Sunlight filtered softly through the latticed windows, casting patterned shadows across the wooden floor. Outside, the sound of practice swords clashing in rhythm had faded. The Black Phoenix guards were dismissed. Now, only the two of them remained in the quiet chamber—Han JiLan and Xie Yuan. But this time, there was no pretense. No testing. Only memory, and the weight it carried.
"The journey back," he began, his voice a hoarse whisper, "was not kind…" He paused, shaking his head slightly, as if to dislodge a memory too heavy to carry. He set his teacup down, his gaze becoming sharp and clear again, the gaze of the Shadow Commander.
"But your question was about what happened after," he corrected himself. " General Han Zhen Yue's a man of great foresight. After the physicians had done all they could for my leg, after you and your sister were safely hidden under his family's name, he and I spoke. I knew you were safe. Safer than anywhere else in the empire."
He leaned back, eyes narrowing slightly as the memories stirred like dust in a sealed room.
"He didn't want me to stay. Said it would draw too much attention if anyone knew the infamous shadow commander lingering too close to the phoenix hatchlings. So… I left. Officially."
" But not really—" JiLan said softly, already knowing.
Xie yuan gave out a faint smile. " hmm… yeah, not really"
He turned his gaze to the open window, watching the breeze rustle through the bamboo grove.
" I took on the name Lian Jun. Built a merchant identity out of scraps—silks, spices, rare trinkets. Anything that bought me access.16 years ago Tianlong was fractured. Corrupt nobles squabbling for land, sects hoarding information, the empire was bleeding slowly from the inside. I made my fortune in silence… and used it to build a network that stretches farther than any map."
He gestured around the elegant, simple room. "From here, I rebuilt. I found the scattered, loyal remnants of the Black Phoenix battalion. I recruited new agents in every major city, from the grimiest port to the most opulent court. I became a vendor of secrets, all while a web of my own was spinning throughout the dynasty."
JiLan's fingers fidget with the rim of the tea cup as he picked up the teapot and poured her another, the fragrant steam rising between them. "I've read every report of your rise, my child. The promotions, the impossible victories, the birth of the 'Phantom General' —a fitting name." A flicker of paternal pride crossed his face before being suppressed. His voice grew heavier.
"And yes…" he continued with a heavy sigh. "I also received the report of Lady Han Xiao Hua's death. My network is fast. I knew within the first hour."
"Why didn't you stop him then?" those words died down even before they reached LiuYan's lips. But her hands, resting on her lap, clenched into fists. She kept her voice perfectly level, the question sharp as a shard of ice. "Did you knew he was coming for her, Uncle?"
Xie Yuan paused, the teapot held motionless in his hand. He met her gaze, his eyes full of a deep, weary sorrow. "No," he said quietly. "Because he wasn't."
LiuYan blinked. "What—?"
"My sources on this are absolute," he continued, his tone becoming that of a spymaster delivering a report. "We intercepted whispers of a Lin clan agent. Skilled, quiet, working his way into the Han court." He continued. "The agent, Feng Ruo, was not sent to the West to kill. His primary mission was reconnaissance. To gather intelligence on the Han clan's military strength, and more specifically… on you."
He set the teapot down, the soft clink of porcelain echoing in the sudden, tense silence. "That mission… the one your sister led… it was meant for you. A routine patrol of the border territories. Your father had assigned it to you." He saw the flicker of confusion in LiuYan's eyes and continued, his voice gentle but his words relentless. "But Lady XiaoHua… she insisted. She was already sixteen. She wanted to prove herself, to follow in her big sister's footsteps. She begged your father to let her take your place, just that once."
" But how come you know all these, but I'm not. My father doesn't give these kind of orders without informing me. " LiuYan was at a lose.
" Because your sister denied. As I said, this routine was only meant to test lady Xiao Hua's ability. It wasn't supposed to be a full blown war. The demon clan who helped Feng Ruo, suddenly attacked that perimeter. There was no sign of a prepared battle. It was more like they only wanted to kill anyone come in their way that instant."
The world seemed to tilt. LiuYan stared at the tea in her cup, the swirling leaves a chaotic storm. It wasn't just grief anymore. A new, cold, and crushing weight was settling in her soul. Guilt. A profound and terrible 'what if'. The blow was meant for her. The blade was meant for her. Her sister, in her innocent desire to be like her, had walked into her place and taken the death that should have been hers.
Xie Yuan saw the realization dawn on her face, and his own was etched with pain. "I told you, my child. He was not supposed to kill her," he finished, his voice barely a whisper. "His mission was to observe. But for some reason, something changed. His orders, or his own mind. Something connected to his mission and the Lin Clan. It's either He made a choice or he was ordered make that choice"
The quiet In the antechamber stretched, thick and heavy with the weight of the revelation. LiuYan stared at the tea, now cold in her cup, the swirling leaves a perfect metaphor for the chaos that had just been unleashed in her mind. It wasn't just grief anymore. It was guilt. A terrible, crushing weight.
She finally looked up, her silver eyes cleared of all warmth, leaving only a chilling, analytical light. "Can you prove it, Uncle Xie? That the final order came from someone within the Lin Clan?"
But Xie yuan hesitated. And that pause said everything Shen LiuYan want to know.
Xie Yuan shook his head slowly, a grim set to his mouth. "No—Not with absolute certainty. That's the problem. The command was laundered through a dozen channels—A sect merchant here. A neutral information broker in the Southern Marshes there. An imperial censor's servant. All loyal to different masters. This thing is like a— a spider web, and the strands are designed to break if you pull on them too hard. It was laundered like blood money. Intentionally."
LiuYan narrowed her eyes. "So the Lin Clan may or may not have been a piece of the web."
"Exactly. That's why we can't name them as the origin." His brow furrowed. "The one behind this, behind Feng Ruo, is very careful. Powerful. Someone with influence in multiple sectors—cultivators, courtiers, merchants." His voice was somewhat cold as he continued.
"The resources that are required, the sheer influence needed to move an agent that freely in the West… ummm… I'm thinking that the one who gave the order is no common person. They are someone of high rank. May be a noble of the royal court, or a powerful sect official."
"Does that old man count?" LiuYan's voice was flat.
"I don't think so." Xie Yuan's denial was firm, immediate. "Shen JinHai1 has done many unforgivable things. He knows the Phantom General is the shield of the West. He would also know that the true identity of the Phantom General is Han JiLan, but I highly doubt if he knows it's you, Shen LiuYan. He's not stupid enough to provoke the West now that the Han hold it. Specially angering your father with such a clumsy, indirect attack would only bring his disaster. Also we can't deny the fact that if he really wanted you dead…" His eyes sharpened. "He would've used a god killer, not an incompetent sad sack."
"And that sad sack killed my sister" LiuYan's voice was a low rumble, but the venomous killing intent was palpable.
"Someone in their ranks either gave the order… or knows who did. And given their long-standing role in military intelligence, we need answers only they can give."
" This was aimed at you, but it was done by a hand that wanted to remain hidden, even from the throne." Xie yuan leaned forward, his voice dropping. "The trail's cold out here. The only way to find the spider at the center of the web is to walk into the nest yourself."
A quiet understanding passed between them. "Mount Jinghu," LiuYan stated. It wasn't a question.
"Yes," Xie Yuan affirmed. "And we have the perfect opportunity. In one month, the Lin Clan will hold its decennial Welcoming Ceremony for new disciples. A wealthy merchant from the east, seeking to curry favor, could easily sponsor a gifted 'daughter' for entry."
A slow, cold smile touched LiuYan's lips as she understood. "A wealthy merchant… like yourself, perhaps?"
" for the record, I'm just the wealthy merchant Lian Jun." Xie Yuan said with a slight, formal bow of his head. "And you, my child, will be my adopted daughter, who recently came back home from the north, Lian Zhiqiu."
"My swords must come with me," LiuYan stated, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"Shattered Radiance can be passed off as a family heirloom," Xie Yuan mused. "But the other… Crimson Mourning— Er- the energy, it radiates is NOT something the righteous Lin Clan would overlook. It must be hidden."
"As the only daughter of a wealthy merchant, I should be travelling with attendants, don't I uncle?" LiuYan reasoned. Her smile getting wicked with each passing moment.
"One of whom will be one of my most trusted Black Phoenix guards, in disguise," Xie Yuan finished for her. "She'll smuggle the blade onto the mountain and hide it, a secret weapon for when it's needed. Agreed." Xie yuan's said, his old habits of preparing for new missions was sending ripples of excitement through his veins.
"Now, the infiltration itself. To find the truth, you'll need to get close to someone with access to the clan's inner circle. I would suggest a low-risk target. An elder's personal attendant, perhaps, or a record-keeper in the archives. Someone you can control or manipulate without drawing attention. I know someone who might be fitting. "
Xie Yuan reached into his sleeve and pulled out a folded parchment. "There's a mid-tier commander named Lin ShaoWu. Ambitious, arrogant. He leads the logistics division and often complains to his subordinates about lack of recognition. Easy to manipulate."
LiuYan listened, her fingers tracing the rim of her teacup. When he was finished, she looked up, and the look in her eyes was the one that had terrified her father. "too mild"
Xie Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"A low-risk target yields low-level information," she said, her voice the cold, clear logic of the Brain. "The safest place in a forest is not hiding in a bush. It's walking right beside the tiger. No one ever looks for you there."
Xie Yuan stared at her, her chilling audacity hanging in the air.
"My reputation's my greatest asset, uncle" she continued. "Everyone knows that the Phantom General is a master of large-scale warfare, a commander of legions. No one would ever suspect she would debase herself to act as a common spy, let alone hide in plain sight, right under the nose of their most powerful members."
" More over" LiuYan continued like stating a fact. " no one would ever expect the ruthless phantom general to be- ummm… how to put—a woman"
A slow, Impressed, and slightly terrified smile spread across Xie Yuan's face. In that moment, he saw the ghost of his late master, her mother's strategic genius and the specter of her real father's terrifying boldness, forged into something entirely new.
"You truly are no longer that child I carried," he murmured. He conceded the point.
"If you wish to stand beside the tiger, then there is only one choice. The one person with the most access, the most power, and the most trust within the clan."
" I'm all ears, uncle Xie"
He leaned forward, his voice now heavy with gravitas, voice dripping with cold calculation
"You will target the pride of the Lin Clan. Their undefeated prodigy. Their Lotus General, Lin Yuehan"
A flicker of something unreadable passed through LiuYan's eyes. That name dropped like stone into the still water. Yet it was vaguely familiar, a whisper from a life before the fire.
"She's their prized warrior. The strongest cultivator they've trained since that Demon Siege 16 years ago. Even their elders fear her temper."
" A worthy opponent, I like it."
Xie Yuan gave her a look bordering on exasperation. "Then what's your plan, my dear lunatic daughter?"
LiuYan smiled at him, or more like a smirk. "I won't approach her directly. I'll make sure she approaches me first. Once I'm inside, I'll find a way to enter her faction. Earn her curiosity. Feed her just enough truth to draw her closer."
" do you think she's foolish enough to believe that you're a daughter of a mere merchant?"
"No— Besides, that's what I want. You said she's even feared by the elders. The more curious she becomes, the more she'll dig into my history, and when she couldn't find anything, no one will suspect this little daughter of this ' mere' merchant."
" And no one will suspect that the 'merchant' isn't really a merchant either. Perfect." Xie yuan said, feeling his pride shot through the bottom of his heart.
" But what's gonna happen when she sees through you?"
LiuYan's silver eyes glinted like cold flame.
" Come on uncle, can't you see? She already has," she whispered. "That's the point."
Xie yuan smiled, feeling helpless yet proud.
" And now, my dear uncle, you just grabbed my absolute curiosity. Tell me more about this— young lady. She's young right?" Xie yuan nodded his head silently.
"I'm waiting….."
Author's note:
1. SHEN JINHAI – THE CURRENT EMPEROR , FATHER OF SHEN LIUHUA AND THE KNOWN FATHER OF SHEN LIUYAN