The Blade in the Dark

Chapter 9: The Blade in the Dark

The wind carried the scent of rain as Ye Xian slipped through the bamboo forest at the edge of the Azure Wind Sect. The storm hadn't arrived yet, but the air was thick with the promise of it.

A storm in the sky.

A storm in Jianghu.

And she was standing at the center of both.

Mu Rongyin was waiting.

She leaned against a tree, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. The moonlight filtered through the swaying bamboo, casting shifting shadows over her scarred jaw.

"You're late," Mu Rongyin murmured.

Ye Xian approached with slow, measured steps. "You're lucky I came at all."

Mu Rongyin smirked. "No. You were always going to come. Because you need answers."

Ye Xian didn't respond.

Because Mu Rongyin was right.

She needed to know who had truly sent the assassin.

A Contract Written in Blood

Ye Xian stood a few steps away, keeping a careful distance. Not that it would matter. Mu Rongyin could kill her in the time it took for a candle to flicker.

She'd seen her do it before.

"I'll ask only once," Ye Xian said. "Who hired you?"

Mu Rongyin tilted her head. "You already know it wasn't the Hidden Order."

That much was obvious. The Hidden Order never used assassins outside their own network. If they had wanted Shen Liwei dead, they would have sent Ye Xian alone.

That meant…

"The Imperial Court?" she guessed.

Mu Rongyin let out a short laugh. "No. If the Emperor wanted him dead, he'd send an army, not one blade in the dark."

Ye Xian narrowed her eyes. "Then who?"

Mu Rongyin's smirk faded.

She took a slow step forward, her voice quieter this time.

"You're not the only one trying to kill Shen Liwei," she murmured. "And you're not the only one being watched."

Something cold twisted in Ye Xian's stomach.

Mu Rongyin exhaled, glancing up at the swaying bamboo. "The one who hired me said something interesting."

Ye Xian waited.

"They said Shen Liwei was never meant to exist."

Ye Xian stilled.

That… was not a normal reason to kill someone.

A bounty for power, revenge, or money—those were common. But this? It sounded like something else entirely.

Mu Rongyin's gaze flicked back to her. "I'll give you one more piece of information for free, Ye Xian."

A pause.

Then—

"Whoever sent me… also knows about you."

For the first time that night, Ye Xian's pulse sharpened.

She was being hunted, too.

The Sect Leader's Next Move

By the time Ye Xian returned to the inner halls, the rain had begun to fall.

She didn't rush. She didn't show any sign that her world had just shifted. She moved like a woman with nothing to hide.

Except she was hiding everything.

She made it five steps past the training grounds before she felt it—

A presence.

She turned—

And met Shen Liwei's gaze.

He was waiting for her.

Standing beneath the lantern light, his arms crossed, his expression calm but unreadable.

"You walk alone often," he said.

Ye Xian kept her posture relaxed. "I find the night peaceful."

Shen Liwei stepped forward. Not a threat—but close.

"The sect is under threat," he continued. "An assassin was here last night. I find it… curious that you aren't more concerned."

Ye Xian smiled faintly. "Perhaps I trust my instincts."

Shen Liwei studied her, his expression giving nothing away.

"A physician who moves like a trained fighter," he murmured. "You must have had an interesting teacher."

Ye Xian exhaled softly. "And a sect leader who watches his disciples as if they are enemies must have had an interesting past."

For the first time since she had entered this sect, Ye Xian felt something shift.

This was no longer a game of watching.

This was a game of moves.

And Shen Liwei had just made his first.

The Test That Cannot Be Avoided

"You're good with words," Shen Liwei said. "Let's see how good you are with your hands."

Ye Xian frowned. "What do you mean?"

He turned slightly, gesturing toward the inner training grounds behind him.

The realization hit her like a blade unsheathing.

A duel.

A test of skill. A test of truth.

Ye Xian knew what this meant.

Shen Liwei was done waiting. He was done subtly testing her with words.

Now, he wanted to see her hands move.

A trap. A challenge.

And one she couldn't avoid.

Ye Xian's fingers twitched slightly. If she fought too well, he would suspect her further. If she lost too easily, he would see the deception.

He was forcing her to reveal herself.

For the first time in a long time, Ye Xian felt something dangerously close to excitement.

She placed a hand on her heart, lowering her gaze slightly in acknowledgment.

"If that is what the sect leader wishes," she murmured, "then I will answer."

Shen Liwei's eyes gleamed.

"Good," he said. "Then let's begin."

End of Chapter 9