The First Test

Chapter 4: The First Test

The air was sharp with the scent of pine and cold stone as Ye Xian stepped into the sect's outer courtyard. The sun had barely risen, yet the space was already alive with activity. Disciples sparred, clashed swords, and honed their forms under the watchful gaze of their instructors. The sound of steel meeting steel rang through the mountains, blending with the crisp morning wind.

She moved carefully, keeping to the edges of the courtyard. Observation was her greatest weapon.

The Azure Wind Sect was powerful—but power bred divisions. Rivalries. Jealousies. Weaknesses.

And weaknesses could be exploited.

She adjusted the medicine basket slung over her shoulder, the perfect disguise for her presence. As a healer, she could move freely, unnoticed. She could get close to the sect's warriors, learn their strengths, study their injuries, and—when the time came—strike at their weakest points.

A test would come soon. It was inevitable. She had infiltrated an enemy sect. She had to prove she belonged.

She just didn't expect it to happen this fast.

"Physician."

The voice was sharp, cutting through the noise of the courtyard.

Ye Xian turned just as a tall disciple stepped into her path. Lin Ji.

She recognized him immediately—one of the inner disciples, favored by Elder Zhao Rong. A skilled fighter with a reputation for aggression, but not reckless. He was someone who liked control.

And right now, she could see the calculated intent in his stance.

He was testing her.

"You dodge well," Lin Ji said, rolling his shoulders. "But dodging isn't enough in a real fight. Let's see what else you know."

Ye Xian's fingers tightened slightly around her basket. The challenge was deliberate. Public.

Disciples turned, forming a loose circle around them. Some curious, others expectant. They wanted to see if she was worth anything.

If she refused, she'd be branded as weak.If she fought and lost, she'd confirm their suspicions—that she didn't belong.

But if she won…

A faint smile touched her lips.

She placed a hand on her heart, lowering her gaze slightly in measured respect. "I don't wish to waste Elder Zhao's disciple's time," she said lightly. "But if this is a lesson, I'll accept it."

Lin Ji smirked. "No weapons. Just movement. Let's see how long you last."

Good. No swords meant he wouldn't kill her outright.

But it didn't mean he'd go easy.

The Duel

Lin Ji struck first.

A sharp, precise swing of his wooden staff—aimed directly for her ribs.

Ye Xian moved instantly, twisting away just as the strike sliced through the air where she had stood.

She didn't counter. Not yet.

Lin Ji came at her again—faster this time. The staff blurred in sharp arcs, one strike after another, forcing her backward. He was testing her movements, her reflexes, her endurance.

But he wasn't the only one observing.

Ye Xian's mind worked as fast as her feet. His weight distribution. His breathing. His rhythm.

His stance was strong, but there was an imbalance—his left knee was slower to pivot. An old injury.

A weakness.

She dodged another strike, this time letting it come closer—just enough to shift her momentum.

Then, she moved.

A quick step forward—past his guard.

Before he could react, her fingers struck the exposed pressure point on his wrist.

Lin Ji's grip faltered.

The staff clattered against the stone.

The entire courtyard went silent.

Ye Xian stepped back smoothly, hands still empty. "You dropped your weapon."

Lin Ji's jaw tightened. He wasn't humiliated—but he understood.

She had read him too easily. Defeated him without even fighting.

"Not bad," he muttered. "For a physician."

The gathered disciples began dispersing, murmuring among themselves. The test was over. For now.

But Ye Xian wasn't focused on them anymore.

She felt another gaze on her.

The Watcher in the Shadows

At the edge of the courtyard, leaning casually against one of the carved pillars, stood Shen Liwei.

Unlike the others, he hadn't spoken. Hadn't intervened. Hadn't even looked surprised.

Instead, he watched her like a strategist watching a battlefield unfold.

He had expected her to win.

Ye Xian met his gaze, unreadable. A test. Had she passed?

Shen Liwei finally pushed off from the pillar and walked toward her. The crowd of disciples instinctively parted for him.

"You handled that well," he said, stopping just close enough that she could see the faint scar above his brow—barely noticeable, unless one was looking.

A scar that shouldn't exist on a man called untouchable.

"I only defended myself," Ye Xian replied smoothly. "Your disciples are quite… passionate."

"That they are." His voice was calm, but there was something pointed beneath it. "But don't mistake them for being careless. They know when someone is hiding something."

A warning. Or something more?

Ye Xian kept her expression neutral. If he was testing her, she wouldn't break first.

She placed a hand on her heart and lowered her gaze slightly. "Then I'll be sure to remain useful."

Something flickered in Shen Liwei's expression—approval? Amusement? A trap waiting to be sprung?

Before she could decipher it, he turned away, walking back toward the inner halls.

Ye Xian watched him go, her mind already shifting through the pieces of the puzzle.

Shen Liwei had let her in. That meant he was either confident enough that she posed no threat… or he was watching her just as carefully as she was watching him.

Either way, it didn't matter.

Because soon enough, she would find the truth behind his poison immunity.

And then, she would finish what she started.

End of Chapter 4