The Zhao Clan's grand hall was eerily silent. Flickering lanterns cast long shadows across the polished floors, their dim light barely reaching the towering pillars that lined the chamber. At the head of the room sat Zhao Tian, his piercing gaze fixed on the woman before him.
She stood firm, her arms wrapped protectively around her son. Though exhaustion weighed on her, she refused to show weakness. She had endured too much to falter now.
"You bring trouble to my doorstep," Zhao Tian said at last, his voice cold and steady.
She met his gaze, unyielding. "I had no choice. They are after him."
His expression did not change. "Who?"
"Someone who knew about the Soul Mirror. Someone who knew exactly what my son is."
The silence that followed was deafening. Zhao Tian leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping rhythmically against the armrest.
"If what you say is true," he mused, "then the world will not leave you be. Not the sects, not the clans, and certainly not those who seek power beyond their means."
She clenched her fists. "That is why I need your help."
Zhao Tian exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing. "Help? After all these years, you expect me to extend my hand to a daughter who abandoned her family?"
She did not flinch. "I expect you to protect your grandson."
A tense silence stretched between them, only to be broken by the sound of approaching footsteps. A moment later, the doors to the hall swung open, and a young man stepped inside.
Zhao Wei, the eldest son of Zhao Tian, and the clan's most promising warrior. His sharp eyes took in the scene before him, lingering briefly on the sleeping child in his sister's arms before turning to their father.
"What is the meaning of this?" Zhao Wei asked, his tone filled with disapproval. "She left. She made her choice. Now she returns, expecting protection?"
Zhao Tian raised a hand, silencing him. "She brings information. If her words are true, then greater forces are at play."
Zhao Wei scoffed. "And if they are false?"
She spoke before Zhao Tian could. "Do you think I would risk coming here if I were lying? Do you think I would endanger my son?"
Zhao Wei said nothing, but the skepticism in his eyes did not fade.
Zhao Tian sighed. "For now, you will remain here under my watch. But do not mistake this for forgiveness."
She nodded. "I wouldn't."
A sharp knock on the door interrupted the conversation. A guard entered, his expression grim. "Clan Master, we have intercepted a message."
Zhao Tian gestured for him to continue.
The guard hesitated before speaking. "It appears there is a bounty on the child."
The air in the room grew heavy. Zhao Wei's jaw tightened, and for the first time, uncertainty flickered in Zhao Tian's eyes.
She held her son closer. "Who placed it?"
The guard swallowed hard. "The Heavenly Sect."
A shiver ran through the room at the name. The Heavenly Sect, one of the most powerful factions in the martial world, had set its sights on her son.
Zhao Tian's expression darkened. "So… it begins."
She took a deep breath. There would be no turning back now.
End of Chapter 21