Qianshi Market
The market was a riot of sound—loud calls, hushed talk, the chime of coins, the metallic scrape of armor, and a voice shouting for a woman somewhere in the distance.
"Hey, madam! Come see this spiritual rock! It's genuine, it will boost your cultivation!"
"Oh? May I examine it?"
"Certainly. Feel free."
Bai Ruihua had been observing the stone from the moment she arrived. She had intended to snatch it, but the opportunity never arose. Instead, she decided to manipulate the situation to her advantage.
"Wait a moment, old man! Do you think I'm so easily deceived?"
"Miss, is something amiss?"
"Amiss?" Her voice climbed, sharp enough to draw the attention of everyone nearby. "This spiritual rock is a fraud!"
Activities halted immediately. Merchants pivoted their heads, shoppers fell silent, and even the patrolling guards froze mid-stride. Every gaze fixed upon the commotion.
The old man clutching the stone began to shake. Panic distorted his face, rendering him speechless. Yet, he knew the object in his hands was authentic.
"M-Miss, I promise you... I found it near the Toll Temple. I wouldn't lie."
Ruihua spat deliberately on the packed earth and advanced. Her expression was hard, menacing.
"Are you daring to call me a liar? Do you even know who I am?"
The man collapsed to his knees, pleading. The crowd, their indignation already rising, began to press closer, their hands gripping weapons.
Qianshi was a place where deceit was not tolerated. The laws here were absolute. No counterfeit relics. No sham artifacts. No fraudulent trade. It was the backbone of their culture. This city stood under the authority of six powerful clans: Li, Chen, Bai, Feng, Long, and Mo. The Bai and Chen clans, in particular, were known for their bitter rivalry.
"Please, miss... it's not what you imagine..."
His attempts at explanation only fueled her irritation. Ruihua decided to push the matter further.
"You expect me to believe you? Do you think any of these people will? Absolutely not."
The onlookers immediately affirmed her stance.
"That's right!"
"It's a fake!"
Ruihua remained perfectly still, her eyes devoid of mercy. She offered a slight, almost imperceptible smile—just enough to mask her inner triumph behind a composed exterior.
"Sorry, old man. I need that stone," she thought to herself, then subtly began to withdraw from the volatile assembly.
The furious mob instantly turned their focus onto the kneeling man. He continued to apologize, begging for his life, as hands and weapons were raised around him.
That was the exact moment Wei Chen, the head of the Chen clan, arrived. He was strolling through the marketplace with three of his elders, sharing a laugh. But the instant he saw the gathering crowd with weapons drawn, his smile vanished.
"What's happening over there?" he asked Tianyang, the elder walking beside him.
Tianyang narrowed his eyes, stepping forward. "Looks like nothing but trouble."
Without waiting for another word, Wei marched directly toward the throng.
"Stop this now!" His command sliced through the tense air.
He forced his way to the center until he saw the old man on the ground, besieged by the angry shoppers.
"What is going on here?" he demanded.
A merchant stepped forward, wearing a self-satisfied expression as if he held the absolute truth.
"Mr. Chen, this old fool was attempting to sell a fraudulent spiritual stone."
Wei stiffened. Selling fake goods? That was an extremely grave charge in Qianshi.
"A forged artifact? Are you certain? Who was he trying to sell it to?"
"He tried to sell it to Miss Bai Ruihua—the daughter of Master Bai."
Wei's face hardened the instant he heard that name.
"Bai Ruihua... that wretched girl is at it again."
He muttered the words under his breath, recalling the history. This was not the first time she had orchestrated such a scheme. She had once falsely accused a traveler from Beijing. That lie had ultimately led to the man's demise, all so she could acquire an ancient parchment said to reveal the mysteries of the Seven Deadly Swords.
His fist tightened as his gaze swept over the crowd, but Ruihua was nowhere to be seen.
"Mr. Wei, are you feeling alright?" Tianyang inquired softly.
"I'm fine."
Wei approached the elderly man and offered his hand. Then, he addressed the others.
"All of you—disperse. Now."
No one dared to argue. The crowd retreated, whispering rumors as they left.
"Did Wei Chen actually help that man?"
"Maybe he's somehow involved with the fake stone..."
"He's strange, that Wei Chen..."
He ignored their gossip entirely. The man was safe, and that was the only thing that truly mattered.
"Thank you, Mr. Wei. Truly, thank you. May the heavens bless your kindness."
Wei nodded silently. The man quickly gathered his few possessions and fled the marketplace, his entire body still shaking.
Tianyang looked at Wei, his mouth slightly ajar.
"You just protected a liar. You know that's a violation of the city's code, right?"
"I know, Tianyang. But that man was telling the truth. It's the exact same tactic Bai Ruihua employed before. She's executing the scheme once more."
Tianyang finally understood, giving a quiet nod of acknowledgment.
"Let's leave this place."
Bai Clan
"Sister Ruoxue... if Ruihua discovers this disorder, we are doomed," Meihua whispered, her voice trembling with anxiety. She was the youngest daughter of the patriarch, Bai Xiao, and her nerves were frayed.
Ruoxue, her older sister—though not the eldest, as Ruihua claimed that title—rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated.
"She's not even here, Meihua. I'm simply taking back what she stole from me the other day. Those heels were originally mine."
"But... but if she finds out we searched her room and left it like this... we'll be in serious trouble."
"I didn't ask for your assistance," Ruoxue snapped back. "You can leave if you're so terrified."
Meihua pouted, crossing her arms. "Fine, but I'm still going to help you look. I want those heels found, too."
Ruoxue offered a small affirmative gesture, and they resumed their frantic search through the scattered contents of the room.
"Hey—Meihua, come here. Something is glowing over here."
"What is it?"
They spotted a scroll shoved deep inside the drawer of the mirror stand. As Ruoxue pulled it out, it pulsed with a soft light, shifting between dull gray and faint green.
"What... is this thing?"
Before either girl could make sense of it, they froze. Footsteps echoed outside the room, drawing closer.
A wave of panic hit them. Ruoxue dove headfirst beneath the large bed. Meihua scrambled, managing to hide herself in the gap beneath the couch just as the door slowly creaked open.
Ruihua stepped inside. Her eyes instantly narrowed, her anger surging as she took in the mess left behind.
"What in the hell...?"
She walked over to the mirror stand, noticing the drawer gaping open and the scroll gone. Her face darkened considerably. Her breathing became sharp, held in check only by a deep, audible sigh. As her gaze swept across the room, it stopped on the couch, catching sight of a small piece of fabric jutting out.
Hidden underneath, Meihua held her breath, shaking uncontrollably. She covered her mouth with both hands, praying desperately not to be spotted. But the effort was futile.
Ruihua's steps ceased abruptly. Then, she snatched Meihua by the ankle and yanked her out from under the furniture.
Her grip was brutal, fueled by rage.
"You wretched little child," she growled. "How dare you break into my room and steal from me?"
Had Meihua not been her younger sister, Ruihua might have reacted far worse. Her face was twisted with fury as she lifted Meihua off the floor, holding her as if weighing the gravity of her misdeed.
"You're only five years old and already engaging in theft. Do you even understand what kind of person that makes you?"
Ruoxue, still trapped under the bed, remained completely silent, clutching her hands together in a silent plea. She desperately hoped Meihua wouldn't speak.
Ruihua flung Meihua aside with indifference, then stepped forward, her voice becoming even sharper.
"Where is the scroll? The one you took from the drawer. Tell me where it is!"
Meihua's face crumpled as a torrent of tears streamed down her cheeks. She was too terrified to utter a single word.
"I asked you—where is it!"
Still, Meihua only wept harder. Ruihua's minimal patience snapped completely.
"You choose silence? Fine. But if I find out you have even looked at that scroll, I will leave your door unlocked tonight."
Meihua's sobbing instantly stopped. Her body went rigid with fear.
Ruihua's voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "And the beast will come for you."
The threat was instantly effective.
"N-No! Please, Sister Ruihua! Don't let the beast come in!"
"Then you will tell me. Where. Is. It?"
Meihua sniffled, utterly terrified.
"O-Okay... okay... Uh... Sister Ruoxue... she's under the bed."