CHAPTER 45 - SHADOWS BEHIND THE BLOOD

Days had passed since the tragedy at the foot of the northern hills. The rain had stopped, but the scars left behind—both on the land and in the hearts of those involved—had yet to heal. Elsewhere in the land, hidden deep within the shadows of the Black Mountains, stood a dreadful pavilion. It was built from ancient, dark wood, its roof adorned with eerie symbols that stirred fear in the hearts of any who laid eyes upon it.

Inside, blood-red candles flickered slowly, casting wild shadows across the walls. At the center of the room stood a massive black stone table, surrounded by four dark-robed figures. They were the high-ranking leaders of the group known as Dark Blood.

One of them—a tall man with long silver hair and eyes as sharp as a wolf's—opened the meeting. He was known as Venerable Ren, the right hand of the grand leader of Dark Blood.

"Xuan Di is gone," he said coldly, his voice cracking like ice. "The weapon we honed for years… undone by his own weakness."

"A pitiful end," said the figure to his right. A masked woman cloaked in flowing dark fabrics, known as Lady Mura. "Yet even in his death, he brought chaos. And from chaos, we rise."

"Rise?" Ci Jheon—the calm man spinning a tea cup in his hand—glared at Lady Mura. His gaze was deep, smoldering with a fire that refused to die. "What we've cultivated for years is now in ruins. Xuan Di was our spearhead. Without him, we are shadows without fangs."

"You were too attached to him, Ci Jheon," Venerable Ren said with a sneer. "He was a pawn. And pawns are replaceable."

Ci Jheon chuckled bitterly. "A pawn? He was more than that. He was the son of Lu Zhou. The pure bloodline of a legacy that could shape the future. Do you think we can easily find another like him?"

Lady Mura leaned back in her chair. "Then we create a new heir. Not from blood, but from darkness. I've found a child—fragile in body, but with a soul that craves destruction more than anything Xuan Di ever did."

"And who will mold this child?" asked the fourth man, who had remained silent until now. His massive frame was scarred, his voice like thunder. This was Ma Heng, a cold-blooded martial arts expert. "You, Mura? With your sweet poisons? Or Ren, with his venomous words?"

"Maybe I will," Ci Jheon answered quietly but firmly. "I'll forge the next weapon. Not just a tool—but a symbol of a new era. Xuan Di failed because he still had doubts… compassion… the heart of a human. Our next blade won't have such things."

Venerable Ren leaned forward. "If you fail again, Ci Jheon… I'll end you myself."

"Be my guest." Ci Jheon gave a thin smile. "But by the time that happens, this world will already be drowning in blood."

Silence fell. Only the crackling of the candles and the soft whisper of wind through the wooden gaps in the pavilion could be heard.

Lady Mura finally spoke again. "What about Lu Zhou?"

"He'll come to us," Ren said confidently. "The world has stolen his child. All we need is to give him a reason… and he'll walk through our doors on his own."

"You sure?" Ma Heng scoffed. "Lu Zhou is a monster. If he rises, he could crush us before we even speak."

"And that's why we won't fight him," Ren replied. "We'll bind him. Not with chains—but with purpose. He doesn't need a reason to believe in the world. He needs a reason to hate it. And we'll give it to him."

The room grew heavier. The pavilion colder. Ci Jheon looked up at the ceiling, as if trying to see the stars hidden behind the wooden roof.

"We'll start a war," he said. "We'll bring down the palaces of the saints, and let the world burn… from within."

Lady Mura stood slowly, lifting a blood-red cup.

"To Xuan Di. The beginning… of the end."

The others raised their cups. A soft clink echoed in the air—like the tolling of a bell, marking the rise of something terrible.

And outside the pavilion, the wind howled through the mountains, carrying whispers of what was to come.

The era of blood had not ended.

It had just begun.