The day that followed blurred into repetition. Steel. Breath. Failure.
Again. And again. And again.
Jin Mulan stood in the center of the arena, her armor damp with sweat, strands of hair clinging to her face. The black steel walls reflected faint glints of light, amplifying every movement, every misstep as if the space itself refused to let her hide.
She inhaled sharply and raised her hand.
Focused. Tried again. Nothing. No spark. No shift. No response. Her jaw tightened.
Again. Still nothing. The air remained still, indifferent to her effort.
Frustration surged, sharp and suffocating. Her control slipped for a moment, and she struck forward blindly more force than precision. "Enough."
Luo He's voice cut through the arena.
Calm. Unmoved. She froze.
He stepped closer, his gaze steady not harsh, not soft, just certain. "You're forcing it," he said. "That won't work."
Her hands clenched at her sides.
"Then what will?" she asked, her voice edged with irritation she could no longer hide.
"Time," he replied simply. A pause.
"And understanding." She let out a short, disbelieving breath. "I've been trying for days." "And you'll try for months," he answered without hesitation. That stopped her. His tone didn't carry mockery. Only fact.
"You think this is something you grasp in a few attempts?" he continued. "Even those born with talent struggle." His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her.
"You're not talentless." Another pause.
"But you're not pure either." The words landed heavier than they should have.
He didn't soften them.
"There are bloodlines," he said, as if explaining something obvious. "Levels of affinity." He raised his hand slightly, counting them off without looking away from her. "Purple." "Red." "Green."
"And gold."
The last word carried a faint weight to it.
"Golden bloodline users" he added, "have blood that reflects it. Literally. The others carry red blood, but under light, their lineage shows."
Jin Mulan frowned slightly, absorbing it.
"And me?" "Purple," he said. No hesitation. "No embellishment." She looked away for a moment. Not weak.
But far from the peak.
"And you?" she asked quietly. "Green," Luo He answered. Her eyes flicked back to him. Second only to gold. He didn't elaborate further but he didn't need to.
Because she had already seen what that meant.
Then, almost as an afterthought, he added. "My rate of development is different." That was all he said out loud. But it was enough. With the system bloodline doesn't matter. Luo He thaught to himself.
He let her continue training after that.
Didn't stay. Didn't guide further.
Just left her there with the master watching silently, occasionally correcting her stance, her grip, her breathing.
The old man's movements were still faster than her eyes could track.
His voice, however, was steady.
"Again." "Too slow." "Too rigid." "Feel it. Don't chase it."
Hours passed. The sun climbed higher, its light filtering faintly over the black steel edges of the arena. Still. No breakthrough.
Elsewhere in the palace, the atmosphere was far less contained. Luo He walked through the inner halls, his steps measured, his presence enough to send servants lowering their heads instantly. The air shifted wherever he passed not out of fear alone, but recognition.
Authority.
When he entered his mother's chamber, the guards stepped aside without a word.
She was seated near the window, composed as always, her expression unreadable. "You came," she said without turning. "I have a question," Luo He replied direct.
She glanced at him then, noting the tone.
"What is it?" "Why isn't my sister home?"
The question lingered in the air. For a brief moment. Silence. Then she answered. "She was kidnapped." His gaze sharpened.
"By the prince of the Chu Kingdom," she continued. "The evening before last." No rise in her voice. No visible reaction. Only stillness. "And I wasn't told?" Luo He asked. "You would have gone immediately," Xinyue said calmly. "Without preparation."
A pause.
"Your father has already acted." Luo He didn't interrupt. "He sent an envoy. Ten thousand Flame Elite soldiers," she added. "With an imperial edict." The message was clear. Return her. Or face consequence.
Still Luo He remained silent. Then
"I'll go." Not a suggestion. Not a discussion. A decision. "I'll be the envoy." His mother studied him carefully.
She knew that tone. Knew what followed it. "If I say no?" she asked. "You won't," Luo He replied. Not arrogant. Certain.
Because they both understood the truth.
He would go anyway. A faint exhale left her. "Then go," Luo Xinyue said at last. "But don't turn this into a war unless necessary." He nodded once. That was enough.
Before leaving, he returned to the training grounds. Jin Mulan was still there. Still trying. Still failing. He watched for a moment before stepping forward.
She turned toward him immediately.
"What is it?" she asked, sensing the shift.
"I'm leaving," Luo He said. Straightforward. No buildup.
Jin Mulans expression changed instantly. "Where?" "Chu Kingdom." A pause. "My sister was taken." The words settled heavily between them. "I'm coming with you," Jin Mulan said immediately. "No." Luo He said.
The answer was just as immediate. Her eyes hardened. "I can fight." She said. "You're not ready." Luo He followed. "That's not your decision alone." Jin Mulan said. "As embesidor of the mission it is," he cut in calmly. Silence followed. Sharp. Tense.
Then he spoke again, quieter this time.
"We can't take the child." That stopped her. "And we can't leave her without you," he added. The truth of it pressed in heavy. Unavoidable. Jin Mulan looked away briefly, conflict flashing across her face.
For once she had no answer. Luo He stepped closer. "I'll return," he said.
A pause.
Then, more deliberately "I won't be with any woman on this mission." Her eyes snapped back to his. He didn't look away.
"I give you my word." That mattered.
More than anything else he could have said.
Because Luo He did not break promises.
He bent rules. Ignored expectations. Defied authority. But a promise he carried that to the end. Jin Mulan knew it.
And that made it harder to argue.
Harder to hold on.
"Fine," she said quietly. Not because she agreed. But because she understood.
"Keep training," Luo He continued. "Strengthen your foundation. Your bloodline won't decide where you will stand only your cultivation speed."
A pause.
"When I return I'll teach you how to unlock your element." Her brows furrowed slightly. "Why not now?"
"Because you're not ready to understand it yet." Blunt. Unyielding.
"The master will train your sword and body," he added. "He's more than enough for that." Then, almost as if stating a simple fact "For elemental training. I'm better." No arrogance.
Just truth as he saw it.
Because his methods weren't built on repetition alone. They were precise.
Calculated. Refined beyond tradition.
Later, Jin Mulan stood before her mother-in-law. The room was quiet, filled with soft incense and filtered daylight.
For the first time since arriving she didn't feel like an outsider asking for permission.