Cherreads

Chapter 48 - Threads of Manipulation

The banquet had ended, but whispers lingered in the air like embers refusing to die out.

"Who is he?""That wasn't just a dance. That was synchronization—rare even among soulmates.""Is he really just a forgotten prince?"

Priyanshu walked silently through the moonlit corridors of the palace, his robe fluttering like a shadow in motion. The echoes of the dance, the favor he had gained from Lady Xiuying, and the stunned expressions of the nobles—each was a thread.

A thread to pull.

A thread to weave.

A thread to manipulate.

[System Notification]New Side Quest Unlocked:Thread the Strings of Influence

Objective: Plant three rumors in the imperial palace that work in your favor.

Reward: +100 Karma Points, Minor Influence over the Minister of War

Hidden Bonus: ???

Quest Difficulty: IntermediateStealth Requirement: High

Priyanshu smiled faintly. "Time to play the game."

He activated his spiritual concealment technique—Shadow Veil Cloak—and melted into the darkness like a whisper among shadows.

His first stop: the kitchen courtyard.

In a drunken daze, two low-ranking guards shared drinks by a dying fire. Priyanshu flicked a silver coin behind a barrel, just enough to distract one.

By the time the guard turned around, a folded piece of paper had replaced the coin in his pocket—one he wouldn't notice until morning.

It read:

"The Snow Jade Fairy dances only with one who has fate ties beyond this realm. The stars say he's not just a prince—but a reincarnated sovereign."

First thread planted.

Second stop: the royal library.

He knew the layout from the memories of this body's previous owner. He crept silently through marble hallways and up to the genealogy room.

With a stroke of ink and a forged seal, he modified a scroll.

Now, anyone researching the empire's second bloodline would stumble upon a newly 'discovered' document:

"Priyanshu Yadav is rumored to be the descendant of the ancient Void Emperor—long believed extinct."

Second thread tightened.

Final stop: the maid quarters.

He left a bracelet on a pillow—one from his past life, carrying subtle divine engravings and an aura of immense age.

The maid who discovered it would surely spread word:

"This doesn't belong here. It feels... ancient. Otherworldly."

Three rumors. Each subtle. Each believable.

[System Alert – Side Quest Completed]+100 Karma PointsMinor Influence: Minister of War now sees you as a potential chess pieceHidden Bonus Unlocked:Skill Acquired – Puppet Thread

(Allows the user to plant ideas in weak-minded individuals over time

Effectiveness increases with Karma balance and Charisma.)

Priyanshu exhaled softly.

Every step, every whisper, every manipulated glance was beginning to pay off.

He wasn't just a forgotten prince anymore.

He was a rumor.He was a myth.He was becoming a legend.

And no one even knew he was the one pulling the strings behind everything.

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