"There are three options: the Dock-Masters' Union, the Sea Garden Pavilion, and Golden Delta Hall. All three come with benefits and problems, but any of them would make the handler reconsider his plans."
He paused, his gaze steady and deliberate.
"Just understand this: whichever path you choose, you will not walk back from it easily. Connections are chains, even golden ones."
"I will think on it."
Yi nodded slowly, as if expecting that answer. "Do that. And do not take too long. The people pushing against you are not patient."
Lin Yuan stood up, adjusting his clothes before heading toward the door. His movements remained calm, though his thoughts were already turning over the implications.
Yi added one final remark before he left the room.
"If you survive this well, you may even thank them one day. Pressure has a habit of pushing certain people upward."
Lin Yuan paused at the doorway, his hand resting lightly against the frame.
"Or pushing them into the sea."
Yi shrugged lightly, unconcerned. "That depends entirely on how well you swim."
Lin Yuan left Yi's pavilion with a composed expression, though his mind continued to turn over the old man's words. Each possibility carried its own weight, and none of them were without consequence.
The Tide Line often changed weather without warning, and tonight was no exception. A fine drizzle had already begun to fall, carried by a damp wind that rolled in from the sea.
Despite the chill brushing across his cheeks, Lin Yuan felt no discomfort. The pendant beneath his collar gave off a faint warmth, forming a thin barrier that kept the cold from seeping into his body.
The street was still active, though less crowded than before. A line of Spirit Flow Carriages drifted slowly along the main road, their steady hum blending with the sound of rain.
Lin Yuan raised a hand toward the first one.
The driver saw him clearly, yet turned his head aside and continued forward without stopping.
Lin Yuan's brows lowered slightly, a faint crease forming between them.
Another carriage approached, its lantern light cutting through the rain. He signaled again.
The driver hesitated for a brief moment—long enough to acknowledge him—then continued onward without slowing.
Lin Yuan remained silent, though the tension in his expression deepened slightly.
A third carriage came and behaved the same, followed shortly by a fourth.
None of them stopped.
The rain was not heavy enough to deter drivers, and the road remained clear. Even strong winds had never stopped the Tide Line's carriages before.
Yet tonight, for some reason, they simply refused to take him.
Lin Yuan stood beneath the eaves of a nearby pavilion for several breaths, watching the road quietly. The pattern was too consistent to be coincidence.
"Hmm… strange. It seems like I'll have to walk."
He stepped into the rain without hesitation and followed a side path leading away from the harbor. His pace was unhurried, though his awareness sharpened with each step.
Most shops had already shuttered their windows for the night, leaving the district unusually quiet. Only the distant crashing of waves against the docks broke the silence.
Before long, he reached a familiar narrow alley that connected this part of the Tide Line to Stone Street. Rainwater flowed along the center in a thin stream, carrying bits of debris toward a drainage grate further ahead.
The alley was dim, with only faint moonlight filtering through gaps between leaning wooden walls. Shadows pooled in the corners, thick enough to conceal movement.
"This should be the quickest way through," Lin Yuan said softly, his gaze sweeping the empty passage. "Though it is far less pleasant in this weather."
He stepped inside.
Halfway down the alley, a sudden surge of instinct struck him without warning.
Lin Yuan's expression sharpened instantly, his foot pausing mid-step before he shifted his weight and leaned sharply to the side.
A faint whisper cut through the rain.
A thin blade of light sliced past the space where his chest had been only a moment earlier.
Lin Yuan did not look at the missed attack. His gaze went directly to the far end of the alley.
A figure stood there beneath the rain, cloaked in black. The hood cast a deep shadow over his face, hiding any clear features.
The man studied Lin Yuan briefly before speaking.
"…Strange. They said you would be an easy target."
He reached to his sides and drew two slender sabers, their edges catching faint light.
Lin Yuan's expression did not change. "So the Harbor Authority is hiring assassins now?"
"Is that what you think?"
The assassin gave a low chuckle as he began to approach, step by step. His movements were slow, deliberate, as if testing the ground beneath him.
Lin Yuan remained still, his calm only deepening. For someone being targeted, he showed no trace of panic or urgency.
The assassin moved without warning.
His figure blurred and vanished from sight.
Lin Yuan's expression shifted instantly, his body turning as he prepared for the strike he knew was coming.
A faint gust brushed his cheek as the assassin reappeared directly before him.
Cling!
Metal clashed sharply, the sound cutting through the rain.
The outcome, however, was not what the assassin expected.
Instead of blood, instead of a collapsing body, he was forced backward.
"That's… impossible." His eyes widened in disbelief.
Lin Yuan now held a slim dagger in his right hand, its edge steady and unmoving.
"Why so surprised?" Lin Yuan asked calmly. "Did you really take me for a sheep waiting to be butchered?"
The assassin frowned slightly, his grip tightening on his weapons.
"This is the first time I've ever received wrong information about a target."
"Then let me save you the trouble," Lin Yuan said with a faint sneer. "You won't be correcting it."
He flicked his wrist, sending the dagger spinning forward.
The assassin scoffed. "A simple trick."
He sidestepped easily.
But in the next instant, his expression changed.
He twisted sharply and raised both sabers just in time to block a strike aimed at his ribs.
Clang!
Lin Yuan was already upon him, a second blade flashing into view. The assassin's stance faltered for a fraction of a second, just enough for him to realize the danger.
Without hesitation, he swept his arm and released several thin needles toward Lin Yuan. At the same time, he retreated rapidly toward the far end of the alley.
The moment his surprise attack failed, he knew the mission was already compromised.
A muffled burst sounded behind him as the needles were deflected.
"Tch, troublesome," he muttered, accelerating.
He did not get far.
A silver gleam cut across his vision.
Instinct took over as he dropped low and raised both sabers defensively.
The moment his blades collided with Lin Yuan's—
BOOM!
A violent shockwave erupted, sending him flying backward. His sabers were torn from his grip and scattered across the wet ground.
His eyes widened as he struggled to regain his footing.
"Spirit Flow weapon… someone at your level shouldn't be carrying one. Where did you get it?"