The Name That Should Not Be Spoken

Chapter 14: The Name That Should Not Be Spoken

The air was still.

Ye Xian studied Lan Yue, watching the way her fingers curled into the fabric of her sleeve. Tense, but not desperate. Afraid, but not weak.

She had spoken Zhao Fengyun's name like it was a curse.

Like it was something she had been holding in for years.

Ye Xian should have walked away.

This wasn't her problem.

She wasn't here for Lan Yue. She wasn't here for justice.

She was here to kill Shen Liwei.

And yet—

Ye Xian took a slow step forward, lowering her voice.

"Start from the beginning."

---

A Death That Wasn't an Accident

Lan Yue exhaled shakily. The storm inside her was barely contained.

She turned her gaze away, looking toward the distant lanterns of the sect halls. When she spoke, her voice was steady—but hollow.

"My sister… didn't die the way they said she did."

Ye Xian remained silent.

"They told us she was killed by assassins," Lan Yue continued. "That it was the cost of being close to Shen Liwei."

Her fingers tightened.

"But there was no proof. No real answers. Just whispers. Just… a name."

She hesitated.

Then—she finally said it.

"Zhao Fengyun."

The name hung in the air, sharp as a dagger.

Ye Xian felt something cold settle in her chest.

Lan Huai.

Shen Liwei's first love. The woman who had shaped his grief, his coldness, his need to shut the world out.

If Zhao Fengyun was truly responsible—if Shen Liwei ever found out—

Jianghu itself would burn.

---

The Knife Hidden Behind Beauty

Ye Xian tilted her head slightly. "And you've kept this secret for years?"

Lan Yue's hands trembled slightly. "What could I do? I wasn't strong. I wasn't trained. And Zhao Fengyun—"

She stopped. Swallowed hard.

"He's untouchable."

Ye Xian let the words settle.

She could feel the weight in them. The helplessness beneath the hatred.

Chapter 14: The Name That Should Not Be Spoken (Part 2)

Lan Yue's shoulders were tense, her small frame stiff as she forced the words out. She had been carrying this truth for years—but saying it aloud made it real.

Ye Xian remained still. Listening. Calculating. Measuring the weight of this moment.

Zhao Fengyun—the Smiling Demon.

If Lan Yue was telling the truth, then the man who had just offered Ye Xian a deal was the same man responsible for Lan Huai's death.

And yet… something didn't fit.

Zhao Fengyun was many things. A strategist. A manipulator. A man who played with chaos like an artist with ink.

But a reckless murderer?

No.

If Zhao Fengyun had killed Lan Huai, it hadn't been personal.

It had been part of something bigger.

And Ye Xian needed to know why.

---

A Dangerous Proposition

"You want my help," Ye Xian murmured. "To do what, exactly?"

Lan Yue's fingers curled into fists.

"I want him dead."

Ye Xian studied her carefully.

Lan Yue was soft-spoken, delicate—the kind of woman who had been raised to be protected, not to seek blood.

And yet, her eyes—dark, unwavering—were not those of someone asking for a favor.

They were the eyes of a woman who had already decided.

"I can't kill him on my own," Lan Yue admitted, voice quieter now. "But you…"

A beat of silence.

"You're not just a physician, are you?"

Ye Xian exhaled through her nose.

The first crack.

Lan Yue wasn't stupid. She had seen things—small things, details most would overlook.

How Ye Xian had moved in the duel. The way she had caught her in the chase. The way she had spoken to Zhao Fengyun like an equal, not a subordinate.

She knew Ye Xian wasn't what she claimed to be.

But she didn't know how deep the truth ran.

That was good. That meant she could still control this.

Ye Xian took a slow step forward, lowering her voice.

"And if I say no?"

Lan Yue flinched.

Then—she straightened.

"Then I'll find another way."

There it was again.

That steel hidden beneath silk.

Ye Xian's lips curled slightly. "Brave."

Lan Yue swallowed. "Is that a yes?"

Ye Xian exhaled.

She should have walked away.

This wasn't her mission. This wasn't her fight.

But if Zhao Fengyun had killed Lan Huai, then that meant one thing—he had secrets that could destroy him.

And Ye Xian was always willing to collect useful secrets.

So she tilted her head slightly, voice smooth.

"I'll think about it."

Lan Yue's breath hitched, but she nodded.

She knew better than to press.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Ye Xian said nothing.

Because this wasn't gratitude.

This was a transaction.

And one of them was going to regret it.

---

The Sect Leader's Warning

By the time Ye Xian returned to the physician's quarters, the night was silent again.

But she wasn't alone.

A presence stood at the far end of the corridor.

Still. Watchful. Waiting.

Ye Xian didn't have to turn to know who it was.

"Physician Xie."

Shen Liwei.

His voice was calm, but the weight behind it was anything but.

Ye Xian stopped, her expression smoothing into polite neutrality.

"Sect Leader," she greeted, placing a hand over her heart in measured respect.

A pause.

Then, Shen Liwei took a slow step forward.

"You've been busy tonight."

The words were simple. But the meaning beneath them was not.

Ye Xian's mind moved quickly.

What had he seen? The meeting with Zhao Fengyun? The chase with Lan Yue?

Or worse—had he seen both?

She lowered her gaze slightly, keeping her voice steady.

"I find it difficult to sleep when the sect is in such turmoil."

A small, sharp glint flickered in Shen Liwei's eyes.

"You seem deeply invested in the sect's troubles," he murmured.

Another test.

Ye Xian met his gaze, her lips curling slightly.

"Would you rather I remain indifferent?"

A beat of silence.

Then—something unexpected.

A chuckle.

Soft, quiet. But real.

Shen Liwei tilted his head slightly, studying her.

"You ask dangerous questions, Physician Xie."

Ye Xian smiled. "Only because I expect interesting answers."

Another pause.

Then—Shen Liwei's expression cooled again.

"Be careful," he said finally. "There are things happening in this sect that even I don't fully understand."

Ye Xian exhaled softly.

A warning. One she didn't need.

She lowered her gaze slightly. "Then I'll be sure to tread carefully."

Shen Liwei held her gaze for a moment longer.

Then, with a slow, deliberate step—he turned and walked away.

Ye Xian didn't move until the echoes of his footsteps faded completely.

Then, she let out a slow breath.

He knew something.

He didn't know what, exactly. But he knew enough to be watching her.

And now—she was watching him too.

Because the deeper she looked into this sect, the more she realized one thing.

Shen Liwei wasn't just a target.

He was a piece in a much bigger game.

And Ye Xian wasn't the only one who wanted to control him.

---

End of Chapter 14