The morning sun, usually filtering through the haze of the Azure Cloud Sect's spiritual pollution, seemed to shine with a triumphant, mocking glare upon the Outer Gate Administration Hall.
Han Yue was there precisely at the promised time: noon. Dressed impeccably in her green robes, she sat behind her desk, projecting an air of bored administrative competence while internally vibrating with the energy of a thousand humming spiritual cores. She felt dangerously exposed, yet deliciously powerful.
She didn't have to wait long.
A young Foundation Establishment disciple, his face stiff and pale, strode into the office. He didn't meet her eyes. He simply slammed a small, heavy jade box onto her polished wooden desk, the impact rattling a stack of dusty inventory forms.
"This is from the Yan Clan," the disciple muttered, his voice choked with humiliation. "For 'damages' caused to the 'Benevolent Elder's' property."
"Ah, the damages," Han Yue said coolly, tapping the jade box. "I assume the full sum is present?"
"One hundred top-grade Spirit Stones," the disciple confirmed, gritting his teeth. "The message is clear: this is a temporary settlement. If your so-called Elder causes any further disruption, the Yan Clan will use their resources to permanently raze that entire desolate plot, regardless of the consequences."
Han Yue smiled sweetly, the smile of a woman who was now officially wealthy. "Duly noted. Please thank the Yan Clan for their prompt—though belated—payment. They will find that the Benevolent Elder is satisfied, provided his business interests remain unmolested."
The disciple fled as if the office itself were poisonous. Han Yue waited five minutes, then sealed the office door, activated a privacy talisman, and carefully opened the jade box.
The stones inside didn't merely glow; they radiated clean, crystalline spiritual energy that immediately filled the room, making her breath catch. One hundred top-grade Spirit Stones. Enough money to fund her own cultivation for three years, and enough to buy Lin Feng the exotic, high-end materials he needed for his next massive breakthrough.
One night's work. It was unbelievable.
She locked the box and hurried back to the Mortal Estate.
Lin Feng was waiting for her in the shadows of the stable, casually sharpening his beloved shovel. He didn't need to ask if the transaction was successful; the faint, pure scent of top-grade Spirit Stones clinging to her robes was answer enough.
"I told you she would pay," Lin Feng noted, taking the jade box. The weight of the stones in his hands felt right—the natural consequence of his power and audacity.
"I know, but paying ransom to a servant's decoy? That's public disgrace," Han Yue whispered, her eyes wide. "She must be furious. She's Level Eight, Lin Feng. You didn't just beat her assassins; you embarrassed her clan's financial integrity."
Lin Feng nodded, carefully putting the Spirit Stones into the spatial ring. He was already planning their allocation. "Fury is predictable. Yan Xia is not stupid; she is prideful. Her Elder brother, Yan Qiu, who manages the clan's outer finances, forced her hand. They had to pay to prevent the one thing worse than losing face: losing Elder Hong's contract."
He placed a hand on her shoulder, his expression hardening slightly. "The payment means we bought time, Han Yue, but not peace. Yan Xia knows the truth: the 'Elder' is not an old man. The 'Elder' is a hidden genius, operating on the Azure Cloud Sect's grounds. And the genius needs a logistical partner—you."
"Me?"
"Yes. You are the only person who changed behavior recently, the only one with access, and the only one who received the payment. She cannot attack your position openly, but she will use every available resource to find the weakness in your network."
Lin Feng led her to a secluded corner where the hay bales were stacked highest. He lowered his voice, the intimacy of the conspiracy deepening their bond. "From this moment, you are under constant, hidden scrutiny. Your movements, your purchases, and even your thoughts will be watched by her agents. We need to solidify your defenses."
"Defenses? I'm still only Level Three Qi Condensation, Lin Feng," she protested, a flicker of fear finally breaking through her excitement.
"Exactly," he said calmly. "So we start with the essentials. I am now Level Nine Foundation. I can protect you, but you need to be able to protect the information."
He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small, intricately carved jade pendant. It was simple but glowed faintly with a warm, steady light.
"This is a Hidden Soul Amulet," he explained. "I carved it last night. I used the finest Earth Qi to create a shield that will deflect all scrutiny from external spiritual senses—all the way up to a Core Formation Master. Wear it always, under your robes. It will protect your mind and your core from casual investigation."
He paused, a genuine softness entering his eyes as he placed the cool jade against her neck. "But the amulet only works if your body supports it. We need to begin basic conditioning tonight. Not formal cultivation, but training your senses."
Han Yue swallowed, his closeness making her heart thump faster than the ransom demand had. "Training… like sword practice?"
"No," Lin Feng chuckled lightly. "More like, don't get stabbed practice. You need to develop situational awareness. When you walk, I want you to listen. Not with your ears, but with your core. Where does the Qi feel thin? Where does it feel heavy? Where is the spiritual shadow?"
He abruptly stepped back and pulled out the shovel, holding it loosely. "Walk toward me, Han Yue. Walk like you are going to your desk."
Han Yue, confused, started to walk across the damp earth. Lin Feng watched her, his Level Nine senses focused entirely on the air around her.
As she reached the middle of the space, Lin Feng, with frightening speed, flicked a single, tiny pebble from the ground using his toe. The pebble, coated in Earth Qi, shot toward her left shoulder.
THWACK!
The pebble hit her precisely where her robe met her shoulder. It didn't hurt, but the shock made her jump and cry out.
"What was that for?" she demanded, rubbing the spot.
"You failed the test," Lin Feng said, maintaining his serious tutor persona. "If that were an assassin's spiritual needle, you would be paralyzed. You walked into an obvious trap. You were focused on your feet and the memory of the Spirit Stones. You were not focused on the space."
He gave her a challenging look. "Again. And this time, if you want me to stop hitting you with pebbles, you'll have to flirt better."
Han Yue's eyes narrowed, a flash of competitive fire igniting in her gaze. She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and focused, trying to push her low-level Qi into the periphery of her senses.
She started walking again. Lin Feng flicked two pebbles, aimed at her knee and her elbow. This time, as they approached, she felt a subtle shiver in the air—the barest trace of his Earth Qi manipulation.
She flinched, twisting her torso just enough to let the pebbles whiz past harmlessly.
Lin Feng smiled, a rare, genuine expression of pride. "Better. You felt the shift. That's all a Level Three can hope for."
"If I dodge ten more, do I get the money back?" she quipped, a hint of playful defiance in her voice.
"If you dodge ten more, you get a full demonstration of my Level Nine power tonight, in the Unholy Garden. Now, walk again."
Meanwhile, in the Inner Peak, Yan Xia stood in the opulent, wood-paneled office of her older brother, Yan Qiu. Yan Qiu, a cold and imposing Foundation Establishment Level Nine Master and the Clan's Chief Revenue Officer, stared down at her with undisguised disappointment.
"You allowed a ghost to humiliate the Yan Clan for one hundred Spirit Stones, Xia," Yan Qiu said flatly. "Do you realize the message that sends? It tells Elder Hong, our primary client, that we are being extorted by low-grade criminals. Our reputation is now compromised."
Yan Xia's face was dark with suppressed rage. "It wasn't a low-grade criminal, Brother. It was a Foundation Master—Level Seven or Eight—operating in secret. He defeated Fu Zhong's squad effortlessly, and he knew exactly how to use our commercial weakness against us."
"And you think this genius is hiding in a barn?" Yan Qiu scoffed.
"No," Yan Xia hissed, her gaze turning utterly predatory. "I think the genius is using the barn as a base, and he used a servant as his face. The stable hand, Lin Feng, the one Liu Kai hates, has shown absolutely no talent. But his administrator, Han Yue, the one who accepted the money, has suddenly become meticulous and wealthy."
Yan Qiu finally showed a flicker of interest. "The Administrator? You suspect a mere Level Three Qi Condensation disciple is the logistical hub of this operation?"
"She is the keyhole to the genius's door," Yan Xia confirmed. "She handled the payment, and she has the clearance to move materials and information. We can't raid the plots, as that would confirm their value. We raid her life."
Yan Qiu considered this, his stern face calculating the political damage. "Pay the Spirit Stones, cut our losses, and then silence the entire logistical chain. Find the Stable Hand's accomplice, and we find the Stable Hand. But no more fire talismans, Xia. You use finesse. You plant evidence, you spread rumors, you break her reputation, and then you quietly interrogate her until she names her partner."
Yan Xia smiled, a cruel, cold expression that matched her brother's. "Finesse, Brother. I understand. We will not attack the garden. We will simply ensure the gardener has no one left to water his profits."
She turned to leave, her fury now channeled into a cold, strategic intent.
The Stable Hand's Garden is beautiful, she thought. But every garden needs water, and I'm about to turn off the flow.
Back at the stables, Lin Feng was sitting with Han Yue, planning their next move. The Level Nine breakthrough had given him unparalleled spiritual clarity, and the jade box of Spirit Stones now provided the resources.
"I need to prepare for Core Formation," Lin Feng stated, his voice serious. "That jump is massive. It requires materials that only Inner Sect Elders can usually afford. Yan Xia's ransom just funded my next six months of cultivation."
He opened a ledger and began listing the needed items: Thunder Lotus Petals, Dragon's Breath Dust, and a single Essence Condensation Herb. All rare, volatile materials.
"How do we get those without Yan Xia knowing we're shopping?" Han Yue asked, now calmly taking notes, the Hidden Soul Amulet warm against her skin.
"We don't," Lin Feng replied, a dangerous glint in his eye. "She knows we paid the ransom, so she expects us to spend the money. But we use the money to pay other people to shop for us—people she can't touch."
He looked up at the moon, which was just now reaching its peak. "We need a puppet, Han Yue. A high-status, morally ambiguous puppet who is beyond the Yan Clan's direct commercial reach."
He looked back at the Inner Peak, his gaze settling on the most isolated, highest spire—the location of the most prestigious, and perhaps most arrogant, young disciples.
"We need the Young Master of the Outer Sect. The one who believes he is above all commerce and all rules."
Lin Feng smiled. "I think it's time we introduced ourselves to Guang Li."
The stage was set. Yan Xia was closing in on Han Yue, and Lin Feng was about to pay a rich, spoiled brat to run his lethal errands.