The next day.
Liu Xia woke up a little earlier than usual.
Not naturally.
He just couldn't fall back asleep after waking.
He stared at the ceiling for a while.
"That dream last night…"
he said.
Then paused.
"Forget it."
He didn't want to think about it.
He got up and went out.
—
The mountain gate was even quieter than yesterday.
Not because no one was there.
Because no one was talking.
People were around.
Just fewer voices.
Liu Xia picked up the broom.
And started sweeping.
—
Halfway through—
He paused.
Not because of people.
Because—
The wind.
The wind was moving.
But there was one patch where it wasn't.
Like it had been separated.
—
He glanced over.
Someone was standing there.
White clothes.
Standing very straight.
Didn't look like someone here to work.
Looked like someone waiting.
—
Liu Xia kept sweeping.
Had no intention of bothering with him.
—
The man kept looking at him.
Just looking.
After a while, he spoke:
"Liu Xia."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it was clear.
—
Liu Xia paused.
Turned back.
"And who are you now?"
he said.
—
The man didn't get angry.
"Inner sect," he said.
"You can call me—"
He paused.
"Forget it."
"My name doesn't matter."
—
Liu Xia nodded.
"Then get to the point," he said.
—
The man looked at him.
His gaze was steady.
"Yesterday, you saw them," he said.
—
Liu Xia frowned.
"Who?"
—
The man didn't explain.
"You know," he said.
—
Liu Xia was silent for a second.
"In the dream?" he said.
—
The man nodded.
"Not a dream," he said.
—
The air went quiet for a moment.
—
Liu Xia looked at him.
"Then what was it?" he asked.
—
The man paused for a second.
As if choosing his words.
Then said:
"Your position."
—
Liu Xia: "…"
"Don't understand," he said.
—
The man didn't explain.
He changed the question.
"Do you ever feel…"
"That what you say becomes fact?"
—
Liu Xia looked at him.
Thought for a moment.
"No," he said.
—
The man stared at him.
Watched him for a while.
Then nodded.
"Good," he said.
—
Liu Xia frowned.
"What's good about it?"
he asked.
—
The man didn't answer.
He looked around.
Then said:
"Someone will come test you today."
—
Liu Xia: "…"
"You people really have too much free time," he said.
—
The man didn't smile.
"This time is different," he said.
"They'll use 'rules.'"
—
Liu Xia didn't respond.
He kept sweeping.
"Then solve it yourselves," he said.
—
The man looked at him.
"We can't act," he said.
—
Liu Xia paused.
"What's that got to do with me?" he said.
—
The man said nothing more.
He turned to leave.
After two steps—
He stopped.
"If you don't want trouble," he said,
"don't speak carelessly."
—
When he finished—
He was gone.
As if he had never been there.
—
Liu Xia stood there.
Watched for a while.
"You all like saying half of everything," he muttered.
—
He kept sweeping.
—
Time passed little by little.
People started coming up to the mountain gate.
There were even more people than yesterday.
But it was different.
Not watching.
Intentional.
—
Three people.
Walking up together.
Different clothes.
Different presence.
Much stronger than the ones from yesterday.
—
They didn't stop.
They walked straight up to Liu Xia.
And stood there.
—
Liu Xia looked up.
Took a glance.
"Again," he said.
—
The one in the middle spoke:
"We're not here to ask," he said.
"We're here to confirm."
—
Liu Xia sighed.
"You've confirmed plenty of times already," he said.
—
The man didn't respond.
He raised a hand.
Made a light motion.
—
The air changed.
—
No wind.
No sound.
But the whole space—
Tightened.
—
Like the rules had been pulled closer.
—
Liu Xia stood there.
Didn't move.
He looked around.
"What are you doing?" he said.
—
No one answered.
—
The man continued.
Second step.
He said quietly:
"In this place, rules may not be changed."
—
The moment those words fell—
Space sank.
—
As if a "restriction" had been set on this place.
—
Liu Xia stood there.
Frowning.
"This is even stranger," he said.
—
Third step.
The man looked at him.
"Now," he said.
"Say something."
—
The air went silent.
Everyone was watching.
—
Liu Xia looked at him.
A little annoyed.
"You people are really troublesome," he said.
—
Nothing happened.
—
The man's eyes lit up.
"Again," he said.
—
Liu Xia didn't want to cooperate.
But they kept staring.
He sighed.
"Move."
he said.
Casual tone.
—
The air did not change.
—
None of the three moved.
—
The people around all let out a breath.
Someone whispered:
"It's suppressed."
—
Jesse stood in the distance.
Her expression shifted slightly.
"No," she said under her breath.
—
Liu Xia looked at them.
"You satisfied now?" he said.
—
The man nodded.
"Almost," he said.
—
Liu Xia turned around.
Ready to leave.
—
At that exact moment—
A very light voice sounded in "somewhere":
"He said it."
—
—
The next second—
That rule just established:
"In this place, rules may not be changed."
—
Was rewritten.
—
Not broken.
Overwritten.
—
Changed into:
"What he says may change the rules."
—
—
No one saw it.
No one sensed it.
—
But—
It held.
—
Liu Xia took one step.
—
The three of them moved aside at the same time.
—
Not because they wanted to.
Because they had to.
—
Their bodies moved on their own.
One step.
Neat.
Perfectly synchronized.
—
The air went silent.
—
The three themselves were stunned.
—
In that instant just now—
Their rule—
Had been replaced.
—
Liu Xia had already walked past them.
"If you'd done that earlier, this would've been easier," he said.
—
He walked away.
Didn't look back.
—
The mountain gate—
Fell completely silent.
—
Jesse stood there.
Her hand trembling slightly.
She looked at the three men.
Then at Liu Xia's back.
And whispered:
"He isn't inside the rules."
—
She paused.
—
"He is the rule itself."