The Silent Mystic

Chapter 2

But just as Lady Bai raised her hand, Chu Yun’s voice interrupted her.

"Sister-in-law."

He called out softly.

Though his voice was quiet, it snapped Lady Bai out of her daze. A flash of panic crossed her eyes.

Just as she was struggling to figure out how to respond, Chu Yun continued.

"I’m fine for now, Sister-in-law. You should head back and rest. It’s been snowing heavily these past few days, so try not to wander about too much, lest you catch a cold."

"Right... right."

Flustered, Lady Bai gave a hasty reply. Seeing that Chu Yun’s expression was normal and that he seemingly hadn't noticed her strange behavior just now, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"You get some rest too, Brother-in-law. I’ll come visit you another day."

With that, she still didn't quite dare to look him in the eye. Ducking her head slightly, she turned and hurried out.

As she passed the doorway, she happened to run into Little Yan, a maid dressed in green, who looked like she had just returned from outside. Little Yan didn't even bother to bow when she saw Lady Bai; she simply walked past with a cold, indifferent expression.

Lady Bai gripped her handkerchief a little tighter but didn't say a word. She just lowered her head in silence and continued on her way, disappearing out of the courtyard.

Inside the room.

Chu Yun had noticed the little exchange at the door. A faint glint flashed in his eyes before he said calmly, "Close the door and get out."

"Yes."

Little Yan gave a frosty reply, immediately stepping back out and shutting the door behind her. The only break in her cold demeanor was a fleeting trace of surprise upon seeing Chu Yun actually sitting up, but she concealed it instantly.

In the bedroom.

Chu Yun stretched his arms and gave his cheeks a light slap. Then, he got out of bed and walked straight over to a bronze mirror nearby.

Looking at the reflection, he noted that this body’s face looked about eighty percent similar to his previous life's, inheriting most of his former handsomeness. He was fairly satisfied with it.

Then, he murmured softly to the mirror.

"Your sister-in-law is a kind woman. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her from now on."

The memories he had inherited were filled with Lady Bai looking after him. His predecessor's gratitude toward her hadn't faded even in death; it had lingered in Chu Yun’s mind like an unyielding obsession.

But the moment Chu Yun spoke those words, that lingering thread of attachment finally, silently, dissolved.

At the exact same time.

An emotionless prompt sounded in his head.

[Notification: You have gained 14 Spirit Points]

Chu Yun blinked in surprise. Looking closely, a translucent interface silently materialized before his eyes.

[Name: Chu Yun]

[Age: 18]

[Martial Prowess: Feeble Mortal]

[Spirit: level 2.0 (+)]

[Spirit Points: 14]

[Spirit Projection (Nether Realm) — Available to Activate]

Hm.

Excellent.

Chu Yun naturally accepted the system's existence without a fuss. After all, this was a world with ghosts, demons, and monsters that preyed on human lives—it wasn't the mundane ancient dynasty he had imagined.

Since his transmigration had derailed so wildly, getting a system as compensation was only fair.

"Rumor has it there are Martial Cultivators and Mystic Masters in this world. Martial Cultivators can subdue demons, and Mystic Masters can exorcise ghosts. Both paths are divided into Nine Tiers of power, but it seems this system doesn't use that classification."

Chu Yun studied the interface thoughtfully.

'Martial Prowess' obviously corresponded to Martial Cultivators. 'Feeble Mortal' likely meant he didn't even rank on the scale. 'Spirit' should correspond to Mystic Masters, though he had no idea what 'lv2' actually meant in terms of power.

It certainly didn't feel like a proper tier. He didn't sense any magical abilities within himself; top to bottom, he was still just an ordinary person.

However.

That '+' symbol next to his Spirit level was straightforward enough.

After a moment's thought, Chu Yun focused his intent and tried to mentally press it.

[Notification: Consume 3 Spirit Points to upgrade Spirit to level 3.0?]

The prompt echoed in his ears.

Chu Yun didn't overthink it and immediately confirmed.

Silently, a surge of warmth suddenly poured through the Crown Apex Acupoint at the crown of his head, flowing all the way down to his limbs. It felt as though his entire body were submerged in a cool, refreshing liquid. Every single pore seemed to sing with delight.

Chu Yun had never experienced anything so profoundly comfortable. It was as if every corner of his being was enveloped in warmth, a sensation so difficult to describe that his mind was briefly lost in it.

He didn't know how much time passed.

Eventually, his consciousness returned.

He clenched his fists. He didn't feel any physical changes in his body, but mentally, he could distinctly sense a difference. It was as if his mind had undergone some kind of metamorphosis!

He closed his eyes gently.

Then, he opened them again.

It was just a simple blink, but in that split second, the world changed completely. Everything around him took on a dark, illusory hue, as if he had stepped straight from the mortal realm into the ghostly netherworld!

Looking closely, Chu Yun could still see his bed, table, and chairs, but they had all become transparent and ghostly to his eyes. He could literally see right through them, straight to the floorboards underneath!

"Spirit Vision."

The thought instinctively popped into his head.

Spirit Vision!

This was the first and most fundamental ability of a Mystic Master. The moment you unlocked this ability, you officially crossed the threshold and became a Ninth Tier Mystic Master!

In the entire Grand Origin dynasty, there were tens of millions of Martial Cultivators, but Mystic Masters were incredibly rare. That was because martial arts had established methods and techniques anyone could practice, whereas the mystic arts relied entirely on innate, extraordinary talent!

Because of this, even a lowly, entry-level Ninth Tier Mystic Master held a status equal to an Eighth or even Seventh Tier Martial Cultivator. This single ability—Spirit Vision—was simply that powerful!

Chu Yun turned his head, scanning the room. Wherever his gaze fell, whether it was walls, doors, or windows, nothing could block his sight. He saw straight through them effortlessly.

He cast his gaze further out, looking through the exterior wall to see the snow covering the courtyard. Then, he spotted a figure sweeping the snow outside.

He could vaguely make out that it was his manservant, Shen Ye.

The man's entire body emitted faint specks of red light. This light was slightly more vibrant than the glow coming from Chu Yun’s own body.

Chu Yun understood immediately. This was most likely human Crimson Vigor. The more robust the Crimson Vigor, the stronger and tougher the physical body. Once it reached a certain threshold, one would officially become a tiered Martial Cultivator!

Shen Ye was healthier than him, but he was still firmly within the realm of an ordinary person.

Chu Yun then shifted his gaze to the side rooms flanking the courtyard. The right room was empty, but there was someone in the left room—his maid, Little Yan.

Right now, inside her room, Little Yan was holding a very bizarre posture. With every breath she took, the red glow radiating from her body flared up brilliantly before dimming again, pulsing rhythmically like an open flame.

Her red light was intensely bright, far stronger than Shen Ye’s!

Chu Yun watched for a little while until his eyes began to sting. He withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes. When he opened them a moment later, everything in front of him had returned to normal.

"Secretly learning martial arts..."

"She certainly has ambitions."

Chu Yun shot a deep, meaningful look toward the side room.

Maids were absolutely forbidden from practicing martial arts. Little Yan’s bizarre posture and rhythmic breathing were undoubtedly some kind of martial cultivation technique.

Judging by her Crimson Vigor, she might have already broken into the Ninth Tier. She was practically a true Martial Cultivator!

How incredibly bold of her!

If a maid was caught secretly practicing martial arts in Duke Sovereign's Estate, it was a guaranteed death sentence. It was considered gross insubordination. She wouldn't just be hanged—her entire family would likely be implicated and executed alongside her!

Even Chu Yun had to admit, the girl was audacious to the extreme!