The girl stared at me as if I had just escaped from an asylum.
Then again, from her perspective, I probably had.
A half-frozen stranger in worn sect robes had cornered her in an alley and invited her to join a ruined mountain sect with the confidence of a heavenly emperor.
Fair enough.
She took another aggressive bite of the stolen bun and pointed the remaining half at me like a weapon.
"You're serious?"
"Completely."
Her golden eyes narrowed.
"You want me to join your sect?"
"Yes."
She tilted her head.
"Do I look stupid?"
I folded my arms and leaned against the wooden crates behind me.
"That depends. Do you want to keep stealing buns for the rest of your life?"
Her expression instantly hardened.
The playful sarcasm vanished.
For a brief second, something raw and sharp flickered in her eyes.
Pride.
Pain.
Defiance.
"I survive," she said coldly.
The words were simple, but they carried the weight of someone who had said them to herself a thousand times.
I studied her more carefully.
She couldn't have been older than fourteen.
Her clothes were patched so many times they barely resembled a proper dress anymore.
Snow clung to the frayed hem.
Her hands were small but rough from labour and cold weather.
And yet—
Her posture was like a coiled blade.
Even crouched in a dirty alley, she looked ready to pounce.
The system screen hovered beside me.
TARGET PROFILE
Name: Lin XiaoyuPotential: SSSBloodline: Ancient Dragon Bloodline (sealed)Temperament: CombativeLoyalty: UnknownRecommended Action: Do not provoke unnecessarily
I almost snorted.
"Too late for that."
"What?" she asked suspiciously.
"Nothing."
I crouched down so our eyes were level.
"Listen, Lin Xiaoyu."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"I didn't tell you my name."
I smiled.
"Because I'm a sect leader."
"That explains absolutely nothing."
"Exactly."
She blinked.
Then rolled her eyes.
"Definitely crazy."
Honestly, I couldn't even argue.
Still, the system had marked her as my first disciple candidate.
There was no way I was letting this chance slip away.
I softened my tone.
"You have talent."
Her expression changed again.
This time, there was something almost bitter in her laugh.
"Talent?"
She tossed the empty bun wrapper aside.
"People here call me cursed."
I frowned.
"Cursed?"
She looked away, jaw tightening.
"When I was younger, strange things happened around me."
Her voice lowered.
"Sometimes when I got angry, things broke."
A gust of wind suddenly swept through the alley.
Snowflakes spiralled around her.
"Sometimes animals wouldn't come near me."
Her golden eyes darkened.
"Sometimes people got hurt."
I immediately understood.
The bloodline.
Even sealed, it was leaking traces of spiritual force.
In a mortal town, that kind of phenomenon would absolutely make people think she was cursed.
The system chimed.
[Host observation correct.]
For once, I felt a little less annoyed by it.
I stood and extended my hand.
"You're not cursed."
She looked up sharply.
"You're special."
For a moment, silence hung between us.
Then she laughed again.
But this time, it sounded forced.
"Don't say stupid things."
"I'm serious."
I pointed toward the mountain.
"There's a place where you won't need to steal to survive."
Her expression flickered.
"And what do I have to give in return?"
A smart question.
I liked that.
"Nothing you don't already have."
She crossed her arms.
"Suspicious answer."
I grinned.
"Fine. You'll have to cultivate."
Her eyes narrowed.
"…Cultivate?"
There it was.
The spark.
In this world, every mortal dreamed of stepping onto the path of cultivation.
Of becoming stronger.
Of transcending ordinary life.
Even if most never had the chance.
"You mean become a cultivator?"
"Yes."
She stared at me.
Then burst out laughing again.
"Me?"
I nodded.
"Yes, you."
She stepped closer until she was right in front of me.
Her golden eyes searched my face as if trying to determine whether I was lying.
"Why?"
Because the system told me you were brokenly overpowered.
Because you have dragon blood.
Because you're probably the future ace of my sect.
But obviously I couldn't say that.
So instead, I said the truth.
"Because I believe in what you can become."
For the first time, she didn't immediately throw sarcasm back at me.
Instead, she just stared.
Then—
A shout came from the alley entrance.
"There she is!"
Several burly men stormed into the alley.
The bun vendor was among them, red-faced and furious.
"That little thief stole from my stall again!"
Xiaoyu instantly moved behind me.
Not out of fear.
Out of instinct.
Like a feral cat preparing to bolt.
The vendor pointed.
"And who are you? Another beggar?"
I straightened my robe and lifted my chin.
"I am the sect leader of the All-Hail Sovereign Sect."
Silence.
Then the men burst into laughter.
One nearly doubled over.
"All hail what?"
Another snorted.
"Sounds like a scam sect."
Xiaoyu muttered under her breath, "Told you."
I ignored her.
The vendor stepped forward and grabbed for Xiaoyu's arm.
"She owes me for three buns."
Before I could move—
Xiaoyu slapped his hand away.
Hard.
"Don't touch me."
The air suddenly shifted.
The temperature in the alley dropped.
A faint golden glow flickered in her eyes.
The system screen flashed red.
[Warning: Bloodline resonance rising.]
Uh oh.
The vendor lunged again.
This time Xiaoyu's anger exploded.
"ENOUGH!"
BOOM!
A shockwave burst outward.
The wooden crates behind us shattered.
The men were thrown backward like rag dolls.
The vendor crashed into the alley wall with a yelp.
I stared.
Xiaoyu stared.
Everyone stared.
Snow swirled violently around her.
For the briefest moment, behind her silhouette—
I saw the outline of a massive golden dragon.
Then it vanished.
The alley fell silent.
Xiaoyu looked down at her trembling hands.
"…I did that?"
The men scrambled to their feet and fled in terror.
"Monster!"
"She's cursed!"
"Run!"
Their footsteps disappeared into the market.
Xiaoyu stood frozen.
Her breathing became uneven.
Her expression cracked.
And for the first time, beneath all that sharpness, I saw fear.
Real fear.
"I…"
Her voice trembled.
"I didn't mean to…"
I stepped forward calmly.
"It's okay."
Her head snapped up.
"No, it's not!"
The words burst out of her.
"They always say the same thing!"
Her fists clenched.
"They look at me like I'm some kind of beast!"
The golden glow flickered again.
The system screen flashed.
[Bloodline instability detected.]
I immediately grabbed her shoulders.
"Lin Xiaoyu!"
She froze.
I looked directly into her eyes.
"You are not cursed."
The words came out firm.
Absolute.
"You are not a monster."
Snowflakes drifted between us.
Her breathing slowly steadied.
I lowered my voice.
"You're powerful."
The golden light in her eyes faded.
"Come with me."
Silence.
Then—
"Will your sect call me cursed too?"
The question was so quiet it almost broke my heart.
I smiled.
"No."
I extended my hand once more.
"At my sect, strength is respected."
Her gaze lingered on my hand.
For several long moments, she said nothing.
Then finally—
She placed her hand in mine.
Small.
Cold.
But steady.
"Fine," she muttered.
"I'll join."
The system exploded in golden light.
MISSION COMPLETE
First Disciple Recruited
Name: Lin XiaoyuStatus: Inner DisciplePotential: SSSBloodline: Ancient Dragon Bloodline
REWARD
Dragon Body Cultivation ManualSect Rank Increased
9999 → 8500
I nearly laughed from relief.
Success.
The first disciple was mine.
Our sect had officially gone from a joke to… slightly less of a joke.
As we stepped out of the alley and began walking toward the snowy mountain path, Xiaoyu glanced at me sideways.
"So."
"Yes?"
"If your sect is really trash…"
I sighed.
"…go on."
"…does it at least have food?"
I blinked.
Then laughed.
"Yes."
Her eyes lit up slightly.
"Good."
A grin spread across my face.
This loud-mouthed dragon girl was going to be trouble.
The best kind of trouble.
Behind us, thunder rumbled once more across the heavens.
Far above, unseen eyes had begun to watch.