Autumn rain kept falling across the capital. Inside the Purple Throne Hall (Zichen Hall), lacquered beams dripped and ministers in full dress filled the chamber, but the air felt heavier than the weather outside.
News of the blood rituals in Youzhou had reached the capital only days before. Fear and suspicion had spread through court and street alike. The Inverse Spirit Sect's Silent Envoys had appeared—an omen that made every official look sideways and every soldier sleep with one eye open.
Emperor Zhao Que sat on the dragon‑carved throne, the jade seal tapping the desk beneath his hand with a measured, ominous sound. The hall fell silent as the emperor spoke, his voice calm but full of weight.
"Youzhou is in crisis; the army's morale is unstable," he said. "Li Tianyuan, the National Fate Overseer—by the Cauldron's power he drove back the Silent Envoy and earned remarkable merit. That cannot be denied. Yet… " His gaze hardened and swept the assembled ministers. "This man's origins are unclear, and the source of his Cauldron power is unknown. If he is the pillar the realm needs, then we should be grateful. If he is the seed of disaster, we will all be made fools."
His words set the hall alight.
Minister of War Du Heng was the first to step forward. His tone was severe. "Your Majesty, though Li Tianyuan has performed feats in battle, the Cauldron's power is beyond ordinary control. At Youzhou he came close to being consumed by it; his near‑madness almost endangered the army. If this power cannot be contained, it will be a threat to the court itself. I propose removing him from the office of National Fate Overseer to prevent future calamity."
The chamber buzzed with agreement.
"Exactly! The Inverse Spirit Sect uses strange arts to corrupt the world—Li's power could come from the same source!" several voices chimed in. "Let him go, or the people will think the court colludes with demons."
Opposing voices were quick to answer.
Engineer Minister Lu Hongnian stepped forward. "Gentlemen, you speak too rashly. If not for Li Tianyuan, would the three thousand Iron Riders have survived? The fog of nightmare covered the soldiers, and it was his Cauldron power that cut through the dream and saved ten thousand lives. Should such service be wiped away with a stroke?"
The Minister of Revenue added his support. "The office of National Fate Overseer was created for precisely this reason. If we remove him now, we cripple our own defenses."
The court split in two. Voices rose and fell like waves, rattling the gilded hangings.
Zhao Que listened without revealing his thoughts. Then, as the debate grew heated, the Censor‑in‑Chief stepped forward abruptly and announced, "Your Majesty, I have a matter to report." He knelt and presented a blood‑stained memorial.
"On the way back from Youzhou, intelligence intercepted secret correspondence from the Inverse Spirit Sect. The letters indicate collusion within the court—some have been trading state secrets."
The hall fell silent as a grave drum.
"Who?" the emperor demanded.
The Censor raised the papers. "They name Minister of War Du Heng."
Gasps and mutters rippled through the hall. Du Heng's face went ashen. "Preposterous!" he cried. "This must be a frame. I serve the realm faithfully; I have never colluded with demons!"
But palace guards had already brought the intercepted documents to the throne. Zhao Que scanned them slowly; his eyes flashed like a blade.
"Du," the emperor said coldly, "this correspondence bears your personal seal. Explain yourself."
Du Heng trembled, sweat on his brow. "I—I never! Someone has planted this—"
Before he could finish, the guards seized him. He was dragged from the hall, still shouting that he was innocent and that the Inverse Spirit Sect had framed him. Rain and the sound of his cries blended into the storm outside. The remaining ministers watched in stunned silence.
Zhao Que fixed the court with a look that brooked no argument. "The Inverse Spirit Sect's hand has reached into this hall. Remember today it was Du Heng—tomorrow it could be you. Anyone found colluding with demons will be punished without mercy."
The assembled officials bowed their heads as cold fear settled in their bones.
Li Tianyuan said nothing. He had returned from Youzhou expecting triumph and commendation; instead he had witnessed court intrigue and poison. The realization hit him: besides the Inverse Spirit Sect and its agents, he now faced a second, more dangerous battlefield—one of power and deception within the palace.
"A National Fate Overseer is merely a piece on the board," he thought, clenching his fist.
Then Zhao Que addressed him directly. "Li Tianyuan."
"Present," Li answered, stepping forward.
The emperor's gaze cut through him. "You deserve credit for Youzhou's victory. Yet the Cauldron's power is not an ordinary force. If one day you cannot contain it, what then?"
Li considered the question. "If the Cauldron ever becomes a disaster, I will use my spear to end it. I will not let the people suffer on my watch."
The declaration echoed through the hall. Some ministers nodded in approval; others snorted, dismissing it as the bravado of a young man.
Zhao Que studied Li a long moment before finally inclining his head. The court session ended, and the ministers filed out into the rain.
Late that night, as the palace emptied, a palace attendant asked Li to stay. "Your Majesty sent a private missive for you," the man whispered, handing over a small black jade tablet sealed in gold.
Li felt the weight of it in his hand. The seal bore four characters: Thunderclap Secret Edict.
He was left alone to break the seal. The lines inside struck him like thunder:
Three days hence, appear alone in the inner chamber of Qianyang Palace. Speak of this to no one. There is a matter touching the root of the nation's fate that only you may know. Disobedience will be punished by death.— Zhao Que, by imperial hand.
Li's fingers trembled around the tablet.
Only I may know? The words echoed in his mind. The throne had drawn him into deeper waters than he had imagined.