In the room.

Zhao Feng was still flailing his arms and legs in excitement.

Zhao Yuman and Qinghe, however, were both staring wide-eyed.

’In just a few short days, that Mingjin Martial Artist—the one I remembered as having a mere Lower-Grade Root Bone—has actually crossed a threshold that many can never surmount in their entire lifetime?’

Zhao Yuman felt a BUZZ in her head, as if countless needles were pricking her temples all at once. Zhao Feng’s excited words became a blur, leaving only the two words "Dark Jin" echoing over and over.

She subconsciously grabbed the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white from the force, just barely managing to keep herself from sliding off her chair.

Zhao Feng was still chattering excitedly, "Our Escort Agency only has one Chief of the Escort Agency at the Dark Jin level right now. If we could get him to become a Chief, the safety of our future escorts would increase by at least thirty percent! And since Liu Maolin came to ask you what you thought of him, it’s clear the man is interested in you. If we arrange a marriage, our Escort Agency will have a Dark Jin expert for a son-in-law! He’d be one of us—so much more reliable than a Guest Minister..."

But seeing his sister’s pale face and dazed expression, his voice gradually trailed off. He asked with some concern, "Manman, what’s wrong?"

Zhao Yuman seemed to snap awake from a nightmare. She took a deep breath, but it did nothing to calm the tempest raging in her chest. Gazing at the splotch of ink spreading across the table, she forced a bitter smile.

"Brother, don’t get your hopes up." Her voice was still trembling, but it was steadier than before. "Liu Maolin did mention him to me before, but... I... I flatly refused."

"Refused?" Zhao Feng froze, the joy instantly vanishing from his face. His brow furrowed into a knot. "Why on earth would you refuse?"

Zhao Yuman lowered her gaze, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the ledger. Her voice dropped. "At the time... I saw his Root Bone was only Lower-Grade and thought his potential was limited. Even if he became a Martial Artist, I figured he wouldn’t amount to much and wouldn’t be of great help to our Escort Agency’s business..."

’How could I have known back then that someone with a Lower-Grade Root Bone, whom I had judged as having exhausted his potential, would break through to the Dark Jin realm in such a short time?’

After hearing her out, Zhao Feng heaved a heavy sigh, one filled with regret and helplessness.

He paced the room with his hands behind his back, his brow tightly furrowed. "You..." he began, but swallowed the words back down.

Dark Jin masters were proud and arrogant, especially young prodigies like Yang Jing who had broken through at such a tender age. They had their own pride.

Having been looked down upon and rejected before, how could he possibly agree if the Zhao Family came knocking now to win him over?

"Forget it," Zhao Feng said, stopping his pacing. His tone was tinged with dejection. "It seems this is going to be difficult. Geniuses are proud. Since you’ve already rejected him, I’m afraid it’ll be impossible to recruit him now."

The candlelight cast a reflection on the siblings’ silent figures, and the atmosphere in the room instantly grew heavy.

Zhao Yuman stared at the jarring ink stain on the ledger, feeling as if something was blocking her chest, making her feel suffocated and flustered.

She had never imagined that she, of all people, would one day misjudge someone so badly—and be so utterly wrong.

Bitterness, regret, and an indescribable sense of melancholy intertwined in her heart, lingering for a long, long time.

Zhao Yuman’s fingertips clenched the corner of the ledger, her knuckles turning white. She suppressed the remorse in her heart, and when she looked up at Zhao Feng, her tone had become much steadier. "Brother, don’t be too disappointed. I recently met a Dark Jin master, Shen Lie, a Core Disciple from the Po Mountain Martial Arts Hall. In terms of potential, his Root Bone is upper-mid grade, and he reached the Dark Jin realm at a young age. In terms of strength, his Stone-Splitting Palm is already perfected. He’s leagues better than Yang Jing."

Zhao Feng was stunned for a moment, then his brow relaxed slightly. "Shen Lie from the Po Mountain Martial Arts Hall? I’ve heard that name. They say he reached the Dark Jin realm at nineteen and is now only in his twenties, already the most promising disciple in the Martial Arts Hall." He looked his sister up and down. "How do you know him?"

"We met once at a banquet hosted by a friend a few days ago," Zhao Yuman said, avoiding her brother’s gaze. She took a sip of tea to hide her guilt. "He... seemed a little interested in me and struck up a conversation."

In reality, he had only casually asked about her Escort Agency’s business, but she had deliberately exaggerated his "interest."

Zhao Feng nodded, clearly impressed by Shen Lie’s reputation. "Since he’s such a young talent, we should meet him. When can you invite him out for a casual meal?"

"He’s busy preparing for the training ground trials recently. He said he’s trying to earn an official position, so he has no time to socialize." Zhao Yuman continued her fabrication, though her heart was pounding. "But he did say that the trials are a sure thing for him. Once he’s done, I’ll ask him out and formally introduce him to you, Brother."

’The trials are still over half a month away,’ she schemed, ’which is more than enough time for me to figure out a way to get closer to Shen Lie. Even if we aren’t familiar with each other now, as long as he has even a hint of a good impression of me, I’m confident I can get him to agree. When the time comes and I present Brother with a Dark Jin master who holds an official position, who will even remember the Yang Jing I passed over?’

Zhao Feng didn’t notice his sister’s scheming. He just felt that the situation had taken a turn for the better, and a smile appeared on his face. "Good. We’ll wait until he places in the training ground trials and secures an official position. However, even though he’s a Dark Jin master, you must remind him not to be careless. Plenty of Dark Jin masters have failed in the trials in previous years."

"Mm," Zhao Yuman nodded quickly. "Okay, Brother, I’ll tell him."

Zhao Feng grunted in acknowledgment and said in a low voice, "You should hurry up this time, and don’t be like last time..." He trailed off, but it was enough to make Zhao Yuman’s face burn.