Chapter 11: Snow, Sword, and Silence

The sun dipped beyond the horizon, its last rays caressing the peaks of Azure Sky Mountain in gold and ember hues. Within the sect grounds, quietude reigned. The disciples had mostly retired for evening meditation, and the sky above had begun its descent into a deep velvet twilight.

Atop a quiet cliff, where a gentle breeze rustled through cherry blossoms and petals floated like snow, Ling Tianxiao sat in meditation. The Heaven's Crying Edge rested at his side, its blade humming faintly with ethereal light.

Floating beside him in the air, Liu Li—his newly bonded sword spirit—spun lazily on her back, arms behind her head.

"Master~ Master~"

He exhaled calmly through his nose. "…Stop calling me that so sweetly."

"Then what should I call you?" she asked, blinking with mock innocence. "Big Brother? Darling? Sword Daddy?"

Tianxiao cracked open an eye, leveling a flat stare at her.

"You're insufferable."

"I'm adorable," she replied proudly, puffing her cheeks and twirling midair. "You're just emotionally repressed."

"…I'm peaceful. You're noisy."

She gasped dramatically. "You wound me! I'm the best sword spirit ever!"

Despite his words, a corner of his lips curled faintly. She noticed.

"You smiled! Caught you!"

"You're imagining things."

"Nope. Bound to your soul, remember? I felt that little flutter of joy in your cold abyss of a heart."

Before he could retort, a new presence approached—quiet, refined, like the gentle fall of snow on jade leaves.

Xue Linglong.

He didn't need to look. Her qi signature was unique—icy, pure, elegant. She wore less formal robes tonight, a flowing pale blue outer robe layered over soft whites, and her long silver-black hair was tied in a looser braid than usual. It made her look less like the cold, untouchable Saintess and more like a woman watching the twilight settle over the mountains.

"I brought spirit peaches," she said softly, holding up a small basket.

Liu Li's eyes lit up. "Food?! Gimme!"

"You can eat?" the Saintess asked, surprised as Liu Li floated over.

"I'm a top-tier sword spirit!" she declared with pride. "Of course I can!"

Linglong sat down a few feet beside Tianxiao—not too close, not too far. Just close enough to share the breeze, the scent of peaches, and the stillness of the cliffside.

"You've been quiet since returning," she said.

"I like quiet."

"You don't give the sect much of it," she replied with a small, teasing smile. "Everyone's talking. The guest disciple who suppressed Ye Tian with aura alone, walked out of the Vault with a sword spirit… It's all they talk about."

Tianxiao glanced at her. "And what do you think?"

"I think… you're dangerous," she said slowly. "But not reckless."

"I'm not your enemy."

"No," she agreed softly, turning her gaze to the distant mountains. "But you could be."

He raised a brow.

She plucked a spirit peach and toyed with it. "You're stronger than most elders. Smarter than most masters. And you're still hiding something… I don't know what it is, but I know you're only showing us a fraction."

He didn't confirm or deny it.

Instead, he picked a peach and offered it to her.

She blinked in surprise. Their fingers brushed lightly as she accepted it. For a moment, a strange warmth passed between them.

"You've guided me well," he said quietly. "You stood beside me when you didn't have to."

Linglong looked down at the peach, then back at him. "…You remember that night?"

"When you tried to stab me in our first spar?"

"You let me win."

"Did I?"

She smiled, the corner of her eyes crinkling slightly. "You did. You wanted me to see that you weren't my enemy."

The breeze carried a cherry blossom past them. Tianxiao reached out, brushing one gently from her shoulder. His fingers lingered… just for a moment.

Her breath caught.

"You scare me sometimes," she whispered, voice barely audible.

"You shouldn't," he said, still looking at her. "I'd never harm you."

For a few seconds, the world stood still.

Then Liu Li, hovering nearby and munching her peach, grinned.

"You two are so tense. Just kiss already."

Both Tianxiao and Linglong turned toward her in sync, stiff.

"…Liu Li," Tianxiao growled.

"I'm kidding! Mostly."

Linglong let out a breathless laugh, trying to compose herself. But her cheeks were tinged with pink. "Your sword is bolder than you."

"She has no filter."

"I like her," the Saintess admitted, brushing her hair back. "She says what others don't dare to."

Tianxiao leaned slightly toward her. "And what is it you don't dare say?"

She met his gaze—cool starlight and stormclouds colliding.

"…That I'm glad you're here," she said quietly. "Even if you're dangerous. Even if you might bring change."

His voice was low. "Are you ready for that change?"

"I think," she whispered, "I want to be part of it."

He didn't answer. But the air between them shifted—warmer, more fragile. Closer.

The cherry blossoms danced around them, painting the sky in pink and gold.

Liu Li looked between the two and smirked, then quietly floated away.

She'd seen enough.