Chapter 47: The Price of Power

The heavy silence of the mountain pass was shattered by the grinding of ancient stone. Mei Lian, Zheng Wei, and Yan Shun had uncovered an alternate entrance—a hidden gateway carved into the mountainside, obscured by centuries of wind and earth. As they stepped closer, the guardian awoke.

A towering stone sentinel, sculpted in the image of a warrior from a forgotten age, loomed before them. Its hollow eyes ignited with a spectral blue glow, its voice deep and thunderous.

"Only those who are worthy may pass."

Yan Shun stepped forward. His voice, though calm, carried an edge of urgency. "We seek entry to the tomb of the Jade Empress. The fate of the world is at stake."

The guardian remained unmoved. "Fate bends only to the strong. Prove yourselves."

Yan Shun exhaled, pressing his palms together. "Then we shall face your trial."

The air trembled. Darkness surged from the guardian's core, engulfing them in shadows. Mei Lian's breath hitched. This was no mere test of strength.

The world around them twisted, colors bleeding together as reality warped. When Mei Lian opened her eyes, she was no longer at the gateway.

She stood within the gilded halls of her past, the scent of incense thick in the air. Before her, seated in a high-backed chair, was Lady Yuexiang.

"You should have stayed in my shadow, child." Yuexiang's voice was both alluring and cold. "You were never meant to forge your own path."

Mei Lian clenched her fists. "You don't control me anymore."

Lady Yuexiang merely smiled. "Don't I?"

A sudden wave of memories flooded Mei Lian's mind—the ruthless training, the whispered lessons in deception, the missions that had stained her hands red. The weight of her past pressed upon her chest, suffocating.

"No." Mei Lian forced the words through gritted teeth. "I chose to leave. I chose this path."

The illusion flickered. Yuexiang's smile turned sharp. "Then why do you still doubt?"

The scene shattered. Mei Lian stumbled back into the present, panting.

Nearby, Zheng Wei gasped, his knuckles white as he gripped his prayer beads. The burning monastery lay before him, just as it had that night—the night his brothers had perished.

Figures moved through the flames, their voices filled with agony.

"You swore to protect us."

Zheng Wei's throat constricted. "I tried—I tried—"

A shadow stepped forward. A man in the robes of a monk, his face barely recognizable through the burns.

"Your prayers meant nothing."

Zheng Wei's knees buckled. The flames reflected in his wide eyes. The guilt he carried threatened to consume him whole.

But then, a whisper—soft, yet firm. "The past does not bind you."

Zheng Wei's grip on his beads tightened. "No," he whispered. "It does not."

The illusion wavered, then shattered. Zheng Wei collapsed to one knee, trembling but conscious.

Yan Shun had drawn his sword the moment the darkness had fallen. Now, he stood within a frozen battlefield, the scent of iron thick in the air.

Before him stood a figure cloaked in shadow, their face obscured by the mist. A low voice echoed.

"You swore vengeance, yet here you stand—lost."

Yan Shun exhaled slowly. "Vengeance must be tempered by purpose."

The shadow lunged, blade clashing against his. Yan Shun parried, but the force behind the strike sent him skidding back.

"You hesitate," the voice sneered. "That is why you will fail."

Yan Shun clenched his jaw. "I will not fall to hatred. I will not become him."

The battlefield vanished. The mountainside returned. The guardian's voice rumbled once more.

"You have faced your fears. You may pass."

The stone sentinel stepped aside, revealing a passageway leading into the depths of the tomb.

As the darkness faded, Mei Lian turned to Zheng Wei, her breath catching. He was pale, clutching his side. Blood seeped through his robes.

"Zheng Wei!" She rushed forward.

He waved her off weakly. "I—I'm fine."

Yan Shun frowned. "No, you're not."

They had won the right to enter, but at what cost?

Mei Lian's hands hovered over Zheng Wei's wound. "We need to treat this before we move forward."

Yan Shun glanced toward the now-open entrance. "We don't have time. If we delay, Li Feng will be alone against Shen Longwei for too long."

Mei Lian's expression tightened. "Then we do both. We stop the bleeding and press forward."

Yan Shun exhaled, then nodded. "Agreed."

As the group entered the tomb, Zheng Wei gritted his teeth against the pain. Their trial had only just begun.