Wang Bushen stood frozen, the edge of the alien blade biting cold against his throat. His eyes flickered down, meeting the steel, then back up at Bian’s face. He didn’t move, didn’t breathe too loud.
"I don’t know where he is," he said quietly.
Bian’s brow twitched. He gave a sharp laugh, though there was no humor in it.
"Really?" he repeated slowly, voice rising. "I don’t think I believe you."
He took a threatening step forward, forcing Dican’s hand closer. The sword’s edge dug gently into skin — not enough to cut, but enough to warn.
"He must’ve run back here," Bian spat, rage creeping into his voice. "Hid his damn ass somewhere in this place like the coward he is. You think you can protect him from me? Think you can hide him here?!" His voice cracked, high and furious.
"I swear I’ll tear this whole damn building apart until I find him!"
With a shove, he pushed Dican’s arm forward again. The sword tilted. A few of the nearby guards flinched but stayed rooted, not daring to interfere.
Wang Bushen closed his eyes briefly and let out a long breath. "He really isn’t here," he said. "Please... let’s have a talk inside."
Bian scoffed harshly, incredulous.
"A talk?" he repeated, voice dripping with mockery. "Why would I want to talk with you, huh? After all these years? After what you did to me?"
He turned on him with venom in his eyes.
"You think you’re worthy of sitting down and talking to me now? The same person who threw me out of this house like some fucking used-up tissue?"
Wang Bushen didn’t respond. He didn’t flinch or argue. He simply stood there, unmoving, with that same expression — distant, cool, unreadable. His eyes locked onto Bian’s, and when he spoke again, it was calm, almost disturbingly so.
"We can strike a deal."
Bian blinked. "A deal?"
"You know I have power," Wang Bushen said. "And that’s what you lack."
That did it.
Bian’s face contorted with fury. "Who said I lack power?!" he shouted.
He threw an arm toward Dican, gesturing like he was revealing a treasure.
"Do you even know who he is?!"
His voice cracked again with emotion, louder now, echoing across the courtyard for everyone to hear.
"He’s the fucking Prince of Farians! Royalty! You hear me?! Royalty! You think I need your help now?!"
His whole body was shaking. Not from fear. Not even from anger anymore. It was something more — after that humiliation, of being thrown aside, dismissed like he never mattered. And now... now he stood in front of them all, with the most powerful weapon at his side.
"I have power," he snarled, locking eyes with Wang Bushen. "More than you could ever imagine."
Wang Bushen’s mouth curled into a slow, mocking sneer. "Do you?" he said coldly. "Do you really have power, Bian?"
His voice was quiet, but every word felt like a slap.
"You’re nothing but a human."
That word—human—hit Bian like a knife to the chest. His pupils dilated, and his breath came fast. He felt his blood boil instantly, the old rage bubbling to the surface like acid. That word. That word. The one thing he hated being called. The thing he was trying so desperately to leave behind.
He took a step forward, teeth clenched, hand twitching as if he’d snatch the sword and plunge it into Wang Bushen’s neck himself. "Say that again," he hissed. "Say that word one more time and I’ll slit your throat wide open—"
"I can help you," Wang Bushen interrupted calmly, voice low and measured, like he wasn’t staring down the edge of a blade.
Bian faltered.
"I have the most advanced technology this planet has ever seen," Wang Bushen continued, eyeing Bian with unnerving steadiness. "With my help, you would be safe. You and your prince."
He nodded slightly toward Dican, who stood silently beside Bian, his sword still raised but his expression unreadable.
"Even if he is a prince," Wang Bushen went on, "he’s still just one man. What can he really do for you? If you kill me here, you lose a powerful ally. That’s a loss for you."
Bian clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles went white. His breathing was heavy, nostrils flaring. It would be so easy. One swipe. One flick of Dican’s blade and the man would be gone.
But...
He blinked, forcing himself to breathe.
"A loss?" Bian sneered, spitting the word like it tasted sour. "You think you have something I don’t? What—human tech? That’s what you’re offering me?"
He gave a bitter laugh and turned his head toward Dican. "I already have access to Farian technology. The kind you can’t even dream of. What makes you think your rusted old human toys matter to me?"
Wang Bushen’s eyes gleamed. He smiled again—this time more openly, almost smug.
"Because we have access to Farian tech too."
Bian froze.
His heart skipped a beat.
"What?" he said quietly, lips barely moving.
Wang Bushen tilted his head slightly, watching the reaction unfold. "You don’t know everything about the Wang family, Bian," he said, voice calm but firm. "There are layers to this household even you never saw. Come inside. Let’s talk."
Bian didn’t answer right away. He stared hard at him, trying to read any lies on his face—but Wang Bushen remained frustratingly composed. He wasn’t bluffing. Not this time.
Something inside Bian twisted, uncertain and furious. He hated the man. Hated him more than anything. But...
If there was something more—something they had hidden all this time—then he had to know. He had to.
Still wary, Bian stepped back a little and nodded for Dican to stay close. "Stay by me," he muttered. "If he tries anything—kill him."
Dican nodded silently, blade still in hand.
Keeping a safe distance between himself and Wang Bushen, Bian finally followed him toward the main doors of the mansion—the same mansion that once spat him out like garbage.
This time, he would walk in on his own terms.