[Early Morning – Courtyard of the Ruoqi Estate]
[Ye Hann arrives at a traditional stone-walled compound in the heart of the city. Two stern guards let him through without a word. Ruoqi is waiting at the gate.]
Ruoqi (sipping tea):
You actually showed up. Wasn’t sure if you’d ghost me after saving the old lady.
Ye Hann (smirking):
You asked. I came.
Ruoqi:
I didn’t . I said: “You’re coming, right?”
Ye Hann:
Same difference.
[The Inner Room – Ruoqi’s Grandmother sits upright, fully awake, her presence calm but piercing. Her eyes scan Ye Hann like a surgeon.]
Grandmother:
So this is the boy who pulled me back from the brink.
Not a trace of arrogance in your face. But no humility either.
Interesting.
Ye Hann (bowing slightly):
Respectfully, I don’t believe in either. Arrogance clouds growth, and humility invites wolves.
[The grandmother laughs. A dry, knowing sound.]
Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
Grandmother:
He speaks like a seasoned cultivator in a child’s body.
Where did you learn to make the Soul-Reversal Stabilizer?
That formula was lost during the Second Cleansing.
Ye Hann (careful smile):
Let’s just say… I read an old book no one bothered to keep.
[Pause. She studies him.]
Grandmother:
You’re hiding something, boy.
But anyone who saves my life earns one question—no lies.
Ask.
[Ye Hann’s gaze sharpens.]
Ye Hann:
Who sent the poisoned lotus?
[Silence hangs heavy for a beat. Then the grandmother leans forward.]
Grandmother:
A warning from the Yao Clan. They wanted to test our reaction. Not kill me—just cripple.
We’ve been pressuring their northern assets. They don’t like losing face.
Ye Hann (quietly):
So this was political.
Grandmother:
Everything is, in our world. Now that you know… will you run?
Ye Hann (smiling):
I’ve run enough for one life.
[Garden Pavilion – Ruoqi and Ye Hann sit by a koi pond. A servant brings fresh tea.]
Ruoqi:
She likes you.
That’s rare. Even I don’t get more than three words a day.
Ye Hann (musing):
I think she sees something of herself in me.
Ruoqi:
A sharp blade, hidden behind quiet eyes?
Ye Hann:
Or maybe just someone too stubborn to die when he should’ve.
[She stopped at the gates. Looked at him with something a little more thoughtful.]
Ruoqi:
You’re not like the other cultivators at school.
Ye Hann:
I don’t plan to be.
Ruoqi:
You’re going to make a lot of people nervous, you know.
Ye Hann (grinning slightly):
That’s the plan.
