The chill of dawn was relentless as Xiao Lang and Gu Jinnian emerged from the broken shrine, their breath misting in the cold morning air. The sky was still heavy with snow clouds, the world washed in muted grays and whites.
They moved cautiously through the dense forest bordering the border town, each step muffled by fresh snow. The dangers of last night weighed heavily on them, and yet, neither spoke a word.
After a short distance, Gu Jinnian halted abruptly, his sharp gaze scanning the horizon. "We cannot linger," he said quietly. "They will be searching for us by now."
Xiao Lang nodded, muscles stiff from the cold but alert. "Who sent them? The bandits? Or someone higher?"
Gu Jinnian's lips curled into a thin smile, one devoid of warmth. "Bandits are merely pawns. The real puppeteers hide in the shadows of the court."
They pressed onward, skirting the edges of the forest where trees thinned and the outline of the border town came into view. Smoke curled lazily from chimneys, and the faint clatter of early market preparations echoed faintly.
Yet, beneath the surface of normalcy lurked a dark tension. Rumors of rebellion and secret plots had woven themselves into the fabric of the town's daily life like a poison.
As they slipped through narrow alleys, Gu Jinnian paused near a weathered wall, retrieving a folded parchment from his inner robe. He handed it to Xiao Lang without a word.
Xiao Lang unfolded the paper carefully, eyes narrowing at the elegant yet ominous script.
"Assassinate the last remnant of the fallen dynasty — the exile known as Xiao Lang. Failure will bring ruin to your house."
The message was signed only with a symbol—a burning wick identical to the mark on Gu Jinnian's metal token.
Xiao Lang's heart pounded fiercely. "So… you were sent to kill me."
Gu Jinnian's gaze was unreadable. "I was sent to kill many. Orders come from above, from those who crave power and fear what you represent."
"But why spare me last night?" Xiao Lang demanded, his voice sharp with betrayal.
"For reasons I cannot reveal... yet."
A tense silence settled between them, thick as the fog rolling in from the north.
Suddenly, a soft sound—barely a whisper—broke the stillness. Gu Jinnian's eyes flicked toward a shadow darting across a rooftop.
"Watch yourself," he warned. "You are already marked by many eyes."
From the gloom emerged a figure cloaked in midnight blue, face obscured by a hood. She moved with the silence of a cat, stopping mere steps away.
"I bring news," she said, voice low and urgent. "The Council has decreed: no one shall interfere with the assassination. Guards patrol every gate. The capital's hand extends even here."
Xiao Lang's fists clenched. "Then how do we survive?"
The woman's eyes flashed. "By becoming ghosts."
Gu Jinnian nodded. "We must vanish before the moon rises."
That night, they slipped out under cover of darkness, winding through the labyrinthine streets. Each shadow seemed to hold a watcher; each passerby a potential enemy.
In the narrowest alley, Gu Jinnian paused, pressing a finger to his lips. He motioned Xiao Lang to crouch behind a cart piled high with firewood.
From the dark emerged two men clad in black leather, faces masked, weapons gleaming faintly in the moonlight. Their steps were silent, but their intent was clear.
"They're coming," whispered Gu Jinnian.
Xiao Lang's pulse surged. This was no longer a game of survival—it was a hunt.
The two assassins circled the cart, searching. Gu Jinnian's hand moved to his sword hilt, muscles coiling like a spring.
Suddenly, a sharp whistle shattered the night—a signal. More footsteps thundered from the far end of the alley.
The assassins froze, their eyes narrowing. Gu Jinnian seized the moment, drawing his sword in a flash.
Steel sang against steel as the fight erupted. Xiao Lang grabbed a broken plank and swung wildly, knocking one assassin off balance.
The battle was brutal and swift. Shadows clashed, metal struck bone and leather, breath steamed in the cold night air.
When the last assassin fell, panting and bleeding, Gu Jinnian turned to Xiao Lang.
"Do not think this will end soon," he warned. "They will send more."
Xiao Lang nodded grimly, feeling the weight of the war he had only just stepped into.
"We need allies," he said, voice low.
Gu Jinnian's eyes flickered. "Allies can be as dangerous as enemies. Choose carefully."
As the first light of dawn threatened the horizon, the two vanished into the maze of the town, shadows within shadows, pawns in a deadly game that stretched far beyond their understanding.