Midnight cloaked the sect in silence. The moonlight spilled pale silver across the tiled roofs, the mountains shrouded in mist. Only the occasional toll of a distant bell broke the stillness.
Beneath the Hall of Discipline, the cell was dark, its single lantern guttering low. Li Xian sat in chains, head tilted back, eyes half-lidded as though sleeping. But his faint smile betrayed him.
The system hummed quietly in his mind:
> [Time remaining: 3 days.]
[Lifespan shortening as heavenly suppression deepens.]
Three days left, he mused, lips curving. How generous of the heavens.
The door creaked.
Silent footsteps entered. But Li Xian did not move.
Zhao Feng emerged from the shadows, blade in hand, his eyes bloodshot with hatred. He wore no sect robes now, only black, his killing intent suppressed yet suffocating in the small chamber.
"At last," Zhao Feng hissed. "Tonight, cripple, I end you before you bring ruin to us all."
Li Xian's eyes opened slowly, crimson gleam flickering within. He smirked.
"You talk too much."
Zhao Feng's face twisted with rage. He raised his sword—
—but a whisper of steel cut the air, and a dagger struck the floor, pinning Zhao Feng's sleeve to the stone.
Both men turned.
Mei Ling leaned against the wall, cloaked in black, her smirk sharp as a blade. "Tch. Can't even kill a cripple without trembling. Pathetic."
Zhao Feng snarled. "You—traitor!"
Mei Ling twirled another dagger between her fingers lazily, her dark eyes flicking to Li Xian. "Not a traitor. Just… curious."
Li Xian chuckled. "Seems heaven can't leave me lonely tonight."
Before Zhao Feng could retort, another figure slipped through the door. White robes shimmered under the dim light—Su Yao.
Her veil was gone, her flawless face pale in the lantern glow.
"Stop this madness!" she snapped, her voice sharp as frost. Her gaze flickered between Zhao Feng's blade, Mei Ling's daggers, and Li Xian's crimson smile.
The cell thickened with tension, each heartbeat stretched taut.
Zhao Feng's voice cracked with desperation. "Yao, don't you see?! He's twisting you—corrupting you! That demonic energy, those eyes—he's no longer human!"
Su Yao's lips trembled, but her gaze wavered toward Li Xian. "And yet… why do you fear him so much, Zhao Feng?"
The question silenced the hall. Even Mei Ling arched a brow, amused.
Zhao Feng's face darkened, veins bulging. He swung his blade at Li Xian in fury.
The chains rattled as Li Xian tilted his head, smirking. "Come closer, Zhao Feng. Let me show you why you fear me."
The system screamed:
> [Host entering Combat-Seduction Mode.]
[Targets: Zhao Feng, Su Yao, Mei Ling.]
[Warning: Host lifespan reduced to 2 days.]
Thunder boomed outside, shaking the chamber. The heavens themselves listened, their judgment heavy.
Zhao Feng lunged—
Mei Ling's daggers flashed—
Su Yao's voice cracked with power as she raised her palm—
And Li Xian, chained and bleeding, laughed darkly, crimson light blazing in his eyes.
The clash ignited.