Night fell again over the Lingyun Mountains. The silver moon hung like a silent witness to the events of destiny.
Shivay walked through the shadows of the forest, his black cloak blending perfectly with the darkness. Every step was silent, measured, like a predator hunting its prey — yet tonight, the prey was his own past.
His hand brushed the hilt of Silent Fang. The sword pulsed faintly, resonating with the Black Lotus Seal etched into his palm — a mark given by his clan that bound his soul to their orders.
The mark burned tonight more fiercely than ever.
> "The master wants her dead… and yet I cannot."
He whispered the words to the night. His heart twisted with conflict. The woman he had come to protect, Xue Lan, was the last of the Frost Orchid Sect, destroyed by the very clan that raised him.
The forest whispered secrets. Shadows twisted, taking forms that were almost human. Shivay sensed them — assassins sent by the Black Lotus Temple.
They were fast… but he was faster.
Steel clashed with steel in the dark, sparks flying like fireflies. Shivay moved with deadly precision, a shadow among shadows, a dance of death that only he could perform.
But each strike reminded him of the betrayal — the lives taken, the blood spilled, and the woman he could not kill.
Finally, he paused, crouched behind a tree. His breathing was steady, his mind sharper than any blade.
> "I am no longer just a weapon of the temple," he murmured.
"I choose my own path."
At that moment, a ghostly vision appeared before him — a memory of Master Wei Long's cruel eyes, the voice echoing in his mind:
> "Kill her, or your soul will belong to the Black Lotus forever."
The mark on Shivay's palm flared bright red, burning through his veins. Pain shot through him like ice and fire combined. He collapsed to one knee, the sword trembling in his grip.
And then… a soft light appeared in the distance — a faint, ethereal glow.
It was Xue Lan, standing in the middle of the clearing, her hair flowing like moonlight on water. Her eyes met his, calm and unwavering.
> "Shivay," she said, her voice cutting through the pain, "your mark does not control you. Only you can decide who you serve."
The words ignited something deep within him — not anger, not revenge, but a spark of hope.
He rose, gripping Silent Fang with renewed determination.
> "Then I serve no one… but fate itself," he said.
From the shadows, the assassins emerged again. But this time, Shivay did not hesitate. Blades of ice and steel clashed, the sound echoing through the mountains.
Every strike, every movement, was not just survival — it was rebellion.
By the end of the night, the forest was silent once more. Shivay stood over the fallen enemies, the mark still burning faintly on his palm.
He looked at the distant silhouette of Xue Lan, the one who had shown him that destiny was not written in blood alone.
> "The hunt begins," he whispered.
"But this time… on my terms."
Above, the crimson moon glowed ominously. Somewhere far away, Master Wei Long smiled, sensing the assassin's defiance.
The game had changed — and Shivay was no longer just a pawn.
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🔥 End of Chapter 4: "The Assassin's Mark" 🔥
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Chapter 5: "The Unseen Oath" — Shivay and Xue Lan's first true alliance, facing enemies together while their bond begins to grow deeper, and the Shadow Emperor's scheme slowly unfolds.