NOVEL WEB Chapter 90: Cutting All Ties!
Late Night…
The moon still lingered above the mountains, pale silver light spilling down over the tiled roofs of the Burning Sun Pavilion. The sect slept in silence, but Mo Han did not.
Instead of lying inside the servant barracks, he paced the empty courtyard, hands clasped behind his back. His eyes drifted toward the main peak far above, where faint lights burned within the stone halls.
"Yao Fan won't let this go," Mo Han muttered under his breath, the tone neither angry nor fearful, but calculated. "A spoiled wolf cub doesn't bark once and retreat. He'll wait, and the elders will shield him. Better to be gone before his fangs find me."
What others don't know is… Mo Han already paid the penalty and returned his disciple token. He was free in name, but freedom in this world meant more than stamped bronze.
Just as the eastern sky began to pale, a rush of wind stirred the leaves above him. The shadow of wide wings darkened the courtyard, and the mountain eagle descended with a loud, echoing cry. Its claws struck stone gently, feathers ruffling as it lowered itself.
From its back leapt Jia Kai, her robe swaying in the dawn breeze. A thin smile curved her lips, but her eyes gleamed with something Mo Han did not miss.
"You came earlier than expected," Mo Han said, studying her carefully.
"Of course…," Jia Kai replied, brushing dust from her sleeves as though her flight had been nothing. "I thought it best to tell my mother and the Matriarch about your decision. I spoke with them through the night."
Mo Han's eyes softened briefly. "And?"
A small smile flickered across her lips. "They are satisfied. Mother Su Kai agreed to send us away with her blessing. And the Matriarch herself… she will write a letter of recommendation for you, one that bears the seal of the Pink Blossom Tree sect."
Mo Han's chest lifted slightly, a rare trace of relief in his expression. "A letter from a sect Matriarch… that will indeed ease our path. With that in hand, entry into the Eternal Night Mansion should be straightforward. Favors open doors faster than blades."
But Jia Kai's smile faded, and she exhaled slowly. "Not so simple."
Mo Han's brows drew together. "What do you mean?"
She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "The Matriarch told me something troubling. For years now, disciples and envoys sent from our Pink Blossom Tree sect have been refused by the Eternal Night Mansion. They are either delayed endlessly or outright rejected. And no reason is ever given. It feels deliberate, as though someone with influence inside that sect wants us shut out."
Mo Han's eyes narrowed, and his hand brushed against the hilt of his sword. "Someone… playing tricks."
"Yes." Jia Kai's face grew grim. "Mother and Matriarch both fear that an unknown power is moving against us. They do not know who. They only know the pattern. And yet… they agreed to help you, because of your constitution. It would be foolish for the Eternal Night Mansion to reject someone like you. Still, the danger is real."
Mo Han fell into silence. His gaze drifted to the mountain eagle, then to the horizon glowing faintly red. The shadows of memory passed across his face—Leo Reynolds' words, the sacred manual, the weight of the weapon spirits bound to him. He had never chosen the easy road; fate seemed to always scatter obstacles like boulders in his path.
Finally, he smiled faintly, cold as frost but edged with confidence. "Let them play their games. In the end, power cannot be denied. No one in their right mind would refuse me once they see the truth of my body constitution. If they try, then they will learn what mistake means."
Jia Kai frowned, her eyes flashing. "Do not underestimate them. The Eternal Night Mansion is not a petty sect like Burning Sun Pavilion. Even powerful clans bow to their presence. If they have chosen to oppose Pink Blossom Tree, the reasons will not be simple."
Mo Han chuckled softly, but it was a sound without mirth. "Simple or not, they will bow when the time comes. " He turned his head, meeting her gaze.
She held his gaze. There was no arrogance in his words, only the weight of conviction.
"You…" Jia Kai whispered, her tone shifting to awe. "Sometimes I forget you are still only a Qi Condensation cultivator in beginning."
Mo Han smirked. "Qi Condensation is a label for others. For me, it is just a step, and not a very high one."
Fatty Lambu's loud snore carried from the barracks behind them, shattering the heavy atmosphere. The two turned their heads instinctively and saw the round-faced boy sprawled out on the wooden bed, one leg dangling, crumbs scattered over his chest. The spirit crane let out a mournful cry, almost as if mocking Lambu's laziness.
Jia Kai stifled a laugh. "Your loyal companion sleeps soundly while we carry the weight of futures."
Mo Han's expression softened for a moment as he glanced at Lambu. "He may look foolish, but he's worth more than many proud disciples of this sect. Loyalty is rarer than talent."
Jia Kai looked back at him, then asked quietly, "Do you intend to tell him? About Eternal Night Mansion?"
"I already did," Mo Han said with a short nod. "He hesitated, of course. His parents, his fears. But he will follow me in the end. He trusts me. And I promised him—whatever storm comes, I'll shield him."
Jia Kai studied him for a long time, her heart tightening. She wanted to say more, but the words tangled on her tongue. Instead, she asked, "So… when will we leave?"
Mo Han looked up at the first rays of the sun breaking the sky into fire and gold. "Soon. Before Yao Fan and his father's dogs try again. The longer we stay, the more chains they'll weave. I've cut enough for now."
"Will you really abandon Burning Sun Pavilion without regret?" Jia Kai asked softly.
"Regret?" Mo Han repeated, then laughed quietly. "This place tried to chain me before I even began. What has it given me? Bruises for Lambu, scorn for you, mockery for me. No… I'll leave with no shadow in my heart. What I need is not here."
The mountain eagle cried once, wings shaking off dust, as if agreeing with its master.
Jia Kai stepped closer, her face calm but her eyes bright. "Then I will prepare myself as well. If fate really sends us to Eternal Night Mansion, I'll stand with you. Whatever comes."
Mo Han turned his head toward her, a rare flicker of warmth crossing his usually cold gaze. "Good. Then let's be ready. If they think they can shut the door on us, we'll break the wall instead."
He reached up and stroked the eagle's beak. The great beast ruffled its feathers, lowering its head in submission.
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