Celebration is the best time to cut throats.
Because no one suspects the man who's smiling.
And as the Hollow Bone Sect prepared for the annual Heavenly Ascension Festival, Kael Draven moved his pieces across the board. Not in haste, not in fear—
But with the patience of a spider that knew the flies would come drunk and gift-wrapped.
One Week Before the Festival
The outer sect was alight with motion. Lanterns strung across the mountains. Markets overflowed with spirit fruits, flame-roasted meat, and fireworks made from compressed qi.
Disciples painted their robes, polished their jade tokens, prepared to compete for rewards, face the elders… and hopefully gain recognition.
But below it all—
Rot.
Kael walked through it like a priest in a brothel.
Chaos System Notification
[Festival Event Detected: Heavenly Ascension Games]
[Reward Pool: Spirit Relics, Law Techniques, Sect Advancement Medals]
[Optional Objective: Rig the Competition]
[Reward: +50 Chaos Points, Reputation Damage to Sect, Access to Elder Vault Plans]
Kael didn't even blink.
"We won't just rig it," he said.
"We'll redefine what it means to win."
The Plan: Zhou Fan Style
Kael summoned his inner circle in the Shadow Lotus Chamber.
Ghost Fingers: infiltration and sabotage.
Moss-Faced Girl: toxin blending and spiritual disharmony.
Red Tooth: crowd control.
Fodder: public distraction, manipulation of sect perceptions.
Lady Cinderlight: bait.
"We're going to poison the sect," Kael said, eyes calm.
"Not the food. Not the drink."
"We'll poison their meritocracy."
He dropped scrolls across the table.
Blueprints. Secret rankings. Bribed judges.
"Everyone who wins… will be someone we own."
"Everyone who loses… will question why."
"And that doubt? That's our real victory."
Meanwhile: The Sect Elders Plot
Elder Shu, Elder Bai, and Elder Rin met in secret.
"Draven's growing too quiet."
"He hasn't made a move since the war goddess arrived."
"Which is why I fear he's already won."
They planned to humiliate his disciples during the festival.
Secret weapons. Pre-arranged failures. Sabotaged formations.
None of them realized…
Kael had written their plans himself and let them 'find' it.
Festival Day – Morning
Drums pounded. Elders watched from floating stages. Inner sect elites preened like peacocks. Spectators from other sects arrived in flashy robes.
Kael sat quietly beside Lady Cinderlight, drinking tea.
Fodder entered the ring first.
He faced an inner sect beast-kin with triple meridians.
Fodder yawned.
The beast-kin attacked—only for his body to lock up mid-leap. Spiritual pathways tangled, as if his own qi betrayed him.
Moss-Faced Girl grinned in the shadows.
"My spores bloomed well."
Fodder finished the match with one finger flick.
The crowd gasped.
Battle Two: Red Tooth vs. Elder Rin's Nephew
The favored champion. Everyone expected a win.
Kael smiled as the match began.
Red Tooth got beaten for three minutes straight.
Bloody. Bruised. Laughed at.
Then he smiled.
"Thanks for getting close."
He whispered something.
And bit down on his own thumb.
Blood activated a curse sigil hidden under the platform.
The Elder's nephew screamed—flesh melting from spiritual backlash. His soul aura collapsed.
Kael sipped his tea.
"Everyone assumes the monster must win."
"But the most dangerous thing... is a monster that plays loser."
Lady Cinderlight's Role
She paraded through the inner sect garden like a queen, attracting attention.
All the while, she whispered suggestions into key elders' ears:
"Let Kael's team win this once. It'll make him arrogant."
"Then next year, we crush them."
They believed her.
They liked her.
They didn't realize she now hated them.
Final Match: Ghost Fingers vs. Elder Bai's Protégé
Elder Bai's disciple used high-speed footwork and illusion blades.
Ghost Fingers simply vanished.
When the crowd blinked, the protégé stood naked, all his clothes stolen mid-battle.
He surrendered out of shame.
The crowd roared.
Kael looked at the Sect Master.
"Interesting matches," he said, tone light.
"Almost like merit was real for once."
The Sect Master's fingers twitched.
System Update
[Chaos Points: +82]
[Reputation Shift: Mortal Realm Trickster +24]
[Faction Standing: Outer Sect Influence 67% → 82%]
[New Title Gained: The Hand Behind the Curtain]
End Scene: The Hidden Prize
That night, Kael walked into the Elder Vaults.
No guards. No resistance.
He took a single scroll.
Heaven-Rank Technique: [Lotus of Reverse Fate]
And placed another scroll in its place.
A forged technique—rigged to explode upon use.
He smiled.
"Let them chase legacy…"
"While I rewrite destiny."