The morning sun had barely risen above the mountain ridges of Xiangwu City when the Empress, dressed in her elegant traveling robes, stood at the city gates, preparing to depart. Her guards were ready, horses saddled, and maids in waiting. But just as her carriage wheels began to creak forward, the blaring horns of an approaching convoy echoed across the wide-open fields.
Crimson banners bearing the Imperial Dragon fluttered in the breeze, announcing the unannounced arrival of the Emperor.
The Empress turned slowly, her face pale but unreadable. Her heart thudded against her chest like a war drum.
The Emperor had arrived.
She stepped down and composed herself as the convoy halted. The golden palanquin opened, and the Emperor—regal in flowing black and red robes—stepped down with a calm expression. Without exchanging a word, he gestured for her to accompany him.
Together, they rode back into the city, escorted by elite guards.
At the residence of the City Lord—the Empress's own brother—the atmosphere was stiff with restrained formality. The spacious main hall was bathed in sunlight, and scented incense floated lazily in the air. The City Lord himself, a stately man of sharp eyes and silver-threaded hair, greeted the Emperor and his sister.
As the Sect Leader of Xiangwu entered, his presence brought a calm yet commanding aura. Dressed in long jade-colored robes with the phoenix insignia of Xiangwu embroidered at his collar, he gave the Emperor a respectful nod.
"Your Majesty," he said in a neutral tone.
The Emperor stood and returned the nod with a thin smile. "Brother," he said lightly, referring to the Sect Leader, "it's been far too long."
The Sect Leader Replied. "You arrive at the city and come straight to your brother-in-law's house, yet you did not visit me first. Is that how the Emperor repays his elders?"
The Emperor laughed, taking a sip of plum wine. "I will come to you shortly, Brother. I only wished to greet my dear in-law before all else."
The mood seemed light, but a heavy undercurrent flowed beneath every word.
Then, unexpectedly, the Emperor turned his gaze to the Empress. "It seemed like you were in a hurry earlier, preparing to leave. Where were you headed, my Empress?"
Caught off guard, the Empress offered a practiced smile. "It was nothing, Your Majesty. Just a brief matter in the capital I had planned to attend to, but now that you are here, I can delay it."
Her words were calm, but both the Sect Leader and her brother could sense her inner turmoil. She was anxious—no, worried. Something wasn't right.
The Sect Leader narrowed his eyes slightly. With his rare ability to speak through spiritual telepathy—a hidden skill cultivated by few—he sent a message directly into the Empress's mind:
"Do not worry. I will send the Sword Deity and the Spear Deity to your son. He must not face this storm alone."
Then, like invisible threads of qi, he extended his telepathic reach across the land. Far beyond the walls of Xiangwu, the Sword Deity and Spear Deity, who were meditating atop two ancient pillars, opened their eyes as one.
"Go to Hei'an. Find Prince Long Wei. The storm is near."
At the Northern Borders – Hei'an City (Black Wolves Territory)
The Black Wolves Sect Leader, tall and masked, with long raven-black hair flowing like smoke, strolled through the bustling streets of the city he ruled with silent might. No one dared speak to him. He passed like a shadow, his presence feared and revered alike.
Inside a quiet restaurant on a side street, Prince Long Wei sat in a private corner with his elite guards, facing the mysterious woman who had approached him days ago—the same woman whose eyes held truths unsaid.
The woman adjusted her veil slightly and began to speak, but just then, the Sect Leader of the Black Wolves passed outside the restaurant. Long Wei's eyes flicked toward the movement—his instincts sharpening like a drawn blade.
Something about his presence felt off.
He leaned toward one of his elite guards and whispered, "Follow him. Discreetly."
The soldier gave a slight nod and vanished into the shadows.
Long Wei turned back to the woman. "You said I am not who I think I am. What do you mean?"
The woman lowered her voice. "My name is Mei Lin. I am the daughter of the original sect leader of this city. My father, Master Zhen, was a renowned martial artist, a man of honor and balance. But seven years ago, a storm came."
Long Wei leaned forward as she continued.
"This city used to be peaceful. We minded our own business, avoided politics, avoided war. But then… a man came. A man cloaked in black, carrying a decree from the Emperor himself. He brought a handful of elite warriors. My father refused the decree, refused to surrender the sect."
Long Wei narrowed his eyes. "A decree from the Emperor?"
Mei Lin nodded. "Yes. The man challenged my father to a duel. A duel no one expected would end in tragedy. My father died, and my mother, in grief, attacked and was also slain. That man… became the new Black Wolves Sect Leader."
A heavy silence fell.
She continued, "Four years after that, one of the Imperial Princes came to meet the new sect leader. I don't know what they discussed, but I suspect everything happening now—this mission, this investigation—it's all part of a larger plot."
Long Wei's voice was steady but tense. "Which prince?"
She looked at him, her eyes hard. "The Third Prince."
One of Long Wei's guards cursed under his breath. "I knew something was off the moment we arrived."
Long Wei exhaled slowly. "So… the Emperor sends me here on an investigation, but he's the one behind the crime."
Mei Lin nodded. "You're a threat, Prince Long Wei. Your family—the Empress, the Sect of Xiangwu—wield more power than the Emperor is comfortable with. You are the blade he fears most."
A beat passed.
One of the guards then stood up suddenly. "The soldier you sent to spy on the Black Wolves Sect Leader—he hasn't returned."
Long Wei's eyes darkened. "He's in danger."
A Hidden Residence on the Edge of the City
Inside a candle-lit courtyard, the Third Prince sat, sipping a warm cup of tea beside his loyal guard. The masked Black Wolves Sect Leader entered through the rear gate, walking silently like mist, and sat across from the prince.
Without pretense, the Third Prince smiled. "It's been a while. Since my last visit here, I've had little chance to talk."
The Sect Leader crossed his arms. "I don't enjoy small talk. You declined our plan years ago. What's changed?"
The Third Prince stood slowly and circled the room. "Remember how you got this seat? It was the Emperor who made it happen. You owe him."
The Sect Leader's voice turned cold. "If you want something done, leave the people of this city out of it."
The prince's smile widened. "Then you haven't understood. The people of this city are part of the plan."
Suddenly, the Sect Leader paused.
His eyes narrowed. "Someone… is watching."
With a flick of his wrist, a surge of dark qi exploded from his palm, shattering a nearby lantern—and striking the spy hidden in the rafters. The elite soldier grunted, dropping into the courtyard as he tried to flee.
But before he could move, the Sect Leader and Third Prince flew like phantoms, landing in front of him.
In an instant, a circle of Black Wolves soldiers surrounded him, blades drawn.
The Third Prince stepped forward, brushing off his robe. "I see… Prince Long Wei has finally caught up."