The Eye Of The City

When Luu Ho returned to Nap Long’s quarters, it was already past midnight.

From the outside, the northern military camp looked almost unchanged. Lamps still burned along the narrow roads between the rows of buildings, patrols continued rotating on schedule, and Heavenly Eye’s black banners still snapped in the wind atop tall wooden poles. Apart from the Hoa Ky people who had taken part in the choice that night, no one yet knew that Nap Long was dead.

Luu Ho lifted the curtain and stepped inside.

Hao Nhien was standing before the large map spread across the table, while Quan Nha sat nearby examining the military markers and several jade slips taken from Nap Long’s storage bag.

Hearing footsteps, Hao Nhien did not turn around immediately.

“Finished?”

“Finished. The people who needed to be separated have been dealt with, and the outer guards remain unchanged.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“That is enough.”

He placed a military marker on the map before finally turning toward Luu Ho.

“The information we have says Duong Long’s group is still at least two weeks away, but we cannot treat that number as absolute. If he changes routes or leaves part of the supplies behind and moves ahead, the time could become much shorter.”

Luu Ho’s expression grew serious.

“This subordinate understands.”

“So the first priority is still to keep tonight’s events from spreading outside. After that, I need the full situation in Tien Thanh—military strength, storehouses, commanders, the reconnaissance system, and especially the communication routes.”

Luu Ho stepped up to the table and studied the map for a while.

“The Hoa Ky forces are concentrated mainly in the north. There are currently more than three hundred fighters. If we include their families living inside the city, the number is nearly double.”

“The other three directions?”

“The east is held by Heavenly Eye’s regular troops. The south contains two tribes that were only recently subdued and are still being tested for loyalty. The west is the most complicated because it contains Heavenly Eye troops, people from smaller tribes, and recruited rogue cultivators.”

Hao Nhien asked,

“How many troops inside the city can be mobilized directly for battle?”

Luu Ho thought for a moment.

“If we count only the standing forces in the four districts, around eight thousand. If we include auxiliary units, recruited rogue cultivators, and people from dependent tribes who can be mobilized on short notice, the number exceeds ten thousand.”

Quan Nha looked at the marked regions on the map.

“So the three hundred-plus Hoa Ky fighters are only a small fraction.”

“Correct.”

Luu Ho nodded.

“But nearly all of our people are concentrated in the north, while the other districts are divided among many different sources.”

Hao Nhien looked at the various symbols scattered across the map.

“Other than Nap Long, who are the strongest people here?”

“Two peak-Foundation cultivators. One controls the east, one the west. There are also around ten late-Foundation cultivators distributed among the camps.”

Hao Nhien only nodded.

At least for now, he had no intention of using force to attack the remaining districts directly.

He changed the subject.

“I want to know where information from Tam Thanh, Hoa Van, Cat Loi, and merchant caravans coming from Dong Nguyen must ultimately pass through before entering Tien Thanh.”

Luu Ho raised his head slightly, then looked down at the map for much longer than before.

After a while, he pointed to a chain of small marks extending from the eastern gate outward.

“This is the main route. There are seven major stations, with several smaller observation posts scattered between them.”

“Who controls them?”

“Mostly Hoa Ky people.”

Quan Nha immediately looked over.

Hao Nhien narrowed his eyes slightly.

“All of them?”

“Not entirely, but most of the people directly receiving and forwarding information are ours. In the past, Duong Long did not trust people from other tribes, especially with intelligence coming from Dong Nguyen. So he ordered Duong Quang to place this route in the hands of Hoa Ky members who had followed him for years. Later, Nap Long took over.”

Luu Ho pointed to the stations one by one.

“Heavenly Eye still conducts inspections from time to time, but the people who directly receive reports at the stations, carry messages between sections, and deliver the final summaries into the city are mostly Hoa Ky.”

The room fell quiet.

Hao Nhien stared at the seven points stretching eastward.

This was not Tien Thanh’s entire intelligence system.

But it was the city’s main eye looking toward Dong Nguyen.

He touched a station near the city with one finger.

“Does information from outside come straight here?”

“No. The outermost station receives it first, then it is passed inward section by section. Urgent reports use message talismans, while ordinary information is still mostly carried by people. Only at the final station is everything consolidated before entering the city.”

“Who decides what must be sent immediately and what can be delayed?”

Luu Ho thought for a moment, then pointed at three stations in the middle of the route.

“These three people each control one section. In the end, everything reports to a captain at the station nearest the eastern gate.”

Hao Nhien looked at the four positions and smiled faintly.

“Then we don’t need to replace the entire route.”

Luu Ho looked at him.

“If everyone is changed in one night, even a blind man would know something happened in the north. Anyone who isn’t a problem stays where they are. I only need the people who decide what gets sent immediately, what gets held back, and what finally enters the city to be ours.”

Luu Ho looked again at the four marked positions and slowly nodded.

“If we only adjust those posts, it will be much easier.”

“How long?”

“If we do it quietly, about two days. It can be faster, but that would leave traces.”

“No need to rush. I need it clean.”

Hao Nhien glanced at the golden command token hanging from Luu Ho’s waist.

“Nap Long’s token is in your hands now. Before outsiders discover he is dead, use it to adjust shifts and personnel as though it were routine.”

Luu Ho placed a hand over the token.

This was not merely the insignia of a squad leader.

Before his death, Duong Quang had given Nap Long command over one of Tien Thanh’s military branches, making his status equivalent to those controlling the other three districts.

Above them, there had originally been only the City Lord of Tien Thanh.

And that seat was still waiting for Duong Long to arrive and claim it.

Hao Nhien continued,

“Do not move too many people at once, and do not let the other commanders sense that the north is changing.”

“This subordinate will use the excuse of reorganizing duty rotations before Duong Long arrives.”

“That will work.”

A note about provenance: this chapter was copied without permission, while the author's official page carries their published version.

Hao Nhien looked again toward the eastern route.

“From now on, every piece of intelligence from Dong Nguyen must pass before my eyes before it reaches anyone else.”

Luu Ho nodded.

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien remained silent for a while before asking,

“Among those who chose to return tonight, how many do you truly trust?”

Luu Ho thought for quite some time.

“If we are only talking about loyalty to the Hoa Ky, there are many. But if you mean the kind of people who can be entrusted with something important and still keep silent even if captured, then not many.”

“Choose five. Their cultivation does not need to be high. They only need to know the roads, know how to keep their mouths shut, and most importantly, be willing.”

Luu Ho looked at him.

“Where are they going?”

“Tam Thanh.”

Luu Ho’s eyes changed immediately.

But he did not ask further and simply cupped his hands.

“This subordinate will choose them.”

Less than half a quarter hour later, he returned with five people—four men and one woman.

The oldest looked to be in his thirties.

The youngest was barely past twenty.

None were above early Foundation Establishment, and two were only at Qi Condensation layer nine.

Hao Nhien did not care about their cultivation.

His gaze settled on the man standing in front.

He was thin, dark-skinned, with a scar running from his collarbone almost to his ear.

Luu Ho introduced him.

“This man is Ta Moc. He spent many years traveling with merchant caravans between Tien Thanh and Tam Thanh, so he knows the route extremely well. The other four all worked as scouts with him in the past.”

Ta Moc and the four behind him cupped their hands.

“Greetings, Clan Chief.”

Hao Nhien asked,

“Has Luu Ho told you where you are going?”

“No. Captain Luu only said the Clan Chief had a mission.”

“You will go to Tam Thanh.”

The five remained still.

Hao Nhien continued,

“If you move at full speed, you should reach it in about two weeks. I have something that must be delivered directly into Lieu Thien Van’s hands.”

Ta Moc’s eyes shifted slightly.

Hao Nhien took out a sealed letter.

Nothing was written on the outside.

There was only a small mark left by his own fire-attributed True Qi, along with a jade token that could verify the messenger’s identity.

“The letter must not be opened. The jade token proves that I sent you.”

Ta Moc accepted both with two hands.

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien did not release them immediately.

“This route is not safe. If something happens, prioritize getting the letter to its destination. If you determine that continuing is impossible, destroy the letter immediately. Under no circumstances can it fall into someone else’s hands.”

Ta Moc looked at him.

“This subordinate understands.”

“One more thing. This is not an order forcing you to go. Anyone unwilling to accept the mission may step out now. I will not pursue the matter.”

No one moved.

Ta Moc placed the letter inside his inner robe.

“This subordinate accepts.”

The woman behind him also cupped her hands.

“This subordinate is willing.”

The other three nodded at the same time.

Only then did Hao Nhien release his grip.

“The round trip will take close to a month. If, after reading the letter, Lieu Thien Van wants to keep you there to work, there is no need to hurry back. Follow his arrangements.”

Ta Moc cupped his hands.

“Understood.”

“If you realize someone is following you, do not insist on keeping all five together. Choose your own time to split up, but at least one person must deliver the letter to Tam Thanh.”

The five exchanged looks, then nodded together.

Only then did Hao Nhien say,

“Go.”

They turned and left the room without asking anything more.

A short while later, their footsteps had completely disappeared beyond the camp.

Hao Nhien looked at the closed curtain.

If the letter reached Lieu Thien Van, then part of the next stage of his plan could begin.

But that still lay ahead.

For now, Tien Thanh had to maintain the appearance that nothing had happened.

Luu Ho remained beside the table.

Hao Nhien turned toward him and asked after a moment,

“You are at Foundation Establishment layer six?”

Luu Ho looked slightly surprised.

“Yes.”

“How long?”

“Almost four years.”

Hao Nhien frowned.

“Four years?”

“Mm. My True Qi has been sufficient for a long time, but every attempt to break into layer seven has failed.”

“Old injuries?”

“A few, but nothing serious.”

Hao Nhien stepped closer.

“Give me your hand.”

Luu Ho did not ask why.

He simply placed his wrist on the table.

Hao Nhien touched two fingers to his pulse.

A thin thread of True Qi entered.

He did not force it.

He only let the energy move slowly through the main meridians and their branches before returning.

After a while, Hao Nhien opened his eyes.

“You are not lacking True Qi.”

Luu Ho gave a bitter smile.

“This subordinate knows. But every time I try to break into layer seven, it feels as though there is a wall in front of me. The harder I push, the stronger the resistance becomes.”

Hao Nhien did not answer immediately.

After one complete inspection, he had already sensed the problem quite clearly.

Luu Ho’s True Qi was dense enough, and his meridians were not weak.

But the way his energy circulated carried obvious traces of someone who had spent many years fighting.

Most of his power always prioritized the main pathways commonly used for explosive combat, while several secondary branches were used much less often.

Over time, differences had developed in smoothness and load-bearing capacity between the various parts of his meridian system.

This was not a blockage.

Nor was it serious foundational damage.

It was more like a body that had relied on certain groups of muscles for too long, until the entire system had gradually become uneven.

Hao Nhien asked,

“How do you attempt your breakthrough?”

“I accumulate enough True Qi, gather it into the dantian, then force it through the limit.”

“Every time?”

“Mm.”

Hao Nhien released his wrist.

“Then the problem is not that you lack force. It is that you use that force too unevenly.”

“The meridian routes you use most in battle are accustomed to heavy pressure, while the others, though not weak, cannot keep up. When you gather all your True Qi and force a breakthrough, the stronger sections reach their limit while the rest remain uneven. Naturally, the body resists.”

Luu Ho looked at his wrist for a while before asking,

“Can it be corrected?”

“Yes. But you cannot erase four years of habit in a single night.”

Hao Nhien took out two jade bottles from his storage ring and placed them on the table.

“Fortunately, your main problem is not your foundation. You have accumulated long enough. What you lack is a way to bring the entire system back into balance.”

He pushed the first bottle forward.

“Huyen Duong Pill. It will replenish and stabilize your True Qi, bringing your current state close to the limit of layer six.”

Then he placed the second bottle down.

“Realm Advancement Pill.”

Luu Ho immediately looked up.

He clearly knew the value of such a pill.

Hao Nhien said,

“This pill can help you cross one minor realm, but it will only work because your foundation has already accumulated for four years. If your foundation were insufficient, even with pills I would not force a breakthrough and leave hidden damage behind.”

Luu Ho looked at the two jade bottles.

His breathing became slightly heavier.

“Clan Chief…”

Hao Nhien raised a hand to stop him.

“I am not helping you so I can hear thanks.”

He pointed at the command token hanging from Luu Ho’s waist.

“You have just taken Nap Long’s position. At layer six, you are not strong enough to convince outsiders that you can hold it.”

Luu Ho paused, then laughed.

“This subordinate understands.”

“Sit down. Tonight, try to reach layer seven.”

Luu Ho immediately sat cross-legged in the middle of the room.

Quan Nha moved her chair to the side and did not interfere.

Hao Nhien sat behind him.

“Use the Huyen Duong Pill first.”

Luu Ho opened the bottle, took out the pill, and swallowed it.

A faint medicinal fragrance quickly spread through the room.

The True Qi that had accumulated in his body for years also began circulating more strongly under the effect of the medicine.

Out of habit, Luu Ho immediately accelerated his cultivation method.

Hao Nhien spoke.

“Slow down. Don’t only follow the routes you are used to.”

Luu Ho reduced the speed.

Hao Nhien placed a hand against his back, using only a thin thread of True Qi to sense the direction of circulation and point out the branches being neglected.

“Left shoulder, the branch beneath the ribs, and the three routes along the back. Let the True Qi complete a full cycle. There is no need to go fast.”

Luu Ho obeyed.

The flow immediately slowed.

His outward aura even weakened slightly.

Hao Nhien did not urge him.

“Continue.”

One cycle passed.

Then a second.

By the third, the imbalance between the meridian routes had begun to shrink.

The True Qi that had been overly concentrated in the main combat pathways slowly spread into the other branches, making the entire circulation system more stable.

What Hao Nhien was doing was not entirely unfamiliar to him.

While cultivating the Body-Soul Fist Art, he had repeatedly observed how muscles, meridians, and the soul adapted when placed under different pressures.

Luu Ho’s situation was far simpler.

His foundation was not damaged.

Years of combat habits had simply made the way he used his True Qi increasingly uneven.

Sweat began appearing on Luu Ho’s forehead, but his breathing remained stable.

Hao Nhien said,

“Now increase the speed.”

Luu Ho accelerated his cultivation method.

His layer-six aura rose little by little until it reached the limit where he had been stuck for years.

Hao Nhien sensed one more full cycle before saying,

“Use the Realm Advancement Pill.”

Luu Ho opened his eyes, took out the second pill, and swallowed it without hesitation.

This medicinal force was much stronger.

The True Qi in his meridians rapidly accelerated, pressure spreading through his entire body.

His dantian trembled faintly, while the routes that had just been adjusted began bearing greater strain.

Luu Ho gritted his teeth.

By instinct, the power in his body again began leaning toward the routes he was most accustomed to using.

Hao Nhien immediately placed a hand on his back and used a thin thread of True Qi to block the deviation.

“Don’t return to your old habit. Complete the full cycle. Slow is fine, but it must remain even.”

Luu Ho trembled lightly.

Hao Nhien continued sensing every fluctuation.

“Left side first. Then beneath the ribs. Don’t rush to pressure the dantian. Let the meridians keep up.”

Luu Ho obeyed.

The True Qi began flowing through the entire system rather than pouring into only a few main routes.

Cycle after cycle followed.

By the seventh, the aura around him began to change.

It did not suddenly surge upward.

Instead, it became heavier and more stable, like a container that had long been full finally expanding by another layer.

Hao Nhien withdrew his hand.

“Now.”

Luu Ho drew a deep breath and circulated all his True Qi through the newly adjusted cycle.

A low vibration spread from his body, making the lamp on the table shake violently.

Quan Nha immediately raised one hand and formed a thin layer of True Qi around the room, preventing the disturbance from spreading outside.

Hao Nhien watched Luu Ho.

The aura of Foundation Establishment layer six had vanished.

In its place was a new layer of power that had just begun to stabilize.

Foundation Establishment layer seven.

Luu Ho did not open his eyes immediately.

He continued circulating for another three cycles until his True Qi had fully stabilized, then slowly exhaled.

He opened his eyes, clenched one hand experimentally, and guided True Qi through his arm once.

The flow no longer carried the obvious imbalance from before.

Luu Ho rose.

By reflex, he was about to kneel, but Hao Nhien raised a hand and stopped him.

“I just said it.”

Luu Ho stopped and instead cupped his hands deeply.

“Clan Chief, many thanks.”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“With a Realm Advancement Pill and four years of accumulation, failing to break through would have been the embarrassing part.”

Luu Ho laughed.

The tension that had hung over him throughout the entire night finally eased.

Only then did Quan Nha step closer.

She looked at Luu Ho for a moment before turning toward Hao Nhien.

“The way you guided his True Qi made me think of something. Everyone’s meridian structure is basically similar, but long-term cultivation habits cause each branch to develop different levels of tolerance and smoothness.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“That is close.”

Quan Nha looked at her own hand and smiled faintly.

“When you have time, check mine too. I want to know whether my own circulation has become uneven anywhere.”

“Fine.”

Hao Nhien answered.

“But there is no need to rush. A breakthrough isn’t going anywhere.”

The corner of Quan Nha’s mouth curved slightly, and she said nothing more.

After adjusting his breathing for a while longer, Luu Ho stood again.

“Clan Chief, this subordinate will go deal with the eastern route.”

Hao Nhien nodded and watched him disappear into the night.

Outside, the desert wind continued passing through the rows of buildings and flagpoles.

No one in Tien Thanh knew Nap Long was dead.

No one knew the command token had changed hands.

Even fewer knew that five figures had just left through the eastern gate carrying a sealed letter toward Tam Thanh.

The reconnaissance line facing Dong Nguyen still appeared to function exactly as before.

But beginning tomorrow, what that eye saw—and what it was allowed to report back to Tien Thanh—would no longer lie entirely in Heavenly Eye’s hands.