The problem with being a "Side Character" in a cultivation sect is that the world is designed to be loud. Every morning, the sunrise was accompanied by the sound of swords clashing; every evening, the sunset was marked by the roar of someone breaking through a minor realm. It was a world of constant, vibrating tension, like a violin string stretched just a fraction too far.

  Lin Qingyu, however, was currently focused on a very different kind of vibration.

  He was sitting on a mossy rock by a secluded pond at the very edge of the Outer Peak’s territory. In his hand was a simple bamboo pole. At the end of the line was a hook, and on that hook was a very bored-looking worm.

  He hadn't caught anything in three hours. He was perfectly happy about it.

  "You're using the wrong bait," a voice rasped from the shadows of a nearby willow tree.

  Lin Qingyu didn't jump. He didn't even turn his head. He had felt the presence there for a while—a presence that felt like a mountain pretending to be a pebble. He simply adjusted his grip on the bamboo pole.

  "I'm not trying to catch fish," Lin Qingyu replied mildly. "I'm just giving the hook a bath."

  A low, dry chuckle echoed from the shadows. An old man emerged, wearing robes that were so patched and faded they looked like they were held together by prayer and stubbornness. He was carrying a wooden bucket and a fishing rod that looked significantly more professional than Lin Qingyu’s.

  This was Elder Song. In the original novel, The Star of Desolation, Elder Song was a "hidden powerhouse"—a former Soul Transformation Realm master who had gone into seclusion after his heart was broken by the betrayal of his sect. He eventually dies in Chapter 150, sacrificing himself to save the hero, Shen Yuanxing, in a moment of dramatic, tear-jerking redemption.

  Lin Qingyu knew exactly who he was. And because he knew, he had absolutely no intention of asking for a secret technique.

  "Giving the hook a bath," the Elder repeated, sitting down on a stump a respectful five feet away. "That’s a new one. Most disciples your age are up at the Spirit Spring, trying to drown each other for a chance to absorb ten extra drops of spiritual dew."

  "The Spirit Spring is crowded," Lin Qingyu said, eyes fixed on his bobber. "There’s a lot of splashing. A lot of shouting about 'Jade Skins' and 'Golden Bones.' It’s very bad for the ears."

  Elder Song cast his line with a flick of his wrist that was so smooth it didn't even ripple the water. "Hmph. True. Young people these days think cultivation is a sprint. They don't realize it’s more like a long, slow walk through a swamp."

  "If it’s a swamp," Lin Qingyu mused, "I’d rather bring a chair and a snack."

  The two of them sat in silence for a long time. It was a comfortable silence, the kind that only exists between people who have realized that 90% of human conversation is unnecessary noise.

  The System, however, couldn't help but chime in.

  [Emotional Stability System]

  Condition Met: Engaged in a 'Silence Contest' with a hidden powerhouse.

  Reward: Patience +1

  System Note: You are currently ignoring a man who could flatten this mountain with a sneeze. Most protagonists would be begging for an inheritance. You are literally watching bubbles.

  Bonus: Daily Life Luck +0.1

  Lin Qingyu ignored the blue screen. He watched a dragonfly land on his rod.

  "You have a strange aura, kid," Elder Song said after an hour. "Your Qi is Level 3, but your heart... your heart feels like it belongs to someone who has already lived and died twice over. There’s no fire in you. Just... embers."

  "Fire is dangerous," Lin Qingyu said. "It burns the house down. Embers keep you warm and don't attract the neighbors' attention."

  Elder Song turned his head, squinting at Lin Qingyu with eyes that briefly flashed with a terrifying, golden light. Then, the light faded, replaced by a weary curiosity. "Embers, huh? Most people call that 'laziness.' In this sect, laziness is a sin."

  "I prefer to call it 'strategic energy conservation,'" Lin Qingyu countered. "If I don't use up my energy fighting for Level 4 today, I’ll have enough energy to enjoy Level 3 tomorrow. It’s a sustainable model."

  Elder Song laughed—a real, belly-shaking laugh this time. "Sustainable model! I like that. You’re a weird one, Lin Qingyu."

  "You know my name, Elder?"

  "I know everyone’s name. I’m the gardener. I see who picks the flowers and who steps on the grass. You’re the only one who talks to the weeds before you pull them."

  "They're just doing their job," Lin Qingyu said with a shrug. "They didn't ask to be in the wrong place."

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  As they sat, a soft rustling came from the path behind them. Lin Qingyu didn't have to look to know who it was. The air suddenly smelled faintly of plum blossoms and frost.

  Xue Lianhua appeared, her expression as rigid as ever. She stopped when she saw the two of them. Her eyes lingered on Lin Qingyu for a second longer than was socially necessary before she bowed deeply to the Elder.

  "Elder Song," she said, her voice like wind-chimes in a blizzard.

  "Ah, the Ice Fairy," the Elder grumbled, though his tone was fond. "Come to ruin the fishing with your chilly aura?"

  "I... I was just passing by," she said, her gaze drifting back to Lin Qingyu’s bucket, which was conspicuously empty. "Disciple Lin. You are... still doing nothing?"

  "I've moved up to 'Professional Nothing,'" Lin Qingyu said, giving her a small nod. "It’s a promotion. More responsibility, less pay."

  Xue Lianhua’s lips twitched—the closest she ever got to a smile in public. She stepped closer, looking at the pond. "The inner peak is in an uproar. Shen Yuanxing has entered the 'Sword Intent' chamber. They say he will be the youngest in a century to comprehend a Law."

  Lin Qingyu felt a pang of pity for the hero. The Sword Intent chamber was basically a room full of psychic knives that tortured you until you learned how to be a knife yourself. It sounded like a nightmare. "Good for him," Lin Qingyu said. "I hope he brought a cushion. Those stone floors are terrible for the knees."

  Xue Lianhua blinked. "A cushion? He is comprehending the Dao, Disciple Lin. He isn't having a picnic."

  "You can comprehend the Dao and be comfortable at the same time," Lin Qingyu argued. "Why does enlightenment have to involve suffering? If the Universe wanted us to be miserable, it wouldn't have invented honey or soft blankets."

  Elder Song cackled. "He’s got you there, Ice Girl! The boy understands the most important secret of the heavens: The Dao is everywhere, even in a comfortable chair."

  Xue Lianhua looked confused. Her entire life had been a series of "No Pain, No Gain" lessons. To hear two people—one a legendary gardener and the other a mediocre Outer Disciple—mock the sanctity of suffering was like hearing someone claim the sun was actually a giant lemon.

  "I do not understand," she admitted, her voice dropping its 'Cold Beauty' edge and sounding merely like a lost teenager. "If we do not strive, if we do not suffer... how do we grow?"

  Lin Qingyu finally pulled his line out of the water. The worm was gone. The fish had won. "Look at the willow tree, Senior Sister Xue. It doesn't 'strive' to be a tree. It just drinks water and stands in the sun. It grows because that’s what it is. Humans are the only things that think they have to hurt themselves to become what they already are."

  He stood up, stretching his back until it popped.

  "Anyway, the fish aren't biting, and my stomach is. Elder Song, thanks for the spot. Senior Sister, try not to freeze the pond. It makes the fish grumpy."

  He walked away, leaving the "Cold Beauty" and the "Hidden Powerhouse" staring at his retreating back.

  [Emotional Stability System]

  Achievement Unlocked: Philosophy 101

  Condition: Accidentally gave a life-altering perspective to a Female Lead and a Hidden Master while being a lazy bum.

  Reward: Heart-Stabilizing Aura (Minor). People around you will find it 10% harder to start an argument.

  System Evaluation: You are dangerously close to becoming a 'Wise Sage.' Please stop being profound. It’s making the System’s job of keeping you a side character very difficult.

  Lin Qingyu didn't feel like a sage. He felt like a man who really wanted a steamed bun.

  As he walked back toward the cafeteria, he ran into Han Ba, the boy from the day before. Han Ba was no longer trembling. In fact, he looked remarkably relaxed. He was sitting on a bench, watching a group of other disciples run laps around the training field.

  "Senior Brother Lin!" Han Ba called out, waving enthusiastically.

  Lin Qingyu slowed down. "Still have your ribs intact, I see."

  "I didn't challenge him!" Han Ba said, grinning. "I realized you were right. I went to the infirmary instead and got some ointment for my meridians. The healer said if I had waited another day, I might have permanently damaged my path. I spent the afternoon reading a book on agriculture instead."

  "Agriculture? Thinking of a career change?"

  "Maybe," Han Ba said. "There’s a lot of peace in growing things. My family has a small farm. I think... I think I was only trying to be a 'Sword Master' because I was afraid of being ordinary."

  "Ordinary is underrated," Lin Qingyu said, patting the boy on the shoulder. "Ordinary people don't get assassinated by demonic cults. They don't have to worry about the 'Fate of the World.' They just have to worry about the weather and the harvest. It’s a much better deal."

  He left Han Ba with a new perspective and finally made it to the cafeteria.

  The steamed buns with honey were everything he had hoped for. They were warm, soft, and the honey was local—rich and floral. He sat in his usual corner, enjoying every bite.

  However, his peace was short-lived.

  A shadow fell over his table. Lin Qingyu sighed. Can't a man eat a bun in peace?

  He looked up. It wasn't a bully. It wasn't the hero.

  It was a girl he hadn't seen before. She wore the grey robes of the Outer Sect, but she carried herself with a quiet, observant grace. Her hair was tied back in a simple braid, and her eyes were warm and intelligent. This was Mu Ruxin—the girl who, in the original novel, was Xue Lianhua’s best friend and a character who was constantly overlooked because she wasn't a "Jade Beauty" or a "Sword Genius."

  She was, quite simply, the most "normal" person in the sect.

  "Is this seat taken?" she asked, her voice soft and steady.

  "It’s a public bench," Lin Qingyu said, sliding over to give her space. "As long as you don't want to talk about Shen Yuanxing's Sword Intent, you're welcome to it."

  Mu Ruxin let out a small, genuine laugh as she sat down with her own tray. "Believe me, that’s the last thing I want to talk about. I’ve heard 'Sword Intent' three hundred times since breakfast. I think if I hear it again, I’ll turn into a sword myself just to end the conversation."

  Lin Qingyu paused, a bun halfway to his mouth. He looked at her. Really looked at her.

  "You," he said, "are a very sensible person."

  "I try," she replied, smiling. "I'm Mu Ruxin. From the Library Pavilion."

  "Lin Qingyu. From the... well, from the pond, mostly."

  They didn't have a dramatic "first meeting." There was no slow-motion camera, no swelling music. They just sat together and ate their lunch in a corner of a crowded hall, two "ordinary" people who had decided that the world was too loud and that the quiet was much more interesting.

  For the first time since he had arrived in this world, Lin Qingyu felt something other than survival instinct. He felt a sense of home.

  [Emotional Stability System]

  Condition Met: Found a kindred spirit.

  Reward: Emotional Resonance +1

  System Note: You’ve met the person who will eventually become your primary emotional anchor. Try not to mess it up with your 'strategic laziness.'

  Warning: Narrative tension is currently 5%. It is too peaceful. Something annoying is bound to happen soon.

  Lin Qingyu finished his bun and looked at Mu Ruxin, who was currently meticulously picking a stray sesame seed off her robe.

  "Let it happen," he whispered to the System. "I’ve got honey on my fingers and a friend at the table. The apocalypse can wait until after dessert."