The midday sun glinted off the curved rooftops of the Jade Pavilion as a cooling breeze swept through the palace grounds. Underneath a shaded colonnade near the eastern garden, Alex Cole stood, gazing out at the koi pond below. The serene scene before him was interrupted only by the murmuring of distant court attendants and the flutter of palace banners.He had barely stepped out of the treatment chamber when the summons came. A young maid had approached respectfully and, after bowing, informed him that Princess Serena awaited him at the Jade Bridge, the symbolic entryway into the Imperial Greenhouse.Now, he waited.He had heard the name before. Serena, one of the Crown Prince’s cousins—was no ordinary princess. Known as the “Orchid Blade” among palace circles, she was a celebrated martial arts prodigy, the youngest in decades to win the Royal Combat Trials and the only princess to ever defeat a member of the palace guard in single combat. But she was also known for her mercurial te

The Grand Celestial Hall was radiant.Golden lanterns floated high above, suspended by unseen formations, casting a warm light that made the entire space shimmer like sunlight on water. Court nobles stood dressed in their most formal silks, their heads adorned with jade pins, gold-threaded hats, or embroidered veils depending on their rank. The occasion was an impromptu court gathering organized by the Crown Prince. It had been called to celebrate the stabilization of his condition and to officially welcome a guest who had become the subject of whispers in every corner of the palace.That guest was Alex Cole.He stood at the far end of the hall, flanked by two royal aides. His robe was midnight blue, gifted by the Crown Prince himself. It bore no family crest but was trimmed with silver lining and celestial cloud embroidery that marked him as someone favored by the highest echelons of power.He did not seek the attention of the room.But the room gave it to him all the same.Dozens

Moonlight spilled across the cobblestone pathways of the imperial courtyard like liquid silver. The garden here, nestled between the east wing of the inner court and the outer temple pavilions, was designed for silence. No servants wandered here after dusk. The lanterns had been dimmed to faint embers, and only the distant rustling of wind-touched bamboo broke the stillness.Alex Cole stood alone beneath the blossoming night cherry tree at the garden’s edge.His breath was shallow. Fatigue gnawed at his bones.He had not rested since the completion of the cure. The strain of channeling high-tier flame Qi during refinement had pushed his meridians close to overload. Though he had masked it well, his energy was fractured. Spiritual channels that usually ran like rivers now trickled slowly, choked by internal strain.Still, something had drawn him outside.A whisper at the back of his mind. A prickle at the base of his neck.He had sensed it earlier at his window—a shift in the palace’s

The banners of the Jade Pavilion fluttered in the late morning breeze as the Imperial Court of Elders convened for an unscheduled session.It was rare for the Crown Prince to summon the council without imperial prompting. Rarer still for him to do so on temple day, when most elders were expected to attend prayer offerings or engage in scholarly review. Yet all thirteen robed figures arrived within the hour, none bold enough to decline the Crown Prince’s personal seal.At the center of the grand chamber, a long half-moon dais faced a raised seat where the Crown Prince now sat, flanked by two incense-bearing ministers. Behind him stood Alex Cole, dressed once again in black and silver robes, his face calm though his presence sent a ripple through the room.The court was not used to outsiders.Certainly not ones who stood without kneeling.Yet none called it out.They had heard of him.They had heard of the poisoned assassin.The Crown Prince stood.His voice was steady, rich with the

The throne chamber was not usually this quiet.But on this morning, no one dared to speak out of turn.The long ceremonial hall, gilded with beams of gold lacquer and painted phoenixes, stood bathed in soft sunlight that filtered through tall stained-glass windows. Every footstep echoed. Every breath was measured.A select gathering had been called.Not a full council meeting—no, this was something rarer.A Strategic Royal Audience, convened solely at the will of the Crown Prince.Seated at the base of the throne dais were General Earlton, Lady Thea Walton, and four court physicians. The rest of the benches were filled by trusted intelligence officers, security masters, and two elders summoned at the last hour.At the center of the chamber stood Alex Cole, his posture straight, his expression unreadable. He wore the same black-silver robe gifted to him during the flower refinement trial. The inner hall lighting gleamed faintly off the phoenix embroidery on his collar.The whispers had