The return to the northern fortress was quiet, almost unnaturally so. Even the soldiers sensed the change—an invisible tension that clung to the air like winter frost. Word spread quickly among the officers:
The Commander found something in the west.
Something older than warlords.
Something watching us.
But none knew the details.
Not yet.
Inside the war room, the Elite Guard's commanding officers gathered around Jeng Minh as he placed the polished sigil stone on the table. Its three carved strokes caught the lamplight like silver threads.
No one spoke.
Finally, Bai Ye swallowed and stepped forward.
"That stone… they gave it to you directly?"
"They revealed themselves deliberately," Jeng Minh replied. "Not fully, but enough to send a message."
Gao Ren leaned closer. "Commander… this is a symbol of the old Whispering Sect. A remnant from the last dynasty—experts in manipulation, intelligence, and silent governance."
"Not a remnant," Jeng Minh corrected.
"A survivor."
Before further discussion could unfold, a soldier burst into the war room, breathless.
"Commander—there's someone at the gates!"
"Intruder?" Yuan Shan demanded, hand on his weapon.
"No, my lord. They… they walked straight to the guards. Unarmed. They asked for you by title."
"By title?" Bai Ye murmured. "Which title?"
The soldier swallowed, clearly unnerved.
"They said: 'I seek the mind behind the northern pass.'"
A hush fell across the room.
Jeng Minh rose immediately.
"I'll meet them."
The northern courtyard was filled with soldiers, forming cautious lines as a figure stood calmly in the center. They were dressed in simple gray robes, face covered with a thin veil. No armor. No weapons. No insignia.
Yet every soldier instinctively kept their distance.
The messenger bowed when Jeng Minh approached.
"You walk boldly," Jeng Minh said. "Most would not step into a fortress filled with soldiers."
The figure's voice was soft, androgynous—neither clearly male nor female.
"Fear is for the untrained, Lord Zhou. And we… are not untrained."
Bai Ye stiffened beside him. "You belong to the Whispering Sect."
The messenger tilted their head slightly.
"A name forgotten by most," they murmured. "But not by the north's new mind."
Jeng Minh stepped forward, studying every detail—their breathing, posture, tension. He sensed no hostility… only purpose.
"What do you want?" he asked.
The messenger raised a hand and produced a scroll—sealed with the same three-stroke sigil carved on the stone left in the canyon.
"A warning," they said calmly.
"Nothing more."
Jeng Minh accepted the scroll but did not break the seal.
"Speak," he said. "Your sect does nothing 'simple.'"
The messenger inclined their head.
"Then I will be direct. You have stepped into the west's forgotten secrets. Your presence there was seen. Your skill was noted. Your mind was… evaluated."
Yuan Shan bristled. "Evaluated? You dare—"
Jeng Minh raised a hand to silence him.
"Continue."
The messenger's voice remained steady.
"The Whispering Sect observes. We influence. We correct imbalance when rulers stray too far into tyranny or chaos. For centuries we have acted unseen."
"And now you reveal yourselves to me," Jeng Minh said. "Why?"
The messenger took a quiet breath.
"Because the west is no longer under our sole influence. A splinter faction has emerged. One that believes the world should not be guided… but controlled."
Gao Ren's eyes widened. "A division within your sect?"
The messenger nodded slowly.
"They call themselves the Silver Divide. They have abandoned our founding principles. They move openly, boldly. They sabotage warlords to destabilize the west. Their goal is simple:
Remake the continent in their image.
Through subtle force, and ultimate authority."
Bai Ye's face paled. "Then the sabotage… the ruined caravans… the missing lords…"
"All the work of the Silver Divide," the messenger confirmed.
Jeng Minh's grip tightened on the scroll.
"So why warn me?" he asked. "You do not interfere without gain."
The messenger lowered their voice.
"Because the Silver Divide has taken interest in you."
Silence fell like a blade.
"And they do not observe minds," the messenger whispered.
"They consume them."
The figure stepped back.
"We offer neither alliance nor threat," they said.
"Only truth.The Silver Divide will not stop. They will test you. Challenge you. Attempt to recruit or eliminate you."
Bai Ye hissed, "Recruit or eliminate? There is no middle ground?"
"For them," the messenger said softly, "there never is."
They bowed once more.
"You have drawn the attention of the shadows behind the continent, Lord Zhou."
A pause.
"Now you must decide whether to hide from them… or confront them."
The wind stirred the courtyard as the messenger turned and walked away—past soldiers who did not dare move, through gates that opened without a command, and into the northern night.
Not a single snowflake shifted beneath their steps.
Only once the messenger vanished did Jeng Minh open the scroll.
Inside, a single sentence was written in elegant, ancient script:
"Those who shape destiny must be shaped—or shattered."—The Silver Divide
Jeng Minh folded the scroll with calm precision.
"Bai Ye," he said softly, "summon the Elite Guard.
Tonight, the shadows declared themselves."
His eyes burned with quiet, predatory fire.
"Now we answer."