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Forging a dynasty, he thought, was not a matter of steel and fire alone. It was sacrifice. Not just from him, but from all those around him. Even from those who had already lost too much. And the cost of such sacrifice was measured not in coin or land but in pain. In silent rooms and quiet conversations like this one, where duty must triumph over grief.
Meanwhile, outside of the study, Wang Yi moved through the palace's long corridor in measured steps. Her heels clicked lightly against the polished tiles, the sound sharp but steady, like a metronome to her storm of thoughts. The air was cool in the hall, scented faintly with sandalwood and blooming plum trees from the gardens beyond, but the chill did little to soothe the fever in her chest.
Her heart still beat with the weight of her conversation. Fury and sorrow churned in her stomach, dulled only slightly by the restraint she'd forced upon herself. She had said too much, shown too much. That was unlike her.
She was usually composed, a woman whose grief had been forged into cold steel long ago. But the thought of Ma Chao and his clan striding through the halls of Xiapi like a welcomed friend, the same man whose family had shattered her life, had momentarily severed the reins she held so tightly over her own composure.
She exhaled, slowly. It had been fortunate, perhaps, that Lie Fan was the one she served. Another lord might have taken offense, justified offense, at her audacity.
But Lie Fan was not another lord. He had always treated her with a quiet understanding, a sincerity she had rarely seen in the halls of power. He had never once insulted her intelligence or tried to buy her loyalty with empty praise. He had the restraint and wisdom what a great Emperor should be.
Still, she had stepped close to the line.
She leaned lightly against the wall, rubbing her temples with her fingers. "I let my anger close my judgment," she admitted to herself.
She had made a promise, to believe in her lord, to trust his judgment. That didn't mean the poison in her heart was gone, but it meant she would not act on it.
A long, slow whistle slipped from her lips, a signal as subtle as the flick of a fan or a glance exchanged across a room.
From seemingly nowhere, a figure appeared beside her, as if she had always been part of the hallway's shadows. Dressed in muted robes, with no sound to her steps, the woman bowed low.
"Orders, Grandmaster?" the agent asked quietly, her face impassive, though Wang Yi could see the flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Wang Yi's gaze turned cold, decisive.
"Retract the previous directive I instructed. All operations targeting Ma Chao and his clan are to cease immediately," she said. "No provocations. No injuries. Stand down. Continue the usual work."
The agent blinked. Surprise broke through her stoic mask for only a breath of a second, but it was there. The last time Wang Yi had given an order, her voice had trembled with rage, her face tight with grief.
She had ordered the red inns to cut their services to any of the Ma Clan, the information houses to sabotage their contacts, and the brothels to harass them in subtle, but deliberate, ways. Nothing fatal, of course, but humiliations. Delays. Wounds that reopened old scars.
Now she was pulling it all back.
Still, the agent said nothing. She bowed low again, deeper this time. "Yes, Grandmaster. I'll inform all agents and hub immediately."
"Good. Go."
The agent vanished into the corridor's curves, her footsteps swallowed by the silence.
Wang Yi let herself drift toward a towering pillar along the walkway. She leaned against it, the stone cool against her back, and turned her eyes toward the open courtyard beyond. The sky was a brilliant, cloudless blue. A rare sight in this land of shifting winds and shadowed politics.
She stared at it for a long while. So much of me wants to hate him still. But I cannot walk two paths.
"You can come out," she said suddenly, her voice low but firm. "I can feel your presence. Even if my agent had said nothing, I would have known. My senses have never dulled."
A chuckle broke the air, sheepish and smooth.
From the decorative wooden beams above the hall, a figure dropped lightly to the floor, a man in dark robes, slim and wiry, his posture casual as if he'd simply been out for a stroll. Xu Kai, the second Grandmaster of the Oriole.
His grin was boyish, almost innocent, but Wang Yi knew better. Behind that lazy demeanor was a blade sharper than most swords, a mind coiled tight with vigilance and cunning, trained by Lie Fan and Jia Xu themselves since he was a child. A piece of information she found while looking through the docmnets of the Oriole.
"I didn't think you'd catch me so quickly," Xu Kai said with a shrug. "I should've known better. You've always been the perceptive one, Lady Wang Yi."
"You flatter me," Wang Yi replied coolly, though a hint of amusement flickered in her eyes. "What do you want, Master Xu Kai? If you're going to report me for emotional instability to Master Jia Xu, just do it. I've had a long day."
"Me? Report you?" he raised both hands, a mock look of horror on his face. "Perish the thought. I was just... keeping an eye on things. That's my job, remember?"
Wang Yi turned to look at him fully, arms crossed.
"I'm not offended. You're doing your duty," she said. "If anything, I should be thanking you. Technically, you outrank me. I should show more respect."
Xu Kai waved a hand dismissively. "No need for all that formality. That's the sort of thing Master Jia Xu gets off on. I prefer things loose. Simple. That's why I still run with the field teams when I can."
Wang Yi allowed herself a small smile. "You were more of a street fox than a palace hawk."
"Exactly," Xu Kai said, grinning.
The brief levity passed, and Wang Yi's expression grew serious once more.
"Enough dancing. Say what you came to say."
Xu Kai sighed, his eyes now steady and sharp.
"I came because I knew what you were planning. I didn't interfere, not right away, because I knew you were grieving. Still. But I'll be honest with you, if you hadn't rescinded that order just now, I would've taken matters into my own hands."
Wang Yi felt a chill crawl down her spine. She looked into Xu Kai's face, gentle, disarming, and saw only truth.
He wasn't threatening her. He wasn't being dramatic. He was simply stating a fact.
And that made it all the more terrifying.
She looked away, jaw tight. "I know. The moment you gave the word, every agent under my command would turn against me. They respect you more than me."
"They respect you plenty," Xu Kai said, softer now. "But they follow me. Because they know I was there when this network was born. I was there when Lord Lie Fan had nothing but ambition and a handful of broken orphans to trust and train to create this network. I contribute in shaping the Oriole into what it is now. And I'll be damned before I let it be used for personal vendettas. Even understandable ones."
Wang Yi's gaze returned to the sky. "So I'm a liability."
"No," Xu Kai replied at once. "You're one of our strongest blades. But even the best blades need to be sheathed sometimes."
Wang Yi closed her eyes, let the words settle.
They stood in silence for a moment, the wind rustling the cherry blossoms outside.
Then Wang Yi pushed off the pillar, straightening her robes. "I have work to do."
"Same," Xu Kai said with a wink. "Try not to scare too many agents today, eh, Lady Wang Yi?"
She gave him a dry look, then walked away.
Behind her, Xu Kai remained in the corridor, watching until she disappeared around the bend. Then he, too, vanished, back into the shadows where he belonged.
The sun shone brightly over Xiapi as the training grounds buzzed with a quiet but unmistakable tension, one born not of hostility, but of anticipation. Two days had passed since the arrival of Ma Dai and Ma Tie, who had journeyed to the city with a sizable entourage.
Their arrival marked the last piece of the puzzle for Lie Fan's carefully orchestrated plan, one designed not with swords alone, but with silk threads of diplomacy, camaraderie, and subtle persuasion.
The night before had gone smoothly. Lie Fan had hosted a banquet in their honor, matching the grandeur he had shown Ma Chao when he first came. The tables had overflowed with delicacies from across the lands, and the wine had flowed just enough to warm hearts but not dull minds.
But there had been one marked difference, this banquet was not just an introduction, but a reunion for the Ma Clan.
Ma Chao, Ma Xiu, Ma Yunlu, and Pang De were all in attendance, seated with easy familiarity beside their kin, and alongside Lie Fan and his most trusted officers.
The evening had been filled with laughter and formalities, with Lie Fan acting the gracious host, letting his guests taste the flavor of unity and respect that his house offered.
Now, as the morning sun bathed the palace in gold, Lie Fan made his way through the stone corridors flanked by two of his Yellow Ghost bodyguards, their armor gleaming and movement silent.
Today was not a day of politics, not openly. Today was about martial prowess, the kind that stirred warriors' hearts and forged brotherhood through the clash of blades and the measure of skill.
As he entered the open training yard, he found the others already assembled. The clamor of greetings paused at once as all turned to him.
Ma Chao stood tall, hands behind his back, his sharp eyes assessing the space. Beside him were Ma Xiu, Ma Tie, Ma Dai, Ma Yunlu, and Pang De.
Lie Fan's own officers were also there, Zhao Yun, Wen Pin, and Zhang Liao. Standing alongside them with measured pride were Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Their presence was more than symbolic. It was deliberate. Calculated.
Lie Fan knew that the Ma Clan, especially Ma Chao, would notice. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, once bound to Liu Bei with an oath of brotherhood, now stood among Lie Fan's men. It sent a message that no envoy could deliver as effectively. It showed power, but also loyalty. That Lie Fan could not only inspire men to follow him, but men of conviction, legacy, and principle.
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains
Age: 34 (201 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 1325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 951 (+20)
VIT: 613 (+20)
AGI: 598 (+10)
INT: 617
CHR: 96
WIS: 519
WILL: 407
ATR Points: 0