I Have an All-Knowing Mirror

Chapter 164: Invincible Overnight

Listening to the sneers and ridicule around him, Su Yuan's expression remained completely unchanged.

The original owner of this body, Bai Shilin, had always been highly loyal and righteous. He detested seeing the Main Lineage Disciples bully the Branch Lineage Disciples who lacked backing, often stepping up to speak for the latter, which naturally led to frequent fights.

Bai Shilin had a tall and sturdy build, so he usually gained the upper hand in these physical brawls among youths.

Naturally, this drew the resentment of many Main Lineage Disciples.

Now that the Aptitude Test results were out, revealing his talent to be the most ordinary inferior aptitude, Bai Shilin would no longer receive the Bai Family's protection. His future was all too predictable.

Before their aptitudes were tested, every family descendant, whether from a branch or the main lineage, was considered a seed of the family. Any conflicts between them had to remain strictly personal.

However, after the Aptitude Test, those Main Lineage Disciples could freely use the power and authority behind them to suppress and humiliate Bai Shilin.

If Bai Shilin had superior aptitude, he would continue to be protected by the family. If he had medium aptitude? He would become part of the family's future middle management, and those Main Lineage Disciples would not dare to push him too far.

But inferior aptitude?

No matter how severely he was bullied and humiliated, as long as he was not killed, the family simply would not care.Su Yuan glanced around. Among the many family descendants present, the Main Lineage Disciples were looking at him with mocking, playful gazes, while the ordinary Branch Lineage Disciples instinctively distanced themselves.

Just before today, Bai Shilin had spoken up for these very Branch Lineage Disciples, even getting into vicious brawls with the Main Lineage Disciples on their behalf.

But now? Not a single branch disciple dared to stand by his side.

'He was still too foolish.'

Su Yuan shook his head inwardly, judging the original Bai Shilin to be entirely too foolish.

Without sufficient strength and backing, he mindlessly stood up for others and offended a massive group of people.

He did not understand self-preservation, nor did he know how to bide his time. Acting purely on hot blood was pure stupidity.

If Su Yuan had not descended into this body, Bai Shilin's destiny would have been to die full of resentment half a year later, crushed under the relentless revenge and suppression of those Main Lineage Disciples.

Even his parents would have been implicated.

"Alright, the test results have been announced. Whether you have superior aptitude or medium aptitude, you must cultivate diligently from now on without any slacking. As for those with inferior aptitude, move out of the Bai Family Compound today,"

the Family Steward announced.

Deep underground beneath the Bai Family Compound lay a Miniature Origin Stone Vein. The pervasive Origin Qi here was much richer than in the outside world. Naturally, family members with inferior aptitude were not qualified to enjoy such an environment.

Every extra minute they stayed was a waste of the family's resources.

"Dismissed."

The Family Steward waved his hand.

Immediately, the dozens of youths scattered. The youths who tested with superior aptitude were naturally beaming with joy, eager to return and share the good news. Those with medium aptitude also sported smiles, relieved that they could at least remain in the Bai Family Compound.

As for the youths with inferior aptitude, their faces were pale with despair.

Su Yuan turned around, intending to leave the area.

Just then, a group approached from a short distance away. They were also family descendants from this batch of Aptitude Tests. The leader was an arrogant-looking youth who stared at Su Yuan and sneered sarcastically,

"Well, if it isn't Bai Shilin. What's wrong? Where are you planning to scurry off to?"

Su Yuan stopped in his tracks and looked at the arrogant youth.

The boy's name was Bai Tianshu, the grandson of a certain Family Elder in the Bai Family. He had been beaten up a few times by the original Bai Shilin in the past.

"Bai Tianshu, you are going too far!"

Before Su Yuan could speak, another youth stepped out from the side, demanding indignantly.

"Too far?" Bai Tianshu chuckled. "Bai Shilin, how do you feel now? How does inferior aptitude taste? If you kneel and kowtow to me, I might just let you stay in the Bai Family Compound."

Bai Tianshu stared at Su Yuan with utter mockery, feeling incredibly exhilarated inwardly.

"Let's go."

Su Yuan could not be bothered to pay him any attention. He glanced at the youth who had spoken up for him.

The boy was Bai Housu, someone who had been helped by the original Bai Shilin many times. He had been evaluated with medium aptitude in this test. Seeing Su Yuan harassed by Bai Tianshu, he had mustered the courage to stand up.

"Alright."

Bai Housu nodded, wanting to leave with Su Yuan.

"Trying to leave?"

Seeing this, Bai Tianshu immediately blocked their path and clamored, "Bai Shilin, if you don't kneel and kowtow today, don't even think about walking away."

"Bai Tianshu!" Bai Housu gritted his teeth. "Careful, or I'll report you to the Family Elders."

"Report me? With what?" Bai Tianshu brushed it off carelessly. "I'm not making things difficult for you, so what reason do you have to report me? And Bai Shilin? He won't even be able to set foot in the Bai Family Compound after today. How is he going to report me?"

Bai Tianshu was completely secure in his backing.

"Brother Yuanwang!" Hearing this, Bai Housu could not help but look at another youth in the crowd.

This youth was named Bai Yuanwang, who had just tested with superior aptitude.

Bai Yuanwang came from a family branch and had previously been bullied by Main Lineage Disciples like Bai Tianshu. Bai Shilin had stepped in to help him on multiple occasions.

"Bai Yuanwang?"

Bai Tianshu's expression shifted slightly.

As a clan member with superior aptitude, Bai Yuanwang held a significant position in the family. If Bai Yuanwang insisted on standing up for Su Yuan, it would be somewhat troublesome even with a Family Elder backing him.

"Brother Yuanwang, Brother Shilin helped you back then too!" Bai Housu pleaded anxiously.

"Bai Yuanwang, are you really going to interfere in my business with Bai Shilin?" Bai Tianshu also glared at Bai Yuanwang.

Bai Yuanwang looked at Su Yuan, then at Bai Tianshu, and fell silent.

Su Yuan had indeed helped him in the past, but he now possessed superior aptitude and was destined to enter the ranks of the family's High-Ranking Officials in the future.

As for making an enemy out of a Family Elder just for Bai Shilin, an inferior aptitude nobody with no future?

Bai Yuanwang weighed the options in his heart and already had an answer.

His future was destined to soar. There was no need to introduce any unexpected variables into his life over some inferior aptitude peasant.

"Brother Yuanwang, you...?"

Bai Yuanwang's prolonged silence made Bai Housu's eyes widen in disbelief.

"I am sorry."

Bai Yuanwang turned and walked away.

"Hahahahaha."

A hearty, elated smile spread across Bai Tianshu's face.

Su Yuan stood there watching coldly. He had already learned of everything happening right now from the gray mirror, so none of this came as a surprise.

Bai Yuanwang's choice was also exactly as expected.

"Bai Tianshu, did you forget that you haven't even started cultivating yet?"

Just then, Su Yuan finally spoke up. "Can you actually stop me?"

The moment his words fell, Su Yuan took a step forward.

Whoosh! Bai Tianshu's expression changed, and he instinctively stumbled backward.

He had not expected Bai Shilin to still act so tough even at a time like this.

It was true that the aptitude results were out. With Bai Tianshu's medium aptitude, as long as he cultivated for a few days, his strength would easily surpass the inferior-aptitude Su Yuan.

But right now, he had not yet begun his cultivation.

Naturally, he was no match for Su Yuan.

This conclusion was a painful lesson learned from being beaten up several times in the past.

"Get lost!"

Su Yuan shot Bai Tianshu a sharp glare, terrifying the boy into retreating frantically before fleeing altogether.

"Damn it!"

Bai Tianshu's face was incredibly ugly. Especially when he noticed the subtle gazes from the surrounding crowd, boundless fury burned in his heart.

This Bai Shilin had already been reduced to inferior aptitude, yet... yet he still dared to speak to him like that?!

"Brother Tianshu, there's no rush. Let's wait a few days, and then we'll show that Bai Shilin what's what!" a nearby Bai Family descendant whispered.

"Right, we're in no rush," another person chimed in. Their main concern was that Bai Tianshu might lose his mind and start another brawl with Bai Shilin right here and now.

If a fight broke out, they would inevitably have to join in, and the result would naturally be them failing to beat Bai Shilin and getting a severe thrashing again.

"Wait a few days?" Bai Tianshu took a deep breath, realizing that this matter could not be rushed.

Now that their aptitudes were set in stone, Bai Shilin was like meat on a chopping block with no way to escape. As long as he took his time to cultivate, wouldn't Bai Shilin be completely at his mercy?

Su Yuan returned to his room.

"Brother Shilin." Bai Housu followed him inside.

"Brother Shilin, that Bai Tianshu definitely won't let you off so easily," Bai Housu said with deep concern.

Having tested with medium aptitude, he held some status in the family. As long as he was careful, he would not face too much harassment from Bai Tianshu.

But Su Yuan's situation was completely different.

A Bai Family member with inferior aptitude was no different from a servant. It would be far too easy for Bai Tianshu to deal with him.

"I know what I'm doing."

Su Yuan replied in a calm tone.

Since he had chosen the Divine Body World, Su Yuan had naturally formulated all his subsequent plans using the gray mirror. There would be no issues.

"You know what you're doing..."

Assuming Su Yuan was just comforting him, Bai Housu sighed heavily. "It's all my fault. If I had superior aptitude, you wouldn't be subjected to this kind of treatment, Brother Shilin."

After packing his belongings, Su Yuan headed to the family's External Affairs Hall.

The External Affairs Hall was where the family handled mundane external matters. Since Su Yuan had tested with inferior aptitude, his next arrangement was to be assigned to one of the Bai Family's external businesses to work for them.

This was the standard treatment for those with inferior aptitude. They would essentially have no opportunities to cultivate, spending all their time handling trivial chores for the family to serve the members with medium and superior aptitude.

"Which of the family's businesses do you plan to go to?"

the External Affairs Hall Steward looked at Su Yuan and asked casually.

Su Yuan had, after all, spent some time in the Bai Family Compound. Despite his inferior aptitude, he still had the right to choose which business he was assigned to.

"The Spirit Medicine Pavilion."

Su Yuan stated flatly.

The Spirit Medicine Pavilion was the Bai Family's largest business pillar, specializing in the sale of various Spirit Medicines.

Spirit Medicines were born and nurtured by Origin Qi. They provided numerous benefits for cultivation and were essentially indispensable items for any Cultivator.

"The Spirit Medicine Pavilion?"

The External Affairs Hall Steward sized Su Yuan up with mild surprise.

Normally, very few people willingly chose the Spirit Medicine Pavilion.

As the Bai Family's pillar business, the Spirit Medicine Pavilion had the best trade, but it was also the most exhausting place to work.

It also carried the heaviest responsibilities. If even a single Spirit Medicine went missing, family descendants like Su Yuan would be punished severely, regardless of whether they were actually involved.

"Are you certain you want the Spirit Medicine Pavilion?"

the External Affairs Hall Steward pressed.

"I am certain."

Su Yuan nodded.

The Spirit Medicine Pavilion was a crucial step in his plan, one that would save him a tremendous amount of time.

"Here is your token. Go straight to the Spirit Medicine Pavilion and report in."

The External Affairs Hall Steward handed over a token.

Su Yuan took the token, turned, and left.

By the time Su Yuan arrived at the Spirit Medicine Pavilion, it was already afternoon.

"Sent from the family?"

The Spirit Medicine Pavilion Manager glanced at Su Yuan, not paying him much mind.

Generally, the family descendants banished to the Spirit Medicine Pavilion all had inferior aptitude, lacking both prospects and backing.

Even if a family descendant with a strong background was tested with inferior aptitude, their elders would pull strings to ensure they were never assigned to the grueling Spirit Medicine Pavilion.

"Take a look around first and familiarize yourself with the environment."

The Spirit Medicine Pavilion Manager tossed out a casual instruction before returning to his own tasks.

Su Yuan did not ask any questions. His understanding of the Spirit Medicine Pavilion was countless times deeper than the Manager's.

'These Spirit Medicines...'

Su Yuan observed the individual stalks of Spirit Medicine displayed throughout the pavilion.

In the Divine Body World, Spirit Medicines were nurtured by Origin Qi and ultimately formed through the infusion of various Cosmic Forces.

Therefore, every single stalk of Spirit Medicine contained an array of Cosmic Forces.

'The Cultivation System of the Divine Body World is divided into Tier 1 to Tier 9. Tier 1 is the weakest, and Tier 9 is the strongest. As long as one steps into Tier 1, they can be called a Cultivator.'

Su Yuan mused silently in his heart.

Compared to the Broken Void World, the restrictions on combat power in the Divine Body World were not too severe. Although a Late-stage Starry Sky Lifeform could not destroy stars here as they could in reality.

They could still easily obliterate an area hundreds of miles wide with a full-powered strike by harnessing the numerous Great Cycles of Universal Power they had mastered.

Of course, that was something only someone with at least Tier 6 strength could achieve.

And Tier 6... Let alone the Bai Family, even the strongest expert in all of Luoyang City was only Tier 4. Looking across the entire Qingfeng Prefecture, Tier 6 Experts were already considered top-tier combatants.

Night fell.

Su Yuan, a newly arrived member from the family, was summoned before the Manager.

"Bai Shilin, right?"

The Spirit Medicine Pavilion Manager eyed Su Yuan with a scrutinizing gaze. "Tonight's Night Watch duty at the pavilion is assigned to you."

The so-called Night Watch meant patrolling and inspecting the interior of the Spirit Medicine Pavilion after it closed its doors for the day.

This kind of task was typically never assigned to newcomers. After all, if anything went wrong during the Night Watch, it would be a massive disaster.

But it was obvious that the Spirit Medicine Pavilion Manager had received some sort of instruction and was deliberately making things difficult for Su Yuan.

"No problem."

Su Yuan nodded.

He had traveled all this way and specifically chosen the Spirit Medicine Pavilion precisely for the Night Watch.

"Be careful. If anything goes wrong, I will hold you fully responsible."

The Spirit Medicine Pavilion Manager stared intensely at Su Yuan for a moment before turning and leaving.

'He deliberately overcounted a few stalks of Spirit Medicine during tonight's inventory, intending to use this discrepancy against me during tomorrow morning's check to frame me for the crime of Embezzlement?'

Through the gray mirror, Su Yuan naturally understood the Manager's scheme. This was also Bai Tianshu utilizing his family influence to begin suppressing him.

The few missing stalks of Spirit Medicine were not particularly precious, so the matter would never escalate to the family higher-ups. It would be entirely decided by the Spirit Medicine Pavilion itself.

The night deepened.

Having accepted the Night Watch duty, Su Yuan naturally had free reign to move around the first floor of the Spirit Medicine Pavilion.

Standing in the center of the first floor and looking at the individual stalks of Spirit Medicine displayed everywhere, a smile surfaced on Su Yuan's face.

"Let the cultivation begin."

Su Yuan sat cross-legged, planning to cultivate directly by absorbing the numerous Spirit Medicines in the pavilion.

As for how he would face the Bai Family's wrath after consuming these Spirit Medicines?

Su Yuan did not care in the slightest. After this single night of cultivation, he would become absolutely invincible in Luoyang City, and perhaps even invincible throughout all of Qingfeng Prefecture.

If the mere Bai Family dared to bark at him, he would simply crush them under his heel.