The Warning

Prince Cheng paced the main hall of the Yunshan Sect, tension clawing at the back of his mind. He had taken refuge in this small sect, far from the palace and the growing whispers of illness spreading through the empire. Though he had come under the guise of offering aid, his true reasons were more personal. The weight of responsibility and the relentless palace intrigues had left him seeking an escape.

But today, there was no solace in the quiet halls.

He noticed it first in the eyes of the disciples, darting anxiously as they hurried through their duties. The usually serene atmosphere was charged with a quiet dread. Something was wrong.

Just as Cheng considered leaving his chambers to investigate, the door burst open, and a young disciple rushed in, his face pale with fear.

"My lord," the disciple gasped, struggling to catch his breath, "we've just received word. The Blood Demon is coming. He's been sent to destroy the Yunshan Sect!"

Cheng froze. "The Blood Demon?" he repeated, disbelief and horror mingling in his voice. "Are you sure?"

The disciple nodded frantically. "Yes, my lord. Meng Qingshan, the infamous demonic cultivator. He's already on his way."

The Blood Demon. Meng Qingshan. The name sent a chill through Cheng's spine. The stories of the demonic cultivator had spread across the empire like wildfire—tales of his ruthless power, his merciless conquests, and the destruction he left in his wake. A monster feared by all.

Cheng swallowed hard, his mind racing. He had no idea why the Blood Demon would target such a small sect, but that was irrelevant now. The Yunshan Sect was in immediate danger, and so was he.

"Prepare the defenses," Cheng ordered, his voice steady despite the rising panic inside him. "Alert the sect leader. We must be ready."

The disciple bowed quickly and dashed out of the room, leaving Cheng alone with his thoughts. He rubbed his temples, trying to process the situation. The Blood Demon was coming. He had no chance of defeating someone with such dark power, not even with the best defenses the Yunshan Sect could muster.

Why would Meng Qingshan attack here? Cheng knew of the demonic sect's movements, but this seemed personal. Was this somehow connected to the illness? The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

He needed to think fast. He couldn't fight, but perhaps he could survive long enough to escape. The sect leader had mentioned a secret passage leading out of the mountains, a hidden route meant for emergencies.

Cheng quickly packed a few essential items and donned a dark cloak, blending into the shadows. As he made his way to the hidden passage, his thoughts drifted to the stories he had heard about Meng Qingshan, the Blood Demon. How had such a monstrous figure come to be? Who was this demon-wielding cultivator who had struck fear into so many?

Deep down, he couldn't shake the strange feeling of familiarity. The name Meng Qingshan tugged at something in the recesses of his mind, but he couldn't place it. He had never met the Blood Demon, but there was something unsettlingly familiar about the stories of his power, the whispers of his origin.

Cheng reached the small room behind the main hall, where the entrance to the secret passage was hidden. Lifting the loose stone slab, he revealed a narrow staircase descending into darkness. He stepped into the passage, feeling the cold stone beneath his feet as the weight of his decision pressed on him. He would wait in the shadows, hide if necessary.

As he moved deeper into the tunnel, he found a small alcove with a view through a hole in the wall. It was a vantage point, allowing him to observe the tunnel beyond without being seen. He crouched there, listening to the faint sounds of activity above, the distant clamor of disciples preparing for a fight they likely could not win.

His heart raced as the minutes dragged on. What if the Blood Demon reached the sect before he could escape? What if the Yunshan Sect fell, and he was trapped inside this tunnel, hunted by the very monster everyone feared?