The Weepin Guanyin Tears; A wife's letter

The Great Liang Empire was founded in the Year 167 by the Wen Dynasty, emerging from the ashes of the Great War that had destroyed tens of small independent kingdoms and hundreds of tribes all over the continent.

Apart from the Great Liang, three other major empires emerged, namely, the Great Tang, the Great Ming, and the Great Qing.

Alex muttered the words under his breath as he read, trying to commit them to memory.

The Great Liang empire was the second biggest of those four, it's domain was vast, divided into the Imperial City at its heart and nine major states that formed the empire's political backbone: Western Chu, Northern Yan, Southern Luo, Eastern Beique, Jing Kingdom, Lingnan State, Yao State, Song Kingdom, and Fang Domain.

Each region was governed by local lords or noble clans under the watchful eye of the emperor.

Beyond the structure of states, there existed five independent free cities, Beiling, Ximu, Danxu, Cangye, and Wuyi, each ruled by powerful clans with near-autonomous authority.

The great clans could pass the laws as they fit, but every year, the clans had to pay 30% of the tax they collected to the imperial palace.

As for the Qin family, to which Alex himself belonged, they refused a city offered by the founder, as well as a duchy or even a title. Instead, they made their home in Yongzhou, a remote outer province of the imperial domain, close to the capital.

Of course, over the years, their influence has only grown by bounds, not just through political circles but even in the military as well. And at the moment, they are the strongest supporters of the Imperial family.

Alex flipped another page of the hefty tome in his lap, the old parchment releasing a faint, dusty scent.

His gaze lingered at the top of the page where the heading read: "The Power Structure of Great Liang", a breakdown of nobles, military authorities, and governing sects.

He had just begun to skim the opening lines when the soft creak of the door interrupted him.

Roulan stepped into the study with the same composed grace she always did.

"Young Master Qin," she greeted him with a bow.

Alex gave a casual nod, not bothering to rise. His eyes were still scanning the page. "Yes?"

Roulan stood near the desk, taking out a letter from her sleeves. She handed it to him. "It's from Lady Xue."

Alex blinked. "My wife?"

He curiously took the letter and opened it. "Dear Husband, I apologize for not being able to be there by the time you woke up earlier today. I have no memories of what happened, but based on Zhinu's personality, I could guess that she tried to kill you. I thank the gods that nothing has happened to you. I'm also extremely guilty about not telling the truth to you. I know that you have questions in your mind about Zhinu, and I will answer you, but at a later date, in person. Until then, please act as if nothing has happened. Zhinu is a secret that only a few elders of the clan were aware of.

And that wedding night... it is quite embarrassing to me as well, behaving shamelessly like that in a drunken state, but I hope you don't take me as such a person. And I request you not to speak of it to anyone else."

Alex turned the page.

"Regarding the divorce agreement that the Husband requested prior to marriage, I can no longer be able to do that as I lost the right to sign any divorce as we consummated our marriage. And because the husband is a matrilocal, the husband also doesn't hold the rights to initiate either. Only the Patriarch, my father, has the right to dismiss our marriage with both of our consents. I apologize once again for taking away that choice from you, but I hope we won't come to that situation.

I also wanted to talk about my cousin. I wish to tell Husband that you did the right thing. And you won't have to worry about him. Once we shift to our new home, everything will be alright. You will have battle maids to protect you every day and night, even in my absence.

The battle maids reminded me of something that my father said. I'm not sure whether the news reached you or not, but back at your Qin Estate, it seems your maids have been dismissed. Every one of them. From what my father told me, the moment you left the Qin estate for the wedding, your maids were actually given severance pay and sent away. Now, I feel guilty about the promise I made to you that you could have your tongfang maids. Never to fret, I'm aware that a man has his needs, and I also won't be around you all the time, as I need to return to the sect very soon. So, you can take new tongfang maids as you wish, once we shift to the new residence. Just don't give your heart. That's all I ask.

There are so many things I wish to write and talk to you in person, but I have to stay away for the next two days, and I don't think I will be able to speak to you about so many things in person. Can't believe I miss you already. Anyways, I will stop here.

Regards, Your wife, Li Xue."

Alex stared at her, stunned for a moment. There's just so much information on the letter that it was too much for him to wrap his head around. "So, last night wasn't just a drunken act. And how much does she love this fool that she doesn't even mind allowing tongfang maids even after the marriage? But she was aware of what Zhinu could do. She didn't tell me about it. Last night, I could have died. What if I don't have a system? Then, I would have been dead again, this time on the night I had sex. However, this girl..."

As he was filled with a myriad of thoughts, Roulan pulled out a small, orb-like object.

She placed it gently on the desk in front of him.

"Young Master Qin, Lady Xue sent this for you. This is the Weeping Guanyin Tears," she said. "It can heal internal injuries of even a ninth-ranked expert. If your meridians are damaged or blocked, there's a chance, a slim one, thirty percent at best, that it might repair them. You might even be able to cultivate, if you're fortunate."

Alex looked down at the orb, then back up at her.

Roulan didn't offer any explanations after that. She simply bowed and turned, walking out, leaving Alex alone to himself

Alex sat still for a long moment, eyes seemingly fixed on Roulan as she left the study, but in truth, his attention was elsewhere.

Floating silently before him, only visible to his eyes, was the system's translucent interface, a new notification pulsed at the top:

[Trade Request: Exchange "Weeping Guanyin Tears" for 8,000 Credits? Accept / Decline]

"This..."

Later that night;

In the eastern wing, Alex lay wide awake, alone. His room was quiet. The only sound was the faint creaking of old wood and the distant rustle of garden leaves stirred by the breeze.

He sat on his bed, legs folded, the Weeping Guanyin Tears resting in his palm.

A whole hour had passed. He hadn't moved much. The trade request still hovered in the corner of his vision, patiently awaiting his response.

His thumb ran absently along the orb's smooth surface.

"Thirty percent chance to gain Qi…" he murmured. "If I had nothing else, that would be enough. But…"

He glanced back at the system interface. "I have a system. I have Heaven's Eye and a bunch of skills."

There was more potential here than a mere gamble on cultivation.

He exhaled deeply, the decision finally settling in his chest. "I can copy techniques with my ocular power. Does Qi matter that much?"

A slight grimace pulled at his lips. "And with Beiling under Li Clan's thumb… trying to sell this even on a black market might as well be suicide. Also, if Li Xue knows about it, she will only feel insulted."

Decision made in the end, he tapped the glowing Accept button. The orb in his hand dissolved instantly into particles of light, vanishing without a trace.

[Trade complete. +8000 Credits]

Alex leaned forward, pulling the interface fully open. "Okay, let's see if I can buy a B-rank technique."

His fingers moved quickly now, flipping through the system's library.

Alex wasn't looking for the most powerful technique in B-rank. He wants something like a low B-rank but can be evolved into an A-rank or even S-rank later on.

Then he saw it.

[Lightning Dragon Barrage]

Rank: B

Description: Harness the element of lightning to form multiple chained strikes in the shape of a serpentine dragon. Requirement: Lightning Element

Cost: 2,500 Credits

"Yup, this one is good. For a low price and yet has high potential." Alex murmured.

Without further hesitation, he tapped Purchase.

[Confirmed. Skill: Lightning Barrage acquired. 2,500 credits deducted

[Remaining Credits: 5,700]

A brief pulse ran through his mind.

He reopened his character interface.

Alex Hunter/Qin Wei

Rank: 1

Age: 19

Race: Han

Bloodline: Heaven's Eye (Stage 2)

Titles: None

Elements: Fire, Lightning

Inventory: 2x sets of clothes, 1x battle gear (basic).

Skills:

[Great Fireball]

[Ground Current]

[Clone]

[Ripple Drift]

[Celestial Sword of Destiny]

[Lightning Dragon Barrage]

TALENT TREE:

[Elemental Path] :

Fire Path: None

Lightning Path: None

Fusion Path: Locked.

[Bloodline Path]: None

[Combat Path]

Orb 1: Movement Speed (+100%)

Orb 2: Damage Taken (-30%)

Credits: 5,700

*

Alex let the screen fade, lying back onto his bed, one hand behind his head as he stared at the dark ceiling.

"Even if I can't cultivate… one day, I'll still topple all those heavenly geniuses just as my protagonists always do."

Content with his purchase and plan, he finally closed his eyes, slowly drifting into sleep.

Three days passed in a blur.