Chapter 10: Shadows Beneath the Cliff
Steel Armor Shelter buzzed with activity that morning. Qin Xuan, commander of the shelter's outer team, stood at the entrance briefing a carefully selected squad. Beside her were Yang Manli—sharp-eyed and serious as always—and a tall, composed man with a mysterious air about him: Ning Yue.
Their mission was simple on paper—track and kill a rare sacred-blood beast believed to be hiding in the lower ravines south of the shelter. However, its movements were erratic and its strength unknown, making the operation high-risk.
Qin Xuan scanned her team before her gaze stopped on an unexpected figure.
Kai.
He had been leaning casually against the gate, arms crossed, the hilt of his twin blades glinting under the morning light.
"You planning to come too?" Qin Xuan asked, raising a brow.
"If you'll have me," Kai replied calmly.
Ning Yue nodded slightly. "We could use someone who can keep quiet and hit hard."
Yang Manli gave Kai a brief glare, then turned away. "He better not slow us down."
---
The ravine was deeper than the maps suggested. Trees grew thicker here, twisted from years of sacred-blood radiation. Strange vines hung like serpents, and every step had to be calculated. The team moved carefully, weapons drawn.
Hours passed.
Then came the first sign—the rotting carcass of a primitive tiger-like beast, torn apart and half-digested. Sacred beast.
"It's close," Qin Xuan whispered.
They approached a cave surrounded by jagged rocks and bones. As they neared, the creature burst forth.
It looked like a panther, but with scaled flesh and glowing red eyes. A sacred-blood predator.
The battle erupted in chaos.
Yang Manli fired arrows, Ning Yue drew twin swords, and Kai weaved between shadows to slash at weak points. Qin Xuan gave orders while holding the beast's attention.
Suddenly, the creature spun and lashed its tail like a whip.
Qin Xuan took the blow to her side.
She flew backward, tumbling down a steep incline.
"Qin Xuan!" Yang Manli shouted.
Kai didn't hesitate. He leapt after her, sliding down the rocks at full speed.
---
They both crashed through branches and brush, finally landing at the base of a cliff. Kai rolled to his feet instantly. Qin Xuan, however, lay groaning, clutching her side.
"Don't move," Kai said firmly.
He knelt beside her, examining the wound. Her ribs were bruised, possibly cracked, and there was a bleeding gash on her hip.
He tore a strip from his cloak, pulled out a needle and medical solution from his pouch, and began cleaning the wound.
"You're a soldier. You can take pain, right?" he asked, not waiting for a reply as he injected a painkiller.
Qin Xuan clenched her teeth, eyes locked on his face. "You're too calm. Have you done this before?"
"Medical degree," he muttered. "In a past life."
She blinked. "What?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he wrapped the wound tightly and propped her up against a rock. He checked her breathing, pulse, and eyes. Satisfied, he finally sat beside her.
They were alone, at least for now.
She watched him for a moment. "You're different. Most men panic when I'm injured. You didn't even flinch."
"Most men don't know how to stop internal bleeding."
"You say that like it's normal."
Kai didn't speak. His cold, pale-blue eyes stared into the distance.
Qin Xuan turned her head slightly. "So... what's your story? You look like you've lived more than one life."
He almost smiled.
Almost.
Instead, he stood up and surveyed the terrain. "The others might take time to reach us. Rest until then."
Qin Xuan nodded. "You know, for someone who rarely speaks, you say a lot."
He looked down at her, then shrugged. "Only when it matters."
---
An hour passed. The sounds of the ravine quieted. Qin Xuan dozed slightly, her head tilted against Kai's shoulder.
He didn't move.
Her breath was warm against his arm, and her heartbeat had steadied. She was tough.
"Why do you fight?" she asked suddenly.
He didn't expect the question.
"To protect," he replied.
"Who?"
"The ones who still have time."
She smiled faintly. "That's vague and oddly poetic. I didn't think you had that in you."
Kai said nothing.
She reached up and touched the earring in his ear. "Is that from your family?"
"My mother. When I was twelve."
Qin Xuan paused. "You're full of surprises, Kai. I'll remember this."
He gently guided her hand back down. "Save your strength."
---
Eventually, sounds echoed from above. Yang Manli's voice called down. A rope was lowered.
Kai helped Qin Xuan up and guided her as she was pulled back to safety.
When he followed, Ning Yue gave him a quiet look. "You saved the commander."
Kai said nothing. He only nodded.
Qin Xuan, bandaged and leaning on Yang Manli, glanced back once. Her eyes met Kai's.
Something unspoken passed between them.
It wasn't love.
Not yet.
But it was something.
End of Chapter 10