The morning sun crept over the tiled rooftops of the guest residences, casting long shadows on the cobblestone path. A faint mist clung to the mountain air, wrapping the Azure Heaven Sect in a veil of quiet beauty.
Su Xinyue walked slowly toward the sect's main gate, her steps light yet hesitant. The guqin case was strapped across her back, and in her right hand she held a folded letter — the parchment crisp, sealed with the Li family's golden crest.
Her gaze lingered on the road ahead, but her thoughts were elsewhere.
Last night…
The sound of his voice under the moonlight… the way his eyes seemed to see through her… that faint smile that made her heart race even when she told herself to be calm.
Unbidden, Li Wei's handsome face rose in her mind — the sharp line of his jaw, the confident arch of his brows, the way the moonlight made him seem untouchable. Her cheeks warmed, and she bit her lip lightly.
She looked down at the letter in her hand.
It was his gift to her — though not for her eyes. The envelope bore a single neat line in his elegant handwriting:
To the Honorable Head of the Su Family.
She had read his words before sealing it again: a formal request to accept the relationship between himself and Su Xinyue, written with all the grace and authority of the Azure Heaven Sect's new leader. No hint of the threats beneath the surface, no trace of the sharp edge in his voice the night before. On paper, it was a perfect match proposal.
Her steps quickened toward the waiting carriage. Somewhere between fear and anticipation, her heart beat fast.
Meanwhile — Azure Heaven Sect, Main Courtyard
Li Wei sat beneath a flowering wisteria, a steaming cup of tea cradled in his hand. The fragrance of roasted leaves curled into the air as he took a slow sip, the porcelain cool against his fingers.
Beyond the edge of the courtyard, in the open square, two sect guards were at work. Their whips cracked through the air, the sound sharp and satisfying. Each strike landed on the half-naked back of a man shackled to a wooden post — a demon in human form, his once-fine clothes torn to rags, his skin slick with sweat and blood.
The prisoner's breath came in ragged gasps, his body jerking with each lash. The guards shouted accusations:
"Filthy beast!"
"Dare to spy on the sect again, will you?"
Li Wei's gaze never wavered from the scene.
He set his tea cup down with deliberate care, leaning back in his chair. The sunlight caught in his eyes, making them glint as he watched the blood spray in thin arcs across the dusty ground.
The guards struck again. And again. The demon groaned, his knees buckling.
Li Wei's lips curved into a faint, gentle smile — the same smile that elders praised as the expression of a calm, merciful leader.
Inside, the warmth in his chest was not mercy, but pleasure. There's something soothing about the sound of a man breaking…
The demon's head slumped forward, his breath barely audible.
Li Wei lifted his cup again, inhaling the delicate aroma before taking another slow sip, savoring it like fine wine. Behind the porcelain mask of his face, the satisfaction was real — the sight of another's suffering making his tea taste all the sweeter.
The wisteria blossoms swayed gently above him, the only softness in a courtyard filled with screams.