The discussion hall filled steadily, voices lowering as each elder took their place. Lamps burned along the walls, their light steady, revealing familiar faces worn by years of shared work and shared arguments.
Chen Yuan stood at the head of the hall.
Elder Chen Zhen arrived last. His expression was tight, his movements restrained. At his side walked another man, similar in bearing and close in age to Chen Yuan. His features carried the same sharp lines as Chen Zhen's, though his gaze was steadier, less guarded.
Chen Yuan inclined his head to him.
The man returned the gesture without hesitation.
When the doors were closed and the attendants withdrew, Chen Yuan spoke.
"We'll move forward with the mine immediately, it has already been delayed too much." he said. His voice carried easily through the room. "Start the preparations at once, and the pill supply will resume the way it was handled before."
A few elders shifted in their seats. Chen Zhen's jaw tightened, then eased as he gave a brief nod.
"What kind of mine it is, does not leave this room," Chen Yuan continued. "Not through words, not through implication. The shopkeepers have already been told to gather miners quietly. Every name will be checked, and only people we trust will be allowed near it."
Several elders nodded, one after another.
"When operations settle," Chen Yuan said, "we'll involve the town. Not before that. The mine exists to support Qingshi, not to draw outside attention before we're prepared to deal with it."
His gaze moved across the hall, resting briefly on each face. "If this reaches the wrong ears early, I won't pretend it was an accident."
No one spoke.
Chen Yuan exhaled and lowered himself into the chair at the head of the table. For a brief moment, his shoulders sank, then he straightened again.
"There's one more thing."
The change in the room was immediate. Backs stiffened. Several elders lifted their heads at once.
Chen Yuan rested his hands flat on the table. His expression did not change.
Chen Yuan folded his hands. "Since taking the position of Chen family patriarch, I've done what I believed was right for the family and for Qingshi."
A few elders exchanged glances.
"I will continue to serve this family," Chen Yuan went on. "But not as its patriarch."
The hall erupted.
Voices rose. Chairs scraped. Several elders half-stood before catching themselves. Chen Zhen's head snapped up, his eyes fixed on Chen Yuan.
"What?"
"Patriarch–?"
"Chen Yuan–"
Chen Yuan did not raise his voice.
"Beginning next week," he said, "Chen Rui will assume the role of patriarch."
Every gaze turned.
Chen Zhen's son stepped forward.
Chen Rui bowed deeply, his movements controlled, his expression composed. "I will not fail the family," he said.
Eyes moved over him, measuring, judging, comparing.
Chen Yuan remained seated. "May the Chen family prosper under its new patriarch."
The words settled heavily.
"Disperse," he said.
The elders rose one by one. Some hesitated, glancing between Chen Yuan and Chen Zhen. Others avoided looking at either. Quiet discussions broke out as they filed from the hall, their voices low, uncertain.
Old Hao lingered.
He stood near the doorway, hands clasped tightly in front of him. His eyes rested on Chen Yuan, damp but steady.
"Master…" he said, stopping himself there.
Chen Yuan met his gaze.
Old Hao bowed, deeper than required, then turned and left without another word.
The hall emptied.
Chen Yuan remained seated, alone beneath the lamplight, his face calm, his hands still resting where the weight of the family had been placed for so many years.
***
Late evening settled quietly over the Chen manor.
The last light of day lingered faintly in the courtyard as Chen Ming made his way back, his steps slower than usual. His robe was no longer clean, dust clung to the hem, dark smudges marked the knees, and the fabric at his back was damp with sweat. He pushed the door open with both hands and stepped inside.
Warm lamplight greeted him.
Chen Yuan sat near the table with a cup of tea in hand. Lin Shu stood beside him, folding cloth with unhurried movements. Their voices had been low, but they fell silent the moment the door creaked.
Lin Shu's eyes went first to Chen Ming's robe.
"Ming'er," she said, not sharply, but with a sigh already forming, "go take a bath. Look at you, sweat and soil everywhere."
Chen Ming glanced down at himself, then nodded without protest. "Okayl," he said, already turning. He slipped back out, feet light despite the ache that still lived in his legs.
The room grew quiet again.
Chen Yuan lifted his cup and took a slow sip. The steam rose, then faded.
Lin Shu watched him for a moment before speaking. "Are you alright?"
He set the cup down carefully. His expression was calm, almost distant, but his eyes were steady. "It was the only choice," he said." For me that was the only choice, I did what I thought was the only option for the Chen family and Qingshi town to progress. To move ahead with the bright future I saw for them."
He looked at her then. "I don't regret it."
Lin Shu smiled, the kind that carried no surprise. "Then that's enough," she said. "No matter what comes, I'll be with you. And so will this family and Qingshi."
Chen Yuan nodded once, a faint smile touching his lips.
The door opened again.
Chen Ming returned, clean now, hair still slightly damp, a fresh robe hanging loosely on his small frame. Without hesitation, he trotted across the room and climbed onto Chen Yuan's lap, settling himself there as though it were the most natural place in the world.
Chen Yuan's hand came up at once, resting against the boy's head. He patted him once, gently.
Before either of them could speak, a shout broke through the stillness outside.
"Master—! Master!"
The voice was strained, uneven, edged with panic.
Chen Yuan's smile vanished.
He stood at once, lifting Chen Ming and passing him to Lin Shu without a word. His gaze had already hardened as he stepped out into the courtyard. Lin Shu followed, Chen Ming held close against her side.
They reached the outer path just as a figure stumbled into view.
An attendant fell to one knee, barely managing to stay upright. Blood streaked his temple and ran down the side of his face. One arm hung at an unnatural angle, shaking as he tried to support himself.
"Master," he gasped, breath ragged, "Master—I was patrolling near the edge of the village—"
***
Horses thundered through Qingshi's main street, hooves striking stone hard enough to make shutters rattle. Dust rose in a rolling cloud as a small group rode in without slowing, cutting through the evening crowd as though the road belonged to them.
Hei Yan rode at the front.
He sat easily in the saddle, reins loose in one hand, his gaze forward and uninterested. Behind him followed four or five youths, no older than eighteen or nineteen. Their clothes were dark and fitted for travel, their expressions bright with restless excitement as their eyes swept over the town, stalls, passersby, doorways ,taking everything in.
A shout rang out ahead.
"Stop!"
A Chen family guard rushed into the street, halberd raised, boots skidding slightly as he planted himself in their path. "This is Qingshi," he called, breath steady despite the pounding in his chest. "You can't ride like this through the town. State who you are and slow your—"
The horses reined in sharply.
One of the youths leaned forward in his saddle, glancing sideways at Hei Yan. "Master," he said with a grin, "let me handle this."
Hei Yan did not look at him. He did not nod. He did not answer.
The boy laughed softly anyway and slid down from his horse. He stepped toward the guard, hands loose at his sides, head tilted in mock curiosity.
"Who do you work for?" he asked.
The guard straightened instinctively. "The Chen family," he said, pride creeping into his voice despite the unease curling in his gut.
That did it.
The other youths dismounted as well. Smiles spread. One of them licked his lips, another rolled his shoulders as if loosening up before a game.
"Chen family," one repeated, amused. "Did you hear that?"
The first boy circled the guard slowly. "So serious," he said. "So brave."
The guard tightened his grip on the halberd. "You've been warned. Leave—"
A fist struck his stomach, driving the breath from him.
He staggered back, barely keeping his footing before another blow caught him across the jaw. The halberd clattered to the ground. Laughter followed immediately, light and careless.
"Careful," one of the youths said, stepping in and shoving the guard hard enough to send him stumbling. "He looks fragile."
A knee drove into the guard's ribs. He fell to one knee, gasping, blood already trailing from his brow. Someone kicked his legs out from under him, sending him down onto the stone.
People had begun to gather at the edges of the street.
Shopkeepers froze in their doorways. Passersby stopped and stared. No one stepped forward.
One of the boys crouched and grabbed the guard by the collar, lifting his head just enough to meet his eyes. "Too bad," he said lightly. "If you were a woman, we might've kept you."
Another youth stepped in and seized the guard's arm, twisting it sharply.
The joint gave with a sickening snap.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!"
The guard screamed.
The boys laughed again, then stepped back as if bored, wiping their hands on their clothes. The guard lay shaking on the ground, blood on the stone beneath his cheek, his arm bent wrong, breath coming in wet, broken pulls.
One of the youths walked forward and nudged him with the toe of his boot.
"Go," he said. "Run back to your master."
He leaned down slightly, his voice dropping, each word enunciated clearly. "Tell Chen Yuan this. He can submit. Hand over the spirit stone mine. Hand over the women of his family. Kneel, beg, and become our servant."
He straightened and waved a hand dismissively. "Then maybe we'll think about letting him live. Otherwise this Wei Qiu will take his head."
He smiled as the sound of laughter spread. "Let's make this hunt more enjoyable. Killing someone who isn't ready is boring."
He shooed the guard away like an animal.
The guard dragged himself upright, swaying. He did not look back. He ran, staggering, falling once, then again ,until adrenaline forced his legs to keep moving. Blood streaked his face, his breath burned his lungs, and the world narrowed to one thought as he fled toward the Chen family gates.
Behind him, laughter echoed down the street as the horses shifted and stamped, waiting.
****
The guard's words came out broken and uneven, stained with blood and panic. He barely finished before his legs gave out beneath him.
Chen Yuan was already moving.
Orders followed him as he crossed the courtyard, his voice calm but carrying, cutting through the rising fear like a blade through cloth.
"Sound the inner bell."
"Seal the side gates."
"Arm everyone who can stand."
Guards who had been scattered through the manor ran at once. Racks were thrown open. Spears and blades were pulled free, the scrape of metal ringing through the corridors. Messengers sprinted toward the elders' residences, breathless but clear in their instructions.
Chen Yuan did not run.
He walked through the corridors with steady steps, his expression set, his jaw firm. Servants pressed themselves against the walls as he passed. No one dared speak to him, but every pair of eyes followed his back.
The inner courtyard filled quickly.
Guards formed rough lines, some tightening straps, others gripping weapons hard enough for their knuckles to whiten. Elders gathered near the steps, robes pulled tight, faces grim. Low voices murmured ,questions, speculation, fear, but they quieted the moment Chen Yuan stepped into view.
Lin Shu stood near the edge of the courtyard, one arm around Chen Ming's shoulders.
Chen Ming clutched her sleeve, eyes wide, confusion and worry tangled together as he looked at the armed men, the drawn faces, the tension hanging in the air like a held breath.
Chen Yuan stopped in front of them.
For a moment, his expression softened.
He looked at Lin Shu, then at his son, and smiled, not wide, not light, but steady.
"Go inside," he said. "I will handle this."
Lin Shu met his gaze without speaking. Her eyes searched his face, as if memorizing it, as if looking for something he might leave behind. Then she nodded once.
"Take care," she said quietly.
Chen Yuan reached out and brushed Chen Ming's hair back from his forehead. "Listen to your mother," he said. "Don't come out."
Chen Ming opened his mouth, then closed it. He nodded, hard, as if that were the bravest thing he could do.
Lin Shu turned and led him away, her hand firm, her back straight. Neither of them looked back.
Chen Yuan watched until they disappeared through the inner doors.
Then his smile vanished.
The elder stepped closer, his voice lowered as his eyes followed Lin Shu and Chen Ming disappearing inside."Should we send the women and children away?" he asked. "Somewhere safer, even if only for a while."
Chen Yuan shook his head once, without hesitation.
"If we'd known earlier, maybe," he said. "But now they're already here. The safest place they have is behind us."
He turned to the gathered guards and elders. His voice was level, unraised, but it carried to every corner of the courtyard.
"Positions," he said. "No one moves without order."
Weapons lifted. Feet shifted. Silence fell.
The next sound came from the front of the manor.
A thunderous crash shook the ground. The heavy outer gate exploded inward, wood splintering, iron screaming as it tore loose from its hinges.
Dust and debris billowed into the courtyard.
A voice cut through the chaos, loud, amused, and unmistakably contemptuous.
"Chen Yuan," it called. "Get out."