Weapon seller in the world of magic

Mark narrowed his eyes. Anticipated? So, this is the work of the fifth prince?

He accepted the scroll, unrolled it, and read.

The changes were immediate. And a bit slightly drastic.

The contributions were reduced from a hundred years to twenty-five. The yearly amount doubled, yes, but it was twenty million cronies a year, fixed without any increase later on, regardless of inflation. The empire was giving up the slow strangling method and opting for a shorter, more direct gain.

The no-expansion clause remained untouched, but that was fine; Mark had no intention of expanding yet anyway.

The hostage clause was rewritten entirely. No more sending Lan Yichen away.

Instead, the Empire asked for an elder of the sect who could serve the court. It was a political exchange rather than a hostage. A compromise one could swallow.

But then came the marriage clause.

Mark’s eyes moved slowly across the lines, and his heartbeat stopped for a breath

Lan Yichen betrothed to the fourth prince’s daughter, a child only four years old. The marriage would be carried out when they reached adulthood. It was distasteful, but manageable. Betrothals between children were common, and they could break them later if they wished.

But the next line...

The next line was a blade disguised as an agreement.

A marriage pact between his newborn daughter, Shen Yi... and the unborn son of the second prince.

”What the...”

Mark felt something cold twist inside his chest. The scroll crinkled faintly beneath his fingers. His daughter’s name stood there in bold, elegant brush strokes, making him wonder just one thing. How in the hell did the imperial family know about his daughter’s name?

Zetian watched quietly. He didn’t speak, didn’t offer an explanation, didn’t rush him. He simply waited for the response.

Mark forced himself to breathe, slow and deep, before he raised his head and said. ”My daughter is not a bargaining chip.”

Expecting that response, Zetian held his gaze and replied. ”His Majesty believes that tying bloodlines is the strongest assurance of peace. He does not force this marriage to take place immediately. It is a future pact, one that can be broken if both sides agree. But he wishes to show sincerity, Patriarch Lan. If the Dominion refuses all political ties, he will doubt your intentions.”

Mark tapped the scroll with his finger, deliberate and steady. ”Tell me, Prince Zetian... did your uncle truly think I would hand off my daughter for the sake of a peace treaty?”

Zetian hesitated, then bowed slightly. ”He expected you would refuse. But he also expected you would consider the revised conditions more seriously. If not your daughter, then your sister. If not your sister, then your son as a political hostage. There should be something that ties you down, making sure that the Lan Sect will not support the enemies at any cost.”

Mark didn’t speak.

Instead, his thoughts churned rapidly, his expression darkening further. I said Shen Yi’s name a few times. But only in private. Only to a handful of people.

Did the Emperor’s network discover my world? Did they intercept my conversations somehow? Or did someone overhear?

Regardless of the method, the truth was clear: information had leaked. And if they knew one thing, they could eventually learn more. He needed to bring his family here as soon as possible. His marriage to Lan Xia was complete. The path forward was clear.

”My family cannot stay in the mortal realm anymore,” Mark thought to himself in panic. ”It became too risky now.”

He exhaled slowly, refocusing on Zetian.

”Prince Zetian,” he said firmly, ”I still reject the marriage alliance involving my daughter. And I refuse to use my loved ones as bargaining chips. I respect political marriages. My marriage was also one. But I will not bind my daughter’s future to the Empire’s whims. That line will not be crossed.”

Zetian did not act offended. Instead, he looked almost troubled, even sympathetic, though he tried to hide it behind royal formality.

”Patriarch Lan,” he said with a tone caught between duty and sincerity, ”please view this from His Majesty’s perspective. A peace treaty without a binding force is unstable. The court has studied you deeply. His Majesty believes that unless you step down voluntarily, which seems unlikely, you will remain the dominion’s ruler for a very long time. And... forgive me for speaking plainly, but your actions speak for themselves. The very moment you rose to clan head, you defied imperial authority. You declared independence boldly, without negotiation. That frightens the court.”

Zetian leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice. ”So unless there is a personal bond, a marriage, a bloodline tie, or a hostage from your side, he cannot trust the treaty to hold.”

Mark’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt.

”And,” Zetian added carefully, ”my brother also said something else. If the Lan Sect gives a bride to the imperial family, be it your daughter, or your sister, or another chosen clan member, then Patriarch Lan may also choose anyone from the imperial bloodline, anyone at all, to send to Azure Frost Dominion as a counter-hostage or marriage partner. His Majesty intends for this to be equal. You choose the person. A prince. A princess. Even a royal cousin. They are willing to match your choice. They only want a binding tie and nothing else.”

Mark leaned back slowly, eyes cold, expression unreadable. Inside, however, a storm was gathering.

He understood what they wanted. He understood politics. He understood their fear.

But they had touched the wrong nerve. His daughter. His Shen Yi. Barely sixteen months old. The Prince wanted to chain her future for ”security.”

The Fifth Prince had misjudged him, truly indeed. Perhaps sending Frost to the imperial court as a messenger made a wrong impression. Did they think we are afraid or something? Mark wondered.

He then folded the scrolls carefully, placed them on the table, and spoke in a low, controlled voice.

”That is all very reasonable from the Emperor’s perspective,” he said. ”But I don’t care.”

Zetian blinked.

Mark continued, ”I will not negotiate my daughter’s future. I won’t use Shen Yi. I won’t use Shang Jiao either. I won’t even use a distant relative. No child, no innocent, will be forced into a marriage for a peace treaty.”

Zetian swallowed, but he didn’t argue. He only looked at Mark, waiting.

”As for Elder Yuxuan’s grandson,” Mark added, ”I will speak with her first before deciding on Yichen’s matter. If Yuxuan refuses, then so do I. Her grandson is not my asset to bargain with.”

Zetian nodded slowly.

”Then... what do you propose, Patriarch Lan?”

Mark pushed the scroll back toward him, eyes locked onto the young prince with solemn intensity.

”Tell your Emperor this,” he said. ”If he needs a binding tie, I will agree to only one kind.”

Zetian looked confused. ”One kind?”

Mark nodded.

”A binding pact made only through power and mutual respect, not through human sacrifices disguised as marriages. Tell the Emperor: I will meet him halfway. But not at the cost of my children. If he insists on involving them... then there will be no treaty. And also remind him, I declared the independence, that means I’m ready to fight to the death, if necessary...”

Zetian bowed deeply. ”I understand. I will deliver your message, Patriarch Lan.”

The Prince turned and was about to leave, but a few steps away, he was stopped by Mark’s call, ”Wait.”

”Yes?” As Zetian looked back, wondering what other message/warning was left to say, Mark then said, ”I have a personal question. You don’t need to answer if you are not interested.”

”Please question, Patriarch Lan.” The Prince said calmly.

Mark pointed at his mask and said, ”What’s with the mask? That’s a divine treasure.”

The Prince blinked in surprise, not because of the question itself, but at how the patriarch managed to find out that it was a divine treasure.

The Prince sighed and then sat down. ”The thing is...”

After a while;

Mark sat quietly for a moment after Zetian finished speaking.

The story was that once upon a time, the Crown Prince went on an expedition. He met a girl in the woods. He fell in love with her and had a child with her. But only later did they find out that the girl wasn’t a human but a Baihu, the White Fox.

In rage of betrayal, the Crown Prince killed her, but he couldn’t kill Lei Zetian and instead brought him to the Imperial Palace.

Letting out a sigh, Lei Zetian lightly touched the half-mask, pressing it back over the left side of his face. His expression returned to calm as he continued, ”The Emperor, my grandfather, protected me. He passed the order that everyone who knows it not to touch me, but no matter how much protection I receive, the world outside the palace still faces difficulty in accepting my existence. And neither could he stop people from giving disgusting glares. So, I hide my bloodline. My Baihu’s bloodline grants me high sensitivity to aura and overwhelming charm abilities. It doesn’t distinguish a male or a female. There are only four types of beings that can resist my charms. One with a similar or powerful bloodline to a Baihu. One who is in a higher realm than I, one who had a powerful mental barrier. And one who is blind. Hence, this mask. If I remove it casually, I need to close my eyes instead. It becomes... troublesome when they look into my eyes without the suppression of my bloodline.”