The night air was thick with silence, except for the faint rustling of leaves and the occasional distant bark of a stray dog. The moon was veiled behind shifting clouds, casting only dim, flickering light onto the narrow alleyways and crooked roofs of the city.
Yue Ying slipped like a shadow among the darkened lanes, her steps light and measured. Her breath was steady, her heartbeat calm. The cool night embraced her like an old friend. Tonight, she had woven her way through the labyrinth of the palace's servants' quarters and the squalid backstreets, erasing her trace with careful precision. The faintest hint of smoke from her disappearing powder, the deft twist of a lock, the quiet disabling of a guard's footsteps — all signs of the folk hero that haunted the corrupt corridors of power. She was so sure she had erased her steps especially because of the blue eyed hero after her life.
She was confident. Too confident.
Suddenly, a subtle pressure pressed coldly against the nape of her neck — a sword's razor edge, pressed not with force, but with the careful intent of a predator closing in on his prey.
"We meet again, Yue Ying," came a voice as soft and dangerous as a winter wind, low and sharp. "You vanished the last time in a whiff of smoke, but it won't happen again. I promise to end you with my hands. Today is the last"
She froze. The eyes beneath the bronze mask — icy blue and piercing — gleamed in the shadow. Hei Lang again!, the masked assassin whispered of in the palace the deadly shadow with a reputation for silence and swift death, had found her.
Yue Ying's hands instinctively shifted to her twin swords, but Hei Lang was already too close. With a flick of his wrist, he pushed her back, and the cold steel of his sword gleamed in the moonlight as they clashed.
Hei Lang was a master assassin, unmatched in speed and technique. His every movement was poetry — lethal, fluid, and merciless. He struck like a striking lion, each attack a calculated attempt to end the fight swiftly. His sword was an extension of his will, slicing the air with deadly grace.
Yue Ying met him blow for blow. Though she was no match for his raw skill, she was no ordinary opponent. She was the toughest challenge Hei Lang had faced, a wild storm contained in a lithe form. Her every dodge was precise, her counters unpredictable. She twisted, flipped, and spun, striking with daggers that flashed like lightning, striking vital points with practiced precision.
Hei Lang grunted, frustrated by her tenacity. The fight was no longer a one-sided display of power. The assassin realized that while he was ten times more skilled, Yue Ying's resilience and sheer willpower made her unpredictable and deadly.
They darted between the towering shelves of an abandoned chamber, metal clashing in a symphony of danger. Sparks flew where blades met. The scent of sweat and cold steel filled the air.
Suddenly, Hei Lang's keen eyes caught a flicker — shadows moving at the edges of the room. His gaze sharpened. There were others here.
Gosh! They were not alone.
The chamber was no ordinary hiding place. Behind layers of dust and cobwebs, hidden beneath the creaking floorboards and amidst shelves stuffed with faded scrolls and leather-bound books, lay secrets darker than the night.
Official Bai, a corrupt nobleman, had stashed away bloody documents implicating him in treason and conspiracy. This chamber was his secret vault, where he plotted against the kingdom's very foundations.
Hei Lang's instincts screamed warning. Their presence here was dangerous — if caught, death would come swift and merciless, not only for them but for the kingdom itself.
Without a word, Hei Lang grabbed Yue Ying's arm, dragging her behind a towering shelf heavy with ancient tomes. His hand clamped firmly over her mouth as she struggled silently.
"We're intruders here," he hissed. "If the soldiers find us, we're dead."
Yue Ying's heart hammered in her chest as she nodded faintly, feeling the cold wood against her back.
But fate had other plans.
In her struggle to break free, Yue Ying's elbow knocked against a stack of fragile books. The ancient volumes tumbled like a landslide. The wooden shelf groaned, creaked, then gave way, crashing down in a thunderous roar.
The noise shattered the fragile silence, echoing through the chamber's stone walls.
Soldiers flooded the room like a tide of iron and fury. Their armor clanked, swords drawn, faces twisted with hatred and the lust for blood.
They both looked at each other briefly, each reasoning if the other party( hero) was trustworthy. Finally they agreed because danger was lurking closer.
Hei Lang and Yue Ying sprang into action, fighting back to back like a whirlwind of steel.
Hei Lang's blade danced in deadly arcs, cutting down enemies with breathtaking speed. His blue eyes blazed with fierce determination, every strike precise and merciless.
Yue Ying's daggers sliced through the air, agile and fierce. She moved with the grace of a panther, swift and lethal. Her strikes found gaps in armor, her agility making her a difficult target to pin down.
Together, they were a storm.
Yet the soldiers pressed on, relentless and many — a thousand strong, armed and hungry.
Amidst the chaos, a soldier emerged from the shadows, charging at Hei Lang. Yue Ying was about to kill him but he started pleading emotionally with tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Please don't kill me. I have a family. A new wife and a baby. My child needs his father.But, Yue Ying had spared this man's life when he pleaded for mercy, citing his family waiting for him. Now, the soldier lunged viciously at Yue Ying from behind after she decided not to kill him.
Pain exploded through her back as the raw steel pierced her flesh. Her eyes was wide with shock. It was hard to believe the person she just left was still willing to strike her.
Yue Ying gasped for breath but refused to falter. She didn't want Hei lang to notice besides the crowd of enemies were much in number; a thousand soldiers. Blood dripped slowly from the wound, but she fought on, still hiding her injury from Hei Lang, unwilling to let him see her weakness.
Her vision blurred. Everything was becoming very hazy.
Her legs wobbled like jelly. Darkness crept at the edges of her vision.
Finally, her strength gave out — she crumpled like a piece of cloth .
Hei Lang caught her just before she hit the ground, his hands trembling with fear and intense fury. Rage
With a roar, he unleashed a deadly storm of strikes, cutting down the remaining soldiers in split seconds. His blade flashed like lightning, unforgiving and unrelenting. Not a single person was left standing except himself. Bodies were scattered like sand.
But then, distant thundering footsteps echoed — reinforcements were coming. More number of soldiers equipped with terrifying superweapons poured into the chamber.
Hei Lang's jaw clenched. He had to retreat.
If he continued,Yue Ying could die because he was bleeding seriously. His case was critical. Also fighting alone against 2,000 soldiers with better sophisticated weapons seemed like a very bad idea. Even he managed to survive, there was possibility that he would sustain multiple deadly injuries.
He dragged the wounded Yue Ying through secret tunnels and hidden passages, away from the chaos. They finally collapsed in a small, dark hideout. Yue Ying, the boy hero was already unconscious.
Curious, he reached for her mask, slowly pulling it off.
What did the boy Yue Ying look like?
His interest to see the real face of Yue Ying was at the top.
Hei lang's mouth was ajar.
He was totally Dazed. Shocked to the core.
Beneath the disguise, the face staring back at him was not the fierce folk hero he knew — but Hua Lian, the calm, pretty maid who had served quietly in the palace for months.
His icy blue eyes widened.
The shock lingered between them as the night swallowed their secrets once more.