'This time, it is different. This time, I have been planning since childhood. Since I could walk, since I could talk, since I could cultivate. I have been positioning. Gaining allies. The princess — Yuexin — she is my inside agent. I have spent years proving my visions are true. Building her trust. Making her my sword inside the palace.'
'This time, I will not confront him directly. I will destroy him from within. Using his own weaknesses. His lust. His arrogance. His appetite for women.'
'The banquet. The celebration. The perfect stage.'
"Your robes," Shen Mu said. His voice was quiet. Addressing his sister, who was still standing there, pouting. "Prepare them. I will come."
Shen Ling, her bright eyes, the confusion, was there. "You are going? To the banquet?"
"Yes," Shen Mu said. His voice was flat.
She blinked. Then her face brightened. "Can I come too? Please? I want to see—"
"No."
"But—"
"No."
She pouted. Deeper. But she knew better than to push.
