Unforgettable past

A Dimly Lit Room…  

Murong Jing paced back and forth inside the room, his mind occupied with thoughts of Xin Long.  

Xin Long, with his cold and piercing eyes, was no longer the boy he once was. He had grown into someone who could remain still and composed, completely at ease in solitude. Murong Jing had once believed that Xin Long could eventually become a key figure in the sect.  

But tonight, something about Xin Long's gaze unsettled him. Unlike the other captives, he wasn't just another powerless prisoner. Even in the midst of agony and suffering, his eyes remained sharp, unwavering—too alive. There was an intensity in his gaze, an unspoken force that made Murong Jing uneasy.  

That was why he had ordered Seductress Weiwei to keep Xin Long under control, treating him like a man lost in the depths of indulgence. Of course, Seductress Weiwei had been reluctant—bitterly so. She had only agreed when he threatened to withhold the brain-consuming pill she relied on.  

Murong Jing understood her hesitation. A mere subordinate like Xin Long was beneath her. It was natural for her to refuse. However, what bothered him more was the growing suspicion that Xin Long was not just an ordinary underling.  

He knew Seductress Weiwei well—he trusted in her abilities. She would find a way to handle Xin Long.  

As these thoughts settled in his mind, a satisfied smile curled on his lips. Then, his focus shifted to the sect itself.  

Shadowmoon Reaper Sect…  

A sect of mercenary assassins. A small organization, barely fifty members strong if the younger recruits were excluded. Yet, in the martial world, even the mere mention of their name struck fear into many.  

The sect's base remained a mystery, not only to outsiders but even to most of its own members. Only five people knew its location—Murong Jing himself, the Deputy Leader, the Second-in-Command, and four senior members. Not even Bai Luo or Seductress Wei Wei knew where it was.  

When jobs were assigned, recruits were blindfolded and transported in enclosed carriages, guided by the four senior members. The meeting point itself was a day's journey away from their base. It was there that they received assignments. Once a mission was completed, the same process repeated—the successful assassins were retrieved and returned under the same blindfolded secrecy.  

No one knew the true location of the sect's headquarters.  

No one could escape.  

No one could rebel.  

Additionally, due to the numerous terrifying pills, like the brain-consuming pills, used to control them, no one could escape or rebel. Without it, withdrawal would drive them to madness. And the only person who controlled the supply… was Murong Jing.  

That thought alone made him chuckle darkly.  

"Hahaha…"  

…  

"Fuck…"  

As soon as Bai Luo entered the room, his anger flared, and he couldn't hold back. How could he remain calm? The woman he cherished had just entered Xin Long's room. Furthermore, he knew the reason for her entry, which made his anger uncontrollable. He wanted to kill Xin Long.  

Among those he wished to kill, the sect leader was included as well. A woman like Wei Wei, without the sect leader's orders, had no reason to enter Xin Long's room. These thoughts drove him to a boiling point, and in his rage, he slammed his fist into the nearby wall.  

"Thud..."  

The sound of his fist hitting the wall echoed loudly throughout the room.  

"You dog! You'll die… Next week, in the trial match, you will die… I'll kill you, dog!"  

As his anger surged, Bai Luo began to carefully plan how he would kill Xin Long.  

…  

A child, only thirteen years old, watched in disbelief with wide, innocent eyes as an event unfolded before him. Before the child stood a group of ten men, each wearing a veil over their faces. Among them was a woman, around forty years old, who was being tormented in turns. The sound of mockery and laughter from the men was piercing, each vile word echoing in the child's ears. However, amidst the ten men, there was one who remained silent, neither laughing nor speaking, a curious anomaly.  

Tears streamed down. The child's face reflected a mix of helplessness, and a plea for assistance could be heard from his lips. Slowly, the sounds of distress faded away, as did the pleas for help. The eyes of the one watching the child filled with sorrow, embarrassment, and pity.  

Then came the chilling sound of a blade sinking into flesh. The eyes of the child widened as the horror became real.  

The child, now in a state of shock, watched with fear, and as his eyes met those of his mother, he whispered, "Mother..." but the sound didn't leave his lips.  

"Mother..."  

Xin Long, in the midst of a nightmare, suddenly gasped and sat up, drenched in sweat. He noticed his whole body was covered in perspiration. This nightmare, these events, were nothing more than recurring dreams he had often experienced before. The desperate cries for help from his mother… the sounds of mocking laughter from the men, as if they were enjoying his mother's torment, echoed in his ears, as though the voices had never left him.  

His father had gone on a journey for some business, and that was when this tragedy unfolded. It occurred just before Xin Long's thirteenth birthday. Bound and unable to move or speak, he was forced to watch the horrible events happen to his mother. He lost consciousness from the pain after his final cry for help. When he regained consciousness, he realized he was in a covered horse-drawn cart.   

Soon, the smell of fresh greenery and the scent of flowers filled his nostrils, and once again, he lost consciousness. When he woke up once more, he found himself in the lair of the Shadowmoon Reaper Sect.   

As soon as he entered the lair, the thoughts that consumed him were whether the group had violated his mother in such a vile manner. But slowly, he came to understand that the group members were not the kind to be interested in such things.   

The members of the sect who had left for external business rarely left in groups larger than three, which could likely have made things more difficult for them. Furthermore, the voices of the enemies he had to repay with blood were unlike those of the people here.   

For Xin Long, those voices were like ones pounded into his ears with the sound of iron, becoming an unforgettable echo throughout his life.   

Lost in thought for what seemed like an entire pot of rice cooking, he found himself unintentionally recalling the words of his father:   

"Son, if you stay lost in thought, thinking about what you want, it won't just come to you by chance. If you want something, you have to strive for it. To achieve what you want, you need to have determination. With a steady mind, you must have the ability to make decisions. Let me tell you… even if you're doing wrong, with a steady mind, you must still achieve what you desire. Don't just sit idly and wait for things to come. If you fall into that mindset, you'll lose everything."  

At that time, with his hands clutching a book of medicine, he had been lost in thought, only for his father's urgent words to snap him out of it. The feeling of being lost in thought—yes, it often happened when his mind wandered back to the events surrounding his mother. He had realized this long ago.  

He had to do something to forget those things, at least for a while. He still had goals he wanted to accomplish despite those events. The moment he thought this, a lightness filled his chest. Lingering on one thought for too long was futile.  

After thinking this through, Xin Long sat up, straightened his posture, and began to practice his breathing. The rhythm of his breath settled in his nose. For young men like him, training his inner energy was important. He moved his left arm and joined it with his right, gathering his energy in his chest before spreading it throughout his body. He felt his body lighten. After a moment, he stopped the internal exercise, dismounted the bed, and walked toward the wall.  

He picked up a dagger from a collection of weapons mounted on the wall and left the room. His mind was set on the trial match in three days. He would need to practice, honing his skills for the blood-pumping challenge ahead.  

As he walked slowly, he reached the outside of the building.  

"Gee… Woo…"  

He couldn't tell whether it was because he saw his dark figure from afar, but the sound of some dogs in the kennel, growling hungrily, reached his ears. The growling and howling made his blood boil with intensity.  

In an instant, the image of the large flesh-cutting knife flashed in his mind. He remembered how the heart had entered his mouth through his palm, and with that thought, his heartbeat quickened, and his blood boiled even more violently.  

He walked towards the open ground and began practicing the sword techniques taught to him by the sect.  

The sword techniques were extremely basic. Each sword strike was a life-or-death move. The key to each strike lay in the quickness of the action. Though he did not know the name of the sword technique, he was aware that each movement had the intent of killing.  

The moonlight made his movements seem like shadows, and the wind blew fiercely across the ground as he continued his practice. The wind relentlessly struck his body, yet it could not stop the sweat pouring from him. Every movement of the sword, shining in the moonlight, felt like a deadly dance, perfectly synchronized with the moon's glow.  

Then, as he came to a stop, he took a deep breath, filling his lungs completely. As he exhaled, he noticed the shadow on the ground before him had also come to a halt.  

Raising his right hand, which was still gripping the blade, he watched as the shadow on the ground mirrored his movement with its left hand. A satisfied smirk formed on his lips before he turned and stepped back into the building.  

As Xin Long pushed open his room's door, he instinctively followed a habit—his eyes swept across the space.  

The moment he entered, he noticed something amiss. Some of the weapons on the wall, once neatly arranged, had been disturbed. Their displaced positions revealed signs of an intruder. His shoulder tensed for a brief moment, but then he let out a faint, amused smirk, placing his blade back onto the rack.  

Fixing his gaze on the disturbed weapons, he took a mental note before walking toward his bed. Without hesitation, he threw himself onto it, stretching his limbs lazily.  

At that moment, he thought of Seductress Wei Wei. It had been nearly two days since he last saw her. He knew she had likely left on some assignment. The memory of their last night together resurfaced—words she whispered to him, words more valuable than anything else.  

That night, he had noticed it—the way his teasing words and commanding presence had drawn her in, made her lose herself in him. The thought made the corner of his lips twitch into a smile as he shut his eyes.  

Then, his world faded into darkness.  

End – 2