"He's correct. Xu Hanyu was entrusted to us, and now they've both disappeared—! Do you suppose Lord Xu won't be upset with us as well?" Elder Xu Jia joined in.

  Elder Xu Ting took a minute to close his eyes and sigh before speaking again. "I understand the worry of the two of you, but we must remain calm and focused. Haste will only hinder our chances."

  Despite his words, the two elders remained restless, their concern growing with each second. Then, suddenly, a voice from outside broke the tension.

  "Elders! Elders! Xu Lian is here!"

  Hearing the name, their attention quickly turned to the clan member who had just arrived.

  "Xu Lian..?!"

  Not long after, they noticed Xu Lian approaching them, appearing panicked.

  "Elders—!" Xu Lian called out urgently, "Please, I need your help–!" She bowed, closing her eyes.

  "Xu Lian, we've been looking for you everywhere, and Xu Hanyu–! Where is he?! Did you take him out, Xu Lian?" Elder Xu Jia urgently inquired.

  "I…" She hesitated, her hands trembling as she clenched them tightly, "It's my fault…! I didn't take good care of my brother and I lost him outside..!"

  "What?!" The three elders gasped in unison.

  "You lost him?" Elder Xu Bai frowned his brow.

  Xu Lian hung her head, guilt washing over her as she bit her trembling lips and she couldn’t meet their eyes straightly.

  And merely thinking about Xu Hanyu's disappearance, they couldn't imagine it would happen so suddenly. They realize they're done now that Xu Hanyu is missing.

  "Alright, calm yourselves. We need to hear her out. This is a critical situation…!"

  With that, Elder Xu Jia and Elder Xu Bai took a deep breath, shaking their heads in exasperation.

  Observing Xu Lian, Elder Xu Ting noticed small bruises in her hand but he chose not to mention as he was thinking about Xu Hanyu’s case.

  "Tell us what happened. And answer honestly—did you take Xu Hanyu out?" Elder Xu Ting asked firmly.

  Instead of responding directly, though, she hesitated to acknowledge it. Xu Lian nodded slowly while continuing to look at the ground, her shoulders shaking from the pressure of their attention. As Elder Xu Ting inhaled deeply, the other two elders closed their eyes in disbelief and massaged their foreheads in exasperation at her remark.

  "Why did you do that, Xu Lian–? You're aware that your father does not let Xu Hanyu go outside the residence, right?" Elder Xu Ting chimed in.

  Xu Lian nodded with guilt.

  "Oh my—! This is gonna be a problem. Tell us what happened exactly when you were out. How did you lose him—?"

  Unsure whether to tell the truth or a lie about going to the mountain, she hesitated once more.

  "There was a huge commotion and… I- I.. lost him at the market…" That was a lie. She was concerned that informing them of the danger they had faced would only make things more difficult with the elders, particularly Xu Hanyu, she thought who was always despised by them, and that they would only hold him accountable.

  With a few seconds of thinking about it, she couldn’t help but just close her eyes tightly, "... If it's in the market, then we should be able to find him," Elder Xu Jia said.

  Elder Xu Bai stood up immediately, still looking enraged, "What are we waiting for!? Let's go to the market and find him!"

  Elders Xu Jia and Xu Bai raced out to the hall and gathered the men to begin the search, leaving just Xu Lian and Elder Xu Ting alone.

  Elder Xu Ting could not help but sigh, observing the two elders' behavior. Then he noticed that Xu Lian was acting strangely as she observed Xu Lian, suspected that something was wrong and that she was lying.

  "Now that they're gone, tell me what exactly happened..?"

  Her eyes widened as she realized Elder Xu Ting knew something was wrong, and she began to feel anxious. She was debating what to do.

  "I…" She was unable to complete the task.

  She went silent again, as if she was fighting a battle within herself.

  "It's fine, don't tell me. But I'll send a letter to your father since this is very crucial for him to know.

  "I understood.."

  With that, Elder Xu Ting softly shook his head.

  "You can return to your room now, and get any bruises addressed. We'll find him as soon as possible," he reassured and stood up.

  He slowly walked toward the entrance, passing Xu Lian.

  "Thank you, Elder…"

  …

  Scouring through Tai Hua City, inquiring about the young man, the elders became more anxious as they couldn’t find Xu Hanyu everywhere.

  "Excuse me, have you seen a fifteen-year-old boy with a mark on his left hands?" one clan member asked a passerby, who simply shook his head.

  Others searched everywhere, calling out his name.

  "Xu Hanyu!" one shouted.

  Then followed by another.

  "Xu Hanyu! Where are you?"

  Their search drew the attention of nearby onlookers, who watched with growing interest.

  By nightfall, the elders had searched the entire city and discovered no trace of Xu Hanyu.

  "Did you find any clues?" Elder Xu Jia inquired.

  "No." Elder Xu Bai replied, frustrated.

  “What should we do now?”

  "I don't have any idea–! This boy is just really causing us troubles. He should have listened to his father's orders."

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  Elder Xu Ting chimed in, saying, “Xu Hanyu is still very young, it’s normal for a young teen to be stubborn."

  "Ha! You’re even defending him. Plus, I know he’s young?” He said sarcastically, “but he’s old enough to know what his father said. He's just making things harder for us. When Xu Dan comes back, he might even blame us for letting that ungrateful kid go missing." Elder Xu Bai crossed his arms.

  "I know you're not fond of him, but don't forget that he is still part of our clan."

  “Fine, but you can’t deny the fact that he’s certainly complicating things. We’ve searched everywhere and still haven’t found him–!” He said irritably.

  Just a few moments later, Elder Xu Jia suggested. "We should go back to the clan now. It’s late, and everyone is getting tired from searching."

  With the, three of them looked at the others who were sitting and resting, who were obviously worn out and nodded in agreement.

  "Alright. We’ve done all we can for now." Elder Xu Ting replied.

  …

  Lord Xu sat calmly in the carriage, hands resting on his knees, back straight. As the carriage slowed, the driver’s voice broke the silence. “Lord Xu, we’ve arrived at the Fu Clan’s tavern.”

  He opened his eyes, glancing out. The tavern was medium-sized, bustling with people. He stepped down and entered, the lively atmosphere of clinking glasses and murmurs filling the air.

  A waiter approached. “Are you Lord Xu from the Xu Clan?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Please, follow me.” The waiter then led him up the stairs to a private room.

  Inside, Lord Xu was taken aback to see not only Fu Lao wearing dark blue clothing of their clan; the Fu Clan, but also Lord Huo sitting at the table laughing at each other.

  The Fu Clan was the leading business in Tai Hua City, not for weaponry, but for producing high-quality crystals.

  Now that Lord Xu arrived, Fu Lao noticed him at the door and said, “Oh? You’re here?” Which had also caught the attention of Huo Liang who's eyes suddenly widened looking in disbelief, “Xu Dan? What are you doing here?”

  Lord Xu stood silent for a moment, surprised as well but still kept his composure. Did the Huo Clan get an invitation as well? he thought.

  Meanwhile, Fu Lao just chuckled, breaking the tension. "Ah, sit down. I invited the two of you, and I apologize for not mentioning it in the letter."

  "So, the Xu Clan too? How fortunate…" he said in a voice dripping with sarcasm, clearly not pleased with the surprise.

  As Lord Xu walked closer to them, he then greeted, "Nice seeing you here, Huo Liang. I didn't expect to see you."

  "Ha… It appears that the Fu Clan had more in mind than merely doing business with the Huo Clan. Huo Liang calmly responded, trying to hide his annoyance.

  "Now, now, let's not make this a rivalry. We're here to discuss business." Fu Lao gestured to the chairs. "Please, sit Lord Xu. Let's get to the point."

  Huo Liang leaned back, fingers drumming on the armrest while thinking. So, the Xu Clan's been invited too? Fu Lao's playing both sides. And Xu Dan—he thinks he can stand toe to toe with the Huo Clan. Tch!

  "Of course, Fu Lao. We'll get to it soon enough," Huo Liang replied with a slight smile. "But it's hard to ignore the presence of our dear friends from the Xu Clan." His eyes challenged Lord Xu as they locked.

  "Indeed, business comes first. But let's not forget the importance of respect."

  With that, Lord Huo let out a quiet "Tch."

  As Fu Lao poured tea for me and me, he laughed without bothering. "Now that you two are here, I suppose we should talk business now."

  The eyes of Lord Xu narrowed. "But why bring us here, to your tavern, instead of Tai Hua City?"

  "No particular reason. I just thought it'd be better to celebrate here if our negotiations are successful. Plus, I also had a meeting with someone else later today in this place." Fu Lao leaned back in his chair.

  “I see..”

  Lord Huo, still glaring at Lord Xu, forced a smile before began to speak to Lord Fu.

  "Hm. But will our Huo Clan benefit from it?"

  "Of course! Both of your clans stand to gain. This is a deal." He pulled a paper from his sleeves and began pointing at the terms.

  Lord Xu then raised an eyebrow. "What kind of deal, exactly?"

  Starting with a warm smile, Fu Lao began explaining the deal he was offering to both of them. This was not a simple deal; it involved a collaboration between the business armories of the Xu and Huo Clans and the Fu Clan’s business in crystals. Fu Lao proposed that the two clans use their high-quality crystals to enhance their weapons, which would improve the overall effectiveness and potentially lead to high demand in the market.

  In return, the Fu Clan asked for reservations on certain goods. His words were clear and tempting as he sought to persuade them, with promises of a monetary reward and a promising future.

  In terms of monetary reward, the Fu Clan will give them seventy percent of the sales from each weapon embedded with the Fu Clan's crystals.

  After hearing the deal, Lord Huo’s eyes lit up in surprise which showed that it caught his interest. "Seventy percent of the sales!?" he exclaimed, "That's more than just a partnership…!"

  “Exactly. With the growing demand for these enhanced goods, your clans will profit not only from the goods themselves but also from the sales of these upgraded products. It’s a win-win situation.”

  While Lord Xu was thinking about it, the deal sounded solid—both the Xu Clan and the Huo Clan would benefit from the supply of specialized goods and could help increase their trading outside the Empire. With the Fu Clan’s thriving business, their sales have incredible potential for high demands in the future which could also benefit them, only if they accept the deal.

  The potential for profit was clear.

  But something was bothering him.

  Fu Lao was careful with his words, offering a tempting future, but there was a catch.

  If I accept this deal, our Xu Clan would have to provide Fu Clan's goods without refusal. No matter what. Our Xu Clan would be expected to reserve these goods for the Fu Clan, to be at their disposal whenever they asked. He thought.

  It wasn't a minor detail, but it weighed heavily on his mind.

  Still, he couldn't deny that the rewards of this partnership were great, and the thought of strengthening ties with the Huo Clan in business, of all things, was something he never could have imagined. Plus, the Huo Clan was no ally. Their families had always been rivals, especially in the market. And yet here they were, forced into cooperation by the potential of this deal.

  But is this really a good idea for their clan? Lord Xu couldn’t help but feel tempted but at the same time he was worrying about this partnership. He was afraid that he might make a wrong decision.

  While in deep thought, Lord Xu remained neutral as he considered the offer. A partnership with the Huo Clan, with which he was not totally at ease, might result from the deal.

  Suddenly, Fu Lao's voice broke his thoughts. "So, what do you think? It's a good deal, isn't it?"

  "…"

  A silence, until—

  "Deal!" Lord Huo's voice suddenly burst out in excitement.

  "Oh? That was a really fast decision for Lord Huo. Have you ever thought about it for a moment?" Fu Lao inquired.

  Lord Huo then simply smirked as he laughed. He glanced in Lord Xu's direction, but it was difficult to tell what he was really thinking.

  "Of course. I know what's good for my clan.” he replied confidently

  "Alright…" Fu Lao said, then passed the parchment to Lord Huo. "Then you can sign this pact with your fingerprint here, please.”

  With that, Lord Fu turned his attention to Lord Xu. "Lord Xu, so what's your answer?"

  He was tempted, but he decided it would be best to discuss it with the elders before deciding.

  "I'll consider it, however, I need to discuss it with the elders before making a decision. This matter is too important to rush.”

  Hearing his answer, Huo Liang, side-eyeing him, let out a small scoff with a touch of arrogance.

  Meanwhile, Fu Lao, still wearing a smile, said. "Haha! Of course, consulting with the elders is wise… Then I will wait for your answer four days from now, Lord Xu. That should be enough, right?"

  "Hm, I will send a letter to your place.”

  "Alright, Good to hear…!"

  "Then,” Lord Xu rose up, “I'll take my leave first. I have other matters to attend to." Lord Xu said, standing up.

  "I see, it was nice talking with you. Farewell, Lord Xu…" Fu Lao said, offering a polite bow.

  “Hm, farewell..”

  Lord Xu departed from the private chamber, leaving the two men there. He took a deep breath, as he was finally able to breathe in that stuffy situation.

  As he walked out the tavern's front door, a young man approached him in a rush and with an agitated expression on his face.

  "Lord Xu! You have an emergency letter!"