Han Yu pushed himself upright and began to pace slowly.

"I will need to know who else is attending," he said.

Meng Jueyan glanced at him briefly.

"I assumed as much," she replied.

Han Yu nodded and closed his eyes for a moment.

His consciousness extended outward, linking with the network he had built over the years.

The Jiangshi scattered throughout the sect served more than one purpose. While their primary role was visible to others, their hidden function as observers had become one of Han Yu’s greatest advantages.

Information flowed through them in fragments.

They did not think like humans, and their memories were not always complete. Still, with enough connections and careful interpretation, patterns emerged. Han Yu sifted through those patterns, piecing together movements, conversations, and subtle shifts in behavior.

It took time.

Hours passed in quiet concentration as he filtered through the countless impressions gathered by his creations. Many of them were irrelevant. Some were incomplete. A few, however, aligned in a way that revealed something useful.

When he finally opened his eyes, there was clarity within them.

"I have a rough idea," he said.

Meng Jueyan turned her full attention to him.

"You will need to prepare gifts for Daoist Blood Pool, Master Swamp Leech, Mistress Love Wine, and Daoist Snake Face."

The names alone carried weight.

Meng Jueyan’s expression did not change, though she recognized each one immediately. These were not ordinary figures. Each of them held a distinct position within the sect’s hierarchy, and each had their own reputation as a Legacy Disciple.

"I understand," she said.

Han Yu studied her for a moment.

"Will a week be enough?"

Her answer came without hesitation.

"It will."

There was a quiet certainty in her tone.

"I have maintained a reserve of suitable gifts for each Legacy Disciple," she continued. "It was always a possibility that a situation like this would arise. I only need to refine the selection and prepare something appropriate for Lady Rot Rose. Since this will be your first direct interaction with her, it must be handled with extra care."

Han Yu raised an eyebrow slightly.

"You were preparing for this even before today?"

Meng Jueyan allowed herself a faint smile.

"It is my responsibility to anticipate what you may need, master."

Han Yu let out a soft chuckle.

"What would I do without you."

The words came naturally, without calculation or intent.

For a brief moment, the usual mask that Ju Fan wore seemed to soften. The sharpness in his gaze eased, replaced by something more genuine. It was a rare expression, one that very few within the sect had ever seen.

With Ju Fan’s features, even sincerity carried a hint of danger.

Yet Meng Jueyan understood the difference.

Over the years, she had come to see beyond the surface. What others perceived as cruelty or indifference often concealed intention. The experiments he had performed on her in the past, which she had once feared, revealed their true purpose with time.

They had not been acts of cold curiosity. They had been calculated attempts to heal, to strengthen, and to restore what had been broken.

She had learned to read the subtle changes in his expression, to distinguish between the persona he presented to the world and the person he allowed her to see.

This was one of those moments.

She lowered her gaze slightly, not out of fear, but out of acknowledgment.

"I will not fail you," she said.

Han Yu nodded, the brief softness fading as his thoughts returned to the path ahead.

The Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect was not a place where kindness thrived openly. It was a place where strength dictated respect and where weakness invited destruction. Compassion, when shown without restraint, was often met with exploitation.

He had learned that early.

The face he wore as Ju Fan was necessary.

It allowed him to move through the sect without exposing his true intentions. It gave him the authority to act, to command, and to shape the forces around him. Without it, everything he had built would crumble.

Yet there were moments, rare and fleeting, where he allowed himself to step away from that mask.

Only in front of those he trusted such as Meng Jueyan and Qing Luan would he show this side. Even the Second Kidney Peak head did not get such a privilege.

Meng Jueyan turned and began to leave, already organizing the countless details that needed to be addressed. As she reached the doorway, she paused for a fraction of a second, then continued without looking back.

Han Yu remained where he stood.

His gaze drifted toward the distance, his mind already shifting toward the gathering that awaited him.

A meeting of Legacy Disciples.

A stage where power, influence, and intent would intertwine.

And at the center of it, Lady Rot Rose.

For the first time since receiving the letter, Han Yu felt a faint sense of anticipation.

Whatever this gathering was meant to accomplish, it would not be simple.

And neither would he.

Han Yu did not allow the upcoming gathering to disrupt his routine.

If anything, he became even more meticulous with it.

While Meng Jueyan handled the preparations, he immersed himself in his usual work, refining jiangshi, overseeing maintenance cycles, and adjusting the layered control arrays he had embedded within his expanding network.

On the surface, nothing had changed. Disciples still came and went with requests, reports still piled up, and the steady hum of activity across his peak continued without pause. Yet beneath that calm surface, his attention was sharper than ever.

He extended his awareness into the jiangshi network far more frequently than usual, sifting through the constant stream of fragmented impressions. He paid particular attention to anything related to the Legacy Disciples who might attend the gathering, as well as any trace of movement connected to Lady Rot Rose.

Patterns began to form slowly.

Daoist Blood Pool had remained within his territory, engaging in his usual cultivation routines that revolved around massive reservoirs of refined blood essence. Nothing unusual could be detected there.

The man was predictable in his habits, and that predictability made him easier to monitor.