"You're sayin you seek a place to rest," Xuan continued, "yet what you bring may draw things far worse than yourself to this sect. Anyone that cursed you with that talisman is very dangerous. It'll be easy for them to follow you here, in fact they could already be following your scent. I've never seen it before in my life..."
He began to pace slowly, robe trailing behind him like smoke.
Xuan's eyes flicked to me again.
"I will not risk Tianxuan being put in danger because of you.. By dawn," he said, voice flat, "you must leave at once."
Behind me, came soft gasp.
"Why?!"
It was Liwei… the little disciple who had found me first.
She rushed forward, standing beside me. She was probably eavesdropping earlier.
"He's injured! In fact he's barely alive. Not only have you not treated him, now you want to send him away, sect master. Why would you send away someone who hasn't harmed us?"
Xuan Baoyang looked at her coldly then he went on to say.
"You think mercy is free, child? I have led this sect for many years, and I know what must be cut out before it becomes a blade of destruction."
"But! Sect Leader."
"Enough. Go back to your quarters now."
His voice silenced her remaining words.
But Liwei did not move.
She stood by me, fists clenched, tears threatening to pour down her eyes.
She reminded me of Xiao Lan with how protective she was of me. My chest felt very uncomfortable.. I subconsciously rubbed it.
"Then let me take responsibility," she said. "If he ends up harming the sect, punish me instead."
I blinked in Surprise at how far she was willing to go for me.
Xuan Bao Yang's gaze narrowed. "Bold words for a girl who hasn't even formed her golden core."
"Bold enough," she whispered, "to believe not all broken things are dangerous."
"I too will vouch for him," Senior Brother Huo said suddenly. I believe he wouldn't bring danger to the sect. We shouldn't turn a man in need away because of a fear of the unknown."
Sect Leader Xuan Baoyang turned his gaze to him, sharp as a sword unsheathed. "You would stake the lives of everyone on this stranger?"
"I don't think that's what I'm doing," Huo said calmly.
Before the sect leader could respond, I spoke out, my voice low but steady.
"I'm only a victim of a battle. I'm not a threat to your sect."
His eyes narrowed.
"Let us test your truth."
And without warning… he struck.
A golden palm of compressed qi surged forward, laced with Heaven-Searing energy. It roared through the chamber like a divine blade and aimed straight for my heart.
"Sect Leader, please wait—!"
"No!"
Liwei's scream echoed.
I didn't move… I couldn't. My qi was crippled, my meridians damaged beyond repair. My body had no strength to defend, no power to resist. Did he intend to kill me…
But just as death approached..
BOOM!
A lunar shield erupted from my chest in a blinding burst of silver-blue light.
The impact rang out like thunder cracking through the heavens. Golden force met silver moonlight and shattered in every direction, hurling scrolls off shelves and sending a ripple through the mountain itself.
The force knocked me back onto one knee, panting. The shield shimmered once more before fading into the air like nothing just happened.
The hall fell utterly silent.
Sect Leader Xuan lowered his hand, his eyes blazing.
"…That qi," he said coldly. "That seal…"
He stepped closer, each footfall like the toll of a war drum.
Then he said waringly.
"Who are you?"
I raised my head slowly, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth.
Who are you?" He asked again.
Sect Leader Xuan's voice resonated heavily through the hall, filled with qi, command, and killing intent.
I opened my mouth.
But before I could speak—
Darkness swallowed me whole.
The physical world vanished.
I was falling again drawn into the shadowy core of my soul.
The void.
And at its center, flickering like a dying flame, was the wounded figure of Moonfang, he was still chained and ragged.
"Moonfang… why did you suddenly draw me in?"
The great wolf lifted its head weakly. Its eyes glinted faintly in the murk.
"You felt it, didn't you?" it rasped. "The first fragment… it's near."
I stiffened. "In the sect?"
Moonfang nodded slowly. "Somewhere within Tianxuan's borders… it's hidden and sealed. The moment the Sect Leader struck, I was able to borrow its power just a little and then send the lunar shield to protect you. I can't pinpoint it exactly… your body is still too weak but it's here."
I clenched my fists. "Then I'll find it right now. I'll reclaim what's mine."
The wolf growled slowly. "Not yet. Do not expose yourself."
"What?"
"The Sect Leader is no fool. He suspects too much already. If you admit who you are now… you won't live long enough to touch that fragment."
"But then what do I—"
"You have to think of what to say. Lie and bend if you have to. I might not be able to borrow it's powers again until you recover a little more."
He emphasized on his remaining words.
"Buy yourself time, Kaien. Say anything—anything that lets you stay here longer. This place may be a cage for now… but it is also the key to getting the first fragment."
I gritted my teeth.
The void slowly faded again.
"Find the fragment," Moonfang whispered. "As soon as possible, I don't know how much longer I can hold on.."
I regained my consciousness again.
Sect Leader Xuan still stood before me, eyes narrowed, obviously burning with suspicion.
Liwei and Senior Brother Huo looked frozen behind me, waiting for my reply.
I swallowed the truth.
And replaced it with something else.
"I'm… a former disciple of Cloudveil Temple," I said slowly, voice weak. "It was destroyed during the last demonic incursion."
I took a deep breath.
"I've been wandering ever since. I had no sect, no master. I don't seek trouble. I only sought shelter."
Xuan's gaze sharpened like a blade. "Cloudveil Temple was erased six years ago. You expect me to believe a crippled stray survived its fall?"