The consequence didn't take long.
It didn't come as a direct attack or a public accusation. It came the way truly dangerous decisions come:
administratively.
Lin Ye felt it before he understood it. Huo'an's air shifted in weight again, but this time it wasn't expectant.
It was selective.
As if the city had decided which parts were allowed to move and which weren't.
—It's started —Su Yanlin said quietly as they crossed the third street after leaving the auction.
—I know —Lin Ye replied—. The margin didn't close… it got outlined.
Every step he took felt permitted, but only along implied routes. No barriers. No visible seals. Preferences. Paths where it was convenient for him to be.
That was much worse.
Yan Mo was waiting at the agreed point, leaning against an old stone column. His expression confirmed what Lin Ye already suspected.
—Three minor decisions —he said bluntly—. None mention you directly. All of them surround you.
—Examples? —Lin Ye asked.
—License reviews in the Lower District —Yan Mo continued—. A temporary reduction of patrols on secondary routes. And an informal circular about "unclassified risk variables."
Su Yanlin clenched her jaw.
—That's a soft cordon.
—Exactly —Yan Mo nodded—. They're not attacking you. They're pricing you out.
Lin Ye let out a low laugh.
—I always thought if I became a problem, it would be for something more… explosive.
—Don't underestimate the efficiency of the boring —Yan Mo replied—. It kills the most.
They hadn't gone far when someone else decided to approach.
—Lin Ye.
The voice was steady, young, with rehearsed confidence. A man stepped out from the side of the street. He wore sober, well-cut robes, no obvious emblem. His cultivation was solid—mid Spirit Core, stable.
—My name is He Luan —he said—. I represent the South River Logistics Association.
Su Yanlin watched him cautiously.
—We didn't request an audience.
—I know —He Luan replied—. That's why I'm here now.
He looked directly at Lin Ye.
—The visibility you just claimed has collateral effects —he continued—. Some of them… affect routes I manage.
Lin Ye tilted his head.
—And I assume that worries you.
—It annoys me —He Luan corrected—. But not enough to confront you.
Yan Mo raised an eyebrow.
—Then what do you want?
He Luan inhaled.
—A limited agreement —he said—. While you're in Huo'an, don't interfere with certain routes. In exchange… I'll make sure some things keep working normally.
—Protection? —Lin Ye asked.
—No —He Luan shook his head—. Normalcy. Which is far more valuable.
Lin Ye studied him in silence. No hostility. No loyalty. Just calculation.
—And if I say no? —Lin Ye asked.
He Luan didn't take offense.
—Then I'll find another way to protect my interests —he replied—. You may not like it.
Su Yanlin leaned slightly toward Lin Ye.
—This is one of the "allies of convenience," —she whispered—. Useful. Fragile.
Lin Ye nodded slowly.
—I accept —he said—. On one condition.
He Luan lifted an eyebrow.
—Don't use my movements as currency —Lin Ye continued—. If anything changes, you tell me first.
He Luan smiled faintly.
—That's reasonable.
He extended his hand. Lin Ye shook it carefully. No seals. No visible contracts. Just mutual understanding.
After He Luan left, Yan Mo said:
—It won't last.
—I know —Lin Ye replied—. But it buys me time.
—For what? —Su Yanlin asked.
Lin Ye looked up at the night sky, where Huo'an's lights seemed farther away than usual.
—To find out where they plan to break first.
He didn't have to wait long.
A messenger came running from a side street, breathing hard. No uniform. No emblem. Just urgency.
—Lin Ye? —he asked—. Are you Lin Ye?
—Depends —Lin Ye replied—. What do you have?
The messenger hesitated, then spoke quickly:
—There's movement in the Lower North District. More than usual. People going in… and not coming out.
Lin Ye's pulse quickened.
—Since when?
—An hour —the messenger replied—. And… someone asked about you. Not by name. By description.
Su Yanlin closed her eyes briefly.
—They're forcing the tempo.
Yan Mo pressed his lips together.
—That means Tao Wen has stopped being just a coin.
Lin Ye felt something cold settle in his chest.
—He became a limit —he said—. The point where they decide whether I yield… or I escalate.
The messenger swallowed.
—What are you going to do?
Lin Ye didn't answer immediately. His body was weak. The margin reduced. The Threshold… restless.
—I'm going to look —he said at last—. Without interfering.
Su Yanlin stared at him.
—That's a dangerous lie.
—No —Lin Ye replied—. It's a promise I might not be able to keep.
Somewhere beneath Huo'an, a door shut with a dry sound.
Tao Wen was shoved into a chair.
—They decided to accelerate —a calm voice said—. Someone became visible… and that always has a price.
Tao Wen lifted his head, eyes tired but steady.
—Then charge it —he said—. Just don't pretend you didn't know what you were doing.
The voice laughed softly.
—Oh, we knew —it replied—. That's why we're doing it now.
And in that moment—without knowing it yet—Lin Ye took the first steptoward an uncomfortable truth:
Being visible doesn't only attract enemies.It also speeds up losses.