Imperial Capital – Three Months After the Linshan Massacre
The gates of the Imperial Capital loomed ahead, their gilded edges catching the afternoon sun like the rim of a predator's eye. Li Yuan Tian adjusted the hem of his travel-worn robes, his expression unreadable. Beside him, Zhao Qilin stretched his arms behind his head, grinning as if he hadn't a care in the world. Behind them, Wei Shengong—the young scholar they'd picked up on the road—fidgeted with the straps of his book satchel, his eyes wide as he took in the towering walls.
"First time in the capital?" Li Yuan Tian asked, though he already knew the answer.
Wei Shengong swallowed. "I—yes. The Scholar's Examinations begin next month. I… I didn't expect to arrive like this."
Zhao Qilin clapped him on the shoulder, nearly knocking the slight scholar over. "Relax, bookworm. You're with us now. That means you've got protection." His grin turned sharp. "And debts."
Li Yuan Tian ignored them both, his mind already turning inward. It had been a year and a half since he'd left Dongping City—since he'd been nothing more than a boy with a head full of ambition. Now, standing at the threshold of the empire's heart, he could feel the weight of his progress.
The Blood Opening stage.
Finally, he had the strength to stand on his own.
---
Courtyard of Whispers
The rented courtyard was modest by Imperial standards, but its privacy was worth ten times its price. The moment the gates closed behind them, Li Yuan Tian shed his outer robe and knelt in the center of the stone-paved yard.
Wei Shengong hovered near the doorway, uncertain. "Should I… leave?"
"No," Li Yuan Tian said. "Watch."
He closed his eyes. Drew a breath.
And pushed.
His qi surged, a tide of molten gold and flickering crimson. The air around him thickened, pressing against skin and stone alike. Wei Shengong gasped as the ground beneath Li Yuan Tian's knees cracked, spiderweb fissures racing outward.
Zhao Qilin whistled. "About damn time."
The breakthrough wasn't gentle. It wasn't meant to be. Blood dripped from Li Yuan Tian's nose, his pores, the corners of his eyes—each drop hissing as it struck the heated stones. His meridians burned, reshaping themselves under the brutal pressure of the Crimson Arts' influence.
And then—
Release.
The tension snapped. The qi settled. Li Yuan Tian exhaled, slow and controlled, and opened his eyes.
The world was sharper. Clearer. As if a veil had been lifted.
Wei Shengong was staring at him like he'd grown a second head. "That… was the Blood Opening stage?"
Li Yuan Tian wiped the blood from his lips. "Yes."
Zhao Qilin smirked. "Congratulations. Now you're only mostly helpless in this city."
---
The Zhao Estate
Two days later, they stood before the gates of the Zhao Clan's estate—a sprawling complex of lacquered pavilions and manicured gardens, its walls adorned with the clan's sigil: twin phoenixes circling a mountain.
The guards at the gate straightened as they approached. One of them blinked, then broke into a grin.
"Second Young Master! You're back!"
Zhao Qilin waved lazily. "Miss me that much, huh?"
Before the guard could reply, a blur of motion shot from the estate's entrance—a figure moving faster than courtesy allowed. A fist connected with Zhao Qilin's shoulder, sending him stumbling back.
"Ow! What the hell—"
"You idiot!" The figure—a young man with the same sharp features as Zhao Qilin, but with an unruly mop of hair—glared at him. "A year and a half without a single letter? Father nearly sent the Shadow Hawks after you!"
Zhao Qilin rubbed his shoulder, scowling. "Don't hit me, you retard." He gestured vaguely at Li Yuan Tian and Wei Shengong. "This is my fourth brother, Zhao Qixing. And yes, he's younger than you. No, I don't know why he's like this."
Zhao Qixing folded his arms. "And who's this?" His eyes flicked over Li Yuan Tian, assessing.
"A friend," Zhao Qilin said, too casually.
Li Yuan Tian inclined his head. "Li Yuan Tian."
Before Zhao Qixing could respond, another voice cut in—lighter, brighter, and brimming with excitement.
"Brother!"
A girl—no older than seventeen, with her hair in twin braids—barreled into Zhao Qilin, nearly knocking him over. "You're finally back! We missed you!"
Zhao Qilin sighed, but there was no real annoyance in it. "Yeah, yeah. Missed you too." He nudged her off. "This is my third sister, Zhao Tianyu."
The girl—Zhao Tianyu—beamed at Li Yuan Tian. "Hello!"
Li Yuan Tian stared at her.
She was… energetic. To put it mildly. Her grin was wide, her eyes sparkling with what could only be described as unfiltered enthusiasm.
This one's a bit dumb, he thought.
"Hello," he said anyway.
Zhao Qilin rolled his eyes. "Come on. Let's get inside before Father decides I've disgraced the family further by loitering at the gates."
As they stepped through the great spirit-forged gates into the opulent Zhao estate, Li Yuan Tian felt a sudden warmth against his chest.
Subtly, he touched the jade pendant hidden beneath his robes—the heirloom his father had given him before their death
For the briefest moment, the lotus etching carved into the jade seemed to flicker with a faint glow, as if stirred by an unseen current.
He paused, frowning slightly. But when he glanced down, the pendant lay silent and cool, its surface calm as still water.
Strange.
Ahead, Zhao Tianyu was already skipping forward, somehow having cajoled Wei Shengong into carrying three of her packages while she chattered animatedly about some trivial matter.
A flicker of amusement crossed his face.
The future, indeed.
And without another thought, he followed after her, the faint heartbeat of destiny tucked quietly against his chest.
---
End of chapter