Chapter 1 — Adjustment Period

The moment he opened the door and stepped outside, a warm breeze swept over him. Even the air was pleasantly warm.

And yet, Murong Yeon shivered as the wind slipped through the collar of his clothes.

“Here. Put this on.”

Murong Seoran, who had been walking beside him, held out a thick outer robe.

Murong Yeon looked embarrassed but didn’t refuse, quickly slipping his arms into it.

Once he fastened the robe securely and the long sleeves covered his hands, the chill subsided considerably.

Afraid she might suggest returning to his room, he hurriedly picked up his pace.

“There’s no need to rush. Walk slowly.”

As if it mattered. He was still moving at the speed of a tortoise.

Even so, Murong Seoran gently admonished him, clearly worried about her son.

Murong Yeon shortened his stride until he was walking shoulder to shoulder with her.

The Baekungak (白雲閣) where he lived was located in the innermost part of the family compound, quite a distance from the training grounds.

Fortunately, the walk gave him plenty of time to organize his thoughts.

There was no need to elaborate on Murong Yeon’s lineage and background.

The Murong Family was one of the Five Great Families, a prestigious orthodox sect.

The head of the family, Murong Seoran, was a master of the Transformation Realm, while his maternal uncle, Murong Gwak, was an elder of the Murim Alliance and considered a leading candidate to become its next leader.

And what about Murong Yeon himself?

Leaving his personality aside, if one judged him solely by his appearance, people said his noble face resembled a white plum blossom, and his innate dignity made him look like an immortal descended from the heavens.

He was also so brilliant that he could remember anything after seeing it once and understand ten things after learning one.

He had supposedly memorized the ancient texts in the Manggyeongheon (萬經軒) by heart, leading people to joke that even Zhuge Liang paled in comparison.

If you put it in modern terms, they’re basically saying he’s a genius with an IQ of around 180.

And yet, what good was any of that?

He couldn’t practice martial arts, so he’d gone around tormenting everyone.

What a petty little man.

Of course, he was talking about the Murong Yeon who existed before his transmigration.

And since he himself was the author who had created such a character, criticizing him was basically the equivalent of spitting into one’s own face.

Maybe he’d better stop there.

When they arrived at the training grounds, Murong Gwak was standing with his hands behind his back, looking down at three boys.

They all appeared to be roughly the same age, but one boy in particular caught Murong Yeon’s attention.

He was small and scruffy.

That’s the Muddy-Water Lotus.

Even a lotus remained a lotus in muddy water.

Murong Yeon quietly marveled at the protagonist’s beauty, which the dirt and grime couldn’t conceal.

“Introduce yourselves.”

At Murong Gwak’s request, the children glanced at one another.

The first to speak was the best-dressed and apparently oldest of the three.

“My name is Jo Muryang. I am the second son of the Muga Merchant Guild.”

The Muga Merchant Guild was one of the most prominent merchant organizations in the Central Plains.

The splendid outer robe he wore made it obvious that he came from a wealthy family.

Anyone could tell at a glance that he’s Jo Muryang.

His eyes were so narrow and sharply upturned that his pupils were barely visible. His lips were crooked and uneven, and his chin jutted out sharply.

His entire face radiated arrogance, meanness, and vanity—the perfect combination of all three.

“I-I am Gongsun Yu. My surname is Gongsun, and my age is…… twelve. I-I look forward to…… working with you.”

Gongsun Yu nervously fiddled with his twisted fingers, constantly glancing around to see how others were reacting.

He would eventually become Jo Muryang’s lackey, relying on the money Jo Muryang casually tossed his way.

He would accumulate one petty crime after another until he eventually lost both his hands and feet and was forced to wander the streets, meeting a miserable end.

Still, that’s better than my ending.

Imagine losing your eyes and spending the rest of your life writhing around like a worm in a place where you could never see the light.

Ughhhhh…… horrifying!

Feeling a chill for no particular reason, Murong Yeon tightened his collar again before turning his attention to the final boy.

Beneath his disheveled hair were features as finely carved as jade, and his bright, piercing eyes radiated the protagonist’s unmistakable presence.

“What is your name?”

“……”

At Murong Gwak’s question, the protagonist answered with silence.

It wasn’t because he was nervous.

His calm gaze was carefully assessing whether he was truly allowed to become part of this place.

“……Rin. I’m Rin.”

Even the name he finally gave lacked a surname.

His voice was so quiet that even Jo Muryang and Gongsun Yu, standing right beside him, could barely hear it.

“Rin. And your surname?”

Murong Gwak asked again.

The protagonist merely shook his head.

But Murong Yeon already knew the identity he was concealing.

Wi Hyeokrin (魏赫麟). The child born after an imperial prince, blissfully unaware of his own circumstances and chasing foolish dreams, slept with a courtesan.

His mother had been a renowned courtesan, but after being used and discarded by a member of the imperial family, she wandered from village to village.

She eventually gave birth to Wi Hyeokrin in a stable.

Because she never received proper postpartum care, she fell ill and remained bedridden before dying seven years later, leaving behind only her young son.

Wi Hyeokrin then wandered from place to place until Murong Gwak happened to notice him and brought him here.

“Hm…… I see. That happens.”

With a benevolent smile on his lips, Murong Gwak added,

“Then I suppose we’ll call you Arin from now on.”

Wi Hyeokrin’s eyes blinked rapidly.

Murong Yeon clenched his fists.

Otherwise, he would have burst out laughing!

Arin (阿麟)?

Hearing it aloud made it even more embarrassing!

Doesn’t that sound like a name you’d give a pretty, delicate little girl?

If they had been in his room, he would have been rolling around laughing.

That name absolutely did not suit that expressionless face.

“Oh, Family Head, you’ve arrived?”

Murong Gwak, who had been smiling fondly without noticing what either Murong Yeon or Wi Hyeokrin was thinking or feeling, belatedly bowed toward Murong Seoran.

He had probably sensed her presence earlier but deliberately waited to acknowledge her so as not to make the children nervous.

Sure enough, Jo Muryang immediately stiffened, and even Wi Hyeokrin’s expression changed.

“These children are the new disciples joining us?”

“Yes. This boy is the son of the Muga Merchant Guild, which has been doing business with our family for many years. And this one is the boy I mentioned before—the one I happened to discover when I went to the market.”

The moment Murong Gwak introduced Jo Muryang first, the boy’s nose rose even higher.

His shoulders spread out, making him look like a peacock proudly displaying its feathers.

The sight was so ridiculous that Murong Yeon nearly laughed.

Wi Hyeokrin, on the other hand, barely changed his expression.

Instead, it was Gongsun Yu, who had been left out, whose face darkened.

Uncle really messed up.

You should take proper care of all the children equally.

Murong Yeon clicked his tongue inwardly.

Murong Gwak was a kind man, but he was somewhat lacking in attentiveness.

That would eventually cause conflict and lead to Wi Hyeokrin being bullied.

The ringleader would be Jo Muryang, Gongsun Yu would be his chief henchman, and Murong Yeon would soon meet the third person involved.

“He certainly seems to have exceptional aptitude. I look forward to seeing what he becomes.”

Her gaze lingered on Wi Hyeokrin for a moment.

His innate energy was pure, and his bones and physique were extraordinary.

She immediately saw that he had the makings of someone who could achieve greatness.

“Indeed, Family Head. From what I can see, if he is properly trained, he should be capable of reaching at least the Peak Realm and perhaps even beyond.”

Peak Realm?

Wi Hyeokrin would go on to cultivate a terrifying demonic art, surpass the Transformation Realm, reach the Profound Realm, and even earn the audacious title of Heavenly Demon.

Of course, achieving that had been possible because of the incredible opportunities he encountered and the full support of the Demonic Sect’s leader.

But right now, he was nothing more than a budding Heavenly Demon.

Good. It’s not too late!

A child’s future could be changed by the environment in which they grew up and the education they received.

I’ll take responsibility and raise you so that you never become the Heavenly Demon!

Just as he silently made that resolution, the eyes of the absentminded Wi Hyeokrin and Murong Yeon met in midair.

At the same time, a system window appeared.

**《The Main Story has begun!

Raise Wi Hyeokrin’s favorability and change Murong Yeon’s fate.

— Story Plausibility Completion: 0/100

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— Foreshadowing Resolution Rate: 0/100

— Satisfaction Index: 0/100

※ Warning: Every choice you make is directly connected to your future and contributes to stabilizing the world.》**

Another notification immediately followed.

**《Favorability with Wi Hyeokrin has been updated.

— Current Favorability: 0/100

※ Warning: Please ensure that favorability does not drop too rapidly. A penalty will automatically be imposed.》**