The tunnel was damp, the air thick with the scent of ancient stone and earth. Water dripped somewhere in the distance, each droplet echoing through the narrow passage. Zhao Min moved swiftly, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword hilt as he followed the woman deeper into the darkness.
"How far does this tunnel go?" he asked, his voice low but urgent.
"Far enough," she replied without looking back. "But it won't matter if we don't move fast. They'll figure out where we went."
She led the way, her steps confident despite the lack of light. Zhao Min kept close, his senses on high alert. The walls narrowed at certain points, forcing them to squeeze through tight spaces. The passage twisted and turned, designed to confuse anyone unfamiliar with its layout.
Behind them, muffled voices echoed from the entrance. The assassins were already searching.
Zhao Min's jaw tightened. "We should set a trap. We can't keep running forever."
She shot him a glance over her shoulder. "A trap? Against an entire faction of assassins? You really don't know when to pick your battles."
"I know when a fight is inevitable," he countered. "And I'd rather not be caught like a rat in a tunnel."
She sighed, as if weighing her options. "There's a way out ahead. If we make it there, we might be able to lose them in the city. But if you really want to fight, be my guest. Just don't expect me to drag your corpse out afterward."
Zhao Min smirked. "Noted."
The passage finally widened into a small underground chamber. An old wooden ladder led up to a stone slab, likely an exit hidden somewhere in the temple grounds.
"This should take us outside the city walls," she said, already moving toward the ladder. "We need to......"
A sound stopped her mid-step.
A faint scuff of boots against stone.
Too close.
She spun just as a shadow lunged from the darkness. A dagger slashed toward her throat. She ducked, twisting to the side as the blade skimmed past, cutting a few loose strands of her hair. Before the assassin could strike again, Zhao Min moved.
His sword flashed in the dim light, steel meeting steel with a sharp clang. The assassin was fast, parrying and countering with lethal precision. But Zhao Min was faster. A well-placed kick sent the attacker stumbling backward.
"Go!" Zhao Min shouted. "I'll handle him!"
She hesitated for only a second before making a decision. She darted for the ladder, her hands gripping the rungs as she climbed. More shadows moved in the passage—reinforcements.
"We don't have time for this!" she called down. "Get up here!"
Zhao Min knocked the assassin's blade aside, stepped in, and struck a fatal blow to his chest. As the man collapsed, Zhao Min didn't waste a second. He turned and leaped onto the ladder just as more assassins poured into the chamber.
He reached the top just as she pushed against the stone slab. It didn't budge.
"Help me!" she snapped.
Zhao Min braced his shoulder against the slab and shoved. With a deep groan, the stone shifted, revealing the night sky above. The scent of fresh air was a stark contrast to the stifling underground.
She scrambled out first, Zhao Min right behind her. The moment he was clear, he turned and shoved the slab back into place, sealing the passage.
Silence.
They were outside the city walls, the temple barely visible in the distance. The night stretched before them, vast and open.
"Where now?" Zhao Min asked, catching his breath.
She adjusted her cloak, her expression unreadable. "Now? We disappear. Unless you want to wait around for them to find us."
Zhao Min sheathed his sword. "I prefer to know who I'm running with. What's your name?"
She smirked. "You'll have to earn that answer."
Then, without another word, she turned and walked into the shadows.
Zhao Min exhaled, then followed.
The hunt wasn't over.
It was just beginning.