The morning sun bathed the Crimson Feather Sect's training grounds in golden light, casting long shadows across the polished stone floor. The scent of dew and fresh soil filled the air as disciples gathered for their daily sparring sessions.
At the center of the training field stood Ji Ren—the sect's top disciple.
He moved with effortless grace, his sword an extension of his will. Each stroke of his blade sliced through the air with deadly precision, his footwork light yet grounded, perfectly balanced. His long black hair, tied loosely at the nape, swayed with each motion, framing a face both sharp and striking, chiselled jawline, high cheekbones, and piercing eyes that held the cold intensity of a storm before it broke.
Even among the strongest of the sect, Ji Ren was unmatched. And other girls drowls over him. He's a fine catch though but too strict with his stares and rude with his mouth.
But he wasn't the only one being watched. On the far end of the courtyard, Xiao Lian stood with her arms crossed, silent, calculating.
Her golden eyes, deep and endless, glowed with quiet amusement. She had been observing him for nearly an hour, every motion, every stance, every slight shift in his breathing. And the grace of his big steel sword.
Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down her back in silken waves, catching the sunlight like strands of midnight woven with silver. She moved like flowing water, each step light yet deliberate, her posture relaxed but never careless.
Where other disciples strained and struggled, her expression remained effortlessly composed, calm, unreadable, and sharp as a blade hidden in silk.
The moment she caught his attention, as his blades Dances with the outmost grace.
Ji Ren had finished his last bout, his opponent staggering back, drenched in sweat and barely able to keep hold of his weapon.
A clean victory. Predictable. She didn't even need SIS to see it coming. But something shifted in the air.
Ji Ren straightened, sword resting against his shoulder as he turned, and his gaze landed on her. For a moment, the world felt still. She was not like the others.
He had seen beauty before, many admired him, sought his approval, feared or adored him. But Xiao Lian was different. She did not shrink beneath his gaze. She did not flush in awe or stammer like the others.
No, she only met his stare head-on, unwavering, her lips tilting into the ghost of a smirk. The audacity.
Ji Ren's eyes narrowed. "What are you looking at?"
A hush fell over the crowd. Nobody dared to speak to him like that. Xiao Lian tilted her head slightly, her expression one of quiet amusement. "A man who doesn't realize he's making mistakes."
Gasps rippled through the onlookers. Ji Ren stilled. His grip on his sword remained firm, but something in his posture shifted, just a fraction, so subtle most would have missed it. Not her. Never her.
"You have a sharp tongue for someone who has yet to prove herself," he said coolly.
Xiao Lian chuckled. "Do I?"
Ji Ren's gaze flickered over her once more. He had never paid much attention to outer disciples before, let alone a girl who had been cast aside in the sect's unwanted division. But there was something dangerous about Xiao Lian.
Not in strength, she was clearly weaker than him, barely trained in proper swordplay. But the way she watched.
The way she saw. It was the same feeling he got when facing a predator in the wild, one that didn't need to bare its fangs to remind him that it was, in fact, the real danger.
Ji Ren stepped closer, his sword glinting under the sun. "And what, exactly, do you think I'm doing wrong?"
Xiao Lian sighed, as if this conversation had already bored her.
"You shift your weight slightly to the left before every upward stroke," she said idly, as if she were commenting on the weather.
Ji Ren's fingers twitched.
"You also hesitate, just for a second, when switching from defense to offense. It's minor, almost invisible, but it's there."
The disciples around them murmured. No one had ever dared to critique Ji Ren's swordplay.
Xiao Lian turned away as if she had already lost interest. "But, of course, I could be wrong," she mused, voice carrying the exact opposite of doubt.
Ji Ren let out a quiet breath, his gaze locked onto her like a hunter studying prey. But something in his gut told him, she was not the prey.
Xiao Lian took slow, measured steps away from the training ground, her hair flowing like white silk, her figure draped in robes that swayed gently with her movements.
Ji Ren had seen many beautiful women before, but none like her.
Her beauty was not delicate, not fragile or crafted for admiration. It was something untamed, sharp, and effortlessly captivating.
A flame that did not move at the sight of him. He had never met someone like her before.
"Wait," he called.
Xiao Lian stopped, but she didn't turn back.
For the first time in years, Ji Ren felt something stir within him, curiosity. A rare, dangerous thing.
"You seem confident in your words," he said. "Let's see if your actions match."
Finally, she turned. A slow smile played at the corners of her lips.
"Oh?"
Ji Ren lifted his sword. "Fight me."
Gasps filled the air once more. The sect's top disciple challenging an unknown new girl, who rumors spreads that she's the cast out daughter of a patriarch? But Xiao Lian only tilted her head, amusement glows in her beautiful eyes.
"And if I win?" A single heartbeat of silence.
Ji Ren smirked. "Then I will admit you were right."
A bold promise. A dangerous one. And yet, Xiao Lian's smile only widened.
"Interesting," she murmured.
Then she turned back towards the training field, stepping onto the stone. The crowd parted. Ji Ren felt something like anticipation curl in his chest.
This girl, she was going to be trouble. And for the first time in a long while…He welcomed it.
Without warning, Ji Ren's sword cut through the air, fast as lightning, but Xiao Lian barely dodged, twisting just in time. His expression was calm, but she could see the faintest flicker of frustration in his eyes.
"You know," Xiao Lian said, grinning as she ducked under another strike, "for the sect's top disciple, you sure miss a lot. Maybe you need glasses?"
Ji Ren's lips twitched. "Maybe you need a better survival instinct."
She gasped dramatically, sidestepping another attack. "Senior Brother, are you trying to kill me? What happened to sect unity?"
SIS chimed in. "Predicted trajectory: 45 degrees left. Counter with a feint."
Xiao Lian smirked. The moment Ji Ren lunged, she dodged perfectly and struck his wrist, sending his sword flying.
Ji Ren blinked.
Xiao Lian crossed her arms. "Well, well. Looks like I'm the new top disciple. Should I start giving you lessons?"
Ji Ren caught her wrist before she could fully step away, his grip firm but not painful. His dark eyes locked onto hers, unreadable. "You're full of tricks," he muttered.
Xiao Lian grinned. "And you're full of yourself. Good balance, don't you think?"
Around them, the watching disciples murmured in disbelief. Some were stunned silent, while others exchanged glances, unsure if they should laugh or be horrified that someone had just bested Ji Ren in a spar.
SIS chimed in again. "Victory confirmed. Suggest a dramatic exit for maximum effect."
Xiao Lian smirked and patted Ji Ren's chest. "Don't feel bad, Senior Brother. Even the mighty have off days. Happens to the best of us." She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "I'll even let you save face. Next time, I'll only win by half a step."
Ji Ren exhaled sharply, but the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly. "Next time, huh?"
She winked. "Try not to lose sleep over it." Then, with a confident turn, she strode off, leaving the entire sect buzzing with whispers.