"I'm meeting Shi Min now. Pharsa, you go to the infirmary and make sure the baby is safe and sound, then no need to follow me. You prepare for your departure."

With that, she glided down the corridor, leaving behind a stunned Pharsa, a flustered Butler James, and the lingering, intoxicating scents of jasmine and destiny hovering in the air like an unspoken promise.

As Ling Li disappeared down the corridor like a shadow fading into twilight, Pharsa turned toward her tablet, fingers flying over the keys as she drafted a barrage of encrypted messages.

Beijing awaited, a labyrinthine stage for the intricate game beneath the throne that was about to unfold.

The Study

The morning light seeped through the towering windows of Ling Li's study, casting warm, golden rays that danced across the polished mahogany desk and the shelves lined with ancient scrolls, each whispering secrets of the past. The room exuded a sense of tranquil authority, its stillness punctuated only by the low hum of Shi Min's video conference and the rhythmic tapping of Ling Li's fingers as they glided across her tablet.

Ling Li entered the room like a gentle breeze, her presence calm and unobtrusive, yet commanding in its quietude. At the far end, Shi Min sat upright, his posture a testament to the weight of his responsibilities. His voice, clipped and professional, resonated with purpose as he engaged with his global board, a virtual mosaic of faces reflecting the vastness of his empire — a realm encompassing real estate, mining, vineyards, shipping, hospitality, and cutting-edge medical research.

Without a word of interruption, Ling Li settled into her chair, surrounded by the mountain of paperwork that had amassed during her ten-day retreat. Each document — a report, a contract, a proposal, a financial statement, a string of encrypted messages, cultivation logs, samples — demanded her undivided attention, a ceaseless tide of responsibility.

As Shi Min's meeting stretched on, the minutes slipped by like grains of sand. He meticulously finalized delegation protocols, orchestrating a transfer of authority to Wushing, his most trusted executive. Each nuance mattered deeply — asset protection, succession planning, contingency measures. It was a level of detail that could only be grasped by someone who had painstakingly built empires from the ground up.

And therein lay the reason for his prolonged immersion in work — the cultivation he had postponed for far too long.

Shi Min bore the immense weight of legacy upon his shoulders, not merely in terms of wealth but in the profound responsibility for the people entangled within his empire.

Ling Li glanced up, her gaze resting upon her son. A quiet pride shimmered in her eyes, reflecting the years of dedication and sacrifice that had shaped him.

After nearly three hours of deliberation, Shi Min leaned back in his chair, the last contract signed with a flourish that released a tide of relief. He exhaled slowly, the tension in his shoulders dissipating like morning mist.

"Mom, I'm done," he said, his voice transforming from the authoritative tone of a CEO to the softer essence of a son revealing his vulnerabilities.

Ling Li didn't divert her gaze immediately; she remained absorbed in the luminous report on her screen. "Alright," she replied, her voice steady and focused. "Give me a minute."

Shi Min nodded, a semblance of ease returning to his demeanor as he rose. "Take your time. No rush."

He ambled to the sideboard, pouring himself a fresh cup of coffee as the rich aroma swirled around him. Leaning against the counter, he watched the steam spiral upward, lost in contemplative silence.

The room settled into quiet once more, yet this silence bore a different weight. It was not the silence of diligent work, but rather the profound silence that heralded change.

Departure Orders: The Weight of the Azure Bone

Ling Li closed the final report on her tablet, her fingers lingering on the smooth surface a moment longer than necessary, as if reluctant to sever the connection. The silence in the study was thick — not with discomfort, but with electrifying anticipation. She looked up, her gaze unwavering, radiating authority.

"Shi Min," she beckoned, her voice steady, but beneath it lay the crackling tension of a storm waiting to break. "Come here."

Shi Min rose from the sideboard, cradling his steaming cup of coffee, the rich aroma filling the air with a bittersweet nostalgia. He crossed the room with deliberate steps, his heart heavy, and settled into the chair opposite his mother at the polished conference table. This gleaming expanse mirrored both the morning sun and the unspoken tension that hung between them like a fragile thread, ready to snap.

Ling Li reached into her ornate ring, her fingers glowing faintly with a soft azure light as she summoned several items from the depths of her inner world. One by one, she placed them on the table, a deliberate ceremony marked by reverence and a vulnerability that pierced through her composed demeanor.

"This," she announced, laying down a crystalline shard that pulsed with a captivating azure glow, "is the Azure Dragon Bone."

Shi Min leaned forward, eyes narrowing, captivated. The bone radiated a dense power — ancient, volatile, almost alive. He sensed its energy pressing against his skin, a soft but insistent pulse that felt like a silent roar echoing in his veins. It was beautiful and terrifying, a reflection of the immense burden it carried.

"You'll proceed to Hidden Valley ahead of us," Ling Li continued, her voice unwavering but laced with an underlying tremor. "We'll reunite two days before the 'Eye' opens. Mushu will accompany you — he's overdue for a breakthrough and needs to refocus."

Shi Min nodded, his heart swelling with determination, yet uncertainty gnawed at the edges of his resolve.

Ling Li's fingers hovered hesitantly above the bone, her expression sharpening with a mother's concern. "Once you arrive, seek out your great-grandfather. Reveal your purpose to him. He will guide you to a secluded cultivation chamber — one shielded from prying forces."

She paused, the silence pregnant with unspoken urgency. "The energy from this bone is immense. You must absorb it slowly and process it properly. If you rush…"

"I know," Shi Min interjected, pinching the bridge of his nose, tension coiling within him. "I could explode."

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