A young child quietly presented a set of clothes as a naked young man stepped out of the bathroom. The young man offered a nod, acknowledging the gesture. "Well done—you're catching on."
Ma Ying Jie continued in a measured tone, "Huo Yuhao, you've recently awakened your aperture and had a B‑rank aptitude."
"You've served faithfully for the past month, so I'll let you decide your fate."
"You may relinquish your Huo surname and embrace the Ma Tribe—then you'll rise to become a Gu Master among us."
"But if you keep your surname, you will remain as a servant of the Ma Tribe for your entire life."
"Choose," he said, his voice even.
He had taken in this child, Huo Yuhao, as his personal attendant only a month earlier and evaluated his cultivation—Rank 1 Initial Stage with a commendable B‑grade potential. That's why he intended to groom the boy for his own purposes, rather than keeping him as a servant indefinitely.
Once back in his own home, he planned to replace any male attendant with a female one.
Still bowing his head, Huo Yuhao spoke softly, "It is only through your generosity, young master, that I exist in this life."
"I will obey whatever you command."
Ma Ying Jie lightly raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Look at that," he murmured.
He paused, then assured again with an approving nod, "Excellent."
"From this moment on, you're a full member of the Ma Tribe."
"You shall henceforth be known as Ma Hongjun."
He patted the boy's shoulder. "You report directly to me. Seek Gu Worms from Elder Ma You Liang."
"Now go."
He began dressing as the boy bowed once more and left with a soft, "As you wish, young master."
...
Emerging from the room, Huo Yuhao—also known as Fang Yuan—cast a composed glance around before stepping outside.
Under the cloak of night, countless tents sprawled before him. Some people were drinking and lighting fires, while others laughed or flirted; from a few tents, faint moans drifted through the air.
Fang Yuan merely observed for a moment, then turned and quietly slipped into the forest's darkness.
After a few minutes of walking, he arrived at a waterfall. Calmly, he removed his robes and waded into the cold cascade.
Splash.
The water's chill licked his skin—and something strange happened: as if shy, steam curled up the moment the droplets touched him. Still, Fang Yuan paid it no mind. Instead, he looked up at the moon and murmured, "What a pity."
Then, turning his head, he noticed a tiny fly hovering nearby. It landed gently on his hand—a special "information-path" Gu worm, used to convey messages. He focused his thoughts into it—and instantly, he sensed a fresh piece of intel.
"The Hei Tribe is planning an attack?"
A playful smile crossed Fang Yuan's boylike face. He whispered softly, "Truly... what a pity."
...
"Enemy attack!"
"Get up!" Gu Masters' voices pierced the stillness, shattering the night like broken glass.
"Everyone---"
WHOOH—WHOOH—
The thunder of hooves roared from the forest depths, mingling with guttural war cries and the primal howls of beasts. Shadows moved with terrifying speed—like ghosts riding the wind.
A harsh, commanding voice rang out, sharp as a blade:
"Attack!"
Then a colder, more venomous growl followed from the darkness:
"Tonight, a part of the Ma Tribe will be erased from history."
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
The sky ignited.
Flaming arrows streaked across the night, descending like a storm of meteors. Trails of fire painted the night in arcs of glowing death.
CRACK—THUD—SLAK!
Tents erupted in flames. Screams tore through the air.
Caught unarmed and unprepared, Ma Tribe guards were struck down where they stood—pierced through before they could even lift their blades.
Bodies fell like leaves in a storm.
From the center of the chaos, a tall figure emerged.
Ma Ying Jie stepped out of his tent, his face carved in ice, his eyes locked on the dense black of the forest beyond.
Smoke curled around him. Sparks lit the night.
His jaw clenched.
"Hei Tribe..." he hissed through gritted teeth.
In one swift motion, he summoned his dragon horses.
With a surge of will, he mounted and charged forward, his silhouette outlined by the glow of fire and death.
Steel met darkness.
Flame met shadow.
And the battle began.
...
From the shadowed ridge near the treeline, a massive figure loomed like a boulder clad in iron. His armor groaned as he shifted his bulk, eyes narrowing at the battlefield below—strewn with fresh corpses, still twitching in death.
A buzzing fly landed on his thick gauntlet.
Not an insect—a message Gu.
With a flick of his will, he absorbed the information inside it.
As he learned what's inside, his eyes darkened but his expression didn't change.
"Do not touch the corpses… and spare Ma Ying Jie?"
His voice was a low growl, barely human.
"How dare he."
A scoff rumbled from his throat—deep, contemptuous.
"Does this mangy dog think he can command me?"
The fly trembled in his grip—a messenger Gu, still pulsing faintly with vitality.
With a slow clench of his armored fist, he silenced it. A sickening crack. Crimson ichor seeped through the seams of his gauntlet, dripping like blood from a butcher's glove.
He stared at the mess for a heartbeat. Then raised his head, gaze turning once more to the battlefield below—hungry, unbending, sovereign.
"So long as this mystery man feeds me intel, I don't give a damn who lives or rots."
He turned his head slightly, gaze locking onto the distant figure of Ma Ying Jie—bloodied, barely holding onto the reins of his dragon horse.
A sneer cut across the man's thick face.
"I'll seize the Imperial Court... with blood if I must."
His voice was low, a promise etched in steel and slaughter.
Then, a pause.
Another name surfaced in his mind like a corpse rising from a river.
"Ma Zun… you're next."
That beast of a man was Hei Lou Lan—leader of the Hei Tribe. And death followed wherever he set his gaze.