As contestants honed their blades and assessed their opponents, the tournament grounds were alive with activity. There was a sense of suspense in the air as the sun blazed down and dust kicked up beneath the feet of nervous warriors. With Yun Zhen at his side, Jin-Ho stood in the ring, his pulse pounding with excitement. Years of practice, moonlit sparring sessions, and hushed aspirations of greatness had prepared them for this.
Jin-Ho and Zhen battled in perfect unison as the first match started, their wooden swords cutting through the thin air in a flash. Every move was fluid: Zhen countered with calm and accuracy, while Jin-Ho struck with ferocious energy. They were an invincible power.
Spectators murmured to one another. One aristocrat whispered to another, "Those two are different." A mysterious man from the assassin's guild watched from the sidelines with his face unreadable, while Mei Lin stared in the throng with a knowing smirk.
Jin-Ho grinned proudly as the bell rang, indicating that the contest was over. He slapped Yun Zhen's shoulder and remarked, "We make an excellent team." With a hint of discomfort still visible in his eyes, Zhen grinned but remained silent.
Later that night, Mei Lin crept into a quiet castle courtyard in the shadows cast by lanterns. Crown Prince Tae-Min was waiting for her, sitting under a willow tree with the hood of a plain robe covering his face. "Well?" he said softly.
Mei Lin bent her head and knelt. "Your Highness, the tournament draws a lot of talented fighters," she stated. However, one—Kwan Jin-Ho—stands out. He battles with unadulterated skill and an honorable heart.
A slight smile formed on the prince's lips. "We need honorable men."
Mei Lin's voice lowered as her eyes darted to one side. "Dangers can also arise from honor. Those who have the greatest aspirations suffer the most.
The prince laughed, but it was a cold laugh. "Remain vigilant about him. Let's see how far he can go with his honor.
The applause of the crowd faded behind Yun Zhen as he went alone in the winding lanes beyond the tournament grounds. His family's downfall, their death by royal order, and the void left after their wake were among the painful memories he attempted to bury.
A silhouette emerged from the darkness, wearing black robes with a mask over his face. The man said in a cold, familiar tone, "You've grown, Yun Zhen." "But you've lost sight of your place."
Zhen stiffened, dropping his hand to his sword's hilt. "Who are you?"
The man in the mask gave a quiet laugh. "Someone with memories of your father—and the treachery that ended in his demise." You'll know where you can find me if you're looking for answers.
The guy vanished into the darkness before Yun Zhen was able to react, leaving only the subtle odor of sorrow and iron.
The arrogant young nobleman Seo Kyung, whose reputation was as exaggerated as his ego, was Jin-Ho's opponent in their first match. It was too rapid of a struggle. With a flowing blow, Jin-Ho disarmed Kyung, causing the noble's sword to fall to the ground. While the audience cheered, Kyung's face flushed with embarrassment.
Kyung's lip curled in disdain as he smacked away Jin-Ho's hand that was reaching out to assist him in standing. He spit out, "You'll regret this," and hurried from the field.
From the sidelines, Yun Zhen saw, his eyes following the irate nobleman. He murmured to himself, "That one's trouble."
Jin-Ho dismissed it with a shrug. "He will never be a successful warrior if he is that petty."
Zhen's face flashed with frustration as his jaw tightened. "You should be afraid of those with power, not those with weak swords."
Yun Zhen sat by himself in his chamber late that night as the rest of the hamlet slept, the flickering candle creating long shadows on the walls. A crumpled note, which he had taken from the disguised assassin earlier that day, was in his hands.
The inscriptions on the paper were as piercing as daggers: The throne was protected by the sacrifice of your family. Their death was convenient, not honorable.
Zhen's hands were shaking when the letter slid out of them. The weight of betrayal weighed down on him like a crushing stone, tilting his entire world.
The lights of the competition fields flickered in the distance against the night sky as he gazed out the window. He remembered Jin-Ho's happy, innocent, and burden-free laughing.
In a whisper to the empty room, Zhen said, "You'll never understand." "Never have you lost anything."
Without speaking to anybody, Yun Zhen packed his belongings and departed the community the following morning. He could no longer walk the road of honor.