*Chapter 59: The Emperor’s Offer**
The Flame Emperor's emissary arrived at sunset, his entourage a column of smoke and fire that stained the horizon crimson. Ten riders clad in obsidian armor flanked a palanquin borne by sinewy spirit-beasts—hybrids of wolf and serpent, their eyes smoldering like coals. The villagers halted their labor, frozen mid-motion as the procession halted at the gates. Meiying nocked an arrow, her jaw tight. "Here we go."
Li Tian stepped forward, spatial staff in hand, the Aeternum Core's scar pulsing beneath his sleeve. The palanquin's curtains parted, and a man emerged—tall, his face obscured by a gilded mask shaped into a leering flame. His voice, when he spoke, was a honeyed rasp.
"Li Tian of the Ashen Village. The Flame Emperor extends his... admiration."
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### **The Emissary's Gambit**
The emissary, introduced as Lord Varek, disdained the village's rebuilt hall, insisting instead on a pavilion erected by his retinue. Silk drapes billowed around a table laden with delicacies: roasted pheasant, spiced wine, fruits out of season. Villagers peered through gaps in the curtains, their whispers tinged with fear and awe.
"A token of goodwill," Varek said, sliding a jade box toward Li Tian. Inside lay a pill swirling with molten gold. "The *Sunspire Elixir*. It could mend your... affliction." He gestured to Li Tian's scarred chest.
Li Tian closed the box without touching the pill. "And the price?"
Varek's mask tilted, reflecting the forge's distant glow. "Allegiance. Your village becomes a vassal of the Flame Emperor Sect. Your militia, our outpost. In return, protection, resources, and secrets of the Magic Emperor's ruins."
Meiying, standing guard at Li Tian's shoulder, snorted. "Protection? Your scouts have been circling us for weeks."
"Observers," Varek corrected. "To gauge worth. You've passed."
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### **The Demonstration**
A snap of Varek's fingers summoned one of his riders—a woman with flame-kissed hair and a scarred lip. She unsheathed a sword that dripped liquid fire, its edge hissing where it met air.
"A show of sincerity," Varek said.
The rider swung at a stone block salvaged from the old granary. The blade cleaved it effortlessly, leaving molten edges. Villagers murmured; Haran's knuckles whitened around his mallet.
"Our smiths can arm your militia with such blades," Varek said. "Imagine bandits facing *this*."
Lin leaned forward, star-iron dagger glinting, until Meiying yanked him back.
Li Tian remained still. "And if we refuse?"
Varek's mask hid his smile, but his pause spoke volumes. "The Flame Emperor's enemies burn quickly. His friends... thrive."
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### **The Division**
That night, the village split.
In the forge, Haran argued loudest. "They're offering *steel*, Tian. And medicine. We can't fight bandits and the Flame Emperor both!"
Old Yuna spat into the fire. "Trust a flame that's already burned you? Fools."
Lira's voice trembled. "What if they're right? What if we can't survive alone?"
Li Tian listened, silent, until Lin tugged his sleeve. "You'll say no, right? They're *bad*."
Meiying answered for him. "He'll say no. Because the second we bow, we're theirs. Slaves with full bellies."
Li Tian stood, the Core's hum resonating through the hall. "Dawn. My answer comes at dawn."
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### **The Ultimatum**
Varek awaited him at the pavilion, mask polished to a mirror's sheen. "Well?"
Li Tian set the unopened jade box on the table. "Take your elixir. And your threats."
The emissary's sigh slithered like smoke. "Pity. The Emperor so hoped to avoid... unpleasantness."
He nodded to his riders. They drew blades, fire licking the steel—but Li Tian was faster.
Spatial energy erupted, warping the pavilion's supports. Silk collapsed inward, entangling the retinue. Meiying's arrows pinned two riders' cloaks to the ground, while Haran and Lira herded villagers to safety.
Varek emerged unscathed, his mask cracked, revealing a gaunt face beneath. "You've doomed them all."
Li Tian's staff pressed to his throat. "Leave. Now."
The emissary spat blood, his composure shattered. "When the Emperor's flames consume this hovel, remember—you chose this."
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### **The Aftermath**
The villagers gathered at the scorched gates, watching the retinue retreat. Lin clutched his dagger, eyes blazing. "We'll beat them! Right?"
Meiying ruffled his hair. "Damn right."
Haran approached Li Tian, shamefaced. "I... I'm sorry. I just—"
"You want to protect them," Li Tian said. "So do I. But not by trading one master for another."
Lira's water qi coiled around her fingers, steadier now. "What next?"
Li Tian turned to the horizon. "We rebuild. Train. And when they come—we burn brighter."
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