The night deepened, lantern light painting the room in soft gold. Jiang Hao had just managed to finish the second bowl of Yunxi's dreaded medicinal brew when another presence approached. This one was quieter than Elder Su's, yet sharp, like a knife hidden in silk.The knock at the door was gentle, polite even. But Jiang Hao's instincts stirred — the hair at the back of his neck prickling.Meiyun moved first, her blade already in her hand as she opened the door a fraction. A tall figure stood beyond: Elder Qian, one of the sect's council members. Unlike Elder Su, Elder Qian's smile was thin, his eyes too sharp, gleaming like a predator's in the dim light."My apologies for disturbing you at this hour," Elder Qian said smoothly, folding his hands into his sleeves. "But given the… unusual events of the last few days, I thought it wise to check on our young hero."Meiyun's eyes narrowed. "He needs rest, not visitors."Elder Qian's smile didn't falter. "Rest is important, of course. But so is clarity. Rumors are fickle things. Sometimes, it is better to address them early, before they twist into something dangerous." His gaze slid past Meiyun, fixing directly on Jiang Hao, who sat propped against the bed's headboard.Yunxi shifted protectively closer to him. "He's too weak to answer questions."Jiang Hao raised a hand, silencing her softly. His lips curved faintly, though the pallor in his face made the expression almost ghostly. "It's fine. If Elder Qian has something to ask, let him ask."Elder Qian stepped inside, his eyes never leaving Jiang Hao. He moved with measured grace, stopping just far enough to keep propriety — yet close enough that Jiang Hao could feel the weight of his qi pressing faintly against the room."I will be direct," Elder Qian said, his tone courteous but edged. "When the mountain trembled, when golden light split the sky — was that your doing?"The room held its breath. Yunxi stiffened, Meiyun's hand tightened on her sword.Jiang Hao's smile didn't fade. He tilted his head slightly, his voice calm. "Would you believe me if I said I was simply lucky?"Elder Qian's eyes gleamed. "Luck does not shatter ancient seals."He extended his hand then, qi condensing into a thin thread of force, subtle but precise. It was not an outright attack — more like a probe, a test, a surgeon's needle of energy pressing toward Jiang Hao's chest.Yunxi gasped, stepping forward, but Jiang Hao lifted his palm. Golden light flickered just faintly in his eyes. He didn't move his body, didn't even shift from his reclined position — and yet the probe dissipated before it touched him, crumbling into sparks of harmless light.The backlash surged instantly, fire searing through his veins. Pain lanced his ribs, forcing him to swallow down a grunt. But outwardly, his expression didn't shift. His voice remained steady."Respectfully, Elder," Jiang Hao said softly, "probing a patient's wounds is not the same as healing them."For the first time, Elder Qian's smile faltered. His gaze sharpened, studying Jiang Hao as though trying to pierce through the shadows wrapped around him. The silence stretched long and heavy.Finally, Elder Qian inclined his head, the faintest of bows. "You are sharper than rumors give credit. Rest well, Jiang Hao. The Sect Master will want to see you soon. I suggest you prepare yourself — truth has a way of surfacing, whether one wishes it or not."He turned and left without another word, the faint echo of his steps fading into the night.Only when the door shut did Jiang Hao let his body slump back into the pillows, his chest heaving from the effort of maintaining composure. Sweat glistened at his temples, his hand trembling beneath the sheets.Yunxi immediately caught his wrist, eyes wide. "You're burning up again! Why didn't you—"Meiyun's lips pressed thin, but her voice was quieter, gentler than usual. "He was testing you. And you passed." She met Jiang Hao's weary gaze, her expression unreadable. "But he'll be back. They'll all be back."Jiang Hao exhaled slowly, his faint smile tinged with grimness. "I know."And outside, the sect buzzed louder with each passing hour — disciples whispering, elders scheming, the world watching.The door clicked shut behind Elder Qian, but his presence lingered like a phantom in the air. Yunxi dabbed at Jiang Hao's forehead with a damp cloth, her movements quick, almost frantic. Her usually calm eyes glistened with unshed tears, and for once, her voice cracked."Why didn't you push him back harder? You could've—" She stopped herself, realizing. Jiang Hao was pale, his breathing shallow, each word clearly costing him."I pushed enough," Jiang Hao said softly. His tone carried no arrogance, no show of strength. It was simply truth. "More would've broken me before it broke him."Meiyun sheathed her sword with a soft click, her gaze fixed on him. Unlike Yunxi, she didn't reach forward — didn't fuss — but her silence spoke louder than words. For a warrior like her, the restraint in not striking Elder Qian down on the spot had been its own kind of agony.Yunxi's hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the cloth on his brow. "You're always carrying it alone… Always pushing yourself until you bleed."Her words cut deeper than the pain of the seal. Jiang Hao tilted his head toward her, his lips quirking in the faintest smile despite his weakness. "Would you rather I let someone else carry it? Risk them instead?""That's not what I—" Yunxi bit her lip, the protest dying in her throat. The closeness of the moment silenced her, the warmth of his gaze pulling her breath away. For a brief second, the world outside — the rumors, the elders, the danger — all vanished, leaving only the steady beat of her heart and the flicker of golden light in his eyes.Meiyun shifted ever so slightly, her eyes narrowing. She didn't speak, but there was a storm in her expression — disapproval tangled with something harder to name, something that tightened her chest as she watched Yunxi hover near him with such tenderness.Jiang Hao noticed. He let his smile linger, faint but sure. "You're both here," he murmured, his voice heavy with fatigue yet weighted with sincerity. "That's more than I deserve. But I'll make it mean something. I swear it."Yunxi's breath hitched. "Swear…?"He closed his eyes briefly, as though the vow demanded what little strength he had left. "No matter what they say, no matter how many tests or chains they throw at me… I won't bow. Not to them. Not to fate. If this seal devours me, so be it — but I won't let them touch either of you."The words burned into the silence, sharper than any blade, softer than any caress.Yunxi's tears spilled, one falling onto his hand where she clutched him. Meiyun turned her face away, jaw tight, unwilling to let the crack in her composure show.Outside, the sect's lanterns swayed in the night wind, whispers echoing through the halls. Within, Jiang Hao's vow settled like an unshakable foundation, fragile in body but unyielding in spirit.The path ahead was lined with enemies, suspicion, and pain — but that night, in the golden quiet of the lantern light, Jiang Hao had drawn his line.And none would cross it.
