The hidden witness

Chapter 13: The Hidden Witness

The rain had stopped, but the cold lingered.

Ye Xian left the Lotus Pavilion without looking back.

Zhao Fengyun had given her nothing concrete—only a promise of a deal, a glimpse of knowledge he shouldn't have had.

But she had given him nothing either.

And that was the real victory.

She was about to turn toward the physician's quarters when a flicker of movement caught her eye.

Subtle. Quick. But not quick enough.

Someone was watching her.

Her fingers curled slightly.

The watcher from before. The one who had seen her meet Zhao Fengyun.

And if they had been following her this long—they weren't just curious.

They were a threat.

---

The Chase in the Mist

Ye Xian didn't break stride.

She kept her posture relaxed, her pace unhurried, as if she had noticed nothing at all.

But her ears were sharp. Her steps deliberate.

Each turn she took, each corridor she passed—she was listening.

And then—

A slight shift in the air. A breath of movement too soft for an ordinary disciple.

Ye Xian moved.

A sharp twist—her body pivoting faster than a healer should ever move.

Her hand shot out—grabbing at the wrist of the shadow hiding behind the corner.

A gasp.

A struggle.

For a second, she had them—slim fingers beneath her grip, a sharp inhale of panic.

Then—a counter.

The figure twisted, breaking free with a speed that was almost unnatural, slipping through the narrow alleyway between the halls.

They were running.

Ye Xian didn't hesitate.

She followed.

---

The Unmasking

The chase led her past the lantern-lit corridors, past the silent training grounds, past the bridge where the rain still dripped from the eaves.

The figure was fast.

But Ye Xian had spent her life chasing ghosts through the night.

She was faster.

She cut through a side path—moving before the runner could change direction.

Then—a single step forward. A shift of weight.

She caught them.

One sharp movement—grabbing the back of their collar, pulling them to a stop.

A startled cry. A struggle.

Ye Xian turned them—forcing them into the light.

And then—she froze.

Because the face staring back at her wasn't an assassin.

Wasn't a spy.

It was a girl.

Wide dark eyes, framed by damp lashes. A delicate jawline, pale skin still flushed from the chase.

Someone too young to be playing this game.

Someone who had no place in the shadows.

Lan Yue.

---

A Blade Hidden in Softness

Ye Xian didn't let go immediately.

Because this—this didn't make sense.

Lan Yue was the younger sister of Lan Huai, the woman Shen Liwei had once loved.

She was meant to be harmless.

A gentle, well-mannered woman. Raised to be virtuous, kind, loyal.

Not someone who ran through the night, not someone who followed secret meetings, not someone who should have been here.

And yet—her hands trembled, her breath unsteady, but her gaze never wavered.

She was afraid.

But she wasn't weak.

Ye Xian narrowed her eyes. "You've been following me."

Lan Yue swallowed hard. But didn't deny it.

A mistake.

Or a confession.

Ye Xian let go, stepping back slightly. Giving her space.

Lan Yue hesitated. Then, quietly—

"I had to."

---

Secrets That Shouldn't Exist

The words were soft. But heavy.

Ye Xian tilted her head slightly. "Why?"

Lan Yue exhaled, wrapping her arms around herself as if bracing against an unseen wind.

"You…" She swallowed. "You were speaking to Zhao Fengyun."

Ye Xian's pulse didn't change. "And?"

Lan Yue met her gaze, and for the first time—Ye Xian saw something deeper in those eyes.

Something that wasn't just fear.

It was knowing.

"I know what he is," Lan Yue whispered. "And I know… what he did to my sister."

The world sharpened.

Ye Xian stilled.

Because that—that was not something she had expected.

Lan Huai had died years ago. A murder lost in Jianghu's endless bloodshed.

But now—Lan Yue was saying Zhao Fengyun had been involved?

Why?

And more importantly—why had she kept this secret for so long?

---

The Storm That Was Coming

Lan Yue's hands clenched at the edges of her robe. Small, pale fingers—but steady.

"You don't understand," she said. "Zhao Fengyun is dangerous. He—"

She broke off, biting her lip. As if she had already said too much.

Ye Xian watched her. Calculated. Weighed the truth against the lie.

Then, softly—

"What do you want from me?"

Lan Yue's breath hitched.

Then—she stepped forward.

"I need your help," she whispered. "To stop him."

A pause.

A choice.

And Ye Xian knew, in that moment, that her mission had just changed.

She had come here to kill Shen Liwei.

But now, someone else might have to die first.

---

End of Chapter 13