Shadows In The Sect
Kaito sat in his quarters, turning the black lotus pendant between his fingers.
It was light. Almost weightless. Yet, in the world of Murim, it carried more weight than any weapon.
The Black Lotus didn't approach just anyone. They didn't recruit. They didn't train disciples like sects did.
They chose.
And those they chose were either shaped into something useful—or erased.
Kaito smirked. This was interesting.
The logical choice was to stay away. To throw the pendant into the fire and forget this ever happened.
But he wasn't a man of logic.
He was a man of survival.
And survival meant power.
More than the sect could give him. More than martial arts alone could offer.
He needed influence in the shadows, just as much as he needed strength in the light.
And the Black Lotus?
They were the perfect stepping stone.
The question was—how deep did he want to step into the abyss?
---
A Sect in Turmoil
The next morning, the sect was buzzing with whispers.
The outer disciples murmured among themselves, some pale-faced, others excited. The inner disciples looked tense, exchanging quiet glances. Even the sect elders, usually calm and dignified, carried a weight in their expressions.
Something had happened.
Kaito stopped an outer disciple, a nervous-looking boy with sweat beading his forehead.
"What's going on?" he asked.
The boy looked around before leaning in. His voice was hushed. "Didn't you hear? An inner sect elder was murdered last night!"
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Murdered?"
The disciple nodded furiously. "Elder Hwang! They found his body hanging in the northern pagoda, his throat cut wide open!"
The northern pagoda?
Kaito glanced towards the distant silhouette of the old, abandoned structure. It wasn't a place people visited often.
Which meant…
Whoever did it wanted the body to be found, but not immediately.
"Do they know who did it?" Kaito asked.
"No idea," the disciple whispered. "No one heard a thing. No sign of a struggle, no Qi disturbances. Just… dead."
Kaito stayed silent.
No Qi disturbances?
This wasn't a normal assassination.
Whoever killed Elder Hwang wasn't some reckless rogue cultivator. This was a professional.
And that left only one answer.
The Black Lotus.
---
A Silent Invitation
Kaito returned to his room later that evening, his mind sharper than ever.
The Black Lotus wasn't just testing him. They were already at work.
An inner sect elder assassinated without a trace? That meant one of two things—either the Black Lotus was eliminating threats within the sect… or they were making space for someone new.
Someone like him.
The thought sent a thrill through him.
If they had infiltrated the sect to this extent, it meant there were already insiders. Powerful ones.
Which meant…
Kaito wasn't alone in the shadows.
He pushed open the door to his quarters, half-expecting another message.
And he wasn't disappointed.
Lying on his desk was something new.
A second black lotus pendant.
Placed right next to the first one.
Kaito stared at it, his fingers brushing over the smooth surface.
This was no longer a test.
This was a silent invitation.
> You are already part of this. The only question is—what will you do next?
A dangerous thrill ran through his veins.
He could ignore this.
He could pretend none of this was happening, continue climbing the ranks of the sect like a normal disciple.
But where would that leave him?
As a mere martial artist? Bound by rules? Controlled by the sect's authority?
No.
That wasn't who he was.
He wasn't a warrior. He was a killer.
And killers did not hesitate.
Kaito picked up the second pendant, his smirk widening.
He had his answer.
Let's play.