DEVIL'S SWORD

Black Sect Attack

 Curious and slightly convinced that the tiger did not intend to devour him, Ho Chen halted his steps.

 His suspicion was confirmed. The tiger also stopped its light strides and then sat down, staring at Ho Chen.

 "If you want to eat me, do it quickly! Don't let me live in fear like this!" Ho Chen shouted as loud as he could, hoping someone would come to his aid, even though it was an impossible and futile hope.

 Something strange happened. The tiger growled softly while shaking its head. The fierce beast seemed uninterested in Ho Chen’s flesh.

 Ho Chen frowned in confusion. Although doubt still lingered in his heart, he tried to suppress it. He wanted to prove that what he was seeing was not an illusion, that the tiger truly had no intention of killing him.

 Slowly, Ho Chen stepped closer to the adult tiger and then sat in front of it. Strangely, the beast, known for its ferocity and carnivorous nature, appeared tame before him. 

 Before long, another tiger sat beside its companion, both gazing at Ho Chen.

 "Don’t you want to eat me?" Ho Chen asked. 

 Grrrrgh!

 As if understanding his question, both tigers growled and shook their heads.

 The young man became intrigued by the two tigers sitting calmly before him. "So, you want to be my friends?"

 Grrrrgh! Both tigers growled in unison. 

 "Ah, it’s a shame you can’t talk. If you could, I would gladly stay in the forest with you. What’s the point of staying in the sect if they never teach me martial arts?" Ho Chen muttered.

 As if suddenly realizing something, Ho Chen remembered he had to return to the sect. Even if he decided to leave, he would at least do so in the morning. Besides, all his belongings were still at the sect led by Li Hao.

 "I have to go back to the sect. Let’s meet again here tomorrow morning," Ho Chen said before standing up.

 The two tigers growled again, this time repeatedly. Ho Chen did not understand their gestures, but he sensed that they did not want him to leave the forest.

 "I promise I’ll be back here tomorrow morning," he reassured them before sprinting toward the Star Sword Sect.

 The two adult tigers could only watch Ho Chen leave, unable to stop him.

 Meanwhile, Ho Chen kept running through the darkness of the night and the dense trees of the forest. So familiar was he with the terrain that he had no fear of running into trees or getting lost.

 After an hour of running in the dark, Ho Chen suddenly stopped. He looked up. His gaze fixed on the bright red glow illuminating the distant sky.

 Ho Chen frowned deeply. He suspected that the red light was coming from the sect where he had lived for the past year. 

 "Fire?" he murmured in uncertainty.

 Not wanting to assume the worst, Ho Chen ran as fast as he could. A sudden sense of dread gripped his mind. He felt that something terrible was happening to the Star Sword Sect.

 The closer he got, the brighter the red glow became. Now, he was certain that the sect was on fire.

 Ho Chen quickened his pace. Faintly, he began to hear screams and the clashing of weapons. His assumption was that the sect members were fighting to put out the fire, and he had to hurry to help.

 But as he arrived at the sect’s entrance, his assumptions were proven wrong. The Star Sword Sect was indeed engulfed in a massive blaze, but the cause was an attack from another sect. 

 As far as his eyes could see, he still did not know which sect was attacking them. He lacked knowledge of other sects.

 Ho Chen was at a loss for what to do. He knew he had no skills to fight. Even though he had secretly practiced the movements he observed from other disciples during training, the current situation was far beyond his control.

 The sound of clashing weapons filled his ears. The heart-wrenching screams of the dying pierced his mind. It all seemed to dance before his eyes, igniting a spark of courage within him.

 Ho Chen made up his mind. He sneaked into the sect compound, avoiding combat as much as possible. His goal was to find Li Hao.

 The chaotic situation made it easier for him to approach Li Hao’s private chamber. He stepped past numerous bloodied corpses. The stench of blood filled the air, but he ignored it. He kept moving forward in search of Li Hao. 

 But before he could reach his destination, two unknown men stood in his way. The blades in their hands were poised to pierce and cut him apart.

 "Where do you think you’re going, boy? It’s better if you surrender and don’t resist. We promise to give you a painless death," one of them said.

 Ho Chen swallowed hard. His eyes darted around, searching for anyone familiar to help him. But all his friends were busy fighting their own battles. None of them could spare a moment to assist him—let alone save themselves.

 In the midst of his anxiety over his impending fate, Ho Chen saw Li Hao standing behind the two attackers. A wave of relief washed over him.

 Without warning, the founder and master of the Star Sword Sect launched a series of rapid attacks on the two men attempting to kill Ho Chen.

 In an instant, both men fell lifeless without putting up a fight. Li Hao had struck at vital points that ensured a swift death.

 "Ho Chen, follow me!" Li Hao commanded.

 The old man strode toward his chamber, with Ho Chen following closely behind. Three more enemies tried to block their path, but Li Hao effortlessly dispatched them.

 "Ho Chen, get inside!"

 Ho Chen entered the room as soon as Li Hao opened the door.

 "Who is attacking our sect, Master?" Ho Chen asked curiously.

 "They are from the Black Panther Sect, a dark sect seeking to expand its territory. Do you still have the scroll I gave you this morning?"

 "I buried it in the forest, Master. For some reason, I had a feeling someone would try to steal it from me," Ho Chen replied.

 "And?" Li Hao inquired further.

 "Turns out, my instincts were right. Fang Yun and his friends beat me unconscious because I refused to give them the scroll."

 "Fang Yun!" Li Hao growled in fury.