Chapter 11: Temple of Withered Echoes
Night Journey to Forgotten Stone
Three nights after the Mirror Blade's ambush, Lin Feng and Liang Yue traveled beneath a sky veiled by cloud and moonlight. The roads were silent, save for the distant hum of spirit crickets and the rare rustle of wings in the trees.
The Temple of Withered Echoes lay deep in the western cliffs of the Cloudmist Basin—an abandoned monastery said to whisper back the last words of those who died nearby.
"Are we really going to trust a group known for blackmailing empires with secrets?" Lin Feng asked, eyeing the broken path ahead.
"They don't lie," Liang Yue replied. "But they never give you truth for free."
"Comforting."
She gave him a faint smile. "You're lucky you're cute with a saber."
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A Voice from the Past
The temple rose from the cliffs like an ancient skeleton—cracked walls, headless statues, windblown ash carpeting the floor. At the center stood a pavilion of black wood, its roof half-collapsed, doors ajar.
Inside, the air was colder.
The moment Lin Feng stepped over the threshold, a ghostly whisper filled the room:
> "You were never meant to carry the Jade Saber…"
He froze.
The voice was unmistakable—his grandfather's.
But the elder had died when Lin Feng was only ten.
He stepped forward slowly, every bone in his body taut.
Liang Yue moved with caution beside him. "This is it. Echo Qi. The temple captures dying thoughts."
Carved along the back wall in fading gold was a message etched by blade:
> "The traitor wore silver robes and a crimson chain."
Liang Yue paled. "That's a Snow Lotus emblem."
"No," Lin Feng whispered. "That's... someone from the Twin Sects of Moonshade."
She turned sharply. "They were allied with my clan during the Fall of the Lineage…"
A shadow moved in the rafters above.
Then dropped.
---
The Foxblood Archivist
A woman landed silently in front of them—draped in gray robes embroidered with nine small tails curling into a spiral. Her eyes were black, reflective, like ink left too long in a bowl.
She bowed.
"You came. Good. The wind grows impatient."
Lin Feng stepped forward. "You sent the letter?"
She nodded. "We have watched you since you took the saber. Since you bled in the temple. You awakened more than just a weapon."
"What do you want?"
"Nothing… yet. But I bring you something."
She pulled a scroll from her sleeve—sealed with a red-gold wax bearing the crest of the Hidden Lineage.
Liang Yue's breath caught. "That seal was lost."
The woman continued: "This scroll was smuggled out the night the Lineage fell. It belonged to your grandfather."
Lin Feng's hands trembled as he took it.
The seal broke open… and inside was a letter:
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The Grandfather's Letter
> Feng'er, if you're reading this… I have failed you.
The sect has been betrayed—from within. A silver-robed envoy from the Twin Sects arrived in peace… but poisoned our inner wellspring.
I fear the Jade Saber will fall into enemy hands. That is why I sealed it with a sliver of my soul—to choose its bearer.
You must find the final scroll. It was taken by the traitor—hidden somewhere in the Temple of Ten Shadows.
But be warned. You will be hunted not just by men… but by mirrors.
Trust only the blade. And maybe, if she still breathes… the girl from the Snow.
Lin Feng's throat clenched. He looked at Liang Yue, who silently reached for his hand.
---
What Was Lost, Now Found
The Archivist spoke again. "Your grandfather's name was not merely spoken—it is still feared. He nearly unraveled the Red Hand himself. His blood is the key to awakening the saber's full path."
Lin Feng opened his palm. "Then take what you need."
The woman drew a blade made of bone, sliced his palm gently, and caught a single drop of blood.
A circle of light spread around the pavilion.
The jade saber began to glow—brighter, hotter—until ancient symbols bloomed along the blade.
Liang Yue gasped. "It's… evolving."
And with that, a new inscription formed on the blade's spine:
> Ashen Sovereignty – Phase One Unlocked.
The Archivist bowed once more.
"Now, young master of the Lineage, the storm will chase you harder. The Mirror Blade was only the first. Others will come. Some… wearing faces you once trusted."
She vanished into the fog, leaving only silence behind.
---
A Letter for Liang Yue
As they turned to leave, Liang Yue noticed a second letter—tucked into the altar's crack. Her name was written in delicate ink: Liang Yue of Snow Lotus.
She opened it with careful hands.
> You have until the Solstice to return to the Snow Lotus Pavilion.
Come alone. Bring the boy if you must—but your presence is required.
Should you refuse, your brother's life will be the price.
– Elder Shenxiu
Liang Yue's fingers clenched.
Lin Feng stepped beside her. "What is it?"
"They have my brother. I thought he was dead. I have to go."
"I'm coming with you."
"I don't know if I want you near them. They'll turn your own mind against you."
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'd rather lose my mind beside you… than lose you again."
She said nothing. But her hand found his.
---
The Road Ahead
As dawn broke, the temple vanished behind them like a mirage.
The saber pulsed softly at Lin Feng's side, whispering of war, truth, and vengeance.
Ahead, the Solstice approached.
And with it—the gates of the Snow Lotus Clan, and the first real confrontation between love and legacy.
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End of Chapter 11