Small factions have their petty woes, but big players aren’t immune to trouble either—it’s just the nature of the game. Conflict’s universal.


    Take the Yun family, for instance. Yun Duo, the patriarch’s daughter and Lu Qingmo’s nominal disciple, has a status side branches can only dream of. The best resources flow her way, and her opinions carry weight. But Bai Ruoyue’s mother, Ling Yue? She got hit with a disaster she never signed up for. That engagement? It wasn’t even hers to begin with. Yet under the family’s decree, it became her burden.


    With a kid already in the picture alongside Bai Tian, expecting her to honor some random betrothal was a pipe dream. Ling Yue flat-out refused, even threatening to die rather than comply. Word didn’t reach Jiangnan back then, but it’s hard to imagine the Dong family agreeing to tie the knot with her under those circumstances anyway.


    “That day, we fought to stay together,” Bai Tian said, “but they took her anyway. No amount of pleading changed a thing.”


    “Is she… okay?” Han asked. “Have you heard anything about her over the years, Master?”


    Bai Tian nodded. “She’s a Ling, so her life’s not in danger back there.” Safe, sure, but her standing and situation? Bound to have shifted.


    “As for updates, I can’t reach her myself or get a read on Jade Capital. But Lu Duguan checks in every so often with a ‘she’s fine.’ They’ve been close since childhood—best friends. Part of why Lu’s here in Black Cloud Town is because Ling Yue asked her to keep an eye out.”


    “As long as she’s alright,” Han said. He knew the details were a tangled mess—Ling and Dong family drama, Bai Tian and Ling Yue’s desperate struggle, the Ling clan’s stance, the engagement’s backstory, and how it all shook out. It wasn’t something you could unpack in a few sentences. Digging deeper felt intrusive—like asking Bai Tian how he begged the Ling family. Not his place. The broad strokes were enough.


    Then a thought struck him. “When Meng Hao left, he warned me to watch out for the Ling and Dong families and keep my ties to you under wraps. What’s that about? Did the Dong family find out later?”


    Bai Tian’s face clouded. “I heard it from Lu Duguan after the fact. Yeah, the Dong family caught wind of it. The engagement was looming, but the Ling family ran out of eligible candidates. Someone spilled the beans to the Dong side—made it public, even. They were furious. Cracks formed between the two families, and the Dong started leaning hard on the Ling. The Ling took a hit, the Dong lost face, and the list of people holding grudges against me and Ling Yue just kept growing.”


    Now Han got Meng Hao’s warning. With tensions like that, being Bai Tian’s disciple put him in the crosshairs. But hold up—he hadn’t even stepped into the wider world yet, and he was already racking up enemies. The Dong family, the Ling family, the Heavenly Mother Sect, the Impermanence Hall… What gives? Sure, none of this was Bai Tian or Ling Yue’s fault—they were just living their lives, madly in love, when some ancient engagement they’d never heard of crashed down on them. Victims, plain and simple. But the fallout? It landed squarely on their shoulders.


    “Who’s the guy from the Dong family in this engagement?” Han asked. “Do you know, Master?”


    “Dong Shengtian,” Bai Tian said slowly. “I didn’t know him at first, but Meng Hao mentioned him when we were in Black Mountain. He’s a standout from the last generation in the Dong family—high up now. Meng Hao’s advice? Take it seriously. If certain folks in the Dong or Ling families peg you as my disciple, they might not attack outright, but they won’t be friendly either. Back when I was traveling, I used disguises and aliases, so not many know my real roots.”


    A thorough investigation could crack that cover, but the world’s big, and one engagement’s fallout is just gossip to most. The Dong family tried hunting Bai Tian down but dropped it for reasons unknown.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Han nodded. His master was a seasoned player—back at Landscape Temple, Bai Ruoyue had nabbed some of Bai Tian’s old “river-and-lake” gear to disguise him and Su Changan. Han had suspected Bai Tian was a pro at playing chameleon, and now it checked out.


    “Don’t tell Ruoyue or the others yet,” Bai Tian added. “I’ll break it to them myself once I’ve made up my mind.” If Han hadn’t asked, he wouldn’t have opened up now.


    “Got it,” Han said. “But Master, if you and Senior Sister head to the Ling family, will it be dangerous? The Dong’s been putting serious pressure on them.”


    Bai Tian went quiet for a moment, then said, “It’s something I’ve got to do.”


    He shifted gears. “When I first started Tai Bai and took on disciples, I had an ulterior motive. I hoped to find someone exceptional enough to handle what I couldn’t. Over the years, that pipe dream faded—I faced reality. Finding a disciple in Black Cloud Town to rival the prodigies of major sects or clans? Near impossible. Counting on them to step up for me was a long shot.”


    Then came Han—his talent and feats a jaw-dropping shock, pushing Bai Tian to True Blood and giving him the power to tackle it himself. Back when the dream burned bright, no disciple showed up. Now that he’d let it go, Han walked in. Life’s funny like that—when you’re lost in the mountains, a hidden path opens up.


    But at True Blood, he didn’t need a disciple to carry the torch anymore. Plans? They never keep up with the twists.


    Han spoke earnestly. “Master, if you take Senior Sister and go, I’ll track you down someday. Any injustice, any snag—I’ll pitch in.”


    No way he’d let Bai Ruoyue slip away. As for Bai Tian taking the whole Tai Bai crew to Jade Capital? Han mulled it over and saw the snag. Bai Tian wasn’t heading to the Ling family for a cushy life. It’s a prestigious clan—loaded with power and resources—but none of it was his. He’d be a guest at best, living under their roof, facing a slew of headaches. Dragging all of Tai Bai along? A logistical nightmare. Bai Ruoyue had Ling blood and solid talent—enough for them to grudgingly accept her. The rest? No standing, and Bai Tian couldn’t look after them all. They’d just catch flak from the Ling folks.


    “I need to think it over,” Bai Tian said, clearly torn. “Whether I go to Jade Capital or not, I’ll make sure Shen Long and the others are set. You, though…” He looked at Han. “Your talent’s off the charts. I’m not sure where your future lies. Making plans for you might just hold you back.”


    A disciple this extraordinary—almost freakish—left Bai Tian at a loss. A genius like that was destined to roam the world, make a name in Great Qi, not rot in one spot. Maybe he ought to hash it out with Lu Qingmo.


    Han waved it off. “No worries, Master. I’ve got a handle on my future—plans in place.” A monthly cheat code meant he’d never end up begging on the streets, no matter how things shook out.


    “Good to hear,” Bai Tian said with a nod. “And don’t stress—Black Mountain’s still unresolved. I’m not going anywhere yet.”


    Han knew Bai Tian had some deal cooking with the Yun family.


    Their sharp hearing picked up footsteps climbing the stairs. In the hall, Han didn’t keep his senses on high alert, but a martial artist’s instincts were razor-sharp.


    “Senior Sister’s here,” he said.


    Right on cue, Bai Ruoyue poked her head through the door. “Father, Little Junior Brother—what’re you talking about?”


    “Giving me some training tips,” Han replied smoothly.


    “Oh.” She turned to Bai Tian. “Father, someone’s here for you—from the Shenhua Sect.”


    “I’m good on questions for now,” Bai Tian said. “I’ll head down too. Send them up.”


    Once the Shenhua Sect folks went upstairs, Han whispered to Bai Ruoyue, “Master’s gonna be swamped these next few days. Everyone and their mother will want to pay respects.”


    “Obviously,” she said, brimming with pride. “My dad’s True Blood! None of these big shots have an elder that level here right now.”


    A self-made True Blood master with a prodigy disciple? Of course he’d draw a crowd.


    Up in the room where Han and Bai Tian had talked, the Shenhua Sect visitors laid on the flattery thick—ostensibly for Bai Tian’s breakthrough, but their chatter kept circling back to Han. Top factions had their own prodigies; lacking one spelled trouble, a sign of fading glory. But who’d say no to a ready-made star?


    Han nailed it—after Shenhua left, other factions rolled in, one by one, like clockwork. Never overlapping, almost as if they’d coordinated it. Their disciples’ attitudes toward Shen Long and the crew softened too—no more puffed-up superiority. With Han? It was a mixed bag—they couldn’t lord over him anymore. Some even looked up to him now.


    Their pedigrees didn’t mean squat against his talent. These sect and clan kids knew it: Black Cloud’s top genius could waltz into any elite faction and get crowned a “seed of the path”—except maybe Suzhen Palace, unless he pulled some wild yin-yang reversal trick. Next to that kind of potential, being an inner disciple was small potatoes.


    The shift in status stung. They weren’t used to it. They’d swaggered in from their sects and clans expecting to flex on a bunch of nobodies. Sure, most were small fry—but who could’ve guessed a dragon was lurking among them? Should’ve stayed home and spared themselves the trip.