RYU CLAN'S MAIN CASTLE - GUEST ROOM
The spacious guest room, assigned to the Xiao Clan's delegation, was opulent, yet Xiao Ling barely registered the intricate silks or polished dark wood. She sat on the edge of the plush bed, her crimson robes a stark contrast to the pale embroidered coverlet. Her dark eyes, usually so composed, burned with a furious, humiliated rage. Across from her, Lady Mei sat calmly in a cushioned chair, observing her with a practiced, assessing gaze.
"Lady Mei," Xiao Ling began, her voice low and tight with suppressed fury. "You told me he was just a fool. That he was a mediocre, talentless boy who would be easily wrapped around my finger." Her hands, usually so steady, clenched into tight fists in her lap. "But the way he carries himself, the way he speaks... he is very sharp. How dare he humiliate me like that, in front of his own servants, on our arrival?"
Lady Mei's eyes, dark and piercing, held Xiao Ling's gaze. They were intense, deep, reflecting a profound understanding of the world's cold realities. She let the silence stretch for a moment, allowing Xiao Ling's youthful indignation to ebb slightly, before she spoke. Her tone, though still gentle, shifted, gaining a subtle, commanding edge. "Young Lady, you cannot be bothered by a mere boy's crude provocations. Such displays are beneath you, and a weakness you cannot afford."
She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a near whisper, drawing Xiao Ling into a world of shadowed strategies. "We will have to face him properly. This situation, though unexpected, is not insurmountable. We will have to plan." Lady Mei's gaze hardened, a calculating glint entering her eyes. "We do not know about his true cultivation now. The rumors of his past mediocrity do not align with his brazen behavior, nor with the Clan Head's sudden favor towards him. But soon, we will. I have already made preparations. If things proceed as I have meticulously arranged, we will uncover the full extent of his current strength."
Xiao Ling listened, the raw anger in her slowly giving way to a colder, more methodical resolve. This was the world she was born into, a world where every smile hid a dagger, and every slight demanded a calculated response.
"And there is more," Lady Mei continued, her voice gaining a new layer of pragmatism. "I have also heard about the Ryu Clan's illegitimate child, Ryu Shen. He is reportedly quite talented, a rising star in his own right, and seemingly favored by the Clan Head as well, at least until recently. You will have to observe him too, Young Lady. Discern if he will be your ally in this intricate dance, or yet another enemy."
Lady Mei's eyes narrowed, a ruthless edge entering her tone. "If he is not an ally, if his ambition clashes with our objectives, then we will have to finish him. He is, after all, merely an illegitimate son. His elimination would cause minimal ripples, posing little to no problem for our clan's standing or for our alliance with the Ryu Family. The Clan Head, I suspect, values results and loyalty above the intricacies of bloodlines, especially if a more 'convenient' heir emerges."
Xiao Ling looked at Lady Mei, her own features now calm, the fury replaced by a chilling clarity. The lessons of their clan, the 'Mountain Guardian' story, echoed in her mind – the importance of strategy, resilience, and ruthless pragmatism. "Okay, Lady Mei," she said, her voice steady, accepting the cold realities laid before her. "We will do that." Her mind, sharp and analytical, already began to process the implications, weighing allies and enemies, plotting her own moves within this dangerous game. The Ryu Clan Castle, she realized, was far more than just a place for a marriage alliance; it was a viper's nest, and she would have to be the cleverest serpent of all.
RYU CLAN'S MAIN CASTLE - GUEST ROOM ROOF
The moon, a cold, indifferent disc, hung high above the Ryu Clan Castle. I lay stretched out on the cool tiles of the guest room's roof, an ancestral sword resting beside me, my gaze fixed on the endless expanse of the night sky. The crisp night air stirred around me, carrying the faint scent of distant pines and the muted sounds of the sleeping estate.
So, this is what you're thinking, Xiao Ling. My lips curved into a faint, predatory smile. Planning, scheming, trying to uncover my 'true cultivation.' It doesn't matter. Whatever you do, nothing can save you now. Your path is already charted, right into my carefully laid traps. A chill of satisfaction, pure and unadulterated, spread through me.
My eyes, sharp and accustomed to the darkness, drifted from the sky to a gnarled, ancient tree whose branches reached close to the roofline. A subtle ripple in its shadows, a faint shift in the energy signature I was becoming increasingly adept at sensing, had been bothering me for the past few minutes.
"Oi," I murmured, my voice a low, casual whisper that nonetheless cut through the stillness of the night. "You've been looking at me for a long time now, haven't you? Aren't you going to come out?"
The shadows beneath the tree's thick canopy deepened for a moment, then coalesced. A figure detached himself from the darkness, landing silently on the roof tiles beside the tree. He was clad in dark, form-fitting attire, his face obscured by a tightly drawn hood. Two gleaming daggers, his blades catching the faint moonlight, were held loosely in his hands, his edges sharp enough to hum.
The figure tilted his head, a faint, almost imperceptible sound escaping his lips. "Huh," he muttered, his voice a low, surprised rasp. "I didn't expect you to find out. Whatever." One of the daggers twirled in his grip, a glint of malice in the movement. "I will kill you now."
The air on the rooftop tightened, suddenly charged with unspoken intent. A test. A new variable. This Murim world truly loved its surprises, even for a regressor. My smile, however, only widened. Good.