I Only Wanted to Stay Unseen, Until...

Without Fairy Lith's explicit permission, Pay Ling didn't dare flaunt her name recklessly.

After all, though Pay Honine had said it was Kinson Zheng's voice transmission that ordered him into the outer sect, Fairy Lith had personally commanded him—right before reaching the Square of Eternal Severance—to master the Blood Fiend Sword Art within ten days. If she didn't intend to keep him in the sect, why bother giving him that order then?

Clearly, his entry into the sect was her decision, but she'd let Kinson Zheng relay it—likely to avoid any public ties to him.

Pay Ling wasn't about to risk igniting Fairy Lith's wrath at a time like this. He quickly replied, "Senior brother Chou, you've got it wrong. I come from humble roots—how could I claim familiarity with Fairy Lith? I'm just lucky Brother Zheng didn't brush me off."

"No need to sell yourself short, Junior Brother," Lee Sagwon said, his smile unwavering. "Everyone knows Brother Zheng's always been deferential to Fairy Lith. Out on a mission, without her highness's nod, how would he dare bring you back on his own?"

"Maybe it's because Fairy Lith stayed a few days in my clan's guest courtyard," Pay Ling deflected. "So when Senior Brother Zheng Kinson brought me along, she didn't mind? But my entry into the sect was his call."

Lee Sagwon's expression shifted subtly. Suddenly, he pointed at the Blade of Life Hater. "That knife of yours looks familiar, Junior Brother."

Pay Ling didn't hide it. "It was a gift from Senior Brother Zheng."

"So it is the Blade of Life Hater!" Miu Toanh, whose eyes had been darting to it repeatedly, couldn't hold back. "Back in the day, Kinson Zheng bragged about being unbeatable in the outer sect—hah, wasn't it all thanks to that blade? They say it's razor-sharp, and even—"

Chou Ease cut straight to the chase. "Junior Brother Pay, name your price. I want that knife!"

Pay Ling frowned. "Sorry, Junior Brother Chou, this was a gift from Junior Brother Kinson Zheng—it's not for sale. Plus, I need it myself. I'm not parting with it."

"Kinson Zheng?" Once they confirmed Pay Ling didn't have some untouchable backer, the three people dropped their pretense. Miu Toanh sneered. "If that brat didn't cling to Fairy Lith's distant kinship, a loser like him could've secured an inner sect bloodline lord spot? Trying to intimidate us with Zheng? That's a joke!"

"Junior Brother Chou's kind enough to offer a price," Miu Toanh continued, lunging forward to grab it. "But me? I like your blade, and that's already your good fortune!"

Pay Ling swiftly gripped the Blade of Life Hater and leaped back, his voice icy. "How dare you ignore the sect rules?!"

"Sect rules?" The three exchanged glances and burst into laughter. "Sure, the Holy Sect's rules are strict, but this place is out of the way. Even the enforcer squad disciples only swing by at noon and midnight for a quick inspect. Avoid those hours, and if you 'willingly' hand over the blade, who's gonna care?"

"The Holy Sect's rules are tight, but they still need evidence—catch the thief with red-handed, spot the cheater in the act. You're willingly to give it up, however, you regret it later? What, you think you can just demand it back with empty words? Haha, Junior Brother Pay, never thought that you're such a naive fool."

Miu Toanh spat on the ground with disdain. "Why waste breath on him? Seeing a newbie, I thought he might have some backing like us—maybe worth befriending. But this lowly trash, sharing a roof with us? No clue why he ended up here, but since he's arrived, he's gotta pay a price."

Licking his lips, his greedy eyes raked over the blade's pale sheen. "This punk's got no juice to squeeze, but that knife? Now that's a prize."

Damn it!

Pay Ling finally grasped the sinister intent of that Affairs Office disciple. He'd thought the guy had hooked him up with a decent spot—turns out, he'd deliberately tossed him to these three wolves.

Clenching the Blade of Life Hater, he shot back a threat. "Even if Junior Brother Zheng's not the strongest in the inner sect, he's still Fairy Lith's distant kin. She even brought him along on her mission. You scoff at him like this—aren't you afraid he'll report you to Fairy Lith, and she won't let it slide?!"

"What's Fairy Lith's status?" Chou Ease threw his head back with a mocking laugh, a flicker of something complex in his eyes. "Haven't you noticed? Us outer sect disciples call inner sect folks—even bloodline lords—'Senior Brother' or 'Senior Sister.' But sect successors? We can only address them as 'Highness'.'"

"That's because, in the Holy Sect's perspective, we outer disciples don't even qualify to call successors 'Brother' or 'Sister.'"

"And in the eyes of sect successors, inner sect bloodline lords are beneath notice—let alone us outer sect nobodies."

"You're from Pay clan, huh? Probably related to Kinson Zheng's outer sect lapdog, Pay Honine?"

"Go ask around—when has Fairy Lith, her highness, ever cared if Pay Honine lives or dies?"

With that, Chou Ease's hands flashed through seals. Copper-rust streaks spread across his cheeks and hands, swiftly encasing his body. His pupils glowed with a faint, eerie green.

In the next instant, he leaped forward, twin fists hammering toward Pay Ling's head.

He's actually trying to kill me?!

Pay Ling's heart sank. Recalling the rules he'd just read, it clicked: these three had backing and could afford the fines. Judging by their attitude, the Blade of Life Hater was clearly valuable—maybe even priceless.

If so, killing me and paying a fine would still be worth it.

Realizing this, Pay Ling redirected his slash—originally aimed at Chou Ease's arm—straight for his neck.

At life-or-death stakes, who gave a damn about sect laws?

"You filthy rat!" Chou Ease and his crew flinched. They'd relied on their backers and cultivation to gang up and rob peers plenty of times, racking up experience.

Though the rules deterred them from killing—those fines for voluntary manslaughter were steep, and even if they could pay, why waste that cash on the sect when it could buy something better?—past encounters taught them that starting with a kill-and-loot vibe broke their targets faster. After that, taking what they wanted was easy, and victims, fearing for their lives, rarely dared retaliate or snitch.

Who'd have thought Pay Ling—looking so meek, answering every question—would turn out to be a ruthless badass?

Chou Ease dodged in a bit panic. His Green Ghost Battle Body might be near impervious to blades and spears, but that depended on the weapon. The Blade of Life Hater—Kinson Zheng's claim to fame in the outer sect—wasn't something he'd risk tanking.

"He knows no blade arts!" Lee Sagwon, the keenest observer of the trio, suddenly shouted. "If that's the case, knock that blade out of his hand!"

Pay Ling's gut twisted. The Abyss Pit Sect's rulebook was massive—he'd spent too long poring over it. Before Lee Sagwon and the others showed up, he hadn't had time to practice the Blood Fiend Sword Art. Now, he was stuck flailing wildly.

As Lee Sagwon's words landed, Miu Toanh's hands danced through seals, muttering incantations. A black air-blade coalesced before him, slashing toward Pay Ling's hand in a flash.

Too late to dodge, Pay Ling swung the blade instinctively. The Blade of Life Hater sliced diagonally, shredding the air-blade with ease—but the force jolted the blade hard in his grip.