Xuanye knew he was being watched before anyone said it outright.
Not through open stares.
Not through threats.
But through subtle changes—things others would dismiss as trivial.
His auxiliary duties increased without explanation.
His rest periods shortened.
His cultivation records were flagged more frequently.
He did not complain.
Nor did he correct anything.
On the seventh day after Li Wen's death, a junior supervisor summoned him to the administrative hall.
The room was bright, clean, and lined with bamboo shelves. No oppressive aura. No formations. A place designed to make people feel safe—and honest.
"Xuanye," the man said, flipping through several scrolls. "There's a report concerning you."
Xuanye nodded. "I expected as much."
The supervisor paused. "You're not asking who reported you?"
"It's not important."
"The report claims you're deliberately reducing your cultivation efficiency. Avoiding advancement. Wasting potential."
Xuanye listened calmly.
"That's not a violation," the man continued. "But… it isn't normal."
Xuanye finally spoke. "Is being abnormal dangerous?"
The question lingered.
The supervisor studied him before answering, "No. But our world values order."
Xuanye inclined his head slightly. "I'm not disturbing anyone."
"Not yet," the man replied honestly.
He closed the scroll and leaned back. "We simply want to be sure. You aren't planning something?"
Xuanye lifted his gaze.
"If I were planning something," he said quietly, "I wouldn't look like this."
It wasn't a threat.
It was an admission.
The supervisor fell silent, then sighed.
"You'll remain under observation," he said at last. "If anything changes… report it."
Xuanye gave a shallow bow and left.
In the empty stone corridor, he paused.
Someone had reported him not because he was dangerous—
but because he was out of alignment.
And that was far more troubling.
That night, Xuanye wrote nothing in his notebook.
He only added a small mark in the corner of the page.
A sign that from now on,
he wasn't just trying to survive the world—
but also the people within it.