The courtyard felt colder than it should have been.
Shuan stood near the rear entrance of the main hall, half-hidden behind a pillar. His father had told him to stay in the study, but the moment Lin Zheng Yuan left, Shuan's feet had moved on their own.
He needed to see.
Needed to understand what was happening.
The Council members stood in a semi-circle near the gate—five of them, all wearing their formal gray robes with the town's emblem stitched on the chest. Elder Zhao was at the front, his round face set in an expression of forced concern. Beside him stood Elder Chen and Elder Wu, both looking far too pleased with themselves.
But none of them mattered.
The figure in black stood apart from the group, hands clasped behind their back. Tall. Thin. The kind of stillness that came from absolute confidence.
A cultivator. A real one.
Not someone at the Third or Fourth Level of Qi Condensation like the town's so-called "experts." This person's aura pressed against the air itself, making it harder to breathe even from this distance.
Foundation Establishment.
Maybe higher.
Lin Zheng Yuan approached the group, his stride measured and controlled. He stopped a respectful distance from the figure in black and cupped his fist in formal greeting.
"This one greets the honored expert. I am Lin Zheng Yuan, Patriarch of the Lin family."
The figure didn't return the gesture.
"Shen Kuang," the man said. His voice was flat, disinterested. "Azure Cloud Sect, Outer Division."
Even an Outer Division cultivator from the sect was leagues beyond anyone in Shianji Town.
"The Council sent word about a missing artifact," Shen Kuang continued. "I'm here to resolve the matter."
"We appreciate the sect's concern," Lin Zheng Yuan said carefully. "However, this is a minor internal matter. There's no need to trouble—"
"The Azure Cloud Sect determines what requires our attention." Shen Kuang's tone didn't change, but the temperature seemed to drop. "The Council has formally requested assistance. I am providing it."
Elder Zhao stepped forward, bowing deeply. "We are grateful for the sect's wisdom and guidance."
Bootlicker, Shuan thought.
"The stone was last confirmed in the Shared Vault six days ago," Elder Zhao said. "Since then, only the Lin family has had unrestricted access. We've conducted preliminary searches, but..."
"But you're incompetent," Shen Kuang finished. "Understood."
Elder Zhao's smile froze.
Shen Kuang walked past the Council members without another glance, approaching Lin Zheng Yuan directly.
"I'll search the estate myself. Shouldn't take long."
"With all respect," Lin Zheng Yuan said, and Shuan could hear the tension beneath the words, "the Lin family quarters are private. If you require—"
"I require nothing." Shen Kuang looked at him with the same expression someone might give an insect. "This isn't a negotiation. The sect sent me to find a missing item. I will find it."
He moved toward the main building.
Lin Zheng Yuan's jaw tightened, but he didn't move to stop him. Couldn't. Not without directly opposing the Azure Cloud Sect.
And that would be suicide.
Shuan's breath caught. The man was heading straight for the residential wing.
Straight toward his room.
He turned and ran.
His hands shook as he pried up the loose floorboard.
The stone sat there, catching the dim light from his window, green and innocent and damning.
What do I do?
What do I do?
Throw it out the window? Bury it in the garden? Swallow it?
Every option seemed equally stupid.
Footsteps in the hallway. Multiple sets.
His father's voice, carefully controlled: "The family quarters begin here. If you would allow me to escort—"
"No need."
Closer now.
Shuan grabbed the stone, shoved it in his pocket, and pushed the floorboard back into place. He was standing by the window, trying to look casual, when his door opened without a knock.
Shen Kuang stood in the doorway.
Up close, he looked younger than his voice suggested. Maybe thirty. Sharp features, cold eyes that swept the room in a single glance.
Those eyes landed on Shuan.
"You."
It wasn't a question.
Shuan's throat was dry. "Yes, senior?"
"Come here."
Shuan's legs felt like wood, but he walked forward until he was an arm's length away.
Shen Kuang studied him the way someone might examine a book they were considering whether to read. Interested, but not invested.
"Spiritual roots?"
"Grade Eight, senior."
"Pathetic." No malice in the word. Just statement of fact. "How old?"
"Ten."
"Cultivation level?"
"First Level of Qi Condensation."
Shen Kuang snorted. "At ten years old with Grade Eight roots, you should be at Second or Third Level by now. Either you're lazy or stupid. Which is it?"
The stone in Shuan's pocket felt like it was burning.
"I... I train every day, senior."
"Then stupid." Shen Kuang turned away, already losing interest. "Waste of time."
He walked past Shuan, scanning the sparse room with casual efficiency. Opened the chest at the foot of the bed. Checked under the mattress. Ran his hand along the window frame.
Lin Zheng Yuan stood in the doorway, silent.
Shen Kuang crouched by the bed, his fingers tracing the floorboards.
Shuan's heart stopped.
The cultivator's hand hovered over the loose board. Pressed down slightly. It shifted under the pressure.
He pulled it up.
Found nothing.
Shuan's lungs started working again.
Shen Kuang stood, dusting off his hands with a look of vague disgust. "Clean your room. It's filthy."
Then he walked out.
Lin Zheng Yuan's eyes met Shuan's for a brief moment—unreadable—before he followed.
Shuan waited until the footsteps faded, then collapsed onto his bed, the stone still clutched in his sweating palm.
Too close.
Way too close.
The search continued for another hour.
From his window, Shuan watched as Shen Kuang moved through the estate with methodical precision. Every building. Every room. He didn't rush, but he didn't linger either.
The Council members followed at a respectful distance, like scavengers waiting for scraps.
Finally, Shen Kuang returned to the courtyard.
"Not here," he said simply.
Elder Zhao's face fell. "But... but senior, surely—"
"I said it's not here." Shen Kuang's voice was sharp. "Do you doubt my abilities?"
"No! Of course not, senior!" Elder Zhao bowed so low his forehead nearly touched his knees. "We would never—"
"Then the matter is resolved. The stone was either sold before I arrived, or it was never in the Lin estate to begin with. Either way, not my concern anymore."
He turned to Lin Zheng Yuan.
"The sect considers this matter closed. If the Council has complaints, they can file them through proper channels."
"Thank you for your time and expertise," Lin Zheng Yuan said with a bow.
Shen Kuang didn't acknowledge it. He simply walked toward the gate, leaving the Council members scrambling to follow.
Elder Zhao turned back, his expression dark. "This isn't over, Patriarch Lin."
"The sect expert just declared it closed," Lin Zheng Yuan replied calmly. "Unless you wish to contradict the Azure Cloud Sect's judgment?"
Elder Zhao's mouth opened, then closed. He glared, then turned and hurried after Shen Kuang.
The gate closed behind them.
Silence settled over the estate like falling snow.
That night, Shuan sat in his room, staring at the green stone on his palm.
He should have been relieved.
The expert had searched and found nothing. The Council was forced to back down. His father was safe.
But Shuan felt nothing except a hollow emptiness.
A knock on his door.
"Come in."
Lin Zheng Yuan entered, closing the door behind him. He stood there for a moment, just looking at his son.
"You're still awake."
"Couldn't sleep."
His father nodded slowly. Walked to the window, looked out at the dark courtyard.
"The expert was thorough," he said quietly. "More thorough than I expected."
"Yes."
"He found nothing."
"Yes."
Silence.
"Shuan."
"Yes, Father?"
Lin Zheng Yuan turned to face him. His expression was unreadable in the dim light.
"Sometimes," he said slowly, "the burden of truth is heavier than the burden of lies. But lies have a way of growing. Of becoming something you can't control."
He walked to the door, then paused.
"Whatever you're carrying... I hope the weight is worth it."
Then he left.
Shuan sat alone in the darkness, the stone still warm in his hand.
And for the first time, he wondered if escape was even possible.
Or if he was already trapped.