Chapter 8 Fear

The sound was soft, yet in the charged silence of the inn's lower floor, it rang like a bell.

A tall youth emerged from the crowd—clean white robes, modest jade ornaments at his waist, a long sword slung behind his back. His eyes were clear, like still water reflecting moonlight—calm, unwavering, and sharp.

No trace of arrogance. No theatrical display. Just quiet presence.

But the moment Kai saw him, something stirred.

A subtle pulse echoed behind his eyes. Cold. Mechanical.

[System Alert – Detection Triggered

High-grade Protagonist Entity Detected within Host's Proximity.]

Kai's pupils contracted slightly.

And then the familiar chime followed.

[System Notification – Target Scanned]

[Name: Ji Xian

Affiliation: Azure Cloud Sect – Inner Sect Disciple

Cultivation Level: Qi Condensation – Peak Stage

Hero Aura: 480

Fate Alignment: Rising Hero]

Ji Xian

Kai's expression didn't change, but the wine in his cup rippled ever so slightly.

Two protagonists…

Though he had never met Wu Fei in person, the stories alone were enough. Kai could already confirm—without a doubt—that Wu Fei was one of them.

But now, here stood another.

Ji Xian.

A second protagonist?

How amusing.

The Azure Cloud Sect…

It was the closest to the Heavenly Sword Sect, just a step below in strength and prestige.

And yet, its name alone carried enough weight to make lesser sects bow in silence.

Kai narrowed his eyes slightly, the motion almost imperceptible.

He glanced down at the girl, her figure trembling as she clutched her satchel and pressed herself against the wall. Her eyes darted between Ji Xian and the fat noble.

He frowned slightly.

"System. Show me there stats."

[System Notification – Target Scanned]

Name: Ji Xian

Affiliation: Azure Cloud Sect (Inner Sect Disiple)

Cultivation: Qi Condensation (Peak)

Hero Aura: 480

Fate Alignment: Rising Hero

]

[Heroine Potential Detected.]

Name: Lan Xue

Heroine Aura: 240 → 241 (increasing)

Cultivation: None

Affiliation: None (Bonded to Ji Xian – Hero Value: 480)

Fate Alignment: Potential Heroine -> Heroine

]

He tapped a finger lightly against the rim of the goblet, the motion casual… almost lazy.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

Each tap echoed like a clock counting down—one breath, then another—measured and patient.

Kai's hood cast a shadow over his expression, but the flicker of amusement in his eyes gleamed like a blade catching torchlight.

"Her aura's climbing," he murmured, his tone smooth and unhurried, as though reading the weather rather than destiny itself. "Bonded to him already. Is it because of that 'rescue trigger'... or something deeper?"

The aroma of wine lingered at the rim of his cup, a bitter-sweetness that clung to his lips like the scent of karma.

A faint breeze passed through his mind—not physical, but spiritual—the system's presence whispering like cold silk against his thoughts.

[System Notification: Heroine Aura Increase – Linked to Ji Xian's Intervention]

Kai let out a quiet sigh, the kind that did not carry exhaustion… but familiarity.

"Always the same story…" he said softly, eyes half-lidded as he looked down from the upper balcony. "A girl in distress. A righteous fool arrives. Fate wraps them both in a pretty little knot."

His voice dropped, almost inaudible beneath the noise of the tavern.

"And the rest of us? We sip wine in the shadows."

A subtle laugh, dry and bitter like old tea, curled at the edge of his lips.

He watched silently as the drama below unfolded, not with interest—but the cold detachment of a scholar watching mice run through a maze.

At the center of it all stood the pig-faced young master—Luo Jin.

Dressed in gaudy robes embroidered with golden cranes and phoenixes, his swollen frame barely fit into the silk. His cheeks were ruddy, whether from wine or arrogance, no one could say. The glimmering rings on each finger clicked as he slammed his goblet against the table.

The sound cracked through the hall like thunder.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE HER?!" he roared, voice thick with wine and unchecked ego. "You want to play hero, huh?!"

He stood, his belly wobbling with each motion, sleeves flaring like banners in war.

The girl—Lan Xue—trembled behind Ji Xian, clutching the hem of his sleeve. Her eyes darted between the guards and the man, fear etched into every breath she took.

Luo Jin pointed, his chins jiggling in tandem.

"GUARDS!" he snarled, spittle flying. "Kill that bastard! I want his damn head—and that wench in my room before midnight!"

A hush fell.

Even the music stopped.

The two guards stepped forward.

Their cultivation was not weak—Qi Gathering, peak stage. In this backwater town, it was enough to silence most.

Blades slid halfway from their scabbards with a chilling metallic hiss, but their hands paused.

Something was… off.

They could feel it too.

The pressure in the room shifted.

Kai didn't move, not even a twitch, but the air seemed to thicken around him. It was as though the very temperature had dropped a few degrees. His presence was still—unmoving, undisturbed—yet every hair on the guards' bodies stood on end.

Kai didn't look at them. He didn't need to.

He merely took another sip of wine, letting it roll across his tongue like velvet.

How predictable.

Below, Ji Xian's expression remained calm.

He placed a gentle hand on Lan Xue's shoulder, stepping forward just enough to shield her completely behind him.

Then—

He spoke.

"I am Ji Xian," he said clearly, voice carrying across the room like a bell ringing through fog. "Inner Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect."

Gasps rang out from the crowd like falling dominoes.

The Azure Cloud Sect?!

That name alone carried weight.

A tier above ordinary sects, they stood just beneath the Heavenly Sword Sect in hierarchy and power. In this region, their influence was absolute—especially compared to petty clans like Luo Jin's, who only controlled a few streets and bribes in a city this small.

Even the guards hesitated now.

Luo Jin's face paled.

"Azure… Azure Cloud?" he muttered, the wine in his blood evaporating into pure panic. "Y-you're lying. That's impossible—someone like you wouldn't be here—"

Ji Xian raised his hand, and glowing Qi began to shimmer around him.

Then, he executed a move that left no room for doubt.

Azure Sword Mist—first stance.

A flick of the wrist, a subtle breeze, and the air filled with silver threads of condensed mist Qi, sharp as needles and brimming with grace.

Everyone recognized it.

The Azure Cloud Sect's trademark technique.

The guards stumbled backward.

Cold sweat broke across their brows.

Even Kai paused, eyebrows lifting just slightly beneath the hood.

So that's how you play your card.

Luo Jin looked ready to faint. His legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees, robes puddling around his grotesque frame.

"I-I didn't know… Forgive me, Young Master Ji… please—"

And then—

A sound.

Shuuk.

A blade pierced through Luo Jin's back without warning.

No warning cry.

No flash of Qi.

Just a sword, smooth and silent, emerging from his chest.

His mouth opened in shock. Blood spilled over his lips. His body jerked once, then collapsed forward like a sack of rotten meat.

The sword remained lodged in his corpse, still quivering slightly.

Lan Xue covered her mouth with her hand, eyes wide with shock.

Everyone turned toward the direction the sword had come from.

But there was—

No attacker.

No assassin in sight.

Just… silence.

The blade had come from nowhere. It was as if the world itself had decided that Luo Jin was no longer worth existing.

Ji Xian stood frozen, his brows creased in shock.

Kai, high above, casually placed his goblet down.

He adjusted his sleeves, as if brushing away dust, and returned to his seat as though nothing had happened.

He picked up a piece of warm duck meat, took a bite, and chewed slowly—unbothered, unhurried.

As though a man hadn't just died for overreaching.

As though killing was no more troublesome than removing a speck of dirt from a robe.

The room remained silent.

And the man in black… simply ate.