Inside Yue territory Luo He could maneuver freely. He possessed at least a little bit of influence, connections and protection. Even powerful nobles had to think carefully before provoking him openly specially due to his reputation.
But in Wu he would be the outsider. And outsiders were easiest to bury. "The Emperor of Yue already plans to depart in two or three days with the royal escort for this wedding." Luo He continued.
"Naturally they'll travel with full ceremonial processions, supply caravans, guards, officials, banners, musicians and enough unnecessary decoration to slow an army to the pace of dying cattle."
Jin Quan laughed loudly at that. Luo He looked disgusted just imagining it. "At that speed the journey will take weeks."
He shook his head immediately. "I refuse to waste that much precious time sitting inside a moving parade."
Jin Mulan crossed her arms. "So what's your alternative?" Luo He smiled slightly.
"That," he said turning slowly toward Fei. "is where our beloved blacksmith and his horse becomes useful."
Fei blinked once caught off guard. Luo He pointed toward him lazily. "Do you remember the horse I gave you?" Luo He asked. "The black stallion?" Fei asked carefully. "Yes." Luo He replied.
"You told me it came from your mother." Fei said carefully. Luo He looked at him for a long moment before sighing in disappointment. "No you fool. It's a horse. My mother was still human last time I checked."
The room immediately filled with restrained laughter. "But yes," Luo He continued calmly "it was a gift from my mother." He folded his arms indifferently afterward. "The horse itself was never valuable merely because of its pedigree or appearance."
A faint smile slowly formed on his lips.
"It is valuable because it is not truly an ordinary horse." The atmosphere shifted slightly. Then Luo He spoke plainly.
"It is a dormant beast." Silence.
Complete silence.
Even the lantern flames suddenly seemed louder. Jin Sang's relaxed expression disappeared instantly. The wine cup in his hand froze halfway to his mouth. Fei himself looked genuinely stunned for perhaps the first time since meeting Luo He.
Jin Su's brows furrowed sharply while Su Kim instinctively glanced toward Jin Mulan as if checking whether she already knew this insanity. And Jin Mulan simply closed her eyes briefly. Because of course Luo He casually gifted a dormant beast to someone without explaining it.
Little Bing despite not fully understanding the subject still sensed the shift in atmosphere immediately.
Because everyone present understood exactly how absurd those words were.
Dormant beasts were not common creatures.
They were monsters carrying sleeping bloodlines inherited from ancient evolved species. Most lived entire lives without awakening fully. But the few that did
became terrifying existences capable of crushing armies and dominating entire regions.
And the truly shocking part was not merely owning one. It was what Luo He implied afterward. Bloodlines themselves were nearly impossible to evolve artificially. Impossible. That was common knowledge throughout the world.
Bloodline rank determined nearly everything. Cultivation speed. Physical potential. Natural lifespan. Elemental affinity. Even the limits of what a creature could become. Humans and beasts alike followed the same hierarchy.
Dormant creatures carried black blood instead of the red blood dormant humans carried. Then blood lines are as follows in ascending order;
White.
Yellow.
Orange.
Blue.
Purple.
Red.
Green.
And finally Gold.
The legendary peak bloodlines are very rare. Most humans never advanced beyond White or Yellow in their entire lives. Orange bloodlines already belonged to talented warriors and respected noble descendants.
Blue bloodlines produced geniuses.
Purple bloodlines created monsters among men. As for Red and Green only really prominent and famous battle master carried them. Mean while Gold, most people only heard stories.
Even beasts followed the same laws.
Under proper conditions the blood itself faintly reflected its lineage color through the veins and eyes or blood itself once awakened. This carried under darkness for beasts and under proper light for humans.
Except gold bloodlines. Their blood did not merely glow gold. It was gold for both humans and beasts. Naturally golden by nature. Which was why Luo He's next statement felt even more terrifying.
"The horse currently possesses an dormant orange bloodline," Luo He said casually. Jin Yang immediately stared at him. "Orange?!" Everyone was surprised. "That's already considered high-grade among beasts," Jin Su said sharply.
Fei looked like his soul had briefly left his body. Because suddenly he realized he had been casually riding a creature valuable enough to start wars between clans.
Meanwhile Luo He still looked relaxed.
"And if we awaken it properly," he continued. "It should evolve in to a proper beast."
Nobody spoke. Because awakening bloodlines especially for beasts was considered impossible outside of natural mutation and ancient legends.
Yet Luo He spoke about it like improving a kitchen recipe. Finally Jin Sang leaned forward slowly.
"Brother in law," he said carefully. "Are you telling us you can forcibly evolve bloodlines?" Luo He tilted his head slightly. "Not forcibly," he corrected. "Guided evolution."
That answer somehow terrified them even more. Fei slowly looked downward as realization struck him fully.
The horse Luo He had casually handed him was not merely a mount. It was a future monster. And Luo He intended to unleash it.
"Don't look at me like that." Luo He said calmly noticing the tension rising in the room. "You may not like the method but it works." His gaze shifted toward Fei.
"I intend to force the beast to the edge of its limits," he continued. "To push it into a state where instinct takes over completely."
A faint pause. "Life and death," he added quietly "are the greatest catalysts for awakening. That applies to humans and beasts alike."
The room fell into uneasy silence. Jin Sang frowned deeply. "You're planning to break it before it grows." He asked. "I'm planning to make it choose to grow," Luo He corrected.
He stepped forward slightly voice steady.
"The process will be controlled. Measured. It won't be mindless cruelty it will be pressure applied at the exact threshold where survival instinct begins to override dormancy." Fei remained silent but his expression had hardened.
He understood what Luo He meant.
Not comfort. Not training. But transformation through extremity. Luo He continued as if discussing something routine. "However once a beast awakens it becomes unpredictable. Stronger. Wilder. More instinct-driven." His eyes locked onto Fei.
"That is why it must not awaken alone."
Another pause. "It needs a bond." Jin Su crossed his arms. "You mean control."
"No," Luo He said immediately. "Not control." "A bond." He pointed toward Fei. "I want you to be there at the moment it crosses that threshold.
When its instincts are at their peak when it decides whether to live, fight or destroy." Fei slowly lifted his head. Luo He's voice lowered slightly. "You will offer yourself as its rider. Not as a master forcing obedience but as something it chooses." The weight of those words settled heavily.
"Let your blood align with its. Let it recognize you before its most primal moment." Fei's grip tightened slightly.
"And if it accepts?" he asked quietly.
Luo He smiled faintly. "Then it won't see you as something to kill after it is awakened."
"It will see you as something to follow."
The room remained silent. Jin Sang exhaled slowly. "And if it refuses?"
Luo He shrugged lightly. "Then we'll deal with a newly awakened beast without a rider."
That answer did not comfort anyone.
But Luo He didn't seem concerned.
His eyes returned to Fei once more.
"I don't think it will resist," he said calmly.
Fei met his gaze. And after a long moment ge nodded.
"Then," Luo He said calmly brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve "our first problem is nearly resolved." He glanced briefly toward Fei. "If the awakening succeeds we travel fast." Said Luo He.
A small pause.
"If it fails." Fei asked. Luo He shrugged lightly. "We take the slower route and sail to Wu. Inefficient but reliable." He leaned back again completely at ease. "So," Luo He added calmly "any questions?"
The room stayed quiet for a moment.
Then "why are we going in the first place?" Jin Mulan and Jin Su spoke at the exact same time. Their voices overlapped perfectly. Luo He blinked once.
Then smiled faintly. "Good," he said. "At least someone is asking a proper question." He tapped the invitation letter on the table again. "On the surface?"
His tone turned slightly mocking.
"We are going to attend a wedding. Smile politely. Drink rare wine. And allow the Feather clan to attempt humiliating us in front of half the kingdom." Jin Sang scoffed. Luo He's smile sharpened.
"But in reality…" The room quieted again.
"We are walking into a battlefield." His fingers rested against the table as his voice lowered. "Both emperors of Yue and Wu will be present. So as most of the empires of the other 7 kingdoms."
That alone was enough to change the atmosphere completely. "The rulers of nearly all kingdoms meeting on neutral ceremonial ground," Luo He continued. "Surrounded by nobles, military officials, and many other ambitious factions. It will be more fun than ever."