The outer training grounds didn't calm down after Ji Wuyuan left.
If anything, they became louder.
Whispers turned into arguments. Arguments turned into exaggerations. By the time the afternoon sun leaned west, the story had already grown teeth and claws.
Some said Ji Wuyuan had shattered Ji Rong's bones with a single palm.
Some said he had used a secret technique from the inner grounds.
Some said the Clan Lord was personally teaching him at night.
And the most ridiculous version—
That Ji Wuyuan wasn't even human.
That he was some ancient monster reborn, wearing a child's skin.
It was the kind of rumor that would make a sane man laugh.
But the cultivation world was not built on sanity.
It was built on fear.
And fear spread faster than truth.
Ji Wuyuan returned to his courtyard with the same calm expression he always wore. He thanked the servants, ate his meal, washed his hands, and sat down to read a thin book of basic meridian diagrams, like any obedient child preparing for his future.
No one would suspect that his mind was already dissecting the day's events like a butcher carving meat.
Ji Rong had been bait.
Not because he was strong.
Because he was loud.
Loud enough to draw attention.
And attention was the beginning of control.
Ji Wuyuan flipped a page slowly, eyes scanning the diagrams while his thoughts moved elsewhere.
The Second Elder had appeared too quickly.
That meant Ji Mingxiu had been watching from the start.
Or he had planted eyes around the training grounds long ago.
Either way, Ji Mingxiu's reaction had been subtle.
He hadn't scolded Ji Rong.
He hadn't praised Ji Wuyuan.
He had simply smiled and warned him.
That warning wasn't kindness.
It was a promise.
I will not stop.
Ji Wuyuan's fingers paused on the page.
Then he continued reading calmly, as if nothing mattered.
The best way to deal with a snake was not to stomp it in front of everyone.
That only made the other snakes hide.
The best way was to let it think it was safe…
and then cut off its head in the dark.
A faint movement came from the shadows near the courtyard wall.
Wei Yan appeared like a ghost stepping out of smoke.
His posture was the same as always—straight, controlled, silent.
But his eyes carried information.
"Master," he said softly, "someone is watching the courtyard."
Ji Wuyuan didn't look up.
"Who?"
Wei Yan's voice remained low.
"A servant. Outer courtyard. Not ours."
Ji Wuyuan's lips curved faintly.
"A spy."
Wei Yan nodded.
"He came twice today. He pretended to deliver water. He lingered."
Ji Wuyuan turned another page, calm as a monk.
"Let him watch."
Wei Yan hesitated.
"If he reports to the Second Elder—"
"He will," Ji Wuyuan interrupted gently.
His tone was soft.
Almost warm.
But there was something beneath it that made the air feel colder.
"That's what I want."
Wei Yan lowered his head.
"As Master commands."
Ji Wuyuan finally closed the book and looked up.
His eyes were calm.
"You said he's outer courtyard. Do you know his name?"
Wei Yan replied immediately.
"Chen Yu."
Ji Wuyuan nodded once, storing it away like a knife placed back into a sheath.
"Good."
Wei Yan's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Do we eliminate him?"
Ji Wuyuan's smile remained gentle.
"No."
He stood up and walked slowly toward the courtyard's pond. The koi inside swam lazily, bright colors moving through the water like living jewels.
Ji Wuyuan watched them for a moment.
Then he spoke softly.
"A spy is only useful if he returns with information."
Wei Yan understood instantly.
"You want him to carry something back."
Ji Wuyuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yes."
Wei Yan's voice remained calm.
"What should he carry?"
Ji Wuyuan's gaze drifted to the moonlight reflecting in the pond.
"Fear."
That night, Azure Sun City was colder than usual.
The wind carried the smell of distant rain and wet earth, and the streets were quieter, most ordinary people already locked inside their homes.
But there were places where night never truly slept.
The Black Sand Market was one of them.
It wasn't a market in the usual sense.
It was a wound in the city—hidden, ugly, and full of rot.
It existed because cultivators needed things that clans didn't want to admit they used.
Poison.
Slave contracts.
Stolen cultivation manuals.
Beast cores ripped from living creatures.
And people.
Ji Wuyuan walked through the alleyways wearing a simple cloak, his hood low.
To any passerby, he looked like a small child following an adult.
Because Wei Yan walked half a step behind him, silent and unremarkable.
No one paid attention.
That was the advantage of being small.
People underestimated you by instinct.
They saw weakness.
They saw innocence.
They didn't see the blade hidden inside.
The Black Sand Market's entrance was guarded by two men with scarred faces and thick arms.
One of them squinted at Ji Wuyuan.
"Kid," he said roughly, "this isn't a place for you."
Wei Yan didn't speak.
He didn't need to.
Ji Wuyuan lifted his head slightly, revealing just enough of his face to show calm eyes.
"I'm here to buy," he said softly.
The guard laughed.
"Buy what? Candy?"
Ji Wuyuan's tone remained polite.
"Information."
The guard's laughter faded.
The other guard leaned forward, eyes narrowing.
"What kind of information?"
Ji Wuyuan's voice was calm.
"Who is selling children."
The guards froze.
Not because they were shocked.
Because they were cautious.
Only two types of people asked that question.
The ones who wanted to rescue.
And the ones who wanted to buy.
In this market, rescue was rare.
Buying was common.
The first guard licked his lips.
"Go inside," he said finally. "But don't cause trouble."
Ji Wuyuan nodded.
"Of course."
He stepped into the market.
The smell hit him instantly.
Smoke.
Sweat.
Blood.
Cheap wine.
And something else—fear, thick and sour, clinging to the air like mold.
The market was underground, carved into stone, lit by dim lanterns. Stalls lined the walls, selling everything from spirit herbs to rusty weapons.
But Ji Wuyuan didn't look at the herbs.
He didn't look at the weapons.
His eyes moved toward the deepest corner.
Where iron cages were stacked like crates.
Inside the cages were people.
Mostly children.
Thin.
Dirty.
Eyes hollow.
Some were too numb to react.
Others flinched at every sound.
A man stood beside the cages, fat and smiling, counting spirit stones in his palm.
His robe was stained, his fingers heavy with rings.
He looked like a merchant.
But his eyes were the eyes of someone who had sold too many lives to still see them as human.
Ji Wuyuan approached calmly.
The man looked down at him, amused.
"Well, well," he said, voice oily. "A little lordling wandered into the wrong place?"
Ji Wuyuan's gaze swept over the cages.
"How much?"
The man blinked.
Then laughed.
"You're serious?"
Ji Wuyuan nodded.
The man rubbed his chin.
"What kind do you want? Boys? Girls? Strong ones? Pretty ones?"
Ji Wuyuan's eyes remained calm.
"Talented."
The man's smile widened.
"Talent costs extra."
Ji Wuyuan reached into his robe and pulled out a small pouch.
He tossed it lightly.
The man caught it, opened it, and his eyes widened.
Spirit stones.
Not many.
But enough to prove Ji Wuyuan wasn't joking.
The man licked his lips.
"Alright, kid. I've got something special."
He snapped his fingers.
A skinny boy was dragged forward by chains.
The boy looked about ten, his hair messy, his face bruised.
But his eyes—
His eyes were sharp.
Not broken.
Not empty.
Sharp like a cornered wolf.
Ji Wuyuan stared at him for a moment.
He could feel it.
A faint spiritual fluctuation.
Weak, but present.
This boy had already touched the edge of cultivation, despite being chained and starved.
The merchant grinned.
"Found him near the city outskirts. He killed two grown men with a rock before we caught him."
Ji Wuyuan's gaze didn't change.
"How much?"
The merchant held up three fingers.
"Three hundred spirit stones."
Wei Yan's aura shifted slightly.
Even he felt it.
That was robbery.
Ji Wuyuan smiled faintly.
"You're overpricing."
The merchant shrugged.
"Then leave."
Ji Wuyuan stepped closer.
His voice remained soft.
"I'll pay."
Wei Yan's eyes narrowed.
Ji Wuyuan didn't look at him.
He simply tossed another pouch.
The merchant caught it, laughing.
"Good boy."
He turned to unlock the chain—
And Wei Yan moved.
So fast that the lantern flame seemed to flicker behind him.
A thin line of blood appeared across the merchant's throat.
The man froze.
His laughter stopped.
His eyes widened in confusion.
Then his head tilted slightly, and blood poured down his robe like spilled wine.
He collapsed.
The market went silent.
For half a breath.
Then chaos erupted.
People screamed.
Stalls toppled.
Merchants grabbed weapons.
But before anyone could react properly, Wei Yan's blade flashed again.
Two guards near the cages fell, throats opened.
Ji Wuyuan stepped forward calmly, his small hands reaching for the cage lock.
He twisted it.
The iron door swung open.
The children inside stared at him, frozen.
Ji Wuyuan's voice was gentle.
"Come out."
They didn't move.
Fear held them like chains.
Ji Wuyuan sighed softly.
He understood.
Fear was stronger than iron.
So he changed tactics.
He pointed at the boy with sharp eyes.
"You," he said softly. "If you want to live, follow me."
The boy stared at him.
Then, slowly, he stepped out.
Not because he trusted Ji Wuyuan.
Because he trusted his own instinct.
And his instinct screamed that this child in front of him was not prey.
Ji Wuyuan nodded.
"Good."
Wei Yan stood behind him, blade dripping blood.
His presence alone kept the market from rushing them.
But the market wasn't stupid.
Someone shouted from the shadows.
"Kill them! They're robbing us!"
A group of men surged forward, weapons raised.
Ji Wuyuan's eyes remained calm.
He raised his hand slightly.
Wei Yan vanished.
Not disappeared—
Moved.
Like darkness sliding across stone.
Screams erupted.
Bodies fell.
Blood sprayed.
The attackers didn't even understand what hit them.
Within seconds, the path to the exit was clear, littered with corpses.
Ji Wuyuan walked through the blood calmly, not even stepping faster.
The boy followed close behind him, eyes wide.
The other children hesitated.
Some cried.
Some crawled out slowly.
Ji Wuyuan didn't look back.
He didn't have time to save everyone.
Not yet.
A villain didn't waste resources on pity.
He saved what was useful.
The rest… could wait.
They reached the alley entrance.
Wei Yan reappeared, wiping his blade clean.
Ji Wuyuan didn't look at the bodies.
He only looked at the boy.
"What's your name?" he asked softly.
The boy swallowed.
"…Lu Chen."
Ji Wuyuan's eyes flickered faintly.
So it was him.
Fate had delivered him directly.
Ji Wuyuan smiled gently.
"From today, you belong to me."
Lu Chen's fists clenched.
"I don't belong to anyone."
Ji Wuyuan's smile remained soft.
"That's fine."
He leaned closer, voice lowering.
"You can hate me. You can fear me. You can even plan to kill me one day."
Lu Chen's eyes widened.
Ji Wuyuan's tone stayed calm, almost kind.
"But until you become strong enough to do it…"
He tapped Lu Chen's chest lightly.
"You will obey."
Lu Chen's breathing became uneven.
He wanted to refuse.
But the blood behind them, the corpses in the market, the silent blade beside Ji Wuyuan—
It crushed rebellion before it could form.
Lu Chen lowered his head slightly.
"…Yes."
Ji Wuyuan nodded.
"Good."
His vision flickered.
The War Archive appeared.
A cold line of text formed.
[Merit gained: 2][Reason: Seizing a fate-linked seed][Nightveil Token progress: 9/9]
Ji Wuyuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Unlocked.
At last.
The black page turned.
A new line appeared.
[Nightveil Slot 1/9 unlocked.][Choose your first summon.]
Ji Wuyuan's heart remained calm.
But his mind sharpened.
This was the beginning of his true army.
Wei Yan was only the first blade.
Now he would add something else.
Something that could build.
Not just kill.
He whispered in his mind.
"Summon."
The world around him seemed to dim for a heartbeat.
The air grew colder.
The shadows thickened.
Then—
A figure appeared in front of him.
A woman.
Tall, slim, dressed in dark armor that looked like it had been forged from night itself. Her face was partially covered by a veil, but her eyes were clear and sharp, like a predator's.
She knelt instantly.
Her voice was calm, disciplined.
"Nightveil Commander Shen Lian greets Master."
Ji Wuyuan stared at her.
Not because she was beautiful.
Because her aura—
It was terrifying.
Not Qi Refining.
Not even Foundation Establishment.
It was far above what this world should allow.
But it was sealed.
Restrained.
Like a dragon sleeping in a cage.
The War Archive flickered again.
[Shen Lian: Nightveil Commander]Role: Army Builder / Formation Master / Intelligence]Talent: Shadow Formation Core]Loyalty: Absolute]
Ji Wuyuan's smile deepened.
Perfect.
Not just a killer.
A builder.
Someone who could turn his clan into a machine.
Shen Lian raised her head slightly.
"Master," she said softly, "your foundation is weak. Your enemies are many. Your fate is hostile."
Ji Wuyuan's eyes remained calm.
"I know."
Shen Lian's gaze sharpened.
"Then allow me to build you an army."
Ji Wuyuan nodded slowly.
"Yes."
He turned his gaze toward the city lights in the distance.
Azure Sun City looked peaceful.
Warm.
Safe.
But he knew better.
It was a cage.
And inside that cage, snakes were smiling.
Ji Wuyuan's voice was soft.
"Tonight, we return."
Wei Yan bowed.
Shen Lian bowed.
Lu Chen stood behind them, trembling slightly, staring at Ji Wuyuan like he was staring at the night itself.
Ji Wuyuan smiled gently.
And in that smile, there was no warmth.
Only certainty.
"From now on," he whispered, "the Ji Clan will no longer wait for fate."
He turned away, cloak fluttering slightly in the wind.
"We will hunt it."