The world had always been cruel to Xu Zhen.
Once a proud and hardworking craftsman, he had spent his days shaping wood into works of art and his nights cherishing his family. His wife, Xu Yuzhen, had been his everything—until the day she caught the eye of the king.
When the royal decree came, demanding her as a concubine, Xu Zhen's protests fell on deaf ears. Xu Yuzhen left willingly, intoxicated by the allure of luxury and power. Her parting words were like venom:
"You should feel honored. A woman like me deserves better than a simple craftsman."
Her betrayal broke him. Xu Zhen feared that the king might erase any trace of her past, including him and their young daughter, Xu Xueying. Wracked with despair, he took his own life.
But fate, or perhaps something greater, intervened. On the brink of death, he heard a faint cry. Staggering through the woods behind his workshop, he found an infant wrapped in coarse cloth, a mysterious pendant around its neck.
The child's presence gave him a reason to live. Naming the boy Yuan Hao after the name engraved on the pendant, Xu Zhen raised him as his own, alongside Xu Xueying.
The years that followed were bitter yet filled with quiet moments of solace. Yuan Hao and Xu Xueying grew up side by side, their bond stronger than blood. While Xu Zhen worked tirelessly to provide for them, the children learned to navigate the harshness of life in the Bei Kingdom.
Xu Xueying, inheriting her mother's beauty, often caught the attention of unscrupulous men. Yuan Hao, despite his youth, shielded her from harm with fierce determination.
Xu Zhen, though broken, found comfort in watching Yuan Hao grow into a protective brother. Yet, his health deteriorated from years of overwork and sorrow. Before his passing, he pulled Yuan Hao close and whispered his final wish:
"Hao'er… protect Xueying. No matter what."
Those words became Yuan Hao's guiding light.
Years later, Xu Xueying's beauty had become a curse. Her resemblance to her mother drew the attention of the queen's son, Prince Bei Lejian.
One fateful day, while Yuan Hao was away gathering firewood, the prince cornered Xu Xueying in the marketplace, flanked by guards. His demands were vile, his intentions clear.
Returning just in time, Yuan Hao confronted the prince.
"You dare touch her?" he growled, stepping between the prince and his sister.
The prince sneered. "A peasant like you dares speak to royalty?"
When words failed, fists followed. Yuan Hao struck down the guards who intervened, his movements fueled by rage and desperation. The prince, untrained and weak, was easily subdued.
But Yuan Hao hesitated. Killing a prince would bring the wrath of the king upon them. Against his instincts, he released the boy.
"This isn't over," the prince spat, blood dripping from his mouth.
True to his word, the prince reported the incident to his mother, the queen. Consumed by hatred for her past life and her abandoned daughter, Bei Yuzhen ordered her guards to kill both Yuan Hao and Xu Xueying.
As the sun set over Bei City, the sound of soldiers banging on their door shattered the fragile peace of their home. Yuan Hao grabbed Xu Xueying's hand, and they fled into the nearby Blackwood Forest, their only refuge.
The Blackwood Forest was vast and foreboding, its dense foliage casting eerie shadows. Yuan Hao led Xu Xueying through winding paths, the echoes of pursuit never far behind.
At the foot of a mountain, they found themselves cornered. The queen and her son emerged from the darkness, their entourage of guards surrounding the siblings.
"You've caused enough trouble," the queen said coldly. "It's time to end this farce."
Yuan Hao's eyes burned with hatred. "You abandoned your husband. You abandoned your daughter. And now you want to kill us? You're worse than a beast."
Bei Yuzhen's expression remained impassive. "Sentiment is for the weak. Kill them."
The guards closed in. Yuan Hao fought valiantly, but they were too many, too skilled. Two guards restrained him, forcing him to watch as another raised his blade over Xu Xueying.
"No! Stop!" Yuan Hao screamed, thrashing against his captors.
The sword fell.
Xu Xueying crumpled to the ground, her lifeless eyes fixed on Yuan Hao.
A cold emptiness enveloped him, followed by a fury so intense it threatened to consume him.
The guards turned their attention to him.
"Kill him too," the queen commanded, her voice devoid of emotion.
The nearest guard raised his weapon. Yuan Hao closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
Then, the pendant around his neck began to glow.