Chapter 3: The shadow of the Dragon and the Village of the Ash.

The harsh, ruthless imperial tax collectors marched into the small, fragile wooden cabin, instantly breaking and smashing every piece of furniture in sight. They carried themselves with the arrogance of men who answered only to the high ministers, tearing down curtains and kicking over porcelain pots to find hidden wealth.

Lian’s younger brother, Xiao, who was only fifteen years old, felt a surge of protective bravery. He rushed forward and pushed one of the armored guards away from their belongings. But the brutal, hardened men easily grabbed the boy, lifting his light body up and throwing him across the room. He crashed against the wall, groaning in pain. Mei ran over immediately, dropping to her knees to beg them, her voice shaking with desperation."Please, leave the boy alone! I will give you the tax money as soon as I find it. Right now, I have absolutely nothing!"The soldiers ignored her tears.

They kept smashing the table and stools, pushing Mei until she lost her balance. Two guards picked up Xiao by his collar again, preparing to carry him out."If you do not have the proper tax money, we will just take this brat," the leader sneered. "He is not even your real son anyway. We can find a use for his labor in the capital to cover your debts."They started walking out of the cabin, dragging Xiao while Mei kept weeping and begging from behind. But just outside the front door, the soldiers suddenly stopped.

One guard turned to the leader and whispered in a low, fearful tone, "Master, the rumors say a teenage girl lives here who always wears a dark mask. The villagers say she carries an unnatural power inside her body. That is why she hides her face."The leader let out a wicked laugh. They turned right back around, throwing young Xiao onto the dirt yard. The leader pulled his sharp steel sword and pressed the cold blade near Mei."Go bring us that masked daughter of yours," he ordered. "If she comes out and shows us this 'power' of hers, perhaps we will reconsider your taxes."Mei’s face turned bright red with pure, maternal rage.

She stood up and slapped the lead soldier hard across his face. "Not even in your worst dreams will you ever touch her or look at her!"The humiliated leader growled, signaling his guards. They grabbed Mei and began to treat her roughly. When Xiao tried to rush in to save her, they struck the boy, throwing him into the corner again.Suddenly, the heavy bedroom door opened.

Lian calmly stepped out into the living area, having just finished her deep, spiritual cultivation meditation. She didn't display any fear. Instead, she walked forward with graceful steps and handed them a thick stack of valuable silver notes."If you have no other business here, take the full year's taxes and leave," Lian said. Her voice was completely calm, but it carried a freezing, deathly cold tone that made the temperature in the room drop.The lead soldier stepped forward to take the silver notes. But instead of just taking the papers, he reached out and gripped Lian’s wrist with a cruel, mocking grip."With a face hidden like that, you should be careful how you speak to your betters," he whispered, leaning closer. "Maybe we should see what you are hiding."Lian’s dark eyes narrowed into dangerous, lethal slits.

A freezing, unnatural wind started to howl inside the small room. Beneath her silken clothes, the small green snake lifted its head, its eyes glowing as it prepared to transform into a giant, sky-tearing dragon. But Lian looked down at the creature with a sharp gaze, and the spiritual beast slowly retreated back into her sleeve, waiting for her command.Mei saw the dark, swirling energy rising around Lian and panicked. She knew that if Lian unleashed her power, she could destroy the entire valley."Lian, please! Do not ruin this place!" Mei cried out. "If you destroy this valley, we will have nowhere else to live!"Mei tried to push the leader away from Lian.

The man became completely furious, lunging toward Mei and grabbing her by the throat to silence her.Lian’s hidden anger turned into pure, silent, and absolute fury.She looked across the room at another guard who was holding a heavy sword. With a swift, physically impossible movement, she used her spiritual energy to pull the steel blade straight out of his hand from across the distance.Before the guards could even blink, Lian moved through the room like an unstoppable shadow. She did not aim to kill, but her strikes were precise and devastating.

In a flash of silver light, she disarmed every single guard, her blade moving so fast it was invisible. The soldiers fell back, their weapons shattered or knocked away, their pride broken by a force they couldn't comprehend."Next time we meet," Lian whispered, her voice sending a terrifying chill into their very bones. "You will not leave this place. Run away now, and never return to this village. I am a person who always keeps my word."Terrified and overwhelmed by the sheer spiritual pressure, the soldiers scrambled out of the cabin, fleeing into the darkness of the night. Mei rushed over, gasping for air, and hugged Lian tightly."Thank you for saving me, my child," Mei whispered. "But you must be very careful. Those men serve the High Minister of Taxes.

They do not forget such a defeat."Meanwhile, inside the grand Imperial Palace, Prince Ximei received a secret report. He stood up quickly from his golden seat."Are you absolutely sure that everything is finished? Did you double-check the report yourself?""Yes, Your Highness," the hidden guard bowed low. "The royal carriage was destroyed in the deep mountain forest. The Crown Prince and his guards are no more."Ximei smiled victoriously, a dark look of ambition in his eyes. He turned around to walk toward the King’s grand throne room to claim his new position.At the exact same time, in a luxury palace on the wealthy side of the land, the young son of the Tax Minister was relaxing on a lavish silk couch. Suddenly, the heavy doors burst open. His elite tax soldiers stumbled inside, humiliated and broken. They explained how a masked girl in a remote village had defeated them all.The young master jumped up, a murderous rage taking over his face."Burn them!" he roared. "Send the vanguard to burn that entire village to the ground tonight! Leave absolutely no one alive, and bring that girl to me!"Back at the Imperial Palace, Prince Ximei entered the massive throne room and dropped heavily to his knees before the King, putting on a fake show of sadness."Father! Please do not be angry about the tragic loss of my younger brother.

I failed to protect him on the road. I deserve your heaviest punishment!"But as Ximei kept his face pressed against the floor, a silent figure stepped out from behind the golden throne. The person was wearing a full face mask—the exact, familiar mask the Second Prince always wore.The Crown Prince slowly turned around, looking down at his kneeling older brother with cold eyes."Brother, when the bandits attacked me in that deep forest, not a single guard survived to carry the news out," the Crown Prince said, his voice as cold as absolute ice. "So tell me, my beloved older brother... how did you receive the news of my death so quickly, unless you already knew it was going to happen?"Ximei froze completely, realizing his entire plot had been exposed.As the night grew darker, Lian and her younger brother Xiao were walking back from the local night market.

Suddenly, a massive cloud of black smoke filled the midnight sky, coming directly from their village.Lian used her immense cosmic energy to leap high into the clouds. When she looked down, her heart shattered.The entire village was a massive, roaring wall of fire. Every house was burning, and the streets were filled with the aftermath of a brutal raid.

She dropped back to the ground, grabbing Xiao and handing him the small green snake."If I do not return, take this snake and run to the secret cave on the mountain!" Lian said. "Protect each other and stay out of danger!"Before Xiao could even ask a question, Lian sprinted with superhuman speed into the dark, burning forest. Lian broke through the burning trees, entering the heart of the destroyed village. She looked around at the massacre, her heart breaking into pieces. Remembering her own home, she started running directly toward the flames, screaming into the dark night:"Aunt Mei!"

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