THE SWORD IN THE FIRE
952 Words
The bamboo cottage burned fiercely.
Flames climbed the dry stalks with frightening speed, filling the night sky with sparks. Thick smoke drifted through the forest as the fire cast dancing shadows over the faces of the black-clad assassins.
Prince Zhao Yun stood before the burning cottage, his sword gleaming in the orange light.
Behind him, Magistrate Han Shou, Mei Lian, and Captain Lu Feng formed a protective circle.
The assassins numbered more than thirty.
Each wore black robes embroidered with the silver head of a wolf.
Their leader slowly stepped forward.
His face was hidden behind a polished silver mask, but his voice was calm and confident.
"Fourth Prince."
"You have caused us far more trouble than expected."
Zhao Yun tightened his grip on his sword.
"You murdered innocent people."
"You burned villages."
"You stole from the Empire."
The masked leader laughed softly.
"You still believe this is about silver?"
His words caught Zhao Yun's attention.
"What do you mean?"
The assassin spread his arms.
"Gold is temporary."
"Power lasts forever."
---
Without another word, he raised his hand.
"Kill them."
The assassins rushed forward like a tide of darkness.
Captain Lu Feng met the first wave with a thunderous battle cry.
His sword flashed through the firelight, forcing three enemies backward before cutting another across the shoulder.
The imperial guards fought bravely despite being heavily outnumbered.
Steel clashed against steel as sparks flew through the smoky air.
Mei Lian hurried between the wounded, pulling injured guards behind overturned carts and treating their wounds as quickly as she could.
She had no sword.
Her courage alone kept her moving.
One frightened guard looked at her.
"Miss Mei..."
"You should run."
She shook her head.
"If I run now..."
"Who will save you?"
---
Meanwhile, Zhao Yun faced the silver-masked leader alone.
The assassin drew a long, narrow sword.
Unlike ordinary weapons, its blade was dark as midnight.
"So..."
"The famous Fourth Prince."
"I wonder if the Emperor's favorite son truly deserves his reputation."
"I am not here to prove myself."
Zhao Yun replied calmly.
"I am here to stop you."
The assassin attacked without warning.
Their swords collided with a sharp metallic c***k that echoed through the forest.
The masked warrior was incredibly fast.
His movements were precise, almost impossible to predict.
Each strike aimed at a vital point.
For the first time since leaving the capital, Zhao Yun found himself fighting an opponent whose skill matched his own.
The battle carried them across the clearing, their blades flashing in the firelight.
Neither man could gain the advantage.
---
Near the burning cottage, Han Shou struggled to protect the chest of documents.
Two assassins rushed toward him.
Before they could strike, an arrow flew through the darkness.
One attacker fell instantly.
A second arrow struck the other in the leg.
Everyone turned toward the forest.
Standing upon a rocky cliff overlooking the battlefield was a lone archer dressed in dark green robes.
His face remained hidden beneath a wide bamboo hat.
Without speaking, he fired again.
Another assassin fell.
Captain Lu Feng stared in surprise.
"Who is he?"
No one knew.
The mysterious archer continued firing with unbelievable accuracy, disrupting the enemy's advance.
---
Seeing his men falter, the silver-masked leader's patience finally broke.
He leaped backward and produced a small bronze whistle.
A shrill sound pierced the night.
Moments later, more assassins emerged from the forest.
"There are more of them!" one guard shouted.
Lu Feng's heart sank.
"We can't hold them forever."
Han Shou looked toward Zhao Yun.
"Your Highness!"
"The documents are more important than my life."
"If these records reach the capital, the conspiracy can finally be exposed."
He pushed the heavy wooden chest toward Zhao Yun.
"Take them."
Zhao Yun hesitated.
"If we leave together—"
"There is no time."
The old magistrate smiled sadly.
"I have spent three years hiding."
"My duty is not to survive."
"It is to ensure the truth survives."
---
Suddenly, several assassins charged toward Han Shou.
The elderly magistrate picked up an old spear that had rested against the cottage wall.
Though his hands trembled with age, his eyes remained fearless.
"I once swore an oath before Heaven..."
"...to protect the people of Qinghe."
With surprising strength, he met the attackers head-on.
Captain Lu Feng tried to reach him, but more assassins blocked his path.
"Magistrate Han!" he shouted.
The old official fought with everything he had, buying precious moments for Zhao Yun and the others.
---
The silver-masked leader smiled beneath his mask.
"Now you understand."
"This has never been about killing you."
"It was about destroying the evidence."
His gaze shifted toward the wooden chest.
"Hand it over."
Zhao Yun lifted the chest with one hand and his sword with the other.
"I would rather die."
For the first time, the assassin's calm expression vanished.
"So be it."
He lunged forward with terrifying speed.
Just as his blade was about to strike Zhao Yun—
A clear voice rang through the battlefield.
"Stop!"
Everyone froze.
A group of imperial cavalry burst through the trees carrying the golden banner of the Dragon Emperor.
At their head rode a stern general in black armor.
He raised an official command token high into the air.
"In the name of His Imperial Majesty!"
"Throw down your weapons!"
The assassins stared in disbelief.
Even the silver-masked leader seemed caught off guard.
But Zhao Yun's instincts told him something was wrong.
The general's armor bore the imperial dragon...
Yet the command token in his hand was made of black jade.
And the Emperor had never issued black jade command tokens.
Someone had come wearing the Empire's colors.
But they did not serve the Empire.
- Writer
