A clash of blade in the moonlight

Chapter 6: Shadows of the Past

The first thing Jian Hu noticed upon regaining consciousness was the faint scent of herbs lingering in the air. His body felt heavy, his limbs stiff, and a dull pain throbbed in his wounds. His vision blurred as he tried to take in his surroundings—a small, dimly lit room with wooden walls worn by time. The air inside was cool, the wind outside whistling softly through a partially open window. A single oil lamp flickered on the table, casting long shadows that danced across the room.

He shifted slightly, and pain shot through his body. Gritting his teeth, he looked down. His torso was wrapped in clean bandages, his wounds tended to with care. Someone had saved him.

His thoughts were sluggish, tangled between the haze of poison and exhaustion. He vaguely remembered the fight, the sharp sting of a blade laced with poison, the weight of his body failing him, and then—darkness. He should have died in that forest. Yet, here he was.

Just as he was struggling to sit up, the wooden door creaked open. A man stepped inside, carrying a small clay pot. His steps were slow, steady, unhurried, as if nothing in the world concerned him.

Jian Hu's eyes sharpened instantly. Even in the dim light, he recognized that figure.

Long, dark hair, a simple robe with sleeves slightly rolled up, revealing slender but calloused wrists—there was no mistaking him.

Li Xin.

A name that once rang like a curse in Jian Hu's mind.

Jian Hu let out a quiet chuckle, though it was weak and rough. "Hah… of all people." His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in days. "So it's you."

Li Xin glanced at him briefly, then placed the clay pot on the wooden table without a word. He stirred the herbs inside with a wooden spoon, the steam rising into the air. His expression remained calm, unreadable.

Jian Hu observed him for a moment before smirking. "I must be dreaming," he muttered. "Otherwise, why would you be the one saving me?"

Li Xin remained indifferent. "The medicine will keep the poison from spreading," he said simply, pouring some into a small bowl. His voice was steady, unbothered, as if he was speaking to just another stranger. "Drink it if you want to live."

Jian Hu narrowed his eyes. "You recognized me, didn't you?"

Li Xin didn't answer immediately. He picked up the bowl, walked over, and placed it near Jian Hu's hand.

Jian Hu stiffened slightly.

Li Xin turned away, his movements calm and deliberate. "Life and death are ruled by fate," he continued. "You were dying in that forest. If it was meant to be, you would have died there." He glanced at Jian Hu, his gaze cold yet strangely detached. "But you didn't."

Jian Hu stared at him. The Li Xin he had known in the past would never have spoken like this.

There was no hatred, no grudge, no lingering hostility. Just an empty acceptance, as if the weight of the past no longer belonged to him.

Jian Hu scoffed, his smirk fading. "So you really don't care."

Li Xin didn't respond. He merely picked up the remaining herbs and turned toward the door. "Drink the medicine," he said before stepping out, leaving Jian Hu alone with his thoughts.

The flickering lamp cast moving shadows on the wall. Jian Hu clenched his fists weakly, his mind swirling with unspoken memories.

Jian hu was staring the front wall ..It was a whole silence in the room ..A striking wave of memories from his past waved through his mind ...The time when Li Xin was not like a living dead ..A whole different world ..maybe their first meetup .

The night air was thick with the scent of blood and damp earth. In the dense wilderness, a lone figure darted between the trees, his robes billowing behind him. Jian Hu's sharp gaze locked onto the man stumbling ahead, his prey barely able to keep his balance. The hunted man's breath came in ragged gasps, his body swaying as he pressed a hand against a deep wound on his side.

Jian Hu's steps were silent, his movements swift. He was not one to let his enemies escape.

"You can't run forever," he muttered, gripping his sword tighter. The blade gleamed under the silver moonlight, cold and merciless.

The man's foot caught on a tree root, and he fell to his knees. Before he could rise, Jian Hu was already upon him, his sword raised high—ready to end it."Begging won't do fate."His voice calm but end with finality "you need to know the price of betrayal."

Then, just as the strike was about to fall, another blade appeared, blocking his own with perfect precision halting his movement with a sharp clang. A sharp metallic clang echoed through the forest.The force behind it was steady yet effortless as though its weilder has not exerted his whole strength.Jian hu's gaze shifted ,his expressions darkened as he wanted to recognize the person who wanted to intervene.

The man standing before him had a sense of tranquility.Dressed in white robes,his dark ,long hair was loosely tied behind him,strands swaying in the breeze .His grip on sword was light but carrying unwavered firmness in his posture.He was Li Xin.

Jian hu curled fingers tightened around his halt "Step aside"He warned his tone "This has nothing to do with you"

Li xin didn't move"Killing wont do anything for what that is already done."

Jian hu scoffed"Spare with your nonsense ,Justice is simple , betrayal deserve death."

Li Xin sword remained in his state unwavering "Justice is not yours to claim"

His blade come down fast,cutting through the wind with lethal precision. But before it could land it parried smoothly..A swift counter force him a stepback.Their sword clashed giving sparkles to dark heavy night.

Jian hu strikes were aggressive seeking to tear through anything in his part.Li Xin, in contrast moved with fluid ease,not letting his any move waste.Tbe more jian hu pressed ,the more he realized ,Li Xin was not fighting him ,he was just stopping him ,more trying to evaluate his sword skills ."I'm not trying to save him , I'm just evaluating if u deserve to kill him"

"You are in my way!" Jian hu growled with frustration seeping into his voice.

Li Xin remained still blocking another attack.

The fight continued under moonlit neither backing down ...

As the echoes of clashing steel faded into the night, the forest returned to its eerie stillness. The moon peeked through the drifting clouds once more, casting pale light over the two warriors locked in their silent duel.

Jian Hu's breath was heavy, his grip unyielding. Li Xin, ever composed, stood before him like an unshakable mountain. Neither had won, yet neither had lost.

Jian Hu had long believed strength was the only truth in this world, yet tonight, he found himself confronted by something else—a man who fought not for victory, but simply to stop him.

As they stood under the vast sky, blades still drawn, neither of them knew that this was the first of many battles, the start of something far greater than either could foresee.

The past had been written. But fate had not yet finished its tale.

The man they had been fighting over was long fled in the dark ..Their fighting had turned into whole something else.Their first encounter was merely a sword fight but now it meant a more than that

Outside, the wind whispered through the trees, carrying the weight of the past into the night.