Xingtian guided Lian Yue into the quiet inn, the door closing behind them with a soft thud. He settled her into a chair near the hearth. Her sleeve was torn, revealing a gash still oozing from the earlier battle. He had wrapped it hastily during the journey, but it clearly needed proper care.
"Sit still," he said, his voice firm but low, almost gentle.
Lian Yue didn't respond right away. Her mind was tangled—replaying the clash in the temple, the way shadows recoiled from him, the silent fear they showed. How could someone they called a wanderer strike such dread?
He noticed her faraway look. "Lady Lian, if you keep zoning out," he said, dipping the cloth into warm water, "this will hurt more than it needs to."
She blinked back to reality, startled. "There's no need to trouble yourself, Mr. Xing. I can handle it—"
He caught her wrist mid-motion. The grip was gentle, yet unyielding. "It's no trouble."
Still, her pride flared. "I'm serious." She tried to pull away, her other hand brushing instinctively toward her sword hilt. A warning, not an attack—yet still a spark.
He sighed. With fluid ease, he blocked her movement. In the space of a breath, they exchanged several sharp, silent moves. Then, before she could twist away again, he sealed her acupoint with two swift fingers.
"Even injured," he said, a flicker of a smile playing on his lips, "Lady Lian still has energy to fight."
She couldn't move—and hated it. Her glare could've scorched firewood. But he ignored it, calmly dabbing ointment on her wound as if she weren't mentally throwing knives at him.
"You're still claiming to be a simple wanderer?" she asked after a moment, voice clipped, breaking the silence like a blade unsheathed.
Xingtian smirked, not meeting her gaze. "I never lied. My sect's so obscure, even the wind forgets its name."
She narrowed her eyes, suspicious—but chose not to push further. "If Mister Xing wishes to keep his secrets, I won't press. For now."
When he finished, he unsealed her acupoint and stepped back. "Rest. We leave for Eternal Lotus Sect at dawn." With that, he turned and vanished into his room.
---
The next morning...
Their journey took them through mist-kissed hills, where a quiet monastery sat hidden among pines. The air smelled of old incense and dew. Over tea, in a shaded courtyard, Xingtian suddenly broke the silence.
"Ah Lian," he said.
She nearly choked on her tea. "Ah… Lian?" she echoed, staring at him.
He leaned back lazily, a small smirk dancing on his lips. "We've been through enough together. Are we not even friends?"
Her cheeks flushed, caught between embarrassment and disbelief. "Mr. Xing is right… It's just—"
"Just what?" he asked, cutting in. "Does Ah Lian speak so formally to her friends and family too?"
She opened her mouth, then closed it. "No. I…"
He chuckled—soft, real. Not mocking. "I'm joking," he said.
She scowled, covering her embarrassment behind her teacup. "The match at Yinghui Peak—it's in three days, right?"
He nodded, his smile fading into something more serious. "Yes. Let's meet after it ends. What do you think?"
"…Perhaps," she replied, wary, but not refusing.
Back at Eternal Lotus Sect…
A day later, Lian Yue returned to her sect, exhausted from the journey. She went straight to her elder brother, Lian Yu, the sect leader. In quiet tones, she reported everything—the Skinner demon, the temple, the deaths, and mount Qingya.
Lian Yu listened in silence, his eyes dark and unreadable. When she finished, he asked, "Where's the jade lotus tassel I gave you?"
She looked down, startled. It was missing. "It must have fallen during the journey," she said quietly.
He waved it off. "No need to apologize. It's just a tassel. I'll give you another."
She hesitated, then asked, "Brother… are you really going to fight that demon tomorrow?"
"Yes," he replied, firm. "There's no need for you to worry."
Meanwhile, in the Demon Realm…
Deep within the obsidian halls of his palace, Xingmu—the true name of the man they called Xingtian—sat upon his black throne, legs crossed, one hand twirling a white lotus-shaped tassel. His crimson eyes glinted with thoughts unreadable.
Before him, rows of demons knelt low, their heads to the floor.
Li Xi, the Shadow Guard known to outsiders as Zhao Xi, stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty."
"Speak," Xingmu commanded, still watching the tassel turn in his fingers.
"All those demons who dared to use your name to commit crimes have been found."
"Kill them all," he said coldly.
Li Xi hesitated. "Your Majesty… are you truly going to fight that sect leader tomorrow? Shall I go in your place? They don't deserve your time."
Xingmu finally looked up, a dangerous smirk curling on his lips. "No. Righteous clans… they need to be reminded why they fear the dark."