Lin Hao stepped into a clothing store and purchased a new outfit. As he exited, his gaze caught a spiderweb in the corner of the doorway. A thumb-sized gray-brown spider crouched at its center. A mosquito buzzed into the trap, struggling futilely as the predator pounced, injecting venom.
Why not add a spider?
With 100,000 gold notes burning in his pocket, Lin Hao nudged the arachnid onto his palm.
“System—capture this spider.”
“Ding! Host has captured a spider. Designate as pet?”
“Yes. Name: Wolf Spider.”
“Ding! Naming complete. Evolution available.”
Lin Hao selected the spider icon. Mid-tier evolution cost 100,000 gold. The notes vanished.
The spider’s body swelled, turning venomous green. Fangs elongated like daggers.
[Wolf Spider]
Code: 002
Master: Lin Hao
Rank: D-tier Mid
Combat Power: 800
Lifespan: 1 year
Skill: Lethal Venom
Lin Hao tucked the creature into his pocket, its hardened exoskeleton safe from crushing.
“Ding! Second pet acquired. Reward: Random draw.”
The system wheel spun.
“Congratulations! Obtained Ultimate Cultivation Talent—maximum martial aptitude, 100x灵气 absorption speed.”
Lin Hao’s breath hitched. Cultivation talent tiers—Weak, Low, Mid, High, Supreme, Ultimate. Even Zhao Ling’er, hailed as a genius, only ranked High. Now he stood at the pinnacle.
Energy surged as ambient灵气 flooded his meridians. A pop echoed internally—his first spiritual vein unlocked.
Level 1 Warrior.
Fists clenched, Lin Hao nearly laughed. The “blind cripple” could now cultivate.
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Zhao Manor’s grand dining hall buzzed with young clansmen fresh from training. Lin Hao strode past the servants’ mess—no more scraps for the “madam’s burden.”
Third Steward Qin Chi, a weasel-faced man notorious for withholding Lin Hao’s meals, fawned over a table of挑剔youths.
“Third Young Master, more braised pork? This stew’s simmered for hours—”
“Tastes like gutter water. Fetch something edible!”
Qin Chi bowed, obsequious. His eyes narrowed as Lin Hao entered the main hall.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“You—this is no place for trash!” Qin Chi blocked Lin Hao’s path. “Return to the servants’ quarters where you belong.”
Lin Hao’s smile chilled. “Move.”
“Insolent cripple! Guards—”
The Wolf Spider scuttled from Lin Hao’s sleeve onto Qin Chi’s neck. A pinprick bite.
The steward gagged, face purpling. He collapsed, clawing at his throat as veins turned black.
Pandemonium erupted. Lin Hao stepped over the convulsing body, Wolf Spider retreating into shadows.
Lethal Venom: Instant paralysis. Death in three breaths.
Young masters recoiled. Lin Hao seated himself at their table, ladling soup calmly.
“Anyone else craving gutter water?”
Silence.
He sipped, savoring the fear. The fly observed from a rafter, recording every twitch.
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Later, in his barren chamber, Lin Hao meditated.灵气swirled around him like a hurricane.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
Three more meridians unlocked in succession.
Level 4 Warrior.
Zhao Ling’er’s cultivation chamber lay three courtyards east. She’d broken through to Level 4 Mage at seventeen—a prodigy.
Lin Hao smirked. Catch up, wife. I’ll be waiting.
The system chimed:
Ding! Host breaks through four levels in one night. Achievement unlocked: Unstoppable Momentum (Cultivation speed +10%).
Dawn approached. Somewhere, a steward’s corpse cooled in the morgue. Lin Hao’s fingers traced the Wolf Spider’s carapace.
“Tomorrow’s menu needs... variety.”
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Teaching the Third Steward a Lesson
Third Steward Qin Chi’s eyes narrowed as he spotted Lin Hao entering the grand dining hall. How dare this blind waste of space show his face here?
Lin Hao feigned blindness, hands groping the air as he approached the serving counter. The Kung Fu Fly on his shoulder surveyed the lavish spread—roast duck, braised pork, steamed fish—a far cry from the slop served in the servants’ quarters.
“What’ll you have?” The chef trembled, recalling how the kitchen staff had mysteriously broken limbs after crossing Lin Hao days prior.
Lin Hao randomly pointed at several dishes. By “chance,” his selections included the most expensive cuts. He carried the laden tray to a table opposite Qin Chi and began eating with deliberate clumsiness. A piece of pork slipped from his chopsticks.
The fly alighted on the meat, devouring it with microscopic efficiency.
“Pathetic,” Qin Chi sneered, striding over. “Can’t even hold your food, blind rat.”
Lin Hao chewed slowly, ignoring him.
Qin Chi’s face flushed. He uncorked a vial under the table, pouring horse urine into Lin Hao’s soup. The Kung Fu Fly’s compound eyes recorded every movement.
Lin Hao lifted the bowl to his lips—then hurled its contents at Qin Chi’s face.
“How’s the soup with horse urine taste?” Lin Hao rose, cold amusement in his voice.
The dining hall erupted in gasps and stifled laughter. Young masters watched, torn between shock and delight.
Qin Chi howled, skin blistering from the scalding broth. “You’re dead!” He lunged, fist aimed at Lin Hao’s temple.
Thud.
His punch froze mid-air, blocked by an invisible force. The Kung Fu Fly braced against his knuckles, microscopic legs anchoring it like a steel rivet.
Slap!
Lin Hao’s palm cracked across Qin Chi’s cheek. Two more blows followed, leaving the steward’s face swollen and bloodied.
“You—how?!” Qin Chi staggered back, then launched a sweeping kick.
The fly zipped downward. Slick! Razor claws severed Qin Chi’s Achilles’ tendon.
“AAAAAGH!!” The steward collapsed, clutching his spurting ankle.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd:
“Was that… a fly?”
“Impossible! Since when do insects gut men?!”
Lin Hao straightened his robes. “A steward’s place is groveling, not assaulting his masters.” He strode toward the exit, the fly perching on his shoulder to clean blood from its claws.
Qin Chi writhed on the floor, rage contorting his features. “This isn’t over, cripple! The madam will hear of this!”
Lin Hao paused at the threshold. Without turning, he murmured, “Tell her. I’ll be waiting.”
The Kung Fu Fly buzzed once—a lethal promise.
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In the courtyard, Lin Hao flexed his tingling palm. Qin Chi’s face had left satisfying imprints on his skin.
Ding! Host humiliates antagonist. Reward: 500 system points.
He smirked. Justice tasted better than any banquet.