Honest

After a few days, a young man sat atop five corpses, their bodies shriveled like mummies. In front of him, a wooden puppet knelt, motionless.

The young man was Yanwei.

He exhaled, tapping his fingers against his knee. "Hmm, human essence doesn't taste good." A sigh left his lips. "But who knew my little explosion would shake the entire continent?"

A faint smirk tugged at his lips. Did they really think I'd die that easily?

He closed his eyes, recalling the moment it happened.

A sea of divine light. Laws shattering. The heavens themselves bearing down on him like a mountain.

Then—detonation. His body reduced to dust. His soul fractured, scattered into the void.

Or at least, that's what they believed.

A small fragment had slipped away, hidden within his greatest creation—this new vessel, this anomaly.

His fingers curled. "The heavens think they've won. Good. Let them celebrate while they still can."

His gaze fell back to the corpses beneath him. He stood and dusted himself off. "Still, I need to confirm something… and gather a lot of information."

Yanwei shifted his appearance, molding his flesh and bones to match one of the corpses beneath him.

"Merit… Let me see how useful you really are."

….

"Senior Brother! Where have you been? The competition is about to start in a year or two! Did you go out to train?"

A boy—no older than fourteen or fifteen—rushed up excitedly.

"You're right, Junior Brother." Yanwei—now fully disguised—replied smoothly. "I had to sharpen my skills. The competition isn't just about talent—it's about being noticed."

The boy chuckled. "Senior Brother, you're still chasing after Senior Sister? But I saw her getting close to that kid. She was even laughing with him."

Yanwei sneered. "Hmph. Once I make a name for myself, Senior Sister will definitely notice me. As for that kid…" He waved his hand dismissively. "Make his life harder."

"I definitely will, Senior Brother!"

Yanwei didn't respond immediately. His mind was elsewhere.

Now's a good chance to test it.

He focused inward, channeling a sliver of his energy into the space within his body.

The Growth Space—his first merit—was still barren, a hollow void waiting to be cultivated.

It's stable, he noted. But without life, it's just an empty shell.

His frown deepened slightly. "Junior Brother, will there be any valuable herbs in the secret realm?"

"Of course! The sect is even offering Profound Meridian Pills to those who perform well! Even low-ranking disciples are preparing. If someone gets lucky and finds rare medicine, they might trade for one."

Yanwei smirked. That simplifies things.

"Guess I have no choice but to enter," he said lazily. Then, after a brief pause, his smirk deepened.

"…But don't worry, it's not like I'm going there to rob anyone."

He turned away, his smirk lingering.

Lying had never been so easy.