chp 24 The Boy Who Wouldn't Break
Wang San burst through the hotel door, soaked to the bone, clutching the small sphere of light.
"Xie! Hold on!"
Wei Liang gasped at the sight of him, but he didn't wait — he pressed the sphere into Wei Xie's chest. The light sank into him, vanishing without a trace.
Wei Xie's shallow breathing steadied, and his eyes opened weakly. "San…?"
San grinned, relief flooding him. "Told you I'd fix it, didn't I?"
They didn't have time for more. Heavy footsteps thundered outside. Before anyone could react, the door crashed open — Ling Clan guards pouring in like a flood.
"Run!" San shouted, but before he could draw his sword, a blow struck his back. The world spun, and he was dragged into the cold night.
The Ling Clan camp reeked of iron and blood. They tied him to a post, the rain dripping from his hair, soaking through his torn robes.
Prince Ling Hu himself stepped forward, his eyes sharp as blades. "Where did you take him? That crippled Wei Xie should be dead."
San just smirked, blood staining his teeth. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
A guard's fist slammed into his ribs. Another into his face. Pain exploded, but he kept smiling.
"You think you're brave?" Ling Hu sneered. "You're just a noisy child."
San coughed, laughing through the blood. "Maybe. But if I die here, I'll haunt you. I'll be the ghost that rips your throat out in your sleep."
The guards hesitated. His voice was steady, his grin unnerving.
Ling Hu's eyes narrowed. "Break him."
They tried. Blow after blow. But no matter how hard they struck, he didn't cry out. In the dim torchlight, his smile never faded.