I Died Inventing Cultivation, Now the Heavens Call Me Genius

Chapter 4: My First Enemy Is My Own Family

“Your Highness, do not touch the prince!”

The physician's warning came too late because Emperor William Cole had already lifted Ethan from Queen Victoria's arms. As soon as the emperor's fingers touched his son's wrist, a golden mark spread beneath the infant's skin, sending thin, glowing lines toward his elbow.

William immediately summoned his spiritual energy, but the moment his power touched the mark, it vanished without leaving the slightest trace.

He recoiled as though he had grabbed a burning blade.

“What kind of technique is this?”

The imperial physician dropped to his knees, his face drained of color. “Your Majesty, I have examined hundreds of cultivators, but I have never encountered an energy that consumes spiritual power without leaving anything behind.”

Queen Victoria tightened her grip on Ethan's shoulder, her expression hardening with fear and frustration.

“Then stop experimenting on him and tell us how to remove it!”

The physician lowered his head helplessly.

“I cannot.”

His admission changed the atmosphere in the chamber. Three days earlier, the Heavenly Recognition Crystal had identified Ethan as Shen Yu, the original researcher responsible for discovering Si, before warning that he must never remember his final experiment. Now an unfamiliar mark had appeared on his body, and even the emperor's spiritual power could not affect it.

Ethan understood the danger better than anyone.

The mark was not attacking him; it was searching for something hidden inside his mind. He could feel it moving through his body, following the pathways through which Si would eventually circulate. Whenever it encountered a fragment of his returning memories, it tightened as though attempting to seal away the knowledge.

So this is how they intend to control me.

He struggled to move his hand, hoping to disrupt the pattern, but his infant fingers barely responded.

If I cannot control my own body, how am I supposed to fight an intelligence capable of commanding the heavens?

A knock interrupted his thoughts, and a palace attendant entered to announce that Crown Prince Alexander Cole had requested permission to visit his younger brother.

William frowned. “Alexander should be preparing for the succession ceremony instead of wandering around the palace.”

“He insists that the matter cannot wait, Your Majesty.”

Victoria exchanged a worried glance with her husband. “Let him enter. If our enemies are watching Ethan, we need to discover who else understands what happened.”

After a moment's hesitation, William ordered the guards to admit his eldest son.

Alexander entered wearing dark blue ceremonial robes, his composed expression revealing little of the concern he felt. At seventeen, he already possessed the bearing of an experienced cultivator, but his eyes widened when he noticed the mark on Ethan's arm.

“You found it too,” he whispered.

William immediately reached for his sword.

“What do you know about that mark?”

Alexander stopped beside the table.

“I know it appeared on our grandfather's body three days before he died.”

The revelation stunned everyone in the chamber.

---

William ordered the doors sealed and dismissed everyone except Victoria, the physician, and Alexander. Once they were alone, he lowered his sword without putting it away.

“Explain yourself.”

Alexander removed a folded sheet of paper from inside his robe and placed it on the table.

“I found this in the old imperial archive. It was hidden inside a report concerning our grandfather's final illness. The official records claim he died after failing to advance his cultivation, but this document describes something entirely different.”

The handwriting had faded with age, yet the final sentence remained readable.

The heavenly mark has returned. If it appears on another member of the royal bloodline, do not allow the Registrar to complete its judgment.

Victoria read the warning twice before looking up.

“Who wrote this?”

“Our grandfather's personal physician,” Alexander answered. “He disappeared shortly after the emperor died.”

William's grip tightened around his sword.

“Why have I never seen this report?”

“Someone removed it from the official archive.”

Ethan listened carefully, his thoughts racing. The mention of the Heavenly Registrar confirmed that the intelligence targeting him was not merely reacting to his reincarnation. The royal family had encountered something similar generations earlier.

Perhaps his new family had been connected to the cultivation system long before his birth.

Alexander pointed toward the mark on Ethan's wrist.

“I believe this is connected to the heavenly recognition system. Every cultivator receives a trace of heavenly authority when establishing their foundation, but this mark appears to reject that connection while simultaneously trying to enforce it.”

Ethan nearly laughed at the accuracy of his brother's explanation.

Alexander continued, “Our grandfather spent years investigating forbidden cultivation techniques. Before he died, he told our father that the heavens never granted power freely. They always collected something in return.”

William's expression darkened.

“My father never told me that.”

“He was afraid someone was listening.”

A faint scratching sound came from the sealed door, immediately drawing everyone's attention. The physician raised a protective barrier while William positioned himself between his family and the entrance.

“Who is there?” the emperor demanded.

A familiar voice answered from the other side.

“His Majesty's invitation has arrived.”

William frowned because he had summoned nobody. Nevertheless, the door opened, revealing Lord Marcus Vale, his chief minister and one of the most influential men in the Great Zhou Empire.

Marcus carried a lacquered black box and bowed respectfully, although his eyes lingered on Ethan's marked wrist for a fraction of a second.

“Your Majesty, congratulations on your son's extraordinary destiny. The court has prepared a gift to celebrate his heavenly recognition.”

“How did you know we were discussing the mark?” William asked suspiciously.

Marcus maintained his polite smile. “The entire palace felt the disturbance, Your Majesty. The nobles are frightened, and several families believe the second prince's existence threatens the empire's stability.”

Alexander stepped forward.

“Then tell them to stop hiding behind ceremonial gifts and speak openly.”

Marcus's smile faded. “The crown prince should be careful. Questions concerning heavenly matters have destroyed men far more powerful than you.”

Ethan watched the minister closely. Although Marcus's spiritual aura appeared ordinary, the silver energy surrounding his black box flowed against the natural direction of the light entering the room.

The box was absorbing Si.

It's a trap!

Ethan tried to warn his family, but his infant body produced only a weak cry.

Marcus approached the cradle and reached for the box.

“May I present the gift?”

“No,” William replied firmly.

Before the minister could answer, the box opened by itself, releasing a dark jade ornament covered in intricate silver markings. Ethan recognized the structure immediately because it resembled the formula he had used during his final experiment.

The ornament released a pulse, causing the mark on Ethan's arm to tighten painfully as a fragment of his memory disappeared. His laboratory, his equations, and the shadow that had stood behind him all became blurred.

No!

Desperately concentrating on the ornament, Ethan examined its structure and discovered a tiny opening between two silver lines. His original formula had deliberately included that opening to allow unstable Si to disperse harmlessly, but someone had removed the safeguard.

The ornament was designed to destroy his memories.

Gathering every fragment of awareness he possessed, Ethan focused on the flaw.

The silver markings trembled before the ornament shattered.

Black energy erupted across the chamber, hurling Marcus against the wall while William shielded his family. Alexander drew his sword and pressed its glowing edge against the minister's throat.

“Who sent you?”

Marcus coughed, blood staining his lips.

“I didn't know it would activate so quickly.”

William moved his sword closer. “Who sent you?”

Marcus stared at Ethan with sudden terror.

“The Heavenly Registrar did not send me,” he whispered. “It sent instructions to someone inside this palace.”

A black symbol appeared beneath his collar, matching the marking Ethan had seen inside the Si during his final experiment.

Marcus screamed as his body dissolved into silver particles, leaving only his ceremonial robes behind.

Victoria gathered Ethan into her arms while Alexander slowly lowered his sword. However, Ethan remained focused on the place where the minister had disappeared.

Tiny silver letters had appeared on the inside of his wrist.

FIRST WARNING DELIVERED.

Another sentence formed beneath the first.

THE FIRST EXPERIMENT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO SUCCEED.

Ethan felt a chill spread through his body. Someone had known about his research before his death, and someone had deliberately allowed him to discover Si.

His death might not have been an accident.

A final message appeared beneath the others.

ASK YOUR FATHER WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FIRST PRINCE.

Ethan raised his eyes toward Emperor William, whose face had suddenly lost all color.

The emperor whispered a name nobody expected to hear.

“Thomas.”

Somewhere beneath the imperial palace, a child began to laugh.