Chapter 7: System Bestows Enlightenment, Genius is Me

To his surprise, he had been seen. Bracing himself, Cao Chengyu sat down beside his aunt. In that moment, he was like a puppy whose owner had just let go of the leash: all bluster when held, but meek the instant he was released.

“Aunt… Aunt… why have you called for me?”

Lin Jiaoyun glanced at him, her eyes clouded with hidden thoughts. “For the past month, you’ve brought me crab soup every day. What is your intention?”

“Is it not normal for family to look after each other? Didn’t you ask me to visit more often, to keep you company and relieve your loneliness?”

“I know that. But why did you cook it yourself—and even tell me it was made by Chef Luo?”

“There’s an old saying: a gentleman stays away from the kitchen. Why did you go to such lengths to cook for me yourself? What are you truly after?”

Looking into her eyes, Cao Chengyu fell silent. So that was the crux of it. It seemed the sensibilities of this era ran even deeper than he’d imagined. A man cooking personally for a woman was no different than presenting roses as a confession in modern times. Anyone could see what was in his heart.

More crucially, he had tried to hide it from her. If he’d been honest from the start, things wouldn’t have come to this—but then, perhaps, he would not have reached this stage of mutual affection either. Only by realizing his feelings could she begin to harbor something unusual for a younger family member.

Now that things had come to this, there was no point in further denial. Steeling himself, Cao Chengyu made up his mind.

“Since you already know, Aunt, why do you seek confirmation? I know this is wrong, but I… I cannot help but admire you…”

“You…” Lin Jiaoyun’s expression grew complicated; a hint of panic flickered in her eyes. She had called him here today precisely to confirm this, but now that her suspicions were settled, she felt unsettled herself.

Such is the way of women. Only when matters are pushed past the point of no return do they sense the danger.

After a moment’s silence, gazing at his earnest eyes, Lin Jiaoyun turned her head away and spoke softly, “No wonder… No wonder you always came to me as a child, and refused to be betrothed to Miss Huang. So all along, the root was here. What a calamity…”

“Do you not realize, Chengyu, that I am your aunt? There can be no future for us. If others were to know, how could you ever inherit the family seat, and how could I have the face to go on living?”

Having long contemplated this very question, Cao Chengyu found himself unexpectedly calm—a reversal of emotion in an instant.

“I know it is wrong… but I still cannot help but care for you, Aunt…”

“Let us drink and be merry tonight, and let tomorrow’s sorrows wait for tomorrow!”

“I do not ask for a result, only for the present. I like you, as the moon tonight—rising every night, and resting every night. Even if I can only see you at night, I am content.”

Suddenly, Lin Jiaoyun turned to look into his eyes. Their gazes met, and in each other’s eyes, they saw themselves reflected.

The sincerity between them was palpable at that moment.

In this era, poetry and song held tremendous sway over a woman’s heart. Even if the poem wasn’t about beauty, for someone to compose a verse for her was a thing to be proud of—even just a single line.

Cao Chengyu leaned in, his lips brushing her cool, red ones. Lin Jiaoyun trembled, her eyelashes fluttering. Faced with his boldness, she closed her eyes and accepted the moment.

At length, their lips parted.

No lingering thread bound them.

“Chengyu…”

“I understand. There’s no need for words. I’ll come again tomorrow.”

He embraced Lin Jiaoyun, kissed her cheek, and hurried away.

In that instant, her affection for him soared, surpassing ninety points—reaching ninety-three. The new treasure chest was already his, and it was an intermediate one.

What need was there to linger? He could open it at once.

The days ahead were long—there was no need to rush.

Lin Jiaoyun stood dazed for a moment, seeing how unsteady his steps were as he fled. She realized he was shy. After all, he was still a boy who had never experienced such things. For him to take this step must have required great courage.

“Ah… what a disaster…”

“Do you understand… that the distance between people is not just a matter of status, but of belonging to separate worlds, a bird and a fish. There can never be anything between us.”

But those words, murmured into the night, would never reach Cao Chengyu.

Back in his own courtyard, Cao Chengyu closed the door, shut the windows, and drew the bed curtains.

“System, open the intermediate treasure chest!”

“Congratulations, Host, you have obtained ‘One Hundred Explanations of Immortal Cultivation.’”

Unlike the ‘Huangting Dao Song’ he received the first time, this book seemed designed to fill the gaps in his foundational knowledge. It also contained a wealth of other information—though all introductory, it was enough for him to grasp the basics of many common techniques.

Alchemy, artifact refinement, formations, talisman crafting, sword control, spells—all within.

‘One Hundred Explanations of Immortal Cultivation’ also provided detailed explanations of realms, stages, spiritual energy, talent assessment, secret realms, spirit beasts, and other essential knowledge. Cao Chengyu was utterly entranced, losing himself in study until dawn.

The book recorded two basic techniques commonly used by low-level cultivators: Object Manipulation and Wind Walking—both perfectly suited for someone at the Qi-Nurturing stage.

It also allowed him to choose two arts to receive foundational methods. Naturally, he chose alchemy and artifact refinement. He’d read plenty of novels in his past life and understood the importance of wealth, companions, methods, and land. The more skills one had, the more means to amass resources.

With the system imparting the techniques, his proficiency immediately reached the highest beginner level. Not to learn them now would be a waste.

Thus, the intermediate treasure chest was fully digested.

The benefits to Cao Chengyu were immense. As a solitary cultivator, he’d lacked systematic inheritance. Now, everything he’d puzzled over became clear, and his mind relaxed.

His cultivation advanced by another level, breaking through to the seventh layer of Qi-Nurturing. Remarkable—his pace was accelerating. He truly deserved to be called a genius.

Even his attributes changed:

[Cao Chengyu]
Age: 14.4
Cultivation: Seventh Layer, Qi-Nurturing Realm
Core Method: Huangting Dao Song
Skills: Basic Alchemy (First Level), Basic Artifact Refinement (First Level Artifact)
Techniques: Object Manipulation, Wind Walking
Secret Techniques: None
Divine Abilities: None
[Evaluation]: A Qi-Nurturing novice who has just set foot on the immortal path, barely possessing the strength to roam the Great Yue Dynasty.

He noticed that his status had changed from “child” to “novice.” Typically, novices were eight or nine years old, meaning he’d only just reached the level of an average child of that age? That couldn’t be. His father had said children only began cultivation at ten—how could they know about channels, realms, or how to get started?

He had the system’s guidance, but could there truly be those born with knowledge—excluding transmigrators?

Unable to make sense of it, he decided to leave it be for now.

After consolidating his realm, he reviewed the basics of alchemy and artifact refinement.

Alchemy required, besides recipes and herbs, a cauldron and a fire vein. As for recipes, the system had granted him a Qi-Nurturing Pill—perfect for his current stage.