Li Yu's stay in Riverstone City was brief and purposeful. With the strategic framework for his two new ventures established, the final details were ironed out in Kui's office, the scent of fresh lacquer from the new furniture filling the air. Li Yu transferred a substantial sum of spirit stones from his personal reserves to a new storage ring designated for the White Paw Company, enough to fund its operations for the first year without needing to draw from the Guild's profits.
"Recruitment, training facilities, equipment, wages… this should be sufficient to begin," Li Yu stated, pushing the ring across the desk to Xylia. "Your authority is absolute in all martial matters. You answer only to me."
Xylia accepted the ring with a curt nod, her expression as unreadable as ever. She stood and walked to the window, her gaze sweeping over the bustling city below. After a moment of silence, she spoke, her voice low and resonant. "We will need a standard."
Kui, who had been beaming with satisfaction, blinked in surprise. "A… a standard, Lady Xylia? But… the company has not yet recruited its first member."
"When we march, we will fly a banner," she stated, not as a suggestion, but as a fact. "When we fight, our enemies will see it. When we are victorious, it will be planted on the battlefield. It is a symbol of our identity and our might. It must be made."
"An excellent idea!" Kui boomed, recovering his enthusiasm instantly. "A symbol of our glorious new enterprise! What design does Lady Xylia envision?"
Xylia turned from the window, her sapphire eyes locking onto Kui's. "The flag will be of deep crimson silk. On its face, a single, stark white tiger's paw, claws extended, ready to strike." She paused, a deliberate, weighty silence filling the room before she continued. "And behind the paw, rendered as if it were a looming shadow in a deeper black, the unmistakable silhouette of a great crab's claw, promising to crush all that stands in its way."
Before Li Yu could even react to this blatant act of flattery, Kui slammed a fist into his palm, his face alight with understanding and admiration.
"Brilliant, Lady Xylia! A truly brilliant design! It perfectly complements the Golden Shell Guild's own banner. Our flag bears the Golden Shell, of course, but it too is backed by the shadow of the mighty black claw!"
Li Yu's calm demeanor finally broke. He stared from the stoic, cold-faced Xylia to the beaming, fawning Kui, and it all clicked into place. This wasn't just Xylia being clever; this was a coordinated campaign of sycophancy. The white paw and the golden shell were their respective faces to the world, but the black claw was the symbol of the true, hidden power they both answered to. It was a direct, unambiguous tribute to Khaos, the arrogant and terrifyingly powerful crab sovereign who resided within Li Yu's own being.
As if summoned by the thought, a deep, rumbling voice, dripping with smug satisfaction, echoed directly in Li Yu's mind. It was Khaos, his tone a mixture of gruff arrogance and undeniable pleasure.
"Hmph. The little snow cat and the old turtle both have surprisingly good taste. A fitting, if somewhat understated, tribute to the might of this king. Having this king's symbol unite them is only natural; it shows the world who holds the true power. See that both banners are made to the highest standards, boy. This king's image is not to be represented on shoddy craftsmanship."
Li Yu could feel the ripple of pleased vanity from the ancient crab. He had to give his retainers credit; they had found a way to not only establish their own identities but also to ensure the enthusiastic support of his most powerful subordinate, all while creating a unified brand for his growing enterprise.
"An inspired design," Li Yu said, a genuine smile touching his lips. "And a clever one, Kui. Visually linking the Guild and the Company will leave no doubt in anyone's mind that they are two sides of the same coin. An unbreakable alliance. Commission Xylia's banner immediately. Spare no expense."
With the final plans in place, Li Yu prepared to depart. Before leaving, however, he announced he wished to see the city's famed river market. He waved off Kui's offer of a grand escort, preferring a quiet, solitary walk.
He strolled through the bustling streets, his simple robes drawing no attention, and made his way toward the waterfront. As he neared the wide, murky river, the air grew thick with the scent of fish and damp stone. To the cultivators and mortals around him, it was just the smell of the docks. To Li Yu, it was a symphony of life-force.
He paused by a stone railing, gazing out at the water. For a moment, he closed his eyes, and the Koi's Sanctuary within him pulsed gently. An invisible, silent whirlpool of energy formed around him, drawing in the faint, ambient spiritual power radiating from the tens of thousands of aquatic creatures living in the river below. It wasn't a violent theft, but a gentle inhalation, absorbing the spiritual mist they exuded naturally. A pleasant, invigorating warmth spread through him. It was a small gain, but a satisfying one. A reminder that his power was everywhere, waiting to be gathered.
He returned to the Guild compound feeling refreshed. He found Xylia in the courtyard, and gave her one last look.
"Establish your presence," he instructed. "Let the city know a new power has arrived. Break the Crimson Hand's fangs, but do not destroy them entirely at first. A wounded beast can be tracked, its allies and resources identified. Absorb what is useful, discard what is not. I trust your judgment."
"I will not fail you," was her simple, unwavering reply.
Tempest carried Li Yu back into the heavens, leaving the sprawling city behind.
Xylia's first act was not to recruit, but to acquire property. With Feng Ling's expert guidance, she purchased a large, walled-off compound directly adjacent to the Golden Shell Guild's headquarters. It had once been a failed martial arts school, complete with a wide training yard, barracks, and a sturdy central hall.
The following morning, two things happened that sent a tremor through Riverstone City's underworld. First, the magnificent, newly crafted banner of the White Paw Company was hoisted above the gates of the new compound. The image was striking and terrifying: the fierce, immaculate white paw seeming to leap out from the crimson silk, backed by the ominous, crushing power of the shadowy black claw.
Second, a simple wooden plaque was nailed to the gatepost. The script was stark and uncompromising:
"The White Paw Company. Seeking Warriors. Cowards need not apply. Pay is commensurate with courage. To enlist, prove your worth in a spar against the Commander."
This unorthodox method drew a specific and dangerous crowd: former mercenaries, rogue cultivators, and grizzled veterans who lived by the edge of their blades. They were wolves, drawn by the promise of good pay and a commander who was not afraid to prove her own strength.
The news reached the Crimson Citadel, headquarters of the Crimson Hand, by midday. The guild master, Jin Tiegu, a burly, mid-stage Core Formation expert, received the report with a sneer.
"A 'White Paw Company'?" he scoffed. "Led by some woman? Do they think I, Jin Tiegu, am a toothless old man?"
His second-in-command, Meng Yong, known as "Iron Vise" Meng, stepped forward. "Guild Master, let me handle this. I will take fifty of our elite enforcers. We will tear down their ridiculous flag and break this commander's bones."
"Go," Jin Tiegu growled. "Make it a public spectacle."
Less than an hour later, a formidable force of Crimson Hand cultivators arrived at the White Paw compound. Standing alone in the center of the training yard was Xylia. Planted in the ground beside her was the magnificent battle standard, its crimson silk stirring in the slight breeze.
Meng Yong strode forward, his aura flaring. "So, you are the bitch who dares to call herself a commander?" he snarled. "Tear down that ugly rag!"
Two of his men charged the banner. They never reached it. Xylia moved like a whisper, and the men flew backward, unconscious.
"This banner is under the protection of the White Paw Company," Xylia's voice was as cold as ice. "The next person who touches it without my permission will lose their hands."
Meng Yong roared and charged, his hands glowing. "Iron Vise Grip!"
To Xylia, his attack was laughably slow. She didn't retreat. She stepped forward and drove the heel of her palm into his wrist. There was a sickening crunch of bone, and Meng Yong screamed in agony, his technique shattering. Before he could react, Xylia grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground with one arm.
The powerful expert dangled in her grip, kicking and choking like a snared rabbit. The remaining Crimson Hand enforcers stood frozen, their bravado completely evaporated.
"Go back to your master," Xylia said, her voice a menacing whisper. She tossed Meng Yong's broken form toward his men. "Tell him the White Paw has arrived. The next time he sends his dogs uninvited, I will not be so merciful."
She turned her back on them, walking back to her standard as if they no longer existed. The Crimson Hand enforcers hastily picked up their broken commander and fled.
A dead silence hung over the training yard. Then, the crowd of would-be recruits exploded in a roar of unrestrained excitement. A grizzled old mercenary was the first to move. He strode forward and fell to one knee before Xylia.
"Commander! I, Huo Yan, wish to join the White Paw Company!"
One by one, the others followed, a wave of hardened warriors kneeling before their new sovereign, hoping to join. Xylia looked down at them, a cold, sharp light of purpose gleamed in her eyes. Her company had just been born, baptized in the fear of its enemies. The Paw had made its first bloody print on the soul of Riverstone City.