Nathan Ye, betrayed and heartbroken, stumbled out of the Spring Breeze Pavilion.
The cold night air brushed against his robes, but it wasn't the chill of the night that affected him.
It was his heart that felt frozen.
How did things end up like this?
By now, he should have ascended to the heavens.
But whom could he blame?
Smack!
Nathan slapped himself across the face.
"That's what I get for running my mouth!"
He was genuinely frustrated.
Why did he have to say so much?
Trying to show off felt good at the time, but it had messed up everything.
Still, he couldn't put all the blame on himself.
Logically, anyone selected as a spy should be meticulous, cunning, and highly disciplined.
How could a few well-placed words from him make Clara Xiao defect?
Nathan wished he could question Raksha's monarch, demanding to know, "Is this the best you can do with your spies?"
Is this what you call intelligence work?
Just give up and go home!
"It's not my fault. It's this world that's cursed!"
Nathan sighed.
The night grew deeper, and he glanced around, his expression growing even more dejected.
The capital's security was poor at night. Hooligans and drifters would often roam the streets, causing trouble.
Yet here he was, an unarmed scholar walking alone at night, and nobody even bothered to harass him.
Forget it.
No point thinking about it.
Heading home was the best option.
There was no reason to dwell on all these disappointments.
Little did he know that, although he appeared to be walking alone, a team of elite spies from the Secret Service had surrounded him.
Every thug who dared approach was quickly knocked out and dumped in the nearest alley.
After Nathan returned home, Lila entered Clara Xiao's quarters.
Clara plucked the strings of her qin, playing "High Mountain Flowing Water" with extraordinary grace, the melody enchanting and haunting.
Once the song ended, Lila clapped her hands, smiling with admiration.
"Miss, your playing is far more beautiful than that scoundrel's!"
The compliment was fair, given that Nathan's musical skills were rudimentary at best. His technique was nothing compared to Clara's.
"It's not fair to say that," Clara smiled. "I may be a better musician, but the song he composed is remarkable. Such a tune requires extraordinary talent."
She thought back to her master's reaction upon seeing the sheet music for "High Mountain Flowing Water." Her master had gone wild, laughing and crying in awe, and had disappeared into their study to analyze it in solitude.
This alone showed how invaluable the song was.
"But Miss, it's strange. If he has the skill to create such a masterpiece, why is his own playing so mediocre?" Lila asked, puzzled.
"He likely has no ambition in this area," Clara replied thoughtfully. "Look at Nathan Ye's records. He's always kept a low profile, acting like an ordinary person. Yet now we see that he's a true genius in poetry, calligraphy, and music. It's just that he never invested himself deeply in these fields."
Lila remained puzzled. "But why would he do that?"
Clara chuckled.
"That's precisely what makes him remarkable. Anyone else with his talents would have sought fame long ago, yet he chooses to stay in the shadows, as if he knows these things are minor compared to his ultimate goal. He possesses the heart to save Da Zhou."
If Nathan were present, he'd probably check Clara's forehead and ask if she was feverish.
When had he ever thought about saving the world?
But from Clara's perspective, everything Nathan had done, every word he'd spoken, painted him as a patriot and a hero.
"Really?"
Lila, still young, couldn't grasp it fully, nodding thoughtfully.
"All right, that's enough of such talk. By the way, did Nathan get home safely?"
Clara patted Lila's head with a gentle smile.
"Yes, Miss. The spies reported that Master Ye has returned safely."
Clara's expression turned serious.
"Good. But we can't keep sending guards around him all the time. To ensure his safety, we need someone closer, someone at his side, to protect him in secret. Have you selected someone as I requested?"
Lila took out a thick dossier from a hidden compartment.
"Yes, she's the most outstanding among the new recruits and possesses exceptional aptitude for cultivation. The original plan was to send her as a spy to the Immortal Sect, where her talents would be best utilized."
Clara shook her head.
"One more spy in the Immortal Sect won't change Da Zhou. But without Nathan, it would be Da Zhou's loss."
She picked up the dossier and flipped through it, her brows furrowing slightly.
"It's her?"
A memory surfaced of a young girl, stubbornly kneeling before her years ago.
"Why did you join the Secret Service?" Clara had asked.
"I want revenge! I want to use my enemies' blood to pay respects to my family!"
Clara felt a pang of nostalgia.
"She's grown up."
Lila looked at Clara cautiously. "Miss, is she unsuitable?"
Clara hesitated briefly.
"No, she'll do. But pass on my message: tell her to keep her mouth shut. Anything she shouldn't say, she must never let Nathan hear."
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