Shu Yue stood in the Lu residence's courtyard, her hands clasped in front of her. Her bamboo sword was strapped to her waist, looking more like an ornament than a weapon and matching her benign demeanor.

She swept her gaze over the courtyard, surveying her surroundings, her face calm and relaxed. There were a variety of flowers and plants, which gave the place a sweet, comforting fragrance. Two parasol trees stood on both sides of the courtyard, their leaves swaying gently in the breeze.

The courtyard of the Lu family was spacious compared to the Chen residence. The Lu family was a large family, with three households living in this massive residence. Unlike the Chen family, which had only one household-- something Shu Yue was glad for. If the Chen family had more than one household, it would only make things difficult for her to keep track of things. Betrayals and traitors would also be inevitable.

The smaller the circle the better.

Shu Yue cast a glance at the two men in silver robes standing in the courtyard. They were the guards of the Lu family. The orange belts tied around their waists and the swords strapped to their hips announced that they were S-rank warriors.

Soon, the door of the main room slid open and Lu Baiyu emerged, another guard next to him. A red belt was wrapped around his waist, identifying him as an SS-rank--the third highest level. He smiled when he saw Shu Yue.

"Greetings, Elder Lu," Shu Yue said with a polite bow.

Lu Baiyu nodded. "You came." He gestured to the two guards and said, "Please prepare a carriage for us."

Shu Yue's brow slightly furrowed, but immediately realized it. Since Lu Baiyu was secretly recruiting disciples and teaching them a secret martial art technique, it was only natural that he would have a secret place to handle things. He couldn't do it inside his own residence, could he?

Like a courteous and obedient woman, Shu Yue followed Lu Baiyu outside. But, of course, she kept her guard up despite showing a calm and composed demeanor. She was secretly reading the wind, in case there was a shift in their aura, so she could act immediately. If Lu Baiyu was really working with the mysterious man, she had to be even more cautious. This could be a trap, for all she knew.

"Where are we going, Elder Lu?"

"To the others." Lu Baiyu smiled at her. There was something ominous about his smile and the way he looked at her. It was a forewarning of some sort.

Shu Yue and Lu Baiyu boarded the carriage that was waiting outside his residence. During the ride, Lu Baiyu talked about his favorite grandson, Lu Rui. He mostly bragged about him, claiming that Lu Rui was a talented warrior with a promising future. At the age of eleven, he was already close to mastering the basic movements of sword techniques. Lu Baiyu also stated that once Lu Rui mastered the basics, he would teach him the secret manual that he possessed.

Shu Yue smiled faintly while she listened to the old man. Lu Baiyu sounded so proud of his most beloved grandson, little did he know that the person he was bragging about was already in the hands of the very person in front of him.

Unless he complied, the future he envisioned for Lu Rui would be nothing more than a distant dream.

As the heiress of a declining clan, Shu Yue must protect her clan from traitors to prevent it from collapsing further. They had already lost many members since the Fall of Ophiuchus--traitors who sided with another clan and plotted to depose Shu Yue's father as clan leader.

The Ophiuchus Clan lacked high-level techniques, so it was understandable that the disciples would seek to join the twelve great clans in order to learn more advanced techniques and push their skills to a higher level. Not to mention the fact that being a member of a prominent clan was far better compared to being a member of the weakest clan.

Nonetheless, Shu Yue despised traitors. She would be the next leader of the Ophiuchus Clan, so she wanted to get rid of such worthless trash.

So, if Lu Baiyu turned out to be a traitor, Shu Yue wouldn't show him mercy.

Shu Yue now understood why the Emperor was so worried about the demonic practitioners. The Emperor feared losing his throne, just as Shu Yue feared seeing her clan perish. And, like the Emperor, Shu Yue would eliminate any threat that loomed over her territory.

The carriage soon stopped in front of a bamboo forest. Stepping out of the vehicle, Shu Yue cautiously swept her gaze around. They were on the outskirts of Tian Village. Gazing at the lush bamboo forest, Shu Yue couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. She used to train here as a child with Xiao Ran. But when she was nine years old, after she mastered the basic sword stances, she stopped coming here.

After Lu Baiyu paid the driver, they entered the bamboo forest. The surrounding was silent. Towering green stalks swayed in the wind, their leaves rustling. The bracing scent of grass and damp earth perfumed the air, giving her a sense of peace.

The smell of nature. It was one of the few things Shu Yue genuinely liked in this world.

As they walked through the forest, Shu Yue silently surveyed her surroundings. The wind blew gently and quietly, but Shu Yue, who had an affinity for the wind element, had a different experience. The wind felt heavy against her skin and carried a faint smell of sweat and metal. This scent and aura must belong to Lu Baiyu's disciples.

They passed more clumps of bamboo, the tall green stalks clacking and creaking as they knocked together in the light breeze. Their footsteps crunched across leaves on the ground.

"Why isn't your demihuman attendant with you today?" Lu Baiyu asked, breaking the silence. He didn't look at her and kept his gaze fixed ahead.

"I asked my fox to run an errand for me. But he'll be here later."

Lu Baiyu raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. "Oh, so he's going to come here?"

Shu Yue met his gaze, a faint smile on her lips. "Yes, but don't worry, he won't be learning your techniques."

"That's good, then. If I may ask, does your attendant know any techniques? Is he a warrior?"

"He's a magus, an E-rank magus, and he only knows basic spells."

Lu Baiyu's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, I see. That explains why he only has one tail. He's just an E-ranker, of course. It was silly of me to even ask that question." He let out a forced chuckle.

Shu Yue smiled kindly.

Of course, what Shu Yue said was only a half-truth. Demihumans were not allowed to cultivate skills, according to the empire's rules, so she couldn't openly declare that her demihuman attendant was stronger than her. At least not now. Even if their respective masters grant them permission, a demihuman should only learn basic techniques.

Because humans were afraid. If demihumans grew in power, humans would no longer be the absolute ruler. So they devised a strategy to prevent this from happening. And the result of that strategy was the current state of demihumans.

They were treated like animals.

Unfortunately, Xiao Ran was the epitome of a rule breaker. Like Shu Yue. And, of course, he didn't just have one tail.

They were demihumans who lived to defy the humans. Why would they let humans rule the world and trample on them?

I'd rather rip them apart than bow down to them!

"But despite that, my fox is strong," Shu Yue said softly. "And fast."

Lu Baiyu made no comment, his eyes fixed straight ahead. Either he didn't hear her or he just chose to say nothing. But he seemed unbothered, his body and expression relaxed.

Knowing that Lu Baiyu wasn't looking, Shu Yue allowed a wicked smile to form on her lips, an ominous glint flashing in her eyes.