The dawn broke cold and grey over the sprawling Zhou estate. The air was crisp, biting at the lungs, a fitting atmosphere for an exile.
In the main courtyard, a sturdy, black-lacquered carriage drawn by two horned horses stood waiting. It was distinct from the ornate, gilded carriages used by the main family; this one was built for long distances and rough roads. It looked less like a transport and more like a hearse.
Rian emerged from the side entrance of the servants' quarters. He had wrapped himself in thick, layered traveling robes, deliberately hunching his shoulders to hide the newly formed muscle and the added inch of height he'd gained overnight. He kept his hood up, shadowing his face.
To the outside world, he was still the sickly, poisoned boy walking to his doom. Internally, his new senses were painting a 3D map of the courtyard. He felt the vibration of the horses stamping their hooves. He heard the shifting of armor from the four men standing by the carriage.
His escort.
They were Iron-Rank guards, mercenaries on the Zhou payroll. Their leader, a scarred man named Bolin, spat on the cobblestones as Rian approached. They didn't salute. They didn't offer to carry his single leather satchel. They looked at him not as a Young Master to be protected, but as cargo to be delivered.
"Carriage is open," Bolin grunted, jerking a thumb toward the door. "Try not to die before we reach the first checkpoint. I hate paperwork."
Rian didn't respond to the bait. He climbed into the carriage slowly, feigning weakness. As he sat down, the heavy bag of spirit coins clinked at his belt, and the steel sword his father had given him rested against his knee.
Assessment, Rian thought, the carriage door slamming shut, plunging him into semi-darkness. Four escorts. Loyalty rating: Zero. Threat level: Moderate. They aren't here to ensure I arrive. They are here to ensure I don't turn back.
The High Tower Balcony
Hundreds of feet above the courtyard, Lady He stood on her private balcony, her hands gripping the stone railing so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Her eyes were fixed on the small black carriage below. If looks could manifest as Qi, the carriage would have been incinerated instantly. She hated him. She hated his mother's memory. She hated the fact that he was breathing her air.
But more than anything, she hated that he had walked away with her family's resources.
"He looks weak, Mistress," a voice murmured from the shadows behind her. It was Captain Zhang, his face still bruised from where she had struck him yesterday.
"Appearances can be deceiving, Zhang," Lady He hissed, never taking her eyes off the carriage as it began to roll toward the main gate. "You told me the poison would kill him. Yet he walked out of the infirmary. You are a failure."
Zhang flinched, bowing low. "A mistake I will rectify today, Mistress. My reputation is staked on it."
Lady He turned slowly, her eyes cold and calculating. "Are the arrangements finalized?"
"Yes, Mistress. The 'Shadow-Hawk Bandits'—mercenaries on our private payroll—are stationed at the Viper's Gorge pass, three hours north of the city. It is a blind corner with steep cliffs. Perfect for an ambush."
"And the guards escorting him? Bolin and his men?"
Zhang smiled cruelly. "They know the drill. When the attack happens, they are to put up a token resistance, get 'overwhelmed,' and flee. They will report back that the Young Master tragically died in a bandit raid due to his weak cultivation."
Lady He nodded slowly. It was a standard play. Clean. Deniable. But then, her eyes narrowed, fueled by petty greed.
"And the inventory, Zhang?"
"Mistress?"
"The boy," she snapped. "The Lord gave him a parting gift. Five hundred Spirit Coins and a forged steel sword."
She paced the balcony angrily. "Five hundred coins! That is enough to buy three months of High-Grade pills for my son, Ming! And that sword was forged by Master Tan—it is worth another thousand! My husband throws away our capital on a dead branch, while my own son, the future Tiger of this house, has to wait for his monthly stipend!"
She stopped, turning back to Zhang, her eyes burning like vipers.
"The bandits must be instructed. They are to kill the boy, yes. But they are to strip him clean. The coins. The sword. Even his boots if they are worth anything. I want every copper returned to me. Do you understand? That is Ming's inheritance he is carrying."
It wasn't enough to kill Rian. She needed to audit him post-mortem.
Zhang saluted, striking his chest. "It shall be done. The assets will be recovered before sunset."
Below them, the heavy iron gates creaked open. The black carriage rolled out, leaving the safety of the Zhou Manor, heading toward the unforgiving North.
Lady He watched until it was a speck in the distance. A satisfied smirk curled her red lips. "Safe travels, little spider," she whispered.
On the Road – One Hour Later
The city walls were far behind them now. The well-paved roads gave way to rutted dirt tracks winding through dense, silent forests.
Inside the carriage, Rian sat perfectly still with his eyes closed. He wasn't meditating. He was extending his senses.
Since the molting, his connection to the Nether Spider bloodline had deepened. He didn't just feel vibrations on the ground; he could feel tension in the air.
He felt the four horses pulling the carriage. He felt the heartbeats of the four guards riding outside—Bolin in front, the other three surrounding the carriage. Their heart rates were elevated. Not from exertion, but from anticipation.
They are waiting for something, Rian analyzed. They aren't scanning the woods for threats. They are watching the road markers.
He rested his hand on the hilt of the steel sword. The Matriarch thought she was sending a lamb to the slaughter. The guards thought they were escorting a corpse.
Rian opened his eyes in the dark carriage. They glowed with a faint, violet hunger. A hostile takeover is coming, he thought calmly. Good. I need more capital before I reach Frostreach.
[DIVINE OBSERVATION LOG: ENTRY #008]
Observer: High God of Vengeance Subject: The Matriarch (Lady He) / The Anomaly (Rian) Status: The Setup
COMMENTARY: I have witnessed immense stupidity in my eons of existence. But robbing a man you just tried to murder is a special kind of foolishness.
The Matriarch is worried about 500 Spirit Coins. She thinks she is recovering lost assets. She does not realize that the "asset" sitting in that carriage just underwent a divine-tier upgrade last night. He is not a level 1 weakling anymore; he is a walking trap.
She is sending bandits to rob a Spider in its own web. I almost feel bad for the bandits. They are expecting an easy payday. They are about to participate in a very violent liquidity event.
[END LOG]