In our pursuit of power, we often forget that the greatest wounds are not those inflicted by blade or spell, but by the severing of bonds between those we hold dear. A child’s trust, once broken, becos harder to nd than any physical injury.
— Master Yan Hui, Teacher of Common Wisdom
Spring air whipped through the training grounds as Xiulan adjusted her grip on the horse’s reins. The dappled mare shifted beneath her, muscles tensing. Balancing required precise control of her newfound strength—too much pressure from her thighs would crush the poor beast.
"More speed, Miss Lin! Keep your back straight!" Instructor Han’s voice cut through the morning air.
"On it!" Xiulan leaned forward and gave the reins a gentle snap. The mare responded instantly, hooves thundering against the packed earth as they accelerated around the pen’s periter.
"Now halt!"
Xiulan pulled back smoothly. The mare slowed to a trot before stopping at the pen’s center, snorting softly.
"A natural talent for horsemanship, Miss Lin." Instructor Han nodded approvingly.
"Thank you." Xiulan patted the mare’s neck. "Should we venture outside?"
Instructor Han studied them for a mont before striding to the gate. The wooden barrier creaked open, and Xiulan guided her mount through.
The connection between rider and horse felt oddly natural, though Xiulan couldn’t determine if her cultivator abilities enhanced the bond. Her mories provided no reference—Li i had only seen horses in pictures and videos, while the original Xiulan remained confined to carriages.
Freedom tasted sweeter from horseback. Her black martial dress split perfectly along hidden seams, the dark fabric stark against the mare’s light coat.
Instructor Han appeared at her side, taking hold of the lead rein. They proceeded through the manor’s western sector, circling the military grounds where soldiers snapped to attention, saluting as they passed.
"I need to visit the Lord’s Pavilion." Xiulan patted the mare’s neck. "We can head to the pavilion, then you can return her to the stables."
"Of course, Miss Lin." Instructor Han adjusted his grip on the lead rein.
They steered away from the military grounds toward Lord Lin’s forr residence. The spring breeze carried whispers and shuffling feet as rchants and officials scattered from their path.
Xiulan’s qi rippled through her ridians, disrupted by their obvious avoidance. She drew a steadying breath, focusing inward to smooth the energy flow coursing through her body. She still hadn’t mastered making such things completely reflexive, and her roiling emotions made the process much more difficult.
The rising pavilion erged ahead, its curved roof stretching toward the sky. Xiulan swung down from the saddle, boots landing softly on the packed earth.
"Thank you for the lesson." She straightened her martial dress. "Rember, we depart for Blackre tomorrow. The n should be prepared."
"They will be ready, Miss Lin." Instructor Han saluted crisply before leading the mare back toward the stables.
The gate guards snapped to attention as Xiulan approached. She passed through the entrance—a boundary that once marked forbidden territory now opened freely before her. The courtyard opened wide, decorated with carefully arranged stone paths and flowering shrubs.
"Miss Lin." An elderly servant bowed low. "How may I assist you?"
"I wish to see my mother."
"This way, please." The servant guided her to a sheltered gazebo where a tea service awaited. "She will join you shortly."
The gentle rustle of silk announced Zhao Lian’s arrival. Xiulan stood and bowed deeply. The familiar scent of jasmine wafted through the air as Lian approached.
"Mother." Xiulan straightened from her bow.
"Sit with , daughter." Lian settled onto the cushion across the table. "How are you faring?"
Xiulan sank down onto her own cushion, studying the intricate patterns on the teacups. "My heart wavers these past days. Each step feels uncertain, like walking through mist without a lantern."
A weak smile crossed Lian’s face. "You chose a harsh river to navigate. The current runs swift—too late now to turn back to calr waters."
The words struck deep. Xiulan released a pained breath. "What I did... it wasn’t evil. They tried to destroy us first. Would have killed us both without hesitation."
Lian lifted her teacup, steam curling around her fingers. "And yet you feel clouded?"
"Yes." Xiulan traced the rim of her cup. "Sotis I imagine a different path. One where we might have found peace. Zhang Wei..." She swallowed hard.
"Your actions carried aning." Lian set down her cup with precise grace. "Stay firm in your resolve. Rember what drove you to fight—what you sought to protect. Hold fast to those treasures in your heart. That is a woman’s strength before all else."
Xiulan lifted the porcelain cup to her lips. The jasmine tea spread warmth through her chest, its subtle floral notes dancing across her tongue.
Lian released a asured breath. "The rumors build outside our walls. They spread through the province like autumn leaves in the wind—yet things might turn to our favor."
"What do you an?" Xiulan set her cup down with practiced grace.
"House Chao posted bounties across the region." Lian traced the rim of her cup. "They seek a ’ruthless cultivator’ who massacred the hall over so unnad grudge. Your na remains absent from their proclamations. The deception shields us, for now."
"Have there been any other developnts?" Xiulan straightened her spine, qi flowing steadier through her ridians.
"Your grandfather agreed to send aid from Aeris." A ghost of a smile crossed Lian’s face. "He dispatches your Cousin Min to assist us. He’s a martial expert, though not an immortal."
Xiulan blinked. "Cousin Min? I don’t recall eting anyone on your mother’s side of the family."
"They never ventured to our humble Blackre." Lian shook her head. "And your father avoided the provincial capital’s celebrations. Such gatherings held little appeal for him."
"I hope they can help," Xiulan said. "Managing the manor will require more hands while I’m away. He’s coming as an official investigator for the prefect?"
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Lian nodded. "You know that your great grandfather holds the ducal title, and his son and my uncle is the provincial prefect. Your cousin will co to sort matters and discuss the replacent for the county magistrate position. Zhang Wei is too young for the position."
Xiulan frowned. "I won’t be able to teach him. I’ll have to be away too often."
"I’m not so decrepit that I can’t guide another child." Lian poured more tea with practiced grace. "Zhang Wei shows both promise and talent."
Xiulan traced the rim of her cup. "I plan to leave tomorrow with Instructor Han and i Chen. We need answers about her condition in Blackre."
"I have several official docunts for you to carry to the city magistrate." Lian withdrew a small sealed scroll from her sleeve. "The edicts require soone of rank to announce them. That duty falls to you now."
"I’ll handle it." Xiulan accepted the scroll, making sure the tal binding was bronze and not gold. Not that she didn’t trust her mother. It was just a mistake she’d never make again. Ever.
"House Chao will cause more trouble." Lian set her cup down with precise movents. "Their current silence rely indicates confusion, not surrender."
"Their county is nearly a province away," Xiulan said. "The distance provides so buffer."
"Distance only delays their response." Lian’s fingers tightened around her cup. "Losing the stream of wealth from our family so suddenly will strike like a slap to the face."
Xiulan clenched her fist. "They never deserved that inco."
"Obviously." Lian released a asured sigh. "But facts won’t soften the blow. I’m recruiting more soldiers with our recovered funds. Their retaliation could prove harsh."
"Invasion?" Xiulan frowned. "Provincial law—"
"They can’t justify annexation or invasion." Lian cut in sharply. "But raids? Kidnapping Zhang Wei to seize control? Such sches might succeed without proper preparation."
Xiulan exhaled slowly. "Regardless of what they believe on the massacre, the rumors about a cultivator in the Lin family will make them cautious. They’ll likely seek sothing to balance that."
"It’s worse than that. The Chao family reportedly sent soone to the Whispering Shadows Sect in their last generation." Lian’s brow furrowed. "They likely maintain that connection."
Anxiety coiled in Xiulan’s stomach. She leaned back and set her tea down, the porcelain clicking against wood.
The four major schools and sects in Arinthia flickered through her mind like a well-rehearsed strategy ga.
The schools, formal institutions of learning, each offered distinct advantages. Skyward Institute’s mastery of Qi Control and Air Manipulation, Earth’s Embrace Academy’s focus on physical strength, Flaheart Sanctum’s fire affinity and alchemical prowess, and Aqua Seraph Academy’s water manipulation and healing arts.
These were places where young cultivators went to learn the foundations of their arts, typically spending years in structured education. Independents flocked to them and ford loosely bound alliances that sprawled across the entire kingdom.
But the sects were different beasts entirely.
While schools taught, sects lived their philosophies. The Celestial Lotus Sect with their pursuit of enlightennt, the Iron Fist Sect’s dedication to martial supremacy, the secretive Whispering Shadows Sect, and the fearso Ember Dream Sect—they were not re places of learning but lifelong commitnts to a way of cultivation.
Aligning with any of them would bolster a family’s standing, but it would an pledging loyalty to their cause.
Her gaze drifted to the scroll in her hand. Lord Lin’s actions began to make a twisted kind of sense.
Offending Zhang’s family, with their ties to the Whispering Shadows Sect, would have been disastrous. Xiulan’s eyes narrowed. Why had he let them sink their claws into the family in the first place?
She let out a sigh. The Whispering Shadows Sect posed the gravest threat. Their expertise in stealth, assassination, and espionage ant Zhang Wei’s safety hung by a thread. It would be difficult to protect him. Whether from assassination or kidnapping.
She couldn’t always be by his side. Even if she tried, it would weaken her ability to confront larger threats. She had crossed into a new realm of power, but maintaining that power required continuous cultivation.
Stagnation invited predation.
She’d learned that well, in her first attempts to form her own settlent in the ga. It wasn’t until she had built up several characters to a pinnacle of power and used them to shepherd her lower level ones that she had actually made progress on her long-term goals to build her own settlent in a hidden valley.
Xiulan stared into her teacup, thoughts churning.
The kingdom’s guardian spiritual deities might enforce boundaries between mortal and Wulin communities, but those lines blurred easily near the roots.
A sect could dispatch a dozen body refinent disciples without drawing notice. The real question was Chao’s connection to Whispering Shadows. One family mber might prove manageable, but deeper ties...
"Xiulan?" Lian tapped the table. "Are you well?"
"Things feel complicated." Xiulan released a tense breath. "Just thinking through possibilities."
Lian drained the last drops from her cup and set it down with a soft clink. "Visit Zhang Wei while you’re here. He needs his sister. The brightness has left his eyes these past days."
"Of course." Xiulan nodded.
"I’ll send updates when possible." Lian straightened the teapot. "Consider purchasing ssenger birds in Blackre. The Treasure Pavilion should accommodate soone with your... connection."
"You knew about that?" Xiulan’s eyes widened.
"A cart full of cultivation goods arrived at our door." Lian’s lips curved upward. "I’m not blind. Though I still wonder how you established such a relationship."
"Fate." Xiulan offered a weak smile.
She stood and wrapped her arms around her mother. "I’ll find Zhang Wei now. Try to lift his spirits." Lian squeezed Xiulan tight before releasing her.
Xiulan stepped away and headed toward the main building. She looked to a servant for guidance.
"Young Master Wei takes his writing lessons in the east wing," the servant said, bowing deeply.
The indicated room sat empty, scrolls scattered across the low table. Fresh ink stained the bamboo brush holder. Xiulan traced the still-damp characters on an abandoned practice sheet. The strokes showed promise but lacked confidence.
Spring sunlight filtered through the corridors as Xiulan searched. She checked the kitchens, the living areas, and even the storerooms. Each location yielded nothing but worried servants and guards.
A flash of movent caught her attention near the back gardens. Through gaps in the ornantal fence, she spotted Zhang Wei huddled beside a fishpond. He clutched his knees to his chest, staring at the rippling water where koi fish darted beneath lily pads.
Xiulan crept forward across the moss-covered stones. In one swift motion, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind.
"Sister Xiulan!" Zhang Wei yelped, jumping beneath her embrace.
"Thinking about catching dinner?" Xiulan chuckled softly.
Zhang Wei opened his mouth to respond, but deflated instead. His gaze drifted back to the pond, where golden scales flickered beneath the surface.
Xiulan held him close but remained silent, letting him process his thoughts. The spring breeze rustled through bamboo leaves overhead.
"Why did you kill them?" His small voice cracked.
The question hit like a physical blow.
Xiulan tightened her arms around him as he gripped her sleeve. He leaned back against her chest, trembling slightly.
"They..." Xiulan swallowed hard, searching for the right words. "They tried to kill . They tried to kill i Chen. They wouldn’t have stopped until they succeeded."
"Even Father and Suyin?"
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