The marble floor of the Imperial Bathhouse was still slick when Emperor Arion Hwa, now dressed in a simple, but flawlessly clean, black Imperial robe, received the inevitable resistance.
He was seated at a small, low-slung table, reviewing a digital overlay of the palace's financial ledger—a privilege granted by the Imperial Growth System's activated Logistics Module. The numbers scrolled invisibly to everyone else, revealing decades of organized theft.
"Your Majesty must reconsider this haste." The voice belonged to the Grand Councilor, Lord Haejong, a man whose beard was as white and pristine as his carefully cultivated reputation. He stood alongside three other ranking Ministers, their expressions a perfect mask of bewildered loyalty. "To seize a Chief Granary Master without a tribunal… it invites chaos. The populace will assume tyranny, not justice."
Arion, powered by the ruthless, cold analysis of his past life, barely looked up. He remembered the old Emperor's memories of Lord Haejong—always soothing, always conservative, always advising caution until the moment of opportunity had passed.
"Chaos?" Arion's voice was steady, bearing a chill that had never been present in his soft-spoken predecessor. "The Southern Granary, which feeds a fifth of our people, is at 2% capacity due to proven theft. That is not chaos, Lord Haejong. That is the Mandate's demise."
Lord Haejong's eyes narrowed infinitesimally—the only sign of a break in his composure. "With respect, Your Majesty, the report stated 15%. An emergency, certainly, but not terminal. Our traditional bronze scales are prone to error, but they are honest."
"Errors," Arion replied, finally meeting the Councilor's gaze. "Errors that consistently favor the Head Minister's grain imports? Errors that have caused four regional famines in four years? I am simply seeking verification. A physical audit. If the Grand Councilor has nothing to hide, he has nothing to fear."
Arion paused, leaning slightly forward, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Or perhaps Chief Granary Master Seojun's pockets are as deep as the canyons in the Western Provinces, and your concern is merely the sound of his falling rattling your own coin purse?"
The air in the room froze. Such a direct accusation, laced with such specific knowledge, would have been unthinkable from the young, timid Emperor. Lord Haejong paled, realizing this was not the same boy who had stumbled into the pool an hour ago.
"I… I assure your Majesty of my unwavering loyalty," Haejong stammered, executing a quick, sharp bow, signaling defeat for the moment. "I will not impede the Guard. But if this audit fails to prove mass corruption, the consequences for the Throne will be severe."
"The consequences of inaction are already terminal," Arion said, dismissing them with a wave of his hand. "The order stands. Go."
The Ministers retreated, their fear quickly hardening into resentment and a scramble for political mobilization. Arion knew he had only bought himself a few hours. The Chief Granary Master would already be dispatching assassins or, worse, fabricating evidence of a rebellion.
He moved to the small, private courtyard. Waiting there was the Captain of the Imperial Guard detachment, Joon, a young man whose face was set in a mixture of awe and terror, and an old palace handyman who had a small cart piled with junk.
Arion focused the Imperial Growth System on Captain Joon.
PERSONNEL SCAN: CAPTAIN JOON, IMPERIAL GUARD
Cultivation Stage: 2nd Stage (Low)
Discipline Rating: 78% (Good)
Loyalty Index (Current): 85% (Dedicated, Driven by personal loyalty to the Imperial Line.)
Loyalty Index (Pre-Reincarnation): 45% (Wavering, saw Arion Hwa as ineffective.)
Conclusion: A reliable instrument. Ideal for initial, high-risk deployment.
"Captain Joon," Arion said, his voice quiet but commanding. "I am giving you a tool. A means to succeed where tradition has failed. Are you and your men ready to face not just the Chief Granary Master, but the centuries of corruption he represents?"
"Your Majesty," Joon replied, dropping to one knee. "My fifty men and I serve the Dragon Throne. We will seize the Granary, or we will die in the attempt."
Arion nodded. "Good. Death is poor logistics. We prefer efficiency."
He turned to the cart of scrap. Rusted nails, a broken bronze mirror, pitted iron tools, and several tiny, chipped pieces of the low-grade spirit jade that was used for minor enchantments around the palace.
"This," Arion said, gesturing to the scrap heap, "is our capital."
He selected the largest, most useless piece of the pile—a warped, heavy iron hammerhead that was entirely oxidized. He placed it carefully on a small stone plinth and activated the Empire Logistics module.
BLUEPRINT ACQUISITION: TIER 0The foundational tier focuses on precision manufacturing and standardization—the weapon against inefficiency.
The Imperial Growth System displayed a list of Tier 0 blueprints: Standardized Fastener Kit, Modular Cart Wheel Bearing, Precision Imperial Scale.
Arion selected the last.
BLUEPRINT 002: IMPERIAL SCALE OF IRREFUTABLE TRUTHA perfectly balanced Class 5 scale utilizing modern concepts of leverage and counter-weighted mechanisms. Immune to simple physical tampering.Input Required: 1 Unit Refined Low-Grade Iron, 0.5 Units Refined Low-Grade Copper, 0.1 Unit Low-Grade Spirit Energy (Jade/Mana Stone). Time Required: 15 Seconds.
Arion reached into his robe and pulled out the tiny jade pendant he had been wearing since his awakening—the same pendant the System had scanned in Chapter 1. It was the only source of pure spirit energy he had access to. The memory of his debt-ridden life gave him the resolve to sacrifice this relic of his new identity for practical power.
He touched the pendant to the rusty hammerhead.
A soft, green light pulsed, visible only to Arion. The light did not burn or melt the metal; it seemed to operate on a quantum level, purifying the material of its impurities and aggressively resolving it into its constituent components. The rough iron became flawlessly polished steel alloy. The copper content within the alloy separated, resolving into perfectly shaped counter-weights and minute gears.
Thump-thump-thump. The System worked with impossible speed.
In fifteen seconds, the light vanished. Lying on the plinth was not a lump of scrap, but a complex, beautiful instrument. It consisted of two thin, perfectly balanced arms, connected by a jewel-cut bearing that eliminated friction, resting on a pedestal cast from the purified scrap iron. The scale was utterly simple in appearance, yet its precision was beyond anything the Hwa Empire's master craftsmen could produce in a lifetime.
Arion picked it up. It was cold, heavy, and mathematically perfect.
IMPERIAL SCALE OF IRREFUTABLE TRUTH (TIER 0 TOOL)Accuracy Rating: 99.999%Utility: Irrefutable quantification of mass and volume. Cannot be swayed by Cultivation pressure or physical tampering.
Captain Joon stared at the spot where the rusty hammerhead had been, then at the astonishingly precise scale in Arion's hand. His fear was momentarily replaced by shock.
"This… this is a masterwork, Your Majesty," Joon whispered, barely daring to breathe.
"It is simply efficiency," Arion corrected. "Take this. You are not going to the Granary to fight cultivators; you are going to execute an audit. Your opponents will not use swords; they will use tampered bronze scales to lie. This Imperial Scale is the weapon that will neutralize their deception."
Arion handed the scale to Joon. "Tell your fifty men that every one of them who returns with verifiable evidence of fraud will be given a bonus—paid out of the confiscated wealth of the Chief Granary Master."
Joon's eyes widened, the promise of wealth and true Imperial justice overriding generations of corrupt apathy. His Loyalty Index jumped instantly to 90%.
"We will not fail you, Your Majesty," Joon stated, clutching the scale like a holy relic.
The Southern Imperial Granary was not a single building, but a massive complex of fortified stone warehouses and administrative offices—a testament to the Hwa Empire's sheer scale. It was managed by Chief Granary Master Seojun, a man whose family fortune was literally built on the grain that never reached the hungry.
When Captain Joon and his fifty guards arrived, the gates were closed and barred.
"Open up! By Imperial Decree, the Granary is sealed! We are here to conduct an immediate audit!" Joon's voice was strained, echoing off the high stone walls.
A moment later, Chief Granary Master Seojun himself appeared atop the main gate, flanked by two burly Fifth-Stage Cultivators—personal guards whose presence was meant to intimidate the low-stage Imperial Guard detachment. Seojun was magnificent in his robes, radiating arrogance.
"Captain Joon, what is this nonsense? The Emperor is clearly recovering from his illness and is being misled by unscrupulous elements. I refuse to open the Granary gates until the decree is properly authenticated by the Grand Councilor." Seojun projected his voice with the authority of his status and his Fifth-Stage Cultivation base.
"The decree is authenticated by the Imperial Seal, Chief Granary Master Seojun," Joon retorted, holding up the crimson scroll. "Any refusal to obey is an act of treason."
"Treason?!" Seojun laughed—a cold, grating sound. "You bring fifty farmers and rusted spears to accuse the Granary Master of the Empire? Return to your barracks, Captain, or I will consider this an act of armed rebellion and have my men terminate you."
The air thickened as the two Fifth-Stage Cultivators released their spiritual pressure, targeting the fifty guards. The low-stage guards gasped, their knees threatening to buckle under the weight of the invisible force.
Suddenly, Joon raised his hand. "Hold your stance! Remember your oath!"
He saw the fear, but he also remembered the gleam of the Imperial Scale in his pack and the promise of a pay-out from the Chief Granary Master's stolen wealth. They held their ground.
"Very well, Captain," Seojun sneered, realizing the guards would not break. "Let us save time. We have nothing to hide. You may send your auditor inside."
Joon and two trusted men entered the complex. The Chief Granary Master led them into the main counting house, where several Granary Masters were busy stamping scrolls.
"The reports are all here," Seojun announced grandly, gesturing to a massive pile of scrolls. "And the grain is exactly as reported. Bring the scales! Let the Imperial Guard witness the honesty of the Hwa Granary!"
Two Granary Masters wheeled out a colossal, bronze scale—the "traditional" model. It was beautiful, engraved with mythical beasts, but Arion's system had long ago revealed its structural flaws and tampering points.
A Master poured a standard measure of grain into one side. He then carefully placed several stones on the other side, citing the official weight. The scale balanced perfectly.
"Fifteen percent capacity, Captain," Seojun announced with a flourish. "As you can see, our figures are sound. You have wasted the Emperor's time and resources."
Joon felt his conviction waver. It looked perfect. It looked irrefutable.
He stepped forward, reaching into his pack, pulling out the small, plain, but impossibly precise Imperial Scale.
"Your Master's scale is beautiful, Chief Granary Master Seojun," Joon stated, his voice gaining strength. "But it relies on human measurement. The Emperor has furnished me with the Imperial Scale of Irrefutable Truth."
Joon ignored the sputtering Chief Granary Master and placed the Imperial Scale on a nearby table. He instructed his most loyal man to carefully pour the same standard measure of grain into one of the scale's delicate bowls, using the exact amount the Master had just measured.
Then, he used the counter-weights provided with Arion's System to match the officially reported weight.
The result was immediate and shocking. The Imperial Scale did not balance. The bowl containing the standard grain measure slammed upward, while the side holding the official weights fell hard to the table, indicating a massive shortfall.
"Impossible!" Seojun roared, lunging forward.
Joon's second man quickly performed the calculation using the perfect leverage ratio printed on the scale's base. He looked up, his face pale with terror and realization.
"Chief Granary Master Seojun, the grain measure… to balance this with the official weights, the Granary Masters would need to add… eighty-six percent more grain," the guard stammered. "The actual weight corresponds to a 2% capacity."
The silence in the counting house was absolute. The Chief Granary Master's Fifth-Stage Cultivation could tamper with a clumsy bronze scale, but it could not alter the mathematical truth of Arion's precision-engineered instrument.
"Treason!" Seojun shrieked, his mask finally breaking. He lunged at Joon, aiming a spiritual energy blast at the Imperial Scale.
But Joon was ready. He shoved the scale into the hands of his man and drew his simple iron sword—the dull blade was no match for a Fifth-Stage Cultivator, but the promise of the Emperor's justice gave him strength.
At that moment, a small, heavily sealed box that Arion had given Joon fell open. It contained a simple scroll—a decree to be read only upon physical resistance.
A guard picked up the scroll and read it aloud, his voice shaking: "By Imperial Decree! Chief Granary Master Seojun is hereby stripped of all titles and sentenced to immediate execution for the treasonous starvation of the Great Hwa Empire. All assets are seized for Imperial Audit."
Seojun staggered back, his face a grotesque mask of fury and shock. He realized too late that this was not the work of a young, foolish emperor, but a brilliant, ruthless strategist who had come prepared with a weapon that could not be fought with spiritual energy.
Joon and his men, revitalized by the irrefutable evidence, moved with sudden, unified resolve. The battle was short. The Chief Granary Master's guards, realizing their master was now a condemned traitor, did not fight with loyalty.
Hours later, Arion was back in his private study, receiving the breathless report from Captain Joon.
"The Chief Granary Master is secured, Your Majesty. The Granary is sealed. We found concealed caches of gold, spirit jade, and illegally hoarded high-grade rice beneath the Master's residence—enough to feed the Southern Province for two full years." Joon's voice was filled with a fervor born of witnessing true, immediate justice.
"And the Imperial Scale?" Arion asked, his voice calm.
"It is flawless, Your Majesty. We have used it to audit every single bag. The ledgers were all lies." Joon placed the simple, perfect scale on Arion's desk.
As the physical evidence was presented, the Imperial Growth System flashed brightly in Arion's mind.
$$THE IMPERIAL GROWTH SYSTEM$$
CRITICAL FAILURE POINT RESOLVED: Imperial Granary, Southern Sector.
RESOURCE ACCUMULATION VERIFIED: Tier 1 ACHIEVED.Reward: Immediate unlocking of Tier 1 Blueprints (Advanced Standardization).
MODULES OVERVIEW UPDATE:
Personal Cultivation: [LOCKED - Requires Tier 2 System Status]
Retainer Empowerment: [UNLOCKED: Tier 1 - Basic Standardization Training]
Military Summon: [LOCKED - Requires Centralized Command Structure]
Empire Logistics: [ACTIVE - Tier 1 - Advanced Standardization]
Arion felt a surge of energy, not of spiritual Qi, but of strategic success. The Retainer Empowerment module was now open. He could begin turning his loyal fifty guards into a highly effective, disciplined military unit.
However, the System delivered a final warning.
THREAT ASSESSMENT UPDATE:
The Grand Councilor, Lord Haejong, and his allies have mobilized 70% of the Capital's high-ranking Cultivators to convene an emergency council, citing the Chief Granary Master's 'unlawful execution.'
They intend to present a decree questioning the Emperor's sanity and demanding the abdication of the throne by dawn. The true Head Minister of the court remains untouchable—for now.
Arion looked at the Imperial Scale—the weapon of truth that had secured his first victory. Now, the battle was moving from the granary to the throne room. He had exposed a pawn, but the whole pack of vultures was circling, ready to claim their prize. He had saved the Empire from famine, but now he had to save himself from assassination.
He picked up the Imperial Scale. We need a new tool for this fight. Something that works faster than an audit.