In a place far from the hustle and bustle of the outside world, a small workspace was dimly lit by the soft flicker of an oil lamp. The scent of old paper and oil mingled, creating a heavy and tense atmosphere.
A middle-aged man sits behind a large wooden desk covered with scattered documents. His robe is dark, the fabric thick and neat, indicating that he is not just anyone. His face is stern, his eyes sharp as he stares at the pile of reports he is reading with intense concentration.
A soft footsteps are heard, then a black shadow appears from the corner of the room. The figure kneels deeply beside the table, dressed entirely in black, only a pair of eyes visible from behind the cloth covering his face.
"Sorry to disturb you, sir," he says in a low, respectful voice.
"Xie Feng, one of the leaders of the bandit group you assigned to the area near Moyuan Valley, wants to see you."
The middle-aged man looked up from the documents in his hands.
"Xie Feng? From the Tree Hounds?" His voice was flat, but held a hint of annoyance.
"What does he want this time? Tell him I'm busy. Tell him to come back tomorrow."
The shadow remained bowed.
"I already told him, sir. But he insisted. He said it has to do with the Ash Serpent Union's plans."
The middle-aged man was silent. His eyes narrowed. Slowly, he put down the document he was holding and stared at the flickering light of the oil lamp.
"Bring him in."
"Yes, sir," replied the man in black robes, then disappeared behind the door.
Shortly thereafter, heavy footsteps could be heard approaching from outside. The wooden door creaked slowly as it opened. From behind it appeared a man with messy hair, a dirty face, and one eye covered with a dull, torn cloth stained with dried blood. It was Xie Feng, one of the Tree Hounds, the archer who had previously fought Raven in the forest.
Upon entering the room, Xie Feng immediately knelt on one knee, bowing deeply before the middle-aged man.
"What report do you have to give, Xie Feng?" asked the man coldly, his hands clasped in front of his chest.
"And what happened to you?"
"Forgive me, Lord Lin..." Xie Feng's voice trembled.
"I come bearing bad news about a threat that could potentially thwart the Union's plans."
Mr. Lin narrowed his eyes. "A threat?"
With a heavy sigh, Xie Feng began to explain. He recounted how their bandit group had found Raven's group near the valley, how they had hunted down the survivors, and how a battle had ultimately broken out between the three Tree Hounds leaders and a stranger who possessed no Qi.
Xie Feng recounted everything from their failed siege tactics to the moment when his two companions died and he himself had nearly lost his life.
"So..." Mr. Lin said slowly, his eyes staring at the oil lamp in front of the table.
"You... three Lesser Master level bandits, lost to a young man who didn't even have Qi? And that young man came from that strange iron thing you call an 'iron carriage'?"
Xie Feng swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "Y-yes, Master... I can't believe it either, but"
"Shut up!" Mr. Lin snapped as he slammed his fist on the table. The sound of cracking wood echoed throughout the room.
"Xie Feng! Do you know how embarrassing this is?! Three Tree Hounds fighters defeated by a young man without Qi?! You useless piece of trash!"
Xie Feng trembled violently, but before he could answer, something moved from the darkness. A sword blade slid quickly and stuck right into Xie Feng's shoulder.
"ARGHHHHHH!" His scream echoed. His body collapsed to the floor, blood dripping profusely from the wound. From behind the shadows, the black-robed figure reappeared, now pointing the sword at Xie Feng's neck.
Master Lin stared at the scene expressionlessly. "You know, I really want to kill you right now. But unfortunately... you are still useful to Master Bai Shehun's plan."
He stepped closer, crouching in front of Xie Feng, who was grimacing in pain.
"So, instead, I will take you to him myself... let Master Bai decide whether you deserve to live or die."
"W-what... I'm going to... meet Master Bai in person?!" Xie Feng could hardly believe it, fear overflowing on his face.
A small dagger flashed in Mr. Lin's hand, stopping right in front of Xie Feng's eyes.
"If you don't want to lose your other eye... don't you dare say another word."
He stood up and gave a signal.
"Take him downstairs and lock him in the detention room, and prepare a guard. Tomorrow we leave for Union headquarters."
The voice was calm, but left no room for argument.
Xie Feng was dragged out without mercy. His limp body scraped against the wooden floor, leaving a long trail of blood that slowly seeped between the floorboards.
The footsteps of the guards receded until they finally disappeared behind the heavy closed door.
The room fell silent again.
Only the faint crackling of an oil lamp could be heard, its flame flickering in the slight breeze coming through the window. Shadows on the wall moved faintly, lengthening and shortening with the unstable flame.
From the darkest corner of the room, a silhouette slowly separated from the shadows. A man in a black robe stepped forward, his head slightly bowed, but his gaze held unease.
"Master Lin..." his voice was low and cautious.
"Are you really sure you want to bring this matter directly to the Master?"
He paused for a moment, then continued in a heavier tone.
"A problem this small... if it disturbs him, won't it just provoke his wrath?"
Mr. Lin did not answer immediately. He stared at the dancing flames of the lamp in front of him, as if weighing something.
"I know the risks," he said definitely.
"But what we need now is a scapegoat to appease his anger. And Xie Feng is perfect for that."
"But what if the Master's anger turns on you, sir?"
Mr. Lin's gaze turned sharp.
"That won't happen." He turned slowly. "Quite the opposite. This story could be an opportunity."
He lifted the corners of his lips slightly.
"From Xie Feng's report, the young man who defeated the Tree Hounds is much more interesting to the Master. Imagine someone without Qi being able to take down three Lesser Masters. That's not normal. Something like that..."
He paused for a moment, his eyes reflecting the light of the fire.
"...will interest the Master."
"Do you really believe that story?" asked the man in black robes again.
"That they lost to a young man who doesn't even have Qi?"
Mr. Lin was silent for a moment.
Then he chuckled softly.
"Heh... it is hard to believe. But that's precisely why it's interesting."
He turned his body slightly, returning his gaze to the swaying oil lamp.
"A warrior might lie to save face. But someone who was defeated so badly that he almost lost his life? He wouldn't create a story that made himself look even more pathetic."
His eyes narrowed slowly.
"If three people as strong as Tree Hounds were truly defeated by a boy without Qi..."
His voice became flatter.
"...then that boy is no ordinary person."
The room fell silent again. Only the crackling of oil from the lamp danced in the air.
The man in the black robe only bowed his head, not daring to look into Mr. Lin's eyes. The atmosphere in the study became quiet. Only the crackling sound of the oil lamp could be heard, mixed with the night wind sneaking through the window cracks.
Mr. Lin was silent for quite a while, staring at the documents that no longer held his attention. In his mind, there was only one thing: the image of the young man who had been able to defeat the Tree Hounds.
The more he thought about it, the greater his curiosity grew, mixed with a dangerous sense of intrigue.
He looked back at the man in the black robe.
"After I leave for headquarters, take a few men with you," he ordered calmly but firmly.
"Investigate the trail of the young man called Xie Feng."
His voice hardened at the end of the sentence.
"If you find him, bring him back alive, if possible."
He paused for a moment.
"And if not... just kill him."
"Yes, sir," replied the man in black robes without hesitation.
Master Lin leaned back in his chair, slowly closing his eyes.
It seems things will get a bit complicated from here on out…
But his resolve hardened immediately.
…but for the Union, this plan must proceed.
Beneath his calm exterior, the long-smoldering flame of vengeance reignited.
For the Union's grand plan… and my revenge.