Perspective: Zhuge Su Yeon
There was absolutely no chance — under any circumstance — that I would allow Bai Xuan Hua to be taken away.
No matter who came to get her.
Not even if it meant the beginning of a national crisis.
After the audacity she had shown the last time we were alone in my room, there was simply no possibility that I would let her out of my sight before that entire situation was fully clarified.
And, naturally, she would have to explain everything — in the most appropriate way possible.
Fortunately, I got what I wanted.
She would remain in the castle.
But, as always, destiny enjoys charging high prices for small victories.
Because, along with her, came the inconvenient brother-in-law — Bai Hu Yan — now residing within my own palace.
And that, inevitably, compromised some of my… less diplomatic plans.
Still, I had long since learned that no situation is truly without solution.
Some simply require more time and patience.
And when the right opportunity presents itself, I will, naturally, be ready to seize it.
For now, however, my thoughts had to return to more tedious matters.
Xuan Hua had already left with her brother, personally guiding him through the imperial palace halls.
A courteous gesture — and also a strategic one.
She would undoubtedly take the opportunity to show him the best the empire had to offer while keeping him far from rooms and chambers where he was not welcome.
I understood perfectly what Hu Yan was doing — and what he was looking for.
No one from the Bai Clan ever appeared without a reason.
Those two weeks of "visitation" were, in truth, more than enough time for him to study every detail of the palace.
To assess the strength of the defensive formations, the layout of the halls, the spiritual flow that sustained the barriers, and even the behavior of the guards.
The Bai Clan didn't send messengers.
It sent observers.
But unfortunately for him…
he would find nothing.
Everything worth discovering within the imperial castle was already sealed under layers so complex that not even my father had dared to tamper with them.
And as for the secrets I myself kept hidden — well, let's just say there weren't enough living people left who could tell.
Even so, I admitted the Bai Clan stirred genuine curiosity in me.
As reserved as they were, after the wedding they would inevitably become my greatest allies, and it was my duty as emperor to try to understand what truly hid within that ancestral territory.
Still, that would be a problem for another day.
For now, there were more immediate matters demanding my attention.
The palace reception hall was nearly silent.
The echoes of the two Bai's footsteps faded down the corridor, and the cold air reclaimed the room.
Only when they had completely disappeared from view did I finally turn — and meet Su Lan's steady gaze.
"Sister," I began casually, "is Han still in the palace?"
She, still watching the direction the Bai had gone, turned to me with a confused expression.
I could understand her surprise.
It wasn't exactly common for me to show interest in domestic matters — especially those involving my younger brothers.
"He left five days ago," she answered after a brief pause. "Back to the Xintou Sect."
"Alone?" I asked, though I already suspected the answer.
Su Lan hesitated before responding.
"In fact, no. He left with the Yuan brothers."
For an instant, silence reclaimed the hall.
The spiritual torches flickered softly, their flames dancing against the golden walls.
And then, I merely confirmed what I already suspected.
"So, indeed, this may turn into a problem."
Su Lan's voice tensed immediately.
"Don't tell me that…" she began, eyes widening.
I raised a hand before she could finish.
You never know who might be listening — especially inside the imperial palace, where even the walls have a taste for gossip.
"Probably," I replied simply.
The word sounded calm, but carried enough weight to end the discussion.
She understood.
And even without speaking, the expression on her face said it all: restrained worry.
"In any case," I continued, regaining a lighter tone, "there's not much to be done now. When he returns, we'll speak with him."
Su Lan nodded slowly, taking a deep breath — the kind one takes when trying to accept that chaos is inevitable.
"All right," she said.
But then her gaze shifted.
She crossed her arms and looked at me more directly, as if changing subjects — or priorities.
"But now," she said, "what about that sword?"
Her eyes turned toward the artifact resting on the table — the same one that had been taken from Lord Shu Lin's hands.
An Earth-grade sword, something that simply shouldn't exist within Zhuge Island.
And at that moment, I realized that today's calm would only be the prelude to another problem.
"Naturally, it's from that place," I said calmly, without taking my eyes off the blade.
With a simple wave of my hand, I drew the artifact from within my spatial ring.
The sword emerged slowly into the air, wrapped in a pale, shadowy glow — as if the light itself refused to touch it completely.
The room grew silent.
The sound of the metal manifesting was like a whisper, a distant call that made even the air seem heavier.
The sword of Shu Lin.
Even now, after being purified by layers of imperial Qi, it still emanated a strange presence — alive, pulsing, almost conscious.
Su Lan extended her hands cautiously, taking it as though handling delicate glass.
Her touch was careful, but her eyes — sharp and analytical — examined every line of the blade with the focus of someone reading an ancient prophecy.
The metal was grayish-silver, dense and uneven, as if it had been forged not in fire, but in condensed darkness.
Among the runes carved along its length, there were markings that didn't belong to any known system on Zhuge Island.
Lines of power intertwined in asymmetrical spirals — more like inscriptions of ancient continental sects than any local spiritual technique.
She said nothing — only ran her finger lightly along the edge, and for a brief instant, a black spark glowed before fading.
Then, she lifted her gaze to me.
No words were necessary.
As for its origin…
It was, of course, from the colossus of the region that hated my father most — and, by extension, the entire Zhuge Empire.
The Sect of the Obscure Sun.
I didn't need to explain; Su Lan already knew of our father's ancient rivalry with that sect.
She lowered the sword, breathing deeply, her eyes more serious than I had seen in days.
The Sect of the Obscure Sun wasn't just an old enemy — it was an open wound.
An ancient, decayed power born long before the unification of Zhuge Island — one that had waged bloody wars against our empire even before my birth.
They hated everything bearing the Zhuge name.
They hated how my father had driven them from our borders, depriving them of the spiritual veins they once controlled.
And more than that — they hated the very idea of order.
To them, chaos wasn't a threat.
It was doctrine.
And this blade…
this blade was living proof that even after all these years, their shadows still reached within the island.
Su Lan still held the sword, but it now seemed twice as heavy.
Her gaze shifted between the blade and my face, questions forming behind her eyes.
But for now, I had no answers.
Only one certainty:
If the Shu Clan had received an Earth-grade weapon from the Sect of the Obscure Sun, then the war my father once fought had never truly ended.
It had merely been waiting…
for a new beginning.