Despite the strength he projected, Ling Feng was still a young man—one who had tasted the bitterness of rejection from the very people he once called family.
The night was silent, save for the cracking fire and the rhythmic sounds of practice from the distant camp.
Jun Mo Xie found him seated on a log, staring at the flames, eyes hollow.
"The world... it's not what I thought," Ling Feng muttered. "Even family abandons you when you think you're doing the right thing."
Jun sat beside him, folding his arms. "You were too naïve. But this is your chance to shed that skin."
---
Days passed. While Jun Mo Xie continued cleansing the Jun family of spies and traitors, Ling Feng trained with tireless resolve. He was no longer the gambler from before—he was sharper, faster, and more focused.
But Jun knew... Ling Feng didn't belong in the shadows.
He belonged back in the light of his legacy.
---
One early morning, Jun summoned his grandfather and uncle to a private chamber. A map of the Jun clan's inner hierarchy lay on the table, marked with names and red circles.
"These are the rot," Jun said plainly. "They smile in your face, but their loyalty lies elsewhere."
His grandfather frowned. "Are you suggesting purging our own blood?"
Jun replied, "I'm suggesting survival."
He laid out his strategy: remove the suspected from key positions quietly; plant loyalists in sensitive roles; leak false information and see who spreads it.
His uncle, silent until now, finally nodded. "That way, they expose themselves."
His grandfather, though visibly conflicted, muttered, "You truly take after your father... and beyond."
Jun stood. "Let me handle the shadows, Grandfather. You just be ready to step into the light again."
---
As the cleansing began, soldiers loyal to Jun subtly replaced guards, and known sympathizers of rival families were reassigned to distant posts. Not a drop of blood was shed.
At the same time, Jun approached Ling Feng once again.
They met under moonlight, near the training grounds.
"If I wanted to," Jun began, "I could make you a commander, or even my chief strategist. But you're not meant to be here."
Ling Feng looked confused.
Jun continued, "Your grandfather still loves you. He was just blinded by pride and tradition. You need to go back... not as a failure, but as someone stronger."
---
The next morning, Jun walked into the Ling estate alone.
Ling Tian Wu, a proud and powerful man, met him with cold formality. "Why do you come, Jun Mo Xie?"
Jun bowed. "To return what you lost, and perhaps what you still love."
He gestured behind him. Ling Feng stepped forward.
The old man's eyes widened, shimmering with unspoken emotion. He hesitated, then growled, "Why now? Why return after such disgrace?"
Ling Feng knelt. "Because I am no longer the same. I'm stronger. Wiser. Not for myself, but for the Ling family."
Silence lingered.
Then, Tian Wu stepped forward, trembling slightly.
"Foolish boy... you should have said that the day you left."
He embraced him.
Jun turned, hiding a soft smile.
---
Back at the Jun manor, another fire brewed—a subtler one.
A new arrival had come to the camp: Luo Jing Yu, daughter of the prestigious Luo family.
She wasn't here as a noble, but as a woman with purpose.
From the moment she saw Mo Yan standing silently near Jun Mo Xie, jealousy flickered in her eyes.
"Who is she?"
"Mo Yan," Jun replied. "My personal guard."
"That close? For a guard?"
Mo Yan didn't flinch. "I go where I'm needed."
Luo Jing Yu clenched her fists.
---
That evening, Luo Jing Yu approached Jun privately.
"You always said trust was earned. Has she earned it already?"
Jun looked her in the eyes. "I trust actions. She's bled for me."
Her voice softened. "And what about me?"
Jun stepped closer. "You came without orders, without your father's blessing. That alone says more than a thousand words."
She whispered, "Then let me stand beside you. Not behind."
He nodded.
---
As night fell, Jun gathered his inner circle: his grandfather, his uncle, Mo Yan, and a few loyal commanders.
On the table was a new map—not of the Jun family, but the entire region.
Jun pointed to three surrounding noble families.
"They're watching us. Waiting. If they sense weakness, they'll strike."
His grandfather asked, "Do we fight them?"
Jun replied, "Not yet. We let them fear what they don't understand. We become the unknown."
The strategy was clear: strengthen the core, purify the inner circle, restore lost alliances like Ling Feng's, and project silence that screamed strength.
---
And so, the Jun clan qu
ietly transformed from a fractured house to a rising shadow.
The world didn't know it yet... but the game had changed.
End of Chapter 4