Master Zu Gushion was the first to offer his respects. He bowed low.....not with force, but with the graceful humility of a tree whose branch bends under the weight of its ripe fruit.
Before beginning his words, he mentioned he was waiting… waiting for someone. And today, that very person had expressed a desire to meet all of them.
Just then, a knock echoed through the temple.
Standing at the grand entrance was a figure clad in black robes, a dark sword strapped to his back, and behind him.....loomed a menacing wolf. His presence was like death itself taking form before them. The shadows that clung to his garments, the way they fluttered with the breeze, whispered of some grave omen yet to unfold.
But the moment he stepped forward into the light, all illusions were dispelled.
He was none other than the Grand Head of the Hei Lin San Sect, Master Lee Wen, a descendant of the tenth generation of the Longxin family.....a house that had long ago been banished by both the Fuzi Xion Clan and the Linyan Clan.
As he entered the hall, it was immediately apparent he hailed from a lineage of great wealth and refined power. His black and crimson robes shimmered with intricate embroidery of blue lotuses, delicate yet commanding. The blue blossoms on that dark robes were striking.....elegant and fierce.
He stepped forward and bowed with honor to everyone present. Even his wolf companion lowered its head in respect and quietly settled into a distant corner, silent yet watchful.
After the pleasantries, formal introductions, and inquiries about each other's well-being, the true conversation finally began.
Everything was told to Master Lee Wen.....every detail of what had occurred at the academy earlier that day. Though late in coming, the air now unmistakably carried the scent of betrayal.
Looking toward Lady Guso Hun, his voice took on the weight of ages...as if a father were speaking to his long-lost daughter after centuries of silence. There was a deep resonance in his words when he said:
"Lady Guso, please, do not worry. Your son, Fui Lon, is with us...completely safe. You need not be afraid."
But fear had already made its home upon her face.
The worry of a mother was etched deep in her trembling expression, the kind that cannot be hidden. Her voice shook as she tried to speak:
"But my Fui Lon… he… he was clothed in black… he…"
She could not finish. Her words froze halfway.
Flashback begins.