The western Frontier of the Shang gate was always drenched in blood.
Beyond its tall walls stretched the endless plains, where Tartar tribes, savage barbarians, and night-stalking monsters waged war against the kingdom. At the very edge of this city stood Tian Meng, a fortress town forged in steel and despair.
Yet, not all danger lay outside the walls. In the western slums of Tian Meng, a forbidden quarter: Where murderers, thieves, brothers, child traffickers, and monsters mingled in the shadows. Few dared to linger there. But it has a small village called Tai Ping chun. Many retired soldiers live there. No one dared to disturb the village
But in a small, rotting shack at the district's edge, a boy was standing tall.
Huisss… huisss…
The sharp sound of wood striking against wood echoed in the silent courtyard. A boy stood there, his small frame trembling, his arm already sore from swinging. His name is Wu Ti. And in his hand was nothing more than a worn wooden sword, its surface cracked and rough.
His breath came in short, ragged gasps. Sweat dripped from his brow, rolling into his eyes until everything blurred. Still, he refused to stop.
Sitting nearby on a broken stool was his little sister, Wu Shuang, only thirteen, watching with a faint smile. Her thin frame and pale cheeks betrayed hunger, yet her eyes held warmth: one of the few comforts left in their bleak life.
"Brother, aren't you tired? " she asked, her voice so soft but teasing.
"If you keep swinging like that, you'll break your arms before you join the troops.
WU Ti exhaled, lowering the wooden sword for just the moment. His gaze lingered on the rough calluses of his palms.
"Tired? Of course, I'm tired. But I stop now, how will I ever become a soldier of the kingdom?"
His sister tilted his head, smiling faintly.
"You just want to wear that shiny armor, don't you?"
Wu Ti chuckled, thinking the sound was heavy.
"I want us to eat more than once a day, Zhuang. I want you to stop worrying about tomorrow's bread,"
He glanced at the tattered shack they called home. Memories clawed his chest: his father, once a royal soldier, never returned from an expedition for the dragon pearl. His mother, too frail to survive without medicine, had left them soon after.
Now, survival was their daily battle.
Some days Wu Ti worked as a laborer or was even hired to become a debt collector and became a beggar for coins to eat. It didn't matter. As long as it kept his sister alive.
And so, each swing of the wooden sword was not just training.
It was a vow.
One day, Wu Ti would stand among the kingdom's soldiers, not as a beggar or a thug, but as a man strong enough to protect the only family he had now.
Wu Ti woke up early that morning, and the faint light of dawn was spilling through the cracks in the small wooden windows. He stretched his sore arms. Already knowing what the day would bring: another long shift hauling rice to the storage warehouse.
After the quick breakfast of plain porridge, he tied his work belt and stepped outside. His childhood friend, Hu Ge, was ready waiting with a grin.
"Wu Ti, ready for another day of breaking out backs?" Hu Ge joked, slapping his shoulder.
Wu Ti forced a smile. "Rice won't carry itself, will it?"
Meanwhile, his younger sister, Wu Shuang, had her plans. Carrying a small basket filled with handmade trinkets and Hair accessories, she walked toward the bustling main road.
"Brother, don't worry about me," she had said earlier that morning. I earn a little coin today so you won't have to carry all the burden alone."
Her bright eyes and determination warmed Wu Ti's heart, though a part of him wished she didn't have to work so hard.
By the time the sun dipped low, Wu Ti and Hu Ge finally finished unloading the last sack of rice. Exhausted but relieved, they each headed home. Wu Ti quickened his steps, eager to see his sister again.
But when he pushed open the creaking wooden door silence.
"Shuang er" he called. No reply. The small house was empty.
His chest tightened. She always came home before him. Panic rising, Wu Ti bolted out of the house and ran straight to Hu Ge's place.
"Hu Ge!" he shouted, breathless. My sister Shuang Er.. Hasn't come back yet!"
Hu Ge's expression darkened immediately.
"What? She should be returned by now. Let's go check the marketplace."
The two rushed to the busy main road where Wu Shuang usually sold his crafts. Wu Ti ran from stall to stall, asking frantically. Finally, a shopkeeper recognized her.
"Yes. I saw her," the man said. She packed up early and left. She should've been home by now."
Wu Ti's face turned pale. Then where is she?
Hu Ge clenched his fists. Something wrong. Let's report it to the magistrate.
At the yamen gatehouse, the yamen runner leaned lazily against the wall, uninterested in the young man's pleas.
My sister is missing!" Wu Ti begged. Please, you have to help us.
The yamen runner waved him off. It's already late. Come back tomorrow.. Too many refugees are flooding the city because of the war. We don't have time for some missing girl."
HU GE slammed his fists against the wooden gatepost. "Bastard! Are you saying a younger girl's life means nothing?!"
"Hu Ge, stop!" Wu Ti held him back before he did something reckless.
Hu Ge spat angrily at the ground. "Think about it, Wu Ti… with outside, slave traders are sneaking into the city. What if… what if your sister has been taken?"
Wu Ti's heart pounded in terror. Without another word, he ran back to the streets, clutching the small pouch of coins he had saved through a week of backbreaking labor.
He shoved the money toward a cluster of beggars sitting by the roadside.
"Please! Has anyone seen a girl, around thirteen years old, pretty face, about this tall!" he gestured in despair.
The beggars shook their heads: until an old man lifted his gaze. His voice was raspy. "I know the one you are looking for… but is the money truly mine if I tell you?"
Without hesitation, Wu Ti pressed the pouch into his wrinkly hands.
The old beggar's eyes gleamed. He pointed down a side street. " I saw her taken. A group of men dragged her towards the pleasure house… the one where only the rich and powerful go.
Wu Ti's vision turned red. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles bled.
"They… dared touch my sister.
With a furious roar, Wu Ti sprinted toward the grand building that loomed ahead, its lanterns glowing mockingly in the night..