A single ship slipped quietly from the harbour, cutting through the black waters toward the city. Standing at the front, Luo He spoke in a low voice, "We strike fast. No hesitation.
Capture the palace magistrate, seize the Xu family member behind this scheme, and retrieve our captured guards."
The men nodded silently.
Before departure, Luo He turned to Jin Mulan. "I need you to lead a cavalry force," he said. She frowned slightly. "To where?"
"To stop us," he replied. A brief pause followed. "Make it real," he added. "Drive us out like pirates. Let everyone see it."
Mulan's eyes sharpened as she understood. "You want the city to believe this was an enemy raid." "Exactly," Luo He replied.
The ship reached the shore unnoticed. Within moments, Luo He and a few tens of fierce sailors stormed into the city like a sudden storm.
The palace magistrate's residence was their first target. Doors were broken open. Guards were overwhelmed before they could react. "Move!" Luo He ordered.
The magistrate was dragged out, along with the Xu family member who had orchestrated the arrests. Panic spread through the compound as every resistance was crushed swiftly.
In the cells below, the captured Jin guards were found. Two of them had been tortured, their bodies weak, but their limbs were still intact. "We're taking you back," Luo He said simply.
To complete the illusion, Luo He extended the raid. Nearby villages were struck, not brutally, but just enough to create fear and chaos.
Three young women were taken from the villages. Their cries echoed as the "pirates" retreated toward the shore. Then the thunder of hooves. Jin Mulan arrived with cavalry.
"Drive them off!" she commanded, her voice cutting through the night. The cavalry charged forward. Luo He gave the signal.
"Retreat." The pirates fled, boarding their ship and disappearing into the darkness. Jin Mulan's forces secured the area quickly. The three village girls were rescued.
But the palace magistrate and the Xu family agent were gone. The villagers gathered, shaken but relieved. "Our daughters," one man said, his voice trembling with gratitude.
"They're safe." No one spoke of the magistrate. No one asked questions.
By morning, compensation arrived. Gold from the Jin family covered the damages.
Houses were repaired. Losses repaid.
And with that, the people's trust deepened. Their praise grew louder.
To them, the Jin family had protected them from pirates. And no one saw the truth behind the night's events.
The next morning, a new day began. The Jin family gathered for breakfast. Sunlight filtered softly through the wooden lattice windows, casting warm patterns across the long table.
The atmosphere was unusually light. Servants moved quietly, placing dishes of fresh rice, vegetables, and tea.
For a brief moment, it felt peaceful. Jin Quan took a sip of tea. "Things have settled down for now," he said.
Jin Yang nodded. "After that defeat, the Xu family should think twice before moving again." Jin Su, however, remained thoughtful.
"They won't stop that easily." Luo He sat calmly, his expression neutral. "They won't," he said. The table quieted. "Be careful," Luo He continued. "Soon, we will be targeted by assassins." He said.
Jin Mulan looked at him. "You're certain?" "Yes." He placed his cup down gently. "This is how the Xu elder thinks. When brute force fails, he goes silent.
Then strikes from the shadows."
The warmth at the table faded slightly. Everyone understood. The next phase had begun.
The following weeks passed in silence. Too much silence. Luo He used that time well. His spear skills had reached their peak at level 139.
His movements were now near flawless, every strike precise, every motion efficient.
With little left to improve there, he turned fully toward medicine. Days turned into weeks. Under candlelight, surrounded by scrolls and knowledge stored within his armour, Luo He advanced rapidly.
He mastered blood transfusion techniques. He studied immunization methods. He developed counters for various poisons. His understanding deepened with each passing day.
At the same time, his physical conditioning improved. His walking skill reached level 97. At that level, he unlocked a new ability.
To move at extreme speed, covering up to 300 miles per hour for a full hour, though it required three hours of recovery afterward. With this distance, no longer mattered.
He could travel to and from the capital in a fraction of the usual time. And he used it. A grand festival had been announced in honour of the Emperor of the Yu Kingdom.
The capital was alive with celebration. Lanterns glowed across endless streets, music echoed through the night, nobles and performers gathered from all regions.
Among them was Lin Su. With her beauty restored and confidence rebuilt, she entered the imperial selection. Graceful, composed, and unforgettable.
Luo He observed from afar, silent and away from the prying eyes. With his subtle guidance and support, Lin Su moved through all stages flawlessly.
Her presence captivated the emperor. Her elegance stood above the rest. Her fine silks were made for her by Luo He himself and worked like a charm.
In the end, she won. The Emperor himself favoured her. She was chosen as one of his personal concubines.
Yet she told him nothing. Nothing of Luo He. Nothing of the past. From that moment on, a quiet influence was established within the palace.
Through Lin Su and eunuch Long, Luo He could now affect decisions at the highest level.
Back at the Jin estate, the silence remained. Then one evening inside the Jin mansion, the atmosphere seemed calm on the surface, but beneath it something was shifting.
Luo He stood alone in his study. A map lay before him. Small markers dotted the Xu family territory. But no new ones had appeared. Unfamiliar.
"They're not moving," Jin Mulan said from behind him. He didn't turn. "Yes," Luo He replied. "And that's the problem."
A soft knock echoed.
A spy entered, kneeling immediately. "My lord, we have news. The Xu family has stopped all visible operations."
Mulan frowned. "After everything? That doesn't make sense." The spy hesitated. "There's more."
Luo He's eyes narrowed slightly. "A third party has entered the region." "Who?" Luo He asked.
"We don't know yet," the spy admitted. "But they've been meeting with what remains of the Xu leadership in secret."
Mulan stepped forward. "So they're not retreating. They're aligning."
Luo He finally turned. His expression remained calm but colder than before. "Interesting," he said. The spy continued, placing a sealed scroll on the table.
Luo He opened it. His eyes moved across the contents quickly. Then he smiled, faint and sharp. "They've invited someone dangerous," he said.
Mulan crossed her arms. "Dangerous how?" Luo He set the scroll down. "They're bringing in someone who doesn't care about reputation or rules."
A brief pause followed. "Someone who solves problems permanently." Mulan's eyes hardened. "An assassin?"
"Not just one," Luo He replied. Silence filled the room again. He tapped the map lightly. "If they're doing this," he continued, "it means one thing."
"They've given up on winning through power." Mulan's voice lowered. "So now they'll try to remove you." Luo He nodded slightly. "Yes." A faint smile appeared again. "Good," said Luo He.
Mulan frowned. "Good?" "If they're desperate enough to do this," he said, "they'll make mistakes."
He turned back to the map. "Let them come." His voice dropped, colder now. "This time, we hunt them back."
The next few days passed under a heavy, invisible weight. Luo He had not taken the threat lightly.
From the very next morning after receiving word of possible retaliation, he began reinforcing the Jin family estate. Guards were doubled, then tripled.
Rotations were tightened. Patrols extended beyond the courtyard into the surrounding streets.
Even the rooftops were no longer empty. Silent sentries now watched from above like hawks scanning for prey. Every corner had eyes.
Every shadow was questioned. Every sound in the night was answered with a drawn blade. Yet nothing came. Not a single assassin.
Not even a whisper of movement. The silence itself became unsettling. Luo He stood in the courtyard one evening, his hands clasped behind his back, eyes scanning the dark horizon beyond the estate walls.
"They should have come by now," he muttered softly. A guard nearby hesitated before speaking. "My lord, perhaps they have abandoned their plan?"