrying a faint stench of sweat and dirt.
A cold hand reached for his face.
The icy fingertips, trembling almost imperceptibly, were aiming for his nose to check for breath.
At that moment, Lin Rui's eyes snapped open.
He shot up from the mat like a coiled spring, his movements impossibly fast. He caught the wrist of the hand reaching for him, twisted it back on itself.
CRACK!
The sharp sound was accompanied by a choked grunt.
"Agh! My hand!" the man called Feng-ge cried out, his voice cracking in horror.
The other man froze, terrified.
"You... you... You're not dead?!"
"Your granddaddy's too tough to die!" Lin Rui shot a side kick, swift as lightning, directly into the man's gut.
"Oof!" The man flew backward, bent like a shrimp, and slammed against the stone wall. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he went still.
Feng-ge clutched his broken wrist, his other hand trembling as he fumbled for a rusty short knife at his waist.
"You little bastard, you dare."
A cold smirk touched Lin Rui's lips. The experience of street fighting was ingrained in his bones.
He dodged the clumsy slash of the knife and closed the distance. A swift elbow strike hammered into Feng-ge's chest, followed by a knee and a hook. The movements were fluid, each blow landing precisely on a vulnerable point. Feng-ge was no match, left reeling and disoriented within seconds. Lin Rui finished it with a knife-hand chop to the neck. The man went down without another sound, collapsing in a heap.
The entire exchange was over in a matter of breaths.
Lin Rui gasped for air. His body was still weak; the explosive burst of action had nearly exhausted his newly gathered strength.
He rubbed his aching shoulder and looked at the two bodies on the floor, cursing inwardly. "Shit, I was a little too rough. Got carried away with the fun and forgot to interrogate them properly."
He glanced around, his eyes landing on two empty bamboo mats nearby.
An idea sparked in his mind, and a wicked grin spread across his face. He dragged Lin Feng and the other man like sacks of potatoes, dumped them onto the mats, and even carefully covered them up.
"There you go, gentlemen. Don't let the door hit you on the way out," Lin Rui said, dusting off his hands. "Let's see if you wake up before someone comes to bury you. Hahaha."
Only then did he remember the scroll he'd been clutching. He bent down and fumbled around on the floor for a moment, finding the cool, supple bamboo scroll. By the faint light filtering through the cracks in the ceiling, he managed to make out a few words written in an ancient script: Fragment of the Azurewood Heart Chant.
A warm current flowed from the depths of his memory. This was what his father, Lin Yuntian, had solemnly given him before leaving on his journey. Though the original Lin Rui had been a dullard, he had treasured this fragment, keeping it with him day and night.
The instant Lin Rui's fingertips touched the scroll again, something inside him ignited.
A burst of azure spirit light erupted, instantly overwhelming the cramped stone chamber! The light was utterly pure, filled with an indescribable vitality, like the dawn of spring when all of creation awakens. It carried a vast, ancient, and majestic aura that spread out in an unstoppable wave, blanketing the entire Lin family compound.
Deep within the compound, atop an ancient stone dais, the normally placid "Spirit Web Monitoring Hub" suddenly began to hum violently, dozens of inlaid spirit jades flaring with blinding light. A white-haired elder's eyes snapped open.
"This... this is... the Azurewood Resonance! Is it an ancestral manifestation, or has someone achieved a transcendent state of cultivation?!" he cried out in shock.
At the same time, in several hidden corners of the compound, a few black-clad figures looked up sharply, horror flashing in their eyes. The faint black miasma coiling around them rapidly dissolved in the face of the pure, azure light.
"Damn it! This energy... it counters our power! Fall back!"
Without hesitation, the figures vanished into the shadows like ghosts.
Back in the chamber, Lin Rui himself was stunned. He stared blankly at his own hands.
"What the hell? What... what did I do?"
A weak, yet relieved, boyish voice spoke from behind him.
"Cough... D-don't be afraid. That was me."
Lin Rui spun around. A translucent phantom, identical to his body's original owner, was looking at him with a hint of apology.
"I just... used the last of my soul power... to completely purge the rest of the Spirit-Corroding Powder from your body," the phantom's voice said, haltingly. "I didn't expect... it would cause such a commotion."
Lin Rui's mouth hung open.
The phantom of the original Lin Rui waved a hand, his expression calm, almost longing.
"My time is short. Just before... I faded, a voice told me I could go to a new place... Maybe I'll have a new journey, too. So, you... You live on for me. From now on, you are me."
Lin Rui looked at him. A thousand questions burned in his mind, but he simply gave a solemn nod.
"Okay."
A relieved smile graced the phantom's face. Then, like a thin mist scattered by the morning wind, his form began to fade, dissolving completely into the small space.
The moment the phantom vanished, heavy footsteps, accompanied by the clatter of armor plates, approached rapidly from outside the stone door.
BANG!
The already rickety door was kicked open from the outside.
A dozen cultivators in the uniform dark-azure outfits of the Lin family guards poured in, their standard-issue longswords drawn. The light of torches from outside glinted off their blades, brightly illuminating the small chamber.
They moved with practiced speed, surrounding Lin Rui in the blink of an eye, their gazes wary and scrutinizing.
Lin Rui's stomach dropped, but his face remained a blank mask. He narrowed his eyes, sizing up the unwelcome guests.
From outside the circle of guards came a deliberate, authoritative cough.
"Ahem!"
The cultivators parted, creating a path.
A tall, thin man with a gaunt face and a neat goatee stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. He wore an elegant, dark purple brocade robe embroidered with delicate azurewood patterns. His eyes were sharp, carrying an air of authority. It was the Master of the Discipline Hall, Lin Tianhong.
Lin Tianhong's gaze finally settled on Lin Rui, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Rui'er, what are you doing here?" His voice was low but held an undeniable pressure.
Lin Rui's mind raced, but he put on a look of perfect weakness and confusion.
"First Uncle... I... I don't know what happened." His voice was hoarse, tinged with fear. "I've been feeling worse and worse these past few days, and today everything just went black. When I woke up... I was here. Oh, now I remember, the Spirit-Corroding Powder! I've been poisoned with Spirit-Corroding Powder!"
He deliberately emphasized the name of the poison, watching Lin Tianhong's reaction.
Lin Tianhong's eyes flickered, but he seemed more concerned with something else.
"Are you the only one here?" he asked, his gaze like a hawk's, trying to see right through him.
Lin Rui's heart skipped a beat.
The two guys I knocked out are still under the mats. If I tell him, how do I explain how a "cultivation waste" like me could overpower two people? This uncle of mine would probably brand me as demon-possessed on the spot. Better to keep things simple.
He lowered his gaze, his voice trembling with post-traumatic fear.
"Y-yes, First Uncle. Just me. It's so cold and dark in here... I... I just barely managed to wake up."
Lin Tianhong stared at him for a long, silent moment. His narrow eyes glinted with an inscrutable light, as if weighing the truth of Lin Rui's words, or perhaps pondering something deeper. The atmosphere in the chamber grew tense.
After a moment, Lin Tianhong broke the silence.
"Very well. This is no place to talk. Come with me. You're going to see your grandfather, the Patriarch."
With his head bowed, Lin Rui followed Lin Tianhong. They wound through a series of corridors, finally stopping before a solemn, imposing hall. On the black lacquered plaque above the entrance, three ancient characters were carved in a bold, flowing script: Azurewood Council Hall.
He took a deep breath, suppressed the unease in his gut, and stepped inside behind Lin Tianhong.
The hall was spacious and somber. Seated in the main chair at the head of the room was a man who resembled Lin Tianhong but possessed an even greater air of authority: the current Lin family Patriarch, Lin Tianhua. He wore a brocade robe of black and cloud-white, his gaze calm and commanding.
On either side of him were a dozen grand armchairs, occupied by several Lin family elders with profound auras and a few high-ranking managers. At this moment, every eye in the hall was fixed on him—scrutinizing, curious, with hints of probing investigation.
Lin Rui's heart pounded, but he struggled to keep his expression calm.
Lin Tianhong walked quickly to the Patriarch's side and whispered a few hurried words in his ear. As Lin Tianhua listened, his calm face remained still, but his brow twitched almost imperceptibly as his gaze lingered on Lin Rui.
After a moment, Lin Tianhua's steady voice echoed through the hall.
"Rui'er, are you aware of the saying in our Lin family, that 'the ancestors manifest'?"
"Replying to Grandfather Patriarch, your grandson... your grandson is dull-witted. I may have... seen it mentioned once or twice in the clan's old records, but the specifics... I'm not clear on them."
Lin Tianhua nodded slightly.
"A short while ago, the Spirit Web Monitoring Hub in the Ancestral Hall detected an unprecedentedly pure surge of Azurewood spirit energy. Its source was traced directly to the sealed chamber where you were trapped. Such immense vitality and spiritual resonance can only be triggered by the legendary 'Azurewood Resonance' of our Lin family. And the Azurewood Resonance is a sign that our ancestors' spirits are watching over us, bestowing their blessings upon their descendants—a manifestation. It seems, my boy, that fate did not wish for you to die. The power of our ancestors cleansed the vile Spirit-Corroding Powder from your body and saved you from peril." His voice was even, yet it carried a strange power.
Lin Rui listened, stunned, but inwardly he was ecstatic. Wait, seriously? Does this mean I don't have to explain anything? This alibi... It's perfect!
He immediately put on an expression of dawning realization, followed by tearful gratitude. His voice was perfectly hoarse and laced with the relief of a survivor.
"So... so that's what happened! I... I thank the ancestors for their protection! If it weren't for their manifestation, I... I would have really... sob... Thank goodness, thank goodness the ancestors were watching over me, so your beloved little grandson didn't just pass away so senselessly!" As he spoke, he even theatrically raised a sleeve to wipe his eyes, as if there were actual tears.
Standing to the side, Lin Tianhong watched Lin Rui's performance, his eyes glinting. A flicker of warning, almost imperceptible, flashed in his gaze.
Lin Tianhua's expression didn't change.
"The ancestral manifestation is your great fortune, and a momentous event for our Lin family. It must not be taken lightly. As for you being poisoned with Spirit-Corroding Powder, that is even more appalling! For someone within our own family to commit such a vile act, to harm our own blood... I will order a thorough investigation into this matter. There will be no mercy!" His tone grew heavier, more resolute.
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lin Rui.
"From this day forward, for your safety, I will assign two family guards to you day and night. I will also have a female spirit-attendant dispatched from the inner household to see to your daily needs. Rest and recuperate. There must be no more mishaps."
Lin Rui thought to himself, Protection, huh? More like surveillance. Still, it's better than nothing.
He immediately dropped the "grieving" act and put on a look of overjoyed relief, his voice filled with deliverance.
"Thank you, Grandfather Patriarch! This is wonderful! I... I finally don't have to live in constant fear, eating scraps, worried that even my next mouthful might be poisoned! Sob... I kowtow to you, Grandfather!" He even made a show of starting to kneel.
Lin Tianhong watched silently, his brow twitching again. He thought, This kid... he seems a little different today from the timid, subservient boy he used to be.
The questioning in the Azurewood Council Hall was far more tedious than Lin Rui had anticipated.
The Patriarch, Lin Tianhua, seemed affable, but every sentence held a hidden edge as he probed for every last detail of the "ancestral manifestation." The other elders were just as sharp-eyed, interjecting frequently, their words dripping with suspicion. Lin Rui summoned all his focus, repeating and embellishing his story several times over.
Finally, when it seemed they could find no more holes in his account for the time being, Lin Tianhua waved a hand and had Lin Tianhong lead him out to rest.
Lin Rui followed his uncle out of the council hall, another long walk in silence.
Ultimately, Lin Tianhong led Lin Rui to the front of his own courtyard and left without another word, his parting glance still heavy with meaning.
This small courtyard had been neglected ever since Lin Yuntian had vanished six years ago, and it had grown increasingly dilapidated. The walls were covered in moss, with visible cracks in several places. Weeds ran rampant inside, and cobwebs swayed in the breeze under the eaves. Pushing open the creaking wooden door, he was hit with a wave of dust and mildew.
Lin Rui frowned. The place wasn't much better than some of the slum crime scenes he'd worked back in Los Angeles. He dragged his still-weary body inside. The room was small and sparsely furnished: a wooden bed, a table with a chipped corner, and a few overturned ceramic jars.
He sighed and got to work.
First, he opened a window for ventilation, then found a rag and gave the bedframe and table a quick wipe. The effort left his already weak body utterly exhausted.
"Sleep first, deal with everything else later," he decided, just as he was about to collapse onto the bed.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone was knocking gently at the courtyard gate.
A timid female voice followed.
"Young Master Rui, are you there? My name is Zhutao. I have been sent by the Patriarch to attend to your daily needs. Also, he has ordered for your courtyard to be repaired immediately."
Lin Rui got up and opened the door. A girl of about fifteen or sixteen, dressed in a pale green dress, stood prettily outside. Behind her were seven or eight brawny, plainly dressed servants.
"Thank you for your trouble," Lin Rui nodded.
Zhutao stepped aside, and the servants filed in. The foreman, a middle-aged man, bowed to Lin Rui.
"Young Master Rui, pardon the intrusion. The Patriarch has ordered us to renovate the courtyard as quickly as possible."
No sooner had he spoken than the servants launched into a flurry of activity.
One servant pulled a palm-sized yellow talisman from his waist, muttered a few words, and slapped it onto the cracked courtyard wall. With a flash of yellow light, the cracks began to mend before his very eyes. Another took out a strangely shaped small hammer and tapped gently at the slanted roof eaves. With each tap, a faint green light seeped into the wood, and the eaves slowly straightened. Several others, wielding shovels and hoes that glowed faintly, cleared the weeds with an efficiency that far surpassed any normal person.
Lin Rui watched, amazed. This cultivation world... even manual labor is high-tech.
Zhutao, noticing his gaze, asked cautiously, "Young Master Rui, the inside of the house also needs repairs. Do you think..."
Lin Rui waved a hand. "You all do what you need to do. I'm going for a walk."
With all the clanging and people coming and going, he couldn't sleep anyway.
He suddenly remembered something. Those two guys he'd knocked out in the sealed chamber—he wondered what had happened to them. With all the commotion, had the people from the Ancestral Hall found them?
He casually strolled out of his courtyard and, following the route from memory, wound his way back to the vicinity of the remote stone chamber. The guards who had surrounded it were long gone, and the stone door was still wide open.
Lin Rui slipped inside. The chamber was empty, with only the faint, lingering smell of blood in the air.
His heart sank. He searched the room carefully but couldn't find a single hair.
"Tsk. They move fast," Lin Rui muttered, rubbing his chin, his eyes hardening.
It seemed that during the chaos caused by his "ancestral manifestation" and while he was being interrogated, someone had already slipped in and removed the two witnesses.
Who is trying to kill me behind the scenes?
What threat could a "waste" with no cultivation possibly pose to anyone? Lin Rui's brow furrowed as a storm of questions swirled in his mind.