Qingxue, carrying the weight of the Dashi's prophecy and the terrifying truth of Prince Tian Fei, felt an overwhelming need to share her findings. Her most critical lead wasn't the newly appointed General Wang Tian, as she had suspected, but the man she had just left to flounder in his own misery: Liu Hao. His panic at the name Fei, his desperation for research, and his mysterious tie to Wang Tian needed immediate answers.
She changed out of her commoner clothes and, without bothering with her usual retinue, headed directly for the Liu residence in the government district.
The Liu estate was immense, a masterpiece of quiet authority—grand stone walls and manicured courtyards that bespoke old money and enduring political influence. As she entered the main courtyard, she saw an older gentleman walking toward the reception hall. He was noble, dressed in fine, faded silks that suggested quality over flash, and had a distinctive, thin, almost white scar running just above his left brow.
