Ripples Before the Storm
Scene 1 — Whispers in the Market
Azurecloud City basked beneath a gentle morning light, its rooftops washed in warm sun
Vendors lifted their shutters, carts rolled over cobblestone, and steam from fresh buns curled through the air like soft ribbons.
It should have been a peaceful day.
But peace was just a facade
Temporary
Fragile.
And beneath that bustling surface, the first whispers slithered like snakes through tall grass.
"Oi, did you hear about the Lin Family's pills?"
A butcher leaned close to a customer, voice dropping conspiratorially.
"They say a qi backlash happened. A boy nearly coughed blood!"
"What? The Lin Clan? Impossible—everyone knows their pills are decent!"
"That's what I thought—but I heard it from a guard's cousin's nephew at the academy!"
By the time the sun climbed another few degrees, the rumor had splintered into dozens of versions:
"A cultivator fainted after one pill!"
"No, no—someone said the pill cracked his meridians!"
"I heard impurities were so bad he can't cultivate for a week!"
None of it was true.
Every version was worse.
And every passerby added more spice before passing it on.
At the far edge of the marketplace, a cluster of rough men pretended to examine spirit herbs. They wore simple clothes, their posture casual—if one did not notice the faint flicker of the Zhao Clan insignia carefully hidden on their belts.
Their leader, Zhao Rui, leaned lazily against a stall, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded as he listened to the spreading chaos.
One of his men whispered, "Are rumors enough to damage their clan? It's just talk…"
Zhao Rui smirked, tapping the stall counter lightly.
"Words," he said quietly, "are poison. Slow, unseen, and devastating. You don't need to strike the body when you can rot the heart first."
Across the street, two carriages marked subtly with the Lin Clan sigil made their way toward the west gate. Four figures in plain travel cloaks walked behind them, faces shadowed, movements too controlled to belong to ordinary travellers.
Men from the Ghost Pavilion.
An hour later, one wheel "accidentally" snapped.
The carriage lurched, crates shattered, herbs spilled across the dirt
Passersby gasped.
And within minutes, rumors began to swirl again:
"Lin Clan's suppliers sabotaged their own goods!"
"No, the merchants are rebelling!"
"Maybe the pills are dangerous—this is a sign Heaven is warning us!"
Three merchants who had planned to finalize purchases that afternoon quietly cancelled their meetings, each having received an anonymous visit from polite strangers who smiled too warmly and warned "for their safety."
The first round of ripples had begun.
And in the Zhao Manor, behind lacquered screens and incense smoke, Zhao Qingtian listened to the incoming reports with icy satisfaction.
"Good," he murmured, fingers tapping rhythmically on his armrest.
"Let them drown in whispers… before they ever see the blade."
His smirk deepened.
"This is only the beginning."
---
Scene 2 — The Thousand Veil Chamber
The next morning, the Thousand Veil Chamber was unusually tense.
Couriers rushed across the marble floors. Scrolls piled up faster than attendants could clear them.
Every corridor hummed with hurried footsteps.
Inside her private office, Branch Master Yue Lan stood at the window, the sunlight tracing the fine jade pin in her hair and catching the faint lilac glow of her robes.
Before her lay dozens of parchment reports—each marked with a red seal:
"Delayed Shipment"
"Suspicious Complaint Filed"
"Rumor Confirmed Spreading"
Her assistant bowed deeply.
"Manager Yue, three more merchants have temporarily frozen their contracts with the Lin Clan. Should we continue distributing their stock?"
Yue Lan didn't answer immediately.
Her brows lowered a fraction—just enough to reveal irritation beneath her composed face.
"Not yet," she finally said. "This is too coincidence. Too synchronized. Someone is pulling strings from behind."
The assistant swallowed. "Shall I halt sales entirely, then?"
"Temporarily. Issue an internal notice—the chamber is performing a quality review. Don't mention rumors. Do not fan the flames unnecessarily."
"Yes, Master."
Once the attendant left, Yue Lan exhaled softly and leaned back against her desk.
> "The timing is too perfect.
The day after Young Master Lin visits… suddenly, the market collapses?"
She tapped her fingers lightly against the lacquered surface, eyes sharpening.
> "Who benefits the most…?
The Zhao Clan?
The Ghost Pavilion?
Or someone else entirely?"
Her thoughts spun for several long moments.
> "Speculation is meaningless.. I'll hear the truth from him directly."
She picked up her cloak and stepped out of the chamber with authority in her stride.
Outside her window, Azurecloud City was buzzing with rumors. None of them knew the real decision had already been made. The pawn had moved while they were still talking.
---
Scene 3 — The Answer
In the Lin estate, sunlight cascaded through peach blossoms.
The courtyard was calm, birds pecking lightly at fallen petals.
Lin Xian sat beneath a peach tree, reclined comfortably, flicking crumbs toward Xiao Jian—the round and fluffy, gluttonous kitten sprawled across the grass like a tiny emperor.
Xiao Jian's eyes gleamed with accusation.
His belly—already bulging suspiciously—grumbled dramatically.
Lin Xian snorted.
"You ate half a spirit melon last night. If you burst, I'm not cleaning the mess."
Xiao Jian puffed up even more, tail twitching, then turned away in exaggerated betrayal.
Lin Xian chuckled—and shook his head.
But his gaze soon drifted toward the distant rooftops of Azurecloud City.
A faint breeze carried whispers of unrest.
> "Spreading rumors… sabotage… ."
"Predictable. Childish. And sloppy."
His expression shifted into a smirk of profound disdain.
> "Let them play. They don't understand the game they're entering."
Footsteps approached.
Lin Yuan entered the courtyard with heavy steps, lines of tension creasing his forehead.
"Xian'er," he said quietly, "word just arrived from the Chamber. They've suspended sales. Several merchants refuse to meet us."
Lin Xian rose leisurely, dusting off his robes.
"I know. those rumours are spreading like wildfire ."
Lin Yuan frowned. "You're not even… bothered?"
"Loosing our composure won't change anything," Lin Xian replied.
"What we need is tactics, Father. Not panic."
Before more could be said, tiny footsteps approached down the walkway.
"Brother!"
Lin Xue'er hurried across the courtyard, ponytails bouncing like spring coils. Her eyes were wide, anxious.
"People are saying bad things about our clan! Even the market vendors are openly mocking us!"
Xiao Jian moved toward her instantly, rubbed against her ankle until she picked him up. The little creature curled into her arms like a smug baby emperor.
Lin Xian placed a hand gently on her head.
"People will talk, Xue'er. Let them. Their words have no power here."
She looked up at him, trusting, hopeful.
"You'll fix everything… right?"
His lips curved.
"Of course," he murmured. "Your brother never loses to amateurs."
Lin Yuan watched his son quietly. For the first time since the trouble began, relief loosened his chest.
And Lin Xian turned his eyes toward the east—where Yue Lan's Thousand Veil Chamber stood.
> "Let them have their little victory," he murmured. "The next… is mine."
"The peach blossoms rustled, as if stirred by the tension in the air."