"Everyone has a price. Some are paid in gold. Some... in blood." — Matriarch Hua Qing
Shadow fell silent for a moment.
Darkness had descended upon the canyon. Stars glittered. A cold wind blew.
"The Hua Clan..." he said finally. "To tell you about them... I need to tell a story, Master. A true story."
"Tell me."
"The story of a family. The Feng family. Something that happened five years ago."
Shadow took a deep breath.
"I learned this story... while investigating in Iron Bridge. The true face of the Hua Clan. And... a story that tears the heart apart."
PART 1: Once Upon a Time, There Was Happiness
Five years ago. Iron Bridge City. The Feng Manor.
The sun was rising.
Golden light filtered through the windows. Cherry trees in the garden had blossomed. Pink petals danced in the wind. Birds were singing.
It was a beautiful spring morning.
One of the Feng family's last beautiful mornings.
Lady Feng Lin was preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
She was 35 years old. A beautiful woman. Her black hair reached below her waist. Her eyes were warm brown. There was always a soft smile on her face.
Her hands were covered in flour. She was making mantou for her children.
For 15 years, every morning, she had done the same thing.
When her husband proposed, she had said "I'll make you mantou every morning." As a joke. But she had kept her word. For 15 years.
"Mom!"
Little footsteps.
Lady Lin smiled. Without turning around, she knew who it was.
"Good morning, little monster."
8-year-old Feng Jun ran into the kitchen.
A round-faced, bright-eyed child who was always smiling. The youngest of the family. Everyone's darling.
"Is the mantou ready? I'm so hungry!"
"Be patient. It hasn't come out of the oven yet."
"But my stomach is growling so loud they can hear it from the garden!"
Lady Lin laughed. "That much?"
"Yes! Listen!"
Jun puffed out his stomach. Tried to make a funny sound. Failed. But made his mother laugh.
"Okay, okay. Come, help me knead the dough. Then it'll cook faster."
Jun's eyes sparkled. "Really? Can I help?"
"Of course."
Jun ran to his mother's side. Touched the dough with his small hands. Clumsily. Half the dough fell on the floor.
"Oops."
"No problem." Lady Lin took her son's hands. "Like this. Slowly. Gently."
They kneaded together. Mother and son. Small hands and big hands. Together.
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"I love you very much."
Lady Lin's eyes filled with tears. She hadn't expected this. But children were like that. Sometimes at the most unexpected moments, they said the most beautiful things.
"I love you too, sweetheart." She hugged her son. Tight. "Very very very much."
"As much as the sky?"
"More."
"As much as the ocean?"
"More."
"Well... as much as mantou?"
Lady Lin laughed. Through her tears.
"Yes. As much as mantou. Maybe a little more."
15-year-old Feng Wei was swinging a sword in the garden.
Tall, slender, a serious young man.
He was using his father's old sword. Rusty but sharp. Passed down from his grandfather. In the Feng family for generations.
"One! Two! Three!"
With each swing, sweat dripped. The sun was rising. It was getting hot.
But Wei didn't stop.
Faster. Stronger. Better.
His father hadn't reached 2nd Level. Neither had his grandfather. Nor his great-grandfather. For generations, the Feng family had been known as having "potential," but had never realized that potential.
Wei would be different.
At least, he hoped so.
"Wei!"
His sister's voice.
12-year-old Feng Mei stood at the garden gate. As always, she had a book in her hand. Her finger between the pages. She had interrupted her reading.
"Breakfast is ready. Mom's calling."
Wei lowered his sword. Wiped the sweat from his brow.
"I'm coming."
Mei looked at her brother. "Do you train every morning?"
"Every morning."
"Why? It's still the crack of dawn."
Wei thought. How could he explain?
"Because..." he said finally. "If something ever happens to this family, someone needs to protect it."
Mei frowned. "What could happen?"
"I don't know. But... I want to be ready."
Mei shrugged. "You're too serious, brother. Sometimes you talk like heroes in books."
"You read too many books."
"Books are nice." Mei smiled. One of those rare, genuine smiles. "There are other worlds inside them. Better worlds. Worlds where no one suffers."
Wei looked at his sister.
12 years old. Thin. Delicate. Always lost among books. Escaping from the real world. Perhaps because the real world was too harsh for her.
I will protect her, Wei thought. No matter what. I will protect her.
The breakfast table.
The family was together.
Father sat at the head. Mother at his right. Children across.
Five people.
A family.
There was mantou on the table. Rice porridge. Pickles. Soy sauce. Not a rich spread. Not befitting a noble family at all.
But full of love.
"Jun, close your mouth when you chew!"
"But Mom, it's so delicious! The best mantou in the world!"
"Don't exaggerate."
"I'm not! Really!"
"Mei, I told you not to read at the table."
"It was the last page, Dad. The last page!"
"You can finish it after the meal."
"But I can't stop without finding out what happened to the hero!"
"Wei, set an example for your siblings. Sit up straight."
"I am sitting straight, Father."
"Straighter."
Laughter. Jokes. Banter.
A normal family. A normal breakfast. A normal day.
An outsider would see a happy family.
And they would be right.
They were happy.
For now.
Lord Feng Wei ate breakfast quietly.
He was 45 years old. He had once been handsome. Broad shoulders. Sharp jaw. Determined eyes.
Now... he was tired. Gray hairs streaked his head. Dark circles under his eyes. His shoulders had slumped.
He had grown very weary in recent months.
He couldn't tell anyone why.
Lady Lin looked at her husband. Something was wrong. She knew. She felt it.
"Are you alright?" she whispered. So the children wouldn't hear.
Lord Feng tried to smile. "I'm fine."
He was lying.
Lady Lin knew.
But she didn't ask. Not in front of the children.
The children... the children shouldn't know.
Not yet.
That night.
After the children fell asleep.
Lord Feng was in his study. Papers were on his desk. Debt papers.
Lady Lin entered. Quietly.
"Tell me," she said.
Lord Feng looked up. "What?"
"Whatever it is that's making you like this." Lady Lin approached. Sat across from her husband. "You've been withdrawn for weeks. You don't sleep at night. You can barely smile even at the children."
"I—"
"Don't lie." Lady Lin took her husband's hand. "We've been married for 20 years. I know you. Something's wrong."
Lord Feng was silent for a long time.
Then... he showed her the papers.
"60,000 gold."
Lady Lin's face went pale.
"How... how is this possible..."
"From my father." Lord Feng bowed his head. "15 years ago, he took a loan for a major trade deal. The deal failed. Father died. The debt remained."
"15 years? You've been carrying this debt for 15 years and never told me?"
"I couldn't. I thought I could handle it. I was paying the interest. Every month. But..." Lord Feng's voice trembled. "The interest never ends. 20% every year. 10,000 gold became 60,000 in 15 years."
Lady Lin did the calculation. She knew math.
"This... is unpayable."
"I know."
"All our assets..."
"Wouldn't even amount to 5,000 gold. The manor, the furniture, the jewelry... even if we sold everything."
Silence.
Long, heavy, suffocating silence.
"Who is the creditor?" Lady Lin finally asked.
Lord Feng swallowed. "The Hua Clan."
Lady Lin's face turned white as snow.
"The Hua Clan? They..."
"I know." Lord Feng buried his head in his hands. "When they can't collect payment... they collect it another way."
"Another way?"
"The slave market."
The word hung in the air.
Slave.
Market.
Lady Lin trembled.
"No. No, this can't be. We're a noble family. They can't do this—"
"FORMER noble." Lord Feng laughed bitterly. "We're nothing now. We have no money. We have no power. We have no protector."
"The King—"
"The King doesn't care. The Hua Clan is more powerful than the king."
Lady Lin stood. Walked to the window. Looked outside.
The night was dark. Stars sparkled. A normal night.
But nothing was normal anymore.
"What will we do?" she whispered.
Lord Feng couldn't answer.
Because he didn't know the answer.
Lady Lin turned to her husband.
"The children... what will happen to them?"
Lord Feng's eyes filled with tears. For the first time. The first time in years.
"I don't know."
"We have to protect them. No matter what."
"How?"
Lady Lin thought. Frantically.
"We can run. At midnight. Leave the city. Go somewhere else."
"The Hua Clan has eyes everywhere. If they catch us... the punishment will be worse."
"Then... then..." Lady Lin looked around desperately. "There must be something. There must be a way."
"There is no way." Lord Feng stood. Approached his wife. Held her. "For 20 years we've overcome everything together. But this time..."
"This time we will too." Lady Lin embraced her husband. Tightly. "Together. No matter what... together."
But they wouldn't solve it together.
Because some things... couldn't be solved.
And some enemies... couldn't be defeated.
PART 2: The Shadow of the Matriarch
Shadow paused.
"Master, before I continue the Feng family's story... I need to tell you about the true face of the Hua Clan."
"Tell me."
"Matriarch Hua Qing. 150 years old. 2nd Level Jade Bone. And... one of the most ruthless leaders history has ever seen."
"What is she like?"
Shadow shivered. Slightly.
"To describe her... I'll describe a scene. Something that happened around the same time as the Feng family. Showing the Matriarch's true face."
Five years ago. Hua Clan Main Manor. The Basement.
A scream.
Muffled, hoarse, unbearable.
The basement was dark. Stone walls. Damp. Cold. The only light source was a few candles. And on the walls... bloodstains. Old and new.
Many people had died in this room.
And many more would.
In the center of the room, a man hung.
His arms were bound to the ceiling. With thick chains. His feet dangled 30 centimeters off the ground. He was naked. His body was covered in wounds.
Blood dripped.
Regular. Rhythmic.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Each drop fell to the floor. Into the pool of blood. The ever-growing pool of blood.
The man was crying. But no tears remained. Only dry, bitter sobs.
"Please..." he moaned. His voice was hoarse. From screaming. "Please... kill me... enough already..."
A woman stood before him.
Old. White hair. Wrinkled face. But her eyes... her eyes were sharp. Alive. Cruel.
Matriarch Hua Qing.
"Kill you?" She smiled. Thin lips. Yellow teeth. "But we've just begun."
She held a thin knife in her hand. Delicate. Elegant. Like a work of art.
"Do you know what this is?"
The man shook his head. Weakly.
"This is called a 'Thousand Cuts Knife.' Special design. Very sharp. Very thin. Can cut flesh... without touching bone."
She approached. Brought the knife close to the man's chest.
"1,000 cuts. That's the goal. If I do it correctly... you'll live through every single one."
The man's eyes widened. Terror.
"No... no please... I'll pay... I'll find the money... please..."
"You had 3 years to find the money." The Matriarch's voice was cold. "You didn't find it. Now... you'll pay another way."
The knife touched skin.
A thin line of blood appeared.
The man screamed.
2 hours later.
The man no longer screamed.
He had no strength left.
His body was covered in cuts. Hundreds of them. Each one shallow. Each one painful. Blood flowed from everywhere.
He was still alive.
Barely.
The Matriarch wiped the knife. Carefully. Meticulously.
"647," she said. "353 more to go. But..." She looked at the man. "Your body can't take any more tonight. We'll continue tomorrow."
The man's eyes... were empty. His soul had already fled. Only his body remained.
"Guards." The Matriarch turned. "Keep him alive. Give him water. Food. Medicine if necessary. I want him awake tomorrow."
"Yes, Matriarch."
The Matriarch left the basement.
Behind her, the man hung. Breathing. Barely.
Waiting for tomorrow.
Waiting for another 353 cuts.
PART 3: The Debt Collectors
One week after the Feng family's conversation.
They came at dawn.
10 men. Black clothes. Cold faces. The Hua Clan's "debt collectors."
Lord Feng stood at the door. His face was pale. But he stood straight.
"Lord Feng Wei?" The leader spoke. Tall, scarred face, no expression.
"Yes."
"You know why we're here."
"I know."
"60,000 gold. Due date: today."
Lord Feng swallowed. "I need more time. Please. Just a few more months—"
"The Matriarch has given you 15 years." The man's voice was cold. "15 years of interest payments. 15 years of excuses. 15 years of 'just a few more months.' Time... is over."
"I can sell everything. The manor. The furniture. Everything we have—"
"Won't be enough. We've calculated. 5,000 gold at most. Where's the other 55,000?"
Lord Feng had no answer.
The leader stepped forward. Looked past Lord Feng. Inside the house.
"How many family members?"
Lord Feng's blood froze.
"That... that's not—"
"Wife. Three children. One wife, three children. Correct?"
"Please. Please don't—"
"Lord Feng." The leader's voice dropped. "The Matriarch has been patient. Very patient. Now... payment time has come. One way or another."
Inside the house.
Lady Lin heard everything.
She stood behind the door. Trembling. Hands pressed to her mouth.
Children. They're coming for the children.
She turned. Ran upstairs. Silent steps. Years of practice.
Wei was awake. Already dressed. He had heard too.
"Mom—"
"Quiet." Lady Lin grabbed his arm. "Wake your siblings. The window. Garden. Wall. Go."
"But you—"
"GO!" Lady Lin pushed him. "Take Mei and Jun. Run. Find somewhere safe."
"I won't leave you—"
"IF YOU LOVE ME..." Lady Lin's voice broke. "...you'll take them and run. Now."
Wei looked at his mother. Her eyes. The fear. The desperation. The love.
He understood.
"I'll come back for you."
"I know." Lady Lin kissed his forehead. "Go."
Wei ran.
He was too late.
The back garden was already surrounded.
More men. 5 of them. Standing at the wall.
Wei saw them. They saw him.
"Kids," one of them said. "Good. The Matriarch will be pleased."
Wei drew his sword. The old, rusty sword.
"Stay back."
The man laughed. "A 15-year-old with a rusty blade? Against us?"
"I'll die before I let you touch my family."
"That..." The man stepped forward. "...can be arranged."
He moved.
Fast. Too fast. Wei couldn't even see him move.
CRACK.
Wei's wrist broke. The sword fell.
He screamed.
The man grabbed his throat. Lifted him off the ground.
"Brave," he said. "Stupid, but brave. Just like your father."
Wei struggled. Couldn't breathe. Vision darkening.
The last thing he heard was his mother's scream.
"WEIII!"
Then darkness.
PART 4: The Slave Market
Three days later. Hua Clan Auction House.
The Feng family was brought to the slave market.
All five of them.
Lord Feng. Lady Lin. Wei. Mei. Jun.
Their hands were bound. Their fine clothes had been replaced with rough grey fabric. Their faces were dirty. Their eyes... empty.
In three days, everything they knew had been destroyed.
Their home was gone. Their possessions were gone. Their status was gone.
Now they were just... merchandise.
The auction house was crowded. Hundreds of people. Buyers from across the kingdom. Looking for "goods."
Slaves.
The Feng family waited in a holding pen with dozens of others. Men. Women. Children. Old. Young. All waiting for the same fate.
Jun clung to his mother.
"Mom... I'm scared."
Lady Lin stroked his hair. "I know, baby. I know."
"When can we go home?"
Lady Lin couldn't answer. Because there was no home anymore. There was no "going back."
"Soon," she whispered. The biggest lie of her life. "Soon."
The holding pen.
Mei sat in a corner. Knees to her chest. Not crying.
She had no tears left.
A little girl sat nearby. Maybe 6 years old. Arms wrapped around herself.
"Mom... mom..." she murmured. Over and over. "Mom..."
But her mother wasn't there.
Her mother would never come.
The Feng family was brought to the auction stage.
A large platform. Chairs around it. Wealthy buyers sat watching.
Lord Feng was first.
"45-year-old male! Former noble family! Educated! Can read and write! Knows arithmetic!"
Lord Feng stood on stage.
Was he trembling? Was he crying? It wasn't clear.
There was no expression on his face.
He had already died inside.
Bidding began.
"2,000."
"2,500."
"3,000."
"3,200."
"Sold for 3,200! Northern mines!"
Lord Feng was led off stage.
He looked at his family one last time.
His wife. His children.
His wife of 20 years.
His 3 children.
His entire life.
His eyes...
His eyes said a thousand things.
I'm sorry. I love you. Be strong. Don't lose hope.
But he made no sound.
He couldn't make a sound.
Then... he was taken away.
A cart. North direction. The mines.
He was never seen again.
Lady Lin was second.
"35-year-old woman! Former noble family! Beautiful! Educated! Knows household management!"
Lady Lin stood tall on stage.
Trying to preserve her last shred of dignity.
An old man stepped forward. 70 years old. Fat. Greasy hair. A foul grin.
"10,000."
No one bid higher.
"Sold for 10,000!"
The man approached. Grabbed Lady Lin's chin. Examined her. Turned her around.
"Beautiful," he said. "Very beautiful. This will be entertaining."
Lady Lin spat.
In his face.
The man wiped it off. Didn't laugh. Just looked.
"Tonight," he said to the guard beside him. "Teach her discipline."
Lady Lin was dragged from the stage.
"MY CHILDREN!" she screamed. "DON'T SEPARATE MY CHILDREN! PLEASE!"
The children watched.
Wei. Mei. Jun.
They watched their mother being dragged away.
And they could do nothing.
Nothing.
The children were sold last.
Wei first.
"15-year-old male! Strong! Healthy! Suitable as mine worker or soldier!"
Wei stood on stage. Straight. Determined.
His eyes searched the crowd for his siblings.
"3,000."
"3,500."
"Sold for 3,500! Northern mines!"
As Wei stepped down from the stage, he looked at Mei. One last time.
"I'll find you," he said. Hoping she could hear. "I promise."
Mei heard. She nodded. Through her tears.
Wei was taken away.
Mei was second.
"12-year-old girl! Beautiful! Intelligent! Can read and write!"
Mei stood on stage trembling. Her legs could barely hold her.
A wealthy merchant stood up. 50 years old. Well dressed.
"9,000."
No one bid higher.
"Sold for 9,000!"
The man approached. Examined Mei.
"In 2-3 years she'll be perfect," he said to his companion. "An investment."
Mei didn't understand what he meant.
She didn't want to understand.
Jun was last.
"8-year-old male child! Healthy! Moldable!"
Jun stood on stage. Crying. He couldn't stop.
"Mom! Mommy!"
"2,000."
"2,500."
"Sold for 2,500! Green Leaf Sect!"
A monk stepped forward. Old. Calm faced.
"He'll make a good disciple," he said. "I see potential."
Jun didn't understand.
He didn't understand anything.
He just wanted his mother.
"Mom... where's Mom? Mommy!"
No one answered.
The three siblings were separated.
Three different directions.
Three different fates.
At the last moment, they looked at each other.
Wei: Determined. Angry. "I'll find you."
Mei: Scared. Hopeless. But trusting her brother.
Jun: Not understanding. Crying. Just wanting to go home.
And then...
They were gone.
Each to their own hell.
PART 5: Aftermath
6 months later. Northern mines.
Wei died.
They called it an "accident."
In truth, he had tried to escape.
Midnight. While the guards slept. He tried to climb the wall.
He was caught.
He was beaten. For a long time.
Internal bleeding. Broken ribs. Crushed organs.
He suffered for 3 days.
As he died, his last thought was of his siblings.
I couldn't keep my promise. I couldn't keep it.
Mei... Jun... I'm sorry...
I'm so sorry...
2 years later. An unknown location.
Mei died.
They called it "illness."
In truth, she had hanged herself.
One night. While everyone slept.
She couldn't take it anymore.
She left no note. She had no strength left to write one.
She just... left.
What was her last thought?
No one knew.
Perhaps relief.
Perhaps regret.
Perhaps just... silence.
3 years later. Northern mines.
Lord Feng died.
He threw himself down a mine shaft.
One night. During shift change.
What did he think as he fell?
Perhaps of his family.
Perhaps of freedom.
Perhaps just... the end.
I wish I had been stronger.
I wish I could have protected them.
I wish...
5 years later. Green Leaf Sect.
Jun was alive.
But he wasn't Jun anymore.
He had a new name. A new identity. A new "family."
The sect had shaped him.
He didn't remember his past.
Before age 8... it was vague. Blurry. As if it didn't exist.
Once, he saw a woman in his dreams.
Black hair. Gentle eyes. Warm smile.
"I love you, sweetheart."
When he woke, his face was wet.
He didn't know why he had cried.
He didn't know who that woman was.
But... she seemed familiar from somewhere.
From far away.
From long ago.
Lady Lin...
No one knew what happened to Lady Lin.
She was taken to the old man's house.
And was never seen again.
Perhaps she was still alive.
Perhaps she had died.
Perhaps she wanted to die but couldn't.
No one knew.
No one asked.
No one cared.
Because she was just a slave.
And slaves... didn't matter.
PART 6: Silence
Shadow fell silent.
Alperen was silent too.
Long, heavy silence.
The wind blew. Cold. Sharp.
Stars glittered. The moon had risen.
It was a beautiful night.
But beauty... was meaningless.
Alperen finally spoke.
"This... happens every day?"
"Every day, Master." Shadow's voice was weary. "Every day, dozens of families are torn apart. Every day, hundreds of people are sold. Every day... another Feng family is destroyed."
"And the Hua Clan?"
"Takes 30% from every sale. Profits from every pain. Grows richer from every tear."
Alperen closed his eyes.
This world...
This world is merciless.
The Feng family... they weren't bad people. They were just weak. Just unlucky.
And that was enough to be destroyed.
In this world there is no mercy.
In this world there is no justice.
In this world there is only power.
If you're strong, you live.
If you're weak... you become like the Feng family.
He opened his eyes.
"The next power?"
"The Longging Temple, Master."
"Tell me."