The Truth

In the Jiang Clan's ancestral hall, the air was thick with tension. Jiang Wuyu, the patriarch, sat rigid on his throne-like chair, his white robe spotless yet heavy with the weight of years. His eyes burned with a storm of fury and desperation, and his knuckles whitened around the chair's arms as his thoughts churned.

"I don't have any more time."

"I must get the demonic beast. I must acquire the Crimson Rubies—no matter the cost. For Zhenyu's sake."

He gritted his teeth. His thoughts spiraled back—years ago, to the event that changed everything. The day his son nearly died. The day his brother betrayed him.

Zhenyu. His son. His treasure. Born to his most beloved wife, a woman who had long since passed due to illness, leaving him only their child as the last piece of her he could hold. Wuyu remembered when the boy first tested for talent. The reading had stunned him—Rank 5. He had immediately hidden the truth, telling even the elders that Zhenyu was only Rank 4. It was better to protect him in silence than to parade him in front of envious eyes.

But one of those envious eyes had already seen. His own blood—Jiang Jian.

That snake of a brother had somehow learned the truth, using his underhanded methods as usual. And in that moment, Jiang Jian made a decision—not to let his nephew rise above his own son. Not to let Wuyu's lineage surpass his. "Only one heir shall remain."

At first, he tried to keep his hands clean. Sent nameless assassins, faceless blades in the dark. But Zhenyu had Wuyu's protection. Each attempt failed. In the end, Jiang Jian grew desperate. He turned to a poison—a vile, brutal creation of his own: Bone-Wither Venom, a Rank 1 peak-tier poison technique. It liquefied marrow, shredded nerves, and dissolved will. There was barely time to recognize the poison, let alone cure it he also used a few other things to make sure even if the boy somehow survives he will never be able to cultivate he used poisons that destroyed the Dantian and meridians all to make sure jiang wuyus child would not surpass his.

But Wuyu had defied even that. Against all odds, he had saved his son.

And uncovered the truth.

Jiang Jian had been found out—his trail exposed by a single misstep. The antidote. Ivory Dominion. He had created it, kept it in secret, intending to use it as leverage if the worst came to pass. But there was no bargaining with a father whose child was lying on the edge of death especially after finding out that the so called antidote was a unfinished a high tier art incapable of doing anything to a peak tier poison.

Jiang Jian ran.

He left behind his wife and son, sacrificing them like pawns forgetting even the reason why he did all of this which was his son but maybe deep down he knew it was for him he wanted to surpass wuyu and if he couldn't do it himself he'll make sure his son surpasses his at least that was his plan as he was now only thinking of escaping with his life. But Wuyu had acted swiftly—he poisoned Jiang Jian during the pursuit, using a Rank 2 mid-tier technique known as Crimson Mark Seep. The technique didn't kill instantly, but it weakened the body by rupturing internal Qi channels and kept the target constantly bleeding from the inside—a slow, humiliating death.

Jiang Jian barely escaped, his spatial ring destroyed in the process. With what little strength he had, he scribbled out a will, a story, a lie.

He twisted everything. Made himself the victim. Claimed Wuyu had attacked him unjustly out of envy. That Zhenyu was the real threat. That he—the "poor uncle"—had only tried to protect his family he also made sure to say his child was an infant rather then a young man who was at the age of 16 after all normal humans would naturally sympathize with a helpless infant rather then a full fledged cultivator and think of this as a horrible thing and curse jiang wuyu for his cruelty against an infant this was all his plan,to portray himself as the victim by lying about everything he can possibly lie about to make his story more believable.

He made sure whoever found him would believe it.

Unfortunately for him, it was Lin Shu.

A boy with nothing to lose. A boy who saw through deception and cared nothing for honor or sentiment. Jiang Jian's last will, his final desperate gambit, was read by a wolf dressed as a stray dog.

And if Lin Shu ever learned the full truth of it?

He would laugh. Loud and cruel. Because he had known—deep down—that Jiang Jian was a liar.

And Jiang Wuyu, still gripping his throne, stared forward with hatred and fire in his eyes.

"Damn you, Jiang Jian… It's all because of you. Because of you, my son suffers every night. Because of you, I must now play this game of desperation… and I will win it. Even if I have to burn through the empire itself."

That was the true reason Jiang Wuyu needed the Crimson Rubies and the demonic beast. It wasn't just greed or cultivation resources.

It was his son.

The boy who once held the hope of the clan's future. The one whose bones were melted, whose nerves were crippled, whose potential had been carved away by poison meant to erase him. Jiang Wuyu couldn't accept it—not then, not now.

But he had found a way.

Years ago, during an expedition beyond the border provinces, he discovered a demonic art buried beneath a ruined sect known for their heretical methods. An art that required two things: the Crimson Rubies, and the blood essence of a powerful demonic beast. With those, one could refine a terrifying pill—one capable of rebuilding bones, regrowing nerves, and forcefully tempering the body far beyond its natural limits.

But there was a price.

The ingredients weren't just herbs and beast cores. He needed cultivators.

High-stage ones. Preferably from his own bloodline—so the Qi would resonate with his son.

He would fatten them, raise them, then use them as material.

A forbidden method.

He planned to heal Jiang Zhenyu... and remake him. Stronger than he ever could have been naturally. A monster to crush the future with. But for that, the mine, the beast, and the crimson rubies were non-negotiable.

No one could know.

That was why he wanted War. Why he didn't want to hold back anymore. Why he didn't mind sacrificing assets, escalating the conflict, swallowing his pride—so long as he got what he needed. Everything had to stay hidden until the ritual could begin.

But now…

The heavy doors of the hall creaked open. Jiang Wuyu turned his gaze as three elders entered, their expressions tight with fear and unease.

He didn't rise.

"Speak," he said coldly.

One of the elders bowed. "Sir… it's the Empire. Word just arrived—they're sending an officer and soldiers. They've officially launched an investigation. Both the clan and the institute are now under scrutiny. They've learned of the war."

The room held its breath.

But Jiang Wuyu… did not flinch.

He leaned back on his throne, his fingers tapping once on the armrest.

"So they finally made their move."

There was no surprise. No panic. Only cold calculation in his gaze.

"Prepare the clan."

The elders blinked. "Sir?"

He stood. His robe fell like a sheet of frost behind him.

"We march tonight. No more waiting. No more diplomacy. We kill them all. Every student. Every instructor. Burn the mine to the ground if we must."

"But the Empire—"

"We will fabricate the truth later. Blame it on rogue beasts. Or a rebellious faction. Let them chase ghosts. By the time they arrive, there will be no evidence. Only ash."

His voice carried finality like a blade drawn across the sky.

"The mine is priority. The beast is priority. My son is priority."

And in that moment, Jiang Wuyu's eyes gleamed—not with hope, nor power—but with something darker. A father's love twisted into madness. A desperation that could tear empires apart.

The elders said nothing.

They simply bowed… and left to begin preparations for war.

Elsewhere, two identical figures sat among the Jiang clansmen—Yan Bai and Yan Hei. Hired as mercenaries, they were originally brought on to protect the clan's goods during transport. But now, they were being paid to join the Jiang Clan in its upcoming battle with the Stone Path Hall.

"Brother, don't you think this is the perfect chance to get to the mine while everyone's distracted?" Yan Hei leaned over slightly, voice low.

"Only if the battle happens there," Yan Bai replied calmly. "But I doubt it. Both sides want the mine intact, so they'll fight somewhere else. The problem is, we don't know the exact location of the mine. We can't just leave now and wander off hoping to stumble on it. We'll need to join the battle and grab someone—maybe force them to show us the way."

Yan Hei frowned, considering it. "That might not work. The institute likely forced the students and instructors into binding oaths not to reveal the location. If that's the case, no one will be able to speak even if they want to. So instead of wasting time, why not wait until someone heads back to the mine? If we follow them quietly, we might finally find it. If the Jiang Clan wins, we'll be out of options anyway."

He paused, glancing around before adding, "Besides, we're already wanted by the institute for attacking Xie Lang. Which we didn't have a choice even if we lost the chance to get the demonic beast core it doesn't matter the serpent master domain inheritance holds greater value for the long run."

Yan Bai gave a grim nod. "We didn't have a choice. We had to betray Xie Lang then and there—no time to wait for another opportunity. And the only reason we even know about the demonic beast is because we were tasked with delivering those crystal crates for the institute. Remember? During that ambush, when blood spilled on the crates… those 'crystals' turned out to be Crimson Rubies. They only reveal their true form when exposed to blood."

The twins fell silent after that, their identical gazes scanning the camp—calculating, waiting.