Yu Sui and Mo Yan began their trek along a trail blanketed by trees, their footsteps heavy with a silent, crushing burden.

  But miles behind them, a dark new reality was taking shape.

  The Tianjian Sect

  High above, black and gold banners snapped and whipped in the biting wind.

  Below, in a grand guest hall, Lin Chaoyuan sat smiling as he poured wine for his visitors. Across from him sat the honored guests of the Tianjian Sect, waiting for him to raise his cup. Breaking the heavy silence, Lin Chaoyuan spoke.

  "Your arrival is most fortuitous... Yin Guan, Great Leader of a magnificent sect. It is truly an honor to have you sitting with us today."

  The hall was thick with tension. The strongest warriors of the Tianjian Sect were gathered around the table. At the two ends, Lin Chaoyuan and Yin Guan sat face-to-face. Despite the hospitality, Yin Guan’s eyes were narrow with suspicion; he and his warriors remained fully armed, their hands never far from their hilts.

  Lin Chaoyuan spoke again, his voice like sweet, flowing poison.

  "I know what you are thinking. But the truth remains: if the 'better' option fails, one must seek the 'best.' For me, this alliance is the best path forward. And it could be for you as well."

  He raised his wine cup in a toast. At the sight of it, a slow smile finally spread across Yin Guan’s face. He raised his cup in return, and the rest of the warriors followed suit.

  But in that instant, Lin Chaoyuan’s eyes sharpened with a predatory light. By the time Yin Guan looked into those eyes and realized the truth, it was already far too late.

  The doors behind them slammed shut with a violent bang. Chaos erupted in a heartbeat. From behind the silk curtains, from beneath the long tables, from the ceiling beams and the window frames fifty, sixty assassins lunged into the light. Their blades were coated in lethal venom. They fell upon the Tianjian Sect like a swarm. Screams tore through the hall.

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  The Tianjian warriors began to drop like flies. Yin Guan surged to his feet, a guttural roar of fury escaping his throat.

  "Lin Chaoyuan!!!! I forgot... no matter how much a scorpion claims it will not sting, it eventually yields to its nature! You are that scorpion! You are a man who can never be trusted!"

  Drawing his sword, he lunged at Lin Chaoyuan. But before he could even swing, five blades pierced his body simultaneously. Throughout the entire slaughter, Lin Chaoyuan stood perfectly still. No emotion, no hesitation. With his hands tucked calmly behind his back, he watched the horrific scene unfold with chilling serenity.

  Within minutes, the hall was drenched in crimson. The floor was carpeted with corpses. His assassins stood proudly by the bodies, their work complete. Lin Chaoyuan stepped over the dead, picked up his wine from the table, and took a sip. He walked over to one of the fallen men and stood over him.

  "Fool. You were right a scorpion never changes its nature. And yet, everyone still comes crawling to it. Just as you did."

  With this grotesque massacre, he seized the entirety of the Tianjian Sect for himself. He gave it a new name:

  The Liuguang Sect.

  Two Months Later…

  The kingdom groaned under the iron fist of Lin Chaoyuan. The former Tianjian Sect was now his. The royal banners had been replaced, and the land was governed by his personal, brutal laws.

  But his work was not finished. Sitting upon his dark throne, he issued a command to his followers.

  "Send them all. One hundred elite warriors. I want Mo Yan and Yu Sui brought to me alive. They possess a power that I must control."

  A black flag was hoisted from his palace. Led by that banner, a hundred armored elite warriors marched forward. The hunt had officially begun.

  Two Months Prior…

  The sky was a bruised, hazy black. The air held nothing but the scent of ash and a hollow silence. Yet, two figures continued to walk the road, step by step, toward an unknown destiny.

  Mo Yan and Yu Sui were draped in tattered cloaks, their hands tight upon their swords as they pushed forward. Their eyes were weary and hyper-vigilant, yet they refused to surrender to despair.

  An unbreakable wall of silence stood between them. Finally, amidst the quiet, Mo Yan’s voice drifted out.

  "Do you think… everything is already over?"

  His voice was so faint it was nearly swallowed by the rustling of the trees. Yu Sui did not answer immediately. He turned his head slightly to look at him, loosening the tight grip he had on his cloak. He replied in a calm, steady tone.

  "I don't know. But if even a small fragment of it can be saved… we have to try.”