After months spent in the mysterious valley, Li Wei's return to the mundane world was marked by an odd calm. The village where he had found temporary shelter was just a small dot in his otherwise grand journey, a place for food, rest, and little else. But as he prepared to leave in the morning, his path crossed with two unexpected figures.
Twin sisters, barely 16, Mu Lian and Mu Yan, were by the well, fetching water. They moved in such perfect harmony, their laughter blending with the soft sounds of the village. Li Wei's sharp eyes took in the scene with quiet calculation. Something about their mirrored grace stirred a thought in him—an idea of potential and efficiency.
"Your names?" he asked, approaching with his usual calm.
"I am Mu Lian, and this is my sister, Mu Yan," one of the girls replied, offering a shy bow. They were polite, respectful, and utterly unaware that, at that very moment, Li Wei had already made his decision.
Learning they were the daughters of the local blacksmith, Li Wei wasted no time. After a brief exchange, he walked straight to their father's forge. The rhythmic clang of hammer on metal greeted him, but the blacksmith, Mu Guang, stopped mid-swing as Li Wei approached.
"Morning, stranger. Need something forged?" the blacksmith asked, wiping his hands on a dirty cloth.
Li Wei, always direct, wasted no words. "I'm here to marry your daughters."
Mu Guang blinked, the request so unexpected it took a moment to register. He sized up the traveler, unsure whether he was serious. "I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me correctly," Li Wei said with his typical calm. "I wish to marry your daughters. Both of them."
The blacksmith stared at him, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "That's not a request one hears every day. May I ask who you are?"
"I am Li Wei." Li Wei responded, his tone as even as ever.
There was a shift in the blacksmith's demeanor. The name 'Li Wei' carried weight even in this remote village. A second-rate warrior, inspector of town guards of longjiang and the man behind the development of Longjiang and Lijiang—now that was a name worthy of respect.
"You're the Li Wei who developed Longjiang?" Mu Guang asked, his earlier uncertainty fading into recognition.
Li Wei gave a small nod. "I am."
Blacksmith Mu took a step back, scratching his head. "I've heard stories about you, but this... this is a surprise." His eyes drifted toward the forge as he mulled over the offer. "There's a young man in the village who's taken an interest in my daughters. They've spent time together, and I think they like him."
"Is he a second-rate warrior?" Li Wei asked, his tone dismissive.
"Well, no," Mu Guang admitted, folding his arms across his chest. "He's a third-rate warrior at best."
Li Wei's eyes didn't waver. "Then he's irrelevant. As long as their seals remain unbroken, being close with a guy and talking doesn't matter, the choice is clear. Your daughters will come with me to Lijiang. They will live better lives under my care." He paused, considering. "I will also offer to train your son in martial arts."
The blacksmith hesitated, glancing around the forge as if looking for something to ground him in this sudden whirlwind. It was hard to ignore the practicality of the offer. Mu Lian and Mu Yan would have status as Li Wei's wives, and the promise of training for his son was too tempting to refuse. Finally, Mu Guang nodded, a faint smile breaking through his confusion.
"Alright, Inspector Li. You've got yourself a deal."
By nightfall, the Mu family had packed their few belongings and set off toward Lijiang. Li Wei, always efficient, made sure there were no lingering attachments or needless delays. The twins had followed him without protest, their fate decided by a single conversation.
That night, with the twins beside him in his quarters, Li Wei broke their seals. His hands moved with the precision of a master craftsman, unraveling the invisible ties that bound them. He felt an odd satisfaction, in the act itself, but also in the completion of yet another task. Two seals in one day. Twins, no less. It was a rare opportunity, and one he had seized with ease.
Lying back, with Mu Lian and Mu Yan resting on either side, Li Wei allowed himself a moment of contentment. Five seals in this life—five more than his last. He wasn't aiming to be the strongest warrior under the heavens, but small victories like these counted.
"Efficiency," he muttered to himself, feeling accomplished. Breaking two seals in a single day was a feat worth noting.
Meanwhile, back in the village, Lin Zixuan, the youth who had fancied himself the future husband of the Mu twins, returned from his training in the mountains. He was exhausted but confident. He had been preparing to ask for Mu Lian and Mu Yan's hands in marriage, fully expecting his third-rate warrior status to be enough to win their father's approval.
When he reached the blacksmith's shop, he found it empty. His heart sank.
"Gone?" he muttered in disbelief, speaking to one of the villagers. "Where did they go?"
The villager scratched his head. "Inspector Li Wei came through the village. Took them with him. The whole family's moving to Lijiang."
"Li Wei?" Lin Zixuan's voice was almost a whisper. "The Li Wei? Second-rate warrior, Li Wei?"
The villager nodded before walking off, leaving Lin Zixuan to stew in his thoughts.
The words rang in his mind like a gong. Inspector Li Wei had taken them—his Mu Lian and Mu Yan. His heart pounded with a mix of disbelief and fury, but there was nothing he could do here. No, he would follow them to Lijiang. He had to see for himself.
A few days later, Lin Zixuan arrived in Lijiang, his feet aching from the journey but his spirit unwilling to break. He kept to the shadows, watching the bustling streets until he finally caught sight of Li Wei.
There he was. Li Wei stood tall and composed, his arms casually draped around two beautiful women—Mu Lian on one side, Mu Yan on the other. They were smiling, leaning close to him, their affections clear.
For a moment, Lin Zixuan could only stare, the scene unfolding in slow motion. Li Wei, with both twins at his side. Both of them. The realization struck him like a physical blow.
"Last night…" Lin Zixuan's throat went dry, his thoughts spiraling in anger. Last night, Li Wei must have broken their seals. The very act that Lin Zixuan had dreamed of, the union he had envisioned for himself, had been taken from him by Li Wei—effortlessly, with the calm arrogance of a man who took what he wanted.
Fury consumed him, his hands trembling at his sides as he watched Li Wei, so composed, so… untouchable. Lin Zixuan's grip on his sword tightened, the weight of his powerlessness bearing down on him. Yet he did not act. Not here. Not yet.
He turned away, rage burning like a fire in his chest, silently vowing, "Just you wait, Li Wei. Just you wait… With that treasure helping is I will take revenge."