Chapter 4- Serpents in the Night

Ryu's mind was drifting in and out of consciousness, flashes of scattered memories mixing with the sensation of movement. He wasn't sure how much time had passed since the old man started running, carrying both him and the girl, but something cold and wet stung his cheek, pulling him back to reality.

With a jarring thud, Ryu hit the ground, groaning in pain as the world around him slowly came into focus. His vision swam, and his muscles screamed in protest, but the low growl of the old man's voice pulled him from the fog.

"Get up!" the old man snapped, his voice strained but fierce. "They're coming."

Ryu struggled to push himself up, blinking away the dizziness. His heart pounded in his chest as his surroundings became clearer. They were in a dark forest clearing, surrounded by towering trees that blocked most of the moonlight. The air was thick with tension, and though the old man's back was turned to him, Ryu could sense his wariness.

The girl, barely older than Ryu, was huddled beside him, her face pale with fear. Her eyes darted toward the shadows beyond the trees, and Ryu followed her gaze.

From the darkness, cloaked figures emerged silently, their movements smooth and predatory, like snakes slithering through the night. There were at least a dozen of them, their black robes blending into the gloom. Their leader stepped forward—a man with a serpent tattoo winding across his face, his eyes glowing with a sickly green light.

"Well, well," the leader said with a low chuckle, his voice oozing malice. "The legendary Ghost Hand… and two little rats."

The old man gripped his staff tightly, the wooden handle creaking under the pressure. "Leave now, or you'll regret ever setting foot near us," he growled, his eyes never leaving the cultists.

The leader's grin widened, showing teeth that gleamed unnaturally white in the darkness. "Brave words from an old man on his last legs. You've run out of places to hide. Hand over the girl, and maybe we'll let you crawl away."

The girl shrank back, clutching Ryu's arm tightly. Her small fingers trembled, her fear palpable. Ryu's own heart hammered in his chest, but beneath the fear, he felt something else—a strange, simmering heat in his core. He wasn't sure what it was, but it stirred within him, as if waiting to be unleashed.

"Stay behind me," the old man said, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. He shifted his stance, lowering his center of gravity in a way that made Ryu feel like the air around them had changed. The old man, who had seemed so frail only moments before, was now radiating a quiet, dangerous strength.

The cult leader scoffed. "Fine. Kill them."

The shadows seemed to come alive as the cultists charged forward, their dark qi swirling around them like poisonous fumes. Ryu's muscles tensed, but before he could react, the old man moved.

What followed was a blur of motion.

Ryu could barely see it. The old man's staff moved faster than his eyes could follow, striking out with such speed that it seemed to vanish from sight. The only signs of the old man's attacks were the sparks that flashed in the air and the crack of wood hitting flesh and bone. Each time a cultist neared them, the old man's staff struck like lightning, and they fell back, groaning in pain.

The sound of clashing energy filled the night, but Ryu could only hear it, unable to fully comprehend the old man's movements. He saw glimpses of the cultists flying back, their bodies flung against trees or sent crashing to the ground with bone-shattering force. But the old man's strikes themselves were invisible—too fast, too precise for Ryu's eyes to track.

The cult leader's grin faltered as more of his men fell, clutching at broken limbs or struggling to rise from the ground. "What the hell…?" he muttered, his eyes narrowing as he took a step back. "How is this old man still so powerful?"

The old man's eyes gleamed in the moonlight, a dangerous light reflecting in them. "You've chosen the wrong fight."

Ryu watched in awe, his heart pounding not only from fear but from something else—a growing admiration. He had no idea the old man was this strong, this terrifying. The way he moved, the way his strikes landed with precision and devastating force—it was like watching a force of nature.

But even the old man was growing weary. Ryu could see the tremble in his hands as he raised his staff once more, the slight hesitation in his movements. The cult leader noticed it too, and a wicked smile slowly returned to his face.

"So the old ghost is tiring, huh?" he sneered, raising his arms. Dark qi swirled around his hands, coiling like snakes, and with a sharp motion, he sent it slithering toward the old man.

Before Ryu could shout a warning, the serpentine dark qi struck.

The old man blocked the first wave, his staff crackling with energy as it deflected the attack. But the second and third strikes followed immediately after, faster and more vicious. The old man grunted as he twisted to dodge, but a tendril of dark qi lashed across his arm, leaving a trail of poisonous smoke.

He staggered back, clutching his arm as dark qi sizzled against his skin.

"Old man!" Ryu shouted, instinctively stepping forward. But before he could take another step, the cult leader's eyes locked onto him.

"And what's this?" the leader hissed, his eyes gleaming with malevolent delight. "A little boy with some fight in him? You'll die first, then."

He raised his hand, and the shadows around him writhed and coiled, forming into massive spectral serpents. They lunged toward Ryu, their fangs glistening with venomous dark qi.

Ryu's mind screamed at him to move, but his body was frozen in place, paralyzed by the sheer speed of the attack. The serpents closed in, and just as he thought he was done for, something deep within him stirred.

The heat in his core flared to life, spreading through his limbs like wildfire. Time seemed to slow, and in that instant, Ryu felt something unfamiliar yet strangely familiar—a surge of power unlike anything he'd ever experienced. His vision sharpened, and the world around him seemed to pulse with energy.

Without fully understanding how, Ryu's body moved.

He raised his hand, and a burst of Heavenly Qi shot forth from his palm, a shimmering pulse of pure energy. The serpents collided with the qi, dissolving into nothing with a hiss. Ryu gasped, staring at his hand in shock. It glowed faintly with a soft, golden light.

The cult leader's eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible… That power…"

Ryu's heart raced as the realization hit him. This wasn't just adrenaline. It was qi—his qi. And it was powerful.

The cult leader snarled, his face contorting with rage. "You little brat! You think a bit of heavenly qi can save you?!" He raised both hands, and the shadows around him coiled tighter, forming more serpents, larger and more vicious than before.

But Ryu wasn't afraid anymore. His fear had melted away, replaced by something stronger. He could feel the qi within him, burning brightly, waiting to be unleashed. He wasn't sure how to control it yet, but he knew one thing—he wouldn't let this monster take the girl or harm the old man.

The old man, panting heavily, glanced at Ryu, his eyes wide with shock. "That… that power…"

Ryu didn't have time to respond. The cult leader's serpents struck again, faster and more aggressive than before. But this time, Ryu was ready.

He focused on the qi inside him, feeling it flow through his body, and with a sharp exhale, he released it in a controlled burst. The air around him shimmered with golden light as the Heavenly Qi surged forward, colliding with the dark qi serpents in an explosive clash of energy.

The serpents disintegrated, their dark energy fading into the night.

The cult leader staggered back, his face pale with shock. "No… This can't be happening…"

Ryu stepped forward, his eyes glowing faintly with qi. "You won't hurt anyone else."

With a swift motion, Ryu gathered the remaining qi in his palm and unleashed it in a devastating palm strike aimed at the cult leader's chest. The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing, and the leader's body was flung backward, crashing into the trees with a sickening thud.

The cult leader collapsed to the ground, motionless.

The remaining cultists, seeing their leader defeated, fled into the forest, their courage shattered.

Ryu stood there, breathing heavily, his heart racing. His body hummed with residual energy, the power of the Heavenly Qi still swirling around him. The old man stared at him in disbelief, while the girl clung

The old man, despite his visible fatigue, wasn't done yet. With a sudden burst of energy, he dashed forward, faster than Ryu had ever seen. His staff became a blur as he struck at the retreating cultists, who screamed in terror. His blows, though unseen by Ryu, sent shockwaves through the air, rattling the ground beneath them. One by one, the remaining members of the Fallen Serpent Cult were hurled back, their bodies thrown like rag dolls against the trees.

Realizing they stood no chance, the few remaining cultists scrambled to flee. With hurried chants, they activated their dark techniques, dissolving into shadowy clouds that whisked them away into the night, leaving behind only the eerie silence of the forest.

Ryu, his body trembling from the rush of Heavenly Qi and the intensity of the battle, felt his legs give way. The world around him spun, his vision darkening at the edges. He tried to focus on the old man, whose form seemed to blur as the exhaustion took over. The last thing he heard was the old man's hurried footsteps approaching before everything faded into blackness, and Ryu fell unconscious, overwhelmed by his newfound power.