---
The air grew cold as Qi Mo and his disguised Beast Flame Sect disciples sprinted through the night. The Northern Gates loomed ahead, a dark silhouette against the star-flecked sky.
"Faster!" Qi Mo hissed, his voice a strained whisper. "Our window is closing. One misstep and we are all corpses."
They closed the distance. Torches flickered on the wall, illuminating the sparse figures of the Qi Clan guards. Before they could even call out, a sharp voice cut through the darkness.
"HALT!"
A man clad in commander's armor descended the stairs with lethal grace, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword. He planted himself directly in Qi Mo's path, his eyes narrow slits of cold assessment.
"Elder Qi Mo," Commander Qi Zhui said, his tone devoid of the respect the title usually commanded. "An unexpected arrival. Explain this host behind you."
Qi Mo forced a thin, greasy laugh. "Commander Qi Zhui. Buried out here, you must not have heard the news. The Patriarch has issued new orders."
"What news?" Qi Zhui's impatience was palpable. Where others saw a respected elder, he saw only a grasping, duplicitous snake. The dislike was mutual.
Of all the wretched luck, Qi Mo thought, his mind racing. Why did it have to be him? The one man in this clan who actually uses his eyes.
"I am waiting, Elder," Qi Zhui pressed, his voice hardening. "Or have you forgotten your purpose?"
"The Patriarch ordered a new garrison for the Northern Gates," Qi Mo snapped, feigning irritation to mask his panic. "Must I explain our sovereign's will to you?"
"Is that so?" Qi Zhui fell silent, his penetrating gaze shifting from Qi Mo to the unnervingly still soldiers behind him. The silence stretched, punctuated only by the crackle of torches. A bead of sweat traced a path down Qi Mo's temple.
Just as Qi Mo opened his mouth to break the tension, Qi Zhui spoke again, his voice dropping to a dangerous, authoritative calm.
"A curious thing. Commander Qi Ru was assigned to muster that garrison. He contacted me not an hour ago, complaining that he had barely scraped together fifty men. So tell me, Elder. How did you rally five hundred? And why are you leading them, and not him?"
Qi Mo's throat went dry. He swallowed hard, scrambling to regain his footing. "Must you see conspiracy in every act of loyalty? I saw our clan's dire need and I acted! You should be thanking me, not blocking the gate like a stubborn mule!"
Qi Zhui's eyebrows rose in mock surprise. "Loyalty? You assembled an army in the time it takes a competent man to assemble a squad. Men do not flock to a banner so quickly unless they were already waiting for it. Explain that."
"We are at war!" Qi Mo retorted, his voice rising in desperation. "Must you waste what precious time we have with these suspicions?"
"The war at the West Gate is over. The Sword Spirit Sect is broken. So I ask again," Qi Zhui said, taking a step closer, the suspicion in his eyes burning brightly. "Why are you so desperate to be rid of me?"
"You insufferable—!" Qi Mo exploded, a calculated performance of anger. "These men answered the call of my status and prestige! Something a gate-keeping toad like you would know nothing about! They see a leader, not a questioner of orders!"
Qi Zhui's lips curled into a mocking smile. "A cheap lie. You garrison this 'army' to claim a reward from the Patriarch, don't you? To bask in unearned glory."
"Whether I seek glory or not is irrelevant! Your orders are to leave this post to me and support the mop-up operations! Now move!"
"The Northern Gate is secure under my command," Qi Zhui said dismissively, waving a hand as if shooing away a pest. "You and your… volunteers… may rest. I'm sure the Patriarch will reward your… enthusiasm."
Qi Mo's composure cracked. He glanced at the moon, its position a glaring testament to how much time had been wasted. The Fen Clan would be arriving soon. If the gate wasn't open… discovery was certain. Death would follow.
The disguised disciples behind him clenched their fists, their muscles coiled tight with the strain of the charade.
Qi Zhui saw it all—the sweat, the anxious glances, the unnatural stillness of the soldiers. His suspicion solidified into certainty. He opened his mouth to give the order to detain them.
Suddenly, a sharp, authoritative voice crackled from the sound transmission talisman at his belt.
"Qi Zhui! Report to the Western Gates immediately! You have delayed long enough!"
The voice of Patriarch Qi Lantian was a lifeline. Qi Mo and his men nearly sagged with relief.
Qi Zhui's frown deepened, but he could not disobey a direct order. He barked a command, and his guards fell in behind him. As he passed Qi Mo, he stopped, leaning in so close his whisper was a blade in the elder's ear.
"I don't know your game, traitor, but know this: I have my eyes on you. You've fooled the Patriarch, but you never fooled me. I know the man who would shorten his own lifespan just to grasp a higher realm, who clings to status like a drowning man to driftwood. You are a whore for power, Qi Mo. You can fool the whole clan, but you will never fool me."
Then, in a blur of motion, he spun away. As he did, his hand snapped out.
"Don't ever think of fooling me!" he roared.
A searing ball of flame, condensed with pure Qi, erupted from his palm and screamed directly toward the chest of the nearest Beast Flame Sect disciple.
Qi Mo's eyes widened in pure, unadulterated terror. The delicate web of lies shattered in an instant, replaced by the violent, undeniable truth of attacking flame.