Scene 1 – The Visit from Yue Lan
The Lin Clan courtyard was unusually calm that morning.
A thin mist hung over the tiled roofs, and dew dripped from the edges of the stone path. A few birds chirped somewhere far off, but the whole estate felt quiet and heavy, like it already knew trouble was coming from beyond the walls.
At a wooden table beneath a peach blossom tree, Lin Xian quietly brewed tea.
His motions were unhurried, elegant, as though the encroaching chaos in Azurecloud City had nothing to do with him. The gentle steam curled upward, brushing past his snow-white hair and pale, serene features.
A light knock echoed from the gate.
The guards hesitated, recognizing the person, and quickly opened it.
Yue Lan stepped inside.
The usually composed manager of the Thousand Veil Chamber carried an air of restrained tension. Her long lavender robe fluttered like drifting mist behind her, but her brows were noticeably furrowed—an expression she seldom showed even during political crisis
Lin Xian gestured to the seat opposite him.
"Manager Yue. You came early."
She offered a polite bow before sitting, though her posture remained stiff.
"Forgive my directness, Young Master Lin," she began, voice lowered as if wary of being overheard. "But the situation outside is deteriorating by the hour. The Thousand Veil Chamber is… under heavy pressure."
The slight tremor in her tone was telling.
She exhaled slowly, her eyes dimming with concern.
"The Zhao Clan's influence is spreading quickly. Officials have already begun surprise inspections. And if things continue like this…" Her fingers tightened over her sleeve. "We'll be forced to terminate all trade with your Lin family. I wanted to hear your thoughts before… making such decisions ."
Lin Xian lifted his teacup and blew gently across the rim, his expression unreadable.
"They'll make the story feel natural."
He spoke as though reciting a predictable script.
"Bribing the greedy merchants… sending threats to the fearful ones. Rumors so accurate they sounded like truth."
Yue Lan's eyes widened a little.
"So you already knew."
He nodded calmly.
"And soon," Lin Xian added, "they'll come to your Chamber directly. They'll demand that you suspend all trade with the Lin Clan—publicly, if possible. Maybe even accuse you of favoritism."
Yue Lan sucked in a small breath.
"Then… should I resist? Delay with an internal audit? I could stall a few days—"
"Don't."
His reply was soft but firm enough to cut through her words.
She stared at him, startled.
"Follow along? But… Young Master Lin, if the Thousand Veil Chamber publicly cuts ties with you, the entire city will assume the Lin Clan is collapsing."
Lin Xian finally looked up.
His eyes were too calm—so calm that it only made the tension in her heart rise.
"Sometimes, Manager Yue…" he said gently, "you must let the storm believe it has already won before the sky clears."
Her heartbeat quickened.
This young master…
Why was he so composed?
Surrounded by enemies, yet sitting here drinking tea as if discussing the weather?
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"You already have a plan… don't you?"
He didn't confirm, yet he didn't deny it either.
Instead, he simply refilled her teacup, letting the delicate fragrance rise again.
"Drink."
His voice softened, but a faint, confident smile touched his lips.
"Let the warmth remind you: chaos is only temporary."
Yue Lan gazed at him for a long moment before sighing in defeat.
"You're too calm for someone surrounded by wolves, Young Master Lin."
He chuckled lightly.
"That's why they'll only be wolves and not tigers."
And for the first time since entering, Yue Lan's expression eased—even if only slightly.
---
Scene 2 – Bai Yusheng's Visit
Barely half an hour after Yue Lan left, a gentle breeze slipped through the courtyard.
It carried the faint scent of jasmine.
Moments later, Bai Yusheng appeared at the gate, dressed in soft green robes that shimmered subtly beneath the light. Her presence was refreshing—as though she brought a pocket of spring with her—but today her bright eyes were shadowed with worries.
"Young Master Lin!" she called softly, stepping inside without waiting for permission.
Lin Xian set aside his scroll.
"Miss Bai," he greeted warmly. "I see the rumors fly faster than spirit birds."
Her lips trembled faintly.
"So it's true then…" she whispered. "The Bai family's trade with your clan has been suspended?"
He didn't answer directly.
Instead, he gave her a reassuring smile, which only made her look more distressed.
"I'm sorry," Bai Yusheng blurted out, her voice thick with guilt. "My father had no choice. The Chamber froze half the market, and our wagons were blocked at the city gate. We—We wanted to continue working with you, but everything is being manipulated and someone even threatened us."
She clenched her fists in frustration—a rare sight for someone usually calm and elegant.
Lin Xian waved his hand casually.
"You don't need to apologize. None of this is your fault."
"But it feels wrong!" she protested quietly. "You helped me before, and now your clan is being cornered. How can we just sit and—"
She stopped mid-sentence as he leaned back slightly, studying her with a faint, amused look.
"Tell me," he asked softly, "are you still interested in that partnership you mentioned last time?"
Bai Yusheng blinked.
"Of course I am," she said instantly. "Even if the market flips upside down, I still believe in your pills."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Even now? When everyone is abandoning us?"
"Especially now," she replied firmly.
Her sincerity lingered in the air like a gentle ripple—and Lin Xian's eyes glimmered with subtle approval.
"Good," he said simply. "Then wait for my signal. When the time comes… we'll rebuild the market from its ashes."
Her breath caught.
"You—you really already have a plan again, don't you?"
Lin Xian only smiled—a small, knowing curve of his lips.
"Plans are like seeds, Miss Bai.
The deeper they are buried…
the stronger they will grow."
His calm voice sent a faint shiver down her spine.
---
Scene 3 – The Gathering Storm
By dusk, Azurecloud City was restless.
Whispers spread through the streets.
Merchants stood in small groups, whispering rumors and guessing what was coming.
Couriers ran through the markets, holding letters marked with red seals
At the Thousand Veil Chamber's main hall, a formal decree was posted:
> "All trade with the Lin Clan shall be temporarily suspended pending investigation of safety and product integrity concerns."
A crowd formed in seconds.
Gasps, curses, and low murmurs rippled outward, fast and sharp, until the entire hall buzzed with tension.
"Did the Lin Clan really fall this far?"
"I heard someone fainted after taking their pills."
"Nonsense, that must be the Zhao Clan's doing—"
"Who dares oppose the Zhao Clan anyway?"
At the same time, outside the city walls—
A series of explosions echoed across the wilderness.
Three of the Lin Clan's supply wagons were set ablaze.
Crates split open, their contents reduced to ash.
Precious herbs scattered, burning into smoke that drifted over the fields like a funeral pyre.
Rumors followed swiftly:
"Lin Xian uses unholy energy in his alchemy!"
"His pills are unstable and dangerous!"
"They say the Lin Clan might be exiled if this continues!"
The Zhao Clan's final stroke had come.
Swift.
Precise.
Mercilessly clean.
Inside the Lin estate, chaos erupted.
Messengers rushed between buildings.
Elders argued in heated panic.
Lin Yuan slammed his fist on the conference table, shouting for silence.
And through all of it—
Lin Xian sat quietly by the window.
He gazed at the flickering city lights, the chaotic shouts, the whispers of fear carried on the wind.
"Just as predicted," he murmured.
His tone held neither triumph nor worry—only cold certainty.
He lifted a hand.
Xiao Jin, who had been curled up nearby, blinked sleepily and climbed onto his shoulder.
Lin Xian stroked the little creature's head.
His lips curved faintly.
"It's almost time to begin."
The storm outside believed it was winning.
Soon—it would learn otherwise.