The night air hung heavy, damp with the scent of wet earth and smoke. In Li Village, families huddled in silence, clutching children close as whispers spread of riders approaching from the east.
By the time the moon climbed high, the whispers became screams. Raiders, bandits from the barren hills had descended like wolves upon sheep. Torches flared, roofs caught fire, and the quiet village became a battlefield.
Li Shan dragged his weakened body into the fray, wielding a hoe like a soldier's spear. Beside him, younger men shouted in panic, their farm tools raised in trembling hands. Madam Chen fled into the shadows with the infant, her heart hammering like a war drum.
Old Man Zhao limped toward the chaos, leaning on his cane. His bones ached, yet his eyes burned with something older than pain.
The raiders laughed as they cut through the villagers' defenses. "Pathetic worms! This village will feed us well!" one sneered, raising his blade high.
The clang of steel on steel rang out, crude weapons meeting rusted swords in the flickering glow of fire. Fear gave strength to trembling hands, but strength without skill faltered quickly against hardened killers.Blood spattered the ground, staining the soil that had once only known rice and wheat. Cries of anguish mingled with the crackle of flames, painting the night in chaos.
A villager fell beside Li Shan, his chest split open. Li Shan roared in fury, his hoe striking down upon a bandit's shoulder, cracking bone. But his arms trembled, and another raider shoved him back.
From the shadows, Madam Chen clutched her son tighter, her tears soaking his blanket. "Please, Wei," she whispered, "don't wake. Don't see this."
The baby stirred, his tiny hands grasping at the air. In that moment, the clouds above shifted, and a pale light broke through, shining down upon the child.
The raiders hesitated, their jeers faltering. One pointed upward with wide eyes. "The star! It follows the boy!"
Gasps spread among the villagers. Panic rippled like a wave, confusion breaking the already fragile defense. Some fell to their knees in terror; others screamed for the Chen family to be given up.
Elder Han, his beard singed by fire, shouted hoarsely, "It is the omen! The heavens curse us tonight because of him!"
Old Man Zhao slammed his cane against the earth, silencing the crowd. "Enough! You would blame an infant for the cruelty of men?"
His voice, though cracked by age, rolled through the burning village like a command of thunder. For a heartbeat, both bandits and villagers paused, their eyes turning to the frail old man who refused to bow.In Zhao's chest, the old power he had sealed for decades stirred painfully, like a locked beast straining against its cage. He knew drawing on it again might tear his life away but what use was life if he let the boy's fate be decided tonight?
The raiders turned their attention to Zhao, laughter bubbling in their throats. "An old cripple? You think you can stop us?"
Zhao straightened, his cane tapping once against the earth. "I am no cripple," he said quietly.
Qi flared. Faint, fragile, but undeniable it rippled outward, bending the smoke, stirring the flames. The villagers gasped as the air thickened with unseen force.
One of the bandits staggered back, his sword arm trembling as though unseen chains bound it. Another dropped his torch, eyes wide with terror at the invisible pressure pressing on his chest.Even Li Shan, barely able to breathe, felt his heart steady for the first time that night. For the first time, hope cut through the despair like a blade of light.
Zhao raised his cane. It gleamed faintly, as if moonlight itself clung to its surface. With a sharp motion, he struck downward.
The earth split. A crack tore through the ground, swallowing two bandits in an instant. Their screams echoed as the gap sealed, leaving no trace of their bodies.
The raiders froze. No longer did they laugh. Fear replaced cruelty in their eyes.
But Zhao swayed, his breath ragged. Blood dripped from his lips. His power was real, but it came at a cost.
He glanced once toward the shadows where Madam Chen hid, his eyes softening. "Protect him," his heart whispered. "For I cannot for long."
The bandit leader snarled, rallying his men. "He's only one old man! Kill him, and the rest will crumble!"
They charged. Zhao planted himself firmly, summoning what little remained of his strength. Cane swept against blade, and with each clash, sparks of qi lit the night.
Villagers, inspired, rose again. Li Shan, though battered, pushed himself back to his feet. He shouted, rallying those still able to fight. "With me! For our homes! For our families!"
The battle raged on.
Fires roared higher, devouring thatched roofs. The night sky, once calm, churned with clouds as if even the heavens leaned closer to witness the clash.Somewhere beyond the village, wolves howled in eerie harmony, their cries a chilling echo of the violence unfolding.
Li Wei whimpered softly in his mother's arms. Though only an infant, his presence seemed to hum with the strange rhythm of fate. Madam Chen kissed his brow, whispering a vow through her tears. "You will live, no matter the cost. I will see you live."
Zhao struck one final blow, hurling a bandit across the flames. His body crumpled lifelessly. But Zhao himself collapsed to one knee, the last reserves of strength draining away.
Villagers surged forward, spurred by his sacrifice. Together they pushed the raiders back, desperation fueling their courage. The bandits, shaken by losses and fear of
the strange boy, retreated into the night, leaving smoke and ruin behind.
When silence finally fell, it was broken only by weeping. The village lay half-burned, bodies scattered in the dirt. But the Chen family still lived, and so too did the boy born beneath the star.
Old Man Zhao was carried home by trembling hands. His body was frail, his breath shallow. Yet his eyes gleamed with quiet satisfaction.
"The omen is real," Elder Han muttered bitterly, but few listened. Tonight, they had seen not only blood but also the stirrings of destiny.
Madam Chen knelt beside Zhao's bed, clutching his hand. Her tears fell like rain, but her voice was steady: "Thank you. You saved him. You saved us all."And in Zhao's fading smile, there was no regret, only the relief of a man who had fulfilled the first step of his duty to fate.