[A Secret Meeting in the East Palace]
Night fell, and the golden tiles of the East Palace shimmered under the lanterns. At the invitation of Crown Prince Si Moyan, Gu Xingyu and the Five Yao entered the secret hall. Only a single oil lamp flickered, casting long shadows of bamboo against the windows.
The Prince rose and bowed deeply. "I speak not to congratulate you on today's success, but to offer a confession."
He turned to an ancient map on the wall. "When I was young, the former Grand Preceptor was a man of integrity. But after his passing, a mysterious 'New Preceptor' arrived. He gained my father's absolute trust... and since then, the Emperor has become a different man."
The Prince's voice grew cold. "He became paranoid and ruthless. He even sent my own brother, Moheng, to the Death Row Camp to be forged into a heartless blade. I only learned these dark secrets years later from forbidden scrolls and dying servants."
[The Truth of the Luo Clan]
The Prince looked directly at Luo Ye. "Luo Ye of the Fire Yao. Your father was General Luo Ting."
Luo Ye stiffened, his hands tightening around his rings. "How do you know that?"
"General Luo was the soul of the Western Army, a man of absolute loyalty," the Prince said solemnly. "But the New Preceptor gave a prophecy: 'The Luo bloodline will destabilize the Imperial Luck.' Based on that single sentence, my father ordered the execution of your entire clan for 'treason that had yet to happen.' It wasn't a rebellion, Luo Ye. It was a cold-blooded purge based on a lie."
Silence filled the hall, heavy as lead. Luo Ye's face turned pale, his eyes burning with suppressed fury. "So... my foster father kept me from the army because he already knew..."
Xingyu reached out and held Luo Ye's hand, her warmth steadying his trembling fingers.
[An Unlikely Alliance]
"I do not seek power for power's sake," the Prince addressed the group. "But if we wish for peace, we must clear the rot within these palace walls. I wish to stand with you, to restore order and return this realm to its people."
Xingyu met his gaze. "A Prince who speaks of returning the realm to the people is a Prince worth helping. I will support your ascent—not for a title, but for those who have been forgotten."
The Five Yao shared their resolve:
Luo Ye: "If I ever meet that Preceptor... I will ask him why my family had to die."
Cang Yuan: "If you're not bluffing about the people, I'll stay to see if you have the guts to make it happen."
Lin Lie: "I don't trust royalty. But Xingyu trusts you—so I will lend you my strength."
Li Yan: "Restore the Luo name and stop the bloodshed—and my shield is yours."
[The Shadow of the Preceptor]
The Prince laid out a tattered scroll. "Who is this New Preceptor? He appeared thirty years ago, right when the previous Saintess sacrificed herself. He has no records, no family, no past. He calls himself 'Feng Mian,' the Star-Watcher."
Lin Lie pointed to a pattern on the scroll. "This mark... we saw it in the Sunken Marsh ruins. It's a forbidden seal used to imprison a 'Yao-Shifter'—one who can reverse the very order of our world."
Xingyu felt a vibration from her pocket watch. A blurry image of a dark-robed man standing before a devouring portal flashed in her mind.
"I suspect," the Prince whispered, "that he is not of this world. He may have come from a 'Rift' between realms."
"Then why does the Emperor keep someone so dangerous?" Xingyu asked.
The Prince smiled bitterly. "My father trusts him blindly. I once tried to strip his power by halting the 'Heavenly Calibration.' The city's water systems went haywire instantly. He has woven a web through our very infrastructure. To pull the web, we must first cut the threads. I need your help to unmask him before he plants the 'Seeds of Destruction' across our realm."
The lamp flickered, and the six shadows on the floor seemed to merge into one—a small light against an ancient, encroaching darkness.