Morning light had fully spread across the courtyard, yet the weight of the night still hung in the air.
The pain of what had happened was clearly written on every face.
Everyone had fallen asleep right there in the courtyard out of exhaustion, but the grief of Zhihao's death was still alive — as if even the air was moving slowly, out of respect.
Lixuan slowly opened his eyes.
As soon as his senses returned, the first thing he felt was Zhichen's shoulder.
He didn't even remember when he had rested his head there.
Zhichen simply looked at him with a faint smile — without saying anything.
There was reassurance in that smile, not questions.
Just then, the sound of footsteps and the faint clinking of swords began to echo from outside the palace.
One by one, the chiefs of different clans started gathering in the courtyard with their soldiers.
The first to speak was Chenyu, the chief of the Lianyu clan.
"We arrived in the morning… and found signs of battle here.
What happened last night?"
After him, Liyuan, the chief of the Zhilan clan, Zhiyun, the chief of the Yuzhen clan, and Yunshen, the chief of the Shenmei clan, also stepped forward.
Now everyone's gaze had settled in one place —
on Xiangu, Zhichen, Lixuan, Mingzhao, and Fengli.
Xiangu stepped forward.
His voice was direct and clear.
"The Qingyu clan attacked last night."
Hearing this, shock spread across everyone's faces.
Zhiyun immediately asked,
"Then how did you survive?
An attack from the Qingyu clan is no small matter."
This time, Mingzhao answered.
"In the beginning, we were retreating.
It felt like everything would end."
Hearing this, Fengli lowered his gaze.
His shoulders slackened on their own — as if he was reliving that night again.
Yunshen asked in a slightly stern voice,
"What happened after that?
Who saved all of you?"
Mingzhao fell silent for a moment,
as if searching for the right words.
Then he said slowly,
"Suddenly, the sound of a whistle started echoing from somewhere…
and the Qingyu soldiers stopped.
Then they began dying one by one."
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Everyone began looking at each other's faces.
Chief Liyuan said quietly,
"The sound of a whistle…
that means something else happened that you're not telling us."
Fengli couldn't hold himself back, yet he still chose his words carefully.
"There was something strange last night…
that's all."
Xiangu and Zhichen looked at each other.
For them, this answer was not enough.
Zhichen asked directly,
"You're hiding something."
Mingzhao replied immediately,
"What happened, we ourselves don't fully understand.
And why would we hide anything from you?"
At that very moment, Zhichen's gaze settled on Lixuan.
Lixuan stood completely calm.
Neither explaining nor avoiding anyone's eyes.
One thought kept circling in Zhichen's mind —
the sudden turning point of the battle in the middle of the night.
He thought to himself,
If there was a whistle… perhaps he was the one who blew it.
But it was only a suspicion.
No proof.
No witness.
And Lixuan —
as if he knew everything, yet stood silent.
His face was calm, but in his eyes was that silence which hides many things.
Suddenly, Chenyu's anger burst out.
His voice was sharp and harsh,
and in a moment everyone's attention shifted toward him.
"Lixuan… why aren't you speaking?"
Chenyu's voice was loud, but the unease hidden within it was clearly felt.
"Don't you remember anything about what happened last night?"
Lixuan slowly raised his gaze.
For a moment, he looked at his father…
then lowered his eyes again.
"I… am not worthy of saying anything."
His voice was soft, but perfectly clear — as if every word had been carefully chosen.
Chenyu's face hardened.
"What does that mean? When everyone here is speaking,
what are you trying to prove by staying silent?"
Lixuan didn't answer.
He just stood there —
as if every word remained buried somewhere inside him.
His silence was making some people uneasy.
And Zhichen the most.
Zhichen kept watching him.
The same thought kept circling in his mind —
the whistle in the night… and the sudden halt of the battle.
If someone had stopped everything,
then Lixuan being this calm wasn't normal.
But Zhichen said nothing either.
Watching silently was his answer.
Moving the discussion forward, Zhiyun, chief of the Yuzhen clan, said,
"Everything that needed to be said here has been said.
The rest will be discussed in the Yuzhen clan."
All the chiefs nodded in agreement.
Then one by one, everyone's gaze turned toward Fengli.
"The courage you showed against Qingyu,"
Chief Liyuan said,
"for that, we congratulate you as the new chief."
Fengli bowed slightly.
"I will fulfill this responsibility with my best effort."
After that, everyone began walking toward the Yuzhen clan.
Ahead walked Xiangu, Mingzhao, and Fengli —
their conversation now focused on the coming war.
Behind them were Zhichen and Lixuan.
Lixuan was walking slowly.
His steps felt heavy —
as if the weight of the night still rested on his shoulders.
Chenyu noticed this.
"Walk faster," he said sternly.
"You didn't even fight last night,
so why are you so tired?
Why are you so weak?"
Lixuan paused for a moment,
then began walking again without saying anything.
Mingzhao looked back at his brother.
He wanted to say something —
but speaking in front of their father was not in his power.
Zhichen saw all this.
He could feel that Lixuan wasn't just walking slowly…
he was walking with some other burden.
And Zhichen's suspicion grew deeper with every step.
He walked quietly behind Lixuan,
but his eyes never left his unsteady steps.
This wasn't just exhaustion,
Zhichen could now clearly feel it.
Every breath Lixuan took seemed to carry a weight.
A thought surfaced in his mind —
If he really had blown the whistle last night…
then why this silence?
Just then, Lixuan suddenly turned.
For a moment, their eyes met.
In that gaze there was no guilt, no defense —
only a tired truth
that wasn't ready to be spoken yet.
Zhichen didn't ask anything.
He understood —
some secrets reveal themselves only when darkness itself begins to speak.
Yuzhen Clan
By the time everyone reached the Yuzhen clan,
night had completely fallen.
The journey had been long.
Fatigue was clearly visible on everyone's faces.
Jinhai, the prince of the Yuzhen clan, welcomed them.
A fire burned in the courtyard.
Food was served on long stone tables.
There was little talk of war —
yet even in the silence there was a weight.
The weight of Zhihao's death.
After the meal, Zhiyun asked everyone to walk toward the sacred site.
Along with his son and daughter.
Slowly, everyone moved forward in the torchlight.
The path glowed —
as if even the darkness was watching them.
As soon as Lixuan stepped onto the stairs of the sacred site —
the voice returned.
This time deeper.
And more terrifying.
"You think you can come here?
You fight with darkness…
you have no right to touch this sacred power."
The voice echoed directly inside his chest.
"The more you try to save them…
the more you will drown yourself."
Lixuan's face turned pale.
His steps moved back.
Mingzhao turned and noticed.
His gaze immediately fixed on Lixuan.
He walked straight to him.
"Lixuan, why aren't you coming inside?"
Lixuan said softly,
"I'm hearing voices…
they're saying I can't go inside."
Before Mingzhao could say anything else,
Chenyu had arrived.
His voice was cold and stern.
"Mingzhao, if someone doesn't want to come inside,
let him stay outside."
Then his gaze fell on Lixuan.
"Besides, what will he even do by coming here?
He has neither power nor the courage to speak."
Chenyu grabbed Mingzhao's hand and led him inside.
Mingzhao wanted to say something —
but despite being his son, he remained silent before his father.
Zhichen, standing a little distance away, saw everything.
He looked toward Xiangu.
"Brother… can I stay with Lixuan?"
Xiangu thought for a moment,
then nodded.
Everyone went inside.
Outside remained only darkness and cold air.
Zhichen walked to Lixuan.
"Are you really hearing a voice?"
Lixuan nodded.
"It feels like someone is reminding me…
that I can't run away from who I am."
Zhichen looked at him.
There was more concern than suspicion in his eyes.
"You're not alone,"
he said softly.
"Even if this place doesn't accept you…
I won't leave you here alone."
Standing in the darkness, Lixuan felt for the first time —
maybe the voice was scaring him,
but some people were standing beside him without even understanding.
Outside the sacred site, the darkness grew deeper.
The same voice echoed again in his ears —
"The closer you go to the light…
the tighter the darkness will bind you."
Zhichen stood beside him.
"Whatever happens… you're not alone."
Lixuan looked into the darkness.
This wasn't just exhaustion.
It was the sound of a war —
that had already begun.