Creating nests (1)

Keeping his growing suspicions to himself, Yang Qing refocused on the case. If the Xia clan had done what he suspected, it wouldn't exactly be surprising. Such things were inevitable where self-interest reigned and no one was there to hold the line.

While he didn't seem to dwell on the matter, the same couldn't be said for Xia Fang. Yang Qing's question lingered in her mind, stirring thoughts she had long avoided.

Was it strange for the three clans to have palace realm experts? In truth, it shouldn't have been. She hadn't been there when her founder was alive, nor had she witnessed how things shifted after his death—especially in regards to the power dynamics between her clan and the four retainer clans—but she had her suspicions. Suspicions she had deliberately chosen not to think too deeply about over the years.