Inside the study room, Li Cong was sitting at a desk, hesitantly writing something. His strokes were uncertain, choppy.
Li Xun sighed to himself, then stepped inside.
The sudden flicker of the lamplight startled Li Cong. He looked up sharply and saw his brother's calm, steady face.
His eyes went wide in panic. He instinctively tried to crumple the paper in his hand, but halfway through, he gave up and let out a long, tired sigh. His body slumped in defeat.
Li Xun let out a sigh and walked over to pick up the slightly crumpled sheet of paper. His eyes swept across the writing:
The National Preceptor and my older brother wield unfathomable power. Li Xun…
He sighed again, lightly flicking the paper with his fingers. "This was meant for them, wasn't it? If you'd kept writing… I'm afraid that'd be the end of whatever brotherly bond we have left."
As he spoke, he crumpled the paper into a ball and gently rubbed it between his fingers just like he had that morning until it disintegrated into ash and scattered into the air.
Li Cong's face turned from pale to flushed and back again as he watched. In the end, he looked at Li Xun with trembling lips. "Did you come here to kill me?"
Li Xun shook his head. "What kind of nonsense is that? Sure, you've made things difficult for me, but in my eyes, this is no different from a kid pulling a prank. You're only fifteen."
Li Cong's face finally showed a hint of color. But then, Li Xun spoke again. And just like that, knocked the wind right out of him.
"You know, just now Father asked me to join him in meeting some important ministers."
Li Cong froze for a moment before the meaning sank in. The blood drained from his face again.
Li Xun gave him a gentle smile. "I agreed. But…"
He deliberately drew out the word, watching Li Cong's expression shift little by little. Manipulating someone's emotions like this; it was addictive. And Li Xun was getting hooked.
His smile softened even more, warm as a spring breeze, completely devoid of any sharpness. "But I couldn't care less about that stuff."
"You're lying!" Li Cong snapped like a child trying to resist candy and sweet words, clinging to the last scraps of suspicion and pride.
The smile on Li Xun's face vanished. In its place was a stern, solemn expression.
"I don't need to lie to you. My heart's been set on the Dao for a long time. In this lifetime, I'll devote myself to cultivation, break through the realms, and ascend to immortality. Why would I waste my time chasing petty power in this mundane world?
"I've stayed in the capital these past days only because my masters ordered it. You think I want to be here?
"It's a shame. You've got so much potential at your age, yet instead of honing your will and improving your skills, you waste your energy plotting behind people's backs… And the funniest part is, you didn't even pick the right target. You can't tell friend from foe. What's Father been teaching you all these years?"
Li Cong's face twitched. His eyes turned red from being scolded. Just as Li Xun was about to go on, Li Cong stumbled forward on his hands and knees, then collapsed in front of him, bawling.
"Brother, please stop! It's my fault, all my fault! I was just scared…"
He sobbed until his voice was hoarse, blabbering half-coherent self-loathing how Li Xun was better than him, how he could never compare. At his lowest point, he even hugged Li Xun's leg and wept harder.
Li Xun let out a long sigh. "We're brothers… how did it come to this…"
His sigh was full of sorrow, but deep down, he felt ten times colder. Like all the winter chill outside had settled in his chest.
This scene… it was far too familiar. That boy groveling at his feet like a whipped dog. How different was he from himself, kneeling before the demon phoenix, or before that sinister old cultivator?
He looked down at the back of Li Cong's head. His eyes turned a blood-red hue, and his pupils began to spin.
What the hell is this kid really thinking?
Beneath the surface, past the tears, the shame, the self-pity, down in the depths of his heart, a storm of lava boiled with humiliation and hate. And buried within it was a killing intent so sharp and poisonous, even someone like Li Xun, standing high above as a cultivator, felt a chill run down his spine.
Li Xun couldn't help but marvel. Now that's a brother.
Thankfully, he'd never held any childish hope for some perfect, happy sibling relationship. As long as Li Cong didn't mess things up for him, that was good enough. With that in mind, he gave a warm smile as he gently pulled Li Cong to his feet.
"Why go to such lengths, little brother? As long as we can clear up this misunderstanding, that's all that matters."
But he felt things hadn't quite sunk in deep enough, so he decided to go one step further.
"If you still doubt me, then I, Li Xun, swear this here and now: I will never contend with you for the throne. If I do, may the heavens strike me down with a lightning tribulation."
Only after hearing this did Li Cong wail again, "Brother, you didn't have to go that far!"
And so began the great reconciliation scene; two brothers, all smiles, "back to how things used to be."
It was all just an act, of course. But both brothers walked away with what they wanted. Li Xun had calmed Li Cong down, and Li Cong, in turn, had secured his place.
Of course, there were no guarantees. Words alone weren't worth much. Whether this "peace treaty" held up would depend on each of their moves from here on.
Li Xun didn't ask for much. As long as Li Cong behaved until the end of the year and didn't cause trouble, that'd be enough for him.
He smiled and linked arms with his brother. "Don't be too hard on Father either. Big things are coming, and we both have a part to play. You just happened to slip up at the worst possible time. But it doesn't matter. There's still time to clean up your mess and regain face. Actually, I came today because I wanted to talk something over with you…"
Of course, "talk" was just a polite word. It was more like giving an order. And Li Cong knew that well. But what choice did he have? Until Li Xun voluntarily stepped aside, he had no option but to do a few things to please him.
That's how this worked. A simple trade of benefits.
Everyone understood that.
The next day, as expected, He Mulan came to visit the National Preceptor's residence. Since Li Xun already knew what he was after, he'd made all the necessary preparations ahead of time.
Maybe it was because he trusted disciples of the Mingxin Sword Sect, but He Mulan didn't bother hiding anything. He gave a general account of what had happened that night. And Li Xun feigned surprise right on cue.
"So you're saying, a few days ago when all the guards in the imperial vault suddenly passed out and the tunnel entrance got damaged... that was you guys?"
He Mulan just gave a low chuckle, clearly not denying it. Then he asked, "Junior Brother Xun, have you ever been inside the vault while at the palace?"
Li Xun shot him a deliberately surprised look. "The vault? Yeah, I've been down there once. The National Preceptor brought me to inspect the recent tributes of various pills and herbs. But I don't really know much about alchemy, so I didn't pay close attention. Why do you ask, Senior Brother?"
He Mulan blinked in confusion. "Wait, you're not the National Preceptor? Then who is?"
Li Xun widened his eyes like it was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard. "Who said I'm the National Preceptor? The people in the capital just call me 'Young Preceptor Preceptor' for fun. I thought everyone knew that, Senior Brother…"
He Mulan looked a little embarrassed but admitted honestly, "We've been busy scouring the capital for that fugitive, haven't had time to check up on this kind of thing."
Then, his brow furrowed again. "But if you're not the National Preceptor… does that mean the Nayional Preceptor's cultivation is even above yours?"
Li Xun thought to himself, Above? Try ten thousand times stronger! But of course, that's not something he could say out loud. He just shook his head and replied, "Senior Brother, do you know why the capital folk add the word 'Young' before 'National Preceptor' when referring to me?"
He Mulan shook his head honestly. Li Xun let out a half-laugh.
"That's because she and I are more like equals in generation, but her official rank in the imperial palace is higher than mine. So, in daily matters, I still have to call her 'Master Aunt'..."
He Mulan could only shake his head with a bitter smile. "Ridiculous… utterly ridiculous… Junior Brother, you…"
Li Xun ignored him and kept going, adding just the right touch of disdain to his expression. "As for her cultivation? What cultivation? All she really has is a pretty face. And that glib tongue of hers, she could talk a corpse into dancing. Fooling a muddle-headed emperor? That's easy."
Seeing that He Mulan still looked a bit skeptical, Li Xun knew he couldn't miss this chance to throw up a smokescreen for Yin Wanderer. So he casually brought up a few juicy little "anecdotes" that had been floating around the capital about the female National Preceptor. With some creative tweaks, he passed them off as things he'd seen himself.
Li Xun was a natural storyteller, and He Mulan had no real frame of reference. So after a bit of back-and-forth, the image was set: a mortal-level woman using beauty and lies to seduce the emperor, nothing more. The perfect cover for Yin Wanderer. Surely she wouldn't blame him for this, right?
Since he had such a great opportunity, Li Xun didn't hold back. He tossed in a few more jabs, part slander, part venting. It felt good to get it off his chest.
He Mulan, oblivious to the hidden agendas in play, listened with full attention.
Once Li Xun had said enough, he finally brought the topic back around. "This so-called National Preceptor has no real skills, but her scheming is top-notch. She moves through the palace as she pleases, and even the emperor trusts her completely. He's handed over all kinds of responsibilities, including control over the inner vault.
"That's why I was able to enter the vault with her. Using my status as her martial nephew. But why are you suddenly asking about this, Senior Brother?"
He Mulan had finally gotten a clearer picture of what was going on inside the imperial palace. He stayed silent for a moment, comparing what Li Xun had told him with what he already suspected. Nothing seemed out of place. Of course not. Li Xun had crafted this background based on the exact assumptions He Mulan had made the day before, just to push him further down the wrong path.
Hopefully, one he'd never come back from.
Once He Mulan was satisfied, he finally asked, "Junior Brother Xun, while you were in the vault… did you happen to see something called Peach Blossom Blood?"
"Peach Blossom Blood?" Li Xun's face went blank at first, then suddenly lit up. "Actually, I think I have heard of that!"
He furrowed his brow like he was struggling to remember. "I feel like I saw it listed among the tribute herbs. The name's pretty unique; it stuck with me."
He Mulan tapped his fingers slowly on the table and said in a calm, firm tone, "As I thought…"
The words were soft, but they carried a heavy chill; as if the room had suddenly dropped several degrees.
Then he looked up at Li Xun.
"Junior Brother… can you take us into the inner vault tonight?"
Li Xun's eyes flew wide open.
"What?!"