In the stillness, only the faint sound of their breathing could be heard. Moments later, Mu Xingyue sat at the edge of the bed, her gaze on Bai Tian, unreadable.
"Why do you look like someone who's given up?" she asked softly, her eyes sharp and piercing.
Bai Tian stared up at the ceiling, trying to steady his thoughts. "I haven't given up. I'm just… tired of arguing about something I can't change."
Mu Xingyue frowned, then rose and stepped closer. "You always seem calm in front of others, but I know there's something you're hiding."
He turned his face away, frustration swirling in his chest. "Maybe I'm just no one. An adopted son unworthy of you."
"Don't say that!" Xingyue cut in sharply, though there was a trace of vulnerability in her eyes. "I know many look down on you. But I also know there's something different about you—something that makes you strong, even if you're not aware of it."
Bai Tian slowly sat up, meeting her gaze. "What is it you see in me, Xingyue? All I have are shadows and broken memories. Sometimes even I don't know who I really am."
"And that's what I want to help you find," she said, her voice soft but certain. "We're bound not just by the promise between our families. I see something intriguing in you. Find your flaws… and mend them."
A faint, irritated smile tugged at Bai Tian's lips. "Hmm… do you think I'm a child you can coax with candy?"
Xingyue stepped closer, her hand brushing his cheek gently. Her eyes searched his, as if trying to pierce through the walls he had built inside.
"We'll face this together," she murmured, "but you have to be willing to open your heart and mind. Hmm… it would be truly naïve to think things will go smoothly without—"
She suddenly stopped, her tone turning cold and firm.
"Leave. Go rest somewhere else."
With graceful poise, she turned away and walked toward her bed, leaving Bai Tian standing alone in the heavy silence of the room.
The stillness pressed against his chest like an invisible weight. His heartbeat pounded loudly, the only sound between them. After a moment, he turned and stepped out of the room, carrying with him a jumble of confusion and unspoken emotions.
In the quiet corridor, Bai Tian took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside him. He knew the path ahead would not be easy. His eyes scanned his surroundings, searching for something—or perhaps just an excuse to keep moving forward. Then he realized there was one thing he had forgotten to ask: where exactly he was supposed to rest.
Hesitantly, he turned back toward the bridal chamber. But before he could knock, he stopped. His eyes caught sight of a great tree in the courtyard, standing tall beneath the dim light of night. Without thinking, he walked toward it and leaned against the trunk. Weariness washed over him, and his eyes slowly closed.
Bai Tian fell asleep under the tree's shelter.
Not long after, a young woman appeared, spotting him slumbering there. She paused in the distance, her expression unreadable. Under her breath, she murmured, "Must I really go through with this…?"
Though doubt filled her heart, her steps carried her closer. Gently, she draped a thin blanket over him. The fabric was of a special weave—it would vanish the moment its owner awoke or when the first light of dawn touched the earth.
Time passed.
As dawn approached, Bai Tian awoke. The morning air felt crisp, and for some reason, it seemed as if he had slept in the most comfortable place he had ever known. Without dwelling on it, he rose and returned to the bridal chamber.
Just as he was about to knock, the door opened from within. Slightly startled, he froze for a moment… then stepped inside.
The dim glow of a lantern in the corner cast soft shadows, outlining Mu Xingyue's figure as she stood with her back to him. The red wedding gown she had worn the previous night now hung loosely on her, as if she no longer cared for perfection in her appearance.
Silence thickened the air between them.
Without turning, Xingyue spoke, her voice too calm—calm in a way that felt dangerous.
"You disappeared all night… where did you sleep?"
Bai Tian hesitated before answering. "Outside. Under the tree."
Slowly, she turned. Her gaze was sharp, as if cutting through the layers of his thoughts. "Outside? In the cold of night? Didn't I tell you to rest in another room?" Her lips curved slightly—not in a warm smile, but in a question that demanded explanation.
Only then did he realize—she had never told him which room she meant. Inwardly, he thought, Why didn't she ask?
He took a deep breath. As if understanding the unspoken question in her eyes, he replied softly, "I didn't want to disturb you. Besides… I wasn't invited in."
Silence fell again, heavier this time. Xingyue stepped forward, closing the space between them until only a few paces remained.
Bai Tian lowered his gaze, unable to hold her stare. There was something he wanted to say—something long buried in his heart. But before the words could escape, she turned away once more, hiding her face from him.
"Get ready," she said curtly. "We'll be leaving soon. Time will not wait for us."
He looked at her slender back, and for the first time he understood—this journey would demand not just a strong body, but a heart unshaken by fear. Without another word, he left to prepare.
When his footsteps faded, Mu Xingyue glanced over her shoulder. A faint smile touched her lips—a smile no one could define. Was it joy, gratitude… or sorrow? No one could tell.
—
The day before the initiation of new disciples into the Rainbow Cloud Sect, a dimly lit room carried a tense atmosphere. The scent of ink and aged wood filled the air, blending with a silence broken only by the occasional scratch of a pen.
Behind a grand carved desk sat a dignified woman, her eyes on the documents before her, though her mind clearly wandered elsewhere. Beside her stood an elderly woman—whether loyal attendant or personal guard was unclear—her gaze sharp but respectful.
"Is all this… worth it?" the older woman asked in a flat voice, though a trace of doubt could not be hidden.
"Yes," the leader replied shortly. Her tone held layers of emotion—too complex to read, too deep to guess.
She set down her pen and glanced out the window, as if seeing something only she understood. "Tonight… proceed as planned."
Meanwhile, in every city within the Rainbow Cloud Sect's domain, streets bustled with preparations for the entrance trials. Colorful banners fluttered, merchants hawked their goods, and aspiring disciples arrived with eager faces. Yet everyone knew—this event was more than a simple matter of passing or failing. There was something deeper… something only a few truly understood.
And in the midst of the festivities, shadows moved among the crowds. In quiet corners, plain-clothed figures watched, noting who arrived and who spoke with whom. They did not stand out, but their eyes were sharp, as if assessing not just martial skill… but the very hearts and intentions of each candidate.
In an old inn at the city's edge, several cloaked figures sat around a round table. The oil lamp's flame flickered, casting strange shapes on the walls like phantoms from another world.
"Hmm," one of them murmured in a low, steady voice. "Continue as instructed."
Silence followed. Only the night wind whispered through the window cracks, carrying the scent of rain yet to fall.
Outside, under the deep violet sky of approaching night, temple bells rang. The sound seemed to proclaim that the entrance trial was not merely a test—it was a gateway to something far greater, and perhaps far more dangerous, than anyone imagined.