By dawn, the Outer Court was alive with murmurs. Lin Xuan's name had slipped from rumor into rhythm, whispered in dormitories, sparring grounds, and mess halls.
"The cripple… turned back a Core talisman.""He commanded even Zhao Kun in battle.""No, you fool, he broke an Alpha beast. Alone."
Each version grew sharper, none diminished.
Lin Xuan ignored them. He sat cross-legged in his quarters, spear across his knees, breath flowing slow. The System hummed faintly.
[System Notice: Reputation rising. Hidden Quest chain updated: "Gather allies who trust without fear."]
His lips quirked faintly. So even the System presses me toward bonds.
A knock broke his meditation. The timid girl stepped inside, her chipped blade hanging at her side, eyes lowered. The lanky boy trailed behind her, hands twisting nervously.
They knelt.
"Senior Brother Lin," she whispered. "We would have died without you. My life… my sword… they're yours to command."
The boy stammered, "M-me too. I—I'll train harder. If you tell me to strike, I'll strike."
Wu Ming barged in right after, mouth full of buns. He smacked his chest with his free hand. "As if that needed saying! I already pledged myself. If Senior Brother tells me to hurl myself at an elephant demon, I'll only ask how much rope to tie around me first!"
Lin Xuan's gaze swept the three. They were trembling, unsure, still bound by fear—but their eyes held determination.
He inclined his head. "I need nothing but effort. If you can stand when the wind pushes, you are already useful."
Their faces lit, relief and pride mixing like dawn breaking through fog.
The circle had begun.
Later that evening, as Lin Xuan walked the lantern-lit path toward the training yard, a voice carried on the cool night breeze.
"You walk as though every gaze is a blade, Lin Xuan."
He turned. A figure stepped from the shadow of a plum tree. Yue Shuang — white robes trailing like moonlight, her face serene, her eyes deep pools that caught and reflected more than they gave.
Lin Xuan bowed lightly. "Core Sister."
Her lips curved, faint as a crescent moon. "So calm, even when storms howl. Tell me—do you ever fear?"
Lin Xuan's gaze was steady. "Fear is the first thing I feel. But I do not stop at it."
She studied him for a long moment, as though measuring the truth beneath the words. A breeze stirred her sleeves. "Interesting. Most would boast. You strip the boast bare."
Her eyes flickered toward his spear. "Perhaps we will meet again, beyond whispers."
And just as suddenly, she turned and melted into the shadows, her presence fading like mist at dawn.
The next morning, sparring fields buzzed louder than training. Younger disciples watched Lin Xuan from afar, whispering.
"Did you hear? He's gathering his own circle.""Even Yue Shuang spoke to him…""Maybe following him means survival."
Lin Xuan ignored them, drilling quietly, spear cutting arcs with no wasted motion. But he felt the weight of eyes stacking like stones.
The more who whisper, the sharper the knives grow. Allies or enemies—both bind me tighter to the sect's storm.
Far above, in the Core Pavilion, Meng Zhao poured wine into a lacquered cup. The reflection of the flame danced on his face, but his smile was cold as winter steel.
"Circles? Whispers? Yue Shuang herself drawn?"
He set the cup down with care, the sound sharp.
"Let him gather. Let him climb. The higher the cripple rises, the greater the fall I will carve for him. And when he breaks, no one will forget who pushed."
The disciples around him laughed uneasily. None missed the venom in his eyes.
Back in his quarters, Lin Xuan closed his eyes in meditation. The System pulsed faintly in his mind.
[System Notice: First Circle Formed. Hidden Quest Progression — unlocked.][Warning: Increased visibility detected. Threats multiplying.]
He exhaled slowly. Allies… enemies… both are seeds. The soil will decide what grows.
Outside, the sect hummed like a hive, his name the sweetest honey and the sharpest sting.