Tianshui City will run with rivers of blood.

The Tong Estate was a sprawling, heavily fortified manor.

A residence built upon piles of spirit stones and gold.

Inside the study, the scent of sandalwood mingled with the heavy reek of medicine. Rather than bringing peace, the combination only added to the room’s decaying, twilight atmosphere.

“Master, it’s time.”

Aunt Yun stood by the door, her voice lowered as though afraid of disturbing something.

Tong Qiannian slowly hauled himself up from the enormous golden-thread nanmu chair. His movements were sluggish, like a stranded whale trying to return to the sea.

He did not look at Aunt Yun. His gaze remained fixed on the withered parasol tree outside the window.

“I know.”

He waved a hand, his voice hoarse, as though it had been scraped raw with sandpaper.

“I can handle things here myself. Go keep an eye on Xiaoxiao.”

Tong Qiannian turned and walked step by step toward the wardrobe in the inner room. Hanging there was a brocade robe tailored for tonight, its surface embroidered with golden thread.

“She absolutely cannot run into any trouble at a time like this.”

“I’m not so weak that I need someone to look after me just to leave the house.”

Aunt Yun looked at his broad yet utterly desolate back. Her lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing more. She merely bowed and withdrew without a sound.

The reason an impulse was called an impulse was often that it would not only fail, but also bring a heavier price than the status quo.

Aunt Yun had served the Tong family her entire life. She understood that better than anyone.

…

Outside Xiaoxiao’s boudoir, two rows of maids stood with their hands folded before them, lanterns in hand, not daring to make a sound.

When Aunt Yun pushed the door open, Tong Xiaoxiao was sitting before her dressing table.

She had not applied any makeup. She was simply staring at the face in the mirror—a face both familiar and strange.

The reflection’s eyes were slightly reddened, yet no tears could be seen. Within those beautiful almond-shaped eyes was only a deathly gray stillness.

“Miss…”

Aunt Yun walked behind her and picked up a warm jade comb, wanting to brush her long hair.

Tong Xiaoxiao did not move. Through the mirror, she watched the worry written across Aunt Yun’s face.

“Aunt Yun, you’ve always been the best to me.”

Her voice was soft, almost like a murmur in a dream.

“From the time I was little, Father was always busy with business. You were the one who stayed by my side. Whenever I caused trouble, you covered for me. Whenever I fell ill, you watched over me.”

“Could you… help me one more time?”

Aunt Yun’s grip on the comb suddenly tightened.

A fierce struggle and an impulsive urge flashed across her weathered eyes.

She almost blurted out, “Miss, let’s run away!”

But when the words reached her lips, they turned into a long, powerless sigh.

In the mirror, she saw that deep within Tong Xiaoxiao’s eyes, there was actually very little hope.

She was merely going through the motions—a final attempt to let herself give up completely.

Aunt Yun released the comb. It fell onto the brocade-covered table without making the slightest sound.

She walked around to stand before Tong Xiaoxiao, crouched down, and took the girl’s cold hands in her own. Her warm palms were the only source of heat in the frigid chamber.

“Miss,” Aunt Yun said, her voice choked with tears. “Accept your fate.”

“The Tong family is your father’s life’s work. It is also your root. If a person loses their roots, then no matter where they drift, they are nothing more than a wandering ghost.”

“He hasn’t even made any plans for his own survival…”

“He only asks that you make it out of Tianshui City alive and carry on the Tong family…”

Tong Xiaoxiao smiled.

She slowly withdrew her hands, stood up, and walked to the wardrobe. From within, she took out a simple, elegant goose-yellow dress that had been prepared long ago.

“Aunt Yun, please leave.”

“I want to be alone for a while.”

…

An hour later.

The main gates of the Tong Estate swung wide open. A carriage made entirely of black nanmu slowly rolled out, surrounded by dozens of brightly dressed cultivators.

The carriage bore no family crest. Its low profile was almost uncanny.

Tong Xiaoxiao sat alone inside.

She did not cry or make a scene. She merely lifted a corner of the curtain and watched the familiar estate behind her grow smaller and smaller, until it finally vanished from sight.

Perhaps she would never have the chance to return here again for many years to come.

She slowly let the curtain fall and closed her eyes.

Her beautiful, delicate face was calm, without the slightest ripple of emotion.

…

At the same time.

Outside the most renowned auction house in Tianshui City—the Treasure-Gathering Pavilion—the streets were already packed with people.

The three-story pavilion, built entirely of white jade, was currently surrounded so tightly by three thousand spirit-armored guards that not even water could pass through. The cold gleam of arcane-breaking ballistae flickered beneath the lantern light, lending the scene a murderous tension.

But no matter how strict the security, it could not dampen the enthusiasm of the cultivators who had come after hearing the news.

“Have you heard? Elder Fang Zheng of the Black and White Hall on Imperial Court Mountain is personally overseeing things tonight. Anyone who dares cause trouble will be killed on the spot!”

“That’s nothing. I also heard that several lunatics from the Puppet Heaven Sacred Land have come, all for the extraterrestrial meteorite iron in that sword!”

“The Shu family has made their intentions clear as well. They’re determined to win the sword tonight!”

The crowd buzzed with discussion, while all kinds of rumors flew through the air.

On the second floor of the Drunken Immortal Inn, Su Ji was methodically picking meat from the leg bone of a spirit beast, his mouth glistening with grease.

Beside him, Su Jiu sipped spirit-fruit wine in small mouthfuls. Her fox-like eyes kept darting toward the brightly lit Treasure-Gathering Pavilion outside the window, worry written all over her small face.

“Senior Brother, are we really going?”

“Obviously.” Su Ji tossed the bone aside and wiped his hands. “The stage is already set. How could the lead actor not show up?”

Within his sea of consciousness, the Old Emperor lazily yawned.

“Kid, have you thought about how you’re going to wrap this up? That old fellow Fang Zheng won’t be easy to fool.”

“Wrap this up?” Su Ji laughed. “When did I ever say I was going to wrap anything up?”

He rose and walked to the window.

The night breeze stirred his long hair. In his deep eyes, the dazzling lights of the Treasure-Gathering Pavilion were reflected.

“I’m just going to take a look.”

“It’s not as if I’m going to cause trouble.”

Su Ji’s voice was soft, yet carried a hint of amusement.

“When the so-called rules meet someone who refuses to play by them…”

“When the so-called order encounters absolute power…”

“How spectacularly will this show be performed?”

He turned his head and flashed Su Jiu a wide grin.

“Let’s go, Ajiu.”

“It’s time for us to take the stage as well.”

Looking at her senior brother’s expression—that look of someone practically afraid the world might not descend into chaos—Su Jiu helplessly sighed and stood up too.

She had a feeling that something major was about to happen in Tianshui City tonight.

“Senior Brother… you saw it again?”

Su Ji nodded.

Although peering into Heaven’s Mandate was subject to a certain degree of distortion and could even produce erroneous information, the ability was still quite useful.

He had seen that, at tonight’s auction, the Tong family would reveal a bombshell at the very end: sell their daughter, sword included.

He had also seen an unexpected person step forward and battle fiercely against everyone present…

He had even seen Tianshui City run red with blood.

But none of that had much to do with him.

Because all he needed to do was…