"If this can really be done, it could be the key to this war."
Rufina Howard spoke up, and Leonard Tang nodded.
"Simon Grant, that kid—I knew clearly when he was just a bit over ten that his talent surpassed even King Grant. He was the one who proposed building the three mountain passes. It seems he anticipated the drought from the very beginning and took precautions. So, in just two or three years, the passes were completed. He personally oversaw them and even opened up the fastest routes for the army to assemble. To have such ability at a young age is truly remarkable. And on that ridge, he probably wants to build a fortress as well."
"Other than Simon Grant, there’s no one truly capable in the Grant Family. That’s why I say this is the key. If you, Elder Tang, can help us get rid of Simon Grant, this war could start much sooner."
Leonard Tang nodded, a vicious, sinister smile spreading across his face.
"Name your terms."
Rufina Howard spoke directly, and Leonard Tang nodded.
"I need you to find some women born in this season and bring them to me."
As Leonard Tang spoke, he drew a tortoiseshell from his robe, its surface etched with time periods. Rufina Howard watched, her face clouded with confusion.
I know a bit about astrology and divination. Our clan has no heirs left—Stanley Tang was left with a chronic illness after an attack. So we need to find women born in these time periods to join with Stanley Tang, only then is there a chance for offspring. I’ve searched the whole northern tribes and only found one, but she’s already old. The Wynn Domain and Sage Domain are vast, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a few more.
"So it's just a trivial matter. Elder Tang, if you truly manage to eliminate Simon Grant, once we seize the Grant Domain, both the western and eastern territories will be given to your Tang Clan. How does that sound?"
Leonard Tang nodded, while Bing Liang looked at him with deep suspicion. Despite such generous terms, Bing Liang showed not a trace of excitement; instead, he had been far more animated just moments ago when the subject of finding women was raised.
Late at night, Leonard Tang was alone in his room. He shut the door, dismissed all the guards, drew the curtains, and moved the table aside. Then, lifting the straw mat from the floor, he revealed a black, circular ritual array—its edges inscribed with strange symbols, and in the center, a vivid crimson Ghost Character. He took a small stone from his pocket and placed it at the heart of the array.
"Reveal the hidden, manifest..."
Leonard Tang raised two fingers. A wisp of black energy seeped from the stone, gradually coalescing into a ghostly figure: its eyes dull, skin pale and translucent, with a long, blood-red tongue lolling grotesquely from its mouth.
"Wraithshade and all specters, if you hear me, return at once. It's urgent."
As Leonard Tang spoke, he removed his blindfold. Instantly, a rustling sound filled the air; in his ruined eye socket, where no eyeball remained, countless black tendrils writhed and squirmed.
It was deep into the night, the room bathed in a ghastly pallor. Sweat drenched Leonard Tang's brow as he waited. At last, the ghost hovering in the center of the ritual array stirred, eyes wide, and spoke in a voice that echoed with the chilling timbre of Wraithshade.
"What is it, Leonard Tang? Didn't I tell you I had to finish my own affairs before coming back?"
"Find a way to eliminate Simon Grant."