White Phantom – Chapter 26: Echoes of Vengeance

A Warrior's Burden

The night was restless. Bai Shen sat in the same spot by the river, the steady rhythm of his blade against the sharpening stone filling the silence. His thoughts, however, were far from still.

Across from him, Xiao Lan watched quietly. The firelight reflected in her eyes, but she remained unreadable.

"Tell me, Bai Shen," she finally spoke, her voice softer than before. "How did it happen?"

He didn't need to ask what she meant.

Bai Shen's fingers tensed around the hilt of his sword. For a long moment, he remained silent, his expression unreadable. But then, as if compelled by the night itself, he spoke.

"I was too slow." His voice was low, filled with restrained emotion. "Too weak to stop them."

Xiao Lan didn't press further. She understood that some wounds were too deep to be reopened so easily.

Instead, she sighed. "I know that feeling."

Bai Shen glanced at her, sensing something heavy behind her words.

She met his gaze. "You asked me why I want to destroy the Shadow Sect."

He nodded.

Xiao Lan exhaled. "Because they took my brother."

Bai Shen's grip on his sword tightened.

"He was a prodigy," she continued, staring into the flames. "Stronger than me. Smarter than me. He had everything… but that only made him a target."

Her fists clenched. "The Shadow Sect captured him. I searched for years, but all I found was a rumor—he had been forced into their ranks, turned into one of their assassins."

Bai Shen remained quiet.

Xiao Lan's lips curled in a bitter smirk. "So tell me, Bai Shen. If I find him again, standing against me as my enemy… do I kill him?"

Silence stretched between them.

Bai Shen finally spoke, his voice steady. "If he's beyond saving, you already know the answer."

Xiao Lan closed her eyes for a moment before nodding.

The night continued, but neither of them found any rest.

Shadows in the Night

Morning arrived with an uneasy stillness.

Bai Shen and Xiao Lan moved through the dense forest, following whispers of the Shadow Sect's movements. The town was close, but something felt wrong.

Then, without warning—

A whistle in the wind.

Bai Shen's instincts flared. In an instant, he twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the dagger aimed for his throat.

The attack was swift—silent.

Xiao Lan reacted just as quickly, drawing her sword to deflect another strike. But the assailant was already gone, fading into the shadows of the trees.

Bai Shen's eyes narrowed.

"A Shadow Sect assassin," Xiao Lan muttered, scanning their surroundings.

Another shift in the air—Bai Shen turned, his sword flashing. The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out.

Their enemy had finally revealed himself.

A man dressed in black, his face half-covered by a mask. His aura was sharp, suffocating—a true killer.

"You should not have come here, Bai Shen," the assassin spoke, his voice as cold as death itself.

Bai Shen's grip tightened around his sword. "Then it's too bad for you. I have no intention of leaving."

The assassin chuckled darkly. "Then die here."

He lunged.

The battle had begun.

Phantom vs. Shadow

The assassin's movements were unlike any opponent Bai Shen had faced before—his strikes were fast, unpredictable, vanishing into the darkness before appearing from another angle.

But Bai Shen was ready.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled.

The world shifted.

The technique he had trained endlessly—the Phantom Echo—came to life. The whispers of the wind, the vibrations in the earth, the faintest sound of shifting fabric—all of it painted a map in his mind.

And in that world of sound, the assassin was no longer hidden.

Bai Shen moved.

Their swords clashed—once, twice, a dozen times in mere moments. The assassin weaved through the battle like a ghost, but Bai Shen followed his every step.

Then, in a single breath—Bai Shen vanished.

The assassin's eyes widened in shock.

From the shadows, Bai Shen's voice echoed.

"You rely too much on the dark."

And then—strike.

A flash of steel. A cry of pain.

Bai Shen reappeared behind the assassin, his sword dripping red.

The assassin staggered, clutching his side. His breathing was ragged.

Xiao Lan stepped forward, ready to finish him off.

But Bai Shen raised a hand. "No."

Xiao Lan frowned. "You're letting him live?"

Bai Shen stared down at the assassin, who glared back with hatred burning in his eyes.

"You," Bai Shen said, his voice calm, "are going to deliver a message."

The assassin spat blood. "And what message is that?"

Bai Shen's gaze was cold as ice.

"Tell your masters: The Phantom is coming."

The assassin's eyes widened slightly. But then, without another word, he disappeared into the shadows.

Xiao Lan exhaled. "You let him go… but now they know we're here."

Bai Shen sheathed his sword. "Good."

Xiao Lan raised an eyebrow.

Bai Shen turned away, his voice carrying through the trees.

"Let them know fear before I arrive."

End of Chapter