Chapter 11: The Silence of Stone

The stillness in the Soul Suppression Vault wasn't just about the lack of sound; it was a true presence. It felt dense, cold, and heavy, almost like the obsidian walls themselves were weighing down on Yao Jun. The detailed silver arrays carved into the dark stone throbbed with a continuous hum, resonating like a dull ache in his teeth, echoing with the suppression arrays that Master Kael had now anchored deep within him after his furious command. This place was no sanctuary; it felt more like a living tomb.

"...pathetic," Guiying's voice rasped in his mind, sounding weaker and strained against the vault's amplified suppression and the Void Flame's own desperate attempts to hold back. "Their fear traps what they can't understand. The Silence is sinking deeper, child. Can't you sense the Destroyer sharpening his claws? He knows your cage."

Yao Jun lay atop the cold stone slab that served as his bed, staring blankly at the unadorned ceiling. The chilling presence of the Void Flame was a constant awareness, mixing with the alien weight of Guiying's consciousness. He felt hollow, as if he'd been scraped clean by the backlash of power, the fear radiating from the crowd, and the resounding accusation: Void Scion.

Why protect her? That question circled in his mind like a vulture. Was it lingering warmth from the Glade? Guiying's predatory awareness of the Chaos blades? Or something deeper, a flicker of Master Wu Tian's indomitable spirit urging him to protect against overwhelming darkness? He didn't have the answer, just the icy knowledge that revealing the Flame had marked not only him but everyone close to him. Bao Siwen. Tang Huai. Mei Ling. Their faces flashed in his mind—the stunned confusion of Bao, Tang Huai's frayed calculations, Mei Ling's calm awareness… now forever tainted by their association. Qian'er… Her shocked, pale face, the melted frost-blossom… had he protected her just to bring doom?

Suddenly, the heavy obsidian door groaned open with a deep rumble, breaking the suffocating silence. Lantern light spilled into the chamber, revealing a figure in the doorway. Not a guard. Not Master Kael.

Liu Qian'er.

She slipped inside, and the vault's cold seemed to deepen around her. Clad in her usual Frost Moon Pavilion robes of crisp white and silver, she didn't exude fury or coldness. No, her expression was more closed off, impenetrable. Like a gorgeous but utterly unfathomable frozen lake under the moonlight. She wasn't carrying any weapons—just a simple, small ceramic jar radiating gentle warmth—a medicinal salve.

As the door ground shut behind her, they were plunged back into near darkness, lit only by the faint silver glow of the suppression arrays and the cool light that subtly emanated from Qian'er herself. The silence hung heavily, thick with accusations that went unspoken and memories of lost weapons.

"Why?" Her voice was low and controlled, slicing through the stillness like ice. No greeting. No small talk. Just that one loaded word.

Yao Jun pushed himself up on his elbows, wincing as his movement tugged at the fresh spiritual anchors embedded near his chest. The Void Flame stirred sluggishly inside him, reacting to her closeness. "Why what?" he croaked, his voice rough from disuse and the dry air of the vault. "Why stop them? Or why… that?" He waved a hand vaguely over his chest, the source of his unmasking.

"Both." She didn't step any closer. Instead, her sharp, analytical gaze flicked over him, noting his pallor, the dark bags under his eyes, and the faint tremors in his hands. "The assassins were touched by Chaos. Soulbite alloy. A crippling blow." She stated it coldly, without emotion. "You stopped them. Erased their weapons." A pause hung between them, the silence thickening. "You revealed… it."

"It has a name," Yao Jun retorted, a flicker of defiance igniting despite his weariness. "The Void Flame. And yes, I stopped them because they were going to hurt you." The words lingered in the air, simple yet terrifyingly honest.

Her expression didn't change. "You could have frozen them. Tripped them. Used your… influence… discreetly. Like how you did with the ring toss." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You chose annihilation. You chose spectacle. You chose the name they gave you: Void Scion." The title fell from her lips like an accusation.

Yao Jun flinched. Guiying stirred, a ripple of dark amusement. She has clarity, child. You wielded the hammer, not the scalpel. Fear is a weapon too, but it cuts both ways.

"I lost control," Yao Jun confessed, the admission tasting like ash in his mouth. "Seeing that blade… those people targeting you…" He looked away, unable to hold her intense gaze. "The Flame… it responded. I responded. Panic. Rage. Whatever it is… it's more than just power. It's… part of me. And sometimes…" He swallowed hard. "...sometimes it just takes over."

That admission hung heavily between them. The only sound was the low hum of the arrays and Yao Jun's own ragged breaths. Qian'er remained silent for what felt like forever, her expression still unreadable. Finally, slowly, she stepped forward and set the warm jar on the stone slab beside him.

"Elder Zhu sent this," she spoke, devoid of inflection. "For the backlash. It will help ease the spiritual wounds." She didn't make any move to touch him or offer to apply it. She simply stated what it was for.

"Why are you here, Qian'er?" Yao Jun asked, the question bursting forth. "To confirm I'm a monster? To gloat? To tell me I've doomed us all?" His words dripped with bitterness.

For the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed her face—not anger, but a deep weariness. "I'm here," she said, her voice dropping almost to a whisper, "because I felt it. When the darkness spread. When the blades… stopped." She met his eyes again, and this time, Yao Jun could see it—beneath her frosty facade was a flicker of the same world-shattering shock that had been on her face earlier. "I felt the Silence. The utter negation. It wasn't just destruction; it was… erasure. A hole in the world." She drew a breath, the cold air forming a faint mist before her lips. "And I felt… safe."

The word, so softly spoken, hit Yao Jun like a physical blow. Safe? After all the terror, after the unmasking? Guiying's consciousness rippled with surprise.

"Safe?" Yao Jun echoed, bewildered.

"In the eye of the void," she murmured, her gaze distant as she recalled that strange stillness when the blade vanished. "There was… peace. An end to the threat. Absolute." She focused back on him, her weariness deepening. "But that peace comes from annihilation, Yao Jun. It's the kind of peace you find in a grave. The Academy fears the Scion. I…" She hesitated, coming closer to showing uncertainty than ever before. "...I fear the Silence it brings. What else might it take away?"

Before Yao Jun could process her words, the vault door rumbled open again. Master Kael stood framed in the light, looking grim, flanked by two senior Disciplinary Enforcers radiating contained power. Elder Zhu hovered behind them, concern etched deep on his face.

"Disciple Liu," Master Kael's voice rumbled like grinding stone. "Your visit is over. We have… urgent matters to discuss with Disciple Yao." His flinty gaze locked onto Yao Jun. "The Council of Elders has gathered. Testimony has been given. Concerning the assassins… and your display."

Liu Qian'er didn't argue. She cast Yao Jun one last unreadable glance—a look that held echoes of that terrifying safety and the heavy question of the Silence—before she turned and glided past Master Kael without uttering a word, disappearing into the hallway.

Master Kael stepped fully into the vault, the Enforcers standing at attention beside him. Elder Zhu followed, his eyes lingering on the untouched jar of salve.

"The assassins were soulless constructs," Master Kael stated bluntly. "Flesh animated by concentrated Chaos energy. Untraceable. Denial is easy. Likely a probe from Zhao Wushen's forces." He paused, letting the weight of the Destroyer's name sink in. "Their target was Disciple Liu, undoubtedly to provoke a reaction. And they did that spectacularly."

He took a step closer, his presence radiating authority and cold fury. "Your power, Disciple Yao… this 'Void Flame'… it unmade Soulbite alloy. It erased constructs spawned from Chaos. It neutralized trained killers." He leaned in slightly. "The Council is… divided. Some see only the weapon you revealed—unstable, terrifying, Scion-born. They're calling for your permanent containment. Dissolution of your core." The threat hung in the air, cold and unyielding.

Elder Zhu cleared his throat gently but firmly interrupted, "Others," he said, "view it as a tool. The only observed tool that can completely negate Chaos energy. They see the potential to counter Zhao Wushen's corruption." He met Yao Jun's eyes. "But potential requires control. Absolute control. And trust."

Master Kael's jaw tightened. "Trust is earned, Elder Zhu. Not something given to a disciple who hosts an ancient tomb spirit and wields power that can unmake reality!" He glared at Yao Jun. "Guiying. The spirit within you. The Council demands its extraction. Right away. Before it whispers further poison or uses you as a conduit."

Yao Jun's heart dropped. Extraction? Ripping Guiying out? The Void Flame tightened around him defensively, radiating cold fury and… fear. They would destroy us both, child! Fools! I am your shield against the Destroyer's knowledge!

"Guiying is bound," Yao Jun managed to say, his voice strained. "Contained. He… knows things. About Zhao Wushen. About the Chaos."

"Knowledge from a being imprisoned for eons, probably for good reason?" Master Kael scoffed. "Its mere presence corrupts you, taints your power, just like it tainted the Soulmend Herb! Its extraction is non-negotiable. The procedure will start at dawn."

Panic gripped Yao Jun. Extraction meant violation. It could destroy the delicate balance keeping the Void Flame and Guiying under control. It might unleash the Silence that Qian'er feared on the vault itself. "No! You can't! It's not safe—"

"Safety is no longer your concern, Disciple Yao," Master Kael interrupted coldly. "Your concern is compliance. Prepare yourself." He turned to leave.

"Master Kael," Elder Zhu called out again, his voice carrying an odd note. "A moment, if you please? There's something about the… stability of the extraction arrays. Just a minor calibration." He gestured toward the door.

Master Kael frowned but nodded curtly to the Enforcers. "Keep an eye on him." He followed Elder Zhu out into the corridor, the vault door rumbling shut behind them, leaving Yao Jun alone with the two stoic guards.

As soon as the door sealed, the two Enforcers stood rigid, their eyes fixed forward, obediently fulfilling their orders to watch.

Yao Jun's heart raced in his chest. A distraction? Guiying's consciousness pressed close, radiating urgent cunning: The scholar plays a dangerous game, child. He buys time. But time for what?

Minutes crawled by, marked only by the hum of the arrays and Yao Jun's frantic thoughts. Dawn meant extraction. Being torn apart. Unleashed. The Void Flame churned, cold fire licking at his insides in response to his fear. What would the Master do?

Suddenly, a different sound broke the silence. Not from the door. A faint, rhythmic tapping.

Tap… tap-tap… tap…

It came from the far wall, near the corner, seemingly from within the obsidian itself. One of the Enforcers shifted, looking puzzled, glancing towards the noise.

Tap… tap-tap… tap…

Yao Jun stared. Was it the arrays? A flaw? Guiying's consciousness honed in: ...pattern… familiar…

Then, a section of the obsidian wall, no bigger than a serving platter, shimmered. Not faded, but shimmered like heat haze on stone. For a brief moment, it turned insubstantial, translucent. And pressed against it from the other side, distorted by the rippling stone, was a face.

Wide, unseeing eyes hidden behind a simple black cloth. A small, serene smile played on pale lips.

Mei Ling.

Just like that, the shimmer vanished. The wall was solid obsidian once again. The tapping stopped.

The Enforcers exchanged glances, shrugging it off as nothing more than an odd resonance in the suppression field.

But Yao Jun knew better. Hope, sharp and cold like the Void Flame itself, pierced through the smothering dread. Mei Ling had found him. She'd breached the Soul Suppression Vault, even if just for a moment. And she'd sent him a message.

Guiying's voice took on an urgent tone: ...the blind songstress walks paths unseen... she offers a thread... but dawn approaches, Void Scion. The knives are being sharpened. Will you wait for the cut… or grasp the Silence?

The humming arrays felt louder now. The obsidian walls seemed to close in. Dawn was approaching. With it came either dissection or a desperate, terrifying leap into the unknown, guided by a blind girl who could hear the hidden songs of the world. The choice, as chilling as the vault itself, now rested on Yao Jun's shoulders. The Silence wasn't just a power; it was a path. And he stood right at its edge.