The Crimson Feather Sect

"The Weak Are Prey"

The journey to the Crimson Feather Sect was not a glorious one.

Xiao Lian, bruised but unbroken, sat quietly in the back of the wooden transport carriage, her delicate fingers tracing over the worn edges of her sleeve. The Qingshui Monastery had been only a temporary hell, it was just a day and a half being their and now, she was being sent to another.

"How poetic."

The monks had deemed her unworthy of their teachings. Too frail. Too weak. Too insignificant. And so, they sent her where the unwanted often went, the Crimson Feather Sect.

A place where brute strength reigned and intelligence was disregarded. A place where someone like her would be crushed. Unless she played the game right. Her golden eyes flickered beneath the heavy hood she wore.

"Weak prey are always underestimated."

That was her advantage.

The journey to the Crimson Feather Sect was grueling. Nestled deep within the Mistveil Mountains, the sect was known for its ruthless training methods and unwavering focus on combat. Unlike scholarly sects that cultivated spiritual enlightenment, Crimson Feather bred warriors.

Beyond them lay her new reality. She inhaled deeply, adjusting the small satchel over her shoulder. Underneath her composed exterior, her heart pounded. This was her chance to grow stronger, to carve a place for herself in a world that had discarded her.

Failure was not an option.

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Arrival at the Sect

The gates of the Crimson Feather Sect loomed over them, forged from dark iron, its And now, Xiao Lian stood at its gates.

Towering pillars of red stone loomed before her, carved with intricate symbols depicting battle formations and victorious duels. The sect's insignia, a blood-red feather, was etched onto the great wooden doors that swung open with a groaning creak.

Xiao Lian stepped out of the carriage, her small frame nearly lost in the crowd of new recruits. Dozens of eyes turned to her.

Disciples in dark crimson robes lingered in the courtyard, their gazes sharp and assessing. Some trained with wooden swords, their strikes precise and brutal. Others practiced hand-to-hand combat, sweat glistening against their skin.

Most, however, barely spared her a second glance...until one of them did.

A girl, around Xiao Lian's age, with ink-black hair and piercing green eyes, leaned against a pillar. She tapped her fingers against her arm, a slow, deliberate motion.

A smirk curled on her lips.

"A new recruit?" Her voice dripped with amusement. "She doesn't look like much."

Whispers spread like wildfire. "She's too weak."

"Look at her—no muscle, no presence."

"A waste of space."

Xiao Lian met their stares with a calm, unreadable expression. She had expected this. She was not blind to the truth of her own physique, slender, lacking the hardened edges of a warrior. But strength was not solely measured in brute force.

Most were tall, broad, muscular, young men and women with hardened expressions, their eyes gleaming with ambition. Many had grown up training in martial techniques, their bodies already brimming with Qi. She, on the other hand, looked like a gust of wind could knock her over.

A murmur spread through the disciples as they noticed her.

"Who's the white-haired ghost?"

"She's too fragile. She won't last a week."

"Another failure dumped into the outer sect."

Xiao Lian lowered her gaze, schooling her features into calculated neutrality. She let them speak. Let them sneer.

Because if they thought she was worthless, they wouldn't pay attention to what she was actually doing. One day, they would understand that.

A tall, broad-shouldered man approached, his gait lazy but his aura suffocating. His crimson robes were lined with silver, marking him as a senior disciple.

"State your name," he commanded.

"Xiao Lian."

The moment her name left her lips, a ripple of recognition passed through the gathered disciples.

"The fallen Xiao noble?"

"She's from that family? I heard they cast her out."

"What's she doing here?"

The senior disciple chuckled, shaking his head. "So, the Xiao family's disgrace thinks she can survive here?" He crossed his arms. "You have no talent, no foundation. What makes you think the Crimson Feather Sect will accept you?"

Xiao Lian held his gaze, unflinching. "Because I am willing to learn." Silence stretched between them.

Then he laughed, a sharp, condescending sound. "We'll see about that."

[Advisory: Keep a low profile. Observe. Analyze weaknesses.]

The voice of the Supreme Intelligence System (SIS) echoed in her mind.

"Understood."

The another sect elder, a battle-worn man with streaks of silver in his dark hair, stepped forward. His robes, though simple, carried the power of authority.

"You will be divided into groups according to your aptitude and talent." His sharp gaze swept over them. "Those with exceptional potential will enter the inner sect, where true cultivation resources await. The rest… will be placed among the outer disciples."

A ripple of excitement and tension spread through the crowd. Xiao Lian remained still. She already knew where she was going.

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The Outer Sect was a world of its own, a battlefield where bullying and hierarchy ruled.

Xiao Lian was assigned to one of the lowest-ranking divisions. The dormitory was a shabby, overcrowded barracks at the base of the mountain, far from the pristine halls of the Inner Sect.

Her new 'home' was a small, shared room, the wooden floors creaking beneath her light steps. No silk sheets, no warmth, just a straw mat on the ground.

The moment she entered, she felt the massiveness of stares drilling into her back.

A group of disciples lounged inside, their expressions shifting from boredom to mocking amusement as they noticed her.

A boy with thick arms and a cruel smirk pushed off the wall, arms crossed. His name was Shen Kai, and judging by the way the others deferred to him, he was the self-proclaimed 'leader' here.

"Well, well," Shen Kai drawled, his voice laced with lazy menace. "Look what we have here. A frail little rabbit has wandered into the wolf's den."

The others snickered. Xiao Lian said nothing. Silence was power. It made people uncomfortable. It made them fill the void with their own insecurities. And as expected, Shen Kai's amusement faltered when she didn't react.

He took a step closer. "I don't like weaklings in my territory. So, little rabbit, how about you make this easier for yourself?"

He lifted a foot, aiming to kick over her belongings and assert dominance. But the moment his boot moved, Xiao Lian shifted subtly, causing him to stumble forward awkwardly.

A deliberate mistake. Small. Unnoticeable. Yet it made him look like an idiot in front of his lackeys.

The room stilled. Shen Kai's face darkened. "You little—"

"Hmm?" Xiao Lian finally spoke, tilting her head. "Did you trip?" Her voice was soft, innocent, but her golden eyes gleamed with subtle mockery.

A ripple of snickers echoed in the room. Not at her. At him. Shen Kai's face burned with humiliation. The weak never challenged the strong. It was an unspoken rule. Yet she had done so without even lifting a finger. Xiao Lian met his gaze without fear. She was no fool, she had merely planted a seed. And soon, that seed of doubt and embarrassment would fester in Shen Kai's mind. He would overcompensate. Overreact. And when he finally lost control…That was when she would strike. For now, she simply smiled.

"Apologies, senior brother," she murmured. "I'm just a weak little rabbit, after all."

Let him believe that.

•

At dawn, Xiao Lian joined the other outer disciples in the main training courtyard. The sect's instructor, a sharp-eyed woman with a scar running down her cheek, stood before them with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Today's training is simple," the instructor announced. "Fifty laps around the sect grounds. Followed by basic combat drills."

Groans echoed from the group. Xiao Lian remained silent, her eyes flicking toward the others. The strong ones stretched, prepared for the grueling exercise. The weaker ones already looked exhausted before they had even begun. She fell into step with the group as they began running.

By the tenth lap, the weaker disciples lagged. By the twentieth, some collapsed. Xiao Lian's legs burned, her breath came in sharp bursts, but she gritted her teeth.

[Stamina at 43%. Recommended action: Adjust breathing pattern.]

She obeyed, inhaling in measured intervals, forcing her body to fall into rhythm. By the time they finished, she wasn't the fastest. But she wasn't the weakest either.

It was enough. For now. After the session, the instructor pulled her aside.

"You're weak," she stated bluntly.

Xiao Lian wiped the sweat from her brow. "I know."

The instructor tilted her head, scrutinizing her. "But you're not useless."

A something unreadable passed through the woman's eyes. "You might survive here after all."

Xiao Lian exhaled slowly. She would thrive. And one day, she would make the Xiao family regret ever casting her aside.

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For the next few days, Xiao Lian did as SIS instructed, kept a low profile and watched.

The main Crimson Feather Sect's training grounds were brutal. Every morning, the disciples were thrown into combat drills, forced to spar until exhaustion claimed them. Here, strength was everything.

Xiao Lian stood at the edge of the field, her gaze sweeping over the matches. Some fought with raw power, some with speed. Brute force. Recklessness. And then… there were the ones who moved differently.

Ji Ren, for instance. The true prodigy of the sect. He moved with deadly precision, his sword strikes fast and efficient, wasting no energy. Every step was calculated. Controlled.

Xiao Lian's fingers itched. "That's it."

That was how she would survive. Not through brute force but through efficiency. Through analysis. Her golden eyes burned with quiet determination.

SIS Speaks.

[Scanning cultivation techniques… Processing combat styles… Analyzing weaknesses…]

Xiao Lian's pulse quickened. She did not need to be the strongest. She just needed to be smarter. The voice of SIS was cold, devoid of emotion but to Xiao Lian, it was the whisper of opportunity. And she intended to use it.