I woke up with less pain than expected. The Bone-Iron Pill had done its job. My muscles still protested when I moved, but it was a manageable discomfort rather than the absolute torment of the previous day.

  I sat up in bed and looked out the window. The sun was just beginning to peek over the clan walls. Another day of brutal training awaited me. Liling was probably already awake, planning new creative ways to throw me to the ground.

  But my mind wasn't on the training.

  I was thinking about the three women who had entered my life since I arrived in this world. The more I reflected on them, the more I realized something absurd. Each of them was literally a protagonist waiting for her story to begin.

  Let's start with Liling.

  An orphan from birth. Raised in circumstances she probably preferred not to discuss in detail. Despite all that, she developed a natural talent for cultivation and martial arts. She was beautiful in a way that made men turn to look at her in the street. Charismatic when she wanted to be. Loyal unto death to the person who had given her a purpose.

  If this were a cultivation novel, Liling would be the prodigy disciple who exceeds all expectations. The one who comes from nothing and ends up at the top. She would probably destroy some arrogant young master in a public tournament, winning her freedom and the respect of some powerful sect.

  Then there was Xiao Yue.

  A direct descendant of the Clan Master. Noble origins. Exceptional potential confirmed by pure spiritual roots. Completely abandoned by her family after her mother’s death. Underestimated by everyone in the clan. Stalled in her cultivation for a year.

  And now, after breaking that stalemate and advancing to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment...

  Yes. This was the classic moment of the underestimated protagonist. The turning point where the ignored Young Mistress proves that everyone was blind. In typical novels, this would be followed by a series of events where she crushes her detractors, wins impossible tournaments, and eventually destroys entire sects full of arrogant cultivators.

  I was ashamed to admit it, but there was a time in my previous life when I enjoyed reading those kinds of stories.

  It was during my adolescence, before business consumed all my attention. I used to stay up late reading cultivation web novels on my tablet. Stories of underestimated youths who defied the heavens. Of hidden prodigies who rose from nothing. I liked them because they followed a clear logic: effort plus opportunity plus talent equals success. It was narrative mathematics. Predictable, but satisfying.

  Though one specific aspect always bothered me: the women.

  At first, they were important. They had personalities, motivations, and unique skills. But as the story progressed and the male protagonist became more powerful, they gradually lost relevance. They became accessories. Characters who appeared occasionally to remind the reader they existed, but without their own narrative drive. It always seemed like a terrible waste of potential to me.

  And now there was Xiu Mei.

  The fugitive alchemist. Exceptional talent in her field. Falsely accused of a crime she didn't commit. Betrayed by the guild that should have protected her. Hunted because a rich and powerful young master wanted to possess her. Because her beauty made her a coveted object instead of a person.

  If that wasn't protagonist material, I didn't know what was. Three women. Three stories perfectly designed for dramatic cultivation novels. And they were all in my life by pure coincidence.

  Well, not exactly coincidence. I had made specific decisions that led me to meet them. But still, the irony was remarkable. The former workaholic CEO who despised fiction as a waste of productive time was now surrounded by characters who could star in bestsellers of the genre.

  If I ever focus on becoming a famous writer in this world, I have enough material for an entire franchise.

  "Kenji."

  Liling's voice from the door snapped me out of my literary thoughts.

  "Yes?"

  "You’ve been staring out the window for ten minutes without moving. Are you okay?"

  "Perfectly. I was just... processing."

  "Processing what?"

  "Nothing important. Is it time for training?"

  Liling leaned against the doorframe with a smile that did not bode well.

  "Not yet. The Young Mistress wants to have breakfast with you first."

  "Breakfast with me?"

  "Her exact words were: Tell Kenji to come to breakfast. And tell him not to dare refuse."

  "That sounds more like an order than an invitation."

  "Welcome to my world," Liling turned to leave. "You have ten minutes to make yourself presentable."

  ******

  I found Xiao Yue in the pavilion’s private garden. There was a small table prepared with tea and a variety of dishes that were definitely not standard servant breakfast. Steamed rice. Sautéed vegetables. Eggs prepared with some technique that made them look like small works of art. There was even fresh fruit cut into decorative shapes.

  Xiao Yue was sitting with perfect posture, but there was something different in her expression.

  "Good morning," I said, approaching cautiously.

  "Good morning, Kenji. Sit down."

  I sat. Xiao Yue poured tea for both of us with practiced movements.

  "Any special occasion?" I asked.

  "Do I need a special occasion to share breakfast with the person who revolutionized my cultivation practice?"

  "Technically, no. But there is usually a reason."

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Xiao Yue smiled slightly.

  "The reason is that I wanted to. Is that enough?"

  "Completely."

  We ate in a surprisingly comfortable silence for several minutes. The food was excellent. Much better than what was normally served in the servants' dining hall.

  "You were thinking deeply this morning," Xiao Yue said finally. "Liling said she found you staring out the window as if you were solving some complex problem."

  "It wasn't a problem. Just... observations."

  "About what?"

  I decided to be honest.

  "About all of you."

  Xiao Yue raised an eyebrow.

  "What about us?"

  "That each of you could be the protagonist of your own epic cultivation story."

  That took her by surprise. She blinked, processing.

  "Excuse me?"

  "Think about it. Liling is the talented orphan who overcomes her origins through effort. You are the underestimated heiress who finally demonstrates her true potential. Xiu Mei is the persecuted master who must clear her name while evading her enemies," I leaned back in my chair. "Classic cultivation novel material."

  Xiao Yue looked at me with an expression I couldn't completely decipher.

  "Did you read many novels?"

  "I used to."

  "And what did you think of them?"

  "That they followed predictable but satisfying patterns. That the logical progression was comforting. And that authors generally wasted their female characters in a frustrating way."

  That caught her attention.

  "How did they waste them?"

  "They started with interesting, competent women. But as the male protagonist became more powerful, they gradually lost relevance. They became accessories instead of people with their own goals," I took a sip of tea. "It always seemed like a terrible narrative waste to me."

  Xiao Yue studied me with that intensity I had learned to recognize.

  "And us? Are we accessories in your story?"

  The question was direct.

  "No. You have your own stories. I just... hope to be a useful part of them."

  Something flashed in her eyes. Satisfaction, perhaps.

  "Good answer."

  "Was it a test?"

  "Everything is a test if you pay enough attention," she smiled genuinely. "But I appreciate that you understand."

  Liling appeared in the garden at that moment, interrupting the conversation.

  "I hate to interrupt whatever is happening here, but it's time for Kenji's training."

  "Already?" Xiao Yue looked toward the sun. "Time has passed quickly."

  "Time flies when you're enjoying yourself," Liling said with a mischievous smile. "Especially when you're enjoying an intimate breakfast with a certain person."

  Xiao Yue shot her a warning look that Liling completely ignored.

  "Come on, Kenji. I have new exercises planned for today."

  "That sounds terrifying."

  "It should."

  I got up from the table. Xiao Yue stood up as well.

  "Train well. This afternoon I want to discuss the trip to the Low District."

  "Do you have a plan yet?"

  "I have three plans. And I need your opinion on which one is most viable."

  Of course she had three plans. Xiao Yue did nothing halfway.

  *****

  The training was exactly as brutal as I expected.

  Liling made me run. Then do push-ups. Then squats. Then more push-ups. Then came the combat, where she patiently demonstrated all the ways my technique was terrible.

  "Your guard is too high," she corrected after knocking me down for the fifth time. "You leave your torso completely exposed."

  "I'm trying to protect my face."

  "Your face can heal. A blow to the solar plexus leaves you breathless and vulnerable," she helped me up. "Again."

  We repeated the exercise. And again. And again. After two hours, I was soaked in sweat and every muscle burned.

  "Enough for today," Liling declared finally. "You’re improving."

  "It doesn't feel like it."

  "Before, you couldn't last even three minutes in a defensive stance. Today you lasted almost eight," she smiled. "That's significant progress."

  "Painful progress."

  "The only kind worth having."

  We sat under the shade of a tree at the edge of the training area. Liling passed me a jug of water, which I drank gratefully.

  "You know what's strange?" Liling said after a moment.

  "What?"

  "That you really are improving. Your body is responding to the training faster than I expected," she studied me with professional interest. "The pills are helping, obviously. But there's something else."

  "Like what?"

  "Like maybe you had potential all this time. You just needed the right structure to develop it."

  "Or maybe you’re just being an exceptional instructor."

  Liling laughed.

  "That too."

  I leaned back against the tree, letting my body recover. My mind, however, remained active. I kept thinking about what I had told Xiao Yue during breakfast. About the three of them being protagonists of their own stories.

  And then it hit me. An idea. Simple, but with massive implications.

  If I could create a personalized cultivation manual for Xiao Yue using basic principles and careful observation... why couldn't I create personalized techniques as well? Not just general theory. But specific techniques designed for each person's individual strengths. Movements optimized for their unique constitutions. Strategies adapted to their ways of thinking.

  It was the same thing I had done with Xiao Yue's manual, but applied directly to combat techniques and active cultivation. And if it worked for Xiao Yue... it could work for Liling too.

  The idea expanded in my mind. Complete manuals. One for Liling that took advantage of her natural talent and aggressive style. I was sitting on a methodological gold mine and was only just realizing it.

  "Liling."

  "Mmm?"

  "I need to go to the clan library."

  She looked at me confused.

  "Now?"

  "Now."

  "Why?"

  "Because I just had an idea. And I need to check something before I forget."

  Liling stood up, reading my urgency.

  "All right. But you should wash up first. You smell like you fought a swamp."

  "Fair."

  I stood up quickly. Too quickly. My legs protested and I almost fell. Liling caught me with ease.

  "Easy. Your muscles are still recovering."

  "Right. Easy."

  *****

  After a quick bath and clean clothes, I found Xiao Yue in her study. She was surrounded by maps and notes, clearly working on her plans for the trip to the Low District.

  "Kenji," she looked up as I entered. "Finished training already?"

  "Yes. And I need to talk to you."

  Something in my tone made her immediately stop what she was doing.

  "What happened?"

  "I had an epiphany."

  "What kind of epiphany?"

  I walked toward her. My mind was still processing the implications, but I knew this was important.

  "The manual I made for you worked because I adapted general principles to your specific constitution and your way of thinking."

  "Yes."

  "Which means I can do the same with actual techniques. Combat moves, Qi circulation methods, active cultivation strategies."

  I saw the moment she understood.

  "Personalized techniques."

  "Exactly," I took her hands without thinking, too absorbed in the idea. "I need to go back to the clan library. I need to study the available techniques and see which ones can be adapted specifically for you."

  Xiao Yue looked at our joined hands. However, she did not pull away.

  "That is..."

  "The manual worked. Why wouldn't this?"

  A slow smile appeared on her face.

  "I wasn't going to say impossible. I was going to say brilliant."

  "Really?"

  "The standard clan techniques were designed to work for the greatest number of people possible. They are generic by necessity. But personalized techniques..." Her eyes shone with genuine excitement. "That could change everything."

  Liling had walked in at some point without me noticing.

  "Are we going to the library then?"

  I turned to her.

  "Yes. And Liling..."

  "What?"

  "I'm going to make one for you too."

  Liling blinked.

  "What?"

  "A personalized manual. Techniques designed specifically for your combat style and your constitution," I looked at her directly. "If this works, there's no reason to limit it only to our Young Mistress."

  I saw the surprise on her face transform into a slightly softer expression.

  "Kenji, you don't have to..."

  "I want to do it. You’re investing time and effort into training me. The least I can do is help you optimize your own progress."

  Liling looked at me for a long moment. Then, without warning, she closed the distance and hugged me. Hard. I felt her arms around my torso, her face pressed against my shoulder.

  "Thank you," she whispered.

  Before I could respond, I felt something on my cheek. A kiss. Soft. Quick. Then another on the other cheek. Liling stepped back with a radiant smile I hadn't seen before.

  "You’re a wonderful idiot, you know that?"

  My brain had stopped functioning completely.

  "I... uh..."

  Xiao Yue watched the scene with an expression of amusement.

  "Good," she said finally. "Then let's go to the library."

  "Yes," I managed to say. "The library."

  Liling was still smiling. Xiao Yue was already moving toward the door. And I was trying to think about how I got into this.

  ****

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