2026-08-29 21:00:26Lan remained unconscious where he had fallen, the broken half of his sword lying several meters away. Hong stood with blood at the corner of his mouth, while Huan stayed on one knee and pressed his uninjured hand against the stone to steady his breathing.
No one attacked.
The silence across the courtyard felt different from the tense quiet before the earlier exchanges. It was no longer the pause of men waiting for another command, but the recognition
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Five Dragon Eggs
Movement behind the rear screens drew every captive’s attention, although the soldiers surrounding the hall prevented anyone from rising or shifting closer for a better view.Xanthanael remained seated while uncertainty spread among the kneeling youths, allowing their imagination to work before he revealed what would determine the coming selection.He brought his hands together three times at an unhurried pace, and the clear claps carried across the hall without requiring any additional command.Five female servants entered from the rear passage in orderly formation, each carrying a polished tray covered by folded red satin.Their clothing was appropriate for palace service rather than display, and their careful movements showed that whatever rested beneath the cloth carried unusual importance.The first servant stopped beneath the platform, while the remaining four aligned
Under Xanthanael’s Rule
Three months before the present course of events, evening settled over the Royal Palace in Torredorm while willow branches moved under a cold wind that crossed the outer courtyards and disturbed the long shadows beneath the palace walls.The guards stationed along the terraces and covered approaches stood at attention with weapons held in disciplined silence, because the atmosphere around Vellenor’s royal residence had grown heavier since Xanthanael seized control of the kingdom.His rise had not ended with Vellenor, because the new ruler expanded his authority beyond the borders and eventually crushed Udristan after destroying its former king during the conquest.Talented youths taken from the conquered territory were transported to Torredorm, where they were added to promising young cultivators and gifted fighters already gathered from within Vellenor.Xanthanael did not see these young people as future officials, disciples, or loyal nobles, because his interest centered on creating
The Eastern Guard Rebuilt
Zheng Cheng’s entry into Guo Jiang’s service solved one personal matter, but it also exposed how badly the Eastern Mansion’s defenses had been weakened.Several senior guards had fallen during Guo Jiang’s arrival, while others remained injured enough that the old structure could no longer function normally.Guo Jiang summoned Zheng Cheng after his injuries improved enough for him to move without favoring the wounded hand.Tong and Bo joined the meeting because both men understood the existing guard system and the practical weaknesses left by recent deaths.Guo Jiang looked across the three men and said, “The mansion cannot depend on my personal presence whenever trouble reaches the gate.”Bo agreed immediately, while Tong added that rebuilding too quickly could be as dangerous as leaving vacancies unfilled.“A weak ma
Not a Slave
By the time Zheng Cheng entered the audience chamber, dry clothes had replaced his soaked black robe, but the storm still showed in his condition.His face remained pale from the cold, and exhaustion had left a faint tremor in the hand resting beside his knee.Guo Jiang received him in a smaller hall rather than the formal reception chamber used for clans and sect representatives.A brazier burned near the side wall, and warm air gradually returned some color to the swordsman’s face while he waited.Guo Jiang studied him for several breaths before asking why a defeated challenger had chosen to spend the entire storm outside his gate.“The servant reported that you spoke about a vow, but I prefer hearing the meaning from the man who made it.”Zheng Cheng straightened despite his fatigue and placed both hands before him in a formal salute.“Two years ago, when I left my home and began wandering through the martial world, I made a promise concerning every serious challenge.”He explained
A Vow Beneath the Storm
Rain fell across Yin Hua Hill with enough force to blur the walls and bamboo beyond the Eastern Mansion into dark, shifting shapes.The guards above the gate remained under the covered battlement, yet many kept looking toward Zheng Cheng kneeling outside in the open.He had remained there since surrendering, even after night settled and the challenge was already formally concluded.A younger guard finally asked why any sane swordsman would continue kneeling after being spared and allowed to leave with his life.The veteran beside him answered that Zheng Cheng had already shown enough stubbornness to make ordinary explanations unreliable.Another guard suggested that perhaps shame prevented him from returning to Shiwei City after failing before so many witnesses.The loud mocker from earlier had lost most of his confidence and now watched Zheng Cheng without o
Before the Twenty-First Sword
The first sword left Guo Jiang’s formation alone, descending toward Zheng Cheng along a direct line that tested reaction rather than attempting immediate deception.Zheng Cheng shifted half a step and met the blade near its middle, using the stronger section of his own sword to redirect the incoming force.The second sword arrived from a lower angle before he fully recovered, forcing him to rotate his wrists and guide it outward without retreating.The third and fourth came almost together, one aimed toward the upper chest while the other approached from outside his right shoulder.Zheng Cheng blocked the first and turned away from the second, allowing its edge to pass within several inches of his sleeve.Several guards who had mocked him became more attentive because his swordwork remained controlled under pressure that would overwhelm ordinary fighters.
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