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.