On a warm morning, like any other, a young villager stepped out of his house with an old axe over his shoulder. His job was simple: gather firewood so his family could cook and prepare for the winter.
The path through the village was familiar and comforting. The villagers were getting ready for a new day, exchanging greetings and smiles.
"Shen Bao! Good morning. Are you going for firewood?" asked an uncle as he carried a sack of rice.
"Good morning, uncle. Yes, I want to gather enough for the winter." Shen Bao replied with a calm smile.
As he walked, he watched the children running and playing, the aunts chatting at the doors of their houses, and the adults going about their daily tasks. It was a humble village, but a happy one.
Soon after, he left the houses behind and ventured into the Green Mist Forest, an ancient forest that had sustained the village for generations. Here, they hunted, gathered wood, and traded with neighboring villages.
Lost in his thoughts, Shen Bao didn't realize how much time had passed. He had gathered enough firewood and decided to head home.
But then, as he walked up a nearby hill, a cold sensation ran down his spine. A bad premonition settled in his chest like a stone.
Looking up, he saw a column of black smoke rising in the sky, directly in the direction of his village.
Shen Bao's heart raced. He dropped the firewood without thinking and ran. He ran with all his might, terror squeezing his chest.
When he arrived, what he found was a nightmare.
The houses were in flames, the bodies of his neighbors lay on the ground, and heart-wrenching screams filled the air. Amid the massacre, a group of figures dressed in black moved about, wielding grotesque weapons, made of what seemed like twisted bones. Their faces were covered by depraved smiles as they plunged their blades into the defenseless villagers.
Shen Bao felt his world crumble. His home, his people, everything was being annihilated.
His instinct was to run to his house, but before he could move, a hand grabbed him tightly.
"Shen Bao, run!" His older brother's voice, trembling but firm. "They are demonic cultivators, we can't do anything. You have to save yourself!"
"But father and mother...!" Shen Bao felt his throat close up with horror.
"I will go for them! You just run, go as far as you can!" His brother looked at him with desperation.
"But...!"
"Run!" His brother shouted, pushing him back before running toward their burning home.
Shen Bao wanted to fight. He wanted to run after him, but his legs betrayed him. Reality hit him like a frozen spear. He had no choice.
He ran without looking back, his heart about to explode. But the screams continued, piercing his mind like needles.
And then he heard it.
"AAAHHH!"
A scream that froze his blood.
He turned his head, and he saw it.
His brother.
The blade of a weapon piercing through his chest.
Time stopped.
Shen Bao opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. His chest tightened with unbearable pain.
He wanted to run to him, but his feet wouldn't move. He knew that if he did, he would die too.
So he gritted his teeth, felt the burning tears slide down his face, and turned his head.
He ran until his legs could no longer go. Until his lungs burned and his body collapsed against the roots of an old tree deep in the forest.
Silence enveloped him. Only his ragged breath and the frantic beating of his heart broke the stillness.
But in his mind, the scene wouldn't stop.
His brother's face. The blood staining the ground.The screams.The horror.
Shen Bao squeezed his eyes shut, but nothing could erase the nightmare. Because this time, the nightmare was real.
----
The past felt like a distant dream, one from which he would never wake.
Now, Shen Bao moved silently between the shadows, his senses sharpened and his heart hardened. His body no longer trembled like that day. His fear had died along with his brother.
He followed Liu Han, watching him from a distance as the man walked carelessly. Every step Shen Bao took was calculated, his breath controlled. He was no longer the villager who had gathered firewood that morning.
Liu Han arrived at the tavern without hurry, unaware of the shadow following him. He sat at the bar and knocked on the wood with the back of his hand.
"Bartender, bring me a mug of wine."
The bartender nodded and served him. Liu Han took a sip, savoring the taste before a figure sat beside him, moving discreetly.
"Do you have news?" he asked quietly.
Liu Han didn't respond immediately. Instead, he squinted.
"Did you bring it?"
The man smiled faintly and slid a cloth bag across the bar. Liu Han took it, weighing it in his hand, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.
"Hehe... I don't know what made him change his mind, but it's true, the old man handed the business over to the boy. He even gathered us all today to announce it."
He took another sip and continued.
"As for the rest, it seems the Han family's convoy suffered heavy losses, the goods disappeared, and the old man has been restless. I overheard him mentioning plans to expand the business, but I don't know the exact details."
"I understand. Keep watching. If you find more precise information, the master will reward you generously."
With that, he stood up and left without a sound.
Liu Han leaned against the bar with a relaxed expression and let out a soft laugh.
"Bartender, bring me something to eat."
Completely unaware that, from the shadows, someone was watching him closely.
Hours later, Liu Han staggered out of the tavern, his breath smelling of alcohol and a satisfied smile on his face. His steps led him aimlessly toward one of the darkest areas of the city, where the lantern lights barely illuminated the alleys.
The night air was unusually cold. Suddenly, a freezing chill ran down his back, sending a shiver up his neck. His drunkenness began to dissipate, replaced by an oppressive unease.
Something was wrong.
"Whoosh."
The whistle of the cutting air made him react purely by instinct. With a clumsy twist, he avoided a fatal blow.
"Scratch."
The edge of a blade cut into his skin, leaving a burning sensation of pain.
"Ahhh!"
The impact made him stagger, and his breath quickened. His gaze focused on the silhouette emerging from the shadows.
"Shen Bao..." he murmured, a mixture of surprise and alarm in his voice.
Before he could continue, another flurry of attacks descended upon him. Liu Han barely managed to draw his dagger and raise his arms to defend himself, but the force of the blows pushed him back.
"Damned brat!" he growled, trying to regain his balance.
The edge of the dagger reflected the moonlight as it descended once more.
Liu Han barely managed to deflect the attack, but the force behind it made him stagger. Shen Bao's dagger danced in the darkness like a serpent, fast and precise.
"Why...?" Liu Han spat on the ground, tasting the metallic flavor on his tongue. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Shen Bao didn't respond. His gaze was impenetrable, like that of an executioner fulfilling his duty. He took a step forward and attacked again.
"Clang!"
The daggers clashed with force. Liu Han felt his wrist go numb. He couldn't match the speed of his opponent.
Desperate, he backed away down the alley, his back brushing against the cold stone walls.
"Listen, Shen Bao..." he tried to buy time, panting. "If it's money you want, I can give it to you."
The response was the sound of another cut. His right hand, still holding the dagger, fell to the ground with a dull thud.
"AAAAHHH!"
Liu Han collapsed, pressing the bloodied stump. His screams echoed through the empty alley.
Shen Bao stood in silence, watching him with indifference, his dagger descending one last time.
A silver gleam, a flash of blood.
Liu Han's body fell lifeless to the ground, his blood staining the stones beneath the faint moonlight.
Shen Bao observed him for a moment longer before turning and disappearing into the shadows, as if he had never been there.
----
Ethan sat in his room, a cup of liquor in his hand. The faint candlelight cast long shadows on the walls, and his eyes wandered, lost in the moon that hung high in the night sky.
"Master, I've returned."
A neutral voice was heard from the other side.
"Come in."
The door opened without a sound, and a young man entered with the same discreet presence as always. He gave a slight bow before speaking.
"I followed Liu Han to a tavern. I heard him selling information related to you and the Li family."
Ethan slowly swirled the cup in his hand, watching the reflection of the light in the liquid. Then, he took a sip before tossing a bag toward Shen Bao.
"I am someone who understands rewards and punishments. If you do your job well, you should be rewarded. Take this."
Shen Bao nodded indifferently and took the bag without looking at it. Just as he was about to turn to leave, Ethan spoke again.
"Have you ever considered confronting cultivators?"
Shen Bao stopped dead in his tracks. His fingers subtly tightened around the bag he had just received.
For the first time in the entire conversation, his expression showed more than indifference: a dark shadow crossed his gaze, a trace of emotions held back for far too long.
The candle flickered, and Ethan's silhouette stretched across the wall, as if the darkness itself responded to his question.
Calmly, he adjusted his glasses, studying every nuance on the young man's face.
The silence stretched on, thick as the night itself.
Finally, Shen Bao spoke, and his voice, though low, carried the sharpness of a knife.
"I've dreamed of the day I'll have the strength to crush them," he said coldly.
Ethan slowly swirled the cup in his hand, watching the liquor dance with the moonlight. Then, he lifted his gaze toward Shen Bao.
"And if you had that power?" he asked indifferently. "If you were strong enough to face them, what would you do?"
Shen Bao didn't respond immediately. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if measuring his words.
"I would hunt them," he finally said. "One by one."
Ethan let out a soft laugh and adjusted his glasses.
"Sounds more like personal vengeance than a real purpose."
Shen Bao furrowed his brow, but didn't reply.
Ethan took a sip and set the cup down on the table.
"If you're only seeking vengeance, sooner or later, you'll end up like them."
The atmosphere grew even heavier. The candle in the room flickered, casting long shadows on the walls.
Ethan smiled faintly, allowing the silence to stretch before continuing.
"Vengeance… power…" he murmured. "They're just means. The real question is: what do you want to build with that power?"
Shen Bao remained silent, his gaze fixed on Ethan.
"If you're only driven by hatred, you'll end up being just another tool. They will fall, yes… but others will take their place. So what will you do then? Keep hunting until there's no one left? Or until someone hunts you? Strength without direction is just chaos. You can destroy… or you can build something truly worthwhile."
Ethan leaned slightly forward, resting an elbow on the table.
Shen Bao lowered his gaze for a moment. Then, in a quieter tone, he said:
"If I had the power… I would use it so that no one else has to live what I lived."
Ethan twirled the cup between his fingers, letting the liquor reflect the moonlight. His words came calmly, but with an undeniable weight.
"An interesting ambition."
Shen Bao raised his gaze.
"In a world where strength dictates everything, mortals like us are prey. We live in fear every moment, forced to bow our heads to those who can crush us with a single thought."
The silence lingered. Shen Bao did not look away.
"I want to change that." Ethan gently placed the cup on the table. "I'm not seeking destruction or a meaningless bloodbath."
Shen Bao squinted, taking in every word.
"I seek a world where mortals are not mere ants before cultivators," Ethan continued. "But a place where, if we're cornered, we can become hunters instead of prey."
"Is that possible…?" murmured Shen Bao.
Ethan adjusted his glasses, the candlelight reflecting off the lenses.
"The impossible only exists until someone decides to make it a reality. History is written by those who dare challenge what others believe is unattainable."
Shen Bao remained silent. Those words ignited something in him.
Ethan looked him straight in the eyes, his voice firm yet filled with purpose.
"Join me, Shen Bao. I promise no glory or riches, only a path stained with blood and impossible challenges. But if we fight together, we won't have to live on our knees or accept the fate imposed by others. If this world must change, we will forge it with our own hands."
Shen Bao felt a shiver run down his spine, but it wasn't fear… it was excitement. Something in those words awakened a dormant fury. He clenched his fists, his gaze shining with a new intensity.
"If that's the price, I'll pay it without hesitation. I don't want to live in fear, nor allow others to suffer what I suffered. If I must shatter the chains that bind us to change it, I'll do it without doubt."
Ethan watched him for a moment, then raised his cup and spun it between his fingers. The candlelight flickered in the liquor.
"Then, let's fight together."