The Blood Saber Sect's council chamber reeked of blood and incense. As word spread of Wei's death, more elders gathered, summoned by the Sect Master's decree. One by one, crimson-robed figures entered, their auras pressing against each other like colliding blades. The Council of Knives was not a place of harmony—it was a place where every man and woman fought to outscheme the others. Tonight, that air was sharper, crueler.
Mo Tian sat unmoving at the head, hands clasped on the hilt of the ceremonial saber that rested across his knees. The weapon's edge glimmered faintly, a thin line of cold light. His gaze swept the hall, pinning each elder where they sat. "Wei is gone," he said, his voice carrying no tremor, though every man present had once feared Wei's shadow. "Li Xian lives. Inform me, swords of my sect—what shall we engrave in return?
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White-browed elder's face creased forward. "Strike the Azure Blossom Sect at dawn. Burn their mountain. Scatter their disciples to ashes. If a single cripple can be born under Heaven's observation, then any worm might attempt it once more tomorrow. Cut away the gangrene lest rotting disease infect."
A second, bony, dressed in darker crimson, sneered. "And risk exposure to the vultures overhead? The Jade Serpent Sect believes we are willing to bleed. The Seven Ghosts already whisper of Wei's loss. To charge Azure Blossom and triumph may be within our power—but at what cost? To kill one man, we would give the continent to our foes."
The council erupted. Fists slammed on tables, insults spat like venom. Some demanded Wei's death be answered with rivers of blood, others counseled patience, plotting to twist Li Xian's rise to their advantage. The air grew thick with hostility until even the stone pillars seemed to quiver. Finally, a soft laugh cut through the din. Youngest of them all, Elder Xun reclined with an easy grace, his eyes flashing like those of a predator. "Why draw our swords so precipitously?" he breathed. "Li Xian has seen Heaven's pain, yes—but which cult would not desire such a disciple? Let Azure Blossom bask in their awe. Let them spoil him with wealth. And when he is at his brightest." His grin grew wide, thin and vicious.
That is when we snuff him out.
Kill him in the full gaze of the world, and Heaven itself will not be able to rescue him.
Some elders nodded, with whispers of assent. The idea was poison-sweet—let their enemies add fuel to the fire, then seize the ashes. Others hissed, unwilling to wait. "And what if he grows too strong? What if he overreaches even Wei? The laughter stopped. All eyes turned back to Mo Tian. He had not spoken a word since the council began, merely watching, listening. Now he rose slowly, ceremonial saber scuttling along the ground, sparks trailing behind. The sheer fact of his presence was enough to silence the noise into stillness. "We do not dawdle," he said. His voice was as deep as a drum, each word an edict. "But we do not hurry like fools either.". Li Xian is not yet out of reach. His rise is sudden, unstable. He will crave more power, more glory. That will propel him into daylight." He turned, his eyes burning with evil. "When he does, we strike—not with sabers only, but with the fear itself. Let the world whisper that to stand against us is to die.
Tonight, we sharpen the blade.
Soon, we strike.
The elders bowed, their low voices booming in synchronization. "As Sect Master commands."
Far away, in the jade chamber, another tempest raged. Su Yao shrieked against the radiant walls, her body trembling as Li Xian pressed her deeper into their shared cultivation. Their qi clashed with one another wildly, driving her center open, flooding her meridians with waves of energy that were almost unbearable. She gnawed her lip until blood appeared, but still the moans issued, harsh and raw, her voice filled with both struggle and ravenous want. {z.
Li Xian wrapped his arms about her as if she were breaking, his grip merciless, his growl gusty in her ear. "Hold fast. Don't yield now. You're mine, Su Yao. Mine only."
She drew his name on a shuddering breath, her nails scoring down his back as his qi poured into her once more, scalding heat pouring into her veins. With every impact of their essences, she stiffened, body shaking under the force. "It's—too much—I can't—"
"You can," he hissed, pressing his forehead against hers, sweat commingling between them. "You will. If you fall, I will pull you back. If you break, I will mend you together again. But you will not leave me. Not now, not ever."
Her eyes watered with tears, half from hurt, half from the raw emotion in his voice. Her will broken. She held on to him with desperation, yielding to the torrent. Their cores merged, twisting tighter, until the battle of red and silver was smelted into a blazing fire. Her cry broke the stillness, high and tremulous, as her spirit shook under the force.
He swallowed her voice on his lips, lips hard and possessive, as if holding her to him. His hand was twisted in her hair, holding her to his eyes even as she convulsed with release, her qi flowing into his. The sensation ravaged them both—raw, consuming, a storm neither could stop.
When at last the flood ebbed away, they collapsed together, chests heaving, bodies slick with sweat. Su Yao trembled with revulsion, but her eyes flamed with a fierce passion, her core hotter than ever. She whispered low and harsh, "Even if another person comes. even if your harem goes on forever. I will never allow them to take my place. I will fight, I will burn, I will be the one to stay by your side.".
Li Xian's fingers cupped the curve of her cheek, thumb tracing over the curve of her lips. His gaze softened, but the hunger never abated. "You already are," he said softly. "No matter who stands at my back, there will always be someone standing above you. Never forget that, Su Yao. In this life, and the next.".
Her lids fell, tears welling finally but these ones were not the tears of weakness. She leaned her face against him, her body going slack in his as if now she had found some haven a storm could not discover.
Outside the hall, the mountains were quiet. Far away, however, on the black plains, armies marched, sects whispered, and revenge sharpened its blade. In the hall of the Blood Saber Sect, Mo Tian raised his saber, its blade glinting with possibility. In the jade hall, Li Xian kissed Su Yao, their centers bound closer than chains.
Two stormy winds, one of war, one of passion, came crashing into each other. And in the silence between heartbeats, Heaven itself seemed to hold its breath.