---

Chapter 1 – The Fall of the Yue Clan

The moon hung low over the mountains of the Yue territory, glowing silver against the dark sky.

Inside the great halls of the Yue Clan, lanterns burned softly, their light reflecting off the white jade pillars that lined the palace courtyard. The clan symbol—a crescent moon surrounded by swirling mist—was carved into nearly every wall.

The Yue Clan had always been known as the most powerful of the four great clans.

Masters of moonlight energy.

Guardians of spiritual balance.

Feared by enemies and respected by allies.

And tonight… they were being hunted.

---

A cold wind swept through the courtyard.

Young Yue Lan sat on the stone steps, swinging her legs as she held a small glowing talisman in her hand. The faint light danced across her face.

She sighed.

“I still can't read your thoughts,” she muttered.

Standing beside her was her older brother, Yue Shen, tall and calm, his dark robes flowing slightly in the wind. His long black hair moved gently as he looked down at her.

“You're still too young,” he said softly.

Yue Lan frowned.

“You always say that.”

She poked his arm.

“How am I supposed to inherit the Moon Arts if you keep hiding everything from me?”

For a moment, Yue Shen didn't answer.

Then he placed a hand gently on her head.

“You will learn,” he said. “But not tonight.”

His eyes slowly lifted toward the sky.

Something felt wrong.

The moonlight around the palace flickered slightly.

---

Far away, hidden in the forest shadows, black-armored soldiers moved silently through the trees.

Behind them… something else stirred.

A creature formed from living darkness crawled across the ground like smoke, its glowing eyes burning with unnatural hunger.

It had been summoned for one purpose.

Destroy the Yue Clan.

---

Back in the courtyard, Yue Lan suddenly shivered.

“Did you feel that?”

Yue Shen's expression changed instantly.

His calm eyes sharpened.

He felt it too.

A disturbance.

No… an invasion.

Then—

A distant explosion shattered the quiet night.

BOOM.

Flames rose from the eastern side of the clan grounds.

Alarm bells rang across the entire palace.

CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.

Yue Lan jumped to her feet.

“What was that?!”

But Yue Shen already knew.

His voice dropped into a cold whisper.

“…Enemies.”

---

War erupted instantly.

Yue clan warriors rushed into the courtyards, drawing their spirit weapons as waves of imperial soldiers stormed the outer gates.

Moonlight techniques flashed across the battlefield.

Silver energy blades cut through the air.

But something was wrong.

The Yue warriors—normally unstoppable under moonlight—were weaker tonight.

The moon above them slowly darkened as clouds swallowed its light.

The Yue Clan’s greatest strength… had become their weakness.

Without full moonlight, their power faltered.

And the enemy had planned it perfectly.

---

Then the dark creature arrived.

It slithered across the battlefield like a living nightmare.

Where it passed, warriors were thrown aside like leaves in a storm.

One Yue elder shouted in horror.

“That thing… it's not human!”

Another attack wave smashed through the gates.

The Yue Clan was being overwhelmed.

---

Yue Lan watched from the courtyard entrance, her eyes wide with fear.

Flames reflected in her pupils.

“Brother…”

But Yue Shen had already stepped forward.

His presence alone made the air feel heavy.

Silver energy began to swirl around him.

The ground cracked beneath his feet.

For the first time that night, the invading soldiers hesitated.

One of them whispered:

“That's him…”

“Yue Shen.”

The strongest warrior of the Yue Clan.

---

Yue Shen raised his hand.

Moonlight gathered like a storm.

Then he moved.

A single slash of silver energy tore across the battlefield.

Dozens of enemies were thrown back instantly.

Even the dark creature paused.

But Yue Shen's expression did not relax.

Because deep inside… he could feel something worse.

Someone else was watching.

Someone controlling everything from the shadows.

---

Suddenly—

The dark creature roared and lunged toward the palace.

Toward Yue Lan.

Yue Shen's eyes widened.

“AH LAN!”

He moved instantly.

But before he could reach her—

The creature struck.

The ground exploded between them.

Smoke and debris filled the air.

When it cleared…

Yue Lan was gone.

And Yue Shen stood alone in the burning ruins of the Yue courtyard.

---

For the first time in his life…

Yue Shen felt something crack inside him.

His calm expression shattered.

And a terrifying anger began to rise.

The moonlight around him darkened.

Something inside him had changed.

And somewhere in the shadows… a hidden figure smiled.

---

Chapter 2 — Ten Years Later

Ten years had passed since the night the moon turned red. The world had moved on, but the legend of the Yue Clan’s destruction had not. Stories about that night spread across the lands like wildfire. Some said the Yue Clan betrayed the empire. Others whispered that dark spirits devoured them from within. And a few believed something far more terrifying—that the Yue Clan had been erased on purpose.

Morning sunlight poured over the busy streets of Qingyuan City, one of the largest cities in the empire. Vendors shouted across the marketplace while children ran through the narrow streets. Spiritual cultivators passed by in elegant robes, their weapons hanging proudly at their sides. Life here was loud, chaotic, and completely normal. It was the perfect atmosphere—peaceful, too.

Inside a crowded herbal shop, a young woman stood behind the counter organizing jars of herbs. Her long silver hair was tied loosely behind her back, and her calm silver-tinted eyes watched the surroundings carefully, a small smile tugging at her lips.

A customer suddenly slammed a hand on the counter.

“I asked for moonleaf powder, not frostroot!”

Lan Yue blinked. “Oh… right.” She looked down at the jar in her hand. “…That explains why it smelled weird.”

The customer groaned. “You’ve worked here three years and you still mix herbs wrong?!”

Lan Yue scratched her cheek awkwardly. “I’m improving.”

From the corner of the shop, a small voice snorted. “That’s a lie.”

Lan Yue turned. Sitting on a wooden beam near the ceiling was a tiny mystical fox, its purple-silver fur glowing faintly in the light. Its name was Hoshi, and it looked very unimpressed.

“You almost poisoned someone yesterday,” Hoshi said.

“That was an accident!”

“You gave him sleeproot instead of healing root.”

“He slept very well.”

“That wasn’t the goal.”

Lan Yue puffed her cheeks in annoyance. “You’re supposed to support me.”

Hoshi rolled its eyes. “I support competence.”

Lan Yue smiled slyly and leaned on the counter. “Hmm… I have some cookies here. But too bad they’ll probably go to waste.”

Hoshi instantly jumped down from the beam. “Ptui! Not everyone is perfect. You’ve done great already, Ah Lan.”

Lan Yue smiled in satisfaction and handed her a cookie.

Just then, a loud boom echoed from outside. The entire street shook.

Lan Yue froze. “…What was that?”

Hoshi’s ears twitched, her playful expression disappearing instantly. “That… was a spiritual battle.”

Outside, people began shouting. “Someone’s fighting!” “Run!”

Lan Yue rushed to the door and pushed it open. Across the street, a group of cultivators had formed a circle. In the center, two warriors were clashing violently. Steel rang through the air while spiritual energy cracked like lightning.

One of them moved with terrifying speed, his sword flashing with streaks of purple light.

Lan Yue narrowed her eyes. “…That sword style…”

Something about it felt familiar.

Before she could think further, the warrior unleashed a powerful strike. Dark energy burst outward like a storm. The ground cracked, nearby stalls collapsed, and people screamed as they ran.

Hoshi’s eyes widened. “Oh no.”

Lan Yue glanced at her. “What?”

Hoshi sighed dramatically. “…You’re about to get involved, aren’t you?”

Lan Yue was already stepping forward. “I can’t just watch people get hurt!”

“Of course not.”

“You sound sarcastic.”

“I am.”

Across the battlefield, the mysterious warrior landed on the ground as dust slowly cleared around him. For a moment, no one moved. Then whispers spread through the crowd.

“That’s him…”

“The Bo Clan’s strongest warrior…”

“The Dark Blade…”

Lan Yue stepped closer, her eyes widening slightly.

Standing there was a tall young man with sharp features and cold, unreadable eyes. His beauty was overwhelming, and his gaze seemed to draw people in without effort. A massive sword rested in his hand. The blade looked strange—almost alive—and it pulsed faintly with dark power.

Bo Ye Chen locked eyes on the man opposite him, paying no attention to the crowd. He pointed his sword forward and slowly circled his hand.

The man across from him burst into wild laughter. He scratched his face violently, acting completely out of control. His eyes were empty and his mouth mumbled incoherent words.

Bo Ye Chen frowned.

“Another one again…”

A deep, dark voice echoed beside him, though no one else seemed to hear it.

Bo Ye Chen’s frown deepened, but he didn’t reply. Instead, he rushed forward at lightning speed. Steel flashed through the air.

Blood gushed as the man collapsed with a loud groan.

But then something strange happened.

His body began to crumble. Cracks spread across his skin before it suddenly turned into black ash. The ashes scattered into the wind, dissolving into a faint dark aura.

The crowd gasped in shock.

Lan Yue stared quietly. “…That wasn’t a normal cultivator.”

Hoshi’s tail flicked slowly. “No.”

His voice was unusually serious.

“That was something much worse.”

Across the street, Bo Ye Chen slowly lowered his sword.

For a brief moment—

His cold gaze lifted.

And landed directly on Lan Yue.

---

Chapter 3 — A Strange Presence

The crowd slowly began to settle after the battle. People whispered nervously as they stared at the patch of ground where the strange cultivator had turned into ash. No one dared step too close.

At the center of the street, Bo Ye Chen wiped the blood from his blade before sliding the massive sword back into its sheath. The metallic sound echoed softly. His expression remained cold and unmoved.

Around him, the whispers continued.

“The Dark Blade…”

“The Bo Clan’s strongest warrior…”

“He killed that thing in one strike…”

Bo Ye Chen ignored them.

But then something strange brushed against his senses—a faint ripple of spiritual energy. Subtle. Almost hidden.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Behind him, the shadow beneath his feet shifted. For a brief moment, a pair of glowing purple eyes appeared within it.

"You felt that", a deep voice murmured.

Bo Ye Chen didn’t answer immediately. His gaze slowly moved across the crowd—merchants, civilians, cultivators. Nothing unusual.

Then he saw her.

Silver hair.

Across the street, near the entrance of an herbal shop, a young woman stood brushing dust from her clothes. She looked completely ordinary. Too ordinary.

Bo Ye Chen’s gaze lingered.

"That girl… something about her is strange", the voice said again.

“…I noticed,” Bo Ye Chen replied quietly.

Across the street, Lan Yue had no idea she was being watched. Hoshi sat comfortably on her shoulder, nibbling the last piece of a cookie.

“Well,” Hoshi said between bites, “that escalated quickly.”

Lan Yue nodded. “Spiritual battles in the middle of the market are very inconvenient.”

“You’re worried about inconvenience?”

“The shop owner will blame me if the shelves break.”

Hoshi rolled her eyes. “You have impressive priorities.”

Lan Yue glanced back toward the battlefield. The tall swordsman was still standing there. Even from this distance, his presence felt heavy… dangerous.

“…He’s strong,” she said quietly.

“Very,” Hoshi agreed, flicking her tail.

Meanwhile, Bo Ye Chen continued watching her. The strange feeling hadn’t disappeared. If anything, it grew clearer the longer he looked. Yet the girl showed no sign of cultivation—no spiritual aura, no energy, nothing.

Odd.

Behind him, the shadow voice chuckled softly. "Perhaps you should ask her."

Bo Ye Chen’s eyes hardened. “…No.”

"Afraid?"

He ignored the voice.

After one last glance at the silver-haired girl, Bo Ye Chen turned and began walking away. The crowd quickly parted to clear a path for him, and within moments he disappeared into the busy streets of Qingyuan City.

Across the street, Lan Yue blinked. “…He left.”

Hoshi stretched lazily. “Good.”

Lan Yue crossed her arms thoughtfully and looked toward the direction he had gone. “…Still.”

“Still what?”

“…Something about him felt strange.”

Hoshi flicked her ear. “That feeling goes both ways.”

Lan Yue frowned. “What do you mean?”

Hoshi smirked slightly, her eyes glimmering with mischief. “Oh nothing. I’m just saying… that swordsman definitely noticed you.”

Lan Yue paused. “…What?”

Hoshi finished the last crumbs of her cookie. “And I have a feeling this isn’t the last time you’ll meet.”

Lan Yue sighed. “I hope you’re wrong.”

Hoshi grinned. “I’m rarely wrong.”