Chapter 6: Lian Yu's Second Phase
[An eerie silence hangs in the air, a hush before a looming storm. A deep, slow melody resonates in the background, making the stillness even more terrifying.]
[Realm 1, Shadow Clan Headquarters]
The rumors spread by Lian Yu now coursed through the Shadow Clan's veins like poison. Doubt, like a creeping vine, had coiled itself around Xiao Long's mind, choking him. His anger had morphed into an uncontrolled paranoia. He saw conspiracy in every shadow and betrayal in every gaze.
"Is anyone there?" he roared in his grand, yet now suffocating, hall. His voice was laced with desperation. "Someone is orchestrating a whole game behind my back! First the 'Blade Clan's treasure' and now this nonsense about one of our own cultivators hiding an 'artifact'!"
Xiao Long summoned his most loyal general, 'Wu Chang'. Wu Chang was a man as massive and unyielding as a rock; a powerful warrior whose world began and ended with his leader's command. Doubt was not in his nature.
"Wu Chang," Xiao Long whispered, his eyes gleaming like those of a wild animal. "There's a task. You must search every single one of our cultivators, every camp. Ransack their belongings, their secret hiding places, everything. I want to know who dared to hide something from me!"
Wu Chang bowed his head without question and set out to execute the order that would forever shatter the Shadow Clan's unity.
This was the second phase of Lian Yu's plan, now unfolding on its own. An internal conflict where swords would be drawn against their own. He knew that cultivators, burning with the fire of suspicion, would turn bloodthirsty against each other, and their internal strife would hollow out the Shadow Clan from within.
[Manhua Style: Chaos at the Shadow Clan headquarters. Wu Chang's soldiers are overturning cultivators' homes, swords are drawn, and hatred and distrust fill the eyes of brother against brother.]
Meanwhile, miles away in the tranquil ruins of the Blade Clan, Lian Yu's cultivation reached new heights. His power had grown denser and more intense than ever before, but he knew that it was nothing more than a flickering lamp flame before the vast Shadow Clan.
"Uncle Hu," he said one morning, opening his eyes.
"Yes, Master," Uncle Hu said, approaching. "There is more tension in the Shadow Clan than you anticipated. Wu Chang has unleashed terror there."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Lian Yu's lips. "Now it's time to give them another gift. Another rumor, but this time... it will be a real one."
"A real rumor?" Uncle Hu was confused.
"Yes," Lian Yu said. "I will spread a story that a part of the Blade Clan's treasure—an extremely powerful 'Blood Magic Herb'—is hidden in a cave within our old territory. This herb is so rare that whoever obtains it can touch the secret of immortality."
Uncle Hu's face went white. "Master! But no such herb even exists!"
"It does," Lian Yu said calmly and pulled out a small, ordinary-looking herb from his sleeve. "I have it."
He closed his eyes and focused his soul's power on the herb. For a moment, the herb glowed with a deep, blood-red light, and a strange, alluring energy began to emanate from it. "But this is no blessing," Lian Yu's voice deepened. "It is a very dangerous poison. Its power is so unstable that anyone who uses it will either go mad or their veins will burst."
He handed the transformed herb to Uncle Hu. It now looked like a divine elixir. "Go, Uncle Hu. Spread this rumor. But this time, the target must be Xiao Long directly. Deliver this news only to the most greedy ears. And remember, no one should know who is behind it."
Uncle Hu vanished into the darkness with the pulsating herb. Lian Yu was left alone.
[Internal Monologue: "Greed... is a sweet poison that humans drink with great pleasure. Xiao Long, you will put this cup of poison to your own lips. And by the time you realize what you have drunk, your end will have already been written."]
Lian Yu's eyes opened again. They held a deep, cold glint. It was not the gleam of a warrior, but of a strategist who had already anticipated the enemy's move after his own perfect play.
This was not just a small conspiracy; it was the creation of an epic, with destruction written in every word. But Lian Yu did not know that his perfect move would have an unexpected consequence. Xiao Long, despite all his paranoia, was not entirely foolish. The rumor had reached him, and instead of sending his army to the cave, he had dispatched a solitary, shadow-like assassin—a person who knew well how to tear through the veil between truth and lies. The game had now become more dangerous than ever.
If you were in Lian Yu's place right now, what would you do?
Share your answer in the comments — your idea might just appear in the next chapter!"
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