The moon hung high over the imperial capital as a quiet carriage rolled down a secluded path. Inside sat Princess Li Xuan, clutching a sealed scroll tightly. Her heart pounded with anticipation; she was finally about to meet her enigmatic fiancé, the man who had upended the balance of the empire—Jun Mo Xie.
But she wasn't the only one waiting.
From the treetops, a black-clad assassin leapt with lethal precision. His blade gleamed with death. One strike, one kill.
He descended.
Before the blade could strike, another figure emerged from the shadows.
Steel clashed.
Sparks flew.
The assassin staggered back, stunned.
"You?!"
Jun Mo Xie stood tall before the carriage, his eyes cold as ice.
"Your mistake," he said calmly, "was not striking from behind."
A brutal battle ensued. Though weakened by prior injuries, Jun Mo Xie countered every strike with deadly precision. He took a deep slash to the shoulder—but in that same instant, his sword pierced the assassin's heart.
Both men fell.
Princess Li Xuan screamed.
Her loyal guard, Yi Yi, caught Jun before he hit the ground.
"He's bleeding out!" she cried.
The princess tore a piece of her robe and pressed it against his wound. Her hands trembled—not from fear, but from the unbearable thought of losing him just after meeting him.
"I won't let you die," she whispered.
The atmosphere around them felt heavy, as if time itself had slowed to a crawl. The sound of the world faded, leaving only the sound of her breath, her quickened pulse matching his own. In the dim light, their eyes locked for the first time without the interference of danger, and something soft, something unspoken, passed between them.
"Why?" she whispered, her voice trembling in the silence that followed.
He looked into her eyes, his own gaze softening for a brief moment. "Because you're worth it."
Her chest tightened, but she didn't know if it was from the adrenaline or the intensity of the moment.
He shifted slightly, wincing at the pain in his shoulder, but still managed a small smile. "You're safe now."
As she leaned closer, her warmth enveloping him, her fingers lingering near his face, he could feel her presence like an anchor, something solid in the chaos of his world. For a fleeting second, it almost felt like everything could be perfect again.
---
By morning, word of the ambush had reached the Jun Clan, though the details were unclear.
"He… he saved the princess," a soldier gasped, kneeling before the clan patriarch. "But he was badly wounded. Some say… he didn't survive."
A long silence followed.
Then, the old man slammed his cane to the floor.
"Mobilize the entire clan!"
---
The Jun Family became a storm.
One thousand soldiers, two hundred riders, ten senior cultivators—and leading them, Jun's uncle, long believed a cripple, now walking with strength.
"The world will learn: the Jun Clan does not bleed without striking back."
Their target: the Liu Family estate.
Following an emergency war protocol written in secret by Jun himself, the assault was swift and devastating:
Supply depots burned.
Spiritual beasts released.
Courtyards thrown into chaos.
Vaults breached and looted.
At dawn, the Liu estate lay in ashes. A banner of the Jun Clan rose above the ruins—not as a challenge, but a warning.
Fleeing Liu retainers whispered of a ghost who led the attack—silent, ruthless, unstoppable. Rumors spread: Jun Mo Xie had survived.
---
From the wreckage, Liu Xiang, the Liu patriarch, emerged bloodied but alive. Rage burned in his eyes.
By midday, he stood before the emperor.
"Your Majesty!" he shouted. "The Jun Clan has defied imperial law! They attacked within the capital! This is treason!"
The court murmured in shock.
The emperor narrowed his eyes.
He summoned the Jun patriarch.
After weighing both sides, the emperor spoke:
"For breaching imperial conduct, I decree:
The Jun elder is confined to his estate for one year.
He is stripped of his rank of Supreme General for one year.
His salary and honors are suspended during this time."
Silence.
The patriarch bowed his head in acceptance. His silence wasn't defeat—it was strategy.
Later, in his chambers, he found a note from Jun Mo Xie:
> "Let them punish you. I still have my pieces to play."
He chuckled.
"You truly are my blood."
---
Meanwhile, Jun Mo Xie lay recovering in a lavish palace chamber. Bandaged, but conscious, he sat upright as Princess Li Xuan tended to him.
"You need to speak to my father," she said, voice quivering. "He must hear it from you."
Jun nodded. "He won't believe secondhand words."
Together, they rode to the imperial court.
Li Xuan stood before the throne.
"My father, this man saved my life. He stood between me and death."
Jun added, "Had the assassin succeeded, your daughter would be gone, and the empire weaker for it. I did what I had to do."
The emperor was silent, then said:
"You have my gratitude, Jun Mo Xie. You protected the empire's future."
He raised his hand.
"For your bravery, I award you:
The Imperial Medal of Valor
A treasury grant
One month's access to the Secret Imperial Library"
Gasps echoed in the chamber.
Jun bowed. "I am honored, Your Majesty."
But in his heart:
> "Even gifts… come with chains."
---
Jun spent the next days submerged in ancient scrolls. He deciphered long-lost techniques, blending modern logic with cultivation wisdom.
He did not merely read—he rewrote paths of power. Glyphs floated in air, energy danced in his chamber. The palace servants spoke of light leaking from beneath his door at night.
He slept little.
One evening, Li Xuan entered. She watched him in silence.
Finally, she asked, "What are you building?"
Jun replied, "A new future."
With the emperor's grant, he forged talismans, refined pills, and laid the groundwork for alliances.
But outside, enemies
plotted.
Liu Xiang, burned by shame, sent word to rival clans:
"If we don't act now, the shadow will consume us all."
He didn't yet realize—
the shadow already had a name: Jun Mo Xie.