Ats Rynd had faced lords, nobles, warlords, en, svers, and bureaucrats armed with nothing but his wit and a dangerously sharp tongue. But right now, at this precise moment, he was experieng something far worse than all of them bined.

  A needle at his neck.

  His body remaiill, but his mind was a lightning storm of dedus, processing everything ihan ten seds.

  First: Hands.

  Soft, yet firm. Calluses—subtle, precise. The kind formed by wielding ons, not scrubbing floors.

  Grip? Perfectly measured. No wasted tension. She wasn't restraining him; she was trolling him.

  The needles? Banced. Unshaken. This was someone who didn't just handle ons—she mastered them.

  'She's not a servant. She's a warrior who could gut me before I even think of screaming.'

  Sed: Breath.

  Silent. trolled. Not a hint of exertion. Qi discipline most likely.

  No fluctuation, ale heartbeat spike. No anger, ation.

  'This isn't instinct. This is refined, ruthless training.'

  Third: Chest.

  Ats, as a dedicated observer, took stock of the proportions with professional curiosity.

  Tightly ed beh martial robes but shape and size was noticeable. Maybe like a peao shift, no movement—she wasn't just trolling her breath. She was trolling her body.

  'Qi suppression. The same kind used by grandmasters.'

  Ats internally sighed. 'Fantastic. I'm pinned by a legend-in-the-making.'

  Fourth: Posture & Strength.

  Feet pnted with i. Eve distribution—defensive and offensive in equal measure.

  No slouo wavering.

  The stahe exact same as Daokan.

  Ats' stomach dropped slightly. 'Oh. Oh no. She's someone important.'

  Fifth: The Needle.

  Not poisoned. If it were, he'd smell the chemicals.

  Not shaking. If it were meant to kill, it would've already punctured skin.

  'This isn't a threat. It's a statement. I am in her mercy.'

  Ats sighed dramatically, finally speaking. "Not that I don't enjoy a woman's hands on me, but usually I prefer dinner first."

  A sharp exhale came from infront of him—Meyu. Ats, ever attuo his surroundings, didn't o look to know she had stiffened. A fra too long before she folded her arms, eyes narrowing.

  'Oh? Iing.'

  She masked it quickly, but not quickly enough. The barely audible click of her tohe shift i from one foot to another—Meyu wasn't pleased. Not furious, not jealous in the overt sense, but there was something. A subtle irritation, the kind a person had when they didn't uand why they were irritated.

  Ats almost smirked. Almost.

  No response. Unshaken.

  Sixth: Tone of Voice.

  When she finally spoke, it was calm, deliberate, and practiced.

  "You talk too much."

  No venom, ion. Just trol.

  Ats' brain clicked into pce like a puzzle snapping shut.

  'Daughter of Daokan. Has to be'

  It wasn't a guess. It was the only logical answer.

  His smirk returned. "You don't like my voice? Tragien usually fall for it."

  Her grip tightened.

  Got her.

  Seventh: Instinctive Response.

  When he spoke, her fiwitched. Just slightly.

  Unscious reaeaning not pletely emotionless.

  Meaning vulnerable to manipution.

  Ats leaned ever so slightly into the needle, feeling her ha again—adjusting before he could even fully shift. Perfect rea speed. 'She's as fast as top cultivators, but she's unknown to the world. That means she's a hidden ace.'

  And all of this? Less than thirty seds.

  Most of that time was wasted waiting for her to speak. The dedus? They had already been pleted within the first fifteen.

  His grin deepened, slow and deliberate, stretg with devilish amusement. It was the kind of grin that beloo a man who had just solved the puzzle before anyone even realized there was one. A grin eerily remi of a trickster who had already won the game.

  Lay and Master Daokan both watched this unfold, their expressions unreadable—until their ihoughts, in perfect sync, betrayed them.

  'I want to punch this guy.'

  "Tell me," he murmured, voice silk-soft and ing, "Are you the strong, silent type because it's your style? Or because it's expected of you?"

  A fra of a sed. A tiny flicker of her fingers.

  Ats exhaled through his nose, as if bored, and leaned back slightly, his eyes sweeping across the room before log onto Meilin and Daokan. "Alright, let's make this easy for everyone."

  He raised a single fiwirling it zily. "She's not a servant. That much is obvious. Hands too refined, yet too calloused in all the right pces. That means she's trairained well. Probably from birth."

  His eyes flicked toward the needle still pressed against his neck, and he smirked. "Breath trol? Impeccable. Not just calm—trolled. No wasted energy, no unnecessary movements. That's high-level Qi suppression. You don't learn that from carrying trays of tea and scrubbing floors."

  Ats tapped his forehead. "Posture's the giveaway, though. Banced. Offeance, but weight distributed for absolute trol. The only other person that could move like that? A Grandmaster threatening me and unless you've got aire army of that's tucked away in the sea of the servants, you would be able to quer the world but this with all the other reason I said earlier makes her special."

  His grin widened as he gestured toward Daokan. "Special, and vely very close to you. That's the kicker, isn't it? You don't let just arain at that level. That's blood. That's legacy. That's—"

  He tilted his head dramatically, ign the increased pressure on the needle as if it were no more than a mosquito bite. "Master Daokan's own daughter."

  Silence.

  Daokan's expression remained unreadable, but the tension in the air said enough. Lay blihen scowled. Jiang furrowed his brows, lookiween Ats and Daokan as if trying to find the lie. Bao ht snorted, shaking his head. Even Meyu—who had seen Ats work miracles before—crossed her arms and whispered to Yuxe, "No way. He's bluffing."

  Lay exhaled sharply again, rubbing her forehead. I swear to the heavens, this man ut on this earth just to be insufferable. Even she found herself doubting him. Could he really have deduced all that in seds? No, it wasn't possible… was it?

  Daokan remained eerily still, but his eyes had narrowed just slightly. His fiapped rhythmically against the table, a silent ce of suppressed thought. And the woman with the needle? Still unmoving. Still unreadable. But Ats knew. He saw it—the ti, almost imperceptible flicker iance.

  Ats chuckled. "Oh, yood. Really good. But see, the thing about being me is… I only need oion. And I already got it, from both father and daughter I might add."

  He let his grin wideing it morph into something dht wicked. Then, without breaking eye tact with Daokan, he exhaled dramatically. "And you, Master Daokan... that fury earlier? That wasn't just because of the child sve. No, that anger runs deeper."

  Daokan's fingers halted mid-tap.

  Ats tilted his head. "It's personal, isn't it? That unshakable fury when I mentiohe girl's fate? That's nhteous indignation. That's pain. Because you once almost lost someohe same way. Someone very close to you. Someone—"

  The needle sank into his skin just enough to draw a bead of blood.

  Ats, despite himself, grinned even wider. His voice dropped to a near whisper, eyes glinting like a devil who had just won his game.

  "I'm right, aren't I?"

  The masseuse's grip tightened, her fingers pressing into his skin with barely cealed irritation. "You are infuriating," she hissed, finally breaking her silehe weight of her frustration bore down on him, but he only chuckled.

  Master Daokan exhaled slowly, his eyes closing for a brief moment as if pting whether it was worth the effort to deny it. When he opehem again, his gaze was sharp and unwavering. "Yes," he said at st. "She is my daughter."

  The room froze.

  Jiang's mouth slightly parted, his usually impassive face betraying a flicker of shock. Bao let out an incredulous huff, shaking his head. Meyu stared, blinking in disbelief. Even Lay, who had been prepared for some level of absurdity, felt her mind momentarily stall.

  He was right?

  Lay exhaled, her fingers instinctively rubbiemples realising that Ats was dangerous. More dangerous than any rulers, armies, warrior she had ever faced.

  Not because he was the stro. Not because he wielded some aeique. No, his power y in his ability to see through people, to uheir very being with nothing but words and intuition. He was a on disguised as a man, cutting deeper than any bde ever could.

  If he had been in her past life—when she had worn the , ruled from the gilded throne, pyed the great game of politics—what would she have done? If she had entered him not as a mert, but as a rival noble, an enemy warlord, or even a mere advisor with nothing but ambition in his veins?

  Would she have been able to stop him?

  Her mind ran the sarios: If he had anded even a minor town, would she have been able to crush him? No, he would have thrived, maniputing every lord and general under her rule. If he had been among her courtiers, she would never have been able to fully trust him—because he saw too much.

  And if he had been an enemy?

  Lay felt a chill crawl down her spine.

  She had fought wars before, but against men of brute strength, against warriors whe could be tered with calcution. If Ats had led an army against her in her past life, she wasn't sure she would have won. No, worse—she wasn't sure she would have even seen him ing.

  It wasn't about brute strength, nor was it about power in the ventional sense. No, what made Ats terrifying was his ability to break them down, piece by piece, and rearrahem into something more useful for his game.

  The masseuse—no, Daokan's daughter—released Ats, her movements trolled, but her annoyance was clear. With a sharp motion, she reached up and pulled away the thin veil c her face, revealing sharp, refined features that bore a striking resembo Master Daokan.

  "I am Shen Xue of the Daokan lineage," she stated, her voice crisp, proud, and ced with residual irritation.

  "And you, mert, are far too perceptive for your own good."

  Ats barely flinched as a warm cloth dabbed at his neck, abs the thin trail of blood trig from where the needle had pierced skin. The servant tending to him moved with careful precision, as if afraid that one wrong move might set off something—him, Shen Xue, or perhaps the tense sileill weighing on the room.

  But Ats? He simply watched Sheh a lopsided smirk, as if the moment had already passed, as if her attack had been nothing more than an amusing game to him. The sharp amusement in his gaze, however, didn't quite hide the depth of his scrutiny.

  "I imagihis is the part where I apologize," he mused, tilting his head slightly to give the servaer access.

  "Or maybe it's the part where I grovel for fiveness? You seem the type to appreciate proper de. Maybe I should offer my hand or better my head just because I was right and you took offeo it"

  Shen Xue remaiill, arms crossed, gaze clearly annoyed. Ats chuckled, low and knowing.

  "But I won't. Because I'm not sorry."

  Lay's eyes narrowed. She wasn't sure what irritated her more—the sheer audacity of his words or the undeniable truth buried beh them. Ats never did anything without reason, and she had no doubt he had one now. The room waited for him to eborate, even Daokan watg with an expression carved from stone.

  Ats exhaled through his nose, his amusement tempering into something sharper, something edged with reality.

  "I survive in this world because I see things for what they are. Because I don't walk into a room blind and hope for the best. That's how you die, and I rather enjoy living."

  He let the words settle before tinuing, voice softer now, but no less dangerous. "You call me perceptive like it's a fw. Like knowing the truth, finding the cracks, and pulling them apart is some kind of sin." He met Shen Xue's gaze directly, unfling. "But that's how I stay alive. That's how I win. This world isn't kind—it's cruel, it's ruthless, and it will chew up aoo blind to see the k their throat before it's too te."

  Lay found herself gripping her arms tighter, nails digging into fabric. Because she couldn't deny it. She didn't want to agree with him, didn't want to aowledge that his methods—his frustrating, insufferable, almost supernatural ability to dissect people in an instant—were necessary.

  A, wasn't it the truth?

  She had doubted him. When he made that dedu, she had refused to believe he could piece it together in seds. She had thought, No, it's not possible. But it was. And if she had been in his pce, would she have dohe same?

  No.

  The answer chilled her more than anything.

  Ats had seen what no one else did. Not her, not Daokan, not Meyu. He had do in mere moments, with nothing but instinct, wit, and sheer audacity.

  And now, a horrifying thought took root in her mind—one she couldn't shake, no matter how much she wao.

  If Ats had been part of the Lotus Sect, if he had been at their side when they faced Shen Mu—the warlord whht the sect to its knees—would he have been able to outmaneuver him? Would he have been able to predict every move, every possibility, dismantle his forces, and unravel him before he even realized he lost or dead even?

  Would Ats have been able to defeat Shen Mu without losing a single drop of blood?

  Lay felt something uneasy settle in her chest. Because for the first time, she couldn't fidently answer no.

  Master Daokan's voice broke the silence. "And what will you do with the child?"

  Ats g him, tilting his head. "What will I do? The same thing I'd do for any child. I'll care for her. Feed her. Give her a pce where she isn't just another broken tool." His smirk wavered, though his voice remaieady. "I won't be teag her Qi—not because I don't want to, but because I don't even know how. And frankly, it's too much of a headache."

  He leaned back, his expression momentarily distant, as if recalling something long buried. "They were powerless. Useless, by most ats. But they were the sves I freed and I never expected anything from them except to be themselves."

  His gaze returo Daokan, sharp yet ho. "That's how I'll treat her. She's not a on, not an asset. She'll have her freedom, and if one day she decides she wants to leave to me, she'll walk away without s."

  Before anyone could respond, Lin Wuye cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should focus on why the child is in such a state in the first pce."

  Master Daokan nodded, his expression with sadness. "I went out earlier to see her with the physi. The child is malnourished, but worse—her body bears the scars of forced cultivation. She has over fifty bruises, some fresh, others yered over older wounds. Someone has been pushing her beyond her limits, draining her potential far too early. She wakes up in a panic, barely sleeps, and struggles to speak."

  A heavy silence fell over the room. Ats's jaw tightened, but his outward expression remained ral.

  But beh his words, a storm brewed in his chest. Someone had dohis to her. Someone had turned a child into a husk, covered in bruises—too many to t. Her arms, her back, her legs—each a road map of cruelty. And she fli the smallest movement. Not just pain. Fear. A fear ingrained deep, ohat couldn't be erased ht. Ats smiled, but inside, his mind was already turning, already pnning.

  Someone had dohis. And someone was going to pay. "She deserves better." His voice was quieter now, but firm.

  Daoka his gaze. "Then it's settled."

  Lay took a deep breath. "And what about the supplies for my sect? We need food, clothing, ies. The situation is dire."

  Daokan nodded. "The hardships you faced in the main city—I will ha. By tomorrow, when you leave the sect, you and your people will receive more thae treatment from all the merts. No more s, no more denial. I will see to it personally."

  Lay studied him carefully before exhaling. "Good. That's a start."

  Daokaurowards Lay. "And as for you, I have a proposal."

  Lay crossed her arms. "I'm listening."

  "Ats will act as the Silver Lotus Sect's personal mert. Iurn, you will have access to fair profits and prote under our name should Ats failed at his role."

  Lay grinned. "Oh?"

  Before Ats could open his mouth, Daokan smoothly turo him. "And you, Ats, will ehe smooth execution of this arra."

  Ats blinked. "Wait, hold on a sed. I was going to iate my own—"

  Daokan's smile olite, almost pleasant. "Ah, yes, about that. I assume you still want that audieh the Emperor? You remember, of course, your little... pleads at the gate earlier?"

  Ats stiffened, his mind fshing back to the embarrassing spectacle he had caused just hours before. He coughed, then immediately straightened, expression shifting into exaggerated enthusiasm.

  "Master Daokan, my dearest, wisest, most generous master," Ats beamed, g his hands together in exaggerated reverence. "It would be the honour of my life to serve the esteemed Silver Lotus Sect. Why, it is practically my destiny to ehe sect thrives through my impeccable business a! Truly, this is a blessing upon me!"

  Lay stared. "That was fast."

  Ats sighed dramatically. "A man must know when he is in the presence of greatness. And who am I tue with fate?" He pced a hand on his chest, feigning siy. "sider me your most loyal servant, bound by duty, honor, and a totally not-forced tract."

  Lay sighed. "Fine. But if he overcharges us, I swear—"

  Ats cpped his hands together. "Overcharge? Me? Perish the thought, dear Meilin! Why, I will ehe fi deals, the most petitive priay, I will bring prosperity the likes of which your sect has never seen! The s Rynd shall be sung in your halls feions to e!"

  Lay groaned, rubbiemples. "This is going to be a nightmare."

  Ats winked. "Think of it as a learning opportunity."

  Lay shot him a gre. "I'd rather think of it as torture."

  Daokan ighem both. "Then it's settled."

  Ats gave an exaggerated bow. "Your faith in me shall not be mispced, O mighty Master Daokan. From this day forth, I dedicate my unparalleled skills to the Silver Lotus Sect. And if there's ever a moment where my brilliance falters—" he pced a dramatid over his heart, "—may the heavens strike me down where I stand."

  Lay kicked his shin.

  Ats yelped, hopping on one foot. "Treachery! Betrayal! Meilin, you promised to kill me ter, not cripple me now!"Lay simply amused and said in the same tone as Ats, ''This was for using my pathetic little shivering body as you said. I am nothing-nay-a fragile girl like you put it''

  Daokan simply sighed. "Get to work."

  At his and, a pair of servants quickly ehe room, one carrying a stack of part and a fine quill, while another unrolled an inkstoh practiced efficy. The terms and ditions of Ats's newfouude—ahem, partnership—were written down immediately.

  Another wave of attendants followed, this time bearing additional ptters of food, their warm aroma filling the chamber. Bowls of steamed rice, fragrant roasted duck, and fresh vegetables were set oable, a gesture of hospitality to their guests. The tension that had once clouded the room slowly began to ease into something more manageable.

  Meyu leaned against the wall, arms crossed as she observed the se. "Well, this is an improvement," she muttered. "At least no one is threatening to stab each other anymore. A marked success, really."

  Lay, rubbing her hands, huffed. "It's only temporary."

  Ats, seated at the table, looked as though he were preparing for his own funeral. He picked up the quill and added minor details to the tract with all the enthusiasm of a maeo death. Master Daokan read his minor details and simply allowed it. Ats expresses his tragedy as he stared down at the tract."Oh, what cruel fate is this," he mented. "To bind a free spirit such as myself to part and ink! Is there no mer this world?"

  "Sign it, Ats," Daokan said dryly.

  Ats let out a long, exaggerated sigh and dramatically dipped the quill into the ink. "If I must," he muttered, dragging out the moment as if each stroke of the quill drained his very soul. With a final flourish, he signed his hen leaned ba his chair with an expression so deeply sorrowful one might have thought he had just signed away his firstborn child.

  Meyu chuckled, shaking her head. "I've never seen someone look so miserable about making money."

  Ats gave her a betrayed look. "It's not about the money, Meyu. It's about the principle." He pced a dramatid over his heart. "I am a man of dignity, of freedom! And now? A mere mert! A peddler of wares! I weep for the loss of my untamed spirit."

  Lay snorted. "You were a mert before this."

  Ats gasped. "Meilin, please. At least let me have my moment of grief."

  Daokairely unfazed, simply took the part and began reviewing it. "With the support of Shrouded Peaks, this agreement will be reinforced, ensuring smooth trade routes and secured passage for oods," he remarked, nodding in approval.

  "It is done."

  Ats slumped against the table. "It is done," he echoed dramatically, staring forlornly at the ceiling. "And thus, Ats Rynd, once a noble free-roaming spirit, is now shackled to the ruthless world of erce."

  Meyu smirked. "I'm going to enjoy watg you suffer."

  As the food was set before them, each person took a moment to savor the sight and aroma. Lay idly tapped her fingers against the table, eyeing the roasted duck before finally relenting and serving herself a portion.

  "At least the food is good," she admitted begrudgingly.

  Meyu smirked. "Good? This is some of the fi cuisine I've seen in months." She took a bite of the braised vegetables, humming in satisfa.

  "I'd almost five the fact that this meal es with an unbearable amount of Ats' whining."

  Ats, still dramatically slumped, peeked up from the table. "A, here I sit, a marayed, my soul withering uhe weight of my unjust servitude. Not even the fi roast soothe my ag heart."

  Yan Shuren, ever posed, ined his head politely. "May I join you?"

  Daokaured toward the opes."Please, I told you many times you don't o ask. You're practically like my son"

  The daughter of Daokan, Shen Xue, had already begun to eat, carefully pig at her food with precise movements. She turoward Yan Shuren with mild curiosity. "You don't strike me as someone who indulges in rge meals," she remarked.

  Yan gave a small, knowing smile. "It is rare, but even I must eat. Besides, good pany makes for better digestion." Shen Xue nodded, aowledging the remark as she took another bite. One of the attendants poured warm tea for the guests, the fragrant steam curlily in the air. Lay took a sip, sighing as the warmth spread through her. "Well, at least tea's good."

  Bao, let out a satisfied groan. "This... this is heaven. I never want to leave."

  Jiang, ever posed, took a measured bite of his meal and gave a slow nod. "The bance of fvors is impeccable. Eveexture is perfectly crafted. I see why this sect values its hospitality."

  Bao waved a zy hand. "You talk too much. Just eat and be happy." He stuffed another piece of duto his mouth, chewing with a look of pure euphoria.

  Meilin's parents exged gnces before her father let out a pleased hum. "I must admit, the seasoning is perfect. Whoever prepared this uands bance well."

  Her mother nodded, delicately pig at her food. "It reminds me of my home cooking, yet more refined. A meal crafted with care."

  Yan Shuren, hearing this, gave a respectful nod. "The sect prides itself on hospitality. It is good to know our efforts are appreciated."

  Meilin's father chuckled. "Hospitality is ohing. This, however, is beyond that. This is excellence."

  --

  Meanwhile, in another chamber, a beautiful servant carefully adjusted the b over the child's frail form as the physi examined her once more. The girl stirred slightly but did not wake.

  "She's still weak," the physi murmured, running a practiced hand over the child's bruised skin. "Whoever did this pushed her far beyond her limits."

  The servant nodded, her gaze soft with sympathy. "Will she recover?"

  The physi hesitated. "Physically, perhaps. But the trauma… that will take time." He dipped a cloth into a bowl of herbal-infused water aly dabbed at the child's wrist. "She barely speaks, barely reacts. She fli the smallest touch."

  The servant sighed, adjusting the girl's pillow with careful hands. "She deserves kindness. I hope she finds it here."

  The physi goward the door, as if sidering something. He exhaled through his nose, skepticism written all over his face. "With that mert taking her in... perhaps she will—though I do wonder if handing a traumatized child over to a snarky mert with the face of a devil is truly the wisest course of a."

  The servant stifled a ugh, but quickly posed herself. "He does have a certain... fir for dramatics."

  The physi nodded solemnly. "Indeed. I already imagine him corrupting her with his theatrid nonsense."

  The servant tilted her head. "True, but... are we really going to let him raise a child? I mean, he's dramatiarky, and half the time I 't tell if he's a genius or an idiot."

  The physi groaned, rubbing his temples. "Exactly. He looks like a vilin in one of those old fables. What if she ends up just as dramatic? What if she starts throwing her arms in the air and making grand speeches about the tragedy of erce?"

  The servant stifled a ugh. "Holy, I'd pay to see that."

  The physi shook his head. "We should just take her in ourselves. At least then, she wouldn't be subjected to whatever Ats-style parenting looks like."

  The servant sighed, adjusting the girl's b. "Well, it's not up to us, is it? Though... if it all goes terribly wrong, we always rescue her ter."

  The physi groaned, rubbing his temples. "Yes, yes, and the heavens help us all for it."

  As if on cue, a group of maids ehe room carrying additional trays, their presenentarily diverting the tension. They moved gracefully, bowing respectfully to the physi before setting down a fresh round of medial herbs and warm broth for the child.

  One of the maids, bowed deeply before speaking. "Physi Ming, repared everything as requested."

  Ming hough his gaze flicked momentarily to her. "Thank you" "Could you adjust her head, I wouldn't wao choke"

  The servant who was attending the child Xiauro adjust the child's b once more, her movements precise and delicate. Yet, as she worked, the physi's mind wandered back to the absurdity of the situation. "I still 't believe it," he muttered under his breath. "That devil-faced mert? Raising a child? I half expect her to start grinning like him within a week."

  Xian Yue smirked. "That would be a sight. The pirl, doomed to ay of exaggerated fir and dramatic sighs."

  The physi sighed heavily. "We should just take her in. It's not too te, you know. We could make it look like an act."

  Xiaapped her thoughtfully, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Perhaps... I should seduce Master Daokan and persuade him to let us take the child instead."

  Physi Ming nearly choked on his owh, coughing as he gave her a wide-eyed stare. "Excuse me?"

  She shrugged. "What? He respects me, doesn't he? Maybe a little charm, a few well-pced words, and he'll resider."

  Physi Ming rubbed his forehead. "You want to seduce the most disciplined man in the sect just to stop him from raising this child?"

  Xian Yue folded her arms. "Well, do you have a better idea? Because if we don't do something, that pirl will be reg soliloquies about mert sorrows by the end of the month."

  The physi sighed in exasperation. "Maybe we should just beg instead. A good, old-fashioned plea for mercy. Less risk, less embarrassment, and no potential sect sdal."

  Xian Yue scoffed. "Where's the fun in that?"

  Before the physi could respond, the doors to the chamber slid open, and a young disciple stepped ih a posed demeanor, his movements measured and precise. Xian Yue immediately bowed in respect. "Disciple Ren," she greeted, straightening before stepping aside to allow him the floor.

  Reurhe bow with a polite nod before turning his attention to the physi. His expression was calm, but there was a flicker of something unreadable behind his eyes. He took a slow breath, as if gathering his thoughts, before finally speaking. "Physi Ming, I bring news from the grand hall."

  The disciple said, clearing his throat, "I just came from the grand hall, where this Ats is... well, being Ats."

  Xian Yue arched an eyebrow. "Oh? And what grand spectacle has he mao pull off this time? The gate theatrics rumours was already outndish enough"

  Ren sighed. "Aside from his usual excessive dramatics, let's see—he nearly knocked over aire tray of tea trying to make a grand procmation, attempted to toast himself with a goblet of water, and somehow vinced Bao to carry him around the hall on a chair like some kind of emperor."

  Physi Ming pihe bridge of his nose."And this is the man Master Daokan allows to behave this way?"

  Ren opened his mouth, hesitated, then sighed. "Master Daoka just allow it... he's ughing too."

  Xian Yue blinked. "You mean to tell me that the man who holds the weight of the se his shoulders is just letting Ats do all this?"

  Ren sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Not just letting it happen—he's ughing not only that but Lady Shen who had been quietly , looked utterly dumbfounded. Her father—Master Daokan, the man known for his stoicism and discipline—was ughing. It was a sight no one in the sect had ever witnessed, and she wasirely sure she believed it herself all the while, Yan Shureed beside Daokan, had his face turned slightly away, shoulders trembling as he barely held back his own ughter. His posed demeanor was crag, betraying just how amusing he found the situation.

  Ren rubbed his temples. "Not only that, but Silver Lotus Leader Lin Wuye and Lady Meilin are practically begging Master Daokan not to kill anyone over Ats' antics. All the while Lady Meilin is running around like a frantic mother trying to catch Bao, who is currently parading Ats around the hall on a chair like some kind of deranged emperor."

  Xian Yue raised an eyebrow. "So, it's like watg a mother wrawo rown children?"

  Ren nodded solemnly. "Exactly. One is Ats, the other is his newly verted disciple, Bao, who has decided that listening to Ats' nonsense is his new life purpose. Lady Meilin, poor soul, is stuck trying to keep them both in check. It's like a battle of wills, and she's losing."

  Physi Ming groaned, rubbing his temples as he tried to process everything. "That fool mert is spreading his mado the entire sect. How does someone like him, a mere mert, mao pull all of this off against a Qi Master?"

  Xian Yue scoffed, though even she was struggling to keep a straight face. "Of course, he nds on his feet. The real issue is that he takes everyone down with him while somehow staying upright. I swear, at this rate, he'll be running the sect before we even realize what happened."

  The disciple shook his head, clearly exasperated."If that's the case, then the heavens truly have abandoned us."

  Meanwhile, ba the grand hall, chaos had fully erupted. Servants scurried about in sheer panic, desperately trying to salvage what little order remained. One unfortuendant yelped as Ats, still being paraded around by Bao, nearly kicked over a meticulously arranged terpiece of delicate por cups.

  A couple of servants and disciples were now frantically chasing after Bao and Ats, their eyes wide with sheer panic as they desperately tried to keep anything in their path from being shattered. One servant yelped, diving just in time to save a priceless vase from toppling over, while another filed hopelessly in an attempt to block Bao from knog into a fragile tea set.

  "Stop! STOP! Don't let him touything!" one of the disciples shrieked, nearly tripping over his ow as he tried to intercept the chaotic duo.

  Bao, grinnio ear, effortlessly dodged the scrambling figures. "Fear not! reat mert-king shall be carried with honor!"

  Ats, perched regally on his chair-throne, waved dramatically to the imaginary crowd. "Yes, yes, let the people witness my ast! A leader must be seen, after all!"

  Bao, carrying Ats like he's some king, "I am merely helping reat mert-king bask in his glory!" he decred, adjusting his grip on the chair as Ats struck a noble pose.

  "Meilin, please! Let me have this!" Ats called out dramatically, raising his arms as if addressing a grand audiehe people need a leader! And if I must bear this burden, so be it!"

  "You're a mert, not a monarch!" Lay snapped, dodging a te flung in the otion. She turned sharply toward Jiang, who was quietly the madness while methodically enjoying his food. "Are you just going to sit there a while this happens?"

  Jiang took another bite and nodded. "Yes."

  Jiang then rubbed his forehead, muttering, "I have seen warzones with less destru."

  Daokan, still seated at the head of the table, threw his head bad ughed heartily, a rare and almost uling sound that echoed through the hall. "Now this is eai!" he decred, clearly enjoying the spectacle far more than he should."Ats, you truly know how to liven up a gathering! Keep going, let's see where this madness leads!" Beside him, Yan Shuren had turned away, shoulders shaking as he struggled to maintain his usual air of posure.

  Shearing at her father, was visibly shaken. "He's ughing," she muttered to herself, eyes wide. "Father doesn't ugh. Father doesn't smirk."

  Lin Wuye, meanwhile, was caught between trying to appeal to Daokan's sense of reason and maintaining what dignity is left. "Master Daokan, I implore you, please stop this before it bees even more embarrassing."

  Daokan waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, let them have their fun. It's been a while sihe sect had such... vibrant energy."

  Lin Wuye groaned. "This isn't vibrant energy, this is a disaster!"

  "Tomato, tomahto," Ats quipped from atop his impromptu throne.

  "BAO, DROP HIM!" Lay shouted.

  Meyu burst into ughter, her usually posed demeanor breakiirely as she clutched her stomach. "I... I 't! This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen!"

  Yuxe Wuye, usually a pilr of grace, wiped a tear from the er of her eye, her shoulders trembling as she tried and failed to suppress her ughter. "You know, I always thought the sect would meet its downfall in a great battle. Turns out, it might just be Ats and his chaos instead."

  Meyu leaned in spiratorially. "Do you think Meilin even has a pn, or is she just running on pure desperation at this point?"

  Yuxe Wuye smirked. "Desperation. Absolute, motherly desperation. It's like watg someory to herd two rown toddlers with too muergy."

  Lay, overhearing them, whirled around with wide, furious eyes. "IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HELP, STOP ENTATING!"

  Meyu waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, e on, you've got this! We believe in you!" she called, doing absolutely nothing to assist.

  Yuxe Wuye nodded sagely. "Yes, think of this as training for when you have actual children. sider it an invaluable life lesson."

  Lay let out an exasperated scream.

  "I AM GOING TO LOSE MY MIND!"

  Meanwhile, Jiang, ever posed, took another bite of his food, sav the rich fvors and drinking the warmth of the tea as he stretched his legs against the heated floors. The trast between his serene enjoyment and the absolute chaos around him was almost poetic.

  Just as he lifted his cup for another sip, Bao—with Ats still perched upon his impromptu thro over a row of cushions in a dramatic flourish. Lay lunged in pursuit, arms outstretched in a desperate attempt to catch them. Without so much as a gnce, Jiang leaned slightly to the left, effortlessly dodging the airborrio as they crashed past him.

  He took another sip of tea, exhaled slowly, and muttered, "This is nice''