Three Days to March

Morning mist still clung to the tiled eaves of the City Lord’s Mansion when the heavy gates opened to admit the first delegation.

Li Huo, clad in understated black robes trimmed with bronze, led the Li family’s contingent in silence. At his side walked First Elder Li Zhong, his sharp gaze calm beneath a long-crowned brow, hands tucked neatly into his sleeves. Neither man spoke as they ascended the grand hall’s steps, but their presence alone turned the heads of waiting attendants.

The chamber had been prepared for formal discussion. Cushioned seats circled a wide stone table inlaid with an ancient formation seal, long dormant but pulsing faintly under the weight of purpose.

Seated already was Zhao Long, Lord of Jinling City. He wore no crown, no sign of regal excess, only steel-trimmed robes of deep blue and a jade-inlaid bracer on his left forearm. Though his posture was relaxed, none in the hall mistook it for weakness.

To his right stood Deputy Yuan Bo, thinner than the City Lord and colder in gaze. He glanced toward the approaching Li men with quiet calculation, his fingers tapping once on the armrest of his high-backed seat.

Shortly after, the remaining families arrived.

Wang Jian, Patriarch of the Wang clan, entered with his usual stiff poise, followed by Elder Wang Shiming, a hawk-nosed man with short silver hair and a narrow jaw. His robes bore subtle embroidery in the shape of storm clouds, fitting for a clan that prided itself on tempestuous power.

From the opposite entrance came Lu Han, the more reserved Patriarch of the Lu family. With him walked Elder Lu Shen, a thin man with pale eyes and the scent of rare incense clinging faintly to his robe. Unlike Wang Shiming, Lu Shen said nothing as he entered, his eyes never leaving Zhao Long.

When all were seated, silence fell. It was broken not by the City Lord, but by a voice that held formality like a blade held its edge.

“City Lord Zhao,” Wang Jian said, nodding with due respect. “You summoned us early and without full reason. May we know what matter warrants such haste?”

Lu Han nodded lightly in agreement.

Zhao Long looked to his deputy.

Yuan Bo inclined his head. “The meeting was not summoned by the City Lord directly. It was proposed by the Li family.”

That drew a small murmur from the Wang side.

“Then let them speak,” Wang Shiming said with thinly veiled skepticism. “Let us hear what pressing threat now clouds Jinling.”

Li Zhong stepped forward. His voice was smooth, but his words carried weight.

“Three nights ago, a squad of our scouts, Qi Condensation-level cultivators trained for forest movement, returned from the middle ring of the Jinling Forest.”

He let the words hang, allowing the name to settle over the room like a mist.

“Their findings were not normal. Qi trails from beasts were wide and coordinated. Signs of pack convergence. Herd tracks moving in synchronized patterns. There were signs of aggression at night, and not only from predators.”

Elder Lu Shen raised an eyebrow. “A beast migration?”

“A prelude,” Li Zhong said. “To a horde formation.”

The silence that followed was longer this time.

“Are you certain?” Wang Shiming asked. “Beast hordes do not form lightly.”

Li Zhong nodded once. “We’ve recorded the signs before. Twice in the last century. And they match. Almost precisely.”

“You’re suggesting we are at the edge of another wave?” Wang Jian’s tone sharpened.

Li Huo finally spoke, voice low and steady.

“We are suggesting nothing. We are reporting what is. We acted early to confirm what others might ignore. But the city must not.”

All eyes turned to Zhao Long.

The City Lord remained still for a moment, then exhaled through his nose.

“Whether this is the beginning or not, we cannot afford hesitation. Jinling may not fall in a storm, but it may bleed from rain if it waits too long.”

He rose.

“We will act. But not recklessly. We will send a controlled force into the middle forest ring.”

He looked to each family head in turn.

“Each of the three great families, Li, Wang, and Lu, will send:

One Foundation Building elder,

Twenty Qi Condensation cultivators, chosen from among your clans.”

He turned to Yuan Bo, who stepped forward to continue.

“The City Guard will also contribute:

Five hundred elite guards, no less than the seventh stage of Body Refining,

Thirty captains at the Qi Condensation realm,

And two Foundation Building commanders to oversee engagement and logistics.”

Zhao Long’s voice returned, firm.

“This is not an extermination. It is a purge. A signal, to the beasts, and to the city.”

Wang Jian's lips pressed into a thin line. “We will need time to select our representatives.”

“Three days,” Zhao Long said. “Then we march.”

Lu Han gave a short bow. “The Lu family will comply.”

Wang Jian hesitated, then nodded. “Very well.”

The City Lord gave a final look to Li Huo and Li Zhong.

“Your vigilance may have spared us greater bloodshed.”

As the assembly dispersed, a heavy silence followed each step. No one spoke, but all understood: Jinling was no longer watching. It was moving.

Outside the chamber, as Li Zhong and Li Huo stepped toward the shaded corridor, Yuan Bo passed them.

His voice was quiet, but sharp.

“Your family moves fast, Patriarch Li.”

Li Huo glanced sideways. “Only because the forest moved first.”