Chapter 13: The Defense Plan and a Scout’s Discovery
The sun was high when Lin Yue, Xiao Yu, and Elder Mu left the dungeon. The news of the Enforcers’ attack—three days away, through a hidden path—had shifted the sect’s mood from fear to urgency. Disciples ran between training grounds, carrying weapons and scrolls, while Master Liu’s workshop smoked with the scent of healing herbs and poison antidotes.
“We need to block the hidden path,” Elder Mu said, striding toward the main hall. “Xiao Yu, take your scouts to the western woods. Use the token to find the path, then mark it. We’ll set up traps—qi-suppressing nets, fire runes. Lin Yue, you’ll lead the training groups. Focus on defense. Teach the disciples to use their qi to block attacks, even if it’s just for a moment.”
Lin Yue nodded. “What about the dark qi wolves? The prisoner said the Enforcers have them.”
Elder Mu’s jaw tightened. “Master Liu is making wolf-repellent incense. It won’t kill them, but it’ll slow them down. And we’ll post archers in the trees—they’ll aim for the wolves first.”
Xiao Yu slung her cloak over her shoulder, the token clutched in her hand. “I’ll leave now. The sooner we find the path, the sooner we can set up traps.” She paused, looking at Lin Yue. “Be careful with the training. Don’t push the disciples too hard—they’re scared enough as it is.”
Lin Yue smiled. “I won’t. And you be careful in the woods. The Shadow Sect might have more scouts there.”
Xiao Yu nodded, then turned and ran toward the western gate. Lin Yue watched her go, then followed Elder Mu to the main training ground. The disciples were already gathered, their faces serious, their weapons at their sides. The young boy who’d been poisoned—his name was Chen—sat on a bench, his 脸色 still pale, but his eyes bright with determination.
“Three days,” Lin Yue said, stepping onto the raised platform. “The Black Robe Enforcers are coming in three days. Through a hidden path in the western woods. They have dark qi wolves with them. They want the codex. They want to kill us.”
A murmur ran through the crowd, but this time, it wasn’t just fear—it was resolve. Chen stood, his hand on the hilt of his sword. “We’ll stop them. We’ve been training. We’re ready.”
Lin Yue nodded. “We are. But we need to train smarter. Today, we focus on defense. Not just blocking with swords, but with qi. Like this.” He held up his hand, summoning the small dragon qi shield. “It won’t stop a blade, but it’ll slow it down. It’ll give you time to dodge. To help a friend.”
He stepped down from the platform, walking to the first disciple—a girl with a bow, her hands shaking. “Give me your hand,” he said. She hesitated, then held out her hand. Lin Yue placed his palm against hers, sending a tiny thread of dragon qi into her body. “Feel it? That’s how your qi should move. Slow. Steady. Wrap it around your arm—like a shield. Try it.”
The girl closed her eyes, her brow furrowed. After a moment, a faint glow appeared around her arm—flickering, but there. “I did it!” she said, her voice bright.
Lin Yue smiled. “Good. Now do it again. And again. Until it doesn’t flicker.”
The training went on for hours. Lin Yue moved from disciple to disciple, guiding their qi, correcting their posture, encouraging them when they faltered. By midday, half the disciples could summon a small qi shield—some of them even managed to hold it for a minute. His own dragon qi grew tired, but he didn’t stop. Not until he saw Chen—still weak, but summoning a faint glow around his chest—smile.
As the sun began to set, Xiao Yu returned, her face flushed, her cloak covered in mud. “We found the path,” she said, walking toward Lin Yue. “It’s hidden behind a wall of illusion—looks like a pile of rocks, but the token makes it visible. We marked it with runes, and the trap team is setting up nets now. But… we found something else.”
She pulled a small, leather pouch from her pocket and handed it to Lin Yue. Inside was a handful of black fur—coarse, oily, reeking of dark qi. “It’s from a wolf. But not just any wolf. The fur has dark qi in it—stronger than the prisoner said. And we found tracks. A lot of them. More than a dozen wolves.”
Lin Yue’s jaw tightened. A dozen dark qi wolves. Plus the Black Robe Enforcers. It was worse than they’d thought.
Long Xuan’s voice was grave in his mind: “Don’t panic. The disciples are learning fast. Your dragon qi is growing. We have three days. That’s enough time to prepare.”
Lin Yue nodded. He looked at the disciples, still training, their qi glowing faintly in the dusk. At Xiao Yu, her eyes determined. At Chen, practicing his shield again and again.
Three days. It wasn’t much. But it was enough.
“We’ll adjust the traps,” Lin Yue said, turning to Xiao Yu. “More archers. More repellent incense. And we’ll train longer tomorrow. The wolves won’t stop us.”
Xiao Yu nodded, her hand brushing his arm. “They won’t. We won’t let them.”
As the first stars appeared in the sky, the disciples finally stopped training, their bodies tired but their spirits high. Lin Yue stood on the training ground, watching them leave, his hand clutching the black wolf fur. The Black Robe Enforcers were coming. The wolves were coming. Lord Xiao was waiting.
But so was he.
Slow. Steady. Strong.
That’s how they’d win.