Blood Ties and Broken Bonds
The streets were silent except for the distant echo of their hurried footsteps. The cold night air clung to Yue Rin's skin as she led her group through the winding alleyways, her thoughts racing.
Ao Ling was gone again.
Liang Wei stopped beside her, wiping a streak of blood from his forehead. "Are we clear?"
Zhen Xiu, scanning their surroundings, nodded. "For now. But they'll be back."
Han sheathed his sword with a grunt. "That woman—your sister—she fought like a damn demon. If she wanted to kill us, she would have."
Yue Rin exhaled. "I know."
But that was the problem. Ao Ling had spared them, just as Yue Rin had spared her.
They could have finished each other tonight. But neither of them had.
Why?
"Where do we go now?" Liang Wei asked.
Yue Rin turned her gaze toward the eastern district. "We regroup. We need answers."
They disappeared into the shadows, leaving the bloodied battleground behind.
The Hidden Truth
By dawn, they had reached one of their safer hideouts, a small tea house owned by an old ally. Inside, the scent of fresh herbs filled the air, masking the tension that clung to them.
As Yue Rin bandaged a wound on her arm, Zhen Xiu sat across from her. "She's different from the sister you remember, isn't she?"
Yue Rin nodded, tightening the cloth around her arm. "She's stronger… colder. Someone changed her."
Liang Wei leaned against the wall. "You think she's working alone?"
"No," Yue Rin said immediately. "There's something bigger at play."
Han crossed his arms. "Then we need to figure out who's pulling the strings."
A soft knock interrupted them.
An elderly man entered, his wrinkled face calm despite the urgency in the room. He placed a scroll on the table. "A message came for you before sunrise."
Yue Rin unrolled it.
Her eyes darkened.
Midnight. The abandoned temple.
Come alone.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
It was Ao Ling's.
A Sister's Battle
The night was thick with mist as Yue Rin approached the temple ruins.
Moonlight cast long shadows over the broken stone pillars, and the scent of damp earth clung to the air.
She stopped in the center of the ruins, heart pounding in her chest.
A familiar voice broke the silence.
"You came."
Yue Rin turned to see Ao Ling standing near a fallen statue, her golden eyes gleaming in the dark.
"I had to," Yue Rin said. "I need to understand."
Ao Ling smirked, but there was sadness in her gaze. "You want the truth? Then let's see if you're ready to hear it."
She moved without warning.
A blade flashed.
Yue Rin barely dodged in time, twisting away as Ao Ling's sword sliced through the air.
"So this is how it's going to be?" Yue Rin gritted her teeth, drawing her own weapon.
Ao Ling's stance was fluid, her strikes fast and relentless. Yue Rin deflected them, feeling the force behind each blow.
This wasn't just a fight.
This was a test.
Yue Rin countered with a sharp strike, forcing Ao Ling back. Their blades clashed, sparks flying between them.
"You're holding back," Ao Ling said.
"So are you," Yue Rin shot back.
They broke apart, circling each other.
"I need to know, Ao Ling. Who did this to you?" Yue Rin demanded.
Ao Ling's expression flickered—hesitation, pain. Then, she whispered, "The Emperor's Shadow."
Yue Rin froze.
The Emperor's Shadow was a secret force—an elite faction that answered only to the throne. If Ao Ling was part of them…
It meant she had been turned into one of the deadliest weapons in the empire.
Yue Rin's grip tightened on her blade. "Then I'll save you."
Ao Ling laughed, a bitter sound. "You still don't get it. I don't need saving."
She lunged again, but this time, Yue Rin met her strike head-on.
The force of their clash sent a shockwave through the temple ruins.
Blades danced. Shadows moved. The past and present collided.
And somewhere in the distance, the city held its breath.
Because tonight, blood would decide the fate of two sisters.