Although Wei Ji's face looked cold and filled with anger, his heart was strangely calm. His eyes never left Lu Shaohua, yet his mind was far away, replaying every step of his plan. The vines, the poisoned assassin, the battlefield — everything had been arranged long before she appeared.
From the moment he saw the Wolf Chariot earlier, he already knew that the Shen Flame Kingdom would never allow their princess to travel alone.
He had suspected there were hidden guards in the shadows.
Those assassins, dressed in black with their spiritual signatures suppressed, were his confirmation. But what he needed to know wasn't just who protected her — it was how much she cared about them.
Were they just disposable pawns? Or were they truly important to her?
He could have killed them quietly, far from here. His power was more than enough to do that. But he brought them here deliberately, to the edge of Han territory, where he knew she could sense them.
He wanted her to come. He wanted to test how far she would go for those beneath her.
His ultimate goal was never this fight. It was her — Lu Shaohua, the woman who carried the Celestial Demon Heart inside her chest.
A heart that could corrupt the heavens themselves if it ever broke loose.
Wei Ji's true aim was to find a way to extract it safely, to end her without letting that monstrous heart awaken.
If she didn't care about these assassins, it would have meant she was detached enough for him to take her away — alone, far from the kingdom's protection — and dissect her calm façade until he found the right moment to strike.
But if she valued them deeply… then rash action could destroy everything. A surge of grief or anger from her would awaken that heart, and the result would be catastrophic.
And now, seeing her stand there with those trembling assassins behind her, Wei Ji realized the truth. He couldn't take her away yet. She cared. Too much.
Lu Shaohua stepped forward, her face pale but determined. "Han Ji," she said, voice trembling slightly. "Please. Don't harm them. I beg you."
The five assassins bowed their heads behind her, their bodies shaking. Han Zhanjian and Attendant Zuge looked between them, unsure what would happen next.
Wei Ji stared at her for a long time, his expression unreadable. "You're pleading for them?" he asked quietly.
"Yes," she said without hesitation. "They serve me. They were reckless, but they did it because of me. If you kill them, Shen Flame will suffer. I don't want that."
Her eyes glistened faintly. "Too many have already died in this world for pride and power. I don't want more bloodshed because of me."
The forest wind carried her words softly, brushing past Wei Ji's robes. He remained silent.
Inside, though, he was studying every flicker of her expression. Her tone was sincere, but her aura told a different story. It wasn't loyalty or love that bound her to them. It was something else. Fear.
Wei Ji narrowed his eyes. So they're not that important to you… but something else is keeping you from letting them die.
He thought for a long while. Maybe she was being controlled. Or perhaps someone in the Shen Flame Kingdom was holding something — or someone — over her head. A blackmail. A hostage. Whatever it was, it had power over her.
He needed to find out. But not today.
Finally, Wei Ji let out a quiet sigh and said, "Since they are important to you, I'll let this go… for now."
Everyone froze.
Wei Ji continued, voice steady. "But if they ever try to kill me again, I'll make sure they regret it. I'm not a good man, Shaohua. Don't expect mercy twice."
He turned away and began to walk, his steps echoing through the quiet forest.
The silence broke instantly.
Zhanjian blinked in shock. "He's leaving?"
Attendant Zuge gasped. "He spared them…?"
Even the assassins stared at each other, whispering in disbelief.
"Did he really just walk away?"
"Wasn't he furious?"
"What kind of man spares us after all that?"
Lu Shaohua stood frozen for a few seconds, her eyes wide. Then she called out, "Han Ji! You're leaving just like that?"
Wei Ji stopped mid-step and looked back slightly, his expression unreadable. "What? You don't want me to spare them?"
Her lips parted, but no sound came out. "I—"
He turned his gaze toward her, his voice softer this time. "If I kill them, you'll be in pain. Even if you deny it, you would feel it. So I'll spare them… for now."
Her heart trembled. For a moment, she couldn't tell if he was threatening her or comforting her.
Everyone around her was just as stunned.
Zhanjian whispered to Zuge, "Did he just… confess?"
Zuge's jaw dropped. "I… think he did?"
The assassins exchanged looks. "He said he didn't want to see her hurt."
"Isn't that—?"
"Yes. That's what it sounded like!"
Wei Ji ignored their murmurs. He took a deep breath, then glanced sideways toward his younger brother. "Zhanjian, follow me."
Zhanjian hesitated but obeyed quickly. The two walked away from the group, their figures slowly fading into the dim forest light.
Neither spoke at first. Only the crunch of leaves under their boots broke the silence.
After a while, Wei Ji finally said, "Zhanjian, do you know what those eyes of yours are?"
Zhanjian blinked, surprised. "My eyes?"
Wei Ji nodded. "They're different. You've noticed it, haven't you? The way you can see movement before it happens. The way time feels slower to you when you fight."
Zhanjian looked uneasy. "Yes… but I don't know why."
"When you join a sect, you'll learn more," Wei Ji said. "But right now, if anyone finds out what your eyes are, it will bring disaster to our family. So I'll hide them. You can still use them, but no one will be able to sense what they really are. Do you want me to do it?"
Zhanjian hesitated. He didn't understand everything, but he trusted his brother. "Alright," he said finally.
Wei Ji extended his hand. A faint glow gathered at his fingertip, forming into a small green seed. "Don't resist," he said calmly.
Before Zhanjian could ask, the seed shot forward, piercing his eyes like a thread of light. He screamed and fell to the ground, clutching his face.
"Brother!" he shouted, voice cracking. "What are you doing?"
Wei Ji watched quietly. "Endure it. The pain will last an hour. After that, you'll be fine. No one will be able to see through your eyes' nature anymore."
Zhanjian's breath came in sharp gasps. The veins around his eyes glowed faintly green, twisting as the seed turned into thin roots that wrapped around his pupils, sealing their true power from the outside world.
When it was done, he lay panting, tears streaking his face.
Wei Ji looked down at him, expression softening just slightly. "Good. You'll thank me later."
Inside, though, his thoughts were cold and sharp.
Sword Eyes… he thought. A gift too rare for this realm. Once word spreads, every sect will hunt him down to claim him. The Nascent Soul cultivators are probably already moving.
He looked up at the cloudy sky, sensing the faint pressure gathering across the horizon. "They're coming," he murmured. "And if they find her too… things will get messy."
He turned toward the Han Family estate in the distance, his mind already planning ahead.
"It seems," he whispered, "I'll have to build a formation strong enough to hide us all."
Without looking back, Wei Ji walked away, his robes fluttering in the wind as the forest fell silent once again.