The Exiled Swordsman

the verge of collapse

To provide a complete story with 1500 words, I will divide it into several parts. Here is the first part of the story:

---

In a remote village in the Xiang Zhe mountains, tension filled the air as a group of foreign warriors suddenly appeared. They moved swiftly, wielding terrifying weapons, their faces obscured by mysterious masks.

Apparently, these foreign warriors were mercenaries from the Bei Yuan sect, known for their brutality. They had long harbored a grudge against Xiang Zhe, desiring the total destruction of the wise leader who had long been a barrier to their evil ambitions.

Among the warriors, one stood out—a tall, muscular man known as Zhang Feng, the leader of the Bei Yuan forces. He had eyes as sharp as an eagle's, and his smile was full of arrogance as he stepped forward.

Meanwhile, in Xiang Zhe's palace, the atmosphere was tense as well. The wise leader, an old man in a white robe with a long beard and eyes full of wisdom, sat on the throne calmly. He sensed the loomin