Sunset approached slowly.
The sky over the Twilight Ember Sect turned orange, then gold, then a deep red that made the mountain peaks glow like burning embers. Disciples finished their training, some laughing, some exhausted, others showing off small improvements to their friends.
Li Xuan walked quietly among them.
He kept his breathing calm, his steps steady.But every few moments, his hand brushed against the fold in his sleeve—the piece of paper hidden there.
"I know what you did.Come to the old storage shed at sunset."
He replayed the words again and again in his mind.
Was someone watching him?Did someone see yesterday's fight?Or worse… did someone notice his sudden improvement?
He didn't know.
But instinct told him this meeting would change something.
—Stay alert, the Grand Immortal reminded. Do not trust anyone. Not a single soul in this sect cares for you… except you.
Li Xuan gave the slightest nod.
As the sky darkened, he slipped away from the main path and walked toward the far end of the sect—the old storage shed behind the west wall.
This place was abandoned long ago.Old brooms, broken weapons, rotten boxes.No disciples came here unless ordered to clean.
Which meant anyone waiting inside had a reason.
Li Xuan stopped a few meters away, hiding behind a narrow wall. He steadied his breath. His heart beat a little faster, but his mind stayed cold.
The wooden shed creaked softly as wind passed through the cracks.
He waited.Listened.
Nothing.
He moved closer.
Another step.And another.
He reached the door.
It was slightly open.
The interior was dark, except for faint light coming through one broken window.
Quietly, he pushed the door open—
It grated softly on the floor.
At first, he saw nothing. Just dust hanging in the air and shadows covering the walls.
Then…
Someone stepped out from the corner.
A girl.
She looked around fourteen or fifteen — older than him but still young. Her black hair was tied into a simple ponytail. Her clothes were plain, but clean. Her eyes were dark and sharp, like she saw more than she should.
Li Xuan froze.
He didn't recognize her.
She wasn't from the outer disciples.
She wasn't anyone who bullied him.
She wasn't someone he'd ever seen talk to Elder Qiu.
Then… who?
The girl studied him quietly for a few seconds before speaking.
"You really came."
Her voice was calm. Soft, but not weak.
Li Xuan didn't drop his guard. "Why did you call me here?"
The girl glanced toward the door, then back at him. "Close it."
Li Xuan hesitated.
—If she wanted to attack, she would have done it already, the Immortal whispered. But do not trust her.
Li Xuan closed the door slowly, keeping one eye on her.
The girl crossed her arms. "You're careful. Good. You should be."
Li Xuan stayed silent.
She walked closer, stopping only an arm's length away.Her eyes moved across his face, studying him like a puzzle.
"You're the boy they call trash," she said plainly. "Li Xuan."
Li Xuan didn't flinch. "Is that why you called me? To say what everyone else says?"
A tiny smile crossed her lips—barely visible. "No. I called you because you're not trash. Not anymore."
Li Xuan's heartbeat tightened.
She looked down slightly. "You broke your meridian blockage, didn't you?"
Li Xuan's breath caught.
His face stayed calm, but inside, alarm bells rang.
"How do you know that?" he asked quietly.
The girl tilted her head. "Because I saw yesterday's fight behind the east hall."
Li Xuan frowned. "It was dark."
"I have good eyes," she said. "You dodged three attacks at once. You hit Zhao Ren. That's not something the old Li Xuan could do."
Her tone wasn't mocking.Not curious.Just stating facts.
"You're hiding your ability," she continued, "and Elder Qiu is watching you. If he finds out, he'll destroy you before you even grow."
Li Xuan stayed perfectly still.
He didn't deny it.He didn't confirm it.
Finally, he spoke, "What do you want?"
The girl looked directly into his eyes.
"Nothing."
Li Xuan blinked.
"I didn't call you here to ask for favors," she said calmly. "I'm not your enemy. If anything… I might be the only person in this sect who doesn't want you dead."
Li Xuan felt the faintest tremor of confusion.
"Why?" he asked.
The girl turned toward the broken window, her silhouette framed by the dying light.
"Because," she whispered, "this sect… is rotting. And you are the only one who might survive what's coming."
Li Xuan stared at her.
Her words carried a weight he didn't understand yet.
She turned back to him, her eyes steady.
"My name is Yan Ling."
Li Xuan memorized it immediately.
Yan Ling stepped closer.
"I will not help you cultivate," she said. "I will not train you. I will not protect you."
Li Xuan frowned. "Then why—?"
She cut him off.
"But I will warn you of dangers… when I can."
Silence filled the shed for a moment.
Finally, Li Xuan asked softly, "Why help me at all?"
Yan Ling looked at him with eyes that held no fear, no pity… only truth.
"Because," she said, "you're already walking on a knife's edge. One wrong step, and you'll die."
She stepped past him, hand on the door.
"And someone like you… should not die so early."
With that, she walked out into the fading evening light and vanished down the path without looking back.
Li Xuan remained frozen in place.
His mind screamed with questions.
But one thing was clear:
Someone inside this sect was watching…Someone understood the danger around him…And someone knew exactly how fragile his life truly was.
The Grand Immortal finally spoke.
—Interesting girl.—But be careful, Li Xuan. Kindness from strangers often hides sharper knives than hatred.
Li Xuan closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
He didn't know if Yan Ling was friend or foe.
But now, he understood one thing:
He was no longer the invisible child of the sect.
People were watching.
Shadows were moving.
And the real game had just begun.