The ripples on the canal had long since stilled, yet Liang Zhen remained rooted on the bridge, jaw clenched. Lady Mei touched his arm, but her gaze followed the dark water as though searching for answers in its depths.

“He’s wounded,” she murmured. “But a man with the Falcon’s backing has more than one escape.”

Liang turned, scanning the rooftops where the laughter had faded. The White Falcon’s words gnawed at him. The deeper you follow, the more secrets you’ll uncover. Not a threat, but an invitation.

Mei’s eyes narrowed. “He wants us to chase him.”

“And I intend to,” Liang said grimly.

They moved quickly, leaving Lantern Alley’s shattered lanterns and startled revelers behind. Mei led him into quieter streets until they reached a forgotten shrine tucked between two merchant houses. Its cracked jade lions glared from the steps, their eyes dulled by moss.

Here, Mei pulled a folded scrap of silk from her sleeve. Painted upon it was the mark of a falcon shrouded by trailing silk veils.

“This was left for me,” she whispered, almost to herself. “Years ago, before I left the court.”

Liang frowned. “A summons?”

“A warning.” She pressed the fabric into his hand. “The ‘Jade Veil’ is not just a name whispered in the brothels of Hanxia. It is a society within the court itself, hidden among concubines, ministers, and spies. Their loyalty is to secrets, not crowns. And the Falcon… commands them.”

Liang studied the mark, the painted falcon staring back with lifeless eyes. “Then that’s where we go.”

The Silk Court at night was a labyrinth of red lacquered halls and perfumed gardens. Lanterns cast veiled shadows across painted screens, where silhouettes of dancers moved behind thin silk. Music drifted faintly, but beneath it was a tension, an unseen hum, like a bowstring drawn taut.

Lady Mei’s steps were silent, assured. Once, she had belonged here, a jewel among the veiled courtesans. Now she moved like a ghost through corridors she knew too well.

At the edge of the Lotus Hall, they slipped behind a panel carved with cranes. A narrow stair led downward, into cool stone. The air grew damp, and the fragrance of incense gave way to mold and secrecy.

Torches flickered along the descent. Liang’s instincts screamed of a trap, but Mei’s face was unreadable.

At last, the stair opened into a vast chamber beneath the court. A forest of jade pillars rose from the ground, each carved with veils of silk that seemed to flutter though they were stone. Between them hung real veils, gauzy green drapes suspended from the ceiling, swaying as if stirred by invisible hands.

Shadows moved behind the veils. Figures in pale robes glided silently, faces hidden by jade masks. Their presence was suffocating, neither hostile nor welcoming, but heavy with judgment.

From the far end of the hall, a voice slid through the veils like smoke.

“You trespass willingly into the heart of the Jade Veil, Liang Zhen. Few leave this place unchanged.”

The veils parted, revealing the White Falcon seated upon a low dais, moonlight pouring from an opening in the ceiling to crown the mask. Beside him stood the courier, arm bandaged, Moonshadow’s silver hilt gleaming in the light.

Liang’s chest tightened. The sword was close enough to touch, and yet impossibly far.

“You staged this,” he growled.

The Falcon inclined his head. “Of course. The chase was the test. But now comes the unveiling. You seek a blade, yet what lies beneath your pursuit? Justice? Vengeance? Or ambition, like every man before you who has fallen beneath Moonshadow’s edge?”

Mei’s hand tightened around Liang’s wrist. She whispered, “Do not answer rashly. This is their game.”

But Liang stepped forward, voice hard as tempered steel. “I seek neither gold nor glory. Moonshadow was forged for the Zhen. My father died defending it. His blood stains that steel even now. It belongs with me, not as a prize, but as a duty.”

A murmur rustled through the masked figures.

The Falcon rose, his silken sleeves trailing. “And if the Veil deems your claim unworthy?”

Liang met the masked gaze unflinching. “Then I will cut my path through veil and shadow alike.”

The Falcon’s laughter echoed coldly. “Good. Passion sharpens steel… but will it sharpen truth?” He raised his hand. At the signal, masked attendants stepped forward, veils shifting like the wings of birds.

Lady Mei’s breath quickened. “Zhen… this is not a duel. It is a trial.”

And as the jade-masked figures closed in, the Falcon’s final words rang through the chamber:

“Then let the Veil judge the secrets you carry, for some truths kill faster than any sword.”