Lan and Zhan had turned one year old. Unlike other children, they stood easily on their own feet, and both had reached a shared belief:
"This guy is also a reincarnator."
They observed each other closely and realized a normal child wouldn't act this way. Yet they remained cautious, because one thing was clear: this was a sect where even a father might not visit his own children for a year.
Lady Ling Yue was happy today, busy selecting clothes for the children. At that moment, Midwife Choi and Maid Yeon entered to help prepare them.
Lan and Zhan looked on in surprise, wondering what all this fuss and strictness over clothing was about!
Midwife Choi offered a simple suggestion: black robes of the same fabric the leader usually wore.
Ling Yue was determined and accepted the proposal. She had also tended to her own appearance today—it seemed time for the children to see outside the villa. Lan and Zhan were equally determined; they wanted to gather information about where they were.
"Outside this villa is a world to discover."
Zhan was in Midwife Choi's arms, Lan in Maid Yeon's. They gazed in amazement at the villas within the inner palace. All this time, they had been inside a fortress, and it was clear they were in its inner section—like the harem of an Ottoman sultan.
At the entrance of a villa four times the size of theirs stood an elderly yet dignified woman who greeted the Fourth Lady.
"The First Lady awaits you. I will guide you."
The sight after entering was unbelievable to Lan and Zhan: a boat in a pond larger than several Olympic-sized pools, with a single vessel at its center. The elderly servant bowed slightly in respect.
"The First Lady awaits you on the boat. Please wait while it comes to this side."
Ling Yue showed no surprise. She remained utterly composed, and when the boat arrived, she paid her respects to the First Lady before boarding.
"I have been eager to see you, and I thank you for inviting us."
The First Lady, who had not risen from her seat, smiled and invited Ling Yue onto the boat.
Everything seemed calm, but Lan and Zhan were fully aware of the disparity in status. As Zhan gazed at the scene filled with lotus flowers and armed guards standing facing the walls, he thought:
"This First Lady doesn't even need to display power."
The First Lady glanced at Lan and asked to see him up close. When she looked directly into Lan's eyes, a strange feeling came over her—as if she had met someone from the Jagal tribe.
"What beautiful, healthy children. It seems Lady Ling Yue has raised them well. I hope they will both cooperate and learn well until the ceremony."
Ling Yue knew this was not an idle remark.
"There are still four years left. They learn quickly. But if you have any advice for this new mother, I would be grateful to hear it."
The Fourth Lady lifted Lan slightly and, while staring into his eyes, smiled faintly. Lan knew that children softened every heart.
"If there is any advice, ask the midwife who guided you to the boat. She has been with me for years, though raising boys may present greater challenges."
After an hour, Yang Yue requested to take her leave. This brief conversation was enough for her. During the audience, the First Lady had shown no hostility.
The First Lady was also satisfied with the short meeting. In that brief time, she had detected no ambition from Ling Yue.
---
In one of the chambers of the Heavenly Demon's hall, the Second Steward was reviewing reports when the account of the meeting between the First and Fourth Ladies reached him.
Dongfang Dubai, who had requested an audience earlier, waited for the steward to finish.
"It seems whatever you're doing is more important than what I have to say."
The steward smiled and replied, "I can do two things at once. You speak, and I'll read the report."
Dongfang nodded and placed a box he had brought on the steward's desk.
The steward set aside the scroll, stood up, and looked at Dongfang. After Dongfang gestured to the box, the steward opened it.
"Damn, we really had to bring this here."
Inside was a severed head, preserved in salt. It was impossible to identify. The steward waited for Dongfang's explanation.
"What is this? For the Alliance or an enemy?"
Dongfang answered calmly, "This is the first Murim Alliance spy captured after the agreement. He killed himself after arrest."
Dongfang lifted the severed head by its hair and said, "From what I know of the piece-mover, for every piece we take, there are two more. But deciding on further action requires the help of a steward or the leader himself."
The Second Steward knew the First Steward had anticipated such an event during the agreement, and the leader had been involved in the terms. He asked Dongfang for time.
The Second Steward was consumed with worry.
"The succession battle that will begin in a few years, the Murim spies who have already started, the Taoists discontent with their defeat and expulsion from Tai'an seeking revenge—and amid all this, the entire sect except the leader is eager for war."
---
At night, while the Heavenly Demon's guards patrolled Tai'an, two men waited behind an inn. The back door opened, and they were led to the inn's basement.
The inn worker pointed them to the figure inside and said, "You have business with him."
A man with a feminine appearance sat in a purple robe, drinking wine, and addressed them:
"What does the Murim Alliance want from the Hao faction?"
Without hesitation, the Alliance members replied, "We want information from within the Heavenly Demon's inner palace. We will pay whatever price you ask."
The Hao faction representative finished his wine and stated the terms: "You will wait one to two years, pay an advance deposit I will specify later, and if our agent is captured, the deal is void."
The Alliance representative angrily retorted, "Such a timeline is unacceptable. We must obtain the information before hostilities begin."
But the Hao representative emitted killing intent—revealing martial prowess above the first stage. After the Alliance envoys calmed down, he said softly:
"Jianghu is no place for greed."
The terms were accepted. Upon confirmation from the Alliance headquarters, the operation would begin. The Hao faction was engaging in its biggest gamble in Shandong Province. Yet the Hao representative remained calm, as if accustomed to living in danger.