To Han Yu, these abandoned individuals were valuable assets. To Lady Rot Rose, they had likely been expendable.

Even so, such actions did not go unnoticed.

There had been incidents.

Shipments that disappeared during transit. Materials that failed to arrive without explanation. Messengers who vanished along the way, their fate unclear. None of these events could be traced back to her directly. They were subtle, well within the chaotic nature of the sect, and could easily be dismissed as coincidence.

Han Yu had never believed they were coincidences.

He had also never responded.

In a place like the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect, such exchanges were part of the unspoken rules.

Open conflict was unnecessary when pressure could be applied in quieter ways. Han Yu had accepted it as a cost, a form of acknowledgment that he had entered territory where others already held influence.

That was the extent of their relationship.

They had never met face to face.

They had never spoken directly.

And now, she was inviting him.

Han Yu leaned back slightly, the letter resting between his fingers.

"Strange," he said softly.

Meng Jueyan remained silent, allowing him to think.

"This is not a casual invitation," he continued. "She would not send something like this without purpose."

He tapped the folded letter lightly against his palm.

"The fact that it came anonymously is even more concerning. This bypassed every channel we monitor. That alone means whoever delivered it either has access to methods we do not know, or the authority to ignore them."

Meng Jueyan considered this.

"Do you think it is a test?" she asked.

"Possibly," Han Yu replied. "Or an opportunity. Or both."

He stood and began to walk slowly across the workshop, his mind already mapping out possibilities.

If Lady Rot Rose was hosting a gathering, it would not be limited to ordinary disciples.

The term "close gathering" carried a specific meaning within the sect. It referred to a meeting of individuals who already held significant standing. Given her position, it was almost certain that the attendees would be other Legacy Disciples.

Han Yu's experience with them was limited. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He maintained nominal relations with a few, enough to avoid unnecessary conflict and maintain balance. Beyond that, most of them remained distant figures. Some he had never even seen. Others he had only heard about through reports and rumors.

Each one represented a different faction.

Each one carried their own influence.

If they were all gathering in one place, then the purpose could not be trivial.

Han Yu stopped walking.

His gaze shifted toward the distant horizon beyond the workshop walls.

"This is not about me alone," he said quietly. "If she is gathering Legacy Disciples, then something larger is happening."

Meng Jueyan stepped closer.

"Will you go?" she asked.

Han Yu did not answer immediately.

He looked down at the letter once more, his expression calm yet thoughtful.

Then, slowly, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"How could I not?" he said.

The invitation was not something he could ignore.

And whatever awaited him there, it was certain to change something.

Han Yu did not hesitate once his thoughts settled.

The letter burned quietly between his fingers, reduced to ash by a controlled flicker of Dark Blood Flames. The residue scattered into the air and vanished, leaving no trace behind. He stood still for a moment after that, as if weighing the finality of his decision, before turning his attention back to the present.

Acceptance was the only reasonable path.

While the invitation had been phrased with a layer of courtesy, there was nothing casual about it. A gathering called by Lady Rot Rose was not something one declined. The balance within the sect did not allow such freedom, especially when dealing with someone of her standing. Refusal would not be seen as caution or neutrality. It would be seen as defiance.

Han Yu understood the difference clearly.

The small pressures she had applied in the past had been warnings. They had been measured, controlled, and deniable. If he were to reject her now, that subtlety would likely disappear.

What followed would be direct, undeniable, and far more destructive. Even with the influence he had amassed over the years, he knew his limits. There were still forces within the sect that he could not confront openly.

Lady Rot Rose was one of them.

He exhaled slowly and looked at Meng Jueyan.

"Prepare everything," he said. "We leave in a week."

Meng Jueyan inclined her head without hesitation.

"I will handle it, master."

Her voice carried calm confidence, the kind that came from years of managing matters far more complicated than most would imagine. What lay ahead was not a simple meeting. It was an exchange between individuals who stood at the peak of the sect's internal hierarchy. Every detail mattered.

Clothing, demeanor, timing, and even the smallest gesture could carry meaning.

Han Yu walked toward one of the tables in the workshop and leaned against it lightly, watching as Meng Jueyan began to mentally organize the preparations. He did not interrupt her thoughts.

He knew from experience that once she entered this state, she would account for variables that others would not even consider.

The robes would need to be chosen first.

They could not be ostentatious, yet they had to reflect status. The fabric, the embroidery, the aura contained within them, all of it had to align with his current position. As a Legacy Disciple, anything less than perfection would be noticed immediately. At the same time, excessive display could be interpreted as arrogance or insecurity.

Then came the matter of gifts.

Han Yu knew this would be the most delicate part.

In gatherings like this, gifts were not mere tokens of goodwill. They were statements. A gift that was too valuable suggested submission or an attempt to curry favor. A gift that was too modest could be taken as disrespect. The balance between the two required precision.

And Lady Rot Rose was not an easy person to account for.