The wind was cold.
Lan Yue stood alone in the dark courtyard, her hand gripping the message Mu Qinglan had sent her.
"Your next task awaits. You must eliminate Senior Brother Xu Tian."
Her fingers trembled slightly.
Xu Tian.
He had always been kind to her.
He had trained with her.
He had protected her when others sought to push her down.
And now…
She had to kill him.
Her heart felt heavy, but she pushed the feeling aside.
This was the price of her choice.
Hesitation would only lead to her own death.
She closed her eyes, forcing her emotions to die.
She would do it.
She had to.
The Target: Xu Tian
Xu Tian stood at the training grounds, his sword in hand, practicing under the moonlight.
His movements were precise, flowing like water, each stroke controlled, each breath measured. He was a master in the making, a disciple respected by all.
Lan Yue approached, her steps silent, her heartbeat hammering against her ribs.
"Senior Brother."
Xu Tian turned, surprised. His lips curled into a warm smile.
"Lan Yue? What are you doing here?"
She stepped closer, masking her killing intent with careful control.
"I needed to talk to you."
Xu Tian nodded, sheathing his sword. "Of course. What's wrong?"
She hesitated. Lied.
"I heard rumors… that the elders suspect a traitor."
Xu Tian's expression darkened. "Yes. I heard as well. It's troubling."
He sighed, shaking his head. "Fang Yi's death was brutal. Whoever did it… they will not escape the sect's wrath."
Lan Yue forced herself to remain calm.
He has no idea.
She smiled faintly. "Senior Brother, if they find the traitor… what will they do?"
Xu Tian's eyes turned cold. "Execution."
A moment of silence passed between them.
Lan Yue's grip tightened around her sword.
Xu Tian noticed the slight movement. "…Lan Yue?"
Her heart pounded. It was now or never.
The Fight
Xu Tian barely dodged in time, his expression filled with shock and betrayal.
"Lan Yue! What are you doing?!"
She didn't answer.
She couldn't.
She attacked again.
Steel clashed against steel as Xu Tian blocked her strike, confusion in his eyes.
"Have you lost your mind?!"
Lan Yue ignored his words, pressing forward, her strikes ruthless, relentless. Her sword was not as heavy as his, but she had something he didn't.
A reason to kill.
Xu Tian was strong.
Stronger than Fang Yi.
If she hesitated, she would die.
She aimed for his throat.
Xu Tian twisted, dodging barely in time, but her blade cut deep into his shoulder. Blood sprayed onto the cold stone, staining the ground beneath them.
His breaths were sharp, pained. "Lan Yue… stop this! Please!"
She didn't stop.
She wouldn't.
She struck again.
Xu Tian blocked, but his movements were slowing. His body betrayed him, the wound weakening him with every passing second.
Lan Yue saw it.
A moment of weakness.
And she took it.
Her blade shot forward, piercing his chest.
Xu Tian gasped.
He staggered, his hands weakly reaching toward her, his expression not filled with hatred.
It was filled with pain.
Not from the wound.
But from betrayal.
"…Why…?"
His body collapsed.
His breathing stopped.
Lan Yue stood over his corpse, her own chest rising and falling rapidly.
She could not look away.
She refused to.
The warmth of his blood seeped into her robes, staining her skin, branding her with the weight of his death.
She had killed him.
A brother.
A friend.
Her soul felt like it was tearing apart.
But she did not shed a tear.
The Chains Tighten
Later that night, Mu Qinglan found Lan Yue sitting in her chamber, staring at her bloodstained hands.
"You did well, Senior Sister."
Lan Yue didn't answer.
Mu Qinglan knelt beside her, gently taking her hand, unbothered by the dried blood staining her fingers.
"It hurts, doesn't it?"
Lan Yue didn't respond.
Mu Qinglan smiled, her touch light, almost comforting.
"Good. Let it hurt. That means you are still human."
She leaned in, her voice soft, hypnotic.
"But one day… it won't hurt anymore."
Lan Yue's fingers clenched. "I don't want to feel this way."
Mu Qinglan brushed her hair aside, her lips near Lan Yue's ear.
"Then keep going."
"The more you walk this path… the easier it will become."
Lan Yue closed her eyes.
She had already taken two lives.
What was one more?
She exhaled slowly.
The weight of guilt did not lessen.
But it no longer felt unbearable.
Jin Xiao's Satisfaction
Far away, Jin Xiao watched everything unfold through Bai Ling's connection.
He reclined against his chair, sipping tea, the flickering candlelight casting sharp shadows across his face.
"She is breaking beautifully."
Bai Ling smirked, standing beside him. "Mu Qinglan has done well."
Jin Xiao's lips curled in satisfaction.
"Lan Yue thinks she is making her own choices."
He exhaled, amused, his fingers tapping lightly against the porcelain cup.
"But she is already ours."
Bai Ling tilted her head, watching his expression closely. "Shall we move to the next phase?"
Jin Xiao closed his eyes for a moment before chuckling softly.
"Not yet."
He leaned forward, placing his cup on the table.
"Let her sink deeper. Let her think she is free."
"And when the time is right…"
His smile widened, cold and merciless.
"…She will tear down the Azure Moon Sect with her own hands."