The report mentioned a "Divine Artifact." A treasure that could turn matter into power. I racked my brain, searching through a decade of memories from my past life. I had investigated Jin Hao thoroughly. I knew his habits, his techniques, his secrets. I had never heard of such a gourd or artifact.
"Is this the true source?" I whispered, a chill running down my spine. "In my past life, did I miss this? Was the alchemy just a cover? Was he always just... eating his way to power?"
No. That didn't fit. The pills he made in the past were real. The knowledge was real.
This was new. This was a deviation caused by this new life.
"Late Stage Foundation Establishment," I repeated, the words tasting like poison.
In my past life, it took Jin Hao two years to reach that stage, even with his ring. Two years of constant face-slapping, lucky encounters, and pill-popping.
Now, he had done it in a night.
Panic spiked in my chest.
If he grew this fast... if he could consume resources to break through instantly... he was infinitely more dangerous than the Alchemist. An Alchemist needs herbs. Needs time to refine. Needs to build a reputation.
A thief just needs to steal.
"He's unstable and desperate," I realized. "He's being hunted by his own family. He has no support network and no elders protecting him."
This was an opportunity but it was also a terrifying threat. A cornered rat bites. A cornered rat with the power of a Late Stage Foundation Establishment expert and a god-tier artifact... that rat kills.
And who did he hate most?
"Arya."
The name escaped my lips, filled with an overwhelming fear.
Jin Hao blamed Arya for everything. In his delusion, he likely believed Arya had "stolen" Su Lian simply by being the one she smiled at during the banquet. And now, with the Jin Family hunting him, with the world turning against him, his twisted mind would focus on a target. He would want to prove himself. He would want to take what he felt he was owed.
Arya was the target.
"He's coming for him," I said, standing up. "He's going to go after Arya."
I looked at the map of the city on my wall. Jin Hao was loose in Clearwater City. He was powerful.
I couldn't let him hide. I couldn't let him consolidate his power.
I grabbed a blank scroll and a brush. My hand moved with a furious speed.
To the Jin Family Patrol Captains:
Target Jin Hao was last seen moving toward the Western Slums, near the old river mill. He is wounded. He is utilizing a stealth technique to mask his cultivation. Do not engage alone.
I didn't know if he was actually at the river mill. But I knew the slums were the best place to hide. If I flooded that area with Jin family guards, I would flush him out. I would force him to run. I would keep him busy.
I rolled the scroll and sealed it with plain wax, no sigil.
"Lan!" I called out.
The door opened instantly. Lan was awake. She knew me too well.
"Young Miss?"
"Send this," I said, handing her the scroll. "Get this into the hands of a Jin Family captain within the hour. Make sure it looks like an anonymous tip from a citizen seeking a reward."
"Yes, Young Miss." Lan took the scroll. She sensed the tension radiating off me. "Is... is everything alright?"
"No," I said honestly. "Nothing is alright."
I walked back to the window as Lan left.
I had thought I had time. I thought I had months to prepare for Jin Hao's rise. I thought I could use the wedding preparations to slowly build our defenses.
But a Late Stage Foundation Establishment enemy, right now? Arya was strong but he was one man. And if Jin Hao could jump five realms in a night... what could he do in a week? What if he ate something else? What if he ambushed Arya?
My heart hammered against my ribs. The image of Arya flashed in my mind. Safe. Happy. Alive.
I couldn't lose that. I wouldn't lose that.
"I can't stay here," I said.
The thought was a violation of every rule I had been raised with. I was the betrothed daughter. I was supposed to sit in my tower, sewing my trousseau, waiting for the palanquin. To run to my fiancé's house in the middle of the night was scandalous. It was improper. It showed a lack of faith in his strength.
I looked at my hands. They were trembling with the terrifying memory of his dead body in my arms from my past life.
"To hell with tradition," I hissed. "To hell with propriety."
If Jin Hao was a variable I couldn't predict, then I needed to be the shield that blocked him. I needed to be there. I needed to watch Arya's back. I needed to tell him what I knew or at least, as much as I could without revealing my rebirth. I needed to warn him that the "trash" he had dismissed was now a monster.
And, if I was being honest with myself... I just needed him.
The fear was a cold pit in my stomach, but the thought of seeing him again was a lifeline. I needed to see he was safe. I needed to hold his hand and know that the future hadn't crumbled yet.
"Lan!" I shouted again, moving towards my wardrobe. I tore off the thin nightgown, grabbing a set of practical cultivation robes. "Lan, get back here!"
Lan reappeared in the doorway, looking breathless. "Young Miss? I sent the…"
"Go to the stables," I interrupted, fastening my belt with jerky movements. "Saddle a horse. A fast one. Bring it to the rear service gate. Do not let anyone see you."
"A... horse? Alone?" Lan looked at the dark window, her eyes wide. "Young Miss, it is five hours before dawn. Where are we going?"
I turned to her. I strapped my sword 'Winter's Edge' to my hip. The weight of the steel was comforting and familiar.
"We are going to the Chen Family," I said.
Lan's jaw dropped. "The Chen... Young Miss, you cannot! The engagement was just formalized! You cannot just show up at his door in the middle of the night! The scandal! The Patriarch will be furious! People will talk!"
"Let them talk," I said, my voice ice cold. "Let them say I am lovesick. Let them say I am clingy. Let them say I have no shame. I don't care."
I walked past her, my stride long.
"I am going to my husband," I said. "And if anyone tries to stop me... heaven help them."
Lan scrambled to follow me, sensing the killing intent rolling off me. I was the Sword Fairy who had hunted a Sovereign across a continent.
I walked out into the courtyard. The night air was crisp but somewhere out there, in the dark belly of the city, Jin Hao was running. He was growing. He was hating.
"Run while you can, Jin Hao," I whispered to the wind.
I met Lan at the gate. She held the reins of a black stallion, looking terrified. I didn't hesitate. I swung myself into the saddle, the leather creaking under my weight.
"Open the gate," I ordered.
Lan pulled the latch, and I kicked the horse into a gallop before the wood had even cleared the frame. We surged forward, hooves thundering on the stones, sticking to the shadows to avoid the main roads. I leaned low over the beast's neck, the wind whipping my hair. I reached out with my heart, trying to feel that connection, that connection we had forged in blood. Wait for me, Arya, I thought, my hand clutching the hilt of my sword. I'm coming.