20 years later
...
In the largest room of the Zhou estate, the Zhou Marquis was being dressed by 3 servants next to a wide bed in which the Zhou Lady lay sleeping.
9 years after arriving on the Marquisate, Nix Rose, grew pregnant and gave birth to twins, a white-haired and green-eyed boy named Zhou Lanqing and a black-haired amber-eyed boy named Zhou Chengcheng.
2 years after the twin boy's birth a scandal surrounded the Zhou Clan. The illustrious Zhou Lady who had grown since childhood with the Zhou Marquis had been ousted. Moreover, a nameless western slave had been crowned as her replacement. Chaos emerged in the clan, retainers and elders alike came to ask for her reinstatement and to warn of the western's slave's ploys. Contrary to expectations, the Marquis grew furious and slew left and right those who brought up the controversy.
This firmly cemented the new Lady's position in the estate and her power grew. 5 years later, Zhou Chengcheng was installed as the clan's new successor and the old successor was thrown in jail for an assassination conspiracy.
While the vassals screamed for justice, their lord laid on the lap of his lady.
"The elders have convened a meeting to discuss how to manage the newly discovered spirit mine, don't wait for me" said the Marquis, waking up the lady on the bed.
Rose, who had been praised for her intelligence and beauty since birth had truly blossomed. A porcelain-like skin, white cascading hair, and emerald eyes all shined like flowers on the perfect canvas that was her body. Her allure was such that the lord strongly restricted her movements and made all the inner servants women.
As she watched the doors close behind the Marquis and his servants she whispered:
"Nameless One, how are the preparations?"
Answering her whisper, like a shadow, a black-garbed man appeared in the bedroom, supposedly the estate's most secure room.
"Madam, it's all coming along, with the exception of Adler we've convinced them all."
"Have you leaked news of the mine to the Tao Empire?"
"Yes, Tao Lanying's spy, the inner kitchen steward "overheard" a discussion about the mine and has informed his lady"
"Ha, make sure her message reaches the empire before the spring festival"
Noticing his lady had nothing more to say, the shadow disappeared leaving Rose to herself. Crossing her legs on the bed with her back upright a slight aura started to emanate from her body.
"One more step to condense a core" she whispered noticing her body's state.
If anyone had heard her, they would have been completely shocked. It was common knowledge that the Zhou Lady had no cultivation. It was evident because westerners simply couldn't cultivate. Moreover, to reach the peak high qi formation realm in just 20 years was ludicrous.
The eastern path was divided so:
The twelve steps of the Body Refining realm
Qi Gathering realm
Core Realization realm
Soul Formation realm
Nascent Reach realm
Similar to the western rune path, which needed a rune seed, to enter onto true cultivation one must have a qi root. This was something extremely rare, even more so than rune seeds. Everyone, like the knight path on the western continent, could traverse the twelve body refining steps, but to further progress without a qi root was impossible. Although cultivation manuals were rare, it was still common knowledge that for those who possessed qi roots after they achieved body perfection — or the peak twelve step, of the body refining realm — their bodies would be inundated with impure qi and therefore enter the initial Qi Gathering realm. Therefore prolonging their lifetime by 50 years. Afterwards, they would have to refine, cultivate and convert this qi into a mid-quality qi and then high-quality, passing the mid and high Qi Gathering realms. After completely clearing their qi of impurities and reaching the peak Qi Gathering realm, their qi could be condensed and made into a core.
Importantly, all of this, as previously mentioned, could only be achieved with a qi root.
However, unknown to her parents, the Zhou Marquis and even herself for a time, her body did miraculously possess a qi root. Maybe there were westerners with qi roots, and even easterners with rune seeds, but with no presence of qi or elements on their respective continents, they had no way to use them. But, even if this was true, to possess both like Rose was truly miraculous.
A slight popping sound reverberated in the bedroom, and for the first time in a long time, maybe since her children's birth, Rose felt pure joy.
"Initial Core Realization, not bad, with this I can finally break free. Nameless 2 and Nameless 3 come."
"Here" said two black-garbed men. They weren't supreme experts, but they all practiced the Nix Shadowless Art that her Father had taught her before his demise. This allowed them to avoid the notice of the powerful Zhao Core Realm experts in the Mansion.
"Start the operation"
Without a response they disappeared, now everything was in motion
...
With the first ray of sunshine, a servant was seen fetching water to prepare a bath and food for when his master, a Zhao minister living in the Mansion Estate, would awake. As he lowered a wooden bucket to fetch water he felt a sudden itch in his neck, as he went to scratch it, his vision blurred and for his last seconds, he saw the well in its entirety. He had been cleanly decapitated.
"No mercy" murmured a poorly dressed western slave looking down into the well where the head had fallen.
Similar events occurred throughout the whole Estate and soon before anyone could even notice the commotion, fires started springing up.