Cì Chuān watched the caravan with Zhou Lihua go with a smile, though it vanished the moment her caravan disappeared from sight. How annoying it was that he had no choice but to part from her. It would only be for a little while, however. Yes, it was just a temporary parting. They did say absence made the heart grow fonder, and what little time they were apart would be made up for soon enough.

Yes. Very soon.

The palace he returned to was almost completely empty. His father and brother were not present. They had left with their armies, headed toward the Shang Kingdom even now.

Cì Chuān entered his bedroom, where his two slaves were waiting. They were both quite naked. Seeing their luscious bodies made him long to get in bed with them, but now was not the time.

“Get dressed, you two. I have a task that only you can accomplish,” he said.

“Yes, master,” the pair said in unison.

While the pair got dressed, Cì Chuān wandered over to the window and looked at the city. His father and brother both burned with ambition. They wanted nothing more than to turn this city and the rest of the Xaio Continent into their personal garden. He was not so ambitious. So long as he could sleep with beautiful women, he was content. That was why he wanted Zhou Lihua. Out of all the women he had seen, she was by far the most beautiful. How he longed to have her in his bed.

“Master, we are ready to receive your orders,” said one of his slaves.

He turned around to find the pair dressed in dark clothes. The one on his left had donned a hanfu with the sleeves cut off. The sleeves had been replaced with armbands that showed off a supple hint of muscle. A slit ran down either side of the hanfu, stopping at the hips, meaning her thighs were revealed in all their milky splendor. Her skin was quite pale. The color complimented her blonde hair--a rarity.

His other slave was a dark-haired beauty dressed in a dark blue gown with voluminous sleeves that flowed like water. Her gown was split into numerous tassel like ends that trailed down to her feet, clad only in small bands around the arches. Several strands of her hair had been tied into a bun on her head, a hairpin shaped like a knife keeping it in place.

“Zhou Lihua has just left with her caravan. You are to take the soldiers my father left me and attack her with them. Kill everyone but her. Remember not to harm a single hair on her head. Once you have killed the others, chase her until she is exhausted and then pretend to capture her. I will step in once you have.”

“We shall do as you command,” they said in unison.

“Good. Good. Oh. Be wary of the man in the mask,” he said almost as an afterthought. “He reached the Human Limit Realm not long ago, but his cultivation is already stable. I’ve heard many rumors about them, and if even half of them are true, he will be in trouble. However, he shouldn’t be a problem for either of you. You’re both my trump card, after all.”

Knowledge of Jian Wu’s feats had reached the Zhou Kingdom. Cì Chuān already knew this young man had been able to defeat a Human Limit Realm cultivator while still in the Asura Realm. That was concerning, but it shouldn’t be a problem.

He had continued to help these two women cultivate even after they reached the Asura Realm, so they could serve as both his bodyguards and assassins. The two were half a step away from reaching the Deva Realm. The only reason they hadn’t reached it was because ingredients for Deva Realm pills were kept under lock and key by his father, who did not know about these two. Yet even though they had not reached the Deva Realm themselves, together, they were able to bring even a peak Deva Realm expert to their knees.

It was all thanks to their unique cultivation method.

“Be off, you two. I expect good news when you return,” he said.

“Yes, Master.”

The pair bowed once more, then vanished as if they had never been. Cì Chuān stared at the spot for several long moments, then turned back to the window.

“Your methods are quite convoluted. Why did you not just take Zhou Lihua when you had the chance? You already have our lord’s permission.”

“I knew you were still here,” Cì Chuān mumbled with a smile. He turned around and walked further into his room, poured himself some water from a pitcher on his nightstand, and drank deeply. He didn’t speak until after he set the cup back down. “You might not realize this, but a persimmon is not as sweet if it is not eaten right. I would derive no satisfaction simply forcing myself onto Zhou Lihua. I want her to desire me.”

That was the entire reason he had not simply taken her against her will. He might have had some fun breaking her, but it would have eventually gotten boring. What he wanted was for her to come to him willingly.

“That is why I will have those two attack her. They will kill all those around her, force her to flee for her life, and drive her to the depths of despair. And just when it looks like she’s about to be killed, I will step in and save her.”

He could all but imagine it happening. He steps in like a gallant hero from ancient lore and saves Zhou Lihua from her unfortunate fate. She’ll come with him out of a sense of gratitude, and he’ll slowly work his way into her heart by pretending to be a kind and caring man. He would make her fall in love with him. Then she would bear him many children and live out the remainder of her life in ignorant bliss.

“You are quite the disgusting man.”

“I don’t deny it.”

“Just so you know, this is your only chance to claim her. Should you fail here, our agreement will be revoked.”

“I am aware. You need not worry. She will become mine before she can reach the Shang Kingdom.”

“Hmph.”

Even though he could not see her, Cì Chuān could tell the woman had left. He poured himself another glass and took a sip.

“It won’t be long now. Finally, after so many years of waiting, I have you within my grasp, Zhou Lihua.”

***

They left Kěnéng behind. Sitting in the carriage with Wu Jian and Zhou Lihua was Master Wong Jiu and Zhou Chao. The young bodyguard wore a grave expression, brows furrowed, lips drawn into a tight line. His look put Wu Jian on edge.

“You said there was something else you wanted to talk about,” prompted Zhou Lihua. “Something that doesn’t have anything to do with the Heavenly Sword Sect or what happened on the Yuan Peninsula.”

“That is correct,” Zhou Chao sighed. “I’m sure you noticed on our way out how empty Kěnéng was. I found out the reason for that.” He paused, and Wu Jian and Zhou Lihua leaned forward in anticipation. “Emperor Cì Shā has gathered his armies and headed out several days ago. They were traveling west.”

“West…” Zhou Lihua bit her lower lip. “That’s toward the Shang Kingdom.”

Zhou Chao nodded. “I don’t know what they’re thinking… but you don’t mobilize your armies for no reason.”

Wu Jian closed his eyes and tried to think this through. While they’d heard nothing about the Zhou Kingdom wanting to cause problems, Hua Xue had informed him of the strange going ons with the Burning Hand Sect and her belief they were allied with the Burning Flame Pavilion. She believed the Ming Province, or at least the Burning Flame Pavilion, had set their sights on the Shang Kingdom.

What if it’s not just the Ming Province after the Shang Kingdom? We’re not rich in higher level cultivation resources, but we are rich in low level ones. The whole reason cultivators from the Ming Province and Zhou Kingdom are so low-level is because they lack those lower level resources. If they could use the resources we have, they could easily raise more than half their forces to the Human Limit Realm.

He was beginning to get a clearer picture of the situation, but that only made his anxiety skyrocket. If his new suspicions were confirmed, it meant they had two whole nations coming after them. It meant Hou Jingshu was in danger.

“We should hurry back to the Shang Kingdom,” said Wu Jian.

“I agree,” Zhou Lihua nodded, then turned to Zhou Chao. “Tell our drivers to increase their pace.”

“Of course, Young Miss,” Zhou Chao stood up, bowed, and exited the carriage while it was still moving. Wu Jian heard his shouting even after he closed the door.

Zhou Lihua leaned back in her seat and took several deep breaths. “It sounds like the Zhou Kingdom and Four Great Pavilions of the Ming Province are planning to conquer the Shang Kingdom. This is… very troubling.”

“There has not been a war in many hundreds of years,” added Master Wong Jiu. “Ever since the formation of the Three Celestial Sects and the signing of the treatise, war has become a thing of the past… and nobody is stupid enough to try and go up against the Three Celestial Sects. The power gap is far too vast.”

Wu Jian tapped his mask approximately where his chin was. Master Wong Jiu was right. Trying to conquer a nation at this moment in time was stupid. Even if the Zhou Kingdom and Shang Province combined their military might, they would not be able to defeat the Heavenly Sword Sect.

“… What if the situation with the Heavenly Sword Sect was caused by someone allied with the Zhou Kingdom? What if the entire magical beast invasion of the Yuan Peninsula was simply a means of keeping the Heavenly Sword Sect distracted so the Zhou Kingdom and Ming Province could attack the Shang Kingdom without repercussion?”

Zhou Lihua and Master Wong Jiu grimaced. They had been thinking the same thing, but they hadn’t dared voice it.

“Anyone who has the power to summon an entire horde of magical beasts like that would be as strong as the Three Celestial Sects,” Master Wong Jiu mumbled. “I just cannot believe there is someone out there with that kind of power.”

“But what if… what if the one’s helping them are someone from one of the Three Celestial Sects?” proposed Zhou Lihua.

Master Wong Jiu sucked in a breath. Even Wu Jian felt like he’d been struck by lightning. He stared at Zhou Lihua, who now wore an expression like she was in physical pain. She clutched a hand to her chest and pursed her lips.

“Apprentice… surely you’re not suggesting…”

“I am,” Zhou Lihua said. Her smile as she cut Master Wong Jiu off was more fragile than Wu Jian had ever seen it.

“That line of thinking is very dangerous,” Master Wong Jiu warned.

“I don’t want to believe it, but it’s the only explanation I can think of.” Zhou Lihua closed her eyes, looking miserable. “When we get back to the Shang Kingdom, I plan to begin looking into this.”

“Do you really think that’s wise?” asked Wu Jian.

“I know what you want to say… but if…” Zhou Lihua swallowed. “If my family is somehow involved in this, then I--”

At that moment, Wu Jian’s senses screamed at him that something was wrong. He did not give Zhou Lihua time to finish speaking as he grabbed her and Master Wong Jiu and leapt out of the carriage. Barely a split second later, a massive qilin made of black fire slammed into the ground next to the carriage, sending the entire structure and horses soaring. The horses were instantly vaporized, but the carriage survived. It tumbled across the ground several times before stopping on its side.

Wu Jian stood up and observed the situation. Several Zhou Clan bodyguards were already lying on the ground, their armor melted off, bodies peirced with swords. Zhou Chao was alive, but he was the only one. Blood dripped from his missing arm. A large cut ran down through the right side of his face.

More importantly, they were surrounded.

Almost two dozen people had surrounded them. They all wore threadbare clothing with not identifying marks, but each one carried a profound spirit weapon, whether it be a glaive, knife, sword, or spear. None of them were that powerful. The strongest among them was at the peak of the Human Limit Realm, but he was only at the first subrealm.

It was a massive man with more muscles in his arms than Wu Jian’s entire body. He wore the same threadbare clothing. The sleeveless gi was made from a type of cheap wool and showed off massive arms covered in scars.

Wu Jian studied him and the other men, frowning. None of them were strong enough to have launched the attack that capsized their carriage, but he was given no time to think about that as the several dozen men raced forward to attack.