Rising Status

The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp soil and crushed leaves. The training grounds buzzed with whispers and sideways glances, all directed toward one person, Xiao Lian.

She strolled through the sect's inner courtyard, her black robes replaced with the deep blue of an inner disciple. The silk fabric was finer, the embroidery more intricate, and the weight of her new status settled around her shoulders like an invisible crown.

She had won. Yet, victory came with its own set of consequences.

Xiao Lian could feel the stares, the resentment simmering beneath the surface. Some inner disciples nodded stiffly in greeting, others whispered behind their hands, eyes glinting with barely concealed irritation.

Ji Ren, leaning against a stone pillar, watched her approach with a smirk. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

Xiao Lian raised an eyebrow. "You're up early. Are you that eager to bask in my victory?"

Ji Ren chuckled, folding his arms. "Hardly. I just wanted to see if you'd trip over your own ego on the way here."

Xiao Lian scoffed. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood today, otherwise I'd make you eat those words."

Before Ji Ren could reply, another voice cut in.

"Ah, there she is...the legendary Crimson Fang Slayer!"

Xiao Lian turned to see Qin Ziyan, the handsome trickster, striding toward them. His white outer sect robes contrasted against the sea of blue, but his posture was anything but humble. His hands were tucked behind his head, a lazy grin stretching across his face.

"I must say," he continued, stopping beside her, "I've never seen someone manipulate an entire battlefield while looking so innocent. Truly, you're an inspiration."

Xiao Lian tilted her head. "Qin Ziyan, weren't you supposed to be sulking somewhere after getting knocked out of the final round?"

Ji Ren snorted.

Qin Ziyan clutched his chest dramatically. "You wound me, Xiao Lian. I wasn't knocked out, I was strategically… resting."

"In the dirt," Ji Ren added helpfully.

"Yes, exactly!" Qin Ziyan nodded sagely, ignoring Ji Ren's smirk. "Only the most skilled warriors know when to take a nap mid-battle."

Xiao Lian shook her head, fighting back a grin. She had met Qin Ziyan during the early trials, and while he wasn't the strongest cultivator, he had an undeniable charm. Where Ji Ren was sharp and calculating, Qin Ziyan was carefree, unbothered by things like rank or prestige and a powerful manipulator and tricky.

But that didn't mean he wasn't dangerous in his own way. Unlike most outer sect disciples, Qin Ziyan never seemed desperate to climb higher. He had skills, real skills, but he used them selectively, like a fox who knew exactly when to pounce and when to play dead.

She glanced at him. "You came all the way here just to see me, didn't you?"

Qin Ziyan gave her a dazzling smile. "Obviously. Watching history in the making is a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Ji Ren rolled his eyes. "You're unbelievably shameless."

Qin Ziyan sighed. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

As amusing as their banter was, Xiao Lian knew the real reason behind their presence.

Her trial victory had made her a problem.Not just for the other disciples, but for the sect elders as well.

Inner disciples were expected to be strong, but Xiao Lian wasn't just strong, she was dangerous. She had outmaneuvered, outwitted, and outplayed everyone, and that made people nervous.

And nervous people? They did stupid things. She had seen it in the way some disciples glared at her when they thought she wasn't looking. The way whispers followed her like shadows.

Even Ji Ren, despite his amusement, was watching her too closely. Qin Ziyan, on the other hand, didn't seem concerned at all.

"You're not worried?" she asked him suddenly.

"About what?" Qin Ziyan blinked.

"That I might crush all your hopes and dreams now that I'm an inner disciple?"

Qin Ziyan sighed dramatically. "Ah, yes. My dreams of being a quiet, unnoticed outer disciple, shattered by your meteoric rise. How will I ever recover?"

Ji Ren scoffed. "I doubt you'll ever be unnoticed. You talk too much."

Xiao Lian smirked. "Don't worry, Qin Ziyan. If you behave, maybe I'll let you carry my robes as I ascend to greatness."

Qin Ziyan gasped. "How generous! Truly, you are the beacon of humility in this sect."

Ji Ren rubbed his temples. "Can we get to the important part now?"

Xiao Lian folded her arms. "Which part? The part where people are probably plotting against me as we speak?"

Qin Ziyan whistled. "She's quick."

Ji Ren's smirk faded slightly. "It's not just the disciples you should be worried about."

Xiao Lian raised an eyebrow.

"The elders?"

Ji Ren nodded. "The sect master received a letter this morning. Anonymous. But the contents…" He paused, eyes darkening. "They were about you."

Xiao Lian's fingers twitched slightly. She had expected backlash, but for someone to send a warning to the sect master himself? That was bold.

"Let me guess," she said slowly. "It wasn't praising my incredible charm and brilliance?"

Ji Ren didn't smile this time. "It warned that you're… unnatural."

Qin Ziyan frowned. "What does that even mean?"

Ji Ren exhaled. "It called her too intelligent. Too calculated. It said she's not just a cultivator, but something else entirely. Something that could be dangerous if left unchecked."

A heavy silence settled between them. Qin Ziyan was the first to break it.

"Well," he said, scratching the back of his head. "That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

Xiao Lian let out a short laugh. "Right? You'd think I sprouted a second head."

Ji Ren, however, wasn't laughing.

"You're not taking this seriously enough," he said. "The sect master isn't stupid. If someone went out of their way to plant that seed of doubt, it means they want him to start watching you."

Xiao Lian's humor faded. Ji Ren was right. The real problem wasn't the warning itself, it was the implication behind it.

Someone wasn't just afraid of her. They wanted others to be afraid too.

Qin Ziyan sighed. "Alright, let's assume someone wants to make Xiao Lian into some terrifying boogeyman. What's the plan? Should we pretend she's secretly possessed by a demon? Maybe she can start speaking in tongues."

Ji Ren shot him a look. "That's not helping."

"I think it's an excellent idea," Xiao Lian said, smirking. "Maybe I'll start chanting in the middle of the night and see who runs away first."

Ji Ren rolled his eyes. "You two are impossible."

But underneath his teasing, Xiao Lian's mind was already working. Dhe couldn't afford to be reckless,bnot now. She had played the game well so far, but this was a new level.

For now, she needed to be careful. To watch, listen, and find out who had sent that letter before they tried something worse.

She glanced at Ji Ren and Qin Ziyan. Two very different men, yet both of them had placed themselves near her in one way or another. She had allies. She had enemies.

And above all, she had herself.

Xiao Lian smirked. "Well, boys, I guess I'll just have to be even smarter than everyone else."

Ji Ren sighed. "That's exactly what I'm worried about."

Qin Ziyan grinned. "I, for one, welcome our new cunning overlord."

Xiao Lian laughed, but her eyes gleamed with something sharper. Let them try to stop her. She wasn't done yet. She was just getting started.