"Azure," I thought as I floated gently in the air, surrounded by curious vines, "why exactly am I flying right now?"

"Fascinating," Azure murmured, and I could practically hear him taking mental notes. "This appears to be related to the celestial bodies now orbiting in your inner world. Typically, only cultivators in the Stellar Realm or above can achieve flight, likely due to their connection with heavenly bodies. You've essentially created your own version of that system."

That made a strange sort of sense.

I closed my eyes, remembering how it felt using the Skybound rune to fly in the Two Suns world. The sensation had been different then - more like pushing against the air itself. This felt more natural, as if gravity had simply decided to become optional.

Taking a deep breath, I focused on that feeling. The vines slowly unwound from my limbs as I guided myself downward, landing softly on my feet. Well, that was one more ability I'd need to keep under wraps. Flying at the Qi Condensation stage would raise far too many questions.

I could sense Wei Lin's presence outside my door. He hadn't knocked again, probably assuming I was deep in meditation. Knowing him, he was probably debating whether to wait or come back later.

Better see what he wants.

I made my way from the private training courtyard back through my room, straightening my robes before opening the door. Wei Lin stood there with his hand raised, apparently having finally decided to knock again.

"Oh, you're—" Wei Lin started, then did a double-take. He pointed at me accusingly. "You broke through? Again?!"

I shrugged, trying to look appropriately modest. "The wind essence was particularly pure. It seems like it was exactly what my cultivation needed."

Wei Lin shook his head. "Breakthroughs so close together are dangerous," he whispered, glancing around as if speaking of some forbidden topic. "It can cause an unstable cultivation base. Qi deviation."

Ah yes, qi deviation - the boogeyman of the cultivation world.

When a cultivator's qi turned against them, usually due to rushing their advancement or attempting techniques beyond their level. The results could range from temporary illness to permanent crippling or death. It was why most disciples were so careful about steady, measured progress.

I smiled, channeling qi through my body. "See? No sign of instability."

"Sometimes it's hidden," Wei Lin frowned, clearly not entirely convinced. "Comes out when you least expect it."

"I promise you, I'm fine." I tried to project confidence without seeming dismissive of his concerns. "What brings you here anyway?"

Wei Lin's expression brightened, though I could tell he was still a bit worried. "Mother heard about this thing called 'family game night' from some merchants who traded with the western kingdoms. She's insisting we try it."

Oh no.

"She sent me to invite everyone," he continued cheerfully, either missing or ignoring my expression. "Liu Chen's already there with Rocky watching through the window, and Lin Mei said she'd join us after checking on some herbs."

I tried to think of a polite way to decline, but Wei Lin's hopeful expression made it impossible. Besides, after everything he'd done to help me get the wind essence, the least I could do was survive one evening of whatever "family game night" entailed.

"Sure," I said, resigning myself to my fate. "Why not?"

As we walked through the compound's winding corridors, Wei Lin chatted excitedly about how his father seemed to be warming up to the idea of him and Lin Mei.

"He actually asked about her herb knowledge yesterday," Wei Lin said. "Not in a business way, but like he was genuinely interested! And this morning, I overheard him telling Mother that having someone with professional herb-growing experience in the family could be 'advantageous.'"

I nodded, hoping for Wei Lin's sake that his father's change of heart was genuine. Still, something about Wei Ye's sudden interest made me uneasy. The man was too calculating to simply change his mind without reason.

We found the others gathered in what Wei Lin called the "casual" reception room – though it was still nicer than most homes I'd seen.

Liu Chen sat cross-legged on a cushion near the window, occasionally tossing something out to Rocky, whose massive stone head took up most of the view. Wei Ting was arranging various boxes and tiles on a low table, while Wei Guang lounged nearby, looking amused.

"Ah, you're here!" Wei Ting beamed. "Come, sit! I found the most fascinating game set in one of our warehouses. The merchant said it's called 'Mahjong.'"

I took a seat as Lin Mei entered, looking slightly flushed from the garden. Wei Lin immediately scooted over to make room for her, earning an approving smile from his mother and a barely concealed eye-roll from Wei Guang.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"The rules are quite simple," Wei Ting began, but was interrupted by Wei Ye's arrival.

"Starting without me?" he asked, then noticed me. "Ah, another breakthrough so soon?"

The room went quiet. Liu Chen's jaw dropped, while Lin Mei shot me a worried look. Even Rocky stopped munching on whatever Liu Chen had been feeding him to peer more intently through the window.

"Two breakthroughs so close together?" Wei Ting's eyes widened. "Dear, are you sure that's—"

"He’s fine," Wei Ye cut in, studying me with that unnervingly intense gaze. "Quite remarkable, actually. Most cultivators would struggle to handle such rapid advancement, but young Ke Yin seems to have a particularly…stable foundation."

"Thank you, sir," I replied politely. "The wind essence proved quite effective."

Wei Ting launched into an explanation of tiles and sets that I only half followed, too aware of Wei Ye's occasional glances in my direction.

The game itself was actually quite engaging once we started playing, though Liu Chen's running commentary to Rocky ("No, you can't eat that tile – and stop breathing on the window, you're fogging it up!") provided most of the entertainment.

Wei Ting turned out to be terrifyingly good at the game, winning several rounds while maintaining an innocent expression that fooled absolutely no one. Wei Guang played with casual skill that suggested he'd definitely seen this game before, despite his claims otherwise.

We were halfway through another round when Wei Guang's personal guard burst into the room, face pale. "Young Master, urgent news from the city!"

The pleasant atmosphere evaporated instantly. Wei Ye set down his tiles. "Speak."

"The Sun family," the guard reported, bowing quickly. "They've... they've taken control of the southern trade routes. All of them. The caravan masters have signed exclusive contracts."

Wei Guang cursed softly. "That's impossible. We've had agreements with those caravans for generations. They wouldn't—"

"They would if they were threatened," Wei Ye interrupted, his voice deadly calm. "Continue."

The guard swallowed. "Three of our representatives in the southern quarter were found dead this morning. Officially, it was a robbery gone wrong, but..." he hesitated. "There are rumors that the Sun family has hired a Stellar Realm cultivator. They're not even trying to hide their intentions anymore – there's talk in the streets about how they plan to 'remove' the Wei family's influence entirely."

The southern trade routes were the Wei family's economic backbone, providing nearly half their annual income. Without them...

"What about our own cultivators?" Wei Lin asked, but I could tell from his tone that he already knew the answer.

"The highest we have under contract is Elder Ming in the late Elemental Realm," Wei Guang frowned. "Against a Stellar Realm cultivator..." he didn't need to finish the sentence.

I watched the three Wei men exchange looks, years of merchant training allowing them to have entire conversations without words. But for all their subtle communication and strategic thinking, one fact was brutally clear – there was nothing they could do.

The cultivation world operated on simple rules. Power was everything, and the gap between realms was nearly impossible to bridge. A single Stellar Realm cultivator could easily destroy everyone in this compound, and as long as the Sun family was careful to maintain plausible deniability, no one would intervene.

Even if everyone knew who was responsible, the sudden tragic demise of the Wei family would be nothing more than gossip fodder for a few weeks. After all, merchant clans rose and fell all the time, especially ones without powerful cultivators in their bloodline.

Wei Ye stood abruptly. "I have a meeting to attend." His voice was perfectly controlled, but I caught a flash of something cold and desperate in his eyes before he smoothed his expression. Without another word, he walked out of the room.

The mahjong tiles sat abandoned on the table, their patterns now seeming like mocking symbols of how quickly fortunes could change. Through the window, even Rocky had gone still, his stone features somehow managing to convey concern as he watched Liu Chen's frightened expression.

I thought about what Azure had said about Wei Ye's reaction to the two suns' energy, about his ability to track qi movements despite claiming to be a mortal. Whatever secrets the Wei family patriarch was hiding, I had a feeling we were about to find out what he'd do when pushed into a corner.

The question was, would his hidden cards be enough to save his family from what was coming?