The bitter tang of smoke burned Lee Chong's nostrils as the frantic pounding of his heart drowned out the chaos erupting all around him. Screams of agony and clashing blades echoed through the Iron Fist Sect's monastery, the once-hallowed premises now alight with unholy flames. Just moments ago, he had been awoken by the bloodcurdling screams of his mother as the sect's inner disciples laid siege with cold, ruthless blades.Now Lee was trapped, hiding beneath the raised floors of the east wing barracks as everything he knew burned to ashes. How could this be happening? The whispers of a coup had swirled for months, but he never imagined the unthinkable - that the inner sect would move to eradicate the Patriarch's bloodline. His father, Khao Chong, had always moved through the world as an uncompromising force, bulling his way through any resistance with his iron fists and core cultivation prowess. To think he could be cut down like a rabid dog by his own...it was unfathomable.Another deafening roar shook the floorboards above as what sounded like an explosive talisman detonated. Lee squeezed his eyes shut, his small frame trembling as splinters of wood rained down through the cracks. He curled tighter into a ball, barely breathed to avoid drawing any attention. In the chaos, he hadn't been able to grab a single possession - no talisman pouches, no spirit stones to focus his inner chi, not even a real weapon besides the small dagger he'd received for morning drills. Without resources, he was a sitting duck against the sect's elite cultivators.A new sound suddenly pierced the din of destruction. The rapid cadence of hurried footsteps...coming straight towards his hiding spot! Lee's breath caught in his chest as a pair of boots entered his periphery, shuffling just beyond the raised floor's edge. He didn't dare make a single sound as the footsteps paused, feeling as though his pounding heart was giving away his position with every beat."Come out, come out wherever you are," a gruff voice taunted. "Your stench of fear is obvious, boy. Come now and I'll make your death merciful unlike the rest of your traitorous bloodline."Traitorous? The sheer audacity of that statement coming from a sect member turned Lee's stomach. He remained frozen, squeezing the dagger's hilt so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. If this monster found him, he was as good as deceased. But he couldn't flee either, not without knowing..."Brother Jao, I've swept the eastern grounds," a new voice called out, accompanied by more approaching footsteps. "No sign of the patriarch's whelp. Perhaps he's already fled."The original voice, Jao, scoffed loudly. "And leave this sect's resources for us to seize? Not a chance. That conniving rat Khao was obsessed with attaining eternal life. You don't reach the late Celestial Core stage through idleness. No, the little bastard has to be hiding somewhere, cowering just like his useless father when we descended upon him."A lump formed in Lee's throat as the brutal guards casually described slaughtering his parents in cold blood. He may have only been an outer sect disciple barely into his cultivation journey, but he revered his parents as heavenly beings. His mother's warm smile, his father's stern-yet-caring guidance...all snuffed out by their supposed brothers. The injustice of it twisted his insides into burning knots."Well keep looking then," the second voice responded. "The sooner we neutralize any remaining threats, the sooner we can sort out the sect's resources. Perhaps with old Khao's... untimely departure, one of us can ascend as the new Patriarch and lead the Iron Fist to its rightful glory.""Hah! That arrogant prick's reign of miserly greed ends tonight. No more will we languish as we give every spirit stone and sacred text to extending his lecherous life.""Then let's find any last obstacles and be done with it. Leave no stone unturned."He couldn't stay here, not with the coup's carnage still unfolding around him. But where could he go? What sanctuary existed for the lone surviving son of the fallen Patriarch? The iron fists which had ruled this sect with an uncompromising grip were now worse than useless. His family's legacy was ashes, their power crumbling in the span of a single nightmarish eve. Lee was effectively a homeless orphan, his status irrelevant in the face of the treachery that had taken everything from him.As the grisly voices faded into the distance, Lee finally allowed himself to breathe again. He remained utterly motionless, ears straining for any other signs of the traitorous disciples patrolling nearby. The minutes ticked by in agonizing slow motion, his limbs growing numb from being curled in such an unnatural position. Just as he began wondering if it was safe to finally move, a muffled thump came from the other end of the raised floor.Lee's heart leapt into his throat as he froze once more. Had one of them realized his hiding spot after all? He clutched the dagger desperately, knowing it was a laughably inadequate defense against a cultivator of any skill. But he couldn't simply wait here to be discovered and slaughtered like an animal. His family deserved vengeance, justice for the unforgivable acts committed tonight. If he was forced into a final stand, so be it.The thumping came again, a bit louder this time. Almost like something...or someone...was striking the floorboards from underneath? Lee's brow furrowed, his eyes scanning the shadows stretched across the underside of the planks. At first, he couldn't make out any distinguishing shapes. But then a tiny shaft of moonlight poked through a crack, illuminating what appeared to be...a hand?A small, bony hand was protruding upwards, waving frantically in the darkness as whoever was underneath fought to get his attention. Lee's gut tightened as confusion swirled within him. Could it be another survivor from his family? Or was this an intricate trap by the coup's orchestrators? His dagger hand tensed, preparing to lash out at the first sign of a threat."Young master...young master Lee, is that you?" a raspy voice wheezed from the other side of the floorboards. "By the merciful heavens, you're alive."The familiar scratchy timbre of that voice pierced straight through to Lee's soul. He would know that world-weary growl anywhere. It was Advisor Chao, his father's closest friend and confidant from childhood. If anyone could be trusted unconditionally in this nightmare, it was him."Advisor Chao?" Lee finally whispered, scooting towards the waving hand as relief washed over him. "How...what are you doing down there?""No time to explain fully," Chao hissed urgently. "But you must listen to me closely. That treacherous snake Xian and his lapdogs have betrayed us all tonight. They seek to usurp your father's position as Patriarch of the Iron Fist Sect for their own wicked ends.""I know, I know!" Lee fought back the surge of emotion clogging his throat. "They...they killed everyone. Butchered them all like swine, even the children! I couldn't save them, I couldn't do anything but hide like a coward while they-""Hush now, none of that!" Chao's gravelly voice was firm but soothing. "You did the only thing you could to survive, young master. Sometimes the bravest act one can take is simply to live to fight another day. Your father...your brave, indomitable father. He would want you to persevere at all costs."Tears welled in Lee's eyes at the memory of his parents, though he blinked them away furiously. He was the son of Khao Chong, raised from birth to be an unwavering force. He would not simply weep and surrender to despair, not while his family's demise remained so unforgivably unavenged. Straightening his shoulders, he steadied his voice to address the advisor once more."You're right, elder Chao. I cannot falter now, not after everything they've taken from us tonight. But I am trapped here with no way to escape this massacre. What would you have me do?"There was a pause before Chao responded, his gravelly voice lowering to nearly a whisper."I know of a path out, one even the treacherous Xian is unaware of. But you must hurry and follow my instructions without question if you want to survive this night. Can you do that, young master?"