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Chapter 22: Whispers in the Main Peak
At the main peak of the Heavenly Sword Sect, whispers moved like shadows through the courtyards.
> "Liu Guan Yi was sent alone? To Black Pine Village?"
> "That cursed place? Even elders avoid it at night…"
> "He's Ji Ning's disciple. Who else could go?"
Core disciples paused their cultivation. Sword lights dimmed. Even some inner elders glanced toward the forest edge, where the wind had turned cold and the birds had fallen silent.
—
Inside a quiet training hall, Bai Si practiced alone, her breaths steady, her eyes sharp.
A few nearby disciples chatted about Liu Guan Yi's mission. She didn't react—didn't even look up.
> "Always at the center of attention," she muttered, wiping her brow.
> "Let him handle it. He seems to enjoy that kind of thing."
Her voice was cool, distant. Whatever history they had, Bai Si had long since buried it. She had her own path—and no interest in chasing someone like Liu Guan Yi.
—
Outside in the dueling courtyard, Ye Chen swung his sword again and again, muscles tight with focus.
Though he'd reached Rank 3 Middle Stage, it felt hollow.
No matter how much progress he made, he couldn't forget that moment from the competition.
One masked strike. One impossible wave of killing intent.
> "He didn't even go all out," Ye Chen muttered.
He gritted his teeth. His blade trembled slightly.
A voice interrupted him.
> "Still thinking about him?"
Elder Fang Tian stood nearby, arms folded. His eyes, as always, saw too much.
> "He's not someone you can surpass by effort alone."
Ye Chen lowered his sword.
> "Then why send him alone?"
Fang Tian looked toward the black forests in the distance.
> "Because only someone like him can survive what's out there. Maybe not even him."
—
Deep within the sect's inner pavilion, Ji Ning sat in quiet meditation. The silence around her was sharp—like a drawn blade.
Three disciples knelt before her.
One of them, Shen Mo, broke the silence.
> "Master… is it true you're accepting Ye Chen and Bai Si into core instruction?"
Ji Ning opened her eyes slowly.
> "Yes. The mountain needs balance."
Shen Mo's eyes narrowed.
> "They'll never catch up to Liu Guan Yi."
Ji Ning's voice was calm.
> "They're not meant to."
> "Then what is he to you?" Shen Mo pressed.
She looked toward the sealed sword on the nearby rack.
> "A blade I won't draw… until the sky turns red."
—
Far away, on the edge of the Silent Vein Forest, Liu Guan Yi knelt before the body of another girl.
Her face was peaceful, eyes still open—but her soul was long gone.
He stood, expression unreadable.
> "The third one this week," he murmured.
A sound broke the silence.
The flute.
Soft. Clear. Closer than ever.
He drew his sword in one smooth motion.
> "So… the curtain rises."
He stepped into the woods.
> "Let's end this."