The dust from the explosion slowly settled, revealing the destruction I had caused to an already crumbling room. The door was gone, reduced to splinters scattered across the courtyard outside.
I stood amidst the debris, ignoring the mess, my attention entirely focused on the warm, humming sensation running through my body. It felt as if a second heart had started beating within my chest, not pumping blood, but rather pure, unadulterated power.
'System,' I commanded internally. 'Explain the Chaos Meridian.'
{Affirmative.}
The blue window expanded, detailing the new physiology I had just acquired.
[Meridian Analysis: Chaos Meridian]
* Current Rank: Supreme Grade (Growth Type)
* Attribute: Non-Elemental / Void
* Description: A unique meridian anomaly born from the forced fusion of a mortal body and the Divine-Rank 'Star-King' energy. Unlike standard veins that are fixed at birth, the Chaos Meridian acts as a devourer.
* Special Trait 1 - Gluttony: Can absorb any form of Qi (Elemental, Demonic, Spiritual) without backlash.
* Special Trait 2- Evolution: The vein is currently at Supreme Grade. However, by devouring high-quality resources, rare bloodlines, or heavenly treasures, it can evolve into Eternal Grade and eventually Godly Grade.
"Evolvable..." I muttered, a low chuckle escaping my throat.
In this world, a person's fate was usually sealed at birth. If you were born with a Low Grade vein, you died a commoner. If you were born with a Master Grade vein, you became a lord. But this? This defied the natural order entirely.
"Supreme Grade is already enough to make the Elders of the Yin family cough up blood from jealousy," I mused, clenching my fist. "But to have the potential to surpass even the Matriarch's Eternal Grade? This is truly a weapon of war."
I took a deep breath, regulating the turbulent energy inside me, and stepped over the shattered remains of my door frame.
Stepping out of the gloomy, confined room, I was greeted by the blinding morning sun. I raised a hand to shield my eyes, taking in my surroundings properly for the first time since waking up.
My residence—if one could even call it that—was known as the Desolate Courtyard. It was located at the very edge of the Yin Estate, bordering the servant quarters and the waste disposal sites.
The courtyard itself was a picture of misery. Weeds grew waist-high through the cracked stone pavement. The walls were covered in moss and climbing ivy, and the lone spirit tree in the center was withered and dead, its black branches clawing at the sky like skeletal fingers.
Far in the distance, I could see the towering pagodas and lush gardens of the Inner Sect, where the "true" family members lived. The golden tiles of the main hall shimmered mockingly in the sunlight, a stark contrast to the gray ruin I stood in.
'They really threw him away like garbage.' I thought, kicking a loose stone across the yard.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
My train of thought was interrupted by the sound of heavy, aggressive footsteps approaching the courtyard entrance. They were fast, purposeful, and accompanied by the distinct clinking of jade ornaments—a sound that only the wealthy made when they walked.
"Who dares cause such a racket in this dump?!"
A voice, dripping with arrogance and irritation, echoed from the arched gateway.
I didn't flinch. I simply turned my head slowly to the entrance.
A young man strode in, kicking the rusted iron gate open with a loud clang. He looked to be about twenty years old, wearing luxurious silk robes embroidered with the Yin family's silver serpent crest. His hair was tied up in a neat, intricate bun held by a jade pin, and his face—though handsome—was twisted into a sneer of utter disdain.
Behind him trailed two burly servants, looking like thugs in uniform, smirking as they cracked their knuckles.
My eyes narrowed as the memories of the original owner supplied the name.
Yin Jian.
The Fourth Young Master of the Yin Family. My older brother, and the second youngest son of Matriarch, Yin Mei.
The Yin family siblings were a hierarchy of power and cruelty. As the memories surfaced, I listed them in my mind:
• Yin Long (Eldest Brother): The heir apparent. Cold, distant, and currently away leading the family's private army.
• Yin Hua (Second Sister): A beauty with a heart of scorpions, obsessed with alchemy and status.
• Yin Xue (Third Sister): The "Ice Princess." She rarely spoke, but when she did, people usually lost limbs.
• Yin Jian (Fourth Brother): The man standing before me. A bully who used his High-Grade Veins to torment those weaker than him to mask his inferiority complex toward the older siblings.
• Yin Yue (Fifth Sister): The only one who occasionally showed pity, though she never intervened to stop the abuse.
• Yin Shen (Me): The stain on the family name.
Yin Jian stopped in the middle of the courtyard, his eyes scanning the debris of the door and the dust settling around me. He looked confused for a moment, clearly expecting to find me dead or crying in a corner.
"You..." Yin Jian scoffed, waving a hand in front of his nose as if I were a bad smell. "I heard a loud bang. I thought you finally decided to blow yourself up and save us the embarrassment."
He took a step forward, his expensive boots crushing the weeds. The two servants behind him fanned out, blocking the exit.
"But instead, I find you standing there, dirty and staring at me like an idiot," Yin Jian spat, his eyes narrowing. "Did the poison fry your brain, Trash? Or did you forget how to bow when your superior enters?"
I stood perfectly still, my hands clasped behind my back. The wind blew through my silver hair, and for the first time in Yin Shen's miserable life, his spine did not bend.
"Superior?" I asked, my voice calm, flat, and devoid of the fear he was expecting. "I see no superior here. Just a noisy person interrupting my morning."
The silence that followed was deafening. The servants' jaws dropped. Yin Jian's face went blank, then slowly turned a shade of crimson that matched the rising sun.
"What...did you just say?" Yin Jian whispered, his voice trembling with rage.
Yin Jian let out a sharp, incredulous laugh that sounded more like a bark. He looked at his servants, pointing a trembling finger at me.
"Did you hear that? The trash speaks! The mute dog finally learned to bark!"
His expression twisted instantly from mockery to pure, unadulterated malice. The air around him began to shimmer with heat. Unlike me, who had suppressed my aura, Yin Jian flared his power openly, eager to crush the ant that dared to bite back.
"System," I whispered, my eyes flashing as the Eye of Insight activated.
[Target: Yin Jian]
* Race: Human
* Cultivation: Body Tempering (6th Stage)
* Vein Type: Blazing Sun Vein (High Grade)
* State: Enraged, Overconfident.
* Weakness: Unstable footing; over-reliance on brute force; right shoulder previously injured.
'Body Tempering 6th Stage...' I analyzed calmly. 'Three stages higher than me. In terms of raw power, he crushes me. However, his stance is sloppy, and his Qi is leaking everywhere like a broken sieve.'
Yin Jian took a heavy step forward, the stone beneath his boot cracking from the heat of his Qi. His palm began to glow with a faint, orange hue—the signature of the Yin Family's Burning Serpent Palm, a High-Mortal Rank martial art.
"Since Mother isn't here to save you, and has forgotten you exist," Yin Jian sneered, raising his glowing hand, "I think it's time I reminded you of your place in the mud. Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll just break your legs so you have to crawl for the rest of your pathetic life!"
He launched himself forward, a trail of heat following his movement. To the old Yin Shen, this would have been the speed of a demon.
But to me?
"Come," I said softly. "Let me show you the difference between a pampered dog and a wolf."