From Zhuge Su Yeon's Perspective
"Patriarch Zhuge!"
The voice reached before the man did.
Old Han Chong, an elder of the Han clan well known for his sour temper, stormed through the hall's entrance as though the gates were nothing more than flimsy cloth. His heavy robe, emblazoned with the Han family crest, flared like a banner in the cold wind."Do you know what I heard in the stalls of the Winter Moon Guild?!"
Su Yeon, seated behind his low desk, did not move. He merely lifted his gaze.
"Your brother…" Han Chong spat the word "your" as if it were venom. "…attacked, without any reason, the second young master of our family, Han Zhi! In the middle of the fair! In front of everyone!"
The old man puffed out his chest, clearly satisfied with what he believed was a devastating blow.
Su Yeon remained unmoved.Like a stone that refused to echo another's scream.
Han Chong stepped closer, finger already raised."This behavior is intolerable! Barbaric! A direct insult to the Han name! What does your family intend to do about it? A public apology? Compensation? Or should I assume the Zhuge clan encourages this sort of savagery?"
Yeon breathed.No answer came.
The elder scowled, but pressed on."Ever since your clan started hiding behind these walls, you think you can act without consequence? Yu Jin humiliated young master Han Zhi! Humiliated our family! And even if you isolate yourselves, this was a public insult!"
Silence.Su Yeon remained still.
A single flick of his finger could reduce this elder to dust, yet the man drew courage from some unknown source. And Su Yeon was curious to see from where.
When Han Chong's words finally dwindled—less from choice than from lack of breath—Su Yeon spoke at last.
"Alright."
His calm gaze met the elder's, as tranquil as a frozen lake.
"And what can the Han family do about it?"
The question was neither hurried nor mocking. Yet it fell into the hall like a weight of iron.
Han Chong's face stiffened."You may mock all you like, Patriarch Zhuge…" his tone trembled more with anger than with cold, "…but don't think this will end here."
He straightened, adopting the air of one about to announce a heavenly decree."In two months, the Gray Sky City Tournament will be held. All four families must send their younger generation into combat. Let us see if your clan—silent and arrogant as you are—can still stand tall when fists do the talking."
Su Yeon opened his mouth to respond, ready to decline as he had planned, when the air before him rippled.
A golden, translucent panel appeared, overlaying the elder's furious figure.
[Special Mission – Event Triggered]Gray Sky City Junior Tournament – 2 months remaining
◽ "The Lonely Flame" – Help Zhuge Yu Jin win the tournament.Reward: 15,000 System Points.
◽ "The Silent Embroidery's Rise" – Ensure the Zhuge clan achieves the best overall result.Reward: 25,000 System Points.
◽ "The Voice That Silences the City" – Make the Zhuge clan the strongest in Gray Sky City.Reward: 50,000 System Points.
Note: More than one mission can be completed simultaneously.
The golden light dissolved as though it had never existed.
Su Yeon rose, his movement calm, almost lazy.He had no intention of listening further.
"Then let us resolve this at the junior martial tournament," he said, his voice so calm it sounded like a farewell.
Han Chong said something more, but his words fell against Su Yeon's back.
The patriarch walked down the main corridor, each step measured, slow, deliberate. Behind him, Mei Lin followed in silence, so discreet even the sound of her footsteps seemed part of the air itself.
He had long known the reason for Han Chong's visit.In truth, he had known even before the elder stormed in, chest puffed with indignation.
When his two siblings appeared together at the Winter Moon Guild's stalls, he had already expected sparks to fly.
Control the protagonists?
Not possible.
In the end, he let fate run its course.But never without watching.
He had seen his sister's discreet purchase of the pale jade—an item able to calm the heart and amplify the spirit.And he had seen his brother's fight with Han Zhi, a hero's tale as obvious as it was predictable, defending a damsel.
And he also knew that those two girls were now within Zhuge territory.
At first, he had planned to ignore it all.The Han clan, like the other so-called "great" families of Gray Sky, were nothing more than that—clans of a small city.Fish in a shallow pond, incapable of swimming beyond their borders.
No real threat.Not to him.
But the mission changed everything.
With such rich rewards in points, refusing would be wasting an opportunity handed down by heaven itself. Yes, winning would attract some unwanted attention… but nothing that strategic purchases from the Shop couldn't smother.
He walked on, the corridor leading back to his office.
But before reaching the door, a shadow waited.
Zhuge Yu Jin.
His younger brother stood there.
Yu Jin's eyes fixed firmly on him."Trouble?" he asked, voice calm.
Su Yeon stopped before him, expression serene."Just a small incident," he said, as if speaking of a passing cloud. "Already resolved."
Yu Jin studied him for a few seconds, as though weighing the literalness of that claim. At last, he inclined his head slightly."I see."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable. It was a pause—measuring words before they were born.
Su Yeon broke it first."This year, the Zhuge clan will take part in the junior tournament." His eyes scanned Yu Jin, appraising. "Your progress in these past months has been… swift. Do you wish to participate?"
The effect was immediate. Yu Jin's breath shifted; a faint gleam lit his eyes."Not only participate," he said, conviction steady. "I'll bring victory to the clan."
Su Yeon raised a brow, his expression unchanged."The Han heir," he noted, voice as neutral as stating the weather, "entered the Dark Sun Sect, ranked sixth in the White Flame Empire. He's likely already at Spiritual Refinement. Nineteen now. Still eligible to compete."
The name lingered in the air. Yu Jin stood silent, but his gaze held no hesitation."I can beat him," he declared simply.
Su Yeon's eyes drifted briefly past him, settling on the two girls, still in dirty clothes.
He thought—not of what they were, but of what they would become.
It was easy to imagine, beneath the grime, the future lines of beauty that could shake hearts, and talents that would attract dangerous eyes.
Clichés stacked upon clichés.
"Go to Elder Shan He's office," Su Yeon instructed at last, voice steady. "He oversees accommodations. Ask him to assign them a courtyard. Use my name."
Yu Jin looked up, understanding the gesture."Thank you, brother."
"It's fine," Su Yeon replied, tone unchanged.
Yu Jin bowed slightly before turning to leave, steps decisive.
Su Yeon remained for a moment, watching him go—wondering about the roads his brother would still face. He had no doubt Yu Jin would defeat the Han heir. But he also knew this would be only his first trial.
Mei Lin was still there, standing a few paces behind.So still she could have been mistaken for a living statue.Her eyes, however, missed nothing.
"We'll also need to prepare the other combatants for the tournament," Su Yeon said, voice low but carrying the weight of an order that needed no repetition. "Please gather the clan's most suitable talents."
Mei Lin bowed her head slightly."I'll see to it today," she replied, before pausing for a heartbeat.
Yeon nodded once and continued on his way.
With rewards so rich at such a low cost, he would, of course, do everything to claim them.