The night wind carried the smell of burning cedar.
Hidden deep in the Qinghe Mountains, the once peaceful Jade Falcon Sect lay in ruins. Flames licked at collapsed pavilions, smoke curled through moonlit courtyards, and the cries of injured disciples faded into silence.
At the foot of the shattered training hall, a boy crawled out from under a broken beam. His name was Lin Xun, only twelve, thin, quiet, and always overlooked.
But tonight, he was the only one left.
His hands trembled as he pushed aside the rubble. The ground felt warm, too warm. Blood pooled beneath him, reflecting the firelight like a crimson mirror.
"Grandmaster… Elder Wen… Senior Sister Ruyan…"No answer. Only the crackle of dying flames.
Lin Xun stumbled toward the cliff overlooking the valley. From here, he saw them black cloaked riders slipping into the distance, their formation disciplined, their movement silent. On their banners, a symbol: a four clawed beast, half tiger, half dragon.
He didn't recognize it. But he knew one thing—
This wasn't bandits.This was extermination.
Suddenly, a faint cough sounded behind him.
Lin Xun turned to find Elder Hua, the sect's strategist, collapsed against a fallen pillar. The old man's robe was torn, his beard matted with blood.
"Xun'er…" he rasped. "Listen carefully…"
Lin Xun dropped to his knees. "Elder, I'll find medicine"
"No time." Elder Hua grabbed the boy's wrist with surprising strength. "Our sect… was betrayed. By someone from the Martial Alliance Council."
The words hit like a thunderclap.
The Council governed all sects of the Central Plains. Betrayal from within meant the Jade Falcon Sect had been marked for elimination long before tonight.
Elder Hua pressed a small bamboo cylinder into Lin Xun's palm."This… contains the records of our founder. Names, maps, hidden techniques… and the truth the Council wants erased."
Lin Xun stared at the scroll case, confused and terrified. "Why me?"
"You saw nothing. You were always quiet. Invisible."Elder Hua forced a weak smile. "That is your strength now."
The old man's breath grew shallow.
"Survive, Xun'er. Live in the shadows. Grow strong. And when the time comes…"His voice faded."…restore what they destroyed."
Elder Hua's hand slipped away.
Lin Xun bowed until his forehead touched the ground. His tears fell silently, lost in the dust.
After a long moment, he rose.
He tied the bamboo cylinder around his waist, wrapped his broken fingers with cloth, and looked once more at the burning ruins of his home.
The Martial Alliance Council thought the Jade Falcon Sect had been wiped out.
They were wrong.
Lin Xun stepped into the forest, disappearing into the night.
A single survivor.A forgotten boy.Carrying a secret powerful enough to shake the empire.
Tonight, the world ended for him.
Tomorrow, he would begin rewriting it.