Naked Sword Art

Chapter 480: A Demon

The night had long since faded into gray.

By the time Yu Hanlin staggered into the Heavenly Fate Sect’s outer gates, the morning mist had already begun to roll over the mountain peaks — soft, serene, and cruelly indifferent to the broken figure climbing its steps.

His golden robes were torn and blackened with blood. His hair clung to his face, rainwater mixing with the dark streaks of red across his neck and chest. Every step was a battle between pride and exhaustion.

The guards at the gate froze when they saw him.

"Senior! What—"

"Move," he rasped, voice hoarse and hollow. His Qi was in disarray; his body trembled with every word. They dared not question him further as he stumbled past, leaving a trail of crimson on the stone path.

By the time he reached his quarters, the world was already fading around him. His last conscious thought before collapsing onto the floor was not of his injuries, nor of his fallen comrades — but of Xiao Fang’s face, calm and unshakeable in the raging storm.

...

When morning came, the light was blinding.

Yu Hanlin’s eyes fluttered open, his body stiff and cold beneath the sheets. His head pounded, and every breath felt like fire in his chest.

A shadow loomed over him.

"Hanlin."

The voice was calm, deep, and unwavering — the kind that made even seasoned cultivators sit up straight.

Hanlin blinked, his vision clearing just enough to see the silver insignia pinned to the stranger’s black robe: the Royal Court’s Crest of Inquiry.

"Investigator Han..." Hanlin muttered weakly.

The man’s expression didn’t change. He stood by the bedside, hands clasped behind his back, eyes sharp enough to pierce through truth and lie alike.

"Last night, Liangcheng sent me a message, but the message was blank, and now I discovered you returned here alone," Investigator Han said flatly. "Where is he, and why can’t I get a hold of Shenyi?"

Hanlin’s throat tightened. He looked down at his bandaged hands, remembering the sound of thunder splitting the sky, Xiao Fang’s spear tearing through Shenyi, and his hand driving straight into Liangcheng’s heart.

"They’re dead," Hanlin said quietly.

The investigator’s brows furrowed slightly. "Both of them?"

Hanlin nodded, the words trembling on his lips.

There was a pause. Only the faint drip of rain from the window filled the silence.

"Explain," Investigator Han commanded.

Hanlin’s lips parted — but no words came at first. The memories surged all at once: the lightning tearing through the clouds, the sheer pressure of that killing intent, the golden shield shattering like glass. And the [ Fear ] he felt, oh how horrid and gut-wrenching that living nightmare was. It stained his mind with unspeakable horrors.

His pulse quickened. His breath came shallow. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and shaken.

"We encountered... a Demon."

Investigator Han’s gaze didn’t waver. "A demon?"

Hanlin’s eyes shifted to the window, as if afraid that saying the name would summon him again.

"I don’t know what else to call him," Hanlin said, voice cracking. "His eyes were closed nearly the entire fight... and yet he saw everything. Our Divine Arts — he countered them as if he knew their path before they were cast. He caught it — Liangcheng’s [ Divine Arrow ] and shattered it like glass. It was as if his very will transcended fate."

He gripped the sheets, knuckles white. It seemed as though he was being overly dramatic, but Investigator Han wasn’t amused.

"He outran my brother’s attack... outran it," he pronounced every syllable. "I’ve never seen speed like that. Not from a mortal. Not from a cultivator. Nothing human moves like that."

The investigator was silent for a moment, then finally asked, "Where did you find him?"

"Just outside of the Black Paradise sect. We encountered him a few kilometers outside of their border."

Investigator Han’s eyes narrowed, "Did you learn anything else?"

Hanlin was silent for a long while, then as Investigator Han sighed, Hanlin spoke again. His voice trembling.

"His name... I heard it." Hanlin stopped, realizing he never actually heard it from Xiao Fang himself. Only from the women who shouted it through the storm.

His next words were quiet, almost reverent.

"They called him... Fang."

The investigator took a mental note.

Hanlin stared at the floor, his breath uneven.

"If you send anyone after him... send an army. Or better yet—don’t. The Heavenly Fate’s Divination Art doesn’t work against him. He’s not something that can be hunted."

For the first time, Investigator Han’s eyes softened — not with pity, but recognition. There was only one thing Divination Arts couldn’t work against — tier beasts.

"You think he’s not human?"

Hanlin didn’t answer right away. The silence stretched until it hurt.

Finally, he whispered, "I don’t know what to think."

Investigator Han stood. His black robes shifted with a slow, deliberate sweep, crimson petals stitched along the fabric catching the light like droplets of blood. A faint trace of citrus lotus clung to him — sharp, clean, and impossible to ignore.

"I’ll deliver your statement to the Red Lotus Faction directly," he said. "They’ll decide what’s to be done next."

He turned toward the door but paused before leaving.

"One last question, Elder Hanlin."

Hanlin looked up weakly.

"Did this... Fang... make any demands? Take anything from you?"

Hanlin’s jaw tightened. "...No. He could have killed me. But instead, he signed a Divination Waver. Bound my life to another’s — a woman from his side."

The investigator nodded once, understanding the implication immediately. "A bargain of mercy, then."

Hanlin’s hand trembled slightly as he clenched his sheets. "Mercy...?" he echoed, a bitter laugh escaping his throat. "No. He didn’t spare me out of mercy."

"Then why?" Investigator Han pressed.

Hanlin’s eyes darkened, his voice shaking with equal parts fear and reverence. The memory returned — the chance to save Xun Wei had been right there, yet he had spent it killing Liangcheng instead. In that moment, Hanlin finally understood: Xiao Fang wasn’t bound by ties or sentiment... only by the fierce certainty of his own will.

"I believe it was meant as a declaration — that fate no longer decides who lives or dies... He does."

The investigator said nothing. After a couple moments, he finally turned and left the room, his silent departure heavier than any words could be.

Outside, the rain had begun again — cold, steady, relentless. Yet not a single drop touched Investigator Han.

When he lifted his gaze, a familiar figure hovered in the air above him, hands clasped behind his back.

"The boy you seek believes himself above fate."

Investigator Han bowed slightly, voice low.

"Elder... what are your orders?"

The man’s expression remained unreadable.

"Find him — and bring him into our faction. At this point, killing him would only create more problems."

Investigator Han hesitated.

"I’ve already tried to take his life. I doubt he’ll listen to anything I say."

The Elder’s expression didn’t change.

"Then send someone else in your stead. This situation can no longer be hidden — others will learn of the boy soon enough. If we’re to benefit from this mess, he must stand with us. Make it happen."

Han bowed his head.

"Understood."