The Court in Turmoil
The trial had ended, but the noise had only begun. In the shadowed corridors of the palace, nobles argued with fans clutched like weapons. Sect masters debated the meaning of Hei Long's "Triune Synthesis," some calling it heresy, others naming it a rebirth of cultivation itself.
"He bound three women in one vow!" spat a minister, his voice trembling. "It's not a form — it's rebellion disguised as harmony."
Yet others whispered, almost awed: "Three flames, one center… has the empire ever seen a locus strong enough to bear it?"
Rumors flowed out of the capital faster than soldiers could dam them. Some spread fear: Hei Long would take the throne next. Others spread reverence: Hei Long had rewritten destiny.
And above it all, the Empress sat in silence, watching her court splinter into factions around a man she had not yet struck.
The Three Flames Alone
That night, the harem was not peace.
