The snow had melted from the lower slopes of Azure Cloud Mountain, leaving the bamboo groves swaying in the early spring wind. It was supposed to be a quiet day — the Sect Master had sent Lan Xiyue to inspect the western watchposts, and Ruo Han had gone with him as part of his "training."
The narrow mountain path wound between cliffs on one side and a drop into mist on the other. Birds called from the trees. The peace felt… suspicious.
Lan Xiyue noticed it too.
"It's too quiet," he murmured. His hand brushed the hilt of his sword.
They rounded a bend — and the quiet shattered.
Figures dropped from the cliffs above, black robes snapping in the wind. Their scent hit first — heat and smoke, sharp and unmistakable. Scarlet Sun Sect.
The leader, a broad-shouldered alpha with a jagged scar across his brow, grinned.
"Our Sect Master sends his regards, Lan Xiyue. We've come for the omega."
Ruo Han's qi shifted, instinct telling him to step back — but the bond pulled taut, his body moving closer to Lan Xiyue instead.
"You'll leave with nothing," Lan Xiyue said, voice cold as the wind.
The attackers surged forward. Steel flashed in the sunlight. Lan Xiyue's blade met the first strike with a crack of qi, the force rippling through the bamboo. Another came at his back — but before he could turn, a sharp arc of blue-white light sliced through the air.
Ruo Han stood with one hand raised, the faint shimmer of a defensive talisman dissolving into mist between his fingers. His other hand gripped a short blade, its edge catching the light.
Lan Xiyue's gaze flicked to him for just a breath — enough to register surprise — before they moved together without speaking.
Storm and rain.
When Lan Xiyue struck high, Ruo Han's blade swept low, cutting through an enemy's guard. When Ruo Han's talisman flared, Lan Xiyue's sword drove the staggered attacker back. Their qi flowed together unnaturally smoothly, the bond guiding their timing, turning two separate fighters into one seamless force.
The enemy leader snarled, charging straight for Ruo Han. Lan Xiyue's qi spiked in response — but Ruo Han didn't retreat. He sidestepped, his talisman flaring bright as lightning, blinding the alpha long enough for Lan Xiyue's blade to catch him across the chest and send him crashing to the ground.
The remaining attackers fled into the mist.
Only then did they stop, breath steaming in the cool air. Ruo Han's hands were steady, but his chest rose and fell quickly. Lan Xiyue stepped closer, his cedar scent wrapping around them, grounding the leftover rush of battle.
"You've been hiding your skill," Lan Xiyue said quietly.
Ruo Han's lips curved faintly. "You assumed I was helpless."
"I assumed you weren't reckless enough to prove me wrong in front of Scarlet Sun."
Ruo Han looked up at him — and for a moment, the pull of the bond was so strong, so immediate, that neither moved. The air between them felt thick, charged.
Lan Xiyue finally looked away, sliding his sword back into its sheath.
"Next time," he murmured, "we fight like that on my command, not yours."
But his voice carried no real reprimand — only the unspoken truth that he had liked it, the way their qi had fit together as though it had always been meant to.