The rest of the day passed in a blur of congratulations and curious questions. Hanxi deflected attention, claiming he needed to consolidate his cultivation base (actually true—the wolf fang's energy still felt wild and unstable).
By evening, a messenger arrived from the Yue Clan. Merchant Master Yue Chen requested an audience with "the brave young master who saved his daughter."
The Yue Clan delegation was impressive. Yue Lian wore pale blue silk robes that probably cost more than Hanxi's yearly stipend. Her jasmine perfume filled the reception hall.
"Young Master Wāng!" She practically glowed, rushing forward to clasp his hands. "I've been so worried! I heard you had some kind of breakthrough crisis last night. Are you well? Did anything... rupture?"
Hanxi blinked. "Rupture?"
"You know." She leaned in, whispering conspiratorially. "I've heard that when young men cultivate too vigorously, sometimes their meridians can't handle the pressure and things... burst. In unfortunate places."
"THAT'S NOT—" Hanxi's face turned crimson as he noticed her father and guards trying very hard not to laugh. "My cultivation is fine! Everything is fine! Nothing burst!"
"Oh, good." Yue Lian beamed, still holding his hands. "Because you'll need to be in good health if you're to be my personal bodyguard."
"Your what now?"
Merchant Master Yue Chen cleared his throat, eyes twinkling with amusement. "My daughter has taken quite a liking to you, Young Master Wāng. She's convinced you're the only one capable of protecting her on the journey to the capital."
"Father, I told you—Young Master Wāng charged a Foundation Establishment beast without hesitation!" Yue Lian's grip tightened. "He's brave, skilled, and most importantly, gentle. Did you know he made sure I got safely back before checking his own wounds? So considerate!"
"I... didn't actually have any wounds..." Hanxi said weakly.
"See? Such a powerful physique!" Yue Lian turned back to her father. "And look at him—he's so cool to the touch! Most cultivators run hot from Solar cultivation, but Young Master Wāng maintains perfect temperature control. That's the sign of a true master!"
Hanxi exchanged a panicked glance with Yue Chen, who seemed to be reconsidering his daughter's judgment.
"Cool to the touch, you say?" The merchant lord's eyes narrowed slightly. "That is... unusual."
One of the guards—a grizzled man at Qi Condensation fifth level—stepped forward. "Permission to test the young master's cultivation, Lord Yue? To ensure he's suitable for protecting the young miss?"
"Oh, don't be silly!" Yue Lian released Hanxi's hands (finally) and waved dismissively. "I've already tested him thoroughly!"
The room fell silent.
"You've... tested him?" her father asked carefully.
"Yes! I checked his muscle tone, his reaction speed, his grip strength—"
"WHEN DID YOU DO ANY OF THAT?!" Hanxi yelped.
"Just now! When I was holding your hands, silly. Your grip is very firm. And your fingers are long and elegant—the hands of a scholar warrior." She smiled innocently. "What did you think I meant?"
The guard coughed to hide a laugh. Yue Chen pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Lian, we've discussed this. You can't just... handle young men's hands without a chaperone present."
"But Father, we were in a public hall! And besides, Young Master Wāng saved my life. Surely that gives me the right to examine his... capabilities?"
"THAT CAME OUT WRONG," both Hanxi and Yue Chen said simultaneously.
Senior Sister Mei, eavesdropping from the doorway, made a sound like a strangled cat.
After several more minutes of increasingly mortifying conversation—during which Yue Lian innocently made at least five more unintentional innuendos ("I'm sure Young Master Wāng's technique is very impressive when fully displayed")—the merchant lord finally steered the conversation back to business.
"We would compensate the sect handsomely for borrowing you," Yue Chen said. "And the experience would be valuable for your cultivation. The capital has many opportunities for young martial artists."
Hanxi hesitated. On one hand, this could be a great opportunity. On the other hand, he'd just broken through and still didn't fully understand what the wolf fang had done to him. Leaving the sect right now seemed risky.
But then again, staying at the sect meant more scrutiny, more chances for someone to discover his secret.
"Could I have some time to think about it?" he asked.
"Of course," Yue Chen said. "We'll be staying in town for three days. Send word to the Jade Lotus Inn when you've made your decision."
After the Yue Clan departed, Hanxi stood alone in the reception hall, trying to process everything.
Senior Sister Mei emerged from her hiding spot, arms crossed. "That girl is going to be the death of you. Or the death of me. I haven't decided which yet."
"She didn't mean any of that the way it sounded," Hanxi protested weakly.
"Oh, I'm sure." Mei's smile was sharp. "She just wants to examine your capabilities. Test your grip strength. See how firm your technique is when fully displayed."
"Please stop."
"I wonder what else she'll want to examine when you're traveling alone together to the capital?" Mei's eyes glinted dangerously. "Your meridian flexibility? Your qi circulation stamina? How long can you maintain your Fang Strike?"
Hanxi made a sound not unlike a dying animal.
"Just be careful, Fellow Disciple Wāng," Mei said, her teasing tone softening slightly. "The Yue Clan is powerful, and that girl is either incredibly naive or incredibly dangerous. I can't tell which."
She paused. "Honestly? I think you should go. You've been stuck at this sect for seven years, Hanxi. You've finally broken through, finally proven yourself. Don't waste this chance by playing it safe."
"But what about my duties here?"
"You're an outer disciple. You don't have any critical duties. And like Merchant Master Yue said, the experience would be valuable." She looked at him seriously. "Besides, I have a feeling that staying here might not be the best thing for you right now."
"What do you mean?"
Mei glanced around to make sure they were alone, then lowered her voice. "Elder Cloudwhisker has been asking questions about your breakthrough. He seems... suspicious. Not in a bad way, necessarily, but he's definitely curious about how you jumped two levels in one night and why your qi feels so strange."
Hanxi's stomach dropped. "What kind of questions?"
"About the tiger fang, mostly. Where exactly you found it, what it looked like, how you absorbed its energy. I think he might want to examine it."
That was the last thing Hanxi needed. If Elder Cloudwhisker examined the fang, he would immediately realize it wasn't from a tiger.
"Maybe you're right," Hanxi said slowly. "Maybe some time away from the sect would be good."
Mei nodded, though she looked a bit sad. "Just promise me you'll come back. And that you'll write. I want to hear about all your adventures in the capital."
"I promise," Hanxi said, meaning it.
That night, he made his decision. He would accept the Yue Clan's offer. It would give him time to figure out what the wolf fang had done to him, away from the prying eyes of the sect elders.
And who knew? Maybe in the capital, he could find answers about the fang's origins. About the Twilight Dao. About why a second son from a small merchant clan had accidentally stumbled into something that shouldn't exist.
As he drifted off to sleep, the fang hidden under his pillow, Hanxi couldn't help but feel that his life was about to get a lot more complicated.
He had no idea how right he was.
.............
Somewhere in the Whispering Shadow Forest, a massive silver wolf raised its head and howled at the moon. The sound echoed across the mountains, carrying a message that only those with the blood of wolves could understand.
The hunt had begun.
And somewhere in the shadows, practitioners of the Dusk Codex stirred, sensing a disturbance in the balance of energies.
A boy who shouldn't exist.
A cultivation that defied Heaven.
They would find him.
And when they did, Wāng Hanxi would learn the true price of touching the forbidden path between sun and moon.
But for now, in this moment, a second son slept peacefully—dreaming of frost and flame, of running under stars both golden and silver.
Dreaming of a destiny he never asked for.
And far above, the Moon watched over her wayward child.
Soon, she whispered to the watching stars. Soon he will understand.
The Twilight comes for us all.