The echo of Xiao Yue's slamming door still hung in the air when Kenji, for the first time, felt no need to recalculate a protocol. Instead, a strange, almost alien sensation settled in the center of his chest: a piece of data he could not quantify, but which he identified as pride. The primary asset had not only completed the mission but had redefined it on her own terms.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yue did not stop to savor her victory. Every second counted. As she crossed the clan's courtyards, her stride was no longer that of a disciple, but of a force of nature carving its own path. The heavy sack of gold in her hand was not a burden, but a scepter—the first tangible symbol of her newly claimed authority. The servants and disciples who saw her pass stepped aside, not out of fear, but from a new kind of respect, the kind afforded to the inevitable.
Her first destination was not her pavilion, nor Xiu Mei's. It was the Carriage Courtyard. The machinery of power was already in motion.
The steward of the Carriage Courtyard, a man named Deng, was a monument to bureaucracy. His back was permanently stooped from years of bowing to the powerful, and his expression was that of someone who had seen too many orders and far too few surprises. He was accustomed to Zian's demands, Hong's cold courtesy, and Jin's brusque impatience. When he saw Xiao Yue approach, his brain automatically filed her under "unimportant matter."
"Miss Xiao Yue," he said, his tone attempting respect but reeking of condescension. "If you need to run an errand in the city, one of the service carts will be available in the afternoon."
Xiao Yue stopped before him. She did not look at him like a child asking for a favor, but like a general inspecting a logistics officer.
"Steward Deng," her voice was calm, melodic, but with a core of steel that made the man instinctively straighten up. "Tomorrow at dawn, I require a carriage."
Deng blinked. "Of course, Miss. Number three is in good condition, its curtains are discreet and—"
"The Clouded Phoenix," she interrupted.
The silence that followed was so absolute one could hear the buzz of a lone fly. Deng's expression shifted from boredom to disbelief, and from there to incipient panic.
"The… the Clouded Phoenix?" he stammered. "But, Miss, that carriage is reserved exclusively for the Sect Master. Not even Young Master Zian—"
"My father is not using it," Xiao Yue stated, each word a stone of indisputable authority. "And I need it for a mission of strategic importance to the clan. It will be ready. Polished. With the finest silks inside."
Doubt and fear warred on the steward's face. To disobey such a deep-rooted rule was unthinkable. But the woman before him was no longer the forgotten girl. There was something in her gaze, a certainty so absolute that defying it felt like a form of suicide.
"I… I need a formal order. An authorization from Young Master Zian or the Elders…"
Xiao Yue did not respond verbally. With a slow, deliberate movement, she drew the white jade seal of Matriarch Feng from her sleeve. She did not slam it on the counter; she placed it gently on a dusty ledger. The soft click of stone against wood was the only argument she needed.
The blood drained from Deng's face. That seal was not a departmental order; it was the will of the woman who controlled every non-martial aspect of the clan, the queen in the shadows whose wrath was legendary precisely because it was silent and efficient. And that will now backed the young woman before him.
"I will also require the two best Wind Steeds," Xiao Yue added, as if ordering a cup of tea. "Ensure they are well-fed and rested. We depart at dawn."
Deng swallowed, his throat suddenly as dry as a desert. He bowed his head, this time in genuine, fearful submission. "As you command, Miss Xiao Yue. The Clouded Phoenix will be ready."
She nodded once. She did not say thank you. Queens do not thank obedience; they expect it.
Her next stop was the armory, an austere building of grey stone that smelled of cold steel, polishing oil, and the sweat of men who knew the true meaning of discipline. The Captain of the Guard, Guan, was a man carved from the same rock as the clan's walls. His face was a map of old scars and his graying, braided beard spoke of countless winters in service. He was loyal, but his loyalty was not to a person, but to an ideal: the strength and honor of the Silver Cloud Clan. He had watched with growing bitterness as Zian's pride and the Sect Master's apathy eroded that ideal.
When Xiao Yue entered, he was overseeing the sharpening of a batch of swords. Seeing her, he showed not surprise, but attentive curiosity. He had heard the rumors, but he was a man who trusted what he saw, and what he saw now was a posture and an aura he hadn't witnessed in a member of the main family for years.
"Miss Xiao Yue. It is an honor."
"Captain Guan," she greeted him, inclining her head in a gesture of genuine martial respect. "Your reputation as the pillar of the clan's defense is well known. That is why I have come to you."
Captain Guan set down the sword he was inspecting. The young woman's directness intrigued him.
"Tomorrow at dawn, I will embark on a mission of strategic importance for the clan's future," Xiao Yue said, her voice clear and direct. "It is a delicate operation in the city. It requires an escort."
"The outer gate guards can accompany you, if you wish," he offered, testing her.
"No. I need the best. Those who don't ask unnecessary questions and whose loyalty is to the cloud on our banner, not to the storms brewing in the halls," she said, her gaze meeting his, direct and filled with a mutual understanding. She was speaking of Zian without naming him. "I need the Shadow Wolves. Your eight best men."
The Captain fell silent. The Shadow Wolves were his elite unit, veteran warriors mobilized only by direct order of the Sect Master or in cases of extreme emergency. To grant her this request was a political act, a declaration of whom he saw as the clan's true hope.
"That is an unusual request," Guan said, his voice as deep as rolling stones. "Young Master Zian—"
"My brother is concerned with appearances and external alliances," Xiao Yue interrupted with implacable logic. "I am concerned with internal strength. With ensuring we have the tools to survive the coming storms. I know you share that concern. I know you served my mother."
The mention of her mother was the masterstroke. Guan stared at her, and in the young woman's golden eyes, he saw the same fire, the same will of steel, and the same strategic intelligence he had admired in the clan's late mistress. This was not the request of a capricious girl. It was the order of a leader.
"The Shadow Wolves will be ready at dawn," the Captain decreed, and in his voice, there was not submission, but the resonance of a forged alliance. "They will protect the blood of the Phoenix with their lives."
Xiao Yue inclined her head once more. "The strength of the clan resides in men like you, Captain."
With the clan's power now at her disposal, she finally returned to her pavilion. Alone, in the safety of her chambers, the calculating leader's steel façade melted like snow in spring. A choked cry of pure euphoria escaped her. She ran into her room, a whirlwind of silk and emotion. She stopped before her polished bronze mirror and stared at her reflection. She saw her own flushed face, her brilliant eyes, her smile so wide her cheeks ached.
"A date," she whispered, and the word sounded both ridiculous and wonderful. "Kenji and I… on a date."
She spun around, a clumsy, happy pirouette that had nothing to do with her elegant sword forms. The mission, the auction, the ingredients… all of that was important, yes. It was the plan. But the true driving force, the engine making her heart pound with overwhelming force, was the prospect of spending an entire day with him. Outside the clan walls. Not as consultant and asset, or as servant and miss. But as Kenji and Xiao Yue. On equal footing. In normalcy. The idea was so dizzying she had to sit on the edge of her bed, laughter bubbling in her chest. This feeling… it was more addictive than any breakthrough in her cultivation.

Sleep, when it finally came, was deep and filled with a quiet, thrilling anticipation. The long night passed, giving way to the first blush of dawn. And with the new day came the true preparations.

Xiao Yue, recovering her composure with a visible effort, stood. This wasn't just a mission. It was her first real date. And for a first date, one could not be careless. She tapped a small silver bell on her vanity. Moments later, Liling and two other handmaidens entered, bowing deeply.
"Prepare the bath," Xiao Yue ordered, and her voice, though soft, had acquired a new, regal resonance. "With Moon Jasmine petals and Cloud Orchid oil. Let the water be hot, but not boiling."
The handmaidens, accustomed to her simple routines, exchanged looks of astonishment but hurried to obey. What followed was a ritual of transformation, a meticulous sequence that was, in itself, a declaration of intent.
The bath was a sensory paradise. Steam, heavy with the sweet, intoxicating scent of flowers, filled the room. The handmaidens washed her long red hair, lock by lock, with an herbal infusion that left it gleaming like liquid fire, soft as silk. As she submerged herself in the hot water, she felt the tension of the past days dissolve, leaving only a vibrant expectation.
After the bath came the grooming. Her hands, accustomed to the hardness of the wooden sword, were treated with reverent delicacy. Her nails, on both hands and feet, were perfectly trimmed and filed, then buffed with mother-of-pearl dust until they shone with a subtle, iridescent luster.
The makeup was a work of art. A light dusting of pearl powder evened her skin tone, giving it an ethereal glow. A touch of kohl, applied with the finest brush, accentuated the almond shape of her golden eyes, making them appear even larger and deeper—two liquid suns. On her lips, just a hint of honey balm gave them a natural, inviting sheen. The goal was not to mask her beauty, but to frame it, like a jeweler setting their most perfect gem.
Her hair, now dry and fragrant, was the next masterpiece. The practical ponytail was gone. In its place, the handmaidens' skilled hands wove an elaborate and elegant updo, an intricate crown of braids dotted with small, silver hairpins shaped like ginkgo leaves and a single white camellia—a nod to her favorite flower—fastened to one side. The
hairstyle was regal and sophisticated, that of a woman who knows her place is at the very top.
And then, the culminating moment: the dress.
Liling and another handmaiden brought it in a sandalwood chest. When they lifted it out, a collective sigh filled the room. It was a masterpiece of crimson silk, a red so deep and vibrant it seemed to have a life of its own. Xiao Yue slipped into it. The fabric, cool and smooth, molded to her body like a second skin. The cut was both bold and supremely elegant: a discreet yet suggestive V-neck hinted at the curve of her chest, while the cinched waist accentuated her slender figure before falling into a flowing skirt that parted with every movement, revealing a glimpse of her ankles. The sleeves, long and wide in the courtly style, added a touch of drama and majesty. The dress did not cover her, but revealed her: the powerful, sensual, and elegant woman who had lain dormant beneath training robes.
As a final touch, a handmaiden spritzed a cloud of perfume into the air for her to walk through. The scent was subtle, an intoxicating blend of sandalwood, jasmine, and something else—a spicy, exotic note that was both alluring and dangerous.
When she looked in the mirror again, the transformation was complete. Her aura no longer whispered power; it proclaimed desire, grace, and a lethal elegance. The handmaidens were breathless. Liling, who had seen her at her lowest, had tears in her eyes. The admiration on their faces was the only mirror Xiao Yue needed. They no longer saw "Miss Xiao Yue." They saw a queen. They saw a phoenix unfurling its wings for the first time.
Satisfied with the result, Xiao Yue turned, her movement a symphony of silk and authority. With majestic calm, she addressed Liling.
"Ensure that everything is prepared. Inform Assistant Kenji that I will await him in the main courtyard," she said, her voice that of someone accustomed to giving orders and being obeyed. "Our departure will be an announcement."
The final message was about to be delivered. The anticipation of her exit would spread through the clan like a shockwave. She would no longer hide. She would no longer use stealth within her own home. She would leave through the front gate, in full view of everyone, in the clan's finest carriage and with its elite escort.
It was not a simple trip to the city. It was a declaration of power. A parade. An open challenge to her brothers and anyone who stood in her way. It was an announcement to the Silver Cloud Clan that the time for shadows was over.
A new power had arrived to claim what was hers. And the entire world was about to bear witness.