Chapter 8— Wine Beneath the Moon, Silence Before the Storm
"Kid," Gu Long said indifferently, "what's your name?"
Luo Xiao Tian steadied his breath. The violent turbulence within his body had finally settled, his meridians firm, his soul no longer under siege. He stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Senior, I am Luo Xiao Tian."
Gu Long studied him for a long moment, his gaze sharp enough to peel flesh from bone. Then he spoke again, casually, as if discussing the weather.
"I am Gu Long. Peak Master of Taishan Peak."
He paused.
"Do you want to be my disciple?"
The question fell like a thunderclap.
Luo Xiao Tian's pupils shrank. He did not hesitate.
He dropped to one knee and bowed solemnly.
"Disciple Luo Xiao Tian pays homage to Master."
Rising, he poured a cup of wine with steady hands and presented it respectfully. This was the ancient tradition—teacher and disciple bound not by words, but by fate.
Gu Long accepted the cup and drank it in one gulp.
"Good," he said flatly. "At least you know when to kneel."
Gu Long circled Xiao Tian slowly, his steps light despite his age. His spiritual sense swept across Xiao Tian's body, inside and out, with ruthless precision.
"I observed you while you were unconscious," Gu Long said. "You didn't merely break through. You skipped."
Xiao Tian's heart tightened.
"You stepped beyond the fifth level Renegade Warrior… and reached the ninth."
"Yes, Master," Xiao Tian replied honestly. "Will this cause problems in the future?"
Gu Long froze.
Then—
He burst into laughter.
It was wild, sharp, and unrestrained, echoing across Taishan Peak like the cry of a mad beast.
"Problem?" Gu Long sneered. "Monster—what a monster."
His laughter faded, replaced by a rare seriousness.
"Once upon a time, the Renegade Warrior Realm was divided into nine true floors. Every cultivator walked them step by step before crossing into Renegade Lord."
"But tens of thousands of years ago," he continued coldly, "the qi of the world thinned. Bloodlines decayed. Talents degenerated."
"People could no longer endure the full nine levels."
"They broke through at the fifth."
"And they called it perfection."
Gu Long spat to the side.
"Pathetic."
Xiao Tian listened silently.
"Only by walking all nine floors," Gu Long continued, "can one build a foundation worthy of standing above heaven. That strength doesn't show now. It shows later—when others collapse under pressure and you keep climbing."
He glanced at Xiao Tian sharply.
"Only monsters can do that today."
Xiao Tian clenched his fists.
"Transform into a true god," Gu Long said calmly, "cross into the Sky City, step beyond the Great Thousand World—then you'll understand what I'm saying."
Xiao Tian's heart stirred.
"Sky City?" he asked. "Master… what is it?"
Gu Long's expression darkened.
"That's where true geniuses gather. Ancient clans. Inherited bloodlines. Cultivation methods refined over eras."
"The celestial demon you devoured?" Gu Long smirked. "In Sky City, he'd be nothing special."
Then his gaze sharpened.
"But you?"
"Even there… your kind is rare."
Silence followed.
Finally, Gu Long waved his hand dismissively.
"Go. Walk the academy. Calm your heart."
"Our real training begins in three days."
He turned and walked toward the inner courtyard.
"Oh," he added without turning back, "one more thing."
"Do not speak of your chaotic souls to anyone."
"If you do—"
He vanished.
The warning lingered heavier than any threat.
Taishan Peak truly lived up to its name.
Massive. Ancient. Lonely.
As Luo Xiao Tian descended the peak alone, he felt an oppressive stillness, as though the mountain itself was watching him.
The academy spread beneath him like a living organism.
Before he could fully take it in—
Thud.
He collided with someone.
"Sorry," he said instinctively.
He looked up.
A beautiful young woman stood before him, her features cold and sharp, her eyes filled with restrained hostility.
She studied him briefly.
"So you're Luo Xiao Tian," she said flatly. "Watch your steps in this academy."
"Your days are numbered."
She turned and left without waiting for a response.
Xiao Tian watched her back disappear.
A killing intent—controlled, disciplined—lingered faintly in the air.
A gentle tap came from behind.
He turned.
"Xiao Tian."
"Sister Miao Miao," he said, surprised.
Wu Miao Miao smiled faintly, relief flickering in her eyes. "You're finally awake."
She glanced in the direction the woman had left.
"You know her?"
"Who is she?" Xiao Tian asked.
Wu Miao Miao's expression turned serious.
"Chen Xue. From the Qing Kingdom."
Xiao Tian's gaze hardened.
Chen Hao's sister.
No wonder.
"It seems academy life won't be peaceful," he muttered.
Wu Miao Miao nodded lightly. "Where are you headed?"
"Just looking around."
"Then I'll show you."
She led him through the academy—past the Weapons Pavilion, where blades hummed with intent; the Law Enforcement Pavilion, where disciples walked stiff-backed; the Library, vast and silent, its aura heavy with knowledge.
As they walked, Wu Miao Miao lowered her voice.
"There are two people you must be careful of in this academy," she said.
"One is Gu Long of Taishan Peak."
Xiao Tian nodded calmly. "He's my master."
Wu Miao Miao stopped dead.
"…What?"
"You mean," she said slowly, "Elder Gu accepted you?"
"Yes."
She stared at him as if seeing a monster.
After a long pause, she exhaled. "That explains a lot."
She shook her head. "The other is Shu Hua. Peak Master of Tianshan Peak."
Her voice turned grave.
"He's not someone you want as an enemy."
Xiao Tian nodded silently, committing the name to memory.
As they continued walking, the academy bustled around them—geniuses laughing, plotting, cultivating.
Xiao Tian's eyes grew colder.
This place was not a sanctuary.
It was a battlefield.
And he had only just stepped onto it.
After what felt like an endless tour through the academy's halls and pavements, Wu Miao Miao finally stopped.
"This is my yard," she said, turning to Luo Xiao Tian. "You should return to Taishan Peak. Elder Gu dislikes noise."
"I understand," Xiao Tian replied.
She hesitated for a brief moment, as if wanting to say more, then nodded and stepped inside, the formation at her courtyard entrance sealing quietly behind her.
Xiao Tian stood alone.
The Gold Coast Academy at night felt entirely different—less bustling, more oppressive. Lanterns glowed softly along stone paths, while distant peaks loomed like silent beasts. This place nurtured geniuses, but it also devoured the weak.
He adjusted his robe and headed toward Taishan Peak.
He did not make it far.
Several figures stepped out from the shadows, blocking his path. Their auras were sharp, disciplined—inner disciples, no doubt. Their eyes carried hostility undisguised.
"Luo Xiao Tian," one of them sneered. "Stay away from Senior Sister Wu."
Another added coldly, "Or you'll face the wrath of Senior Jin Feng."
Xiao Tian stopped, his expression calm, indifferent. He glanced at them once, then turned to walk past as if they were air.
That indifference enraged them.
One of the disciples lunged forward, qi surging, his fist aimed directly at Xiao Tian's chest.
Xiao Tian turned sharply.
Snap.
His hand shot out and caught the fist mid-air. The force behind the punch dispersed instantly, crushed under Xiao Tian's grip.
The disciple's face twisted in pain.
Xiao Tian's voice was flat. "Be careful."
He loosened his grip and let the arm fall.
"This academy forbids private fights," he continued, already turning away. "If you want to fight me, issue a life-and-death challenge."
His tone carried no threat—only certainty.
The disciples froze.
Without another glance, Xiao Tian walked on. As he moved, he retrieved a worn wine gourd from his storage ring, uncorked it, and took a slow sip.
The wine burned gently down his throat.
He had taken only a few more steps when something strange reached his ears.
A voice.
Melodious. Clear. Soft, yet carrying an inexplicable weight.
It drifted from afar, rising and falling like a tide beneath the moonlight.
Xiao Tian stopped.
The voice was singing.
Not a cultivation chant. Not a battle hymn.
A song.
For a brief moment, the academy vanished from his perception. The hostility, the scheming, the cold ambition—everything faded.
He followed the sound.
The song led him to a small mountain detached from the main peaks, crowned by a quiet courtyard. Moonlight bathed the place in silver, and faint spiritual mist coiled lazily around the stones.
At the center stood a woman.
She appeared to be in her early twenties, her beauty restrained yet overwhelming. Her long hair flowed freely down her back, black as ink, moving gently with the night breeze. She sang as she danced, each step perfectly synchronized with the rhythm of her voice.
Her movements were not seductive.
They were natural.
As if the heavens themselves had carved her into harmony.
Xiao Tian stood frozen.
He did not know when he stopped walking.
He did not know when he raised the wine gourd again.
The song wrapped around his consciousness, tugging at something buried deep within—something long forgotten amid bloodshed and struggle.
Without realizing it, he took a step forward.
Then another.
His footfalls matched her rhythm.
His lips parted.
He began to sing.
The words came unbidden, rough and low, yet they fit her melody perfectly. His voice lacked refinement, but it carried weight—years of struggle, defiance, and solitude.
The woman turned.
Their eyes met.
For a heartbeat, neither spoke.
Then she smiled faintly.
She adjusted her steps, weaving him into the dance without hesitation. Their movements synchronized naturally, as if they had practiced together for years. His hand found her waist; hers rested lightly on his shoulder.
The world narrowed.
There was only wine, moonlight, and the echo of song.
Xiao Tian took another sip and handed the gourd to her.
She hesitated, then accepted.
One sip.
Then another.
Before long, her steps faltered. Her voice softened, her body relaxing as the wine took effect. She leaned against him, her breathing slow and unguarded.
Xiao Tian looked down at her face.
Peaceful.
Undefended.
He carried her into the small courtyard and laid her gently upon the bed inside. He adjusted her robe so it would not slip, then stepped back.
For a long moment, he simply looked at her.
Then he turned and left.
The moment Xiao Tian stepped beyond the courtyard boundary, Shu Hua's eyes snapped open.
Her heart was pounding.
Her breathing came fast, uneven, as if she had just fled from a powerful enemy.
She sat upright, pressing a hand to her chest.
"What… did I just do?"
She stared at the ceiling, her expression unreadable.
For twenty-three years, she had been untouched by mortal desires. Geniuses, prodigies, heirs of great clans—none had ever stirred her heart. She had rejected them all without hesitation.
And yet—
Tonight, she had sung.
Danced.
Drunk wine.
With a man.
A stranger.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"Impossible…"
She rose slowly from the bed, her cultivation aura stabilizing once more. The cold, distant presence of Tianshan Peak's master returned, sealing away the brief lapse like a forbidden memory.
But deep within her heart, something refused to settle.
Far away, Luo Xiao Tian walked steadily toward Taishan Peak, unaware that the quiet night he had just passed through would soon become the source of far greater turmoil.