Age: 3 Years
The moon hung high over the Ye Clan estate, casting long, silvery shadows across the courtyards. The patrols were active, guards marching in synchronized rhythm. To a normal intruder, the estate was a fortress.
To me, it was a playground with slightly annoying fences.
I stood on the windowsill of my nursery, the cool night breeze ruffling my sleeping robes. I was three years old now. My body was small, round, and according to the maids, "pinchably cute."
'Ria, patrol routes?' I asked mentally.
"Two guards approaching from the West. Thirty-second window to cross the garden," Ria replied promptly.
I hopped off the windowsill, landing silently on the grass. I didn't use Qi to enhance my speed—that would create a fluctuation the clan's formations might detect. Instead, I used the Shadow Steps of the Demon Paragon, a purely physical footwork technique that erased sound and presence.
I moved like a ghost, a tiny shadow darting between the decorative rocks and bonsai trees.
My destination: The Old Stone Garden. It was a neglected corner of the estate where the clan dumped broken training dummies and shattered boulders. It was the only place where I could make a mess without the maids freaking out.
Clutched in my hand was the Stellar Meteorite—the rusty spike I had claimed two years ago.
I found a secluded spot behind a massive, moss-covered rock.
'Finally,' I thought, sitting down in a lotus position. 'Time to eat.'
I placed the heavy black spike on my lap.
'Technique: Heaven-Devouring Sutra. Third Form: Matter Deconstruction.'
I placed my hands on the metal. My palms glowed with a dark, violet light. The "rust" on the spike began to flake off, revealing the true material underneath—a shimmering, starlight-infused metal that pulsed with gravity.
Hummmm.
The metal began to liquefy, turning into a glowing silver sludge. It floated up and seeped into my chest, diving straight into my Soul Sea to feed the dormant sword, Antakala.
"Oh, that hits the spot," Ria moaned in my head, the sword vibrating with delight. "More. The blade is at 0.01% repair."
'Don't be greedy,' I grunted, sweat forming on my forehead. Refining divine metal with a toddler's body was exhausting.
Crack.
The sound of a twig snapping made me freeze.
I killed the violet light instantly. The silver liquid vanished into my chest. I sat there, holding a generic rock I had grabbed from the ground, looking innocent.
"Who goes there?" a raspy voice called out.
A figure emerged from the shadows. It was an old man with wild white hair and a red nose, holding a gourd of wine.
It was Grand Elder Xuan. The strongest fighter in the clan after my father. He was known for being grumpy, drunk, and incredibly sharp.
He squinted at me. "A baby? In the Stone Garden at midnight?"
He took a swig of wine and rubbed his eyes. "I must be drunker than I thought. I'm seeing the Patriarch's kid playing with rocks."
I stared at him, wide-eyed. 'Option 1: Knock him out. Option 2: Act cute.'
'Option 1 is risky,' I decided. 'He is a Peak Sky Realm expert. My tiny fist might break on his face.'
"Elder Grandpa!" I chirped, using my best 'innocent child' voice. "Moon is pretty! Rudra chasing bugs!"
Elder Xuan burped. He staggered closer, eyeing me suspiciously. "Chasing bugs? At this hour? You should be in bed, brat. Do you know how many spirit beasts roam—"
He stopped. He looked at the ground where I had been sitting. The grass was withered. The air smelled of ozone and crushed gravity.
His eyes narrowed. The drunkenness vanished instantly.
"That wasn't a bug," Xuan muttered. He looked at me, his gaze piercing. "Boy. What were you doing just now? I felt a fluctuation. A heavy one."
'Damn. He's sharp.'
"Firefly!" I pointed at a random spot in the air.
"Don't lie to me," Xuan growled, stepping forward. He reached out to grab my shoulder. "Let me check your meridians. If you've been practicing a demonic art—"
'Not good. If he checks my meridians, he'll see the Supreme Yang energy boiling like a volcano. I need a distraction.'
"Butterfly!" I shouted, pointing behind him.
I used the distraction to 'run away.' I sprinted toward the perimeter wall.
"Stop!" Xuan shouted, chasing after me.
I pretended to trip over a root. I stumbled forward, flailing my arms. I was heading straight for a massive, solid granite training wall—a wall meant to withstand sword strikes from adult disciples.
"Watch out!" Xuan yelled, realizing I was about to face-plant into the stone. He lunged to catch me.
He was too late.
I needed to make this look like an accident, but I also needed to warn him not to mess with me.
I didn't slow down. I 'accidentally' shoved my hand out to break my fall. I channeled a burst of Earth-Shattering Force into my tiny palm.
'Oops.'
BOOOOOM!
My small hand connected with the granite wall.
It didn't just crack. It exploded.
A hole, three feet wide, blasted through the two-foot-thick solid stone. Dust and gravel rained down. The shockwave knocked Elder Xuan's wine gourd out of his hand.
I sat in the rubble, coughing, looking at my dusty hand.
Silence. Absolute silence.
Elder Xuan stood there, his hand frozen in mid-air. He looked at the hole in the wall. Then he looked at the three-year-old boy sitting in the debris.
His jaw was practically on the floor.
"You…" Xuan wheezed. "You… The wall… Solid granite…"
I looked up at him, tears welling in my eyes (fake). "Ouchie. Wall hurt Rudra."
Elder Xuan looked at the wall again. The edges were pulverized to dust. That wasn't raw strength; that was technique.
He dropped to his knees in front of me. He grabbed my shoulders, shaking me.
"Do it again," he demanded, his eyes manic.
"No! Ouchie!"
"Don't give me that 'ouchie' crap!" Xuan whispered frantically, looking around to make sure no one else saw. "You just punched a hole through a Rank-2 Granite Wall! You're three years old! You haven't even started cultivation!"
He stared into my eyes. He saw the depth there. He saw the lack of true fear.
He took a deep breath. "You… You are a monster, aren't you? A natural-born monster."
I stopped crying. I wiped my face and looked him dead in the eye. The 'baby' mask slipped for a second.
"The wall was in my way," I said calmly.
Elder Xuan shuddered. He felt a chill run down his spine. This wasn't a child. This was a tiger cub wearing human skin.
Then, a massive grin spread across the old man's face. He started laughing. A wheezing, crazy laugh.
"Hahahaha! The Ye Clan is blessed! No, the Ye Clan is terrified! Hahaha!"
He stood up and dusted off his robes. He looked at me with new respect.
"Alright, brat. I saw nothing. You were chasing a bug. The wall… fell down because of bad construction."
I tilted my head. "Grandpa is smart."
"But," Xuan raised a finger. "In exchange for my silence… you come to my courtyard every day at noon. I have some 'rare ores' I don't need. You seem to like rocks."
My eyes lit up. 'Bribery. I like him.'
"Deal," I said.
Elder Xuan picked me up and placed me on his shoulder. "Let's get you back to bed before your father wakes up and thinks I kidnapped you. Gods above, a three-year-old… destroying walls…"
As he carried me back, I rested my chin on his shoulder, watching the moon.
'Ria, mark Elder Xuan as 'Ally'.'
"Done," Ria replied. "Also, you have stone dust in your hair."
'Worth it. I got a sponsor.'