Yuan and Gu finally hauled the large box of colored glass into the depths of a secluded cave. The night before, under the cover of darkness, they had successfully looted the precious cargo. This cave was one of many hidden stashes used by the Thunder Sky Brotherhood, though most of the others contained only grain, tools, and other practical items. This particular spot, however, was different. It was the only place where anything truly valuable was kept, and only Yuan and Gu knew its exact location.
Despite Senior Brothers Dao and Minfe being the acknowledged leaders of the Brotherhood, they had entrusted Yuan with the responsibility of managing their hidden caches. Yuan had a knack for finding secure, out-of-the-way places, and so the task naturally fell to him. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Yuan leaned against the cave wall, catching his breath. "Brother Qin must have released the hostage by now," Yuan said, his voice full of optimism. "Once we get that ransom—fifty gold coins—we won't have to rely on looting anymore. Our days of scraping by might finally be over." Gu, taking a long drink from his water flask, wasn't so easily convinced. "Don't be so quick to celebrate, Brother Yuan. You know how Senior Brother Minfe is. He'll likely take in even more people, and before we know it, all that money will be gone, spent trying to feed and clothe them." Yuan laughed, his tone lighthearted. "I wouldn't worry too much about that, Brother Gu. Haven't you noticed? The Greenwood Brotherhood has been taking in all the stragglers lately. There aren't many left for Senior Brother Minfe to scoop up, even if he tried." There was a kernel of truth to Gu's words. Senior Brother Minfe had always had a soft spot for the downtrodden. It was his compassion that had led to the formation of the Thunder Sky Brotherhood in the first place—an alliance of those abandoned or left to struggle. Over the years, though, Minfe's tendency to take in more people, no matter their circumstances, had stretched the Brotherhood's resources thin. For nearly a decade, they had survived by looting and scavenging, yet it seemed their dream of turning their village into an official, self-sustaining community was always just out of reach. Every time they got close, Minfe would bring in more mouths to feed, more backs to clothe, and the Brotherhood would find itself struggling again. "Still," Yuan continued with a grin, "I don't think Minfe's going to find anyone to take in now, even if he combs the whole region. The Greenwood Brotherhood has picked the area clean of strays." Gu shook his head but couldn't help but smile. He knew Yuan was right. "Alright, let's head back. Sister Tao and the others must be back by now," Gu said, tucking away his water flask. Yuan nodded, standing up and stretching his tired muscles. "Yeah, let's go. We don't want to miss the celebration once the gold comes in." With the box securely hidden, the two men set off toward the village. The sun had climbed high into the sky, casting its bright light over the rugged peaks of the Jing Mountains. Far from the Thunder Sky Brotherhood's territory, across jagged cliffs and dense forests, stood a sprawling makeshift fortress town. This was the heart of the Greenwood Brotherhood, the largest bandit group in the Jing Mountains. Unlike the Thunder Sky Brotherhood, which operated in secrecy, the Greenwood Brotherhood ruled their domain with brazen confidence. Over 150 bandits roamed the fortress, each engaged in some form of illicit activity. Stolen goods were openly traded in makeshift stalls, while kidnapped hostages were kept in cages or shacks, their fates uncertain. Even prostitution took place in the broad daylight, the bandits walking freely as if they were the lords of their own twisted fiefdom. The place stank of power, fear, and violence, a chaotic reflection of the Greenwood Brotherhood's dominance. At the highest point of the fortress, standing atop a large boulder overlooking the entire town, was a foreign-looking man in his early fifties. His sharp features and graying hair were weathered from years of leading a ruthless bandit army. He stood with his arms crossed, surveying the fortress with a mixture of pride and resignation. This man was Yu Ryang, the Senior Brother and undisputed leader of the Greenwood Brotherhood. His presence commanded respect, and even the most hardened bandits hesitated when he was near. He had built this fortress with blood and iron, transforming a ragtag group of outlaws into the most feared force in the region. As Yu Ryang gazed down at the bustling fortress below, he let out a heavy sigh. Though his Greenwood Brotherhood had grown stronger and more powerful than ever, the number of successful raids in recent months had become almost laughable. The once-thriving operation was starting to face difficulties, and the lack of plunder was becoming a growing concern. What troubled him even more was that a much smaller group, the Thunder Sky Brotherhood, which had formed around the same time as his own, was now raiding merchants left and right with shocking efficiency. Yu Ryang knew this group all too well. In the early days, he had been part of the Thunder Sky Brotherhood. However, when its leader, Minfe, decided to take in that orphaned child, Minho, Yu Ryang saw the writing on the wall. Raising a child in the treacherous Jing Mountains was a foolish decision that would, in his eyes, only stifle the growth of the brotherhood. Unwilling to waste time on what he saw as a misguided ideal, Yu Ryang split from them and formed the Greenwood Bandits. His gamble paid off; while Thunder Sky remained small and focused on survival, the Greenwood Brotherhood had grown into a feared force in the mountains, their strength far outstripping that of their former comrades. But now, something was changing. Despite their size and limited resources, the Thunder Sky Brotherhood had recently been conducting a series of remarkably successful raids, enough to catch Yu Ryang's attention. It concerned him deeply. He had no desire for another large bandit group to rise in the Jing Mountains and compete with his rule. If Minfe was indeed planning to expand his brotherhood, Yu Ryang needed to know. Was Minfe still clinging to his dream of a stable village, or was he now harboring ambitions of growing his bandit army? As Yu Ryang pondered these thoughts, an informant rushed into the room. "Senior Brother Yu, news about the Thunder Sky Brotherhood," the man said, breathless. "Tell me," Yu Ryang replied, his voice steady but curious. The informant took a deep breath and said, "Last night, the Thunder Sky Brotherhood successfully raided a merchant caravan passing through the mountains. They didn't find much—just some coins and colored glass—but the most important part is that they captured a hostage." Yu Ryang's eyes narrowed. "A hostage?" The informant nodded. "Yes, Senior Brother. The hostage is a young master from the Cloud Dragon Merchant Group. They are negotiating for a ransom of up to 50 gold coins." Yu Ryang's expression shifted, his mind racing. "Did you say colored glass? Are you certain?" The informant confirmed with a nod. Before Yu Ryang could respond, another brother appeared at the entrance, interrupting him. "Senior Brother Yu," the man said with a respectful bow, "someone wishes to meet with you." Yu Ryang raised an eyebrow, intrigued but slightly irritated at the interruption. "Who is it?" he asked, his thoughts already swirling with plans regarding the Thunder Sky Brotherhood and the implications of this latest news. Meanwhile, at the Thunder Sky Brotherhood's village, Tao and the others finally returned, walking through the entrance as villagers greeted them with a mix of relief and curiosity. Everyone was eager to hear about what they had found on today's journey, especially since the small brotherhood relied heavily on these trips to survive. Minho, tied securely to Sister Yang's waist to keep her from wandering off again, was already fidgeting to break free. "Ha... Sister Yang, we're back! Can you untie me now?" she pleaded, her eyes sparkling with impatience. Sister Yang sighed, her tough exterior softening as she untied Minho. "Fine, but you'll help with dinner preparations tonight as punishment for wandering off," she said, though her tone lacked any real bite. As soon as the rope was loosened, Minho gave Sister Yang a quick hug before bolting toward her shared hut with Brother Yuan. Yang watched her dart away and smiled faintly, but Tao, standing beside her, shook her head. "You're too easy on her, Sister Yang. She could've gotten lost or, worse, stepped into another brotherhood's territory. We can't keep giving her this much freedom." Yang nodded thoughtfully. "I'll keep that in mind, Sister Tao," she replied, though her eyes still followed Minho's figure as it disappeared into the village. Inside her hut, Minho quickly shut the door behind her, her heart still racing from excitement. She glanced around, confirming that Brother Yuan hadn't returned yet. With a satisfied nod, she headed to the corner where she had stashed her bag. Carefully, she untied it and pulled out the firewood she had used earlier to carve the strange symbols. Minho knew she couldn't afford to lose these markings, so she fetched a few wooden plates the brotherhood used for writing and a stick of charcoal. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she began copying every word and symbol she had etched into the firewood onto the plates. As she worked, her mind wandered back to the strange object she had found—the black mirror. What secrets did it hold? And could she somehow decipher its language? She paused, glancing toward the door, debating whether she should sneak into Senior Brother Minfe's hut. He had a book about the Kalie language, and she was sure it could help her understand some of the strange sentences she had written. But that would be risky. Minfe wasn't the type to let just anyone rifle through his belongings. After nearly an hour of meticulous copying, Minho finally finished. She stood up, dusting off her hands, and examined her work with pride. Satisfied with the accuracy of her transcriptions, she decided to hide the carved firewood in Brother Yuan's savings chest. She knew he would secure the chest in one of the secret hideouts by evening, so it was the safest place for now. Carefully, she tucked the wooden plates among her childhood toys, a place no one would think to check. With everything safely hidden, Minho let out a sigh of relief. Finally, she sat down, pulled out the mysterious black mirror from her bag, and examined it closely. Her fingers traced the smooth, cold surface. With a deep breath, she prepared to figure out what this strange mirror was truly capable of. With careful precision, she clicked the small button on the side of the mirror. As expected, the device lit up, glowing with the same eerie brilliance it had before. A series of floating symbols appeared before her once again. Minho hesitated for a moment before tapping the first icon: [Settings]. A new menu unfolded, filled with words and symbols she could barely decipher. Minho squinted at the unfamiliar letters, trying to make sense of them. It took her several minutes to sound out the meanings of each option. There was something about [Device], Date and Time, [Display], [Network], and [Wi-Fi], along with other terms like General and [Battery]. None of it made much sense to her, but from the brief instructions she had jotted down earlier, she understood that these words had something to do with how the mirror functioned. Still, without knowing what these terms really meant, she decided not to change anything. Instead, she pressed the triangle symbol on the left side of the screen, something she had learned earlier during the "ritual" the mirror performed. The symbol of a finger had appeared, instructing her how to navigate back, which she had dutifully noted down in her carvings. Returning to the previous screen, the familiar painting of the mountain and the floating icons greeted her once more. This time, her curiosity led her to tap on the icon labeled [Camera]. As soon as she did, the mirror sprang to life again, providing more instructions. "[Capture] to capture images," the screen displayed a finger pressing a central button on the mirror's surface. "Capture? Capture what?" Minho muttered to herself, puzzled but curious. She jotted down the symbols and words onto the wooden plate, her hand moving swiftly. Following the instruction, she mimicked the motion by pressing the button in the center of the mirror. Immediately, the device made an odd clicking sound, and a black square seemed to shift into the corner of the screen as if something had been taken and stored away. Her heart raced with both excitement and confusion. What is this magic? she thought, her eyes widening. Before she could fully process it, new words appeared: "Pinch two fingers to [zoom in] to make objects appear closer." Once again, Minho had no idea what [zoom in] meant, but that had never stopped her from following the mirror's directions. She hesitated briefly, unsure how to "pinch" the surface, especially since she was holding the mirror with both hands. Carefully, she released her grip with her left hand, which had been supporting the back of the mirror, and as soon as she did, something extraordinary happened—the screen changed. The mirror was no longer pitch black with symbols on; instead, it displayed the ground beneath her. It was as though she were looking through a perfectly clear glass window, but the screen was still layered with faint symbols floating around. Minho gasped, momentarily stunned. What kind of magic is this? She moved the mirror slightly, and the image shifted accordingly. She wasn't just seeing her reflection—she was seeing through the mirror itself! Her excitement surged. She quickly followed the mirror's instruction, pinching the surface with two fingers as best as she could. To her astonishment, the image on the screen zoomed in, just as the instructions had promised. The objects beneath her grew larger, more detailed, as if she were using one of those telescopes the Greenwood Brotherhood was rumored to have. Minho experimented, pinching and spreading her fingers, watching in awe as the view zoomed in and out. like the red-colored glass she was playing with, but far more powerful. She remembered hearing whispers among the other brotherhoods about strange tools that could spy on merchant carriages from far away. Could this be one of those? She grinned, already imagining how she might use this tool to her advantage. She could scout ahead during raids, maybe even spot danger before it came too close. The possibilities were thrilling, and Minho's mind buzzed with ideas. Just as she was lost in thought, a sharp knock on the door startled her. "Oh no! Brother Yuan's here!" Minho gasped, her heart pounding. She scrambled to hide the evidence of her discoveries. Quickly, she tapped the side triangle of the mirror to return to the previous screen and pressed the button to turn it off. The glow vanished, leaving only the cold, black surface behind. Without wasting a second, she stuffed the mirror into her bag, which was still padded with soft moss from the forest. She stashed the bag among her childhood toys, the safest place she knew. Hopefully, Yuan wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Just as she finished hiding everything, she heard the door creak open. "Xiao Minho, are you here?" Yuan's voice echoed through the small hut, filled with curiosity. Minho took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart before replying, "Yes, Brother Yuan! Just finishing up some chores!" She quickly stood up and wiped her hands on her dress, trying to appear as casual as possible. Inside, though, her excitement over the black mirror's powers was barely contained.