Two days remained.
For the disciples of the Four-Leaf Clover Sect, it was just another day of training, lessons, and silent competition for resources and attention.
For Wang Tao, it was a countdown that would not stop echoing in his mind.
From the central courtyard, the natural division between groups was clearly visible.
Disciples from ancient families trained together, surrounded by attentive instructors.
Those of common origin spread out along the edges, receiving less guidance, fewer pills, fewer opportunities.
None of it was said out loud.
But everyone knew.
"I heard Elder Lin Yu is pushing for next quarter's resources to be redistributed," an older disciple murmured while watching a group training with swords.
"To his family, of course," another replied quietly. "They say he wants to make sure a 'proper' successor appears soon."
Wang Tao walked past them without reacting.
But he heard.
He always heard.
Deep down, he didn't find any of it strange.
Power games existed anywhere there were resources and ambition.
The difference was that here, he couldn't simply disappear when someone became inconvenient.
Now, he was part of the board.
---
In the clearing near the cultivation caves, Sai watched his disciples in silence.
"Again," he said calmly.
Yan Li took a deep breath and tried once more to sense beyond the flow of Qi.
Nothing.
She frowned, frustrated.
Wei Lian, on the other hand, could maintain stable circulation, but still struggled to condense energy at the correct points.
Sai walked between them.
"Cultivation is not only strength," he said. "It is understanding. When you understand, the Dao responds. When you only force it, it resists."
As he spoke, something subtle shifted within him.
It was not a crude advancement in realm.
It was… stabilization.
As if the disciples' insights were resonating with his own.
Sai noticed.
And for a brief instant, his golden eyes shone faintly.
Teaching was strengthening his own path.
Just a little more… and my foundation will resonate with the Dao.For a moment, he drifted into his thoughts.
"Master…" Yan Li raised her hand. "So if I can't do it yet, it's not because I lack talent?"
Sai smiled faintly.
"And what does talent have to do with the soul?"
She blinked.
"Huh?"
"Just as the Heavens do not move without cause, the soul does not awaken without being provoked."
He continued,
"Tribulations, change, fate… all require a trigger."
"Master?"
"The Law of Correspondence," Sai said mysteriously. "What moves the Heavens… is also what stirs the soul."
"What moves your spirit? Seek it. And when you find it, do not let it go."He finished, closing his eyes, satisfied with himself.
Wei Lian stared, bewildered.
"That was… completely useless and incredibly profound at the same time."
Sai merely raised an eyebrow.
From a distance, Wang Tao watched the scene.
Part of him wanted to approach.
To stay there.
To listen more.
Another part reminded him:
Two days.
---
In the late afternoon, Wang Tao discreetly followed Elder Lin Yu's steps.
It was not the first time.
He kept a safe distance.
Casual steps.
Like any disciple returning from training.
Lin Yu walked the same route as always.
Sixty-three steps from the entrance to the bend.Twelve seconds of full exposure.
Wang Tao visualized the arrow's trajectory.
Distance: two hundred meters.Wind: moderate, northeast.Necessary compensation: three degrees to the left.
It could be now.
The poison was ready.The bow, prepared.The position, mapped.
End everything in a single moment.
But…
There are still two days.
Do not rush.
Assassins did not act on impulse.
They acted when the moment was perfect.
And the perfect moment...had not arrived yet.
He turned around and returned to his cave.
Tomorrow.
That night, while the disciples slept, Wang Tao remained awake in his cave.
The jade vial lay open before him.
The poison… ready.
Beside it, an old, weathered wooden case lay open.
Inside it, a bow.
Not just any bow—spiritual wood, refined by the very Artificers of the Invisible Hand.
More than a weapon.
A companion.
He gently traced his fingers along the curve of the bow.
If nothing goes wrong… tomorrow.
I will not hesitate.
He closed his eyes while calculating the future.
"If tomorrow remains like this…" he murmured.
He did not finish the sentence.
But he knew what came after.
The next day would be the day.