The moon's pale light spilled through the lattice windows of the Azure Pavilion, casting ghostly shapes upon the polished floor. Inside, five figures stood in tense silence—each cloaked, each marked by quiet purpose.
Li Tianming stood at the head, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. Mei'er sat cross-legged beside him, her breath shallow but rhythmic, as if she were tuning herself to the invisible pulse of the moon.
Feng Qingxue arrived first. She wore her battle robes—steel-trimmed and marked with the sigil of the Verdant Wing Hall. Her eyes, sharp and calculating, met Tianming's without preamble.
"I received your message," she said. "And I've come because the sect needs a new dawn."
Tianming nodded.
Next came Wei Jian, a stoic martial prodigy from the Spear Hall, known more for his silence than any pledge. He stepped inside without a word and stood beside Tianming.
Then came a surprise.
Yun Wuxin, the quiet healer from the Alchemical Pavilion. She was not a warrior. Not a strategist. But her eyes held ancient wisdom.
"I've seen what the Court leaves behind," she said. "Scars that medicine cannot close."
Last was Leng Shuang'er.
She did not speak, but her silent arrival said more than any oath.
Tianming stepped forward.
"You are here not because you trust me," he said, "but because something in you has also heard the echo. The call of the stars—the warning that rides their light."
He drew his sword and held it aloft.
"We are the Moonlit Alliance. Not bound by sect doctrine, but by silent oath. We serve the truth behind the stars. We stand against corruption, both within and without. We do not seek power—but we will not let darkness fester in its absence."
He sliced his palm and let a drop of blood fall upon a shallow bowl etched with runes.
One by one, they followed.
As the last drop hit the basin, the runes flared.
> [Moonlit Pact Initiated. Members: 6. Spiritual Link Established. Passive Bonuses: Awareness Sharing, Low-Level Telepathic Link, Emergency Energy Pool Access (+5%). Risk: If Pact Is Broken, Feedback Damage Imminent.]
Mei'er smiled faintly. "Now… I feel less alone."
---
Shadows Within
Days passed in tense calm. The sect returned to routine, but Tianming knew the peace was only surface-deep.
Underneath, whispers had begun to stir.
Disciples spoke of strange disappearances—of patrols vanishing beyond the Spiritpine Valley, of jade scrolls going dark. Even the elders appeared cautious, their public lectures shorter and more tightly guarded.
The alliance began their investigation quietly.
Wei Jian and Qingxue patrolled the valley routes in secret, tracking down vanishing trails. Wuxin compiled lists of those who had reported sudden energy surges or spirit beast disturbances.
Tianming and Shuang'er visited the records vault.
Disguised as simple researchers, they accessed the sealed scrolls of forbidden history.
> [Authorization Breach: Approved via Lunar Key Token. Remaining Time: 12 minutes.]
The scrolls revealed fragments—half-torn parchments speaking of the Black Sky Mirror, a relic said to reflect not one's face but their fate.
And names: Forgotten Lords. The Eclipse Children. Starbrand Carriers.
"Why hide this?" Shuang'er murmured.
Tianming ran his finger along a date.
"Because history is the first thing tyrants burn."
Just as he turned a page, the runes on the scroll flared violently.
A security alert.
He snapped the scroll shut.
> [Time Remaining: 3 seconds. Exiting.]
They vanished just as the vault runes pulsed with detection magic.
---
The Unseen Enemy
That night, Tianming stood atop the Moonbridge, a narrow stone arc over a sacred lake, where fallen leaves drifted like paper boats.
The stars overhead twisted.
Suddenly, a ripple ran through the lake. Mei'er emerged from the shadows, her expression pale.
"They're inside the sect," she said softly.
Tianming froze. "How do you know?"
She pointed to the sky.
"The stars dim when they walk. I feel them… like rotten warmth. There are five. Two wear elder robes."
He tightened his grip on the railing.
"Traitors among us."
"Not traitors," Mei'er corrected. "Infected."
Before he could ask more, a scream pierced the air.
Flames erupted in the eastern dormitory.
Tianming vanished in a burst of windstep movement.
---
Battle at the Dormitory
By the time he arrived, chaos reigned. Inner disciples fought against twisted figures—robes stained with blood, eyes glowing with black moons.
One of the infected wore the sigil of Elder Yan.
Tianming didn't hesitate.
He leaped into the fray, blade flashing.
> [Lunar Form VI: Mirrorlight Rend. Efficiency: 107%. Target Lock Established.]
The possessed elder roared, hurling a wave of star-corrupted qi. Tianming sliced through it like smoke.
Their blades met in a clash that echoed across the valley.
"Why did you fall?" Tianming shouted.
The elder sneered, voice distorted. "There is no fall. Only return. The stars remember us. We return to them."
Tianming drove his blade through the man's chest.
> [Possession Disrupted. Host Integrity: Failed. Body Disintegration: Commencing.]
The elder dissolved into ash.
He turned—and saw Wei Jian fending off two more corrupted disciples, blood on his side but expression cold and sharp.
Shuang'er and Qingxue arrived moments later, joining the fray.
Together, the Alliance fought as one.
And won.
But victory was bitter.
---
The Cost of Secrets
In the aftermath, Elder Su Lanyin summoned Tianming privately.
"You saw what they were," she said. "We suspected something, but not… this."
He nodded. "You must let the sect know."
She shook her head. "If we do, panic will destroy what unity remains."
Tianming's voice dropped. "Then we face two enemies: one outside, and one inside, pretending all is well."
Su Lanyin sighed. "Then we will need warriors who know the truth. I'll protect you… but I can't lead this."
He looked her in the eye.
"I don't need protection. I need names."
She handed him a sealed scroll.
"Then read. But know this—once opened, you will be hunted by more than corrupted. You'll be hunted by the truth itself."
He took it.
And that night, beneath the moon, he opened it.
---
[End of Chapter 11: The Silent Oath]