The Lazy Sovereign

The morning sun painted the village of Quiet Stream in hues of gold, but Xu Tian had no interest in such poetic nonsense. He lay sprawled under the shade of a willow tree by the river, fishing rod balanced on his toe, hat tilted over his face to block out the day.

"Why struggle against life," he murmured, "when you can drift along with it?"

The gentle tug on his line was ignored. Fishing wasn't about catching fish, after all—it was about having an excuse to sleep by the river.

Meanwhile, in the village square, Elder Han was on the verge of an aneurysm. "Find Xu Tian!" he bellowed at a group of young men. "Drag that good-for-nothing here if you have to! It's spirit root testing day, and he's not dodging it again!"

The villagers sighed in unison. This was the third year Xu Tian had mysteriously vanished during the ceremony. Some claimed he had an unparalleled talent for hiding; others said it was sheer laziness. Both were correct.

Back by the river, Xu Tian was rudely interrupted by the sound of shouting. A squad of villagers burst through the bushes, ropes and nets in hand.

"Xu Tian! Come quietly, or else!"

Xu Tian peeked out from under his hat, groaning. "Can't this wait? The fish are biting."

What followed was a chase scene, complete with Xu Tian dodging nets, vaulting over rocks, and at one point using a bucket of mud as a smokescreen. Unfortunately, his luck ran out when he tripped over his own fishing rod and was unceremoniously dragged back to the village.

Xu Tian stood in the village square, surrounded by curious onlookers. Elder Han glared at him as if trying to ignite him with sheer willpower.

"Xu Tian," the elder said through gritted teeth, "place your hand on the crystal."

The spirit-testing crystal, a relic from better times, shimmered faintly. Xu Tian sighed dramatically, muttering something about his nap being ruined, and slapped his hand onto the surface.

The crystal immediately blazed with chaotic colors—reds, golds, purples—all blending together into a swirling vortex of light.

The crowd gasped. Elder Han's jaw dropped. "This… this is unprecedented!"

Xu Tian blinked. "What does it mean?"

"It means," the elder growled, "you've wasted years of potential, you lazy brat!"

Word traveled fast, and it wasn't long before a rogue cultivator in hiding heard of the "hidden genius" of Quiet Stream Village. Convinced Xu Tian was a prodigy concealing his true power, the rogue decided to act.

That evening, as Xu Tian plotted his escape from the newfound responsibilities thrust upon him, he was ambushed by the rogue.

"You've got guts hiding here, kid," the rogue sneered. "But your luck ends now. Surrender your secrets!"

Xu Tian's response? "Wait, are you sure you've got the right guy?"

The rogue wasn't listening. In the ensuing chaos, Xu Tian stumbled upon a hidden chamber beneath the rogue's campsite. A glowing artifact sat at its center: the Heavenly Bureaucracy Seal, radiating an aura of profound authority.

Desperate to escape, Xu Tian grabbed the artifact, hoping to use it as a weapon. Instead, the seal activated, binding itself to him in a flash of celestial light.

As the light faded, an otherworldly voice echoed:

"Congratulations, Temporary Sovereign. Your duties begin immediately."

Xu Tian froze. "Wait, what duties? I don't want—"

The voice cut him off: "Noncompliance will result in penalties."

The rogue cultivator, blinded and bewildered, fled the scene screaming. Xu Tian, meanwhile, stared at the glowing seal in his hands, realization dawning.

"…This is going to be a problem, isn't it?"