Night cloaked the sect in silence.
Raon's patrol route had become muscle memory, but tonight, the air was colder.
**Qi fluctuations near the storage pavilion. Coordinates, oh right, you don't do numbers. Just follow the creepy feeling.**
"You're lucky I trust that tone."
He followed the faint disturbance through winding corridors until he reached the Qi storage chamber, a sealed cave that held the sect's energy crystals. The door was slightly open.
Inside, the glow of blue crystals flickered unnaturally. Someone was kneeling by the center pillar, hand pressed against the energy array.
Raon's eyes narrowed. A disciples robe, but the Qi radiating from them was dark, pulsing irregularly.
"Stop."
The figure froze. Then turned.
Their eyes glowed faint red under the dim light.
"So," the stranger said softly, "even the guards have learned to sense us now."
**Yep. That's definetely evil energy, 10 out of 10 on the cliché meter.**
"Who are you?" Raon said
The figure smiled. "No one you'll live long enough to report."
They attacked first.
Raon barely dodged the initial strike a burst of corrupted Qi slicing through the ground.
He countered with Mirror Water Technique, the floor beneath him rippling like liquid as he redirected the energy. His sword hummed faintly with blue light.
Mirrorwater Flow. Advanced Combat Art
Qi is shaped into reflective layers that adapt to each opponent's rhythm, mirroring their movements before countering. When fully realized, it allows simultaneous attack and defense.
Every movement was precise, quiet.
The corrupted Qi felt like nails scraping across his senses, like a broken rythm.
**Matching pattern: Heavenly Demonic Alliance Qi signature. You've officially met the neighbors.**
"Perfect timing," Raon muttered, parrying a heavy blow.
The spy lunged again, overloading their Qi to break through Raon's guard.
Raon dropped low, guiding his own Qi downward, then twisted, redirecting the enemy's energy into the floor.
The backlash hit the spy directly in the arm creating an opening.
Raon tried to close the gap using Flowing Pearl Steps
And uses Tidal Flow going for the kill.
The spy swiftly steps backward getting slashed on the chest instead
Underestimating Raon unaware of the rediscovered martial arts of the sect he gets his hands cut off and pushed into a wall.
Tidal Flow: Layers of Qi flowing along the blade, each swing increasing pressure like a rising tide consecutive cuts escalate in force.
Flowing Pearl Steps: A refined version of a technique "Ripple Step" used by inner disciples.
It lets the practitioner shift directions mid-air or across unstable terrain, appearing as if they're gliding over water.
He groans as he crashes into the wall "Ugh"
Panting, Raon stepped closer. Realising he took damage to his left arm before he dealt the attack he quickly disabled the spy
"Why attack us" Raon asked
The spy chuckled weakly. "Because you're already dying... you just don't know it."
Their Qi flared violently.
**Self-destruction detected. Suggest immediate evacuation.**
"Damn it."
Raon dove back as the explosion ripped through the chamber, blue shards scattering like shattered pearls.
When the smoke cleared, he was bleeding but alive.
The spy was gone, nothing left but a charred robe and faint traces of corrupted Qi.
He barely had time to breathe before Jin arrived, sword drawn. "Raon! What happened?"
Raon forced a tired grin. "Caught someone trying to steal our light."
After getting a sense of the Qi fragments Jin's expression darkened. "Was it..."
"Don't know. Didn't ask politely enough."
Raon staggered, nearly collapsing. Jin grabbed his arm. "You need medical attention."
Raon shook his head. "No one needs to know I was here. Say you caught them. The sect will listen to you, not a guard."
Jin hesitated. "That's not right."
Raon smiled faintly. "Neither is dying for attention. Just do it."
Jin's grip tightened, but he nodded. "Understood."
"His change and sudden development is suspicious, to think he'd be able to fight someone on that level and make it out, though it doesnt seem like he has any ill intent" He let out a subtle sigh and thought again."I'll have to keep a proper eye on him"
As Raon walked away into the night, the System spoke quietly:
**You realize you just gave away credit for saving the sect again, right?**
"Credit's useless if you're not alive to spend it."
**You're weirdly noble for someone who complains so much.**
"It's a hobby."
The wind carried the faint sound of running water through the silent halls.
Raon stopped, closing his eyes.
For the first time, he heard it, the natural rhythm of the sect's Qi flow.
And beneath it, something else... a darker current.
**You hear it too, huh?**
"Yeah."
**Then we're not done yet.**
**Mandatory Quest: Retrieve the Flow of the Hidden Current scroll from the Elder's Restricted Library before dawn.**