The Scion of Ruin

The back of Li Shen's hand burned.

The Qi-infused strike hadn't broken skin, but it pulsed with lingering pain. He stood in the middle of the handyman barracks, shoulders squared but head bowed, surrounded by the silent, watching eyes of other laborers too afraid to speak.

"Insolent mongrel!" Elder Guo's voice cracked like thunder, layered with contempt and disdain. "Bursting into the Alchemy Hall like a beast from the wilds! Do you know how many protocols you shattered? Or are you too thick-skulled from years scrubbing floors to understand the sanctity of that place?"

He stepped forward, looming, the smell of pungent herbs and rage heavy on his breath. "You disgrace even your menial rank. Dereliction of duty. Unauthorized entry. Potential theft. Or worse—spying! You dare believe you're something more just because the Grand Elder stirred after your bumbling interference?"

Another slap came, slower this time, as if meant more for insult than pain. Qi laced the blow again—controlled but undeniable.

Li Shen did not move. Not to dodge. Not to raise a hand in defense. His eyes remained fixed on the rough floorboards beneath his feet. His jaw clenched, but no words escaped. He would endure. He had endured far worse in the shadows of this sect.

Guo's face twisted. "You're not even worth the dust on my boot. I'll see you broken before the week ends. Since you crave attention so badly, I'll assign you to the night latrines and morning furnace stoking. Let's see if that arrogance survives sleep deprivation—"

"Elder Guo! Elder Guo!" a voice rang out, sharp and breathless.

A junior disciple rushed through the open barracks doors, panting. "Grand Elder Jian… he summons Li Shen. And… you as well."

The air turned brittle.

Guo's hand froze mid-strike, his palm trembling faintly as he turned toward the boy. "What nonsense is this? What trickery has this rat concocted now?"

But the disciple shrank under his glare. "It's real, Elder. The Grand Elder… he is fully awake. He asked for them specifically."

For a moment, Guo's expression betrayed the smallest crack of uncertainty. Then it hardened again, a scowl carving deep lines into his face. "Very well," he snarled. "Let's go see what madness this truly is."

---

They stepped into a quiet, incense-laced chamber just past the Alchemy Hall. Two Alchemy Masters flanked the entrance, bowing as the trio passed. Inside, Grand Elder Jian sat upright on a meditation mat, his robes loose but clean, his aura unmistakably restored.

The room pulsed faintly with spiritual energy. Jian's eyes, though aged, were sharp as honed steel.

"Li Shen," the Grand Elder said, voice calm yet resonant with authority. "Come forward."

Li Shen stepped ahead, kneeling respectfully.

Jian's gaze lingered on him with unexpected warmth. "It seems I owe you more than just a life. When I slipped into that unstable trance, few could have recognized what truly ailed me. You did. You acted—without hesitation. Without regard for protocol, yes—but with results. You saved me."

Gasps whispered between the attending masters.

Guo coughed lightly, a forced sound of disapproval, but held his tongue.

Jian's voice grew sharper. "And what did you receive in return? Beatings. Threats. Accusations of treachery. Elder Guo."

The name dropped like a weight in the room. Guo stiffened.

"You, who pride yourself on discipline and hierarchy—failed to recognize the worth of the one who preserved the very foundation of this Hall. Your punishment, perhaps, is in that blindness." Jian's gaze was cold steel now. "But I will not let that blindness dictate the future."

He turned again to Li Shen.

"As repayment for this debt… and in recognition of a mind unshackled by stagnation, I hereby elevate you, Li Shen, to the rank of Outer Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect."

The room trembled—not from force, but from sheer weight of those words.

Elder Guo's mouth opened slightly. His face drained of color. One hand trembled at his side, clenched so tightly it trembled.

The two Alchemy Masters nodded in quiet agreement. Their earlier skepticism had clearly faded.

Li Shen bowed deeply. "This disciple… accepts the honor."

Inside, however, a storm churned. Outer Disciple. The doors to the Mission Hall would now open. No longer confined to janitorial tasks, no longer beneath notice—he could now walk among cultivators. Seek missions. Seek power. Seek answers.

"Report to the Outer Court Pavilion by midday," Grand Elder Jian said. "You will receive your robes and sect token. You may begin taking missions immediately."

He paused, eyes narrowing with a hint of knowing. "Many missions deal with… corruption. Demonic taint. If that is the path you seek, the Mission Hall will serve you well."

Li Shen looked up, their gazes locking. In that moment, no more needed to be said.

As he turned to leave, Li Shen passed Elder Guo. The man's expression was a mask of quiet fury. His voice, barely more than a whisper, hissed: "This is not over, boy."

Li Shen didn't respond. His steps were calm, but each one was a rejection of Guo's control. The chains had fallen. He was no longer a pawn in someone else's game.

---

Outside, the sun hung high, gilding the sect grounds in warm gold. A wind stirred the banners on the Outer Court Pavilion, and somewhere distant, a bell tolled.

Li Shen tightened his fists.

He would rise. Not because he was chosen, but because he chose to endure. For his clan. For justice. For power.

The Mission Hall awaited.

And with it—the first steps toward true cultivation… and the reckoning that would one day come.