The room had fallen into a silence so thick it seemed to press against the walls. Xuè Lán's question hung in the air between them, unanswered, unanswerable. Wǎn Lù's fingers twisted in her hair, pulling strands taut, releasing, pulling again—a nervous dance she couldn't stop. Her jaw worked, words forming and dissolving before they could reach her lips.

  [Wǎn Lù]: "Uhm... You see, I am the best healer your king needs. In fact, the only one who can cure him. Plus—[she laughed, too bright, too fast]—you know what a child he is. Stubborn. Impossible. My presence makes your job easier. Someone has to watch that overgrown brat."

  [Xuè Lán]: "[Eyes narrowing, voice soft] Just that? Nothing else?"

  [Wǎn Lù]: "[A smile that didn't reach her eyes] Yes. Nothing more. Nothing less."

  Xuè Lán studied her for a long moment. Then she nodded, accepting the lie for what it was—a wall, not yet ready to fall. She moved to the window, the cool night air brushing her face as she prepared for flight. Behind her, a voice stopped her.

  [Wǎn Lù]: "Two more days."

  Xuè Lán turned.

  [Wǎn Lù]: "Tell him... tell him I've had enough of rest. Tell him I want to learn from his delusional thinking. Tell him I want to live somewhere I can just be Wǎn Lù—not Princess Wǎn Lù. Not a title. Just... me. [Her voice dropped] That's the real reason."

  [Xuè Lán]: "[A slow, knowing smirk] I'll deliver your message. Tell him to endure two more days. [A pause, then softer] I meant the plant. Obviously."

  She was gone before Wǎn Lù could respond, her form disappearing into the darkness.

  The silence returned. Heavier now.

  [Wǎn Lù]: (Internal Monologue) "Sigh... Why do I want to go back so badly? Is it the food? Those sweet stuffed flatbreads—rice flour, so soft, filled with steamed dates and coconut and lentil... mmm. [Her stomach growled] You brat. Why did you make it so good? I can taste it just thinking about it. [She shook her head violently] No. Focus. Work. The general is dead. Trust is fractured. I need to move carefully, strengthen alliances, prepare for the Northern Province. That's what matters."

  But even as she reached for another medical text, her eyes drifted to the window. To the south. Toward him.

  (Two Hours Later - Jian Zhi's Study)

  Xuè Lán landed softly in the courtyard and made her way to Jian Zhi's study. The door was open, candlelight spilling into the corridor. She entered, placing the logistics scrolls on his desk with theatrical care.

  [Xuè Lán]: "Railway extension: 158 kilometers. River crossing at midpoint—bridge required. Simultaneous work crews could finish in three to five months. [She slid another paper forward] Topography reports. Material estimates. Everything Your Majesty requested."

  Jian Zhi reviewed the documents, his eyes moving with mechanical speed. Then he looked up.

  [Xuè Lán]: "Also... there was a small incident."

  [Jian Zhi]: "[His voice dropped, cold and calm] Lady Xuè Lán. Did I not explicitly instruct you to avoid unnecessary complications?"

  [Xuè Lán]: "It wasn't planned! I spotted someone who looked like palace staff—I thought they could direct me to the Princess. I didn't realize Yìng Wǎn's cart was there until I'd already landed. [She crossed her arms] But I emerged unscathed, and your Princess—[a pointed look]—the one you pretend not to miss—handled the political fallout brilliantly. She quoted law. She commanded the court. She made the Emperor adopt our self-defense statute into their own law."

  [Jian Zhi]: "Don't change the subject. What if she hadn't been there today? What if the court had ruled against you? Lán jiě... [his voice softened, almost imperceptibly] keep yourself safe. Next time, think before you act. Now go. Rest."

  Xuè Lán froze.

  [Xuè Lán]: "Oi... are you... caring about me? [Her eyes widened, then crinkled with delight] Wait—is this a scheme? Some calculated emotional manipulation? [She gasped theatrically] No. It's her. That water she planted. It's working. You're becoming human."

  [Jian Zhi]: "Stop your nonsense. Leave."

  She practically skipped toward the door, joy radiating from every step. The moment she was gone, Jian Zhi's expression shifted. The warmth drained away, replaced by something colder. He stared at the window for a long moment—then moved.

  His body launched through the opening before conscious thought could intervene. Fire element fused with metal's efficiency, propelling him through the night sky like a comet—a streak of crimson light burning against the stars. Wind screamed past his ears. The cold of high altitude couldn't touch him. In ten minutes, he crossed the distance that took Xuè Lán two hours.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  He landed silently on a balcony overlooking the palace gardens. Not Wǎn Lù's room. Her brother's.

  He entered through the window, settling onto the bed with the patience of a predator who knew his prey would come.

  (Lóng Liè's Chambers - Later)

  Lóng Liè pushed open his door, still chewing the last of his dinner, completely unprepared. The moment his eyes adjusted to the dim candlelight, he froze.

  A figure sat on his bed. Crimson. Still. Waiting.

  [Lóng Liè]: "[Hand flying to his sword] You! Why are you here? Revenge for your warrior? You think you can challenge the Azure Mandate? You have two supporters and some fancy toys—"

  [Jian Zhi]: "[Rising, his voice a blade wrapped in silk] Lóng Liè. Second Prince of the Azure Mandate. Former ruler of the Northern Province—rich in minerals, rich in pride. Lost to a civil war orchestrated by the Albion Dominion. [He stepped forward, close enough that Lóng Liè could feel the cold radiating from him] And now you covet my kingdom. [His eyes, dark and endless] Let me show you the cost of desire."

  He raised his hand.

  The world dissolved.

  (The Nightmare - Dream-Weaver's Judgment)

  Lóng Liè stood on a battlefield. The ground trembled beneath his feet—not from cannons, but from the thunder of his own cavalry, thousands of horsemen charging toward the Divine Land of Justice. Their banners snapped in the wind. Their war cries shook the sky.

  [Lóng Liè]: "[Laughing, arms spread] Look at them! This is the might of Azure Mandate! You're finished, southern king!"

  The laughter died in his throat.

  From the horizon, fire erupted. Not arrows—something faster. The Heaven's Teeth machine guns chattered, a sound like tearing silk amplified a thousand times, and the first wave of cavalry simply... vanished. Men and horses shredded mid-charge. Cannons—Thunder's Roar artillery—belched iron spheres that landed among his ranks, each impact a crater of blood and earth. The Devil's Scream shotguns roared in the hands of Divine Land soldiers, their spread devastating at close range.

  And through it all, a figure moved like lightning. Lián—her Qilin speed making her a blur—cut through his elite guard as if they were paper. Heads fell. Bodies crumpled. She was everywhere and nowhere.

  [Lóng Liè]: "No... no no no... How? We're the greatest empire! HOW?!"

  The scene shifted.

  He stood in the imperial court, but the faces around him were not proud. They were angry.

  [Wǎn Lù]: "I warned you. I told you never to move against him. Look at what your greed has done. Look at the families who lost fathers, sons, brothers. What will you tell them?"

  [Lóng Liè]: "It wasn't me! Yìng Wǎn—she planned it—"

  [Yìng Wǎn]: "Me? Cousin, I have no authority. No command. You did this yourself."

  The crowd pressed closer, their voices rising, their faces twisting with contempt.

  "Incompetent."

  "Murderer."

  "Your ambition killed them."

  "Worthless prince."

  "Should have been the other brother."

  "Should have been no one."

  Lóng Liè's knees buckled. The voices swelled, drowning him, crushing him—

  He woke gasping.

  His lungs burned. Sweat drenched his robes, plastering them to his skin. The candlelight seemed too bright, too harsh. He looked up through blurred vision.

  Jian Zhi stood over him, unmoving. His presence filled the room, pressed down on Lóng Liè like the weight of ten thousand tons.

  [Jian Zhi]: "[His voice the temperature of deep space] Lóng Liè. What you experienced was a filtered illusion. The reality of your ambition would be... more explicit. [He leaned down, close enough that Lóng Liè could see the absolute emptiness in those dark eyes] Never. Covet. My kingdom. Do you understand?"

  Lóng Liè nodded. Desperately. Repeatedly. His throat made sounds that might have been words.

  Jian Zhi straightened, turned, and walked to the window. The night air rushed in, cold and clean. He was gone before Lóng Liè could blink.

  The Second Prince collapsed onto the floor, his body shaking uncontrollably, the taste of his own terror metallic on his tongue. In the darkness of his chambers, Lóng Liè finally understood what it meant to face something beyond human—something that wore a king's face but carried a devil's heart.

  He did not sleep that night.

  He did not scheme for many nights after.

  (Elsewhere in the Palace)

  Wǎn Lù walked through the corridor, unable to sleep, her mind still tangled with Xuè Lán's question. A flicker of movement caught her eye—a shadow on the balcony overlooking the garden.

  She knew that silhouette.

  She approached slowly, her heart doing something complicated in her chest. He stood with his back to her, facing the moon, his crimson armor drinking the light.

  [Wǎn Lù]: "[Quietly] You came."

  He didn't turn. But something in his posture shifted—a relaxation, almost imperceptible.

  [Jian Zhi]: "I needed to ensure your brother understood certain... parameters."

  [Wǎn Lù]: "[A soft, tired laugh] You couldn't wait two days?"

  [Jian Zhi]: "Efficiency demanded immediate clarification."

  She moved to stand beside him, close enough that their shoulders almost touched. The garden stretched below them, silver in the moonlight, peaceful in a way neither of them felt.

  [Wǎn Lù]: "Xuè Lán told me you asked if she was okay."

  Silence.

  [Wǎn Lù]: "That's new."

  [Jian Zhi]: "Is it inefficient to ensure the well-being of valuable assets?"

  [Wǎn Lù]: "[Smiling at the moon] She's not an asset. She's family. And you know that."

  Long pause. The wind carried the scent of night-blooming jasmine.

  [Jian Zhi]: "...I know."

  They stood together in the darkness, two people who had traveled impossible distances to reach this moment—neither willing to name what it meant, both unwilling to leave.

  Schedule Update: My apologies today's chapter was delayed, I have internal exams starting this Monday and running through next Monday. Because I need to focus my own "processing power" on passing, there will be no chapter tomorrow.

  However, I am not leaving you hanging! There will be updates this coming Saturday and Sunday.

  Rating and a Review on the main fiction page. Tell me what you think of Jian Zhi’s "efficient" way of preventing wars, or Wǎn Lù melting the iron! Your reviews help the story grow and give me a massive boost of motivation to read between study sessions.