The Hall of Judgment was carved from black stone, high pillars etched with ancient runes. Flames flickered in braziers, throwing jagged shadows across the vast chamber.
Li Xian was dragged in chains, his ankles clanging against the marble floor. Disciples and elders lined the sides, whispering feverishly.
"He awakened demonic qi…"
"Impossible—he was crippled!"
"He should be executed immediately!"
At the head sat the Sect Master, an austere man with hair like silver steel and eyes as sharp as swords. His aura alone pressed like a mountain.
Zhao Feng stood nearby, bandaged but defiant, smirking cruelly. "Sect Master, this heretic must be destroyed before his corruption spreads!"
The Sect Master's gaze turned to Li Xian. "Do you admit to practicing forbidden arts?"
The hall fell silent.
Li Xian raised his head slowly. His chains rattled, but his eyes gleamed crimson beneath the torchlight. A crooked smile curved his lips.
"I admit…" he drawled, "that Zhao Feng raised his sword against a cripple. And lost."
The disciples erupted in murmurs. Even some elders twitched at the brazenness.
"You dare twist words!" Zhao Feng shouted, face red. "Sect Master, he summoned demonic energy with my own eyes as witness—"
"Then why," Li Xian cut in smoothly, "are you still alive?"
The question struck like lightning. Zhao Feng stammered, eyes widening.
"If I had truly embraced the demonic path," Li Xian continued, his voice low but carrying across the hall, "would your corpse not already be cold? Perhaps," his smile widened dangerously, "I merely grasped for survival when death stared me down. But fear makes small men shout 'demon' at shadows."
Laughter rippled faintly through the disciples, silenced quickly by the elders' glares.
The Sect Master's brows furrowed. He turned to Su Yao, standing near the dais, her veil lowered once more. "Saintess. You were present. Speak truthfully."
All eyes fell on her.
Su Yao's expression was unreadable, but her fingers curled slightly at her sleeve. Her gaze flickered to Li Xian—his chains, his bloodstained robes, his smirk that dared her to look away.
She lowered her head slightly.
"…It is true Zhao Feng struck first."
A ripple surged through the hall.
Zhao Feng's face drained of color. "Yao! You—"
"Enough!" the Sect Master's voice cracked like thunder, silencing all. He stared hard at Li Xian, but his gaze shifted, ever so slightly, to Su Yao. A pause. Then:
"Li Xian will remain confined. His fate will be decided after deeper investigation."
The chains were pulled taut again as guards dragged him away, whispers trailing in his wake.
But he was smiling.
---
The cell welcomed him back with its cold lantern light. He leaned against the chair, smirk unbroken.
"Investigation, huh? That means I live another day."
The system purred:
> [Time remaining: 3 days.]
[Seduction Progress: Su Yao – 35%.]
But as silence pressed in, the air shifted.
From the far corner of the chamber, where shadows pooled deepest, a figure emerged.
A woman cloaked in black, her movements as silent as smoke. She lowered her hood, revealing a face sharp and seductive, with eyes that gleamed like obsidian. Unlike Su Yao's ethereal grace, this one radiated danger and allure, like a dagger kissed with poison.
Li Xian's gaze narrowed. "You've been watching."
Her lips curved into a sly smile. "I had to see for myself the cripple who shook the sect today."
She moved closer, hips swaying like a serpent, the faint clink of hidden blades accompanying each step.
"My name is Mei Ling," she whispered, her voice sultry, carrying a faint rasp. "Inner Sect assassin. Sent to silence you."
The chains rattled as Li Xian leaned forward. Instead of fear, amusement sparked in his crimson eyes.
"Then why," he murmured, echoing his words to Zhao Feng earlier, "am I still alive?"
Mei Ling smirked, crouching low until her face hovered inches from his. The faint scent of blood and perfume filled the air.
"Because…" she purred, her fingertip tracing along the chain that bound his wrist, "…I like dangerous men."
The system chimed wildly:
> [New Target Detected: Mei Ling.]
[Affinity: Intrigue +40%.]
[Potential Harem Candidate.]
Li Xian's grin widened. Even in chains, he was the hunter.
The assassin's eyes glittered with both lust and challenge.
"Shall I kill you now, or let you tempt me further?"
Outside, thunder rolled across the heavens once more, as though watching every move.