In the southern chambers of the sect stood the IronBlood Tower Mansion, a colossal edifice placed between two mountains. The mansion, as tall as the peaks that flanked it, served as the residence of the IronBlood Clan, one of the most powerful factions within the demonic sect. The IronBlood Tower was a symbol of strength and dominance, its walls lined with the trophies of countless battles and conquests.

Inside the mansion, in a luxurious room adorned with fur rugs and dark silks, a young boy stirred from his slumber. Chaoxiang, the third heir to the supreme leader, slowly stretched his arms, the fur robe slipping off his slender frame. The room was warmed by a crackling fire, its light casting dancing shadows on the walls. The sliding door to his chamber opened, and a scantily dressed woman entered, her head bowed in deference.

"Young Master Chaoxiang," she said, her voice soft and respectful, "this is a letter we intercepted and duplicated. It was being sent to your eldest brother in the TigerClaw Mansion of the TigerClaw Clan."

Chaoxiang took the letter from her, nodding in acknowledgment. "You are dismissed," he said, his voice calm yet commanding.

The woman bowed and left the room, the door sliding shut behind her. Chaoxiang unfolded the letter, his eyes scanning the contents with a growing sense of unease. As he read, his brow furrowed, and he muttered to himself, "Why did this change? What is going on in this life?"

Chaoxiang's hair was so dark it glowed blue in the sunlight, creating an ethereal effect that contrasted with the deep, intense darkness of his eyes. As he re-read the letter, his eyes narrowing in contemplation, he folded the paper and burned it in the fire lamp. The flames danced, casting a flickering light across his thoughtful face.

The letter was intercepted from a messenger sent by the Mount Hua sect leader. It was a stern message warning his eldest brother about a mishap in some sort of scheme the two sides had agreed upon. From the contents of the letter, Chaoxiang deduced that his eldest brother planned to use Mount Hua’s forces in his upcoming rebellion against the supreme leader. The plan was contingent on Mount Hua obtaining the order of expansion from the central plains emperor. Once Mount Hua received this order, His Eldest Brother would assist the first prince of the Central Plains in rebelling against the imperial court with the full support of the demonic sect's forces. It was a win-win situation for both Mount Hua and his eldest brother.

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The central plains emperor’s order of expansion would allow Mount Hua to station their forces within the demonic sect’s territory, something that couldn't happen otherwise. This arrangement was crucial for his eldest brother's rebellion plans. It seemed Mount Hua had tried to stage an attack on their sect to force the emperor into granting the order of expansion. However, the scheme had backfired, resulting in an important member of one of the nine great sects getting injured.

His eldest brother's confidence in rebelling stemmed from the fact that the current supreme leader of the demonic sect had only taken power a year ago after a bloody rebellion, which saw the execution of all the old regime members. The current supreme leader's forces had suffered significant losses and were still recovering after consolidating power in Blood Valley City. This made it the perfect time to ally with an external force, especially one from the central plains, to attack the current regime and seize power.

The plan was strategically sound. With the foreign power doing most of the fighting, his eldest brother’s forces wouldn’t suffer significant casualties. Once the foreign power weakened the supreme leader’s forces, his eldest brother could swoop in and take control of the city, maintaining a stable army that could secure his new position.

Chaoxiang glanced at the closed sliding door, feeling a pang of sympathy for the woman who had just delivered the letter. She was a member of the IronBlood Clan, undercover in his eldest brother’s mansion as a concubine. It seemed she had come to him immediately after a “session” with his eldest brother. He felt sorry for having her undertake such a dangerous mission. His eldest brother was ruthless, and if he discovered that one of his concubines was spying on him, he would spare no one.

Steeling his heart, Chaoxiang reminded himself of his purpose. He had to change the course of events, no matter the cost. With resolve, he walked out the sliding door. His path was fraught with danger, but the stakes were too high for hesitation. The future of the demonic sect and the lives of many depended on his next moves.

Inside the Sect Leader’s Office, Shining Blade Sect, Shenzhou Province

Li Mei sat across from the sect leader of the Shining Blade Sect, Xu Lian. An untold tension hung in the air as Li Mei asked, "So you really don’t know how magic works?"

Sect Leader Xu Lian gulped and forced a smile. "Of course, Lili. I told you, this is the first time I’m hearing about this. You know I’ve only ever met one mage in my life, Elara, and that was with you when we were younger."

Li Mei smiled slyly. "Two," she corrected.

"What?" Xu Lian’s confusion was evident.

"You met two mages, Xixi, Elara’s cousin. That guy she brought with her on the trip. He was also a mage," Li Mei explained.

"Well, I didn’t know about it! See, I have no idea about the western combat arts whatsoever, alright," Xu Lian said defensively.

"I believe you," Li Mei said, standing up. "Well then, I’ll get going. I promised my kids I would help them train today." With that, she left, leaving Xu Lian to sighed in exhaustion.

Ever since Li Mei had arrived at the Shining Blade Sect, she hadn’t left a single stone unturned. She was relentlessly hunting for clues about how Xu Lian had kidnapped her children and who was backing her. It was exhausting for Xu Lian; Li Mei was like a relentless bloodhound, never stopping, always sniffing out new leads. This relentless pursuit left Xu Lian feeling perpetually on edge, her nerves frayed from the constant scrutiny.