The night was like ink, the pine forest at the back of the academy rustled in the wind, as if whispering softly, the branches brushing against the mountain stones, telling a secret.
Li Ze returned to his quarters. The lamp was still burning brightly on the desk, like a brilliant jewel radiating warmth. The tea on the table had long since lost its warmth, resembling a stagnant pool with no life in it. He sat slowly by the table, his thoughts surging like a tide, recalling the events of the day. A sense of unease rose in his chest, something he couldn't quite explain.
He suddenly realized: he had truly entered the game. He was no longer just a bystander watching the struggles of others in the whirlpool of power, but had become a piece on the shifting chessboard of this ever-changing world.
However, he would not resign himself to fate, to be moved at others' will.
At that moment, a crisp knock sounded on the door, slicing through the stillness like a sharp sword.
"Who is it?" Li Ze raised an eyebrow, his voice tinged with caution.
A familiar voice, as clear and sweet as a bird's song, responded from the other side: "It's me."
Li Ze stood abruptly, walking quickly to the door. When he opened it, he saw Su Wan Ting standing in the doorway, her graceful figure draped in a moon-white gown, like a celestial being descending to earth. In her hand, she held a food box, as if it contained some precious gift. Her expression was serene, like a pool of still water, showing no hint of disturbance.
"You didn't have dinner today." She said calmly.
Li Ze froze for a moment. Since their first conversation, this woman had quietly observed him, as if she were an invisible shadow, silently tracking his every move.
"Thank you," he said, accepting the food box and bowing slightly, as though offering a gesture of respect.
Su Wan Ting did not step inside, standing like a noble lotus at the door, emanating a faint, refined fragrance. "What did Liu Ruolan say to you today?"
Li Ze was momentarily taken aback. He immediately understood: the connection between Su Wan Ting and Liu Ruolan was far from the mere "student" relationship that could be easily defined.
He didn't respond, instead asking, "Is she sent by the Ministry of Rites?"
Su Wan Ting's gaze fixed on him, as cold and sharp as winter's ice. After a long pause, she spoke softly, "If you're not a fool, don't press too much on this matter."
With that, she turned and left, her figure disappearing into the night like a lone, determined shadow.
Li Ze stood at the door, his gaze following her retreating form, as she vanished into the ink-dark night. Suddenly, a realization washed over him: The academy appeared calm, like a tranquil pond, but beneath its surface, dark currents were already swirling, intertwining with four powerful, hidden forces:
Liu Ruolan represented the "power of oversight," a hidden viper lurking in the shadows, with the Ministry of Rites as its unshakable foundation, waiting for the right moment to strike;
Su Wan Ting's mysterious forces were like drifting clouds, elusive and faint, but seemingly intertwined with the factions in the court;
Cui Wang Zhi, a noble prince, had a quiet ambition to gather the scholars under his wing, like a poised eagle ready to take flight;
And himself—though without a powerful background to support him—held the knowledge of "another world," and had unknowingly found himself thrust into this tangled web of power.
This was not simply an academy dispute. It was a storm that had already spread from the "books" to the "court."
Li Ze slowly returned to the table, opening the food box. The dishes inside were still steaming, not as if they had been prepared earlier, but as if freshly made. It felt like a quiet, unspoken care wrapped within the cold, indifferent words of Su Wan Ting, like the warm sun of spring, silently warming the heart.
Li Ze lowered his head slightly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"You all seek to draw me into your game. But I, Li Ze… will see if this ancient chessboard, set by those long gone, can truly be upturned by someone like me—an 'outsider.'"
The wind begins at the tip of the green leaf, and the waves grow from a small ripple.
Within the academy, countless pieces had already been placed quietly, without anyone realizing.
And at this very moment, Li Ze had taken his first step toward "counterattack."