By the time the Chen family left the Bia estate, the whole city knew. Not the specifics, mind you – no one knew the exact words exchanged, who sat where, what tea was served, or how long Madam Chen actually stayed. But everyone knew she'd shown up. Everyone knew she'd left without lingering. And everyone knew that meant something. Mingzu City lived for meaning.
The next morning, Yuzhen went out again. Not because he had to, but because lying low after all that would just look like he was hiding. He wore a simple, pale robe, nothing flashy, and brought only Bia Wenxiu along this time. Lanyue had been roped into helping with travel records, and Anhe was apparently being punished for "accidentally" spilling front-hall gossip to three cousins and a kitchen servant. Wenxiu thought that was pretty unfair. Yuzhen, on the other hand, figured it was actually a pretty light consequence.
They took the long market road again, and this time, the stares were even more obvious than before. Wenxiu glanced around and muttered, "At this rate, you'll need a veil."
Yuzhen kept his gaze straight ahead. "At this rate, you'll need better jokes."
"I'm serious."
"That's worse."
Wenxiu chuckled under his breath and let it go.
The two of them had just passed a stall selling talismans when they spotted the Xu family carriage. It was impossible to miss. Dark lacquered wood, silver-edged wheels, and the Xu crest painted subtly enough to scream wealth without needing to shout it. Two disciples followed on horseback, both sporting the family colors.
The carriage slowed. Then stopped right in front of them.
Wenxiu's expression soured instantly. "How annoying."
The curtain lifted, and a young woman stepped down first. She looked about seventeen or eighteen, with sharp brows and dark blue robes. Her face was pretty, but only on the second glance; it was the first look that made her seem dangerous. Yuzhen recognized her from the street the day before. Xu Shurong. Behind her came another Xu disciple, a male, quieter, clearly there to back her up rather than take the lead.
Xu Shurong's eyes locked onto Yuzhen and held there, no trace of embarrassment. So direct. So very Xu family.
"Young Master Bia," she said. "What a coincidence."
Wenxiu almost choked. Yuzhen, however, remained calm. "If Miss Xu says so."
A beat of silence. Then Xu Shurong smiled. It wasn't a warm smile. *Interesting,* Yuzhen thought. *At least she's honest enough not to pretend too much.*
"We were just heading to the inner district tea house," she said. "Since we've met here, would Young Master Bia care to join us?"
Wenxiu answered before Yuzhen could. "No."
Xu Shurong didn't even glance at him. "I wasn't asking you."
Wenxiu's face darkened immediately. Yuzhen spoke up, "Then Miss Xu should ask better."
That finally got her full attention. For one breath, the street around them seemed to hold its own. Not because anyone had actually stopped – Mingzu's market streets never really stopped – but because people nearby had started listening, pretending they were busy with something else.
Xu Shurong folded her hands in front of her sleeves. "I only wanted to talk."
"About what?"
"The Southern Region gathering. Mingzu's younger generation. The city's four main families. Pick one."
"That sounds pretty broad."
"That means there's room for sincerity."
Wenxiu snorted softly. "From the Xu family?"
The young man behind Xu Shurong frowned. "Watch your words."
Wenxiu turned to him instantly. "You first."
Yuzhen could already feel the conversation heading downhill. Not into danger, but into pointlessness. He looked back at Xu Shurong. "If Miss Xu wants to talk, then talk here."
Her smile thinned a little. Of course. She'd wanted the tea house for a reason. Private enough to speak freely, but public enough to be seen. That was the Xu family for you – never wasting an opportunity to apply pressure. Still, she adjusted quickly.
"Fine," she said. "Then I'll be direct. Mingzu City will be traveling with the Southern Region representatives soon. The city's families shouldn't embarrass themselves in front of outsiders."
Yuzhen almost laughed. First the Chen family came for respect. Now the Xu family came for control. "How thoughtful," he said.
Xu Shurong ignored the edge in his tone. "The Bia family is strong. The Xu family has no interest in pointless friction before we depart."
"Then don't create any."
"That depends on whether others can also remain calm."
Wenxiu said flatly, "You blocked our path."
The young Xu man looked annoyed enough to start something, but Xu Shurong lifted one finger slightly, and he fell silent. *She's used to being obeyed,* Yuzhen noted. *Good to know.*
Yuzhen said, "You didn't stop us just to give advice."
"No," Xu Shurong replied. "I stopped because I was curious."
There it was. At least she was honest, in her way. "Curious about what?"
"You."
Wenxiu looked deeply offended on Yuzhen's behalf. Xu Shurong continued as if that expression didn't exist. "Half the city says you recovered by luck. The other half says the Bia family found some hidden treasure for you. Some say you're stronger than before. Some say you only look whole on the surface." Her eyes sharpened a bit. "I dislike rumors."
Yuzhen held her gaze. "And?"
"And I prefer seeing with my own eyes."
He understood then. This wasn't an offer of a truce. This was a test. Not a public challenge – she was too smart for that – but a probe. A gentle prod. The Xu family wanted to know if Bia Yuzhen's return was genuinely significant or just a loud nuisance. Fair. Also annoying.
Yuzhen said, "Then keep looking."
Xu Shurong's brows lifted. "That's all?"
"That depends. Were you expecting me to perform on the street?"
Wenxiu gave up and laughed. A few people nearby suddenly became intensely interested in spirit rice prices. Xu Shurong didn't seem embarrassed, but the quiet man behind her definitely was.
She said, "I expected confidence."
Yuzhen replied, "Then you got it."
That did it. For the first time, a genuine flicker crossed her face. Not defeat. Not anger. Interest. The dangerous kind. Before she could say more, another voice drifted over from the side.
"Miss Xu, if you keep blocking the road like this, the whole market will think you're trying to rob him."
Everyone turned. Yu Tianqiu stood a few steps away, hands behind his back, his expression mild in the way only very calculated people could manage. Two Yu family disciples were with him, one holding a folded fan and the other a shopping bag from some nearby stall.
Xu Shurong's eyes cooled a degree. "Young Master Yu."
Yu Tianqiu inclined his head politely. "Young Master Bia. Young Master Wenxiu."
Wenxiu muttered, "Just what we needed."
Yuzhen ignored him. "Young Master Yu."
Tianqiu's gaze swept over the group, taking in everything in an instant – the stopped carriage, the attentive crowd, Wenxiu's mood, Xu Shurong's posture – and when he spoke again, his voice remained as easy as before. "If this is a discussion about the city's unity, perhaps it should happen in a hall with elders present," he said. "If it's not, then the market probably isn't the best place either."
Xu Shurong smiled without warmth. "The Yu family suddenly cares about proper conduct?"
"We care about timing."
That jab was more effective than it sounded. The Xu family's test had simply come too early and too openly. The Yu family was stepping in, not to protect Yuzhen, most likely, but to prevent the Xu family from getting the first assessment of him without witnesses. Mingzu's four great families were truly exhausting.
Yuzhen said, "Young Master Yu is right. If Miss Xu has no other business, we'll be going."
The quiet male Xu disciple looked displeased. Xu Shurong herself held Yuzhen's gaze for another moment, then stepped aside. "Of course," she said. "I only hope Young Master Bia doesn't disappoint the city after drawing so much attention."
Yuzhen passed her without hurry. As he did, he said, "Then Miss Xu should worry about herself first."
Wenxiu nearly looked proud. Behind them, he heard the faintest sound of Yu Tianqiu laughing under his breath.
The two Bia youths walked on until they turned off the main street and onto a quieter stone lane lined with old walls and hanging vine baskets. Only then did Wenxiu let out a breath.
"That woman is trouble."
"Yes."
"You handled that really calmly."
"She wasn't wrong to test."
Wenxiu looked at him. "You're too generous."
"No," Yuzhen said. "Just not surprised."
That was the real difference, perhaps. The Chen family moved when their reputation was challenged. The Xu family moved when information was lacking. The Yu family moved when the balance of power shifted. And somewhere under all of it, the Bia family had to hold its ground and show no weakness.
Wenxiu lightly kicked a pebble in the road. "Do you think the Yu family helped us?"
"Not us," Yuzhen said. "Themselves."
"That's colder than what I said."
"It's more accurate."
Wenxiu considered it, then nodded. "Fair enough."
They continued toward the inner herb street and bought what they had originally come for – common stabilizing herbs, two heat-resistant roots, and a packet of clear dew powder Yuzhen wanted to test with lower-level pill refinement. No one stopped them again.
But when they returned to the Bia estate, the news had somehow beaten them there. Lanyue was waiting in Yuzhen's courtyard with Anhe and Bia Zichen. The moment Wenxiu stepped through the gate, Anhe pointed. "You let him get blocked by the Xu family?"
Wenxiu looked offended. "Why are you saying it like I personally arranged it?"
"Because you look very arrangable," Anhe retorted.
Zichen, who spoke less but observed more, looked at Yuzhen. "What did Xu Shurong want?"
"To see if I was worth worrying about," Yuzhen said.
Lanyue folded her arms. "And?"
Yuzhen handed the herb packet to a servant before answering. "She hasn't decided yet."
That made Anhe grin. "Good. Let her lose some sleep."
Wenxiu dropped into a chair by the stone table. "Yu Tianqiu stepped in."
Lanyue raised a brow. "Personally?"
"Yes."
That finally got everyone's attention. Because the Yu family didn't make personal appearances for no reason. Yuzhen sat down and poured himself some tea. "It means the city's balance is shifting faster than we thought."
Zichen said quietly, "Then the departure won't be peaceful."
"No," Yuzhen said. "Probably not."
The truth of that settled over the table. Not with fear, but with clarity. The Southern Region gathering hadn't even begun, and already the four great families of Mingzu were sizing each other up in public, patching up old grievances, testing new strengths, and figuring out who would stand where once the city stepped onto a bigger stage.
Yuzhen took a sip of tea. It was cool now. He barely tasted it.
Anhe leaned forward. "So, what now?"
Yuzhen looked toward the room where his furnace sat by the wall. "Now?" he said. "I refine pills."
Wenxiu stared at him. "After all that?"
"Yes."
"That's so frustrating."
Lanyue looked like she wanted to agree but was too disciplined to say it out loud. Yuzhen set his cup down. "Xu Shurong was right about one thing."
The others looked at him. "If people want to test whether I'm real," he said, "then I should become real faster."
Anhe's eyes brightened instantly. "That sounded good."
"It did," Wenxiu admitted.
Lanyue just said, "Then stop talking and go."
So he did.
That evening, inside the pendant space, Xiaoren listened to the whole story while perched on top of the furnace lid like a tiny tyrant. When Yuzhen finished, it snorted. "They're all slower than I expected."
Yuzhen adjusted the heat under the furnace. "That's your response?"
"What else?" Xiaoren said. "You have a treasure space, a restored foundation, and me. If city kids are only just starting to circle now, they're late."
Yuzhen ignored the part where Xiaoren had included itself as one of his great assets. Mostly because it was true. The first herbs melted down under steady heat. His hands moved more smoothly now than they had a few days ago. Not skilled yet. Not enough to feel proud. But familiar. The difference mattered.
Outside, Mingzu City was in motion. Inside, the furnace was listening. Both things would shape what came next. And Yuzhen had already decided which one deserved more of his attention.