In an elegant chamber, Li Bai placed the yellow bead upon a structure resembling a small altar. His gaze, heavy with turmoil, remained fixed on the bead.
A frantic knock echoed at the door.
"Enter."
At Li Bai’s command, a servant knelt trembling, limbs shaking. His voice quivered: "M-Master Li… I-I added something to the master and mistress’s meals as instructed… They should be asleep by now. A-And all servants await outside, per your orders…"
Li Bai nodded slightly. "Good. You performed well."
The servant bowed lower, silent.
Li Bai glanced dismissively at the shuddering man. "Dismissed. Ensure everyone outside stands ready—but no one moves without my word!!"
"Y-Yes!" The servant stammered, scrambling out.
Li Bai’s eyes returned to the bead.
Six years ago, a wounded Battle Orator had fled wartime chaos into Huanan. Saved by Li Bai’s grandfather, she left this bead in gratitude—a vessel holding a trace of her Qi Energy, capable of summoning her for one task… at a cost. In an era when Huanan held no Faithweavers, it was a lifeline. Treasured as a family heirloom, it was gifted to Li Bai—his grandfather’s favored grandson—on his deathbed.
"Hua Zhaoxue… I will make you pay!" Li Bai hissed. He seized the bead and crushed it. A beam of yellow light shot skyward. Startled, he stumbled back two steps.
"Young Master! What happened? We saw light from your room—"
"Silence! No one moves without my order! Double the guards outside my father’s chamber—ensure they do not wake!"
After snapping the command, cold sweat beaded Li Bai’s brow. He’d wrestled endlessly with this choice—drugging his own parents to prevent interference. Yet this mere trace of Qi Energy caused such upheaval… How immense must her true power be?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. Too late to turn back now. Only hope remained.
Half an hour passed in tense silence. Only the carved character "Order" on the bead had vanished.
"Could that Faithweaver have lied?"
Just then, panicked cries erupted outside.
"Look! The sky!"
Li Bai flung the door open. Across the vast heavens, a tiny yellow silhouette streaked toward them. As it neared, his pupils contracted sharply—then CRASH! It slammed into the Li courtyard.
BOOM!!!
A deafening blast. Shrill screams tore through the crowd. Scorching heat rippled the ground; thick smoke rolled in.
From the haze, a sharp female voice cut through: "Oh? So *you* summoned me?"
Every servant froze, faces pale with terror.
Li Bai coughed through the smoke, steeling himself. The woman emerging wore yellow robes, hair tied high. Her eyes narrowed; fine scars crisscrossed her face. An oppressive aura radiated from her—utterly terrifying.
The scars nearly made him retch. But remembering her power, he bowed deeply. "This humble one greets Senior… I am the one who summoned you." Under the Battle Orator’s gaze, he humbled himself completely.
Her eyes gleamed with hunger as she studied his slender frame. "Oh? A Li descendant? So… youthful. Speak—what do you want?"
A flicker of cunning passed through Li Bai’s lowered eyes. "Might Senior… discuss this indoors?"
"Oh?" Her scarred face lit with excitement. She licked dry lips. "Done! Pay the price, and your wish is mine to fulfill!"
Seeing her predatory stare, Li Bai faltered—then roared at the frozen servants: "What are you staring at? OUT!"
Terrified, they fled. Within seconds, only Li Bai and the woman remained.
"P-Please… step inside…" Li Bai swallowed hard, forcing down revulsion. *For Hua Zhaoxue’s sake.*
Once inside, he bowed and laid out his request.
"Oh? Capture a Qi Cultivator named Hua Zhaoxue… and kill a boy?"
"Y-Yes…" Up close, her scars twitched with speech—an eyesore.
"Hahahaha! Bold little descendant!"
"This humble one dares not—"
"Dares not?! Hmph! From your words, she must be a Dance Weaver! Whose land is this? Whose nation? Only nobles become Dance Weavers here! You ask *me* to seize one?!"
Aura pressure spiked. Li Bai bit his tongue to stay conscious. "Senior! Hua Zhaoxue came to Huanan years ago—and never left! Would a noble house exile her to this borderland?!"
"Hmm… Reasonable."
Seizing the shift, Li Bai pressed: "The boy beside her—looks merely decent, but his aura… transcendent. The purest I’ve ever seen. Keep him as a plaything if you wish. Or end him with one stroke."
"Oh?! Truly?!" Her face brightened. Hunting refined young men was her delight—a common quirk among Battle Orators. She was far from alone.
"True!"
"I accept! If the boy is as exquisite as described… no extra price. But first…" Her gaze slid over Li Bai, blatant. "A little interest is only fair~"
Li Bai’s face twisted—disgust warring with resolve. *Hua Zhaoxue… Today’s shame, I’ll repay a thousandfold upon your flesh.*
And that boy beside her?
Heh. Falling into this depraved Battle Orator’s hands… His fate would be worse than death.
