Chapter 11: The Disciples’ Fear and a Dart in the Dark
The inner disciples’ meeting was held in the main training ground as the sun set, torches lining the stone walls to chase away the dusk. Lin Yue stood near the front, beside Elder Mu, while Xiao Yu lingered at the edge of the crowd—her scout’s eyes scanning the trees for any sign of shadow.
Elder Mu held up his hands to quiet the murmurs. “The Golden Mountain Sect has refused our alliance. The Iron Palm Sect’s messenger is missing. We may face the Shadow Sect alone. But that does not mean we will face them unprepared.”
A murmur of fear rippled through the crowd. A young disciple—no older than sixteen, with a sword too big for his hands—stepped forward, his voice trembling: “But the Black Robe Enforcers are at late Foundation Establishment. We’re just inner disciples. Most of us are only at early or mid-Foundation. How can we fight them?”
Elder Mu’s gaze softened. “We fight by training harder. By watching each other’s backs. And by learning from those who have strength we don’t.” He turned to Lin Yue, nodding. “Lin Yue has been training with the Spirit Spring’s qi. He’s learned to steady his dragon qi—to use it not just for attack, but for defense. Show them, Lin Yue.”
Lin Yue took a deep breath. He stepped forward, his hands at his sides. He focused on the weaved qi in his dantian—the blue stream wrapped in golden warmth—and let a small amount rise to his palms. Instead of letting it burst into a flame or a blade, he shaped it into a thin, glowing shield. It was small—only big enough to cover his chest—and it flickered slightly, but it held.
Gasps ran through the crowd. A few disciples stepped back, eyes wide, but others leaned forward, curiosity overriding fear.
“It’s not much,” Lin Yue said, his voice steady. “But it’s progress. And if I can do this in three days… imagine what we can all do if we train together. The Shadow Sect has strength, but we have something they don’t—we have each other.”
A female disciple, her hair tied back in a tight braid, stepped forward. She was one of the sect’s top swordswomen, known for her sharp tongue and steady hand. “I’ll train with you,” she said. “If this dragon qi can help us defend the sect… I want to learn how to use it. Even if it’s just a little.”
Another disciple stepped forward. Then another. Soon, half the crowd was raising their hands, their voices mixing into a chorus of agreement. Lin Yue felt a warmth in his chest—not from the dragon qi, but from hope.
Elder Mu smiled, placing a hand on Lin Yue’s shoulder. “Good. We’ll split into groups. Lin Yue, you’ll lead the first group—focus on qi control. Xiao Yu, you’ll lead the scouts—keep watching the woods. We don’t know when the Enforcers will come, but we’ll be ready when they do.”
The meeting broke up, disciples filtering into groups. Lin Yue stayed behind, helping Elder Mu stack scrolls of training plans. “Thank you,” Elder Mu said, his voice soft. “For giving them hope. I was worried they’d give up.”
Lin Yue shook his head. “They just needed to see that we’re not helpless. That we’re fighting back.”
As they finished stacking the scrolls, a sharp whistle cut through the night. It was the scout’s signal—danger, close.
Xiao Yu came running, her face pale. “Eastern woods! Two Shadow Sect scouts—they’re shooting darts at the disciples. One hit a boy—he’s unconscious, but his qi is dropping fast.”
Lin Yue drew his sword, his dragon qi flaring to life. “Where?”
“By the cherry blossom grove,” Xiao Yu said, pointing. “They’re moving fast—trying to distract us, not fight.”
Lin Yue and Elder Mu ran toward the grove, their boots thudding on the stone path. Torchlight flickered ahead, and they could hear disciples shouting. When they rounded the corner, they saw two figures in black cloaks, dart guns in hand, running toward the woods. One of them turned, firing a dart at Lin Yue.
He dodged, the dart embedding itself in a tree trunk. Without thinking, he sent a wisp of dragon qi toward the scout—not to attack, but to trip him. The scout stumbled, and Elder Mu was on him, his sword pressed to the scout’s throat. The other scout vanished into the woods, leaving his companion behind.
Lin Yue knelt beside the unconscious disciple—a young boy with messy brown hair, his face pale. He pressed his hand to the boy’s chest, feeling for his qi. It was weak, sluggish, like water stuck in mud. “Poison,” he said, his voice tight. “The dart was coated in it.”
Xiao Yu knelt beside him, pulling a small vial from her cloak. “Antidote—Master Liu gave me some, just in case. It’s not strong, but it might slow the poison.”
She poured the antidote into the boy’s mouth. His breathing steadied, but his face stayed pale. “We need to get him to Master Liu,” Xiao Yu said. “Now.”
Elder Mu nodded, hauling the captured scout to his feet. “I’ll take him to the dungeon. You two get the boy to the alchemist’s workshop. And Lin Yue—stay alert. This wasn’t a real attack. It was a test. They want to see how we react. How strong we are.”
Lin Yue nodded, helping Xiao Yu lift the boy. As they walked toward the workshop, the moon rose higher, casting long shadows over the sect. The cherry blossom petals drifted down, soft and white, but Lin Yue didn’t see their beauty. He saw the dart in the tree trunk. The boy’s pale face. The scout’s dark cloak, vanishing into the woods.
The Black Robe Enforcers weren’t just coming—they were playing with them. Testing their defenses. Waiting for the right moment to strike.
Long Xuan’s voice was grave in his mind: “Don’t let anger cloud your focus. Their goal is to make you rush your training, to break your meridians. Stay steady. Keep growing. That’s how you beat them.”
Lin Yue took a deep breath. He looked down at the boy in his arms, at Xiao Yu’s determined face beside him. He couldn’t rush. He couldn’t break.
Slow. Steady. Strong. That’s how he’d win.
They reached the alchemist’s workshop, Master Liu already waiting with his cauldron. As they handed the boy over, Lin Yue stood in the doorway, looking back at the woods. The shadow of the scout was gone, but the threat remained.
Tomorrow, he’d be back at the Spirit Spring. Training. Growing. Preparing.
And when the Black Robe Enforcers came, he’d be ready.