The Vermilion Palace felt colder today. The fire in the throne hall had been lit since dawn, yet no heat reached Tianming's skin. He didn't blame the wind.
He blamed the man who had just entered his court. Draped in black robes edged with sea-green thread, the envoy from the Black Tortoise Kingdom walked slowly, deliberately, like someone already rehearsing a eulogy.
He bowed deep—too deep.
"Envoy Hao Shen, bearer of peace, humble vessel of the Tortoise Crown," the man said with a thin smile. "We come to offer condolences… and the hope of alliance."
Tianming didn't move. He studied the envoy carefully. The man's voice was smooth, his demeanor impeccable.
But his shadow…moved half a second out of sync.
Observation Layer: Kisuke's Formation Report
Mirror Glyph Active
Shadow Distortion: Confirmed
Soul Split Probability: 82%
Illusion Shell Detected
"Recommend immediate containment or misdirection. He's not just a spy—he's carrying something, or someone."
Tianming raised one hand slightly from the throne.
"Welcome, Envoy Hao. Your journey must have been tiring. Would you like rest, or would you prefer to speak poison now?"
The court tensed. The ambassador chuckled lightly. "Your Majesty's wit is as sharp as the reports say."
"Then let's not waste it on pleasantries," Tianming replied coldly. "You're here to probe weakness. I invite you to try."
Beneath the Palace – Shadow Lair
In the surveillance chamber, Itachi stood before the shimmering mirror-formation. He watched the envoy's shadow flicker—sometimes matching his steps, sometimes twitching toward Tianming, like a tethered hound resisting its leash.
He frowned. "This isn't illusion," he murmured.
Kisuke, behind him, scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Shadow cultivation technique?" Kisuke offered. "Or perhaps a parasitic possession?"
Itachi's voice dropped. "Worse. I think it's watching for someone else." Kisuke blinked. "A remote-viewing shadow doppelgänger? You don't see those before the Nascent Soul Realm."
"Then someone powerful is watching… or feeding." Itachi turned away from the glyphs. "Either way, we'll cut the string."
The Political Dance Begins
Tianming allowed the envoy to present the Black Tortoise Kingdom's offer: a peace treaty "in honor of the fallen king," conditional trade rights, and marriage between minor nobles of the two courts.
The offer was couched in respect, but the message was clear:
Submit, and survive. Or resist, and rot. Tianming listened to every word. He gave nothing away but behind his back, he had already signaled Itachi.
Stage One would begin by nightfall.
Nightfall – The Bait and the Fire
That evening, Tianming invited the envoy to a private banquet in the western hall—a place never used since the fall of the third prince, who had been poisoned there two decades prior.
Tianming sat across from Hao Shen, sipping wine slowly.
"You know," Tianming said calmly, "I used to admire the Black Tortoise Kingdom's patience. You conquered three minor kingdoms in twenty years without spilling more than ten drops of noble blood." The envoy chuckled. "Bloodless victories are the mark of civilization."
"Mm," Tianming replied. "And yet… here you are. Sending a puppet dressed in silk while someone else controls the strings."
The envoy paused.
Tianming snapped his fingers. The lanterns went out. Moonlight alone lit the floor and the envoy's shadow twisted. It curled like smoke, rose like mist—and then shrieked.
A shape peeled free from it, long and jagged—a shadow-wraith, its eyes glowing red, its mouth gaping with silent screams. It shot toward Tianming.
But Itachi was already there. Three hand seals . A genjutsu pulse and the shadow-wraith froze mid-air, trembling.
The envoy collapsed in a heap, unconscious. Blood ran from his nose and ears.
Tianming stood. "Check him," he said coldly.
Kisuke knelt beside the fallen diplomat, tapping his fan to the man's forehead. "Mmhm. No soul control anymore. Wraith link severed. His memories, however…" He grinned. "Still warm."
Tianming nodded. "Burn the wraith's remains. Send the envoy back alive—but hollow. Let them know I don't duel shadows. I erase them."