This Hedonistic Young Master

Chapter 4: Flattery Gets You... Nowhere?

As if responding to the storm in his mind, the air within the chamber thickened, the haze dissipating as if pulled away by a silent breeze. The golden light shimmering from the window began to coalesce, swirling into the figure of the Celestial Guidance Overseer, her radiant aura cutting through the disarray.

She appeared regal and serene, her robes shimmering as if woven from the essence of the moon itself, flowing with an otherworldly grace. The air felt charged, vibrating subtly with her power, yet there was an odd familiarity in her presence—like a celestial teacher gently indulging an unruly student.

"Greetings once more, Tian Hao," she said, her voice resonating like the chime of jade bells, soft yet commanding. "It seems you are adjusting...well, at least as well as one can under such unique circumstances."

Tian Hao blinked at her, his confusion momentarily overriding his usual wit. "Adjusting? feel like I've been hit by a cosmic sledgehammer, and then force-fed a lifetime of memories that aren't even mine." He shook his head, trying to clear the dissonance.

The Overseer's expression softened. "Ah, yes, the side effects of a full consciousness soul transfer. Few mortals survive it without scars, and fewer still do so seamlessly." She waved a delicate hand, as though brushing away the weight of his concerns. "For your mind to accept its new reality, certain... unnecessary fragments of your old life were redacted. A necessary sacrifice to ensure your survival. Think of it as a cosmic cleanse—a fresh start."

A cold knot formed in Tian Hao's gut. 'Redacted? Like, permanently deleted?' He clutched the edge of the table, the fleeting sense of self slipping further from his grasp. Memories he didn't recall clawed at the edges of his consciousness, begging not to be forgotten. His pulse quickened, fear threading through the cracks in his bravado.

"Not entirely," she reassured. "Consider it more of an archive, tucked away for safekeeping, but inaccessible. The essence of who you are remains intact. For now, let's focus on the present. You are Tian Hao, the young master of the Skyward Lotus Sect, and heir to a legacy of 'immense potential,' or so it's said."

She gestured around the room, her gaze lingering on the remnants of Tian Hao's predecessor's indulgent lifestyle—the scattered wine cups, the rumpled silks, the decadent chaos. "Your predecessor, as you can see, had a certain...affinity for the finer things in life while abstaining from cultivation."

Her lips curved into a smile. "You, much like him, lack the foundation for traditional cultivation methods—a poor proclivity for some of the foundational requirements of qi absorption and circulation. Instead, you will cultivate through pleasure."

Tian Hao's eyebrow twitched, his earlier confusion and worry giving way to incredulity. "Cultivating through pleasure? Are you serious?" He couldn't help but let out a laugh, the absurdity of it all too much to process. He remembered being told about it by the Entity, though the details felt hazy, like a distant dream that slipped away whenever he tried to grasp it.

The disjointed thoughts lingered—cultivating through pleasure felt like a lifeline, something tangible to cling to amidst the chaos. Could this be his chance to live the life he'd always dreamed of? If his old identity was slipping away, perhaps he could build something new. This strange cultivation path could be his one shot at doing just that.

The Overseer's smile broadened. "Indeed, cultivating through pleasure," she affirmed, her voice laced with a mischievous undertone. "The Pleasure-Induced Nirvana Ascension method is a peak heaven-tier cultivation technique." Her words were both soothing and alarming, carrying the weight of immense power cloaked in nonchalance. "But do not mistake indulgence for mastery. True pleasure is not found in mindless excess. It is about balance, about mastering your desires, not being enslaved by them. You must learn to walk the line between indulgence and self-control."