The Small House on the South Edge of Longyuan
The small house on the south edge of Longyuan was enveloped in the soft light of lanterns.
The aroma of jasmine tea mixed with the steam of the fish soup still piping hot on the table.
The atmosphere should have been calm—if not for the person sitting across the table with her arms crossed, wearing a clearly displeased look.
Zi Yueyan.
Her pink clothes were slightly crumpled, and her black hair was partially undone.
In front of her, the rice bowl was half-empty, but her spoon hadn't been touched yet.
Her gaze was fixed on the door.
The door opened.
"I'm home," Lin Xuan's calm voice sounded.
He walked in, taking off his robe, but his steps stopped as soon as he saw Yueyan's expression.
The woman turned slowly, her sharp eyes gleaming under the lantern light.
Calm, but clearly not alright.
"You... finally came home," she said flatly.
"I thought you got lost on the way—or were too busy... escorting someone home."
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow gently, trying to suppress a smile.
"Ah, so the news has reached home too, apparently."
Zi Yueyan stood up, looking straight at him. "I passed by the gate of Guangming Academy earlier. You were walking with that woman."
Lin Xuan tilted his head. "That woman?"
"Don't pretend you don't know."
Yueyan's tone was cold, but her eyes showed more than just anger—there was curiosity, there was an unacknowledged displeasure.
"The copper-red-haired woman. I saw her in Fenghuang before. She's not an ordinary person."
Lin Xuan looked at her for a moment before replying.
"Oh, so you were following me?"
Yueyan let out a small huff. "No. I almost followed you. But I was hungry."
Lin Xuan looked at her as if he wanted to laugh, but didn't dare.
"A very honest excuse."
"Don't change the subject." Yueyan stepped closer.
"Who is that woman, Lin Xuan? And why were you walking with her?"
Lin Xuan sighed, sat down in the chair across the table, and slowly untied his sword.
"Her name is Feng Mei. She said she's a wanderer from Fenghuang, looking for medicine. I was just showing her the way."
"Medicine?"
Yueyan's tone was a cynical mimicry of the word.
"And you had to accompany her all afternoon to find jasmine root?"
Lin Xuan looked at her calmly. "Turns out you remember the details."
Zi Yueyan turned her face away, hiding the light pink blush that suddenly rose on her cheeks.
"I just... happened to overhear it from the fruit vendor on the west street."
"Fruit vendor?"
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. "So now you're investigating me through merchants?"
Yueyan tapped her finger on the table. A classic Zi Yueyan defensive tactic.
"Don't change the direction. I just want to know why someone like her caught your attention."
Lin Xuan was silent for a moment, then said quietly,
"Because her eyes... are not those of an ordinary person."
That remark made Yueyan look at him quickly, a little surprised.
But Lin Xuan added in a flat tone,
"She is dangerous. And I want to know why someone like her can walk freely in Longyuan."
Yueyan's expression slowly softened—but her pride wouldn't give way.
So she just sat back down, hiding the concern behind a cold tone.
"In that case... you should have told me earlier. Not make me look like—"
"—a jealous teacher?" Lin Xuan interrupted, smiling faintly.
Yueyan glared at him, but her cheeks flushed again.
"No. I was just... vigilant."
"Vigilant, huh."
Lin Xuan picked up his chopsticks, pouring soup for himself.
"I appreciate your vigilance, Yueyan. But this time, trust me—I know what I'm doing."
Yueyan looked at him for a long time, then averted her gaze.
"I hope so. Because that woman... is not someone to be trusted."
Lin Xuan looked at the steam rising slowly from the soup, then said without looking at her,
"No one in this world can be fully trusted. Not even me."
A moment of silence.
Then Yueyan's voice was quieter, more honest.
"I trust you."
Lin Xuan paused briefly, then looked at her.
For the first time that night, the smile on his face was not cynical or cold—but warm.
"And that's the reason why you are dangerous, Yueyan."
Lin Xuan placed his chopsticks down slowly.
The steam from the fish soup still billowed between them, but that warmth couldn't cover the coldness that began to seep into their conversation.
"Yueyan," he said softly, "do you know about the group from Han called the Northern Star?"
Zi Yueyan looked at him quickly. "The Northern Star group? In Fenghuang, someone gave me a small scroll with a secret message, about the name Northern Star."
Lin Xuan nodded slightly.
"They are not a rumor. They are the elite shadow group of the Han empire. And they are in Longyuan now."
Yueyan immediately straightened up. "What?"
"And the woman you saw with me earlier—"
he paused for a moment, making sure his tone remained flat,
"—is one of them."
Yueyan's gaze instantly sharpened, like a flash of light from a sword blade.
"So you knew from the start?"
Lin Xuan glanced at her, then looked down, straightening the chopsticks.
"Since the first time I saw her eyes. A gaze like that does not belong to an ordinary person."
"Why didn't you eliminate her immediately?" Yueyan asked quickly. "You know they are dangerous. If they find out who you really are—"
Lin Xuan cut her off gently.
"That is precisely why I didn't eliminate her."
Yueyan looked at him with a furrowed brow, waiting for an explanation.
Lin Xuan looked at the lantern on the table swaying gently.
"If I kill her, Han will know that the First Shadow is in Longyuan. But if I approach her..."
He paused, then continued in a calm tone.
"...I can find out how deeply they have planted their roots in this city."
Yueyan closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself.
"So you are pretending to be an ordinary person... just to test her."
"Exactly," Lin Xuan said. "And so far, she suspects nothing. In fact—"
He looked at Yueyan with slightly dim eyes.
"—she told me something interesting."
Yueyan raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
Lin Xuan leaned back in his chair, his voice quiet but firm.
"She came to Longyuan not just for a Han infiltration mission. But also to look for someone."
Yueyan looked at him impatiently. "Who?"
"The First Shadow of the Empire," Lin Xuan answered expressionlessly.
Then added, "Or as she calls him—the Red Devil Masked Man."
Silence hung in the air.
The lantern crackled slightly, the air seemed to stop moving.
Yueyan's eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly lowered her gaze.
"...so she is looking for you."
Lin Xuan nodded slowly.
"Without knowing that the person she is looking for is sitting right in front of her, offering her jasmine tea."
His tone was calm, but Yueyan could sense something beneath it—something not arrogance, but weariness.
The weariness of someone who constantly lives behind a face that is not his own.
Yueyan gripped the edge of her shirt tightly.
"You listened to all that... without reacting?"
Lin Xuan smiled faintly. "If I had reacted, I would have died before she finished talking."
Yueyan looked at him sharply, but there was fear behind her anger.
"This is insane, Lin Xuan. She's from Han. She hates you—even without knowing who you really are."
Lin Xuan looked at her calmly. "That's why I need to know how far that hatred will lead her."
He then stood up, took his sword from the wall, and looked at the reflection of his face on the silver blade.
"If I just kill the enemy, they will keep coming to replace them. But if I understand what drives them... only then can I destroy the root of that shadow."
Yueyan looked at him for a long time, then said softly, almost a whisper,
"And if that root... turns out to lead back to you?"
Lin Xuan stopped.
For a moment, only the sound of the wind outside could be heard.
Then he turned slowly, a thin smile appearing on his face.
"Then I just need to cut it down first."
The Emperor's Private Summons
Morning mist hung over the Qin palace.
The throne room felt colder than usual.
Emperor Qin sat for a long time staring at a blood-stained letter from the north—the red ink was almost dry, but the words within still felt alive.
"The Tianmen Fortress... has been attacked again. General Hwang is missing. The enemy is once again led by General Hei Zhen."
Xu Heng knelt below, his voice low yet steady.
"Your Majesty, this is not an ordinary report. Spiritual energy still remains on this letter. It means the Han forces may have taken control of Tianmen City."
The Emperor looked far away at the map on the wall, where the mark for Tianmen was circled in black ink.
"Alas... Han will not stop until they penetrate Longyuan," he murmured softly.
Xu Heng hesitated, then said carefully, "Should we summon the First Shadow back to the palace?"
The Emperor shook his head slowly. "No. I need him to remain in Longyuan. But..."
He looked sharply at Xu Heng.
"Send him a message. Not through a eunuch, not through a soldier. Use a shadow courier."
Xu Heng bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty. I know where he is."
The Emperor narrowed his eyes. "Still at his house in the west of the city?"
"Yes. On the edge of the bamboo forest. A place even shadows are reluctant to cross."
The Emperor nodded. "Send it tonight. Only he is allowed to read that message."
🌫️ That Night - West District of Longyuan
The Longyuan sky was covered in a thin mist.
From the bamboo forest on the western slope, the sound of night birds and the gentle rustle of rubbing leaves could be heard.
A small wooden house stood quietly in the dark—only one lantern hung on the porch, reflecting a golden-red light into the cold air.
A black bird landed on the window. Tied to its leg was a small scroll sealed with black jade.
Lin Xuan opened the window slowly, accepting it expressionlessly.
He broke the seal, then read in silence.
> "Tianmen Fortress is in danger.
> General Hwang is missing.
> Han is starting to move again.
> If you still believe in the light you once guarded—be prepared."
>
His hand trembled slightly as he closed the letter.
From the inner room, a gentle voice was heard.
"A letter from the palace?"
Zi Yueyan emerged, carrying a teapot, her face calm but her eyes vigilant.
"From Xu Heng," Lin Xuan replied. "But without the Emperor's seal."
"That means it's not an official order."
"It's not."
He looked at the forest outside the window, his eyes reflecting the lantern light.
"This is a private call. And if Xu Heng sent it this way... it means something in the north is already on fire."
Yueyan was silent, then asked softly, "Are you going?"
Lin Xuan looked at her for a long time before answering.
"Yes. I have to check the situation there."
He walked to the wall, taking the black sword and the red oni mask hanging there.
"If Tianmen truly falls... then Longyuan and the palace will be the next battlefield."
Yueyan looked at him, her eyes trembling softly. "What about me?"
Lin Xuan stopped at the doorway.
"If I don't return, guard Longyuan. And don't trust anyone who comes bringing news from the north."
He stepped out of the house.
The forest mist welcomed him, slowly concealing his figure, until all that remained was the sound of footsteps and a faint shadow among the bamboo.
One Day Earlier...
A gray mist hung over the Tianmen plain.
The north wind blew, carrying the pungent smell of iron and blood.
The torn Xiyang flags now fluttered under fire—no longer a sign of triumph, but a sign of destruction.
Tianmen Fortress, once called the Gate of Northern Light, was now a sea of red.
Its walls were scorched, its towers collapsed, and from every crack, black smoke rose into the sky like hellish dragons.
The sound of human screams, iron, and fire mixed into a symphony of destruction.
Among the flames, stood a large man in black armor layered with silver lightning—General Hei Zhen.
His face was cold, the Lei Ya spear in his hand was still dripping fresh blood.
"Burn everything," he commanded flatly. "No one is allowed to stand under the Xiyang flag."
The Han forces shouted in unison,
"For the glory of Han!"
The fire spread to the armory, to the residential areas, and even to the warrior's temple that was once the symbol of Tianmen's honor.
From a distance, the last clash of iron was heard—a sign of the surrender of the remaining Xiyang forces.
General Hwang, the legend of Tianmen, had been captured.
He was taken, severely wounded, to the fortress's underground area, along with his surviving officers.
Some Xiyang soldiers were executed on the spot.
Others were forced into war slavery.
Tianmen had fallen.
From the hilltop to the north, a figure in a black robe stood silently, gazing at the sea of fire without expression.
On his back, hung a long weapon with a curved blade that glistened like a crescent moon—a Yanyuedao (偃月刀), a large Guan Dao with a jade carving on its handle.
A black douli hat with white patterns covered part of his face.
Mo Xinghai.
The wind blew his robe, revealing the faint blue light from the spiritual seal on his chest.
He closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the screams of fire and humans below.
General Hei Zhen then approached him.
"That is how you conquer the world, Mo Xinghai," he murmured softly. "This time I don't know if I should thank you, do you know what you have to do next?"
Mo Xinghai did not answer.
His eyes opened again—cold, deep, unforgiving.
He looked towards the south, where the sky was a faint purple color.
Beyond that horizon, far at the end of valleys and rivers, stood the Xiyang capital—Longyuan.
"It's time for me to move," he said flatly. "My friends are waiting for me there."
"You always act independently, Mo Xinghai," Hei Zhen said with a tone of mockery. "Never enjoying the victory, never waiting for orders. You are cold—that's why I hate you."
He stepped closer, his eyes gleaming like steel. "Don't forget, you are also under the hand of the Han Emperor, which means you are no different from me. You are not a god. You can't make decisions as you please. General Hwang is my enemy and he should have been mine, but you snatched him from me, is that how you live?"
Mo Xinghai only smiled faintly.
"I just do what is my duty, if you don't like it, you are welcome to kill me, besides the Emperor prefers those who act first, the winner does not belong to the weak."
"Hmph... Are you underestimating me? If you are willing, we can fight here to determine who is better between us," said General Hei Zhen.
But Mo Xinghai did not flinch.
One small step, and his shadow vanished, swallowed by the mist.
From where he stood, only scorched footprints from spiritual energy remained.
Meanwhile, under the ruins of Tianmen Fortress, the sound of chains clanking was heard.
General Hwang sat leaning against the stone wall, blood drying on his face.
Around him, dozens of Xiyang captives were silent—their eyes empty, but a small ember still glowed within them.
"Do not worry," he said quietly to the soldier next to him. "As long as Longyuan stands... Xiyang is not dead."
But above their heads, the laughter of one of the Han army commanders echoed from the courtyard:
"Raise the camp! We will make Tianmen the Han headquarters forever!"
The Han troops cheered loudly.
Twenty thousand soldiers now controlled the northern gate of Xiyang.
While across the sea of fire, the Han flag began to be raised on the highest tower—a sign that power in the north had now changed hands.
Since that night, Tianmen was no longer called the "Gate of Light," but the "Gate of Fire."
In the north, Hei Zhen awaited a reinforcement of a hundred thousand Han souls to conquer Longyuan.
In the south, Mo Xinghai moved alone towards the city—seeking his two members, Han Mei and Shen Wuhen.
And under the peaceful mist of Longyuan, the First Shadow had prepared...
before the war truly began.
The Silent Conspiracy
The Longyuan sky was pale gray when a black-robed wanderer stepped through the northern gate.
The morning mist had not completely lifted, and the damp air carried the scent of earth and wild flowers from the roadside.
No one knew that the figure—was Mo Xinghai, the Han Emperor's right-hand man and leader of the Northern Star group.
He stopped in front of an old tea house in the lower district of Longyuan.
Bamboo curtains swayed gently in front of the door; from inside, the sound of two people speaking in low tones could be heard.
As soon as he stepped in, the conversation stopped.
Two pairs of eyes looked towards him:
A woman with copper-red hair sat leaning by the window, her right hand holding a teacup, her left on the hilt of her sword—Han Mei.
On the other side, a cold-faced man with a low hat and a wine jug on his hip stared from behind the incense smoke—Shen Wuhen.
"It's been a while," Mo Xinghai said, lowering his hat and sitting down uninvited.
Han Mei straightened her back. "We have been waiting for your arrival. We thought you were still in the north."
"If I had stayed in the north," Mo Xinghai retorted flatly, "we wouldn't have a city to take down from within."
He opened a small scroll from his sleeve and placed it on the table. A map of Longyuan, with several red marks at key points: the palace barracks, the Guangming academy, and the western pavilion.
Shen Wuhen looked quickly. "You didn't waste time."
"Enough time was wasted at Tianmen," Mo Xinghai replied coldly. "Hei Zhen has conquered that city. Now he awaits a reinforcement of a hundred thousand troops from the Han capital. Meanwhile, we... will ensure that when his forces arrive, the Xiyang palace is already in Han's grasp."
Han Mei looked at him with sharp eyes, her tone containing something beneath the coldness. "And the First Shadow? We haven't managed to find him. Also, we found no trace of him at the Guangming Academy."
Shen Wuhen chimed in,
"If he really is a disciple of Guangming Academy, isn't it strange that he isn't there? Or perhaps the information from Mo Cangwu's remaining group was inaccurate?"
Mo Xinghai looked out the window, towards the north where the bamboo forest was faintly visible.
"It doesn't matter. Let him disappear for a while. That will actually benefit us."
Shen Wuhen raised an eyebrow. "Benefit?"
"Yes." Mo Xinghai looked at them both, his voice like a fine blade.
"If he is indeed gone from the city, the Xiyang palace will lose one of its strengths. This is the perfect time for us to move."
Han Mei lowered her gaze, but her eyes were still fixed on the map on the table. "So our plan... has begun?"
Mo Xinghai nodded slowly. "Prince Zhuang must be waiting for us. The rumor is he controls half of the palace guard ranks and half the ministers. Tonight we will meet him."
Shen Wuhen filled his cup with wine. "Are you sure that man can be trusted? He is not Han."
"He is not," Mo Xinghai replied quickly, "but his ambition is greater than his loyalty. And people like that... are the easiest to direct."
A moment of silence. Only the sound of people passing outside and the gentle tap of rain on the roof tiles.
Han Mei looked sharply at Mo Xinghai. "What if the First Shadow returns before we act?"
Mo Xinghai stood up, reaching for the Yanyuedao on his back.
"If he returns, I will be the first to welcome him."
He looked at them both, his blue eyes gleaming behind the lantern light.
"Be prepared. Tonight, we move."
As dusk fell over Longyuan, three shadows walked under the lantern light in silence.
In the palace, Prince Zhuang was waiting with a subtle smile.
On the other side, unbeknownst to them, someone had just read a false letter—and had now left Longyuan.
All the pieces were now moving towards the night of the coup.
The Coup Meeting
A thin mist hung over the west courtyard, where the faint yellow lanterns swayed in the wind.
Inside the main pavilion, the sound of night insects and the trickling water from the rock garden merged into a rhythm that was strangely... soothing.
But in that room, no one was calm.
On a large jade table, a map of the Xiyang kingdom was spread out—with red circles around Longyuan and thick black marks over the palace.
Prince Zhuang sat leaning casually in a silver-plated chair, but his eyes were sharp and alive like a snake ready to strike.
Beside him, Princess Liang, his mother, stood in a deep purple gown with her hair coiled high. Her gaze was full of elegance, but every word from her was always venomous.
The wooden door opened silently.
Mo Xinghai entered first, his steps light but cold. Behind him, Han Mei and Shen Wuhen bowed respectfully.
"Welcome to Longyuan, gentlemen of Han," Prince Zhuang said with a polite smile. "We have been waiting a long time."
Mo Xinghai removed his douli, glancing around the room.
"A beautiful place," he said flatly. "It's a pity that beauty is always the start of destruction."
Princess Liang smiled faintly. "Exactly. But sometimes, destruction can also give birth to a new government."
She gestured, and a servant closed the door tightly, leaving only a red lantern in the corner of the room as the only source of light.
Zhuang then leaned forward, his fingers touching the map on the table.
"We have taken care of the First Shadow; he has now left Longyuan."
Han Mei straightened her head. "Are you sure?"
Zhuang nodded, his smile cold.
"Yes. We sent a letter from the palace—a letter that looked like an order from the Emperor himself.
Secretary Xu Heng... happens to be easily guided."
Princess Liang added in a gentle tone, "We changed the letter before it was sent.
Its original content commanded the First Shadow to remain and guard Longyuan.
Now, the letter makes him go to Tianmen."
Mo Xinghai closed his eyes for a moment—not out of surprise, but acknowledging their cleverness.
"A bold move," he said quietly. "With that, the palace loses its strongest guard."
Zhuang nodded with satisfaction. "Now only two important people remain in the palace: Xu Heng, the head of the palace shadows, and Lu Feng, the chief commander of the inner guards.
The Emperor trusts them, but I have ensured that half the soldiers under Lu Feng now answer to us."
Shen Wuhen chuckled softly, his tone cynical. "You really have prepared everything."
"Yes," Princess Liang replied flatly. "Because we don't have much time.
After news of Tianmen's fall reaches the whole city, the Emperor ordered all troops to guard outside the walls.
The palace is now guarded by only a small fraction of soldiers.
Before reinforcements from other cities arrive... we must seize the throne immediately."
Mo Xinghai looked at them alternately. "And after that?"
Zhuang leaned back, his expression becoming calmer but colder.
"After that, my uncle—Emperor Qin—will be detained with his family.
I will ascend the throne as the official successor.
Then I will marry Princess Ying Yue, the Emperor's eldest daughter.
The marriage will unite the main and branch bloodlines, making this transition appear... legitimate."
Han Mei looked at him, her eyes flashing faintly. "A coup d'état with the face of a marriage. Hmm... Cunning."
Princess Liang smiled subtly. "Cunning? No.
This is called diplomacy.
With this move, Xiyang will belong to Han without a single sword being drawn."
Zhuang looked deeply at Mo Xinghai.
"But to convince the people, I need you.
The Northern Star must spread fear throughout Longyuan.
Spread false rumors, burn the barracks, and kill a few palace guards.
Make the people believe that only I can stop the chaos.
Once they are terrified, they will kneel."
Mo Xinghai remained silent for a long time. The lantern behind him swayed, reflecting a long shadow on the wall.
Then he said slowly, "In that case, once the coup is complete... Xiyang will be under Han's rule?"
Zhuang smiled faintly. "That is what was agreed upon."
Princess Liang looked coldly at Mo Xinghai. "The Han Emperor will get what he wants—a country that submits, not a country that is destroyed.
In return, you will ensure no one stands in our way."
Mo Xinghai rose, reaching for the Yanyuedao on his back. The blade reflected the lantern light.
"Very well," he finally said. "If that is what you want, then tomorrow night Longyuan will be a stage of blood."
Han Mei and Shen Wuhen stood behind him, bowing slightly.
Zhuang raised his wine cup. "To the start of a new government."
Mo Xinghai looked at him without a smile. "To the start of a darker shadow."
They toasted.
Three cups touched—a small sound that seemed to split the Longyuan night into two worlds:
the old one, and the one about to perish.