The Woman Who Never Misses
The Li Dynasty lay beyond the western ridges, a land of fractured loyalties and old scars.
Its capital, Haemun, was a city built on vigilance — high walls, narrow streets, and watchful eyes. Power shifted often here, not through thrones, but through shadows.
Xiao Xing entered Haemun at dusk.
He wore no insignia, carried no banner, and spoke his name to no one. Yet trouble found him before nightfall.
A City on Edge
At a teahouse near the southern quarter, voices fell to whispers.
"Another magistrate was found dead," one man murmured.
"No wound," said another. "Just… gone."
"A ghost?" someone asked.
The first man shook his head.
"No. Her."
The word carried weight.
Even Xiao Xing paused.
"She never misses," the man continued. "When she accepts a contract, Heaven itself steps aside."
Xiao Xing's fingers tightened around his cup.
"Who?" he asked.
The men went silent.
Then one leaned close.
"They call her Giyeok."
The Assassin Appears
Night fell swiftly.
Xiao Xing took a shortcut through an alley — and stepped into an ambush.
Steel flashed.
Three men lunged at once.
Xiao Xing moved instinctively, disarming one, striking another — but the third raised a crossbow.
The bolt never fired.
It struck the wall instead.
The man collapsed, blood blooming at his throat.
Silence followed.
A figure stepped down from the rooftops.
She landed lightly, as if the night itself had caught her.
Dark attire. Unadorned. No wasted movement.
Her eyes met Xiao Xing's — sharp, assessing, unreadable.
"You shouldn't walk alone," she said calmly.
Xiao Xing stared at the fallen men, then back at her.
"…I had it handled."
"I know," she replied. "I decided to intervene anyway."
First Impressions
They stood facing one another, measuring.
"You're skilled," Xiao Xing said.
"So are you," she answered.
A pause.
Then she turned away.
"If you value your life," she added, "leave Haemun by morning."
Xiao Xing smiled faintly.
"I don't run from cities," he said. "Only from lies."
She stopped.
Something in his voice caught her.
She turned back.
"What's your name?" she asked.
He hesitated — then answered.
"IN."
She studied him carefully.
"Giyeok," she said after a moment.
The name landed between them like a drawn blade.
Xiao Xing's pulse quickened — not from fear, but curiosity.
"So the rumors are true," he said.
She tilted her head.
"Most are exaggerated."
"Then what's true?"
A faint smile touched her lips.
"I never fail."
An Unspoken Agreement
They walked together through the city, two predators sharing space without conflict.
"You kill for coin?" Xiao Xing asked.
"For balance," Giyeok replied. "Coin is incidental."
"And tonight?"
"I wasn't hunting," she said. "You were."
He glanced at her.
"Then why help me?"
She looked ahead.
"…Because I don't like watching capable people die stupidly."
He laughed quietly.
"That's a rare kindness."
She didn't respond.
Closing Omen
High above Haemun, clouds drifted apart.
In a distant shrine, a flame flickered — once.
Nae Yi opened her eyes.
"So," she whispered, sensing the shift.
"He has entered your path."
Back in the city, Xiao Xing and Giyeok stopped at a crossroads.
"Our paths separate here," Giyeok said.
"For now," Xiao Xing replied.
She met his gaze — just for a moment longer than necessary.
"Yes," she agreed softly. "For now."
They turned away from each other.
Neither noticed the faint mark glowing briefly at the base of Xiao Xing's neck.
Nor the way Giyeok's hand trembled — just slightly — as she disappeared into the shadows.
Heaven had not spoken.
But it had noticed.