Chapter 26: The Silver Thread

"Yes," Zhao Nishang answered immediately.

Zhou Man's fingers traced the Eastern White robe on the table before gently setting it down. She said nothing more.

Zhao Nishang bowed, preparing to leave. But she hesitated at the threshold, turning back with something clutched in her hands.

"There's one more thing, Senior Sister." Her voice was soft, almost apologetic. "The other day at Qiluo Hall, I noticed your sleeve was torn. This morning I found this old garment at the laundry, so I took some thread and mended it. Please forgive my presumption."

It was Zhou Man's robe—the one she'd torn during sword practice at the Hall. She typically wore black and cared little for appearances, so a ripped sleeve hadn't bothered her.

But Zhao Nishang had noticed. And remembered.

The torn fabric had been repaired with silver-black thread, the stitches forming a withered plum branch. Against the jet-black sleeve, the embroidery was barely visible except when caught by light—existing between shadow and illumination with a subtle, haunting beauty. That single detail transformed an ordinary garment into something remarkable.

Zhou Man held the robe up, studying it for a long moment. Then she smiled. "Thank you for your trouble."

Relief washed over Zhao Nishang's face. "Then I'll take my leave."

Zhou Man nodded.

Once outside with the door closed behind her, Zhao Nishang felt everything she'd been holding back crash through her chest—joy and terror in equal measure. She pressed her hand against her ribs, fighting the urge to cry.

The East Residence corridor stretched empty and silent around her.

She'd arrived full of dread and hadn't noticed until now, looking back toward the east wing—the night was still, lanterns hung along the walkway, but only Zhou Man's room held light. All the others sat dark.

Like a drowning person grasping at a lifeline. And that lifeline had smiled back at her.

Zhao Nishang stood there gazing at that dim glow for a long while before wiping her eyes and disappearing into the night.

Inside, Zhou Man stared at both robes—one new, one mended—her thoughts already on the twelve golden slips the Martial Emperor had left behind.

Each slip contained countless Daoist techniques, most beyond her capabilities even at middle-stage cultivation. But one fragment had stuck with her. It would be perfect for Zhao Nishang.

She'd deal with it after her rest day.

She'd already wasted time waiting. Rising quickly, she reached for her clothes—not the new robe Zhao Nishang had made, but the old one with its silver-threaded plum branch. She grabbed the veil too.

Leaving the Sword Gate Academy, she traveled west with her qi suppressed. Half an hour brought her to the silhouette of Little Sword City against the night sky.

She donned the veil.

People still moved in and out of the city gates, but few paid attention to a veiled woman.

Passing through, she heard a mother coaxing her child: "Doctor Wang from the Sick Plum Pavilion is back. Don't be afraid—we'll ask him for a sugar pill, won't we?"

Zhou Man glanced their way, thinking: the academy's on holiday, and the Mud Bodhisattva has returned to Mud Plate Street.

Beyond the gate, Vermilion Bird Avenue split the city in two, dividing worlds.

Last time she'd turned right onto Mud Plate Street. This time, she went left—onto Cloud Street.

The difference was stark. Cloud Street gleamed spotless, its surface paved with cloud-patterned stone. Tall buildings lined both sides, laughter and drinking echoing from within. Fewer pedestrians made it feel even more spacious.

Even at night, lights blazed everywhere.

The three great families of the capital, the major sects of Shu Prefecture, and countless other powers maintained branches and strongholds here.

Zhou Man passed Ruoyu Hall—the Wang family's Shu branch. Wei Xuan had told her to find Kong Wulu there if she needed anything.

But she didn't go in.

She'd come to Little Sword City for bow-making materials. This was her trump card—the Wang family couldn't know about it.

Her destination lay ahead: the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

The world's most profitable businesses—magical artifacts, elixirs, talismans—were almost entirely controlled by the three great families. They'd infiltrated every corner within reach, leaving only a few forces with alternative paths or equally powerful backing to survive.

Hundred Treasures Pavilion was such a force.

Though limited to Shu Province, it had the backing of the Xishan Emperor, who'd attained enlightenment three hundred years ago. Even the three great families showed restraint when encountering it in Shu.

Among the ornate pavilions and towers lining the street, Hundred Treasures Pavilion seemed plain, almost austere. But its facade was exceptionally spacious—lacking refinement but possessing a ruggedness that suggested a return to simplicity.

Zhou Man entered without fanfare.

Magical artifacts, elixirs, talismans, crafting materials, and cultivation techniques occupied different sections, all clearly priced. A staircase led upward, people occasionally passing through.

Zhou Man's purpose was clear: buy bitter bamboo for a bow.

Yet after scanning the space, she didn't head for crafting materials. Instead, she walked to the section marked "Sumeru Mansion."

Miniature dwellings floated in this area—exquisite courtyards, rolling mountains, pristine lakes, barren wastelands. Portable mansions that cultivators could carry, transformed into leaves or pebbles, accessible after a blood oath.

Zhou Man ignored their designs and checked the prices.

Exquisite courtyard: 10,000 spirit stones. Towering mountains: 16,000. Private lake: 11,000. Even the barren wasteland: 8,000.

Zhou Man stared.

Might as well rob people directly.

For one fleeting moment, she considered abandoning everything—forget killing that damned king, forget learning swordsmanship at the academy. She could handle both later on her own. At least then she wouldn't be stuck without a practice space, wouldn't be standing here lamenting her empty pockets.

The thought passed quickly.

Zhou Man accepted reality. Without hesitation, recognizing she couldn't afford a Sumeru mansion, she left that section expressionless and headed straight for refining materials.

Different materials occupied different sections. Bamboo and wood were on the left.

She immediately spotted her target: three sections of bitter bamboo displayed on the shelf, measuring one foot, two feet, and three feet from bottom to top. The three-foot section was exceptional—entirely dark green, hard as iron, smooth as jade, with faint silver rings at each node like evenly-spaced rims across the bamboo. The finest bitter bamboo she'd seen.

The price: three hundred fifty spirit stones.

The Hundred Treasures Pavilion didn't negotiate. Zhou Man had known that coming in. She glanced at the price, picked up the bamboo without hesitation, and headed for the counter.

The shopkeeper was a plump, fair-skinned man with a friendly face. He focused on transactions, barely glancing at customers.

Zhou Man paid for the bitter bamboo, then produced sixty more spirit stones. "Are there vacant refining rooms upstairs? I'd like to rent one for two hours."

The shopkeeper finally looked up—a casual glance, not invasive. "Weapon-refining rooms come in three grades: upper, middle, and lower. Sixty spirit stones for two hours in the middle grade?"

Zhou Man nodded.

He accepted the payment and handed her a round token inscribed with Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. "Third floor. Help yourself."

The Hundred Treasures Pavilion lived up to its name, selling everything and offering every service. Beyond weapon-refining rooms, it provided spaces for alchemy, talisman-making, and more. Each room came equipped with basic tools and even the true fire needed for refining. Cultivators who bought materials but lacked suitable workspaces could rent rooms upstairs. Quality pieces could even be sold back downstairs.

Zhou Man had nothing to sell—her pockets were empty.

She took the token and climbed to the third floor, planning to forge her Bitter Bamboo Bow while momentum was high.

In Xixiang Tower, Cloud Street's largest restaurant, Chen Si had been sitting for nearly half an hour. Fine wine and delicacies sat before him, but Jin Buhuan remained absent.

His patience was wearing thin. "It's been more than a quarter hour. When will Jin arrive?"

A servant shifted nervously. "The young master is investigating that batch of Silver Arrows for you. He's visiting three or four sects in Shu. Latest news says he's made progress, but you'll need to wait a bit longer."

Chen Si slammed his cup down hard.

Since returning from the Battle of Jiajin Valley, though his injuries had healed completely, his resentment had only grown. The humiliation of defeat by that mysterious female cultivator tormented him constantly. Unable to find any trace of her, he couldn't hold his head high before the young master and young lady, feeling he'd failed their kindness. Naturally, his hatred intensified daily. He hadn't stopped searching, determined to capture her and avenge his shame.

His search had yielded nothing. Though disgusted by Jin Buhuan's broken promise, since Jin had apparently made progress, he had to swallow his anger.

Chen Si couldn't bear sitting idle any longer. He gave instructions and went downstairs, walking along the street.

Soon he reached the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

This was the biggest obstacle the Song family's business had encountered entering Shu Prefecture. An idea struck him—he'd go in and look around.

Just then, a female cultivator in black robes and a veil descended from upstairs, heading for the exit. She brushed past him.

Chen Si paid her no attention at first.

But turning toward the crafting materials section, he noticed something. The bitter bamboo shelf that had held three pieces now held only two. He frowned. Bitter bamboo had many uses, certainly, but judging from the arrangement, the top piece must have been over three feet long.

Perfect for making bows.

And a bow made from bitter bamboo of that quality would be extraordinary.

Since beginning his investigation of the mysterious female cultivator, Chen Si's mind had been consumed by anything related to bows and arrows. Any connection triggered heightened sensitivity.

Like searching for a needle in a haystack—he couldn't overlook any clue.

Chen Si turned directly to the shopkeeper. "Did that female cultivator buy this bitter bamboo?"

The shopkeeper looked up, frowning slightly. "I forgot."

The Hundred Treasures Pavilion maintained its integrity, not readily revealing customer secrets.

Chen Si knew immediately that the shopkeeper remembered perfectly but refused to tell. He sneered, said nothing more, and walked straight out, whistling toward the nearby Fragrant Pavilion.

A group of about ten men approached.

Chen Si issued orders immediately. "Seal off all gates of Little Sword City right now! Investigate which cultivators entered the Hundred Treasures Pavilion today, especially the female cultivator in black robes with a veil. If you see her, don't let her go!"

The men hesitated. "This is Shu territory, not the capital. Sealing all the gates directly... isn't that excessive?"

But the more Chen Si thought about the female cultivator, the more suspicious he became. She was wearing a veil, clearly hiding her identity. Something was definitely wrong.

Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty escape.

He didn't care about rules or offending local forces. "We're only investigating that female cultivator. If there's no problem, we'll let her go. Even if someone from Xishan complains, what's there to fear? Stop wasting time—investigate immediately!"

The group didn't dare argue further. They quickly gathered more men and rushed toward the four city gates.

In a dark alley beside Cloud Street, Zhou Man pressed into the shadows, watching the group hurry away. Soon she heard cultivators on the street murmuring.

"The Song family is investigating?"

"They're blocking the city gates? Looking for a female cultivator?"

"A powerful dragon suppressing local snakes... interesting."

Zhou Man had finished crafting the Bitter Bamboo Bow and come downstairs only to encounter Chen Si. Though he'd never seen her face, she'd recognized him instantly and hadn't dared lower her guard. She'd hidden in the shadows after leaving the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, observing the street.

Hearing Chen Si order the city sealed, her heart sank.

All for the shame of the Battle of Jiajin Valley? All for that lost jar of jade marrow?

What was Chen Si now but a mad dog?

Zhou Man could abandon her disguise and find somewhere to hide—even Ruoyu Hall, though that risked arousing Kong Wulu's suspicion.

But judging from Chen Si's actions—sealing the city, hunting people—he clearly wouldn't rest until he found her.

A persistent ghost.

And how familiar these methods were—sealing cities, arresting people, ruthless elimination. The aristocratic families' standard playbook.

She wanted to endure it. But anger burned through her, growing stronger the more she tried to suppress it. She gripped the newly crafted bitter bamboo bow tighter.

For those who possess weapons, the will to kill naturally arises.

If she was determined to die, no one could save her.

Having considered all consequences, Zhou Man first took out the unique Qingguang ring Wei Xuan had given her, placing it on her wrist for future use. Then she picked up her bow and, like a ghost, didn't seek refuge. Instead, she followed Chen Si into the darkness.

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Thoughts on Chapter 26:

The protagonist, Zhou Man, is a skilled archer and cultivator attending the prestigious Sword Gate Academy while concealing her true identity and harboring a vendetta against powerful aristocratic families.

In this chapter, Zhou Man receives two robes from her junior sister Zhao Nishang—one newly made and one carefully mended with beautiful embroidery. Despite this kindness, Zhou Man chooses the mended robe for her covert trip to Little Sword City to purchase materials for crafting a special bow. During this excursion, she has an unfortunate encounter with Chen Si, a member of the Song family whom she previously defeated and humiliated in the Battle of Jiajin Valley. Chen Si's obsessive pursuit and decision to seal the city gates forces Zhou Man into a dangerous decision: rather than hide, she chooses to confront him directly, setting up a confrontation between her desire for vengeance and the practical need to maintain her cover.