Free Web NovelChapter 56: Chapter 56: The Cloak for Qin Lian
Qin Lian did not show much emotion.
That was one of the first things Qin Yuheng had noticed about her when they were children. Among the Qin younger generation, Qin Feng was open and fiery, Qin Ruyan proud and sharp, Qin Mo lazy and evasive, Qin Yuchen calm and thoughtful, Qin Yuze impulsive, and Qin Xue’er bright and lively.
Qin Lian was quiet.
Not cold.
Quiet.
She observed more than she spoke. She remembered small details others missed. She could stand in a room for half an hour and leave with more information than someone who had asked ten questions.
That was why Qin Yuheng chose her as the team scout.
But after Floors 1 through 4, her role had become more dangerous. She moved ahead, checked traps, watched flanks, interrupted enemies, rescued teammates, and often fought alone for several breaths before support arrived.
She needed better protection.
On the second night of the academy-mandated rest period, Qin Yuheng found Qin Lian in the Qin Estate’s shadow training yard.
The yard was designed for stealth practice. Tall wooden posts, hanging cloth strips, gravel patches, and dim lanterns created a field where movement could be tested for sound, shadow, and visibility.
Qin Lian was practicing with her Black Fang Iron Blood Daggers.
Her movements were precise.
Step.
Turn.
Vanish behind a post.
Reappear.
Strike.
Withdraw.
She stopped the moment Qin Yuheng approached.
"Brother Yuheng."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
"Still training during rest?"
"Light movement only."
"That sounds like something I would say to justify training."
She looked at him silently.
Qin Yuheng smiled and took out the folded cloak.
At first glance, it looked like dark gray silk. But when moonlight touched it, the surface shifted into deep blue-black, like a shadow beneath water. No aura leaked from it. No obvious grade could be felt.
Qin Lian’s eyes changed slightly.
"This is?"
"For you."
She did not reach for it.
"It is too valuable."
"You have not even inspected it."
"That is why I know."
Qin Yuheng placed it in her hands.
"SSS Grade Silent Moon Shadow Cloak."
For once, Qin Lian’s expression broke.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"SSS..."
"Do not show its full effect publicly. Treat it as a B or A-grade stealth cloak outside. It can reduce sound, presence, and spiritual trace under shadow, fog, night, and moonlight. It also provides light defense against mental detection."
Qin Lian held the cloak carefully. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Her fingers tightened.
"Why give this to me?"
"Because you need it."
"That is not enough reason."
"It is."
She looked up.
Qin Yuheng’s expression was calm.
"You scout ahead. You enter danger first. You often stand between hidden threats and the team. If you are safer, the team is safer. If your stealth improves, our options increase."
Qin Lian lowered her gaze.
After a moment, she said quietly, "I will not waste it."
"I know."
She put on the cloak.
The effect was immediate.
Her figure seemed to blend into the night. She was still visible if one looked directly at her, but the mind naturally slid away, as if she belonged to the shadows and did not need attention.
Qin Yuheng nodded.
"Good. Practice control. Do not let it erase your presence completely in public."
"I understand."
From the edge of the yard, Qin Mo’s voice sounded.
"I knew you were handing out suspicious treasures again."
Qin Yuheng turned.
Qin Mo leaned against a wooden post, half-hidden.
"How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to hear SSS and realize I should not have heard it." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Qin Lian’s hand moved toward her dagger.
Qin Mo raised both hands.
"I will forget immediately."
Qin Yuheng looked at him.
"You came for something?"
"Yes. Grandfather wants you in the formation room."
"Why?"
Qin Mo’s expression became more serious.
"The Ancient Silent Bell Heart."
Qin Yuheng’s eyes moved.
He had shown Qin Wanshan the item earlier that day. The old man had not spoken for a long time after seeing it. Then he summoned Qin Mo, Gu Tianhe, and several hidden formation elders of the Qin family.
If they were calling him now, they had likely reached a decision.
In the underground formation room, Qin Wanshan stood with Gu Tianhe and three elderly formation masters. The Ancient Silent Bell Heart floated above a stone table, wrapped in layers of concealment runes.
The formation masters looked both excited and terrified.
One of them said, "This can become the core of a silence-domain defense array. If installed properly, it can suppress spying, sound-based infiltration, low-level mental probing, and certain curse transmissions."
Another added, "But if its grade is exposed, the entire city will notice the formation fluctuation."
Qin Wanshan looked at Qin Yuheng.
"We will not install it fully yet."
Qin Yuheng nodded. "Too dangerous."
"Instead, we will create a sealed sub-array beneath the ancestral hall. Only a small portion of its power will be used to strengthen privacy and protect Zhengyuan’s treatment chamber."
That was safer.
The Ancient Silent Bell Heart would not reveal its full aura, but even a small part could improve the Qin Estate’s secrecy.
Qin Mo looked at the floating core.
"I can help with the resonance lines."
One elder frowned.
"You are young."
Qin Mo yawned.
"And you are slow."
The room became silent.
Qin Wanshan laughed.
"Let him help."
The elder looked offended, but Qin Mo’s formation work soon silenced him. His talent in formations was obvious when he focused. With the Iron Pulse Formation Belt and Qin family guidance, he connected several minor resonance lines more smoothly than expected.
Qin Yuheng watched quietly.
This was another kind of growth.
Not through direct combat.
Through family foundation.
By dawn, the sub-array was complete.
The Qin Estate became subtly quieter.
Not unnaturally.
Just enough that spiritual spying, sound transmission, and hidden probes would be dampened.
Gu Tianhe tested it and nodded.
"Good. Even if someone watches from outside, they will hear less than before."
Qin Wanshan looked satisfied.
Qin Yuheng looked at Qin Mo.
"You did well."
Qin Mo’s face was pale from mana use.
"I regret doing well. Now they will expect it again."
Qin Yuheng smiled.
"They already did."
Qin Mo sighed.
The rest period continued.
But Qin Yuheng knew rest did not mean nothing was happening.
Qin Lian had gained the Silent Moon Shadow Cloak.
The Qin Estate had gained a hidden silence-domain sub-array.
Qin Zhengyuan’s treatment chamber was more secure.
Qin Mo’s formation role had grown.
One by one, the Qin family’s hidden foundation was strengthening.
And outside, enemies still believed they were only seeing a talented young climber with a thunder-body ability.
That misunderstanding was becoming Qin Yuheng’s greatest shield.
