Covenant [Xianxia]

A charismatic scholar whose family was executed for treason assumes the identity of a merchant's son and takes up the sword in vengeance, unknowing that every usage of his innate social predictive skill is a slow erosion of his interiority. A mortal merchant's daughter discovers a way to cultivate through a minor beauty art never meant for combat and schemes her way into the ranks of the immortals. The network of alliances she learns to build will become her strongest backing but also a stain on her soul. If absolute power corrupts absolutely, collaborative power corrupts collectively. The path to ascension is a descent into madness and corruption.  ... Deuteragonists. A study into class consciousness in a power progression Xianxia, among other themes. Weak-to-strong, no cheating. Expect character development and (very) eventual romance. Updates twice a week.Cross-posted on SB.