The sound of heavy boots echoed across the stone floors of the Qin manor as General Pei stormed into the main garden with his soldiers. His face was furious, though his usual imposing demeanor faltered slightly as he took in Shen Wei standing amidst a scene of chaos. Broken vases and toppled furniture lay scattered around the garden, and several of the household guards were already injuried, their faces pale with fear.

Shen Wei turned to face him, his dark eyes gleaming with an unrelenting coldness. His sword, still unsheathed, glinted.

"General Pei," he drawled, his voice calm but laced with an unmistakable edge of danger, "Don't you dare lie to me, where is Qin Yufei?"

General Pei stepped forward, his soldiers moving in sync behind him. "Imperial Preceptor Shen," he began, his voice steady, though there was a bead of sweat forming on his temple. "My daughter is unwell. She has been confined to her quarters under the care of her servants. I assure you, it is her wish to remain undisturbed."

Shen Wei's lips curled into a sardonic smile, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword. "Unwell, you say? Did you even ask her if she agreed to meet me?"

The general's hands tightened into fists, though he remained composed. "I thank you for showing interest in her health but it's my duty to take care of her. It's doesn't allow you to trespass in my house."

The room grew tenser with every passing second. Shen Wei took a deliberate step forward, his movements calculated.

"Then let me make myself clear. If you truly wish to protect yourself, you will step aside and let me see her. If not, I'll dismantle every part of this manor until you let me through."

At this, the general's soldiers stepped forward, their hands instinctively resting on the hilts of their swords. General Pei raised a hand to halt them, but his glare hardened.

"This is my household, Imperial Preceptor Shen. You overstep your boundaries."

Before anyone could react, Shen Wei moved. With one swift motion, he struck the base of a decorative pillar, causing it to crack and splinter. The crash reverberated through the place as pieces of wood and plaster scattered across the floor.

"Boundaries?" Shen Wei said, his voice now a low growl. "Do not speak to me of boundaries when you've crossed mine by keeping her from me."

One of the general's braver guards lunged forward to subdue Shen Wei, but with a fluid motion, Shen Wei disarmed him and slashed the air near his face, leaving a shallow cut that was more warning than harm. The guard stumbled back, his face pale as he clutched at his cheek.

General Pei's composure cracked, his voice rising. "Shen Wei, enough! What do you mean by this? This is madness!"

"Madness?" Shen Wei's eyes flashed with fury as he took another step forward. "Madness is allowing harm to come to the one person who matters in this household. I'll burn this entire place to the ground if it means freeing her."

Another soldier hesitated, then stepped forward to draw his sword, but Shen Wei's glare stopped him in his tracks. The tension in the room was suffocating, and for a moment, even General Pei seemed uncertain.

Finally, Shen Wei's voice softened, though it was still icy cold. "Show me where she is. Now."

The general hesitated, his jaw clenched. His pride as both a man and a soldier waged war against the strong force of Shen Wei's presence. But as he looked into those piercing, unyielding eyes, he realized resistance was futile.

After a long, tense pause, General Pei exhaled sharply and turned to one of the trembling servants. "Take him to her pavilion."

The servant hesitated, her eyes wide with fear.

Shen Wei's gaze locked onto her, and his voice cut through the silence like a blade. "Now."

She nodded frantically and scurried toward the main path. Shen Wei followed without a backward glance, leaving the shattered decor behind him. General Pei watched him go, his fists clenched tightly.

In the distance, the servant's trembling voice guided him toward Qin Yufei's pavilion.

Shen Wei stood outside the door, his knuckles brushing the wood lightly as he knocked. His voice was calm.

"Second Lady Qin, this is your Shifu. May I come in?"

Inside, Xiao Tong was startled. She hurried to Qin Yufei's bedside and whispered urgently, "My lady, it's Imperial Preceptor Shen. He's here... should I send him away?"

Qin Yufei's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't ready to face him like this. Her hair was loose, her robes were wrinkled, and her face pale. She held her blanket closer, shame rising in her chest.

"I... I can't see him like this," she murmured, her voice trembling. "Tell him I am not feeling well, and I—"

Before she could finish, the door creaked open slightly. Xiao Tong gasped, moving to block Shen Wei's path. "Imperial Preceptor Shen, my lady is unwell. Please..."

Shen Wei raised a hand to stop her. His expression was composed but firm. "It's because she is unwell that I came. Step aside."

Xiao Tong hesitated but ultimately moved, bowing her head as Shen Wei entered the room. His presence was like a gust of cool air. He closed the door softly behind him and turned to face Qin Yufei, who refused to meet his gaze, her fingers clutching the edge of her blanket.

For a moment, he stood silently, his sharp eyes scanning her form. The disheveled hair, the fragile state, the slight wince as she adjusted her position—it all became obvious she was beaten. He frowned slightly and stepped closer, but not too close, as if afraid to startle her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, his tone softer than she expected. "Did you think I would not come?"

Qin Yufei finally glanced up at him, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I... didn't want to annoy you for such a small thing. It's unsightly. But... I do apologize for not showing up at our appointment."

Shen Wei's brow furrowed deeper, and he crouched beside her bed. "Unsightly? Do you think so little of yourself?"

Her lips parted, but no words came out. She turned her head away, staring at the wall behind him, unwilling to answer.

Shen Wei leaned forward slightly, his voice softening further.

"You are allowed to be vulnerable, Qin Yufei. It does not make you lesser. And if I am to teach you anything—be it the zither or otherwise—please remember this."

The sincerity in his words made her chest tighten. She slowly looked at him again, her eyes glistening slightly.

"Did you came all the way here... just because I didn't go that day?"

He allowed a faint smirk to tug at the corner of his lips. "And to make sure you don't neglect your practice." His tone was light but carried an unmistakable warmth.

For the first time in days, a small smile touched her lips. "You're relentless, Shifu."

"So I've been told," he replied, one knee now on the ground. "Now, tell me, where is the pain worst? Perhaps I can help."

Yufei sat up in her bed, clutching the thin blanket around her shoulders as if it could shield her from the intensity of Shen Wei's gaze. His dark eyes, held no room for argument, and for a moment, she felt as if the air in the room had thickened, weighing heavily on her chest.

"I guess you don't want to tell me. Pack your things," Shen Wei said, his voice low. He didn't move.

Xiao Tong looked between the two nervously. "B-But, Imperial Preceptor Shen, the general..."

"No one would dare say a word against me," Shen Wei cut her off, his tone as cold as steel.

He glanced briefly at Yufei, and though his expression remained unreadable, there was a flicker of something dangerous in his eyes. Fury, perhaps. Or something more restrained but equally fierce...

Yufei hesitated, her voice trembling. "Isn't it quite improper for me to stay in your manor? People will talk, and it would be bad for—"

"Your family is..." Shen Wei scoffed, his lips curling in disdain. "The same family that allowed this to happen to you." He gestured vaguely toward her, his meaning clear.

Her fingers tightened around the blanket. She wanted to deny it, to tell him that he didn't understand, but the words wouldn't come.

"You'll come with me," he said again, softer this time but no less commanding. He crouched lower slightly to meet her eyes. "You don't need to trust me, but at least trust that I will not let anyone hurt you again."

Yufei's breath caught in her throat. The look in his eyes silenced her.

Xiao Tong, sensing Yufei's hesitation, stepped forward. "My Lady, perhaps... it would be better for you to rest somewhere else."

Yufei glanced at her maid, then back at Shen Wei. His gaze never wavered, steady and unrelenting. Finally, she sighed, her resistance crumbling under the weight of his conviction.

"Fine," she said quietly, almost inaudibly. "But only for a few days."

A satisfied smile ghosted across Shen Wei's lips. "Pack her things," he ordered Xiao Tong, straightening up. "We leave within the hour."

As he stood up, Yufei watched him, her heart heavy with unease but also strangely lightened by a sliver of relief. Shen Wei's methods were strange, and his demeanor often left her unsettled, but in this moment, she couldn't deny that his determination felt like the first solid ground she'd stood on in a long time.

The clamor at the gates was deafening as General Pei barked orders at his soldiers to hold their ground. Shen Wei stood, unflinching, with Qin Yufei cradled in his arms. Her face was buried against his chest.

"Shen Wei!" General Pei's voice boomed over the chaos. "You will not leave this manor with my daughter! Put her down this instant!"

Shen Wei's piercing gaze met the general's, his expression cold and unyielding. His soldiers, dressed in their distinct black armor, stood in rigid formation behind him, their presence alone enough to make the Qin household guards hesitate. They were outnumbered, outmatched, and all too aware of Shen Wei's reputation.

"You've failed as being her father" Shen Wei said, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade. "Now you dare to hinder me from doing what you could not?"

General Pei's fists clenched at his sides, but his eyes betrayed his frustration. He was trapped between his duty as the lord of the house and the authority Shen Wei wielded. The general's soldiers shifted uneasily, unsure whether to obey their leader or give way to Shen Wei.

"Do you think you can simply take her away as if she's your possession?" General Pei countered, his voice rising with fury. "This is not how things are done, Shen Wei!"

Shen Wei's lips curled into a cold smile. "You misunderstand, General. I am not taking her as a possession. I am taking her to safety. A safety you have proven incapable of providing."

His grip on Yufei tightened slightly as if to emphasize his point.

The tension was palpable. Yufei, though almost unconscious, remained silent in Shen Wei's arms, her fingers clutching his robes. She could feel the tautness in his body, the way his muscles coiled. Despite the chaos, she felt an odd sense of security.

"Stand aside," Shen Wei commanded, his voice lowering to a dangerous growl.

His soldiers stepped forward, forming a protective line behind him, their hands resting on their swords. The Qin household guards faltered, their gazes still darting between their general and the imposing figure before them.

General Pei hesitated, his jaw tightening. He opened his mouth to argue further, but Shen Wei cut him off with a sharp glare.

"You've already lost the right to dictate what happens to her. If you wish to challenge me, do so, but know that you will lose more than just your pride."

The weight of Shen Wei's words hung heavily in the air. General Pei's knew he couldn't win this battle—not here, not now.

"Make way!" Shen Wei ordered, his tone icy.

Reluctantly, the guards stepped aside. General Pei could only watch helplessly as Shen Wei strode forward, his soldiers flanking him like shadows. The heavy gates creaked open.

As they passed through, Shen Wei glanced down at Yufei, his expression softening ever so slightly.

Behind them, General Pei stood at the gates, his fists so clenched that he was almost bleeding from the nails in his skin. He could do nothing but watch as his daughter was carried away by the one man he couldn't oppose. For now, Shen Wei had won.

Because it wasn't just about his daughter's thing that this pricked at General Pei's pride—it was the fact that Shen Wei's status allowed him to. The general had spent decades carving a reputation as one of the empire's most loyal and powerful military leaders,but here was Shen Wei, a scholar with no military title, no family lineage worth mentioning, reducing him to a powerless spectator. The sting of that humiliation cut deeper than any blade. The imperial preceptor title was way more prestigious than his.

Shen Wei's ties to the emperor and the crown prince made him untouchable... Even if Qin Yuli was marrying into the imperial family, it was only as a royal concubine, the political hierarchy would still favor Shen Wei. On that, Yuli did disappoint him.

The general's gaze shifted to his soldiers, who had resumed their positions but wore expressions of unease. None of them dared meet his eyes.

Despite the commotion of the city, the people parted instinctively as the group approached and they recognized his carriage.

Yufei stirred slightly in his arms, her lashes fluttering as she struggled to open her eyes. Shen Wei glanced down, his expression unreadable, though his grip on her was loosening.

"We're almost there," he said quietly.

Yufei's lips parted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Where... are you taking me?"

"To my manor." Shen Wei replied, his gaze fixed ahead.

She frowned faintly, "Are you really..."

Shen Wei interrupted, his tone sharp. "I will not allow you to return to this place."

Yufei's fingers tightened slightly on the fabric of his robes, as she tried to make space between them.

The carriage soon stopped. He lowered his gaze to meet hers, his dark eyes unwavering. "I will keep you there until you are strong enough to decide for yourself."

The words hung between them, heavy and unrelenting. Yufei turned her head away. For all his arrogance, there was an undeniable truth to his words. She had nothing to oppose her father and sister. If her shifu were to shelter her, she would rather stay with him than at her own home.