Yu Liang lost count ages ago.
How many times had he swept the main courtyard of the Cloudwater Sect?
The stone tiles beneath his feet were cold and smooth, barely showing any signs of wear despite centuries of use. Yet every day, he returned with the same broom and swept the same courtyard from one end to the other. And tomorrow, he would probably do it again.
At the same time, Yu Liang often felt like nothing more than a visitor, someone whose time here was temporary and who would eventually fade away without leaving much behind.
Like a small mark that would fade without notice.
He was a handyman disciple. Yeah, the title looked impressive on paper, but it didn’t really fit what he was doing day in and day out.
Mostly, he would sweep the courtyards, fetched things, carried supplies, and did all the leftover chores nobody wanted. It wasn’t glamorous, not even close, but someone had to make sure everything stayed on track.
The real disciples, the ones who trained, practiced their skills, and worked hard to get stronger, barely noticed him. They lived in a world filled with techniques, honor, and ambition.
His was water fetching, scrubbing, and sweeping. Guys like him, they were just part of the background.
Always sweeping.
The Cloudwater Sect is one of the most prestigious sects in the world and it’s shrouded in a veil of mist at all times because of its mountain peaks. It certainly looked impressive from the outside.
This is the very reason why Yu Liang could never catch an eye of anyone because in such a sect that cared about rank and discipline. He was nothing but another nameless disciple there.
He had joined the sect many years ago as an orphan, picked by the elders when they visited his small village looking for disciples. Back then, he had thought it was a miracle as he had grown up hearing stories about immortals who could fly through the skies, live for centuries, and wield powers beyond ordinary people.
He had been so happy when he was accepted that he could barely sleep that night.
A child who had known little but hunger could now stand among them. For the first time, he felt like his dream of becoming an immortal might actually come true.
But the reality slapped him within his first year.
The sect ran entirely on talent, and Yu Liang’s talent was practically non-existent. His spiritual roots were thin and brittle. His meridians were clogged. Even the most basic introductory manual, the "Flowing Water Technique," failed to produce a single thread of usable Qi in his body.
After twelve months of almost zero progress, the elders stopped paying attention to him. He was quietly reassigned to the handyman disciple area. It wasn’t an explicit expulsion though.
The elder had other things in mind for him. Instead of being trained as a disciple, he was assigned tasks to help maintain the basic functioning of the sect.
The evening sun cast its last rays across the courtyard. Dust hung in the air, briefly visible before the wind scattered it. Yu Liang leaned the broom against a pillar, the rough handle pressing against his calloused palm.
His stomach gave a hollow growl. He had saved just enough contribution points for one steamed bun which would be his dinner.
In the sect, contribution points could be used for anything from food to cultivation materials. But, recently with the arrival of new recruits, his workload had lessened so did the earning of points.
On the way back to his shack at the sect’s edge, he thought about the three years he had spent as a handyman. Three years of waking before dawn, working past dusk, watching others grow while he remained the same.
His peers, who had been accepted together with him, were now at the Sixth or Seventh stages of Qi Condensation Realm. Some were learning the sword art, while he saw them dueling in the training arena.
His own cultivation was still stuck at the Sixth Stage of Body Tempering Realm. It was a fact he could not escape. He was often the subject of discussion but many did not pay any attention.
Body Tempering Realm was just physical conditioning, the bare minimum before a person could even begin real cultivation.
He pushed open the door of his shack. The small space contained only what he needed, a thin straw mat, a short table, and a stool that leaned slightly to one side. On the table sat the only object he thought of as his own, a chipped ceramic bowl, given to him when he had first joined. It was damaged, cheap, but it had remained with him.
Yu Liang sat on the stool. The tiredness in his body made the wood feel heavier beneath him. He looked at the bowl and his thoughts turned restless.
’Another ten years like this... maybe twenty... and nothing will change. I’ll still be here, still at the Sixth Stage, maybe Seventh stage or more but will they tolerate me? Maybe Yes as a worker.’
He thought of running away. But the idea collapsed quickly. He had no skills to survive outside, no cultivation to protect himself, no money to last even a few days. The world beyond the sect walls was harsher than this place.
Staying meant a cage.
Leaving meant a faster death.
His eyes stung. It became a little moist.
At that moment, a sharp flash of light followed, but only for him. Then a voice, calm and clear, almost mechanical like a puppet entered his mind.
[ Ding! Host’s Emotional Fluctuations detected ]
[ System is initializing... ]
Yu Liang snapped his head up, his muscles instantly tensing. He looked around the tiny room, but the space was completely empty.
Then once again he heard the same voice.
[ Initialization complete ]
[ Welcome Host To The Ultimate Cashback System ]
A translucent, pale blue window materialized in the air floating right in front of his face.
[ Host: Yu Liang ]
[ Cultivation: Sixth Stage of Body Tempering Realm ]
[ Physique: None ]
[ Bloodline: None ]
[ Comprehension: Mortal Tier ]
[ Spiritual Roots: Low Grade Water Spiritual Roots ]
[ Status: Desperate, Penniless, Unremarkable ]
[ System Function: Every expenditure has a random chance of triggering a Multiplier. Possible multipliers: 2x, 5x, 10x, 50x, 100x, 500x, 1000x, and more ]
Yu Liang rubbed his eyes. The panel didn’t disappear. At first, he thought someone had cast an illusion on him, but the idea passed quickly. Who would bother attacking a handyman disciple, let alone go to the trouble of using an illusion on him?
"What... What are you?" He said cautiously.
[ I am the System, designed to assist the Host. To begin, please complete a test transaction of at least 1 copper coin. All you must do is spend ]
The words sounded simple.
Too simple.
Yu Liang reached into the inner pocket of his robe and pulled out his remaining money.
Three years of labor had left him with twelve low-grade spiritual stones and two worn copper coins. Spiritual stones were used by real cultivators for transactions, while coppers were mostly used by mortals and low-level workers for basic food.
One copper coin was almost worthless. A decent meal cost at least five, and even a single steamed bun usually ran for three.
The system continued.
[ Host, begin with a demonstration. Please make an expenditure of at least 1 copper coin ]
’If this is some kind of spell or trick, I lose one copper,’ Yu Liang thought to himself. ’If it’s real...’
He stood up and made his way to the canteen. Most disciples had already left; only the kitchen staff remained. He spotted a familiar young worker named Lin, who was currently busy sweeping stray flour off the main prep table into a wooden bucket.
"Lin," Yu Liang asked hesitantly, "do you have any leftover buns? I... I can give you one copper coin."
Lin frowned. "Again? I told you, my family takes the leftovers." After a pause, he sighed and tossed a hard bun into Yu Liang’s hands. "Take it. Just don’t let anyone see."
Yu Liang caught it. The coin was still in his pocket. The voice came again.
[ No expenditure detected. Transaction invalid ]
So it had to be a real purchase. Yu Liang pressed the copper coin into Lin’s hand.
Lin blinked. "For this? It’s only a stale bun."
"Yes," Yu Liang replied. "Take it."
Lin shrugged and pocketed the coin.
Instantly the panel lit up.
[ Ding! Host has spent 1 copper coin ]
[ Multiplier Triggered: 100x ]
[ Host receives 100 copper coins ]
He froze. One copper had become 100.
Really?
He left the spot quickly, and after walking some distance, his breathing grew faster. He asked in a low voice, "You call yourself a system, right? Then system, where’s my money?"
[ Ding! It’s saved in the system inventory. You can command internally or verbally to retrieve what’s stored there ]
[ Host can also view the inventory through the system panel ]
When he checked, he saw the sign of 100 copper coins in the inventory. With a mix of nervousness and curiosity, he gave a careful command, ’four copper coins.’ Instantly, four coins appeared in his palm.
He stared at them for a moment. The sight of coins appearing out of thin air made him feel a surge of excitement. His first real proof that the system was real. He tightened his grip, steadied his mood, and left quickly.
He had 100 copper coins.
This is real.
The bun in his hand felt heavier than gold.
He walked back to his shack, the wind brushing past him. Looking at his broken bowl still sat on the table, but it no longer looked like a reminder of failure. It looked like the mark of an old life he had just stepped away from.
He sat down, face more calmer now, though his heart was beating like a drum in chest. ’I may have started as a handyman. But with this system, things will change.’