Secrets in the Sect

"You're overthinking it," Qin Ziyan said, casually leaning against a pillar.

Xiao Lian narrowed her eyes. "Am I?"

They stood in the outer courtyard, where the lanterns flickered in the night breeze. The trial's aftermath had faded, but something unsettling had taken its place.

SIS had picked up irregularities in the sect's energy flow, distortions too precise to be natural. Someone was altering the sect's balance. Someone powerful.

Qin Ziyan sighed. "I know that look. You've found another mystery to poke at."

Xiao Lian crossed her arms. "And if I have?"

A lazy grin spread across his face. "Then I'd be interested to see how deep the rabbit hole goes."

She gave him a sidelong glance. "You really enjoy stirring trouble, don't you?"

"Oh, immensely." He winked. "But I also know when something's dangerous. So, tell me...should I be worried?"

Xiao Lian hesitated. Should he be worried?

[SIS had detected several anomalies in the sect's records—missing scrolls, inconsistencies in elder assignments, and most concerning of all]

Someone was deliberately erasing information.

"I don't have all the details yet," she admitted. "But something's wrong."

Qin Ziyan hummed thoughtfully. "Then we should investigate."

She frowned. "We?"

"You don't think I'd let you have all the fun, do you?" He grinned.

Xiao Lian sighed but didn't refuse.Fine. If he wanted to help, so be it.

.

.

.

The first place to investigate was the sect's record hall, a place where centuries of history were stored. Getting in was easy. Avoiding detection? That was another matter.

Xiao Lian moved swiftly through the aisles of ancient scrolls, her eyes scanning the worn parchment.

She reached for a specific record, one about past sect leaders. And froze.

The scroll was missing.Her mind raced. Who would take something like this? And why?

Footsteps echoed nearby. She pressed herself against the shelf as a shadow passed by. An elder.

Her SIS flared to life,

[analyzing his energy signature. It didn't match any known sect members.]

Xiao Lian's heartbeat quickened. An outsider? No, that didn't make sense. He wore sect robes.

But something wasn't right. The man paused near the restricted archives, muttered something under his breath, and then, The door opened on its own.

Xiao Lian's breath hitched. That door required a Sect Master's approval. How?

She inched closer, watching as the elder disappeared inside.

SIS whispered a warning:

[High-level spiritual force detected.]

Xiao Lian clenched her fists. Who was he?

Qin Ziyan suddenly appeared beside her, whispering, "I hope you have a plan, little fox."

She barely stopped herself from jumping. "Would you stop doing that?"

He smirked. "Where would be the fun in that?"

Xiao Lian ignored him, focusing on the elder inside the archives. "We need to follow him."

"Bold of you to assume I wasn't already planning on it," Qin Ziyan murmured.

Xiao Lian sighed and moved forward.

The restricted archives were colder than she expected. The air felt thick, like stepping through invisible layers of energy.

The elder stood at a stone pedestal, flipping through an ancient scroll. His expression was unreadable.

Xiao Lian activated SIS to scan the text, but the system glitched.

[Error: Unknown energy interference.]

Her pulse quickened. This wasn't normal.

Qin Ziyan tugged her sleeve, whispering, "Something's off."

Before she could respond, the elder spoke—without turning around.

"I was wondering when you'd stop hiding."

Xiao Lian stiffened. He knew?

The elder turned, revealing a mask covering half his face. His eyes gleamed with amusement.

Qin Ziyan's smirk faltered slightly. "Well, this is awkward."

The masked elder stepped forward. "Curiosity is a dangerous thing, young ones."

Xiao Lian steadied herself. "Who are you?"

The man tilted his head. "Someone who's been watching you for a long time."

A chill ran down her spine.

Watching her?

The masked figure's voice lowered.

"You weren't supposed to be reborn."

Her breath caught.

Qin Ziyan's entire demeanor changed, his usual playful nature vanishing. "I'm sorry—what?"

The elder chuckled. "Oh, dear. It seems you don't remember, do you?"

Xiao Lian's fingers twitched. He knows. He knows about my reincarnation.

SIS scrambled to process the information, but everything felt distorted—as if reality itself was bending around this man's presence.

The elder took another step forward. And then he vanished.

Xiao Lian's vision blurred, the room twisting into darkness. The last thing she heard was a whisper in her mind.

"Find me… if you dare."

The world snapped back into focus. The masked elder was gone. The ancient scroll he had been reading lay open on the pedestal.

Xiao Lian exhaled, trying to steady herself.

Qin Ziyan muttered, "Well. That was unsettling."

She barely heard him. Her eyes had locked onto the scroll's title.

The Cycle of the Phoenix: The Forbidden Rebirths.

Her pulse thundered in her ears.

This… was about her.