THE AWAKENING OF THE DRAGON BLOOD
1001 Words
The night sky above Jiang City was covered by dark clouds.
Thunder rolled across the heavens as rain poured heavily over the streets, washing away the traces of the battle that had taken place earlier.
Inside an abandoned warehouse outside the city, the assassin from the Shadow Alliance slowly opened his eyes.
His body felt as though it had been crushed by a mountain.
Every bone ached.
Every breath brought unbearable pain.
When his vision finally cleared, he found himself sitting on the cold ground with his hands tied.
Across from him sat Li Chen.
The young man looked calm, almost ordinary.
If not for the golden ring on his finger, the assassin would never believe that this was the person he had been ordered to kill.
"You survived," Li Chen said.
The assassin laughed weakly.
"Are you disappointed?"
"No."
Li Chen poured a cup of water and placed it in front of him.
"I want answers."
The assassin stared at the water.
"You think I will betray the Shadow Alliance?"
Li Chen remained silent.
The man laughed again.
"You know nothing about them."
"The Shadow Alliance has existed longer than your Dragon Clan."
"They are not something you can defeat."
Elder Han, standing beside Li Chen, frowned.
"Your loyalty is impressive."
"But loyalty to the wrong people will only lead you to death."
The assassin's expression changed slightly.
Li Chen noticed.
"You don't fully trust them."
The assassin looked away.
For the first time, his confidence disappeared.
Li Chen leaned forward.
"Who ordered my assassination?"
The assassin remained silent for several seconds.
Finally, he spoke.
"His name is Mo Tian (**)."
"The current leader of the Shadow Alliance."
"He has been waiting for the Dragon Emperor's heir to appear."
"Why?"
The assassin smiled bitterly.
"Because your bloodline is the only thing standing between him and immortality."
The warehouse became quiet.
Elder Han's expression turned serious.
"Immortality..."
The assassin nodded.
"Mo Tian discovered an ancient f*******n technique."
"By consuming the blood of the Dragon Emperor lineage, he can extend his life beyond human limits."
Li Chen's eyes narrowed.
"So he wants me alive."
"For now."
The assassin looked at him.
"But once he extracts what he needs..."
"You will no longer exist."
A cold wind passed through the warehouse.
Li Chen's expression remained calm, but his eyes became sharper.
"Where is he?"
The assassin laughed.
"Do you think I know?"
"People like Mo Tian never reveal their true location."
"He controls everything from the shadows."
Before Li Chen could ask another question, the assassin suddenly coughed violently.
Blood flowed from his mouth.
Elder Han immediately stepped forward.
"Poison!"
The assassin's body began trembling.
Li Chen reached toward him, but the man grabbed his wrist.
"Listen..."
"I know I was sent to kill you."
"But..."
"Be careful."
"The Shadow Alliance is not your only enemy."
Li Chen looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
The assassin's eyes slowly lost focus.
"The people closest to you..."
"...may not be who you think."
His hand fell.
The assassin stopped breathing.
Silence filled the warehouse.
Elder Han examined the body.
"The Shadow Alliance implanted a poison seal in all their assassins."
"Anyone who reveals important information dies immediately."
Li Chen looked toward the dark sky outside.
The warning remained in his mind.
The people closest to you may not be who you think.
---
The next morning, Li Chen returned to the Su Family residence.
He wanted to act normal.
For now, his enemies did not need to know how much he had changed.
When he entered the house, he saw Su Xinyi sitting on the sofa.
She immediately stood.
"Where were you last night?"
Li Chen paused.
He had expected anger.
Instead, he saw worry.
"I'm sorry."
"I had something urgent to handle."
Su Xinyi looked at him carefully.
"You've changed."
Li Chen smiled.
"Changed?"
"Yes."
"Before, no matter how much my family insulted you, you always endured quietly."
"But now..."
She stopped.
Li Chen looked away.
He knew she had noticed.
The old Li Chen was gone.
The person standing before her was someone who had awakened a power beyond imagination.
But his feelings for her remained unchanged.
"I'm still the same person."
Su Xinyi stared at him.
"Are you?"
Before Li Chen could answer, the door opened.
Su Hao entered with several family members behind him.
His expression was arrogant.
"Interesting."
"The useless son-in-law finally learned how to disappear all night."
Li Chen ignored him.
Su Hao walked closer.
"I heard there was an incident near the city yesterday."
"A fight involving someone like you."
"You couldn't possibly be involved, right?"
Su Xinyi immediately frowned.
"Su Hao, enough."
Su Hao smiled.
"I am only curious."
"After all, Li Chen has always been good at surprising people."
His words sounded casual.
But his eyes were full of suspicion.
Li Chen noticed.
Someone had told Su Hao something.
The question was...
Who?
Suddenly, the Dragon Emperor Ring became slightly warm.
A strange feeling appeared.
Danger.
Not from Su Hao.
From somewhere else.
Li Chen looked toward the window.
On the rooftop of a distant building stood the mysterious woman in blue.
The same woman who had watched the battle yesterday.
This time, she was not hiding.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment, the world seemed to become silent.
Then she disappeared.
Li Chen's expression changed.
Elder Han's voice came through his phone.
"Young Master."
"We discovered something."
"What?"
"The woman who appeared near the battlefield yesterday..."
"She is connected to one of the ancient cultivation families."
Li Chen looked toward the empty rooftop.
"Who is she?"
Elder Han hesitated.
Her identity was clearly important.
"Her name is **Lin Ruoxue (***)."
"She is known as the Snow Phoenix Fairy."
Li Chen's eyes narrowed.
A Dragon Emperor heir.
A Shadow Alliance assassin.
And now...
A mysterious woman from an ancient clan.
Jiang City was no longer the ordinary place he thought it was.
The storm had only begun.
- Writer
