dark descendent lurking fate

1. A Tense Conversation

In the courtyard of the Lin estate, moonlight spilled over white tiles. Qi Rong stood with her arms folded, her little fox curled on her shoulder. Lin Yue was returning from speaking with her grandfather, face lit with ambition.

Qi Rong stepped into her path.

> "Yue," she said quietly, "a word."

Lin Yue raised an eyebrow.

> "Is it about the deal? I know what I'm doing."

Qi Rong shook her head.

> "No, you don't."

She took a step closer.

> "You weren't paying attention when Ash mentioned the power of throne. I was."

Lin Yue paused, her expression narrowing.

> "You think I missed something?"

Qi Rong nodded slowly.

> "Yes. He didn't speak of Core Vein Formation like it was his goal. He spoke of it like it was... just another step."

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2. The Hidden Fear

Qi Rong stroked the fox's fur, trying to calm herself.

> "He asked about throne manifestation the first time I met him. I thought he was joking. No one here talks about that. No one here even believes in that stage."

She locked eyes with Lin Yue.

> "But he wasn't joking. And when he mentioned it again in your pill house... he was testing you. He's hiding something, something deep. And it's not just his forging."

Lin Yue crossed her arms, defensive.

> "You sound paranoid."

> "Maybe. But paranoid people live longer."

Qi Rong turned away, voice lower.

> "Don't try to bind him, Yue. He's not the kind of person you can chain with deals and resources. He'll burn through them like wind through dry leaves."

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3. Lin Yue's Doubt

That night, Lin Yue sat by the glowing cauldron in her alchemy lab. A half-finished elixir bubbled gently, but her eyes weren't on it.

> The power of thrones…?

She remembered Ash's calm gaze when he demanded 120 elixirs. No hesitation. No arrogance. Just certainty.

Qi Rong's words echoed again:

> "He's not someone you can bind."

Lin Yue clenched her fists.

> But what if… we walked beside him instead?

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4. Ash's Silence

Meanwhile, Ash was seated on the rooftop of the guest quarters. Vulcan's spirit materialized beside him, the flickering form of a bearded man made of molten iron.

> "They're getting nervous," Vulcan rumbled.

Ash didn't respond at first.

> "Let them," he said eventually. "I didn't come here to please anyone."

> "What about trust?"

> "I don't need trust. I need space."

Vulcan crossed his arms.

> "You won't reach throne manifestation without allies."

Ash turned toward the moon.

> "That depends. Maybe the throne I reach won't need anyone at all."

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5. The Wind Howls

Back in her room, Qi Rong sat by the window. The wind whistled through the wooden lattice, and her fox stirred in its sleep.

She looked toward Ash's quarters.

> There's something ancient about him, she thought.

Something that doesn't belong in this world.

Then she muttered softly to herself:

> "Let's hope we're not walking behind a rising storm."

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