“True courage lies in the ability to conquer one's inner fears, not in fighting a visible enemy.”The sun was just peeking over the mountains when Jihan swung her axe into the hard log. Sweat ran down her forehead, soaking her jet-black hair. At only fourteen years old, her hands were already covered in calluses - signs of tireless hard work.“Father, I'm done with this one,” she said, wiping away the sweat. Han Yi, whose father was chopping wood next to him, nodded slowly. The lines of fatigue were clearly etched on his thin face, but his eyes still radiated warmth whenever he looked at his only son.“Rest a while, Jihan. You've been working since dawn,” Han Yi said as he lowered his axe. Jihan shook his head, his hands already preparing to lift a new piece of wood.“It's okay, Father. I'm still strong.”Han Yi gazed deeply at his only son. He suddenly remembered the night Jihan was born. For him, it was a night he would never forget. Jihan's birth, as well as the departure of the wo
Dawn had not yet broken when Lin Mei woke Jihan. The blizzard had subsided, leaving a eerie silence on the Five Elements Mountain. The bodies of the Shadowhunters had vanished-evaporated into black smoke as the sun set, leaving only the bone masks now strewn across the cave floor.“We should move,” Lin Mei said as she gathered their remaining supplies. “This place is no longer safe.”Jihan nodded, but her mind was still on last night's revelation. Kai Wen-her biological father-was planning to sacrifice his own blood for the power of the gods. And somehow, this fact didn't surprise her as much as it should have.“You haven't answered my question from last night,” Jihan said as she followed Lin Mei out of the cave. “About you also being an Anomaly.”Lin Mei was silent for a moment, his eyes gazing out towards the dawn that was beginning to peek over the eastern horizon. “It's a long story, Jihan. And we don't have time-”“We have until the full moon,” Jihan cut in, her voice firmer than
The darkness of night enveloped the Five Elements Mountain when Jihan woke up drenched in sweat. It was that dream again-the same dream that had haunted him since they left the underground temple three days ago. In his dreams, he always saw the sadly smiling figure of his mother, standing at the edge of a cliff with an ancient scroll in her hand.“Forgive mom, Jihan,” Li Wei always said in the dream. “But this is the only way...”Then Li Wei would jump into the abyss, taking the scroll with him. And each time, Jihan would wake up with a scream caught in her throat.“Another nightmare?” Lin Mei's voice came from the corner of the cave where they were staying. The woman sat cross-legged, her eyes closed in meditation.Jihan nodded, knowing Lin Mei didn't see her. “I saw mom... and a scroll.”Lin Mei's eyes opened slowly. In the dim light of the campfire, her bi-colored irises-ice blue and fire red, exactly like Jihan's eyes now-flashed meaningfully. “The Second Scroll of Destiny,” she m
An eerie silence fell over the basement. The ashes from Wei Zhang's scroll were still floating in the air when Jihan opened her eyes. His body felt like it was burning from within-as if thousands of needles of ice and fire were fighting in his veins.“Wake up,” Lin Mei's voice broke the silence. “We don't have much time.”Jihan tried to stand up, but her legs were shaking violently. His vision was still blurry, filled with flashes of golden light from the fight just now. “What... what happened?”Lin Mei did not answer immediately. The woman walked around the room, her pale fingers touching the cracked pillars. “Kai Wen isn't dead,” she said finally. “He's too cunning to die that easily.”“But we saw for ourselves-”“What we saw,” Lin Mei cut in, “is only his broken physical body. His soul...” she let out a long sigh, ”...has not been bound to a single vessel for a long time.”Jihan tried to digest this information as she forced her legs to stand. Her head was still spinning, filled wi
Blood dripped from Jihan's fingertips, falling onto the rocky ground of Mount Hua Shan. A week had passed since he left Wei Zhang, but the screams from the village still haunted him every night. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see were flashes of golden light-the last signs of his teacher's resistance.“True strength is in your heart,” Jihan repeated Wei Zhang's words, her voice hoarse from lack of use. His bloody hands gripped tightly the scroll his teacher had given him. Seven days of climbing this mountain without stopping, and he still hadn't found Lin Mei.The sun was sinking into the western horizon when Jihan reached a small plateau. His burly body trembled with fatigue, but his blue eyes still burned brightly. Before him stood a half-collapsed old temple, almost hidden by the mountain mist.“Who dares set foot on this holy ground?” a feminine yet cold voice broke the silence.Jihan turned quickly, but there was no one behind her. Her instincts screamed danger. The
Dawn had not yet fully broken when Jihan opened her eyes. It had been three months since he met Wei Zhang, and every day during that time began the same way - training before sunrise. His now more muscular body had grown accustomed to this routine, though his muscles still protested frequently.‘Strength without control is destruction,’ Wei Zhang's voice echoed in his mind, repeating the words that had become his daily mantra. ‘And control starts with a strong body.’Jihan stood at the edge of the rushing river, her breath forming a white vapour in the cold air. She removed her upper garment, revealing the scars and bruises that adorned her body-evidence from Wei Zhang's intense training. Without hesitation, he stepped into the icy water.‘Focus,’ he whispered to himself, catching his breath as his teacher had taught him. The familiar blue light began to glow in his eyes, travelling slowly through his body.But this time was different. There was no pounding pain. There was no agonisin
The storm in Yang Xin village has passed, leaving an indelible mark of destruction. Jihan and Han Yi limped away from the rubble of the village, carrying only the few supplies they had managed to salvage. Their bare feet tread the rocky ground, piercing through the morning mist that still hangs low.‘Dad, rest for a while,’ Jihan said when she saw her father's increasingly heavy breathing. They had been walking for three days without stopping, avoiding settlements in favour of lonely forest paths.Han Yi shook his head weakly, his pale lips trembling as he spoke. ‘We have to keep going, Jihan. This place is... not safe.’Jihan looked at her father with worry. Han Yi's normally warm face now looked deathly pale. The dry cough that had haunted him since they left Yang Xin's village was getting worse. Jihan's hands clenched tightly as he recalled the villagers' frightened stares, the hateful whispers accusing him of being the bringer of doom.‘At least have a drink, Father,’ Jihan offere
“True courage lies in the ability to conquer one's inner fears, not in fighting a visible enemy.”The sun was just peeking over the mountains when Jihan swung her axe into the hard log. Sweat ran down her forehead, soaking her jet-black hair. At only fourteen years old, her hands were already covered in calluses - signs of tireless hard work.“Father, I'm done with this one,” she said, wiping away the sweat. Han Yi, whose father was chopping wood next to him, nodded slowly. The lines of fatigue were clearly etched on his thin face, but his eyes still radiated warmth whenever he looked at his only son.“Rest a while, Jihan. You've been working since dawn,” Han Yi said as he lowered his axe. Jihan shook his head, his hands already preparing to lift a new piece of wood.“It's okay, Father. I'm still strong.”Han Yi gazed deeply at his only son. He suddenly remembered the night Jihan was born. For him, it was a night he would never forget. Jihan's birth, as well as the departure of the wo