Chen Wei's opportunity came when Scholar Xu received a letter.
The old man opened it during library hours, read quickly, and immediately burned it in a nearby brazier. But he'd underestimated Chen Wei's observation skills.
Using Pattern Recognition, Chen Wei had already calculated the letter's probable arrival based on Xu's subtle behavioral changes over the past week. He'd positioned himself with a clear line of sight, ready to observe.
The letter had been visible for exactly 4.3 seconds before burning. Not enough time to read for normal people. More than enough for Chen Wei's trained perception.
The message was in code, but Chen Wei had photographic memory of the symbols. He spent the next week cross-referencing them against dozens of historical cipher systems until he found the match—an ancient merchant code from the Western Kingdoms.
Decoded, the message read:
"Azure Peak advances too quickly. Third breakthrough candidate identified in inner sect. Accelerate corruption timeline. Target: Elder Feng's successor. Method: Pride and Ambition. Timeline: Six months. Confirm receipt."
Chen Wei's mind raced through implications. The Society was actively targeting Azure Peak's next generation of leaders. Elder Feng's designated successor was Mo Chen, a brilliant twenty-eight-year-old at Core Formation's Peak.
Pride and ambition, Chen Wei thought. Classic corruption vectors. They'll offer Mo Chen something that appeals to his ego, then gradually twist him toward serving Society goals.
This was bigger than just Scholar Xu. This was an active operation.
Chen Wei copied the decoded message and brought it to Sect Master Yun.