The wind howled through the rooftops as Zhao Min stood on the edge of the temple courtyard, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword. The woman is mysterious, and elusive, she had vanished into the darkness, leaving behind more questions than answers.
The Temple of Heavenly Balance loomed before him, its red lanterns flickering in the night wind. Smoke curled from the incense burners at the entrance, their scent mixing with the damp earth of the courtyard. The place was quiet, too quiet. No monks shuffled through the halls. No prayers murmured through the air.
Something wasn't right.
Zhao Min stepped forward cautiously, his boots barely making a sound against the stone pathway. The rain had left the ground slick, making every step a calculated movement. He was no fool and he knows that if this was a trap, he was already in its jaws.
A flicker of movement at the temple's entrance.
Zhao Min's eyes narrowed as the woman stepped into the lantern's glow. She had shed her cloak, revealing a deep crimson robe embroidered with golden thread. Her gaze met his with the same unreadable intensity from before, but there was something different this time a challenge, a test.
"You came," she said, tilting her head. "Good. That means you're curious."
Zhao Min scoffed, keeping a careful distance. "Curiosity can get a man killed."
"And ignorance can get an empire destroyed." She walked past him, stepping into the temple's vast hall. "Come. We don't have much time."
Zhao Min followed, every muscle in his body coiled like a spring. The interior of the temple was bathed in golden candlelight, the massive Buddha statue at the center casting long shadows across the walls. The silence was oppressive, as if the air itself was holding its breath.
She stopped at the base of the statue, her fingers brushing against the ancient stone. "Do you know why the Jade Seal is so important?"
Zhao Min crossed his arms. "It's the Emperor's decree of power. Whoever holds it holds the right to rule."
She smiled, she is so beautiful with a sharp, knowing eyes. "That's the lie they tell the people."
A prickle ran down Zhao Min's spine. "And what's the truth?"
"The Jade Seal is more than a symbol. It's a key."
"Key to what?"
Before she could answer, the temple doors slammed shut behind them.
Zhao Min's sword was in his hand in an instant. The woman remained calm, her eyes flicking to the rafters above. A whisper of movement, then several shadows erupted from the darkness.
Assassins.
They dropped soundlessly, their black-clad forms moving like wraiths. Blades gleamed under the candlelight, curved daggers meant for silent kills. Zhao Min didn't hesitate. He met the first attacker head-on, parrying the strike and driving his sword through the man's ribs in one fluid motion.
Another came from the side too fast.
The woman moved before Zhao Min could react, her dagger slicing through the attacker's throat with deadly precision. Blood splattered against the temple floor, steaming in the cold air.
"You led them here?" Zhao Min growled, blocking another strike.
"I led you here." She flipped over a low table, kicking an assassin in the chest mid-air. "They followed."
More assassins flooded in, their movements synchronized. Zhao Min twisted, cutting through another opponent, but there were too many. A dagger slashed across his arm, drawing blood. He hissed, retaliating with a sharp kick that sent the attacker sprawling.
The woman fought beside him, her strikes lethal and efficient. Whoever she was, she was no ordinary thief she moved like someone trained in death.
"We need to get out of here," she said, breathless but steady.
Zhao Min stabbed the last assassin in reach and turned to her. "Then stop wasting time."
She didn't hesitate. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the back of the temple. A hidden passage lay beneath a worn tapestry she kicked it open, revealing a narrow stone staircase leading downward.
"In here," she commanded.
Zhao Min hesitated for a fraction of a second. Then he followed.
The moment they disappeared into the tunnel, the last thing they heard was the temple doors bursting open again.
More were coming.
And the real hunt had just begun.