Chapter 27 — The Ninth Was Never the Traitor

The empty cushion moved.

No wind entered the wooden house.

No formation activated.

No spiritual energy gathered.

Yet the ninth cushion sank.

Slowly.

As though someone invisible had just sat down.

Xuankong stopped breathing.

Gu Jian's hand moved toward a sword that was no longer there.

Jian Wuchen's First Key trembled.

Lin Yue drew Moonfrost.

Lu Chen—

took three steps backward.

Progress.

Shen Yuan stared at the empty seat.

The Primordial Fate-Severing Silk spread through the room.

Karma became visible.

Xuankong.

Gu Jian.

His disciples.

Cloudveil.

Ji Cang's old residence.

The hidden authority core.

The colorless thread coming from beneath the world.

And the ninth cushion.

Nothing.

No soul.

No spirit.

No karma.

No destiny.

No spatial disturbance.

Nothing was sitting there.

Yet the cushion remained compressed.

The system appeared.

[Analyzing.]

Pause.

[No living entity detected.]

[No soul detected.]

[No remnant consciousness detected.]

[No illusion detected.]

[No spatial projection detected.]

Shen Yuan frowned.

"Then why is it moving?"

[Unknown.]

Useful as always.

Xuankong entered the house.

"Don't touch it."

Shen Yuan looked at him.

"You say that often."

"Because you touch everything."

Fair.

Gu Jian followed more slowly.

His remaining bandages trembled.

"The Ninth sat there."

Xuankong looked at him.

"You remember?"

"No."

Gu Jian stared at the cushion.

"My body does."

That was worse.

Shen Yuan looked at the jade tablet they had found.

Ji Cang's warning remained visible.

If the Ninth is remembered, do not let them return to Cloudveil.

Outside the house, Patriarch Bloodriver still stood at Azure Origin Sect's gate with the Covenant Mark burned across his chest.

Seven black sword marks around a circle.

Two additional marks beyond it.

Nine.

And the thing beneath the worlds had been asking him one question.

Where is the Ninth?

Too many pieces.

Not enough shape.

Then the cushion rose.

Everyone tensed.

A single character appeared beneath it.

Carved into the wooden floor.

Not newly carved.

It had always been there.

Hidden by the cushion.

Xuankong knelt.

Dust moved aside.

One ancient character.

忘

Forget.

Gu Jian's expression changed.

"Forget?"

Shen Yuan looked at the other cushions.

"Move yours."

Xuankong frowned.

"What?"

"Move the cushions."

They did.

First.

Second.

Third.

Fourth.

Fifth.

Sixth.

Seventh.

Eighth.

Each had a character beneath it.

Together—

a sentence.

Xuankong read slowly.

"Remember eight."

Gu Jian moved the ninth cushion completely.

"Forget one."

Silence.

Then another line appeared beneath the central cushion where Ji Cang had once sat.

"Until they choose to return."

Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed.

Not until they are found.

Not until the seal breaks.

Until they choose.

The Ninth had agency in this.

Ji Cang hadn't simply erased them.

The Ninth had participated.

Perhaps requested it.

Jian Wuchen looked at the warning tablet.

"But this says not to let the Ninth return."

"Yes."

"Contradiction?"

"Maybe not."

Shen Yuan looked at the empty seat.

"Cloudveil was told to forget the Ninth until the Ninth chose to return."

"Ji Cang warned whoever came later not to let them return here if they were remembered."

Lin Yue understood first.

"Because remembering them and them choosing to return aren't the same thing."

Shen Yuan nodded.

Exactly.

Someone could uncover the Ninth.

Track them.

Force them back.

And that—

apparently—

was dangerous.

Lu Chen raised one hand.

Everyone looked at him.

"What?"

"Are we sure the Ninth is still alive?"

Silence.

Reasonable question.

Xuankong's expression became complicated.

"They were alive when the memories were severed."

"Eight thousand years ago."

"Yes."

"That's a long time."

"Yes."

"So they could be dead."

"Yes."

Lu nodded.

"Good."

Everyone stared.

He blinked.

"Not good that they're dead."

"I mean good that I understand."

Jian Wuchen sighed.

Shen Yuan stepped outside the wooden house.

"We're talking to Bloodriver."

Gu Jian followed.

Xuankong stayed for a moment.

He looked at the ninth cushion.

His face tightened.

Then he whispered:

"I'm sorry."

He did not know to whom.

Then he followed.

Patriarch Bloodriver had not moved.

That was impressive considering hundreds of cultivators were staring at his bare chest.

Gu Tianhe had at least ordered most disciples away.

Most.

Several were definitely watching from distant mountains.

Qin Feng stood with folded arms.

Mu Qinglan studied the Covenant Mark from a safe distance.

Mo Qingfeng's expression was grim.

Profound Sword Sect's delegation remained outside the gate.

Li Cangwu still supported Lu Qingshan.

Zhou Tianluo stood several steps away from both.

No one trusted anyone.

Healthy.

Shen Yuan arrived with Xuankong, Gu Jian, and his disciples.

Bloodriver immediately looked at Gu Jian.

The seven marks around his chest burned.

Gu Jian stopped.

Bloodriver gasped.

The marks glowed black-red.

One.

Two.

Three.

All seven.

Then the two outer marks ignited.

Bloodriver dropped to one knee.

Shen Yuan caught him before his face met the stone.

"That would have been embarrassing."

Bloodriver could not answer.

The system appeared.

[Covenant Mark activation detected.]

[Mark structure consists of two overlapping systems.]

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Shen Yuan's eyes sharpened.

There.

"Explain."

[Inner structure: Sevenfold Covenant.]

[Outer structure: Unknown.]

"Separate origins?"

[Likely.]

Interesting.

The seven swords around the circle—

original Covenant Mark.

The two additional marks—

something else.

Exactly as it should be.

"Analyze inner structure."

[Sevenfold Covenant.]

[Purpose: Identification / authority recognition / Guardian resonance.]

[No direct hostile function detected.]

"And the two outer marks?"

Pause.

[Foreign causal additions.]

[Purpose: Search / triangulation.]

Shen Yuan's expression hardened.

The two extra marks weren't part of the Covenant.

They had been added.

By something searching for the Ninth.

Bloodriver gritted his teeth.

"What is happening?"

"The seven marks recognize someone."

Bloodriver looked at Gu Jian.

"Me?"

Gu Jian asked.

Shen Yuan nodded.

"The two outer marks are searching."

"For what?" Bloodriver whispered.

Everyone already knew.

"The Ninth."

Bloodriver closed his eyes.

"Wonderful."

Shen Yuan almost liked him.

Gu Jian approached.

Bloodriver's followers tensed.

Patriarch Bloodriver raised one hand.

"Stay back."

Gu Jian stopped one meter away.

He stared at the mark.

Then lifted two fingers.

The seven inner swords responded.

Not the two outer marks.

Only seven.

A circular black pattern floated above Bloodriver's chest.

Gu Jian's eyes widened.

"That's mine."

Xuankong stepped beside him.

"The Covenant?"

"No."

Gu Jian pointed.

"The formation structure."

His voice became quieter.

"I designed this."

Silence.

Gu Jian touched his forehead.

Memory pressure rose.

Shen Yuan watched carefully.

"Don't force it."

"I need to know."

"You need to remain conscious."

"Debatable."

Xuankong glared.

"Not debatable."

Gu Jian ignored him.

His memory shifted.

Sword City.

Ji Cang.

Seven keys.

Seven Guardians.

A formation.

Gu Jian carving seven swords around a circle.

He remembered.

"The Covenant Mark wasn't for the Nine."

Xuankong froze.

"What?"

Gu Jian looked at everyone.

"It was for the Seven."

Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed.

"The Guardians."

"Yes."

That fit.

Seven swords.

One circle.

Seven Guardian Seals.

Seven keys.

Seven direct disciples who guarded the door.

The Nine had been associated with the mark later.

History had merged two different things.

Gu Jian continued.

"The Covenant allowed Guardians to identify one another."

"Track damaged seals."

"Recognize key authority."

"Send emergency warnings."

Jian Wuchen looked at Bloodriver.

"Then why does he have it?"

Good question.

Gu Jian stared at Bloodriver.

"Your bloodline."

Bloodriver frowned.

"What about it?"

"Who founded your sect?"

"Patriarch Xue He."

"When?"

"Roughly seven thousand six hundred years ago."

Xuankong's eyes narrowed.

Four hundred years after Severance.

Gu Jian asked:

"His origin?"

Bloodriver hesitated.

"Unknown."

Of course.

"Our oldest records say he arrived from the west carrying a broken black sword."

Gu Jian became still.

"Which Guardian?" Xuankong asked.

Gu Jian looked at the seven swords.

Then shook his head.

"I don't know."

Bloodriver frowned.

"My sect has no Sword Dao inheritance."

"Blood Dao can evolve from many things," Xuankong said.

Bloodriver looked offended.

"My founder was not secretly a sword cultivator."

Xuankong shrugged.

"Mine cut lightning."

"People change."

Shen Yuan ignored them.

"So Bloodriver may descend from a Guardian lineage."

Gu Jian nodded.

"Or from someone who inherited Guardian authority."

That explained why Xue Ming's death activated something.

Maybe.

Not enough proof yet.

Mu Qinglan stepped closer.

"Peak Master Shen."

"Hm?"

"The two outer marks."

"What about them?"

"They aren't symmetrical."

Shen Yuan looked.

She was right.

At first glance they sat outside the circle.

One left.

One right.

But their angles differed.

They weren't decorative additions.

They pointed.

Mu Qinglan drew formation lines in the air.

"These are coordinates."

Shen Yuan activated the Fate-Severing Silk.

The two outer marks extended into colorless threads.

One descended beneath the Mortal Realm.

The other—

went somewhere else.

Everyone watched Shen Yuan's expression change.

Xuankong asked:

"Where?"

Shen Yuan followed.

Across the Mortal Realm.

Through mountains.

Cities.

Seas.

Then—

Cloudveil.

The second thread entered Ji Cang's wooden house.

The ninth cushion.

Again.

Bloodriver's mark connected the thing beneath the world to Cloudveil.

A search route.

Shen Yuan cut it.

Immediately.

The outer right mark vanished.

Bloodriver gasped.

One of the two extra scars disappeared from his chest.

Everyone froze.

Gu Jian stared.

"You removed it."

"Yes."

"Can you remove the other?"

Shen Yuan examined the remaining thread.

It went downward.

"Yes."

The system warned:

[Severing final search coordinate may alert originating entity.]

Shen Yuan paused.

It already knew he existed.

But not necessarily where Cloudveil was.

The first coordinate had been Cloudveil.

The second seemed to be Bloodriver himself or the Mortal Realm anchor.

If he cut both—

the triangulation failed.

Worth it.

Shen Yuan raised one finger.

Heaven-Severing Dao appeared.

Patriarch Bloodriver looked at him.

"Will this hurt?"

"Probably not."

"Probably?"

Shen Yuan cut.

Bloodriver screamed.

Everyone stared.

Shen Yuan paused.

"Apparently yes."

Bloodriver fell forward.

Gu Tianhe covered his face.

The second outer mark shattered.

Colorless light burst upward.

Then vanished.

The original seven-sword Covenant Mark remained.

Black.

Stable.

Quiet.

The system chimed.

[Foreign search structure destroyed.]

[Triangulation failed.]

[Originating entity has lost current coordinate lock.]

Good.

Then:

[Originating entity is aware of interference.]

Expected.

Bloodriver slowly looked up.

His face was pale.

"You could have warned me."

"I said probably."

"That isn't a warning."

"Technically—"

Lin Yue quietly interrupted.

"Master."

Shen Yuan stopped.

Fine.

Far beneath the Mortal Realm—

something opened its eyes.

There was no light.

No earth.

No spiritual energy.

No Dao.

Only an enormous darkness between foundations.

Two colorless lines had existed there.

Now both were cut.

The thing waited.

Then laughed.

Softly.

"Severance."

It remembered that sensation.

Not identical.

Different hand.

Different intent.

Same refusal.

Interesting.

It raised something that might have been a hand.

Nine points appeared in the darkness.

Eight were dark.

One flickered.

Then disappeared.

"Still hiding."

The thing lowered its hand.

No anger.

No impatience.

It had waited longer than civilizations.

It could wait again.

Immortal Realm.

Celestial Registry Palace.

Ji Wushang knelt before the throne.

He had been summoned directly from his residence.

No explanation.

No preparation.

No time to change robes.

Immortal Emperor Taihuang sat above him.

The hall was empty.

That concerned Ji Wushang more than a full court would have.

Taihuang held a broken fragment of the Heaven-Viewing Mirror.

Inside it—

one frozen image.

Shen Yuan.

White robes.

Calm expression.

Standing on Cloudveil Peak.

Taihuang spoke.

"You observed him."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Name."

"Shen Yuan."

"Affiliation."

"Azure Origin Sect."

"Cultivation."

Ji Wushang hesitated.

Taihuang's eyes narrowed.

"Speak."

"He said..."

Ji Wushang felt ridiculous.

"...Immortal."

Taihuang waited.

"And when I asked which Immortal realm..."

"Yes?"

"He said..."

Ji Wushang closed his eyes internally.

"...complicated."

Silence.

Taihuang stared at him.

Ji Wushang remained kneeling.

Finally—

Taihuang laughed.

Once.

Quietly.

"Complicated."

"Yes."

Taihuang looked at the image.

"Did you attack him?"

"No."

"Threaten him?"

"No."

"Attempt forced descent?"

"No."

"Good."

Ji Wushang looked up slightly.

"Your Majesty?"

Taihuang placed the mirror fragment down.

"Continue doing nothing."

Ji Wushang blinked.

"Nothing?"

"Observe if possible."

"Do not contact him."

"Do not provoke him."

"Do not descend."

"Do not let anyone under your authority descend."

Ji Wushang bowed.

"Yes."

Then Taihuang added:

"If he contacts you first..."

Ji Wushang waited.

"...be polite."

That was unexpected.

"Yes."

Taihuang leaned back.

"The Celestial Registry received a message."

Ji Wushang's expression changed.

"What message?"

Taihuang looked at him.

"The First Key bearer lives."

Ji Wushang froze.

"The Ninth has returned."

His face changed further.

"And Ji Cang's Dao has a new master."

Ji Wushang slowly looked at the image of Shen Yuan.

Understanding arrived.

"Shen Yuan."

"Likely."

Ji Wushang swallowed.

"Your Majesty..."

"Yes?"

"Should I know who Ji Cang is?"

Taihuang became silent.

Then:

"No."

Ji Wushang waited.

Taihuang's gaze became distant.

"But you should know this."

He pointed at Shen Yuan's image.

"If that man truly carries Ji Cang's Dao..."

Pause.

"...then the most dangerous thing we can do is decide what he is before he decides it himself."

Ji Wushang remembered Shen Yuan's calm face.

The impossible lower-world Immortal.

The mountain that had cracked the Severed Barrier simply by changing.

"Understood."

Taihuang waved.

"Go."

Ji Wushang rose.

Then stopped.

"Your Majesty."

Taihuang looked at him.

"Why did the Immortal Realm fear Ji Cang?"

Silence.

For several seconds Taihuang said nothing.

Then:

"We didn't."

Ji Wushang frowned.

Taihuang looked toward the distant sky.

"We feared what happened after people realized he was right."

Azure Origin Sect.

Patriarch Bloodriver had put his robe back on.

Good.

The atmosphere remained tense.

But less immediately murderous.

Gu Tianhe finally spoke.

"So."

Everyone looked at him.

He gestured toward the collection of absurd people standing outside his sect.

"Can someone explain why my front gate currently contains two Sect Masters, one Patriarch, three ancient cultivators, several fugitives, a Sword Tomb key bearer, and Peak Master Shen?"

Shen Yuan looked around.

"Three ancient cultivators?"

Gu Tianhe pointed.

"Xuankong."

"Gu Jian."

Then at Shen Yuan.

"You."

Shen Yuan frowned.

"I'm not ancient."

"Your behavior has aged me enough to count."

Qin Feng laughed.

Mu Qinglan looked away.

Shen Yuan decided not to argue.

Gu Tianhe continued.

"More importantly—"

He pointed toward the Profound Sword Sect cultivators.

"Are they invading?"

Zhou Tianluo answered.

"No."

Then Gu pointed at Bloodriver.

"Are you invading?"

"No."

"Excellent."

Gu Tianhe looked relieved.

"Then everyone who is not invading can stop standing outside my gate like they are."

Reasonable.

The meeting moved to Azure Origin Sect's main hall.

It became crowded.

Gu Tianhe sat at the head.

Shen Yuan refused the seat beside him.

Xuankong took it.

Gu Tianhe stared.

Xuankong smiled.

"Comfortable."

Gu Tianhe decided he was too old for this.

Participants:

Azure Origin Sect.

Profound Sword Sect.

Bloodriver Sect.

Cloudveil.

Technically Cloudveil was part of Azure Origin.

Increasingly, that felt administrative rather than factual.

Lu Qingshan sat opposite Zhou Tianluo.

Neither spoke.

Li Cangwu stood behind Lu.

Duan Zheng and Ye Feng remained nearby.

Gu Jian sat beside Xuankong.

Patriarch Bloodriver sat far away from everyone.

His preference.

Then Shen Yuan began.

"First."

He looked at Bloodriver.

"Xue Ming."

The Patriarch nodded.

"I ordered him to investigate the Covenant Mark."

"Not invade Azure Origin?"

"No."

"Why did he?"

"I don't know."

Shen Yuan activated the Fate-Severing Silk.

Bloodriver's karma was messy.

But the statement did not trigger anything obvious.

Not proof.

Still.

"Did Xue Ming know about Jian Wuchen?"

"No."

"The First Key?"

"No."

"Chaos Root?"

Bloodriver looked confused.

"No."

"Nine-Yin?"

More confusion.

"No."

Then Xue Ming's corpse-message had not come from Bloodriver.

Expected.

Patriarch Bloodriver continued.

"Xue Ming changed three months ago."

"How?"

"More aggressive."

"Secretive."

"He began spending time in our sealed ancestral chamber."

Gu Jian looked over.

"You have one?"

"Every old sect has a sealed ancestral chamber."

Gu Tianhe quietly asked Mo Qingfeng:

"Do we?"

Mo answered:

"Three."

Gu Tianhe frowned.

"Why don't I know?"

"You never asked."

Fair.

Bloodriver continued.

"Xue Ming found the black token there."

"The Covenant Mark."

"Yes."

"He said it was connected to our founder."

"Then?"

"I ordered investigation."

"Instead he came here."

"Yes."

"With an army."

Bloodriver's expression darkened.

"Yes."

"That seems like a large misunderstanding."

"It was."

Shen Yuan nodded.

"Second."

He looked at Profound Sword Sect.

"Han Wuji."

Lu Qingshan's expression tightened.

Zhou Tianluo leaned forward.

Shen Yuan continued.

"Han Wuji has used karmic structures inside Profound Sword Sect."

"How many people?"

"At least thirty-eight contaminated."

The hall erupted.

Profound Sword elders began speaking.

Zhou raised one hand.

Silence returned.

"Names."

Shen Yuan listed those known.

When he reached Song Yao—

Duan's eyes hardened.

When he reached Zhou Xuanji—

Zhou Tianluo's expression changed.

"My uncle."

"Missing," Shen Yuan said.

"Yes."

"When?"

"The day before the Sword Tomb opened."

Jian Wuchen looked up.

That was not coincidence.

Shen Yuan continued.

"Contamination doesn't mean guilt."

Important.

"We inspect them individually."

Zhou nodded.

"Agreed."

Lu Qingshan looked at Shen Yuan.

"And me?"

"Your primary connection was severed."

"Primary?"

"There may be more."

Lu closed his eyes.

"Wonderful."

"Third."

Shen Yuan looked at Gu Jian.

"The Ninth."

The hall became quieter.

Most did not understand.

Those who did—

became very still.

Gu Jian looked at the table.

"We know Master erased the Ninth from our memories."

Xuankong corrected:

"Master and the Ninth."

Gu Jian nodded.

"We know it was intentional."

"We know the Ninth was hiding from the thing beneath the worlds."

Patriarch Bloodriver touched his chest.

"And that thing used me to search."

"Yes."

Jian Wuchen spoke.

"The Seventh Lineage inheritance says never trust the Ninth."

Zhou Tianluo nodded.

"Correct."

Shen Yuan looked at Gu Jian.

"Do you believe that warning?"

Gu Jian remained silent.

Then:

"No."

Zhou frowned.

"Why?"

Gu Jian looked at him.

"Because I remember who wrote the first Seventh Lineage techniques."

"Me."

"I remember creating the Covenant Mark."

"Me."

"I remember my master."

"I remember my brothers and sisters."

"Poorly."

"But enough."

His voice hardened.

"I do not remember creating your lineage."

Silence.

"I do not remember leaving descendants."

"I do not remember writing your warning."

"And I do not remember giving anyone permission to turn my memories into an inheritance."

Zhou Tianluo's expression became grim.

Gu Jian continued.

"Your lineage may carry my sword."

"But someone built it after I disappeared."

"Which means every instruction inside it is suspect."

Zhou did not argue.

He simply nodded.

"Agreed."

Again—

competent.

Shen Yuan appreciated reasonable people.

They made conspiracies easier.

Then Lu Qingshan spoke.

"I know where the Seventh Lineage came from."

Everyone turned.

Zhou Tianluo stared.

"What?"

Lu Qingshan looked exhausted.

"When Han Wuji controlled me..."

He paused.

"...I saw memories."

Shen Yuan leaned forward.

"His?"

"I think so."

"Show us."

"I can't."

"Describe them."

Lu nodded.

"A battlefield."

"After the Severance."

"Gu Jian was already gone."

"Xuankong was gone."

"Most of the Nine were dead, missing, or scattered."

"Han Wuji was wounded."

"He found survivors."

"Children."

"Servants."

"Outer disciples."

"People connected to the Seven Guardians."

Gu Jian's face changed.

Lu continued.

"He gathered them."

"Protected them."

"Then divided them into seven groups."

Silence.

Zhou Tianluo slowly stood.

"No."

Lu looked at him.

"Han Wuji founded the Seven Lineages."

The room froze.

Gu Jian's expression became unreadable.

Xuankong whispered:

"Senior Brother..."

Lu continued.

"He used each Guardian's surviving techniques."

"Bloodlines where possible."

"Records."

"Memories."

"Fragments."

"He created lineages so the Seven Keys would not disappear."

Zhou Tianluo stared.

"Then Han wasn't trying to destroy the Guardians."

"Not originally."

That word mattered.

Shen Yuan asked:

"What changed?"

Lu Qingshan's face tightened.

"I don't know."

"His memories become fragmented."

"Then there's a gap."

"How long?"

"Centuries."

"And after?"

Lu looked at Shen Yuan.

"Han is different."

"How?"

"Before the gap, he was trying to preserve Ji Cang's plan."

"After..."

Lu swallowed.

"...he was trying to control it."

Silence.

Shen Yuan thought of Dao Parasitism.

Eight thousand years.

Multiple hosts.

Identity continuity.

What if continuity wasn't perfect?

What if Han Wuji had survived—

but changed?

Or something had entered him?

Gu Jian whispered:

"Senior Brother wasn't the traitor."

Everyone looked at him.

He raised his head.

"Not at first."

Xuankong's face changed.

The ancient suspicion shifted.

Han Wuji may have founded the Guardian lineages.

Preserved the keys.

Protected Gu Jian through karma.

Restricted Gu Jian from opening the prison.

That did not fit a simple traitor.

Yet Han had also possessed Lu Qingshan.

Manipulated Profound Sword Sect.

Hidden memories.

Used karmic execution.

Something happened.

A gap.

Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed.

"The Ninth wasn't the traitor either."

Silence.

Jian looked at him.

"How do you know?"

"I don't."

Shen Yuan leaned back.

"But everyone keeps leaving warnings about people instead of the event that changed them."

Han before gap.

Han after gap.

Gu Jian before memory loss.

Gu Jian after.

The Ninth erased to hide from something.

Yue Hanshuang infected by something.

Ji Cang went beneath the world and returned covered in blood.

Then immediately decided to cut the bridge.

The problem might never have been which disciple betrayed Ji Cang.

Maybe—

the betrayal came after contamination.

Or coercion.

Or replacement.

Shen Yuan looked at Xuankong.

"Your master said one of you betrayed him."

"Yes."

"Did he say willingly?"

Xuankong froze.

No.

He hadn't.

Gu Jian's eyes widened.

The entire premise changed.

Then the system chimed.

[Cloudveil Territory Alert.]

Shen Yuan's expression changed.

"What?"

[Unknown individual detected at Cloudveil boundary.]

Everyone became alert.

"Identity?"

Pause.

[Unable to determine.]

"Threat?"

[Unknown.]

"Location?"

An image appeared.

Cloudveil's hidden entrance.

The temporary sign Chen An had installed still stood there.

A person waited beside it.

Simple gray clothes.

Travel-worn cloak.

No weapon.

No visible cultivation.

Their face was hidden beneath a hood.

Chen An stood several meters away.

Holding a broom.

Of course.

Shen Yuan stood.

Xuankong looked at him.

"What happened?"

"Visitor."

"Who?"

"Unknown."

Gu Jian's face changed.

"At Cloudveil?"

"Yes."

Patriarch Bloodriver looked concerned.

Zhou Tianluo looked confused.

Gu Tianhe looked tired.

Shen Yuan opened space.

Cloudveil Peak.

Chen An looked at the stranger.

The stranger looked at Chen An.

Neither spoke.

Finally Chen An asked:

"Name?"

The stranger remained silent.

"Affiliation?"

Silence.

"Purpose of visit?"

The hooded head tilted.

Then:

"Is Ji Cang here?"

Chen An considered.

"No."

"Xuankong?"

"Guest."

The stranger became still.

"Gu Jian?"

"Also guest."

Long silence.

Chen An looked at his registry.

"Should I write 'friend'?"

The stranger laughed.

Softly.

A familiar kind of laugh.

Tired.

Ancient.

"That depends."

"On?"

"Whether they still remember me."

Space opened.

Shen Yuan stepped through.

Xuankong followed.

Gu Jian.

Jian Wuchen.

Lin Yue.

Lu Chen.

The moment Xuankong saw the stranger—

nothing happened.

No recognition.

Gu Jian stared.

Nothing.

Then the hooded figure looked at the wooden house in the distance.

At the ninth seat hidden inside.

Cloudveil shook.

All nine ancient paths illuminated.

Not three.

All nine.

The system erupted.

[WARNING.]

[Unknown destiny path detected.]

[Cloudveil recognition response: MAXIMUM.]

[Causal identity unavailable.]

The stranger slowly removed the hood.

A young face.

Neither Xuankong nor Gu Jian recognized it.

Silver-black hair.

Clear eyes.

No aura.

No karma.

No destiny.

Shen Yuan's Primordial Fate-Severing Silk found nothing.

Exactly nothing.

Like the faceless sixth executioner Xuankong had described.

Shen Yuan's expression sharpened.

Gu Jian stepped backward.

The stranger looked at him.

Then Xuankong.

Sadness crossed their face.

"You really don't remember."

Xuankong's voice was barely audible.

"Who are you?"

The stranger smiled.

Then answered:

"Good."

The same word Ji Cang's sword had used when Shen Yuan said he was not Ji Cang.

The wooden house opened by itself.

The ninth cushion moved.

The stranger looked toward Shen Yuan.

"You're the new master of Cloudveil."

Not a question.

Shen Yuan said nothing.

The stranger bowed.

Not deeply.

Just enough.

Then:

"My name won't mean anything to you."

"Apparently it shouldn't."

Their eyes moved toward the ancient house.

"But your predecessor called me his Ninth disciple."

Xuankong stopped breathing.

Gu Jian's remaining bandages tore.

The system flashed red.

[CAUSAL CONCEALMENT COLLAPSING.]

[WARNING.]

[REMEMBERING THIS INDIVIDUAL MAY REESTABLISH EXTERNAL TRACE.]

Shen Yuan remembered Ji Cang's warning.

If the Ninth is remembered, do not let them return to Cloudveil.

Too late.

The Ninth smiled faintly.

"I need you to do something."

Shen Yuan looked at them.

"What?"

The smile disappeared.

"Kill me."

And far beneath the Mortal Realm—

something began laughing.