The morning of their third day in Tidal Jade City began with a heavy, frustrated silence. They gathered in the courtyard of their guest pavilion, the flawless beauty of the jade buildings around them a mockery of the impenetrable wall they had encountered. Their diplomatic, observational approach had been a complete failure.
It was Jian Xuan who finally broke the silence, his voice cutting through the quiet tension.
"If the door is locked, we cannot force it," he said, his gaze sharp and clear. "But we can make the person inside so anxious that they open it for us."
The others turned to look at him.
"We have been acting as polite merchants, and they have treated us as such, keeping us at a comfortable, impenetrable distance," he continued. "It is time for a new approach. We must stop knocking politely. We must set a fire on their doorstep."
He looked at Li Yu. "Young Master, the conch shell and flute. We should use it."
A slow, understanding smile spread across Kui's face as he grasped the genius of the plan.
"That conch is a unique, master-crafted artifact," Jian Xuan explained, his logic cold and precise. "It is the very reason for our investigation. For it to suddenly appear here, in the hands of strangers from the Golden Shell Guild, will be a major, undeniable alarm bell for the Golden Tide Clan. It will tell them that their secrets are compromised. It will force them to act. It is a direct provocation, a move that shows confidence and is designed to shatter their perfect composure."
Li Yu considered the plan. It was high-risk, but also high-reward. It was a move that would irrevocably escalate the situation, but it would also almost certainly break the stalemate. His own patient, observational approach had yielded nothing. It was time for a more aggressive strategy.
"Do it, but only reveal the conch for now. The flute was in the hands of a very powerful cultivator, let's save the reveal for that later" he said simply.
That day, their approach to the city changed completely. They were no longer just observers; they were performers, and the entire city of artisans was their stage. Kui, in his element, played the part of a wealthy, eccentric Guild Leader with a passion for unique and bizarre artifacts.
Their first stop was a workshop belonging to a master jeweler, a delicate old man renowned for his intricate work with jade and pearls. After a perfunctory discussion about trade, Kui sighed dramatically.
"Master Wei, your skill is breathtaking," he said, "but I am looking for something truly unique. A gift for a special client. I have an item here, a marvel of craftsmanship, but I cannot find anyone who can replicate its genius."
He then produced the conch shell. He placed it on the jeweler's table, its strange, intricate patterns and the faint, residual energy of its teleportation ability causing the old master's eyes to widen.
The jeweler picked it up, his old, nimble fingers tracing the spiritual pathways. He examined it for a long, silent minute. "Magnificent," he breathed. "The artistry is one thing, but the formations… this is not jewelry. This is a sound-based device of incredible complexity. The skill required to create this is… it is beyond me. Far beyond me. I have never seen its like before."
He regretfully handed it back, his eyes filled with the awe of a true artist who has just witnessed the work of a transcendent genius.
They continued this pattern for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. They visited a dozen different workshops, from ambitious young artisans to reclusive old masters. At each one, Kui would put on his show, presenting the conch, explaining his desire to commission something of similar, unique quality, and feigning disappointment when the artisan would inevitably admit that creating such an item was beyond their skill.
The effect was exactly as Jian Xuan had predicted. The conch was unique and masterfully crafted, that it became the talk of the city's artisan circles. Word spread like wildfire: the eccentric Guild Leader from the powerful Golden Shell Company was looking for a master craftsman, and he was carrying a mysterious and profoundly crafted artifact, a conch shell that was also a powerful sound device of sorts.
By mid-afternoon, as they were leaving the shop of a maker of intricate metal puzzle boxes, they felt the change. The casual, curious glances of the city's populace had been joined by something else. There were new eyes upon them, gazes that were not curious, but cold, assessing, and professional.
Jian Xuan, whose spiritual sense was a vast, invisible net, was the first to confirm it. As they turned a corner onto a less-crowded street, he spoke, his voice a barely audible whisper that only his companions could hear.
"We are being tailed."
Li Yu's expression did not change. "How many?"
"Three separate groups, at least a dozen individuals in total," Jian Xuan replied, his own gaze fixed straight ahead. "They are maintaining a significant distance, using the crowds to conceal their movements. They are professionals."
A slow, satisfied smile touched Kui's lips. "The fire has been lit."
They did not react as this is what they were hoping for. They did not change their pace. They continued their tour of the city's workshops, their casual, meandering path now a deliberate performance for the unseen audience that was now tracking their every move. They were no longer just walking through the city; they were now walking a tightrope, the entire city now a stage for their dangerous, provocative play.
As evening fell, they finally made their way back to their guest pavilion. They knew they were being watched from the rooftops of the surrounding buildings, their every move scrutinized. The plan had worked perfectly. They had shattered the clan's calm, polite facade. They had forced the serpent to peek its head out of its hole.
They settled into the courtyard, the silencing formation once again activated. The mood was no longer one of frustration, but of tense, triumphant anticipation. They had made their move, a bold and confident gambit that had thrown their hidden enemy completely off balance.
The bait had been taken. The cage was rattled. Now, all they had to do was wait for the serpent to strike. A confrontation was no longer a possibility; it was an absolute certainty.