Midnight again.
Because obviously, only the worst ideas and the most dangerous women show up when the moon's high and your spiritual defenses are on low battery.
I was resting in the hot spring, trying to ignore the awkward silence between Lan Ruo and Qing'er, who had somehow taken to sitting on opposite sides of me like passive-aggressive statues.
Then—
Crash.
A jade tile shattered at the edge of the courtyard wall. Something—someone—had landed hard.
All three of us were up in an instant.
Lan Ruo drew a dagger from beneath her sleeve.
Qing'er tightened her inner Qi, her eyes glowing faintly pink. I made a note to ask what the hell that was later.
From the shattered wall emerged a figure in tattered black robes, cloak billowing in the wind, a half-mask covering the lower part of her face.
Her steps were unsteady. Her Qi was unstable. But it pulsed with… darkness.
Not evil. Just... forbidden.
I stepped forward.
"And who might you be?"
She raised her head, eyes gleaming violet under the moonlight.
"...So it's true. He really has awakened."
[SYSTEM ALERT]
Caution: Unknown Female – Qi Type: Abyssal Yin
Affiliation: Crimson Veil Sect (BANNED)
Danger Level: Very High
Compatibility: Also Very High 😏
Status: Injured, Concealing True Cultivation
I sighed. "Do these women have some kind of group chat or something?"
She stumbled, then collapsed to her knees—blood trailing from her lips.
Lan Ruo tensed. "She's from the Crimson Veil Sect. They specialize in forbidden dual arts. She's dangerous."
"No offense," I said, crouching beside the girl, "but so are you."
She looked up at me, eyes fierce despite the blood.
"I'm not here to kill you, Li Xian. I'm here to warn you."
"Well, if you could do it before bleeding out, that'd be great."
She pulled a scroll from her robes—bloodstained and wrapped in red silk.
"This belonged to someone from your… past life."
My heart stopped.
"Repeat that."
"You weren't reborn into this world by accident," she said. "You were sent. Marked. Chosen to inherit something ancient. Something the heavens tried to erase."
I opened the scroll.
It was written in a language I shouldn't understand—but somehow, I did. My fingers trembled.
A single phrase glowed faintly:
"The Dragonborn Star must awaken. The world must burn before it bows."
What. The. Hell.
Lan Ruo tried to grab the scroll. "That's dangerous knowledge."
The masked girl hissed. "And you would know, traitor."
I blinked. "Hold up—traitor?"
Qing'er looked between them, eyes wide. "Wait, do you two… know each other?"
"...She used to be my sister," Lan Ruo muttered.
"Half-sister," the masked girl corrected coldly.
"From the same assassin house?"
"Same mother. Different master."
Oh wow.
"Alright," I said, rubbing my temples. "So assassin drama, forbidden scrolls, and a cosmic prophecy. Classic Tuesday."
The girl stood, though barely.
"I need shelter. And Qi to recover. You're the only one with a compatible Yang body in three provinces. My sect has branded me a traitor."
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to give this scroll to you. Because I believe you're the only one insane enough to finish what the last Dragonborn started."
"And let me guess," I said. "You'll only tell me more... if we dual cultivate."
She tilted her head, unmasked her lower face, and smiled.
"I need your Qi. You need my knowledge. Let's make a deal."
[SYSTEM]
High-Risk Opportunity Detected.
Dual Cultivation with Abyssal Yin Carrier may unlock Bloodline Memory.
Side Effects: Temporary hallucinations, power surges, possible existential crises.
I looked at Lan Ruo and Qing'er. Both glared at me.
"I don't like her," Qing'er said.
"She lies," Lan Ruo added.
"I haven't even said yes yet!"
They both narrowed their eyes.
"Yet?" they said in unison.
I turned back to the masked beauty.
"What's your name?"
She smiled. "They called me Rin."
And with that, my harem officially became a powder keg.
Author's Note
Boom! 😤 We now have:
Assassin drama ✅
Forbidden sect girl ✅
Hints at MC's cosmic past ✅
A prophecy that sounds like trouble ✅
Next chapter: Li Xian makes a dangerous decision, unlocks a memory from his true self, and maybe... accidentally cultivates in a forbidden formation.
It's about to get spicy and scary.
– ✍️ Kazuki Ren