In the room, Dai Mobai's deep voice echoed rhythmically.
Li Yue sat at the desk, her wrist hovering lightly as her brush whispered across the plain white paper.
Her handwriting was graceful and neat. Ink slowly spread across the page, forming orderly lines of text.
But as time passed, Li Yue's strokes grew slower and slower.
Eventually, her right hand stopped altogether. The brush hung suspended in midair, a drop of ink trembling on its tip.
Her clear, bright eyes stared fixedly at the paper on the desk, her pupils shrinking slightly in shock.
Though she had written only half the piece, and though she understood little about spear techniques, that didn't stop her from recognizing how extraordinary this Spear Manual was.
Every move recorded on the page overturned everything she knew about spear techniques.
"Your Highness, this is... a Spear Manual?"
Li Yue turned to look at Dai Mobai, disbelief spilling from her slightly parted lips.
"You saw the title, didn't you?"
Dai Mobai smiled.
"No, I mean... is this a Spear Manual you created yourself?"
Li Yue shook her head and rephrased her question.
These spear techniques were enough to found a school. If they had been written by someone from an earlier generation, they would surely have been renowned across the continent.
Yet she had never heard of them.
"Of course not."
Dai Mobai shook his head, denying it without hesitation.
"I heard about it from someone else. Strictly speaking, I'm just passing it on."
He wasn't lying.
The Spear Manual came from the world of his previous life. Dai Mobai had studied it once, so he happened to remember it.
But those words sounded different to Li Yue.
She had become Dai Mobai's shadow guard when he was six.
For nine years, the two had been inseparable, and she had never left his side.
If Dai Mobai had really heard about this Spear Manual from someone else, she would have known.
As for whether he had heard about it before he turned six—
Li Yue had considered that possibility too.
But what six-year-old child could hear a Spear Manual capable of founding a school from someone, then remember it word for word until now?
It wasn't impossible, but the odds were so slim that Li Yue felt it wasn't even worth considering.
So she was more inclined to believe another explanation: Dai Mobai was being modest.
Li Yue gave Dai Mobai a long look but didn't press him further.
She picked up her brush again, suppressing the emotions churning inside her, and turned her gaze back to the paper.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Dai Mobai spoke the final word, and Li Yue finally stopped writing.
While they waited for the ink to dry, Li Yue at last asked the question that had been weighing on her for a long time.
"Your Highness, who exactly is this meeting gift for?"
"A Spear Manual, naturally, should be given to someone who uses a spear."
Dai Mobai leaned back in his chair, resting his arms behind his head as he answered casually.
"Someone who uses a spear?"
Li Yue furrowed her brows and lowered her head in thought.
There were plenty of Soul Masters who used spears across the continent, but whoever Dai Mobai was going out of his way to visit and prepare such a generous gift for was no ordinary person.
She went through the names in her mind one by one. Suddenly, her brows relaxed.
"The Breaking Clan?!"
Li Yue's head snapped up, a flash of realization in her eyes.
That was right.
Though there were many spear users across the continent, only one had mastered the spear to its utmost and was worthy of Dai Mobai's regard: Yang Wudi, the head of the Breaking Clan.
"Exactly."
Dai Mobai nodded, a hint of approval in his eyes.
"Bringing the Breaking Clan over to our side is one of the reasons for this trip."
He had nothing to hide from Li Yue, so he told her plainly.
With the Heaven Dou Empire's current strength, the Star Luo Empire had no problem taking it down.
But the two empires weren't the only powers vying for control of the continent. The Spirit Hall also straddled both empires, claiming to be the enforcer of the law.
How to deal with the Spirit Hall, which could intervene in the war at any moment, was the trickiest problem in this contest.
To that end, Dai Mobai and the Star Luo Emperor had spent three whole years devising a meticulous plan.
Winning over the Breaking Clan, who had settled within the Star Luo Empire, was one part of that plan.
"I've heard that Yang Wudi is aloof and stubborn."
Li Yue's brows knitted slightly, a thoughtful note in her voice.
"His Majesty once tried to recruit him, but even granting him the title of Imperial Spear Arts Chief Instructor wasn't enough to bring him over."
As she spoke, however, she suddenly changed tack, her tone turning certain.
"But I believe Your Highness can win him over."
"You believe in me that much?"
Dai Mobai smiled, rising from his chair and walking toward her one step at a time.
"I do."
As Dai Mobai approached, Li Yue's pretty face flushed despite herself.
But she didn't shy away. She simply suppressed her embarrassment and nodded gently.
She had seen Dai Mobai make too many impossible things happen.
If he said he could win Yang Wudi over, then he would.
Dai Mobai drew closer and closer, until Li Yue could hear the steady, powerful beat of his heart.
His familiar presence washed over her, carrying the faint scent of pine soot ink and a warmth that somehow made her feel at ease.
Li Yue closed her eyes without thinking.
Her lashes fluttered, and her lips parted slightly in an expectant curve.
Her chin lifted just a little, as if waiting for something to descend upon her.
Then she heard a rustling sound.
It was the sound of paper flapping through the air.
Li Yue opened her eyes just in time to see Dai Mobai pick up the dried Spear Manual from the desk, fold it, and put it into his Soul Tool.
He moved with unhurried composure, almost deliberately taking his time.
Li Yue blinked, a fleeting hint of disappointment passing through her eyes, so quickly it was almost impossible to see.
But before she could process that little pang, a warm hand reached out. Its thumb and forefinger gently pinched her chin, lifting her face slightly.
Dai Mobai bent down until his gaze was level with hers.
A half-smile played at the corner of his mouth. His voice dropped low, carrying a breath only the two of them could hear.
"Let's take care of business first. I'll give you your reward tonight."
Li Yue's pupils widened slightly. The blush that had just faded from her cheeks came rushing back, hotter than before.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but it felt as if something had caught in her throat. Not a single word would come out.
Dai Mobai chuckled and lowered his head to brush a light kiss against her soft lips. Only then, satisfied, did he release her chin and turn toward the door.
"Come on. Let's go to the Breaking Clan."
Li Yue took a deep breath and lightly patted her cheeks, forcing herself to calm down.
She rose from her chair, straightened her clothes, and regained her usual brisk composure before hurrying to catch up with Dai Mobai.
But the flush at the tips of her ears would probably take a while to fade.
"This junior is Dai Mobai. I've long heard of the Breaking Clan's fame, and have come especially to pay you a visit."