Han Yu thought about it all.
A place like this Spatial Realm was not impossible for soone with the status of a forr Patriarch to create or acquire. If it had been passed down rather than absorbed into the sect, it explained why it remained hidden.
A personal domain.
A private realm.
A sanctuary outside the reach of ordinary power structures.
Han Yu slowly exhaled.
For what she had revealed... was far greater than the secret she had uncovered from him.
And that made it dangerous.
He understood imdiately.
This was not an equal exchange.
This was leverage.
By revealing sothing so significant, she had placed him in a position where he could not simply walk away unaffected. Knowledge like this carried weight. It tied him to her, whether he wished it or not.
He had been given sothing that could not be easily ignored.
And that ant he was now part of whatever ga she was playing.
Han Yu lowered his gaze slightly in acknowledgnt.
"My Lady’s lineage is... truly extraordinary," he said.
His tone carried genuine respect, yet remained controlled.
Lady Rot Rose watched him closely.
"I thought you would appreciate it," she said lightly.
Han Yu gave a faint smile.
"I do."
And he did.
But appreciation did not an comfort.
Inside, his caution had only deepened.
He had learned sothing he was not sure he wanted to know.
Not like this.
Not under these circumstances.
Because now, the balance between them had shifted again.
This was no longer a simple eting.
This was a negotiation.
One where the terms had not yet been fully revealed.
Han Yu raised his head and t her gaze once more. For whatever ca next, he knew one thing for certain. Lady Rot Rose was not soone he could afford to underestimate... Not even for a mont.
Silence settled across the pavilion after Lady Rot Rose revealed her lineage.
It was not an uncomfortable silence, nor was it empty. It carried weight, the kind that pressed lightly on the mind and refused to be ignored. Even the faint movent of the lake outside seed distant, as though the world itself had stepped back to allow this mont to breathe.
Han Yu did not speak.
He reached for the crystalline bottle once more and poured himself another cup of the Rose Life Wine. The deep red liquid flowed smoothly, its surface shimring faintly under the ambient light. He lifted the cup and drank without hesitation.
The familiar taste returned, sweet yet edged with bitterness, blooming across his senses before settling into his body. The blend of Blood Qi and Wood Qi spread through his ridians again, steady and controlled, bringing with it a subtle clarity.
He needed it. Not for his body, but for his mind.
Across from him, Lady Rot Rose watched quietly, her fingers still idly turning the pipe between them. She did not rush him, nor did she press the conversation forward imdiately. It was as if she knew he required a mont to reorganize his thoughts.
When Han Yu finished the cup and set it down, she spoke again.
"There is another reason I invited you to this gathering," she said.
Her tone had changed.
It was still soft, still carrying that subtle charm, yet beneath it lay sothing more direct.
"Or rather," she added, "the main reason."
Han Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly.
So far, everything had been preparation.
The hospitality.
The wine.
The revelation of secrets.
All of it had led to this.
He had expected as much.
People like Lady Rot Rose did not act without purpose.
"What is it?" Han Yu asked.
His voice remained calm, though his attention sharpened fully.
Lady Rot Rose leaned back slightly, the red smoke from her pipe drifting lazily upward as she regarded him.
"I have a mission for you," she said.
Han Yu tilted his head faintly.
"A mission?" he repeated.
There was no imdiate refusal in his tone, but neither was there acceptance.
"Why ask ?" he continued. "With your influence, I am certain there are many who would gladly carry out your tasks. Even the High Elders would not refuse you."
It was not flattery for this was a fact.
Lady Rot Rose’s status alone was enough to command action from nearly anyone within the sect. If she required sothing done, she did not need to negotiate with a younger Legacy Disciple.
And yet, she had chosen him.
That ant sothing.
She gave a faint smile.
"It is... a bit complex," she said. "It requires soone with your experience. And your skills."
Han Yu’s thoughts moved quickly.
His skills.
The first thing that ca to mind was his Jiangshi.
That was his most visible strength, the aspect of himself that had drawn attention across the sect. His creations had already spread widely, and their influence continued to grow. But he dismissed the thought almost imdiately.
That alone would not be enough.
There were elders within the sect who could create stronger Jiangshi, older cultivators with deeper foundations and greater experience. If the task required raw capability in that field, she would not need him specifically.
Which ant...
There was sothing else.
Sothing she had noticed.
Sothing she considered unique to him.
Han Yu did not ask imdiately.
Instead, he waited.
Lady Rot Rose raised her hand slightly and produced a jade slip, placing it gently on the table between them. The motion was simple, yet deliberate.
She tapped it once.
SHUA
A faint hum resonated through the air as a formation activated.
A translucent screen appeared above the jade slip, ford entirely of condensed energy. Symbols, text, and images flickered into existence, arranged in an orderly manner.
Han Yu’s gaze shifted toward it.
At first, his expression remained neutral.
Then, slowly, his eyes narrowed.
"Take a look," she said.
Han Yu did not hesitate.
He leaned forward slightly, his attention fully focused on the information displayed before him. The text scrolled slowly, allowing him to absorb it in detail.
It was a report originating from one of the farthest regions of the Blood Continent.
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