Dying in a lot less dramatic than people make it out to be No flashing montage of my life no mysterious figure guiding me into the after life. Just me clutching my chest in a dimly lit office while my computer screen insisted I had an overdue spreadsheet update.
I remember exactly how it happend One second I was mindlessly scrolling through reports ignoring the Fifth email from HR about mandatory training. The next there was this weird pressure in my chest like someone had shoved a brick into my ribs. I blinked
My fingers went numb.
The pain grew worse.
That's when I realized. Oh I think I'm dying.
I wanted to call for help but my throat tightened My vision blurred.
And in my last moments as my head hit the desk i had one last thought:
"Who's going to delete my browser history"
Then everything when dark.
No divine voice offered me a second chance. Just the endless suffocating void.
Until I opened my eyes again!
And found myself in a crib.
At first I thought I was in a hospital. Maybe I survived the heart attack?
Then I noticed the wooden beams overhead. The smell of incense and medicine
And worst of all
I had tiny baby hands.
Reincarnation wasn't as fun as novels made it sound For one being a baby sucked.
I was born into the Chi Merchant Family one of the wealthiest trading families in this region. That sounded nice on paper but in reality?
It meant I was the forth child in a cutthroat family where business and strength determined your worth.
My siblings? Future merchants and cultivators.
Me? A helpless baby with noodle arms.
I had to endure years of being coddled spoken in baby talk and worst of all diaper changes.
I don't care how strong someone is there's no dignity in being wiped down by a servant five times a day.
By the time I was three I had mentally accepted my fate.
By five I figured out my family dynamic
And by six I realized something important:
I needed to make myself useful.
The Chi Family wasn't just rich they were ruthless.
My father Chin ren was a man of calculations, not emotions. He valued results.
If you weren't useful you were forgotten.
And my mother? She was beautiful, graceful, and emotionally distant.
She cared for me sure but in the same way someone cares for a delicate vas with admiration but no real attachment.
In this world, there are cultivators, and the realms are known as:
Qi Condensation
Divided into 15 layers. Progress by absorbing spiritual energy.
Foundation Establishment
Divided into Early, Middle, Late. Spiritual energy refines the body so the body would be more suited for cultivation.
Gold Core
Divided into Early, Middle, Late, Peak. Form Spiritual Energy into a Core inside the Dantian.
Nascent Soul
Divided into Early, Middle, Late, Peak.
Break the Core to produce a Nascent Soul.
The realms beyond remain unknown.
In this world, spirits assist you on your cultivation journey. Here are the ways to obtain them.
Born with a Spirit: Most cultivators are born with a spirit. Its tier is random, but bloodlines can influence its power.
Spirit Contracts: Cultivators can form bonds through rituals or spirit artifacts, but it's difficult and costly, especially for higher-tier spirits.
Spirit Awakening: Some unlock their spirit later in life, triggered by cultivation breakthroughs or intense experiences.
One Spirit Only: A cultivator can only bond with one spirit.
Replacing a Spirit: To replace a spirit, the cultivator must perform a ritual, which is difficult and may come at a high cost, especially if the spirit is of a higher tier. Each one has there own unique powers and there own cost to use them. But they have their own price to pay for using their powers.
Tier 1
Basic help with cultivation No significant price
Tier 2
Moderate cultivation No significant price
Tier 3
Advanced cultivation Major sacrifice
Tier 4
Legendary cultivation Severe sacrifice
Tier 5
Divine cultivation & Tremendous price
Our spiritual bloodline is that of the Verdant Bloom Deer,
Verdant Bloom Deer
Tier: 2 (Intermediate)
Type: Plant
Appearance: A graceful, pale green deer with glowing moss growing on its antlers. Its hooves leave trails of flowers and small plants as it moves through the earth, and its eyes shine with a soft, emerald glow.
Abilities:
Nature's Touch: Can accelerate plant growth, causing plants to bloom rapidly for healing or binding enemies.
Roots of the Earth: The deer can summon vines and roots to entangle foes or create barriers, offering defense.
Healing Aura: Its presence promotes rapid natural healing, allowing cultivators and allies to recover from minor wounds and fatigue.
I had six siblings each unique in their way:
Chi Mei – The eldest. Cold, ambitious, and probably capable of murder.Chi Xue – The second eldest. A smug prodigy with a punchable face.Chi Renjun – The middle child. Surprisingly kind, always trying to keep the peace.The others? Too young to be relevant yet.
And me? Chi Huang.
I learned everything about business.
By then, I could calculate trade margins faster than some of our family's accountants.
By twelve, I could spot a fake gemstone just by looking at it.
By fourteen, I had memorized trade routes, market trends, and negotiation tactics.
But no matter how much I excelled, my father's approval was… minimal at best.
"He learns quickly," he once told an elder. "Perhaps he will be useful in management."
Useful.
Not brilliant. Not impressive. Just useful.
And then came my fifteenth birthday—the day of my awakening ritual.
The day I learned just how worthless I was.
Every noble child underwent the awakening ritual at fifteen.
It determined two things:
Your cultivation talent (S-Tier being the highest, F-Tier being the lowest).Whether you had a spirit (the stronger your talent, the higher the chance).
If you had A or B-tier talent, your future was secured.
If you had C-Tier talent, you could still become a decent cultivator.
If you had D or F-Tier talent… well…
You might as well start a dumpling shop.
The awakening hall was packed.
I stepped forward, placed my hand on the glowing crystal, and waited.
The energy flared—
And then dimmed.
The elder's voice was flat, merciless.
"Chin Huang: D-Tier talent. "
The silence was deafening.
My father exhaled through his nose—the kind of sigh that could extinguish a candle.
My mother looked away.
My siblings had mixed reactions:
Chi Mei smirked.
Chi Xue laughed.
Chi Renjun just looked… disappointed.
And my father?
"He is no longer a candidate for succession."
That was it.
No anger. No lectures.
Just a simple statement that ruined my entire future.
After the ceremony, my status plummeted.
No more special tutors. No more private lessons.
Even the servants stopped bowing as deeply.
My mother barely spoke to me.
My father ignored me entirely.
And my siblings?
Chi Mei acted like I didn't exist.
Chi Xue was insufferable.
Chi Renjun tried to comfort me, but what could he even say?
One evening, he sat beside me.
"You okay?"
"Do I look okay?"
"Not really," he admitted. "Look, I know it sucks, but—"
"But what? I have no talent. No spirit. I'm useless."
"You're not useless," he said. "You're smart. And sometimes, being smart is more valuable than having a strong punch."
"Tell that to father."
Renjun sighed. "Yeah. He's an ass."
I chuckled. "You're not supposed to say that."
"What's he gonna do? Ground me?"
At least one sibling still had my back.
A few months later, my father summoned me.
"If you wish to be useful, then prove it," he said. "You will oversee a trade expedition. Bring back profit, and you may keep your place in the family."
Translation?
Succeed, or be forgotten.
And so, at sixteen, I left the family estate heading toward the Mo Sect's territory with:
A caravan of goods
Twenty guards
Six servants
It was supposed to be a simple trade mission.