Chapter 14
Ye-Liyun slammed into the cold, damp earth of the tunnel floor, the Scroll of Oath clutched tightly in his hand. The roar of the City Lord's Core Formation strike echoed behind him, a sound of pure, murderous rage that shook the very stone. He was alive, but he was trapped underground, with the most powerful man in the city hunting him.
"Liyun! Move! The tunnel is unstable! The City Lord's attack fractured the earth! He will send his spiritual sense down here! You must get deeper!" the Emperor screamed, his voice strained and weak.
Ye-Liyun scrambled to his feet, ignoring the searing pain in his ribs. He ran blindly through the dark, narrow passage, the Scroll tucked securely into his inner robe. The air was thick with dust and the smell of ancient earth. He ran until his lungs burned, until the sound of the City Lord's rage was a distant, muffled tremor.
He finally collapsed in a small, dry alcove, pulling the Scroll out and unrolling it slightly. The parchment glowed with a faint, golden light, a silent testament to the divine power it held.
"We are safe for now," the Emperor whispered, his voice regaining a fraction of its strength. "The Scroll's aura is masking your spiritual signature. The City Lord cannot find you here."
"The Scroll," Ye-Liyun gasped, trying to catch his breath. "What is it, Emperor? Why did it stop the Array Master's attack? And why did the City Lord want it so badly?"
"It is the Divine Mandate itself, Liyun. It is the Founding Document that established the authority of this entire region. When I created the clans and cities centuries ago, I bound the ultimate authority into this Scroll. It is the proof that the current City Lord is a usurper, a lineage that betrayed me and left me for dead. The Scroll recognizes my signature in the ring, and it recognizes you as the one carrying my authority. That is why it defended you."
Ye-Liyun stared at the parchment, his mind reeling. He wasn't just a thief; he was carrying the Divine Right to Rule.
"Lady Lin knows this," Ye-Liyun stated, his voice cold. "She knows the Scroll will expose the City Lord. She wants to use it to control the city."
"Precisely. She is a pawn, Liyun. A dangerous, powerful pawn. We must use her to stabilize your Art, but we must never let her have the Scroll. It is our greatest weapon and our greatest vulnerability."
Ye-Liyun nodded, his eyes fixed on the parchment. He had the power to destroy the City Lord and reclaim the authority of a god, but he was still a beginner cultivator with a ticking clock in his chest.
"Now, the immediate problem," the Emperor's voice grew strained again. "The Golden Dew Nectar is wearing off. It was only a temporary stabilizer. The Art is hungry. You have maybe three days before the collapse begins again. We need a steady, powerful source of Qi."
"The Cloud-Heart Flower," Ye-Liyun said. "The Broker promised it to me if I kill The Viper. We need to complete the mission."
"The Viper is a Qi Condensation master! You can't fight him head-on! And the hideout is protected by the Blood-Key Array! We need the real Blood-Key, which is still in the City Lord's possession, likely in a new, secure location."
Ye-Liyun closed his eyes, thinking. "Lady Lin has the fake key. She will expect me to return and report the failure. I will use that meeting to my advantage. I will tell her the Scroll is too dangerous to move and that I need the real Blood-Key to complete the Viper mission as a distraction."
"A brilliant plan, Liyun! You will use her greed against her! But you must be careful! She is a Core Formation master! She can crush you with a thought!"
Ye-Liyun spent the next day in the tunnel, circulating the Art and using the faint residual Qi from the Nectar to push his cultivation. He was now a stable Qi Condensation master, but he was still leagues below Lady Lin.
He finally emerged from a hidden sewer grate in the city's slums, the Scroll safely hidden in the ring's Pocket Realm. He moved through the city, his new confidence and power a stark contrast to the beaten boy who had arrived a month ago.
He found Lady Lin at her estate. She was waiting, a faint, impatient frown on her beautiful face.
"You are late, Ye-Liyun. And you are empty-handed. Where is the Scroll?"
Ye-Liyun met her gaze, his eyes cold and unwavering. "The Scroll of Oath is secure, Lady Lin. I have it. But I cannot bring it here. It is a Divine Artifact that defends itself. The City Lord and the Array Master are hunting me with a fury you cannot imagine. Bringing the Scroll here would bring the full force of the City Lord's army down on your estate."
Lady Lin's eyes narrowed. "You are lying. You failed."
"I did not fail. I succeeded. But the Scroll is too hot to move. I need a distraction. I need to complete the Viper mission immediately to draw the City Lord's attention to the slums. I need the Cloud-Heart Flower to stabilize my Art and the real Blood-Key to get into the hideout. Give me the key, and I will bring you the Scroll in three days."
Lady Lin studied him for a long, tense moment. She saw the confidence, the power, and the sheer audacity of his lie. She knew he was manipulating her, but the thought of the Scroll—the key to the city's power—was too tempting.
"The real Blood-Key is in my possession," Lady Lin admitted, her voice smooth. "I took it from the Array Master's personal vault before he left for the border. It is the key to the Viper's hideout. But if you fail, Ye-Liyun, I will not only let your meridians collapse, I will personally hunt down your Emperor and destroy his soul."
She handed him a small, tarnished silver key.
"Go. Bring me the Viper's head and the Cloud-Heart Flower. Then, and only then, will we discuss the Scroll."
Ye-Liyun took the key, his hand steady. He had the key to the hideout, and he had bought himself three days.
"Liyun! The key is a trap! She's testing you! She wants to see if you can kill a Qi Condensation master! You must use cunning! The Viper is expecting an attack!"
Ye-Liyun looked at the tarnished silver key, then back at Lady Lin. He was about to face his first true assassination, and he had to succeed to survive.