It was often said in the marketplaces and teahouses of Fang City that a monster had once been born into the Wudi Family.
A child whose talent left even seasoned scholars speechless.
Before he could properly hold a brush, he could recite ledgers after glancing at them once. Before other children understood numbers, he was calculating trade profits in his head. Martial instructors claimed he learned techniques in days that took others years to grasp.
A peerless genius.
At least—within the mortal world.
When he was younger, the elders of the Wudi Family had been certain.
Certain that such brilliance could not possibly remain confined to mundane commerce. Certain that Heaven would not waste such a mind on something as ordinary as trade routes and warehouses.
So the boy traveled to an Immortal City.
He climbed the long stone steps toward towering sect gates, carrying with him not only his family's expectations—but his own quiet, burning dream.
To cultivate.
To transcend.
To leave mortality behind.
But in the end, mortal talent meant nothing before the gates of the Dao.
What the sect elders examined was not intelligence, not sword skill, not discipline.
They searched for Innate Lineage.
For Heavenly Destiny.
For spiritual roots capable of resonating with the world's hidden energies.
He possessed none.
His genius, which suppressed his peers among mortals, was worthless before Immortality.
Without ancestral heritage.
Without divine blessing.
Without Heaven's acknowledgment.
He was, through and through, merely human.
When he returned from Immortal City, something fundamental had changed.
The child who once carried the dream of ascending beyond the skies was gone.
In his place stood a boy who smiled calmly. Spoke gently. Acted with composure far beyond his years.
He did not complain.
He did not rage.
He simply… quieted.
As Lin Youmei walked behind him now, her gaze resting on the straight line of his back, she released a silent sigh.
Wudi Egun.
Blessed by the mortal world, yet rejected by Heaven.
Was such a fate a gift?
Or a cruel jest from something far above them all?
There had been a time—not long ago—when she had considered tying her bloodline to his.
Her granddaughter was bright, disciplined, and gifted. Pairing her with a genius like Wudi Egun would have strengthened both families. In the mortal realm, their descendants might have ruled Withering Bamboo Province for generations.
But the first time she saw him after his return from Immortal City, she abandoned the thought.
Because the calmness in his eyes was not natural for a child.
It was not the tranquility of contentment.
It was the stillness of something buried.
His serenity did not waver when praised. It did not tremble when criticized. It did not spark with youthful pride or flicker with ambition.
It was immovable.
As though the world itself could no longer stir him.
Only one thing might.
The dream he had lost.
There was something in that quiet composure that unsettled her—a depth too vast for someone so young. His eyes sometimes looked beyond what stood before him, as if searching for something distant and unreachable.
As if waiting.
For something that would never come.
A man with such restrained emotion, she knew, was far more dangerous than one ruled by passion.
Because those who bury their desires deeply enough may one day reject the entire world just to reclaim them.
They can abandon loyalty.
Ignore logic.
Burn everything.
All for the sake of a single obsession.
Lin Youmei lowered her gaze slightly.
No.
She would not bind her granddaughter's future to such uncertainty.
Men like him often appeared gentle—polite words, refined gestures, soft smiles.
But beneath that courtesy could lie something cold.
A kindness that was measured.
A sincerity that might be more illusion than truth.
And if one day the unreachable thing he sought were to appear—
Would he still remain the same calm, obedient heir of the Wudi Family?
Or would he cast aside everything, including those tied to him?
As Wudi Egun continued guiding them through the courtyard, autumn light falling across his silver robes, his expression remained composed.
Serene.
Unreadable.
And for the first time since arriving, Lin Youmei felt that the true mystery of the Wudi Family…
Was not their wealth.
But the quiet boy walking before her.
After walking through layered courtyards and winding stone paths, they arrived before a grand hall set slightly apart from the main residence.
The doors were already open.
Inside, the arrangement was simple—almost minimal.
Three wide seats were placed evenly around a round table at the center. No excessive decorations. No clutter of ornaments or paintings. Yet the moment one stepped across the threshold, a faint, refreshing aura brushed against the senses.
It felt noble.
Not because of extravagance—but because of substance.
The walls, pillars, and even the ceiling beams were constructed from Green Jade Wood.
This was no ordinary timber harvested from common forests. Green Jade Wood was a rare material typically sold by Immortals during their visits to the Three Immortal Cities of Withering Bamboo Province. It absorbed spiritual essence over time, remaining sturdy for centuries without decay. In summer it stayed cool; in winter it retained warmth. Even breathing within such a hall felt cleaner.
Its price was astronomical.
Most families could only dream of touching such material, let alone building an entire hall from it.
Yet the Wudi Family, though ranked merely as a third-tier merchant clan, had gathered enough wealth over generations to secure this treasure.
"Please," Wudi Egun gestured calmly, "take a seat."
Yan Menghu and Lin Youmei sat without further ceremony, though their eyes discreetly surveyed the hall once more. The subtle fragrance of the wood lingered faintly in the air.
Moments later, Wen Ying stepped forward with a teapot carved from pale stone, steam curling from its spout.
She poured the liquid carefully into porcelain cups.
The tea was green—not deep emerald, but a soft, luminous shade, almost translucent.
"This tea is called Ten-Year Blood Ginseng Tea," Wudi Egun explained evenly. "It may be of no value to Immortal Masters, but to mortals… it is no less than a treasure."
Yan Menghu raised a brow at the name.
Blood ginseng?
Yet the liquid was not crimson as expected.
Instead, it shone like jade beneath the light.
For a moment, the couple simply observed it.
Then Yan Menghu lifted his cup and took a measured sip.
Silence followed.
His eyes widened slightly.
A warmth spread from his throat down into his chest, then through his limbs. It was not the fiery heat of wine, nor the stimulating sharpness of medicinal decoctions. It was gentle—like spring sunlight melting winter frost from his bones.
His breathing deepened.
His vision sharpened.
Even the faint fatigue from travel seemed to vanish in an instant.
Lin Youmei took a sip as well.
Her fingers paused midair as the same sensation flowed through her veins. It was as though years had peeled away—not physically, but internally. The heaviness that inevitably accumulated with age faded, replaced by clear vitality.
"Amazing," Yan Menghu said at last, unable to restrain himself. "How divine this tea is. With just a single sip, I feel as though I have returned to my youth."
"My husband speaks the truth," Lin Youmei added softly, though her gaze lingered thoughtfully on Wudi Egun. "Young Master, this tea must have cost you a fortune."
Wudi Egun smiled faintly and waved his hand dismissively.
"Not a fortune. There is no need to worry."
His tone was calm.
Yet for a fleeting moment, a subtle glimmer of pride passed through his eyes.
He had anticipated their reaction.
The Ten-Year Blood Ginseng Tea was not something that could be casually obtained within Withering Bamboo Province. Even wealthy families struggled to acquire it in quantity.
When he had once traveled to Immortal City, though he returned rejected by the sect gates, he had not come back empty-handed.
The city he visited was known as Heavenly Jade City, situated far away in Purple East Province. Unlike mortal cities that traded in gold and silver, Immortal Cities operated on entirely different currencies.
Spirit Stones.
Immortal Jade.
Spirit Stones occasionally circulated among wealthy mortals, especially in Immortal Cities. But Immortal Jade was another matter entirely—used almost exclusively by cultivators.
During his time there, Wudi Egun had stumbled upon something unexpected.
His extraordinary talent for comprehension—useless in the face of cultivation—proved strangely effective elsewhere.
In gambling halls.
Immortal Cities did not forbid such establishments. On the contrary, cultivators and merchants alike gathered there, wagering spirit stones on artifacts, rare herbs, and chance-based treasures.
He had observed patterns.
Studied movements.
Memorized subtle cues.
His mind, capable of absorbing information at a single glance, dissected probability faster than seasoned gamblers could blink.
And he won.
Again and again.
By the time he left Heavenly Jade City, he carried more than disappointment.
He carried spirit stones.
Treasures.
Rare goods rarely seen within Withering Bamboo Province.
The Ten-Year Blood Ginseng Tea was one of those acquisitions.
As Yan Menghu and Lin Youmei savored another sip, unaware of the full story behind the tea, Wudi Egun leaned back slightly in his seat.
The Green Jade Wood hall.
The rare tea.
The composed hospitality.
All of it was deliberate.
He might have been rejected by Heaven.
But within the mortal realm—
He would ensure that no one could look down upon him again.
"Let us not dwell on irrelevant topics."
Wudi Egun's calm voice flowed through the hall, steady as still water.
The faint pride that had flickered in his eyes earlier was gone. In its place returned that composed serenity—measured, controlled.
Wen Ying stepped forward without a word and took her position slightly behind and to his right. Not intrusive. Not distant. Simply present.
"Let us discuss the matter for which we have gathered," Wudi Egun continued. "The alliance between the Yan Family and the Wudi Family."
The atmosphere shifted.
The fragrance of tea lingered in the air, yet the warmth it brought no longer felt as comforting.
Silence settled across the Green Jade hall.
Truthfully, Yan Menghu and Lin Youmei had not come with firm intention to bind their family to the Wudi name.
The Yan Family stood firmly as a second-tier powerhouse within Withering Bamboo Province. They possessed wealth, territory, and—more importantly—strength.
Lin Youmei herself was one of the Five Supreme Masters of the province.
A single Supreme Master was enough to deter enemies and ensure steady growth. Add to that Yan Menghu, a renowned Sword Master, and their foundation was solid.
The Wudi Family, in comparison, was merely third-tier.
No Supreme Master.
No ancient heritage.
No overwhelming martial force.
Only wealth.
And wealth alone, in a world where strength dictated hierarchy, was fragile.
Yet what they had witnessed today unsettled their previous judgment.
A hall constructed entirely from Green Jade Wood—something even many first-tier families would hesitate to replicate.
Ten-Year Blood Ginseng Tea served as though it were ordinary hospitality.
And the longevity Immortal Pill gifted to them days ago…
Most mortal families who acquired such pills reserved them strictly for their patriarchs. Sometimes, for a single heir deemed vital to the clan's future.
But the Wudi Family had presented one to them as a gesture.
Not borrowed.
Not conditional.
Gifted.
Such casual extravagance was not something even first-tier clans demonstrated lightly.
Yan Menghu set his cup down slowly.
"About this alliance you speak," he said, his tone losing its earlier joviality. "What exactly would we gain from it?"
His expression was now solemn, calculating.
Why would the Yan Family bind itself to a third-tier clan?
If it were another second-tier power, the logic might exist. Shared defense, shared influence.
But a third-tier family?
That seemed… unnecessary.
"If you form an alliance with us," Wudi Egun replied without hesitation, "we will conduct ourselves as any proper allied families would."
Yan Menghu's brow furrowed.
"Such as?"
"Everything," Wudi Egun answered with his usual faint smile.
The simplicity of the reply only deepened Yan Menghu's skepticism.
For a fourteen-year-old boy, he was far too composed.
Far too steady.
"You see," Wudi Egun continued smoothly, "we have recently acquired a significant tract of land within Fang City. Along with it, several mineral mines and commercial buildings."
He folded his hands lightly on the table.
"I originally considered opening a branch in Yan City. However… I thought it more efficient to formalize our cooperation instead."
His voice remained gentle, almost conversational.
"As we continue to grow, we will require allies positioned throughout the province. My vision is not limited to Fang City alone."
Yan Menghu narrowed his eyes slightly.
"And what is your vision, Young Master?"
Wudi Egun did not avert his gaze.
"To create an alliance of mutual benefit," he said evenly, "that will one day stand at the very peak of Withering Bamboo Province."
The words fell softly.
Yet they carried weight.
He paused.
Then added, in the same calm tone:
"To lord over it."
The hall felt colder.
Yan Menghu's fingers tapped once against the table before going still.
Lin Youmei's expression changed subtly—not anger, not outrage, but unmistakable shock.
"To lord over Withering Bamboo Province…" she repeated quietly.
Her gaze sharpened.
"That would mean replacing the Great Families."
Her voice no longer held amusement.
It meant challenging powers like the Lin Family.
Her birth clan.
One of the Four Great Families whose authority had shaped the province for generations.
The implication was clear.
"You intend," she said slowly, "to stand against them?"
For the first time since the conversation began, the air between them carried a faint pressure.
Wen Ying's hand rested loosely near her sword hilt—not threatening, but instinctively alert.
Wudi Egun, however, remained seated.
Composed.
Serene.
"I intend," he replied, "to rise."
He did not raise his voice. He did not show arrogance.
"Whether that requires surpassing the Great Families… will depend on whether they choose to remain in my path."
The statement was neither boastful nor hostile.
It was simply factual.
Yan Menghu studied him intently.
There was no youthful recklessness in his tone. No heated ambition clouding judgment.
If anything, that made it more unsettling.
Lin Youmei felt a faint chill.
This was not the reckless dream of a boy chasing glory.
This was calculation.
Long-term.
Patient.
Dangerous.
"And what," Yan Menghu asked carefully, "makes you believe you can accomplish such a thing?"
A third-tier family.
No Immortals.
No Supreme Masters.
Against established giants.
Wudi Egun's smile did not widen.
It softened.
"You have already seen part of the answer today," he said quietly.
The Green Jade hall.
The rare tea.
The Immortal Pill.
The unspoken suggestion of further resources yet unseen.
"Wealth can purchase opportunities," he continued. "Opportunities create influence. Influence gathers strength. And strength… reshapes hierarchy."
He met their eyes directly.
"I cannot cultivate Immortality."
There it was.
The truth, stated plainly.
"But I can cultivate power in other ways."
The silence that followed felt heavier than before.
Outside, autumn wind brushed against the Green Jade walls.
Inside, two seasoned figures of influence found themselves staring at a fourteen-year-old boy—
And realizing he was far more dangerous than they had anticipated.
In Withering Bamboo Province, there were only five Supreme Masters.
Five individuals whose names alone could silence disputes and deter armies.
Of those five, four belonged to the Four Great Families.
Power in the province was not merely about wealth or influence—it rested firmly in the hands of these towering figures.
Since Lin Youmei had left the Lin Family years ago, that ancient clan had been reduced to a single Supreme Master. Even so, one was enough. The remaining three Great Families each guarded their own.
To stand against them collectively was not ambition.
It was courting death.
Lin Youmei understood this better than anyone.
"If one wishes to interpret your words as a declaration against the Great Families," she said carefully, "then it would not be an exaggeration."
Wudi Egun met her gaze.
"If you wish to phrase it that way," he replied calmly, "I will neither deny nor affirm it."
His composure did not crack.
"What you must understand," he continued, "is that I intend to build an alliance that will one day stand above the province."
His tone remained steady.
"Whether the Yan Family stands within it… or outside it."
The words were not threatening.
They were simply confident.
Yan Menghu's eyes narrowed slightly.
To integrate the Yan Family was, in truth, a strategic preference—but not a necessity. Wudi Egun's posture made that clear. There was no desperation in him, no pleading for acceptance.
He had options.
Though neither Yan Menghu nor Lin Youmei knew what those options were, the certainty in his voice suggested preparations already in motion.
The more forces he could gather, the smoother his ascent would be.
But even alone…
He would not stop.
Since Heaven had denied him the path of Immortality, he would carve dominion within the mortal realm instead.
If he could not transcend the world—
He would rule it.
The hall fell silent once more.
This time, the silence carried weight.
Yan Menghu finally exhaled slowly.
"I believe," he said after a pause, "that this matter requires careful consideration."
Lin Youmei nodded in agreement.
Such a decision could not be made impulsively. Aligning with Wudi Egun meant potentially positioning themselves against the very structure of provincial power.
"Please," Wudi Egun rose gracefully from his seat and cupped his fists in courtesy, "take all the time you require."
His manners were impeccable.
"Allow me to escort you out."
"Thank you, Young Master Egun," the couple replied in unison, returning the gesture before stepping away from the table.
Wen Ying followed quietly behind as they exited the Green Jade hall and crossed the courtyard once more. Servants hurried to open the gates as the Yan entourage prepared to depart.
The former patriarch and his wife entered their carriage.
The horses began to move.
Wheels rolled forward.
The procession slowly disappeared down the stone road, banners fluttering faintly in the autumn wind.
Wudi Egun stood at the gate, watching until the last carriage vanished from sight.
His expression did not betray anticipation.
Nor disappointment.
Only calm.
After a moment, the corner of his lips curved upward—just slightly.
He turned around.
"Inform Steward Pao to meet me in my room," he said evenly as he began walking back inside. "I wish to review everything he has been handling recently."
Wen Ying bowed deeply.
"Understood, Young Master."
Her voice carried quiet respect.
As Wudi Egun disappeared into the inner residence, the golden light of late afternoon stretched long shadows across the courtyard.
The alliance might remain undecided.
But the pieces were already moving.