Qingshi Town wasn't particularly large, but it also wasn't small—just large enough to foster undercurrents of ambition, and just small enough for secrets to never stay buried for long.
In the Hu Family compound, despite their best efforts to keep appearances calm, it was no secret among the upper echelons that just yesterday, they had quietly approached the gates of the Luo Family, seeking to forge a marriage alliance.
But among the four great families of Qingshi Town, the Zhao Family was far from ignorant.
In fact, when it came to gathering intelligence and monitoring the pulse of the town, the Zhao Family was no less competent than the others.
"The Hu Family… has overstepped their bounds."
Deep within Zhao Family territory, in a private chamber where dim candlelight danced over the carved wooden walls, Zhao Wu sat in the seat of honor.
The current head of the Zhao Family, his figure was stiff and motionless, like a boulder carved from the very earth itself.
Before him stood a man in black, his robes blending with the shadows, head bowed slightly, face obscured. He neither shifted nor spoke.
Zhao Wu's voice echoed through the quiet room, low and grim.
"For over three centuries, the four great families have lived in uneasy harmony," Zhao Wu began, his fingers tapping idly against the armrest of his chair.
"My Zhao Family and the Luo Family—together, we control the mining and sale of the Qingshi ore veins."
"The Hu Family controls all commercial dealings in the town's markets."
"And the Jing Family rules over every gambling hall and den in Qingshi Town."
"We've all kept to our own lanes."
"But now, the Hu Family thinks to meddle in the mining industry by attempting a marriage alliance with the Luo Family? That's a step too far."
His voice dropped another notch, and the room seemed to darken with the weight of his anger. "They're violating the unspoken rules."
The longer Zhao Wu dwelled on it, the colder his expression grew.
"Did the marriage alliance go through?"
The question finally broke the long silence. His voice was hoarse, deliberate.
The black-clad man, still bowing, slowly shook his head. His voice, rough like gravel dragged across stone, answered simply.
"Family Head, the marriage alliance between the Hu Family and the Luo Family did not come to fruition."
"The exact reasons remain unclear."
Zhao Wu's stern face finally softened—slightly. Not relief, but something less brittle.
The alliance had failed. That meant the game was still in motion. The balance could still be tipped.
The specifics didn't matter. Not yet.
"Keep a close watch on every move the Luo Family makes," Zhao Wu ordered quietly, "and especially that high-grade Qingshi ore vein about three hundred meters long."
The man in black bowed once more and disappeared into the shadows as silently as he had come.
No sooner had he vanished than another figure stepped forward from a dark corner of the room.
A sickly-looking middle-aged man, pallid and plain of appearance, emerged with the faintest sound of rustling robes. His thin frame and sunken eyes made him seem more ghost than man.
This was Gao Qi.
Once hailed as a top scholar of the Da Feng Dynasty, Gao Qi had seen his name dragged through the mud. His scholarly accomplishments were declared forgeries, and his title revoked under public scandal. Stripped of his lands, wealth, and dignity, he was banished to the frontier—exiled to obscurity.
His arrival at the Zhao Family estate had not been planned. It was, as Zhao Wu often described it, an accident of fate.
"You heard everything, didn't you?" Zhao Wu asked, his tone turning contemplative as he looked at Gao Qi's wan figure. "What do you think?"
Gao Qi's response was calm, distant, as if offered from the edge of some private abyss. "When the snipe and clam struggle, it is the fisherman who profits."
Zhao Wu paused. Then a slow, deep laugh began to bubble up from his chest.
The more he laughed, the louder it grew—until it filled the room like a storm breaking against stone.
"Three years of drought. Countless refugees pouring across the land," Zhao Wu said through gritted teeth, voice laced with bitter excitement. "Either rebel or become a bandit—that's what the times demand."
"The world is already descending into chaos."
"My Zhao Family dares to challenge the Luo Family. Dares to shake the balance that's lasted over three centuries. Do you think we'd act without certainty?"
"But the Hu Family?" His laughter stopped abruptly. His face darkened once more. "What makes them think they can play this game?"
"Do they really believe that by marrying into the Luo Family, my Zhao Family would no longer dare to touch them?"
"Now the marriage alliance has fallen apart, and they dream of becoming the fisherman who profits?"
Zhao Wu's tone dropped to a whisper. "But how can they know whether they're the fisherman—or just an arrogant, ignorant praying mantis?"
A long silence followed. The flames flickered, casting long shadows over Zhao Wu's contemplative face. At last, his voice steadied.
"You may leave."
Gao Qi bowed slightly and turned to go. But just as he reached the door, Zhao Wu's voice rose again.
"Oh, and when you return to the stronghold, tell my younger brother—expand the compound."
"The world grows more unstable by the day."
"If we are to hold a place in the chaos to come... if we are to vie for supremacy..."
"Then we must grasp power. With both hands."
Zhao Wu said no more.
Outside, Gao Qi's steps faltered for just a moment.
Then he continued forward, vanishing into the distance beyond the Zhao Family estate.
While the Zhao Family maneuvered behind closed doors, they were not the only ones paying close attention.
Across Qingshi Town, another player stirred.
The Jing Family—masters of Qingshi's gambling dens—had also taken note of the recent developments.
In a bright, airy study within the Jing estate, a heavy door was kicked open with careless force.
"Father! What's your take on this Hu Family mess?"
The voice belonged to a young woman clad in iron armor, a red-tasseled spear strapped to her back. Her sharp eyes and confident stance gave her an air of bold defiance, matching the lively fire in her voice.
Jing Hongying.
Tall and striking, she was a far cry from the demure young ladies of Qingshi Town. She walked like a soldier, thought like a warrior, and had long since traded embroidery needles for cold steel.
Seated within the room was her father, Jing Chenglong—a large man with a broad frame and an even broader beard. His gaze flicked up from the documents before him.
"Sister, you're in too much of a rush," said another voice from within the room—Jing Chang, her younger brother, his tone laced with amusement. "How many times have I told you not to barge in?"
"Next time, I'll knock. I swear," Hongying said, sheepishly scratching her nose before redirecting her question. "So, Father, what's your opinion on the Hu Family?"
Jing Chenglong sighed, setting his brush down with a resigned thud.
"What do I think?" he said with a smirk. "I think I see just fine with my eyes."
"Father!" Hongying groaned.
"Alright, alright," he said, straightening in his seat, his expression hardening into something serious.
"This marriage alliance the Hu Family tried to form—it's nothing short of a blatant attempt to encroach on the Qingshi ore trade."
"They want control over the full industry chain—the markets and the mines."
Hongying frowned. "That would upset the entire balance of power in Qingshi Town."
"Exactly. That's why everyone's watching them now. And although the alliance with the Luo Family failed... no one knows why."
She nodded slowly, absorbing his words.
"And the Zhao Family?" she asked. "What are they planning?"
Jing Chenglong leaned back slightly, arms crossing over his chest. His voice dropped.
"The Zhao Family... there's something about them that doesn't sit right with me."
"Their behavior has been strange recently. Too generous. Too quiet."
"Take that ore vein," he said sharply, eyes narrowing. "Over three hundred meters of high-grade Qingshi ore—and they just gave it to the Luo Family."
"That's not a gift," Hongying muttered, more to herself than anyone else.
"No," her father agreed grimly. "It's bait."
"And I have a growing suspicion—Zhao Wu is simply waiting for the Ancestor of the Luo Family to die."
"After that, the Zhao Family will strike. Slowly. Strategically. They'll devour the Luo Family one piece at a time."
Hongying's grip tightened on the hilt of her spear.
"And if they're willing to act so boldly—willing to risk so much—it means they're hiding strength we haven't yet seen."
Jing Chenglong nodded, his gaze settling on his daughter.
"And that, Hongying... is what worries me most."