By the time the two suns set, the High Officials had already left the City Magistrate. But Emőke and Min Lian remained. Withdrawn and silent, the Envoy kept her distance, her glazed stare gliding over the pagodas.

The view of the city must have been impressive enough for Emőke to propel herself up with her threads and end up on the building's roof. Basked in the rays of rosy light, Linsi lay before her with all its canals and famous music halls. Perhaps, the vantage point she chose was indeed perfect—a convenient spot to observe the movements of one's enemies. But not good enough to evade the General.

She did not flinch when Min Lian reached her. He had no threads, of course, for he was no unnatural artist. But his rope casters served him just as well as the tiny darts concealed in his sleeves—all the cunning tricks that had helped him endure.

Closing her eyes, the Envoy stepped dangerously close to the edge, and Min Lian leapt forward. No, not to save her. Only to prevent her from escaping.

"Careful, lady Emőke," he hissed, holding the brown sleeve of her embroidered jacket with the typical Magor string decoration. She almost fell, but it seemed that falling was preferable to his help, for she writhed out of his grasp with remarkable agility. For a moment, Min Lian even believed he saw a spark of anger in her indifferent gaze.

"No need for your assistance, General," she said, sprouting amber-coloured threads and reshaping the tiles with her powers.

"I understand your reservations," Min Lian said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Of course, you would have wanted the Moon-Marked girl to offer you a hand. And I am not her. What a pity."

When she heard his sharp words, all colour drained from her face. For a second, she looked furious. But that second passed quickly.

"Your assumptions are absurd, General," she uttered, her eyes shifting from his face to the thin line of the horizon. "I suggest we sign the treaty as soon as possible. Let's not waste time on speculations and insults."

Not waste time? She was a diplomat, all right. But not a saint.

"Don't pretend to be selfless. You're not noble, lady Emőke," Min Lian said. "You're Magor–practical and indifferent to the lives of those you consider lesser than yourself."

"Perhaps they're some I consider greater than myself."

"Are there?" He mused. "I hope they're not Sen dissidents, then. Otherwise, their fate will be gruesome."

What kind of punishment could he invent to break her? What kind of hell could Min Lian send her to? For Emőke, all hells were empty since her enemies surrounded her wherever she ventured. But the General did not give up.

As Min Lian expected, she vanished quickly, her yellow threads bringing her down from the roof. And this time, Min Lian only watched her with distaste. Pursuit would have been pointless. All he had to do was rely on his plan and wait.

When Emőke left, Min Lian returned to his residence in a palanquin, as was expected of someone as important as the current General and future Chairman of Senrei. Then, heading to his study, he called Xie Fenmian. The Secretary was a pointless bureaucrat, but Min Lian used him to misdirect his opponents.

Taking his time, the Secretary bowed before entering the pavilion, allowing the wind to fill the wide blue sleeves of his linen robe.

"The Envoy will not be in the city today," he reported. "The Lin House has a reception, and she is invited."

"Perfect."

Xie Fenmian's big eyes widened. "How so?"

"The Envoy is a famous spinner—one with unmistakably yellow threads. She can not be the Green Shadow. But," he lifted a finger, "the Envoy knows the Green Shadow, the Moon-Marked, and all other pesky conspirators she calls 'dissidents'. And she will undoubtedly inform her friends of the hardships endured by the Moon-Marked and the weak points in the farm's security. Then, once they know the farm's exact location, those traitors will aid their comrades. And that is exactly what I need."

"You want to lure them into a trap, don't you? That is why you asked the Envoy's bodyguard not to supervise her today." The painful realisation dawned on him when Xie Fenmian lifted his gaze from the floor. In return, Min Lian smiled.

"Precisely."

"A smart decision, General." He praised Min Lian's plan, but his eyelashes trembled like broken butterfly wings. Xie Fenmian was terrified, and Min Lian enjoyed every second of his despair. Finally, after a long pause, the Secretary said, "The Envoy's box has space for one more vial." He took a deep breath. "You've asked me to inform you when lady Emőke's box fills up. And I'm telling you now, General."

"I will take that information into account."

Careful, he studied the secretary's troubled face. Xie Fenmian was a spy for the High Officials, wasn't he? Of course, he was. That was why Min Lian kept him close in the first place. He always expected people to turn against him. And they always did. But few were as open as Emőke.

He thought about the maddening Envoy too much. Having planned a magnificent slaughter, Min Lian could now relax. But he did not. Instead, he sent Xie Fenmian away and opened all the sliding doors of the pavilion despite the evening chill. Then he remained alone.

Sipping tea on the terrace, he waited for the moon to rise and the fires to start. And they did. Just as he had planned. Hypnotizing like a dance of ribbons in the wind, the twinkle of flames painted the horizon red. That development only meant one thing: Emőke had somehow contacted her dissident friends, and the Green Shadow with his threads of emerald would appear soon enough.

"Beautiful, is it not?" Min Lian asked a servant, who was too terrified to move even when Min Lian demanded another pot of tea. A sudden cold breeze sent fresh plum blossoms into his cup, and he smiled. Fragile as they were, they could not escape water and flame. Theirs was a binary choice. To die or to bow to him. It was time for dissidents, the Green Shadow, and the Envoy to understand that simple truth. They were but transparent petals at his mercy, and there was little they could do against him.

Xie Fenmian's whole body shook when he flew into the room like a hurricane, interrupting the General's reflection.

By his side, a young soldier bowed to Min Lian and reported, "The Green Shadow is destroying the farm and letting the Moon-Marked out!"

"What a disaster," Xie Fenmian murmured while Min Lian smiled.

"Oh, no. It's not a disaster. It's but a game, and I'm winning."

He stared at the general incredulously. "How? How can you be winning if the dissidents are destroying the farm? Your trap has failed."

"It's simple." Min Lian took another sip of his tea before rising to his feet. "The Green Shadow is a spinner. And so are many of the Longgrasses. Others are traitors from the military. Or scholars. Or rogue Moon-Marked. Executing that scum is more important than losing a dozen Moon-Marked slaves. They must die for our country to prosper. To heal our motherland, I will need to hurt it first."

Xie Fenmian's face became even paler, lips forming a thin line.

"It's not a trap. It's an orchestrated slaughter," the Secretary murmured, turning away. At the same time, Min Lian headed to the gates of his residence, preparing to leave and giving last instructions to the two young soldiers at the entrance.

Time was of the essence. With bat-horses, known as the 'konishi', they could get to the farm in mere moments. With Min Lian in charge, they would. There was no room for error.

Having prepared two konishi, Min Lian jumped in the saddle without waiting for the Secretary to follow. The animal stirred, its scaly wings beating without rhythm. As much as the General hated those grey, big-eyed monsters, he could not deny their practicality. Even though they could barely rise above the tallest trees, their skeletal bodies could accomplish impressive feats of endurance. That was what Min Lian needed from them.

On a konish's back, the General reached the hulking structure of dark metal quicker than his enemies could expect. While guards and prisoners fled from the flame-engulfed sight, the General drew closer, the sound of his steps absorbed by the tufts of reddish grass.

Some 'lucky' Moon-Marked ran past him, undoubtedly released by the Longgrasses and the Green Shadow. Well, their shared happiness was not going to last long. Snapping his fingers, the General smirked and turned to Xie Fenmian.

"And here it comes."

"Comes what?" Xie Fenmian asked, but the guttural cries of the victims and the screeching sound of breaking bones and ripped tissue drowned out the Secretary's weak voice.

Traps sprung from the ground, catching the fleeing Moon-Marked, cutting their flesh, obliterating every thought of freedom. Enjoying the sight, Min Lian inhaled deeply. All he needed to do was wait for the Green Shadow and his Longgrasses to rush to their friends. The Moon-Marked were the first step on his path to glory. The spinners were next. And then came other dissidents. But before them came the Green Shadow.

As Min Lian proceeded into the courtyard, unaffected by the scorching heat of the fire, Xie Fenmian followed him. It was not until they reached the centre of the gloomy circle of burning metal that Min Lian stopped, his dark eyes glistening with anticipation. When blue smoke filled the courtyard, the General knew he had calculated well.

Finally, his enemy was there. The Green Shadow's arrival always coincided with the appearance of that strange blue mist that concealed his tall, dark figure. In the halo of green threads, he rose above the desolation, transforming collapsed pieces of metal into bridges, allowing the captives to escape, trying to mitigate the inevitable consequences of their actions—a pointless pursuit if there was any. Yet, much to Min Lian's delight, the Green Shadow seemed undeterred. His stubbornness was perfect.

Since Min Lian planned to face the Green Shadow and the dissidents alone, he needed to be careful. If Min Lian were to win, he had to do it by himself, cementing his authority forever. Only that way could he decide the future of Senrei. Xin Yuan had escaped his grip, but her closest associate, the Green Shadow, would not. And neither would the rest of the Longgrasses.

Shooting darts into the barrels of oil he had concealed in the corners of the courtyard, Min Lian watched the raging fire lick the trickling fuel and engulf the 'farm' faster than the Green Shadow could build corridors to shelter the criminals. The General scoffed when Xie Fenmian rushed to the heaps of sandbags and torture devices, searching for ways to stop the fire. Why did the inevitable demise of the Moon-Marked bother that pointless bureaucrat?

Bracing himself, Min Lian lashed out to pursue his main opponent. Yet, to his surprise, the Green Shadow vanished in the blue mist, leaving Min Lian to wonder about his whereabouts.

Min Lian could wait. It was a matter of time before the criminal understood the futility of his efforts. No, the Green Shadow could not win. Min Lian had made sure his enemy had to place to run, his remarkable powers only making it easier for the General's scouts to target the spinner. Min Lian never miscalculated. Never.

This victory was not supposed to be different. Preparing for the inevitable attack, Min Lian chuckled when he spotted the despicable Green Shadow again. The enemy could not escape Min Lian, could he? Once again, the Green Shadow stood in front of him. Only this time, no blue mist surrounded him, and his otherwise blurred figure appeared somewhat bigger.

Drawing closer to his enemy, Min Lian pushed him into the fire's embrace at the entrance. A head taller than Min Lian, the Green Shadow might have thought he could take the General down. But Min Lian had fought spinners and martial artists of all kinds before. And none had survived to tell the tale.

Small and agile, he shot endless waves of darts at the looming black-clad figure, whose green threads danced in the air, covering his body. A clever twist, a dangerous jump, a reckless dodge – nothing helped the Green Shadow. Unfathomable like a sprite's dream, Min Lian jumped from a broken barrel to the burning wall, searching for weaknesses in his enemy's defences.

With Moon-Marked bones stuffed in his inner pocket, he blocked the Green Shadow's threads, wondering if his Longgrasses would appear. Apparently, the Longgrasses were trying to save the Moon-Marked while the Green Shadow distracted him. Well, that was a mistake on their part.

An opening in the Green Shadow's defence allowed Min Lian to attack. Overthrowing the man with a sly kick to his stomach, he soon had his dagger pointed at the Green Shadow's heart. That was the end. That was Min Lian's victory. Almost savouring its sweet taste on his tongue, Min Lian prepared to strike and claim the body. He would kill the Green Shadow without hesitation, delivering the softest, quickest blow imaginable. Then he would remove the mask and spit into his enemy's still face.

All of that would have happened had it not been for Xie Fenmian. The stupid bureaucrat jumped before Min Lian quicker than the general could have expected. Pushing Min Lian away and spreading his arms, he landed in front of the Green Shadow. Then, in a blur of smoke, Xie Fenmian's chest caught the dagger, leaving the Green Shadow enough time to reconsider his position.

"Run," Xie Fenmian mouthed, staring at the Green Shadow. "Run and do what only you can do."

No way. The General would burn Senrei to the ground before allowing his enemy to escape. But time never waited. With all his determination, the General could not keep up. As Min Lian's desperate darts chased his enemy, the Green Shadow twisted away, never allowing the General to approach close enough to strike.

When Min Lian stopped, a string of curses escaped his mouth, fury strangling him and stealing his breath. No, the Green Shadow could not have been that lucky! Saved by a pointless bureaucrat, his nemesis vanished. With anger threatening to tear him apart, Min Lian leaned over his Secretary's dying body. A malicious smile bloomed on his lips when he twisted the dagger in his chest to cause more pain. That was the least the bastard deserved.

"Why?!"

Gushing blood, Xie Fenmian smiled. "Because you cannot win. And you will not."

"Why?!" In a hysterical feat, Min Lian seized him by the bluish collar of his linen robes and shook him. But Xie Fenmian, or whoever he was, only smiled. The bastard was not afraid of death. If he did not want to answer to the General, Min Lian had other ways of influencing people and smashing their hopes.

"Enough Moon-Marked will die today to supply half of the High Officials in the capital with their useful bones," Min Lian murmured, returning to his calculating self. "And the Green Shadow is next."

When Min Lian turned away from the secretary's body, the bluish mist rose, tearing down the metal walls of the sinister camp. To cover the tracks of the retreating scum, the Green Shadow raised a mountain of earth to bury the remains of the fallen—guards, Moon-Marked and everyone else.

While the Green Shadow retreated, Min Lian saw the Longgrasses follow him. In their folly, they thought they could escape. But the General knew better.

They might have hoped to make it to the bamboo grove by the streams that led back to Linsi. But they did not, for fire sprung from the tall stalks. Min Lian had come to the farm alone, of course. But he had used his military resources to create an ambush to eliminate all escape routes. If he could not capture the Green Shadow, no dissident – spinner, Moon-Marked or otherwise – would survive.

Their choice was simple: to bow or to die. When Min Lian rose on the hill of ash, cinder, and bones, he scoffed at the destruction around him. No, he had not won. But neither had they. If they chose desolation over his authority, he would make them pay. If they thought hell was empty and irrelevant, he would prove them wrong by bringing all its horrors and demons to smite them.

The first people to find him standing next to his secretary's limp body were his officers and Elemér, who was crazy enough to leave the General's residence and lady Emőke alone.

"General, are you injured?" An officer asked, forcing Min Lian to dismiss his pointless concerns.

"Pursue the survivors. My well-being is of no importance."

When the officer bowed and ran off, Elemér stepped forward.

"What in the Abyss happened here? I could see the smoke from Linsi."

"Could you?" Min Lian asked, squinting at him and scrutinizing his attire. Much to the General's surprise, the Spy looked flushed, confused even, his clothes somewhat sloppy, without the trace of Magor elegance. His tight breeches looked as if they were stained with soot, and his intricate jacket lacked two buttons and a knot.

"You should not be worried, lord Elemér," Min Lian said after a pause. A head taller than Min Lian, strong and experienced in a fight, he stood before him with a frown creasing his forehead. But it was not the frown but the side of his boot that attracted Min Lian's attention. Then, a dark smile touched the General's lips, and he sent his remaining officers away. A minor detail was all it took to ruin a person's disguise.

A single dart remained stuck in the Spy's black boot—Min Lian's dart. The Spy whose green threads he had seen during his attempt to assassinate Emőke turned out to be much brighter than Min Lian had initially assumed. The Spy he considered an idiot was a Magor saboteur, a friend of the Longgrasses, a close associate of the late Xin Yuan. Oh, Min Lian had underestimated him.

"You are the Green Shadow, dear Elemér. Who would have thought?"