Chapter 28: Ambitious Negotiation
The laugh was bone-chilling and unsettling, but Kage endured it. After the man finished, he looked at Kage again—this time, his eyes blazed.
"In three days, you’ll be leaving for the academy entrance examination. Is there anything you want before then?"
Kage met his father’s gaze.
"Yes. Can you assign at least ten maids who witnessed what happened this morning to the Blacksteel Fortress? Is it also acceptable if I claim full ownership of that place?"
The Patriarch studied Kage, his expression unreadable.
"You wish to own Blacksteel Fortress?"
Kage nodded.
"Yes. My brothers and sisters all have territories under their control—even Bai Shen and Hai Chen, who are only two years older than I am. Considering that I accomplished something no one in the clan has done..."
The Patriarch raised a brow.
"And what would that be?"
Kage smiled coldly.
"Killing a Rank Wretch Impure when I’m not even an Aspirant, let alone a Purist."
The Patriarch looked down at him and exhaled.
"Fine then. But why the servants who witnessed today’s events?"
Kage sighed as well.
’Man, you’re already asking too many questions for my liking.’
"Because it’s easier to spread a message among them. They already know what happens to those who cross me."
The Patriarch smiled again.
"Very well. I’ll give you Blacksteel and the servants you requested. However, if you ace the examination, I’ll give you the whole of Middlepass."
Kage’s eyes widened.
’What?!’
He nearly lost his footing and staggered back, but steadied himself. He frowned immediately.
"Isn’t that excessive? Middlepass is as crucial as the Eastern Pass, Western Routes, Hidden Valleys, and Coastal Access—all of which belong to my eldest siblings. Giving Middlepass to me, the youngest, is..."
"...regarding you as important as they are?"
Kage’s frown deepened.
"I was going to say throwing me among the big sharks. Do you wish for me to die that badly, Father?"
The Patriarch laughed heartily. Kage glared at him with hostility. He wasn’t here to amuse the old man—he was simply stating what needed to be said.
But the Patriarch wanted a different son. Kage would be that different son for as long as it served him. Still, he had to remember he was only fifteen.
The Patriarch’s steel eyes settled on him.
"You don’t think you can handle it?"
"Obviously not, Father... Perhaps we could start with Blacksteel Fortress, then take it step by step."
The man nodded slightly.
"Then what do you want if you ace the entrance examination?"
Kage locked eyes with his father.
"Permission to create my own squad."
The Patriarch looked mildly surprised.
"Oh? After the academy, every direct bloodline must serve in at least three of the main squads before being allowed to create personal squads. You want to bypass this law?"
Kage shook his head.
"I never said that. I’m only seeking permission to start early."
The Patriarch studied his bastard son for several seconds, then gestured dismissively.
"Very well. Ace the test—come out on top—and I’ll look the other way while you assemble your squad. But you’ll still serve as expected."
Kage bowed.
"Yes, Father."
The Patriarch waved slightly.
"If that’s all, you may leave."
Kage bowed again.
"Thank you, Father."
He started to walk away but suddenly remembered something. He turned back.
"Say, Father—if one of my brothers were to send a knight with orders to lead me to the Apex Tower, which is obviously a lie... not just any ordinary lie, mind you, but one that dares use your authority to deceive—what would their punishment be?"
"Can you prove this?"
Kage smiled wickedly.
"This is merely a question born of curiosity, Father."
The Patriarch fell into thoughtful silence. Then he responded with a stern tone.
"He would be for me to deal with. Not you."
Kage sighed in disappointment, then turned and walked away.
After Kage departed, Guren approached the Patriarch.
Both remained silent for a moment, the howling wind filling the space between them.
Then Guren’s mechanical voice shattered the silence.
"You laughed more today than you have in the thirty years I’ve known you."
The Patriarch gazed at the tree that towered over the entire meadow like a canopy.
He lingered there.
"He was amusing. Ruthless, certainly. But clever—and he knows exactly what to say to make me say what he wants to hear."
Guren’s crimson eyes glowed.
"I’m surprised you played along."
The Patriarch chuckled.
"Why wouldn’t I? When was the last time I had a child who despised me at fifteen?"
Guren remained silent, studying the Patriarch from behind.
Then, after a moment...
"Are you going to permit it? The squad..."
"Why wouldn’t I?"
"What if he attempts something reckless..."
The Patriarch smiled with genuine delight.
"He’s not that foolish."
***
Kage walked back with a slightly displeased expression. Things had gone well, but not as he’d expected.
’What a paranoid old man! Who would have thought he’d be so suspicious?!’
He’d never anticipated that the Patriarch would dangle bait, expecting him to bite.
Owning the whole of Middlepass—screw the big sharks—that would have been gold for his plans. It would have been an effortless path to independence at an early age, equivalent to what he’d been planning to accomplish over ten years of his life.
But he’d had to refuse. Because it was a transparent trap only a fool would spring.
Still, no great loss. He’d set a trap for the old man in return. And unlike Kage, who’d had the choice to retreat from the snare, the Patriarch had bitten. He was probably thinking Kage was a smart kid—he wouldn’t be so reckless. The man likely believed he understood Kage, which wasn’t entirely wrong.
The Patriarch was exceptionally perceptive. A single meeting and he could unravel your entire essence and character—which was precisely why Kage had avoided face-to-face encounters in the past.
Now that he’d done this, he had to be extraordinarily careful moving forward.
’Tsk, ace the test... as if I’d planned to be mediocre before. Left to me, I would have preferred staying hidden. But apparently, acing the test is the only way I can reach that worm.’
"We greet the young lord!"
"We greet the young lord!"
Voices rang out as Kage passed among the working servants.
He scoffed.
’As expected, the scapegoat worked flawlessly.’