Chapter 2: The Silent System

After about half a cup of tea’s time, Gu Qingyi finally finished sorting through the memories of his past self. Now, he understood why she’d suddenly traveled to this world.

He realized this Sword Qi Continent he’d landed in was a place where only the strong were respected. The weak were trampled like ants, at the mercy of others, and human rights meant nothing.

On Sword Qi Continent, kingdoms and cities were strictly divided by levels.

The Jianwu Dynasty ruled over three great cities under its domain.

The first-tier cities were the most powerful—Tian Gu City, Wanyou City, Hanbing City, and Wentian City. Second-tier held moderate strength, including Xuanwu City, Zhuque City, Baihu City, and Qinglong City. Third-tier cities, the weakest, counted Sky Sword City, Vast Sea City, Heavenfire City, and Yingchun City.

Every city contained thousands of villages and towns scattered throughout.

Across the continent, all sorts of factions filled every corner.

Among them were some old and established sects—Sky Sword Sect, Frost Palace, Ten Thousand Beast Sect, Vast Sea Sect, Azure Profound Sect, and Heavenfire Gate—all wielding immense power and centuries of history.

Beyond that, countless lesser powers vied for influence.

At the human borders, the ever-ambitious Demon Race watched, waiting for the chance to invade Sword Qi Continent and bring disaster to humankind.

The Gu Clan was one of the five major noble families in Sky Sword City.

In a world where martial strength ruled, the Gu Clan’s status was nothing to overlook.

Gu Qingyi understood well he had to keep growing stronger or he’d never survive—let alone protect his family.

…..

Just as Gu Qingyi snapped out of his daze, Shen Yue at his side rushed forward and pulled him into a tight hug, concern written all over her face. “Son, are you feeling better now? Do you still feel unwell anywhere?”

Gu Qingyi gazed at the beautiful woman hugging him, lost in thought. Quietly, he swore to herself, “Since I’ve become you, I’ll protect everything you hold dear. Those who once tried to kill you, I won’t let any of them off!”

Beating his chest with confidence, Gu Qingyi looked at Shen Yue and said, “Don’t worry, Mother—I’m fine now!”

Nearby, Gu Qingxiao’s eyes lit up. “That’s great, Brother, you’re all right!” But then a painful memory flashed across her face and she choked up, “Back when I saw you lying at the door, not a single sign of life, I thought you’d left us forever…”

Shen Yue gently stroked Gu Qingxiao’s head, his voice soft. “Silly girl, your brother has come back to life. We should be happy.”

Watching his mother and sister, Gu Qingyi stayed silent for a while before asking, “Mother, Sister… where’s Father?”

Shen Yue avoided Gu Qingyi’s eyes, suddenly flustered. “You don’t have enough strength yet. I can’t tell you—it might bring you unnecessary trouble.”

Looking at Gu Qingyi’s disappointed face, Shen Yue couldn’t help but soften. “Once you’re strong enough, I’ll tell you. Please believe me, all right?”

Gu Qingyi nodded in understanding. “If Mother doesn’t want to say, then I won’t ask.”

“My son has come back from the dead. In a few days, we’ll hold a big banquet to celebrate!” Shen Yue was so happy she burst into tears.

Gazing around the spirit hall, Shen Yue instructed, “Someone, clear these things away—they look unlucky.”

“At once, Madame!” answered a servant, rising quickly and bowing in respect.

“Qingyi, Qingxiao, it’s late. Both of you should get some rest.” Shen Yue looked up at the black night sky and sighed deeply before speaking again.

“We’ll take our leave, Mother.” The siblings nodded and turned to leave.

Once outside the hall, Gu Qingyi took a deep breath.

The night air was cool and crisp, almost soothing. He looked up at the stars, a flood of emotion rising inside him.

…..

Elsewhere, Gu Qingyi stood alone in the courtyard, quietly surveying his surroundings.

A trace of contemplation lingered in his eyes, as if searching for answers in this unfamiliar world.

When he was digesting his predecessor’s memories, Gu Qingyi had felt a golden sword gleaming in his mind’s sea—a sword both mysterious and mighty, pulsing with limitless power.

Yet now, he couldn’t sense the sword at all. It was as if it had never existed.

Frowning, Gu Qingyi felt a wave of confusion.

He distinctly remembered: the original owner had been a genius with extraordinary spiritual power.

But now, he sensed not even the faintest spark of spiritual energy within himself.

What was happening? Was it the transmigration that robbed this body of its power?

He thought back to those novels from his past life—heroes always landed in new worlds with cheat-like systems, unlocking a dazzling adventure.

But luck hadn’t smiled on him. He couldn’t help but wonder if his system was broken—or if he just never had one at all.

“System, are you there? Come out, now!” Gu Qingyi shouted into the empty yard, half-doubting, half-hopeful.

His words echoed off the walls, but there was no reply—only the gusting wind, howling like cruel laughter at his helplessness.

Gu Qingyi just stood there, letting the cold wind whip against him.

But in those eyes, determination flickered. No matter what awaited him, he wouldn’t give up so easily.

Taking a steady breath, Gu Qingyi decided to check his own body one more time.

He closed his eyes, regulating his breathing, trying to sense even the tiniest change inside.

Gradually, he picked up on a faint thread of spiritual power moving through his body.

Though weak, that power was still there.

A surge of relief rushed through Gu Qingyi. He hadn’t lost everything after all.

The spiritual power was nothing compared to what it once had been, but if he worked hard, he could get back what was lost.

…..

“So there’s still spiritual energy—but where the heck is my golden finger?” Gu Qingyi stared around at the empty yard, disbelief on his face.

“This doesn’t make any sense. Maybe I’m going at this wrong?” That nagging doubt grew stronger, sending him searching desperately through memories of his previous life.

After racking his brains for a while, Gu Qingyi remembered the tropes from countless transmigration novels.

Some systems only showed up when the host faced mortal danger.

Figuring it was worth a shot, Gu Qingyi decided to give it a try. But as soon as he thought about actually risking his life, a chill ran down his spine.

If there was no system, he’d really be finished—dying for good this time. It was too risky.

But if he didn’t try, how would he ever know if the system existed?

After weighing it, Gu Qingyi settled on another approach.

Some stories said the system could be triggered by danger, not just death. Might as well give that a try too.

Even if he wasn’t sure it would work, there was no harm in trying.

So he gathered his courage and began actively seeking out danger—jumping from trees, picking fights with wild beasts, doing everything without a hint of fear.

“Day one: climbed a tree and jumped down—twisted my ankle.”

“Day two: leapt off a cliff—broke every bone in my body.”

After a long recovery, the injuries finally healed.

“Day six: rammed my head into a tree—mild concussion in one second.”

“Day seven: stuck my neck out at a sparring match—a sword missed my throat by just a hair.”

“Is this guy nuts? Looking to die?” The shocked fighters ran over, sighing in relief when they found he was still breathing before cursing him out.

…..

During this troubled time—

“The young master’s come back from the dead, but why’s he so crazy?” The whole Gu Clan was panicking. Servants whispered from corner to corner.

“Are you all right, my son?” Shen Yue, worried sick, would check on him at all hours in fear he’d hurt his head for good.

Lying in bed, his body covered in bruises, Gu Qingyi muttered, “Damn system, still not here. I’ve suffered enough these days.”

“Don’t worry, Mother, I’m fine,” Gu Qingyi lied, turning away to hide his guilt.

…..

Unbeknownst to Gu Qingyi, while he was out courting disaster, the outside world had turned upside down. Rumors about him swirled through Sky Sword City.

Inside the city’s grandest restaurant—

“Hey—did you hear? The Gu family’s eldest actually came back from the dead!” A crowd buzzed with gossip.

“Yeah, but was the genius really back?” someone asked, eyeing the group.

In the corner, a drinker sneered, waving dismissively. “Genius? I heard that Gu brat’s gone dumb since his resurrection—trying to off himself every day. Word is, he’s lost all his power. Just a cripple now.”

“What… Is that true?” The crowd burst out laughing, “Yesterday’s prodigy, today’s wreck. The world sure spins fast!”

“Hahaha, I can’t wait to see what becomes of the so-called genius now that he’s useless.” They huddled together, roaring with laughter.

…..

These shocking rumors swept across Sword Qi Continent like wildfire.

Northern Territory, Sky Sword Sect.

A certain elder’s residence.

Kneeling below him was none other than Zhi Yin.

“Zhi Yin, are you aware of your crime? Is this how you do things?” The elder threw a teapot at Zhi Yin, his anger barely contained.

“Elder, I… On that day, I made sure Gu Qingyi was dead. I checked—there wasn’t any breath left in him.” Sweat poured down Zhi Yin’s face as he knelt, voice trembling. “Please investigate further, Elder.”

“Really? Are you sure there was no chance of survival?” The elder raised an eyebrow, his piercing gaze landing on Zhi Yin.

“Disciple triple-checked, Elder.” Zhi Yin barely dared breathe, feeling intense pressure.

“Enough. That so-called genius is a cripple now. Go to the Gu family and test him yourself; see if the rumors are true.” The elder turned away after a thoughtful pause. “Go accept your punishment while you’re at it.”

“Yes, Elder.” Zhi Yin got up slowly, unable to meet the elder’s gaze.

Almost identical scenes played out in every group that had taken part in the attempted assassination—rage, suspicion, but finally, reassurances and the matter laid to rest.

…..

Gu Manor, Gu Qingyi’s courtyard.

After a period of recovery, Gu Qingyi felt good as new. So what if he didn’t have a system? With the memories of a peerless genius, he was full of confidence.

Without a system, he could still reach the legendary realm!

“Honestly, though, what’s the difference between me and an ordinary person right now? Just a little bit of spiritual power.” Gu Qingyi gave a wry smile. Why did every transmigrator get some kind of system but not him? On top of that, the world right from the start was filled with danger and enemies lurking in the shadows. He could die any day.

“At this point, there’s nothing to do but take it one step at a time.” Gu Qingyi shook his head helplessly.

…..

Sky Sword City—the least conspicuous city among the Jianqi Dynasty’s three third-tier cities.

At the Shen family estate, a furious shout rang out, followed by a crashing teacup.

“What? Shen Qinglian, you want to break off your engagement?” The speaker was the family head, Shen Zhentian, who also happened to be Shen Yue’s older cousin.

The young woman before him looked seventeen, graceful as an immortal, with stunning features and flawless skin. Her tall figure was curvy in all the right places.

Standing beside her was a young man dressed as a scholar, folding fan in hand.

His slanted phoenix eyes exuded nobility and elegance. There was charm, even seduction, in those obsidian depths—danger and allure in every glance, like a natural-born heartbreaker.

That woman was Shen Qinglian, Gu Qingyi’s fiancée. They’d grown up together, childhood friends since the cradle.

Patiently, Shen Qinglian explained to Shen Zhentian, “Father, I did have an engagement with the Gu family.”

“The Shen and Gu clans are in-laws, and back then, everyone thought marrying into the Gu family was a good match.”

“But my betrothed was supposed to be the Gu family’s genius, Gu Qingyi.”

“He’s not the same now—brought back from the dead, turned into a fool, a cripple with no power.”

…..

“Oh, right, Father—there’s something else important today.” Shen Qinglian shot a glance at Shen Zhentian. “Recently, my so-called fiancé was killed because he angered someone powerful.”

“The City Lord’s son, Li Ji, has been pursuing me for days.” Shen Qinglian glanced at Li Ji with a small smile. “Our Shen family needs a new protector—the Gu family can’t help us anymore.”

“Li Ji pressed me again and again, and I agreed.” Shen Qinglian looked troubled. “For the sake of our family’s future in Sky Sword City, I had no choice. Please, try to understand.”

“Outrageous!” Shen Zhentian exploded. “Ungrateful child! Do you realize what you’ve done? You’ve tossed away all our family’s dignity—you’ll plunge us straight into shame. What’s left of the Shen family’s reputation then?”

“Not only that, but you’ve heaped humiliation on Qingyi too. How will I answer to my cousin?” Glaring at Shen Qinglian, Shen Zhentian shouted, “Don’t forget—when we were down and out, who was it that helped us? It was the Gu family!” Furious, he grabbed a teapot from the table and hurled it at Shen Qinglian.

“Miss Lian, watch out!” Li Ji quickly stepped in, catching the teapot with a wave of his hand.

“No need to lose your temper, Uncle. The Gu family is no match for Lian anymore.” Li Ji offered up a mocking smile. “Besides, the Li family rules this city. With our help, the Shen family will climb higher than ever.”

“If our two families join forces, we’ll be unstoppable.” Li Ji’s eyes flashed with greed as he looked at Shen Qinglian, licking his lips hungrily. “I’ve adored Lian for ages. Uncle, why not let us be together? It’s a blessing for both our clans.”

Shen Qinglian snuggled against Li Ji, her face blushing. “It’s true—Li Ji and I are already husband and wife. Please, Father, let us be together!”

“If I can’t marry Li Ji, I’d rather die than wed that useless cripple.” With that, Shen Qinglian dropped to her knees.

Shen Zhentian let out a long sigh. “I failed as a father. I’ve let the Gu family down.” He knew there was no turning back now.

“Fine. Soon, you and I will go apologize in person to the Gu family.” Shen Zhentian turned away in pain, taking a long time before he spoke again. “We’ll seek forgiveness from your aunt and Qingyi.”

…..

Night fell.

Inside the quiet Shen Residence, only the chirp of crickets broke the silence.

In Shen Qinglian’s room—

Li Ji gazed at the beauty before him with open excitement. “Lian, you’re breathtaking tonight. I can hardly wait any longer!”

Shen Qinglian leaned on him, blushing. “Am I only beautiful tonight?” Her eyes shimmered innocently—pure, waiting.

Their lips met in a passionate kiss.

Articles of clothing drifted to the floor.

The light went out in the room, darkness covering the sky.

Li Ji became a conquering general, taking land after land in Shen Qinglian’s kingdom. Every step he took, flowers seemed to bloom beneath his feet.

He was also a poet, trying to clasp the moon in the sky. Moonlight fell soft and gentle on the peaks, and with his lips, he plucked their petals—hints of plum blossom fragrance drifting in the air.

Moths fluttered about, paired up like tiny stars, playing games of love in the shadows below.