Morning hit the outer quarters with cold that didn't ask permission.
Lin Tian stepped out of his room and shut the door behind him, his palm lingering on the wood for a moment, not from hesitation but from habit. The courtyard already held movement, white and blue robes crossing in lines, sword hilts catching pale light. A few conversations stayed low, but faces turned the instant he appeared.
He walked at an even pace, letting his breath settle first, then letting his qi settle behind it.
A pair of outer disciples passed close enough for him to hear them without trying.
"That's him, the new one, the provisional candidate."
"Twenty-seven in one day, and Lu Cang walked off like he swallowed ice."
"Watch what happens next, nobody climbs that fast without someone stepping on his fingers."
Lin Tian kept his eyes forward and let the words slide past him.
