The maid knocked lightly on the door, then entered without waiting for full permission. She gave a perfunctory bow and spoke in a dry tone:
"Young Master, the Grandfather awaits you in his office."
There was no respect in her voice, only a duty performed in haste. The news had preceded her—the results of the Awakening Ceremony had spread through the clan like wildfire.
"Fine, I'm coming."
She turned and left without another word.
In the long corridors, the silence was heavy. It was no longer the comfortable silence of the past; instead, it whispered a single truth: his status had fallen.
He pushed the door open and entered.
His grandfather sat behind a desk made of sandalwood, surrounded by ancient scrolls and yellowed books. He looked at him for a long time—a cold, emotionless gaze.
"Sit."
He didn't wait for the order to be obeyed, but continued in a rasping voice:
"A C-grade talent… Do you realize what this means? For the Gu Yue clan… and for our family?"
Qi Tian replied with steady calm:
"It means I won't be the heir you were hoping for."
The table was struck with force, causing the scrolls atop it to tremble.
"It means your ceiling is low!" the grandfather snapped. "From this moment on, all resources previously allocated to you will be withdrawn. The clan does not waste its resources on those with no future."
Their eyes met.
The grandfather continued with cold irony:
"You will start from zero, like any ordinary student. Your residence will change, and your privileges are over. Tomorrow, the resource list will be announced… and you will not find your name on it."
He paused for a moment, then spoke in a lower voice:
"Do not blame me… blame your fate."A short silence followed.
"You may leave."
Qi Tian stood up without showing any sign of objection.
"As you wish, Grandfather."
As soon as he stepped outside, thunder roared in the sky.
Boom… Boom… Boom…
He paused for a moment, looking up.
"Is it… raining?"
The air was cold, and the wind whistled through the corridors. A window in the wall was swinging violently, striking the wooden frame incessantly. Raindrops leaked inside, stinging his face.
Cold…
But they didn't come close to the coldness of the words he had just heard.
He walked behind a servant along a deserted path.
The rain grew heavier, washing the earth… and washing away something else with it.
"William."
That name… that person… began to fade.
There was no more pressure.
No expectations.
No chains.
Suddenly, lightning split the sky like a white sword.
He stopped.
He raised his head, letting the rain completely soak his face.
A moment… of silence… then—
"Hahahahahaha!"
A mad laugh erupted from deep within him, mingling with the sound of thunder. A laugh that held no sadness… but pure liberation.
From a distance, the servant looked at him in horror:
"Has he lost his mind…?"
But the truth was quite the opposite.
A cold brilliance shined in his eyes.
"C-grade talent?" he muttered sarcastically.
He remembered the bloody paths…
He remembered the struggle…
He remembered what awaited everyone who walked the path of a Gu Master.
A slight smile played on his lips.
"It's fine…"
He turned suddenly, moving away from the main path and leaving the servant behind.
"Talent only determines the beginning…"
He stopped under the shadow of a dark alleyway.
"But resources… opportunities… and secrets… are what create the end."
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes as cold as ice:
"And if there is a treasure waiting for a hero… I will take it before he ever reaches it."
Silence.
Then he whispered:
"Even if the whole world burns."
The servant finally reached a small house at the edge of the clan's residences. He opened the door and said in a dry tone:
"This is your room, Young Master."
"You may leave."
Qi Tian entered.
He closed the door behind him, and the sound of the rain outside became muffled.
The room was cramped. Simple. A bed, a table, and an old bronze mirror.
Nothing compared to his previous suite.
He stood before the mirror.
A young face… strangely calm.
The calm before the storm.
He reached out and touched its cold surface.
"So… this is my place now?"
Silence.
Then a slow smile spread across his face.
"Withdrawn resources… insults… a room fit for a guard…"
A faint chuckle escaped him.
"And they think this… is the end of my road?"
He sat on the bed, watching the flashes of lightning reflect off the walls.
With every flash… his resolve grew clearer.
"If I wait… I will be crushed."
"If I follow the rules… I will be used."
He closed his eyes slowly.
"But…"
He snapped them open again—cold, sharp.
"I am not here to be a piece in this game."
A long silence.
Then he whispered into the darkness:
"Let the game begin…"
He paused for a second.
A dark smile appeared on his face.
"And I will be the one to break its rules."
Then, he lay down on the bed.
The sound of the rain…
The thunder…
And the darkness…
They all embraced him.
As sleep slowly crept toward him… his smile remained.