Within the marble-clad hall of the Bai Manor, silence reigned.
Until it was shattered—
By words that fell like divine thunder:
"The agreement between the Xuan and Bai families ends today."
The gathered elders froze, as if the very breath of the room had been sucked out.
Only Uncle Zhao stepped forward, his old frame bowing low but his voice trembling with unshed desperation.
"General Xuan, I beg of you… reconsider," he said, his aged hands pressed together in a respectful plea. "The pact forged between our families was sealed with blood and honor. Without your alliance, the Bai family will be surrounded by wolves."
Xuan Li did not move. His robes of celestial silk, marked with black dragons and white phoenixes, shimmered as his spiritual pressure weighed upon the hall.
"Zhao," he spoke, voice like the chill wind of the northern steppes, "do not insult my judgment with sentiment."
He looked toward Li Bai, who stood silently beside the steward, his fists clenched.
"The Bai family has lost its pillar. Huan Bai, your war god, your lion-hearted spear... has vanished into dust."
"But the truth, the true reason for this severance—" Xuan Li stepped forward, his boots tapping like war drums—
"—is the Mo family."
Zhao's head snapped up, eyes narrowing.
"Yes. Mo Fan(one of the three divine generals), the current patriarch of the Mo clan has come out of seclusion, he has reached the Middle Soul Realm," Xuan Li said, his voice tinged with a strange reverence. "He is the Emperor's brother-in-law… and he holds the reins of influence in the court."
Zhao's lips parted in disbelief. "But… the Mo family—"
"Yes. They are corrupt." Xuan Li did not deny it. "Smuggling spirit ores. Enslaving rogue cultivators. Burying entire villages to hide spiritual veins. Huan Bai opposed them… fiercely. That's why they hated him."
Xuan Li's voice dropped lower, darker.
"And now… the lion is gone."
He turned to face Zhao fully.
"The Mo clan seeks to erase the Bai name from this continent. You were once warriors, now you are ghosts living on borrowed time. And between the favor of a decaying house and the rising sun of the Mo clan, tell me, Zhao—what would you choose?"
The old steward's shoulders slumped.
But Xuan Li was not done.
"To solidify the new alliance, I am establishing a marriage contract."
He raised a hand. A servant stepped forward, offering a scroll wrapped in golden thread.
"My daughter will wed Mo Ling, the son of Mo Fan. He has recently been accepted as an outer disciple of the Spirit Mountain Sect—one of the Six Mystic Sects. His talent is undeniable, his future brighter than the empire itself."
He looked to Zhao and Li Bai one last time.
"I held onto this alliance out of respect for Huan Bai. But I will not allow that sentiment to sink the Xuan legacy. The world has changed… and you must accept your place in it."
He turned to leave.
But just before stepping past the threshold, he looked back at Li Bai.
"Your father was a titan among men. If by some miracle you become even half of what he was… seek me then. But do not challenge the current."
And then he was gone.
---
Narration
The gurgan's echo faded into the void. And so did the final tie holding the Bai family to stability.
Enemies would rise. Allies would scatter. The Mo clan would descend.
But as Uncle Zhao stood frozen, a voice broke the silence.
"I will not let them decide our end."
Li Bai stood tall, his eyes clearer than ever.
"Even if the Bai family becomes ash, I will forge strength in that flame. And if they believe my father's name is buried…"
He lifted his head.
"Then I will become the spesr that digs it from the earth—and raises it to the heavens."
Uncle Zhao looked at him. And for the first time… saw the shadow of Huan Bai standing behind the boy.
---