The Plum Pavilion was silent after the crowd dispersed, but the weight of what had just happened still clung to the air like frost. Lan Xiyue and Ruo Han were summoned immediately — no time to change robes, no chance to speak in private.
The Jade Doors of the Sect Master's inner hall loomed tall, carved with clouds and cranes. Two guards swung them open, revealing a room lit by tall bronze braziers. The Sect Master sat at the far end on a low dais, his presence calm but unyielding.
The Elders lined either side of the hall. Elder Qian's expression was almost smug. Elder Wei, the youngest among them, looked troubled but said nothing.
"Lan Xiyue," the Sect Master began, his voice even, "you have always served Azure Cloud Sect with honor. But today, before the eyes of every disciple, a Heaven's Vein bond revealed itself between you and…" His gaze slid to Ruo Han. "…an unregistered omega."
Ruo Han bowed low, keeping his eyes on the floor. The cedar-storm scent of Lan Xiyue was steady beside him, shielding him from the worst of the oppressive qi in the room.
"This bond is a liability," Elder Qian said sharply. "The Scarlet Sun Sect saw it. Every rival will now see it. If the boy stays, he becomes a target — and if he is taken, it will cripple the heir of our Sect."
"Then no one will take him," Lan Xiyue said flatly.
A murmur rippled through the Elders. The Sect Master's gaze sharpened.
"Are you so certain you can protect him from every enemy who will come for him? From the bond itself?"
Lan Xiyue took a step forward, his voice low but unshaking.
"I am certain of this: if you drive him out, the bond will not weaken — it will tear. And when it tears, it will not only kill him… it will cripple my cultivation. That would be a greater loss to the Sect than keeping him here."
The words hung heavy in the hall. It was a dangerous tactic — turning the bond's risk into the Sect's risk — but it was true. A Heaven's Vein bond was rare, and to sever it was to court disaster.
Elder Wei finally spoke.
"There is precedent for sheltering an omega under such circumstances… if they are bound by oath to the Sect."
Elder Qian scoffed.
"And if he betrays that oath?"
"Then his life is forfeit," Lan Xiyue said before Ruo Han could speak. His voice was ice, but his scent stayed steady — calm enough that Ruo Han knew it was for him, not for the Elders. "I will take full responsibility for him. Every action, every mistake, every drop of his blood."
The Sect Master studied his son for a long moment. Finally, he inclined his head.
"Very well. He will remain under your watch. But hear me, Xiyue — if he endangers this Sect, you will be the one to end him."
Lan Xiyue bowed once, crisp and deep.
"Understood."
When they left the hall, the cold night air felt like a sudden release after the crushing pressure inside. Ruo Han walked in silence until they reached the shadowed garden near Lan Xiyue's quarters.
"You didn't have to—"
"Yes," Lan Xiyue interrupted quietly, turning to face him. "I did."
For a moment, there was no sound but the wind through the plum branches. Then Lan Xiyue's hand rose — not to touch, but to hover just above Ruo Han's cheek, as though he couldn't quite allow himself to bridge the last inch.
"Stay close, Ruo Han," he said, voice low. "Closer than before. The bond has already made you mine. Now the whole world knows it."