Chapter 15 – Coming Clean

Ken noticed something weird. His growth kept being boosted, and despite turning 4, he looked like he was 7 years old. But the weird part was that his aging process should've been slowed down with his cultivation; in fact, it should've been around twice as slow according to the books.

His main difference from the older cultivators was that while they were humans who strengthened their bodies, he turned his cultivation into part of his body, and directly changed his physique and constitution. He could only achieve that by cultivating as a growing baby with his specially tailored manuals.

Thus, he had a paradoxical body; while his aging process slowed down, his growth process accelerated.

The applications for changing his constitution were plenty, and the major ones were that everything would be boosted as he grew up and that if he ever chose to have children, they'd have a head start over the rest of the kids.

"Young Master, it's getting weird now to do it, you are not a baby anymore. If I'm not able to get married because you defiled my body, you'll have to take responsibility."

Sol joked with Ken as she removed her clothes. It was time for her to test the manual Ken had prepared for her body, and he wanted to check her like always. Despite being able to sense her with less skin-to-skin touch now that he opened his twelve major meridians, the clarity was much better the more touch they shared.

"I'm a child, I don't understand what you're talking about."

Ken just feigned ignorance and sat on her lap, but Sol wasn't that scared of him after 2 years of getting used to his personality. In those 2 years, he had never harmed her or abused his authority in any way. She only kept benefitting from becoming his babys- uhm, assistant.

"I know you understand perfectly what I mean, you're too smart to not understand something that I do, Young Master."

Ken looked at her irritatingly, moved a finger on her smooth cheek, and sighed.

"You're right, I'm ruining your future. You'll never find a partner if you stay by my side. Our yearly contract ends in 2 months, so I will send you back to work at the Alchemy division. Luckily, nobody ever saw us like that."

Ken made a sorrowful face as he shook his head with regret over the inconveniences he had caused Sol.

"Haha, Young Master, I was just joking. You're only an innocent child, how could you defile me? It would be my partner's honor to have me after you."

Sol shamelessly sucked up to Ken with a wide smile. She would never give up those magical benefits.

"That's disgusting. Just start cultivating."

Ken wrapped his hands around her and they closed their eyes and started cultivating. He knew this position wouldn't be comfortable when he turned 13 and his hormones would start running wild, but he hoped to be strong enough by then to not require that method anymore.

Ken followed everything going on with her body; he could focus on everything simultaneously without getting confused, and he'd remember every detail. A few hours later, he got up and calculated how to improve his body.

"Good job, Sol. I believe you'd be able to open quite a few collateral meridians with your strength after reaping all the benefits of this manual."

He nodded in satisfaction. He found out that "the heavens were fair" in this world. It meant that no human had an innate talent for cultivation unless he was like Ken and his constitution was different. Since nobody in the sect had a different constitution, it meant that nobody had a better inner talent.

Everything relied on hard work. Cultivation was going against the natural limits the heavens placed on humans, and going against them required a strong will and the desire to move forward, being unsatisfied with what one had. The only thing that relied on talent was understanding, there were still some people smarter than others.

For that reason, most people tried not to spoil their kids too much, and to make them feel envious of others who were stronger than them. Otherwise, complacent kids wouldn't find the drive to bear the pain of getting stronger.

Although they would feel the drive when they turn older, they are much more likely to die if they cultivate in an older age with a fragile body.

'The heavens are not fair in any way. Although the lack of inner talent seems to make everyone equal, the truth is that success heavily relies on resources and guidance. For example, Sol has a drive thanks to the oppression she went through before coming to my side, but she wouldn't achieve anything without the opportunities I gave her.'

Ken denied this sentence. The heavens weren't fair, they'd let one person be born into an abundance of knowledge and resources, while dozens of others were born to serve that single fortunate person who was born to the right parents. Even God admitted it, otherwise, he wouldn't promise to give him elders of a sect for parents.

'Besides, I saw myself how my mom casually made some pills for Sol and helped her awaken a meridian easily. With their pills supply, do they even need a strong desire to advance? But with my ability, I can become the heavens. I will make it unfair in a way those who are closer to me will have the advantage.'

The next half a year passed, and Ken finished awakening his minor meridians. He always kept an eye on Sol's body. Her body now was a lot stronger, and by using the manuals he had seen as references, he assumed that she could beat any privileged kid.

She'd probably be able to defeat a dozen of the best disciples in the inner sect by herself if she had the same combat experience as them.

'I've wasted a lot of time with my lack of pills. Now I should come out clean in front of my parents and learn how to do alchemy and get some pills.'

He made up his mind. His parents didn't give him a single reason to doubt their love or that they believe in superstitions. Dinner time arrived, and Ken sat with his parents at the table.

"Dad, Mom, I have some news to tell you."

'What news can a 4-year-old kid tell us?'

They both thought, but they made a serious face at Ken and nodded.

"You can tell us, Kenny."

Recently, his mother stopped calling him "Sweetie", and switched to "Kenny". Ken also switched from "Mommy" and "Daddy" to simple "Mom" and "Dad".

"I've awakened my body, major meridians, and minor meridians."

His parents nodded seriously when they suddenly realized the meaning behind his words.

"Wait, what? Kenny, can you repeat that?"

"You're cultivators, Mom. You don't have hearing problems."

They both looked at him doubtfully. He hadn't caused any trouble ever since he got access to the library, so was he trying to get something else now?

Ken sighed and let out his aura. After the first time at which he let it out accidentally, he simply remembered how his body did that and imitated it perfectly. His pressure was immense, and a normal human would probably kneel in front of it.

"How is that possible? Did Sol teach you how to cultivate? HOW DARE SHE?"

His mother jumped to a conclusion and turned furious as soon as she felt the pressure. His father was frowning as he was thinking about a few contradictions in his wife's theory.

"Wait, Dear. Kenny, how did you get access to Body Strengthening Fluid?"

"I threatened someone from the library to give it to me. I told him I'd tell my parents he had bullied and beaten me if he didn't."

He made up this lie when he decided to reveal his cultivation for his parents. Although he trusted them enough to accept him no matter how much of an abnormality he was, he didn't know if it would still be the case if they learned the whole story. Would they still consider him their son?

"But Sol would tell us the truth, she must have been there."

His mother questioned, but soon realized it was a stupid question. If Sol knew what was better for her, she'd side with her young master rather than with a stranger. Otherwise, who would save her when Ken told his parents that she beat him too or did something inappropriate?

"She would always take my side."

Ken replied and his parents nodded. His mother already calmed enough to see the abnormality of the situation.

"But how is your aura so powerful? Even a dozen kids in your stage wouldn't be able to take out such an aura."

"Maybe it's because I practiced from a young age. I also tweaked the manual a little where I felt it could benefit me."

His parents paled when they heard he dared change the manual as he used it. Even they didn't dare try that, or the manuals in the sect would continuously evolve with each generation.

"Ken, do you understand how dangerous it is to change a manual?"

"I do, but I was 100% sure it was safe. I didn't tell you about it because I knew you wouldn't let me do it, denying me from becoming stronger."