The night air was thick with the scent of burning incense, the distant hum of temple bells barely reaching the palace's eastern courtyard. Zhao Min's grip tightened on his sword as he and Liang Hua followed Mei Ying through the narrow passageways.
"Where are you taking us?" Liang Hua demanded, her tone sharp with suspicion.
Mei Ying halted before an old shrine, its wooden beams worn by time. She traced a carved emblem on the stone wall—an insignia eerily similar to the markings on Zhao Min's jade.
"I need you to see something," Mei Ying said, pushing open a hidden door. The three of them stepped inside, torches flickering to life as they moved through a chamber lined with ancient scrolls.
Zhao Min's gaze landed on a tattered parchment spread across a ceremonial altar. His breath caught at the sight of the imperial seal stamped in wax at the bottom.
Mei Ying's voice was quiet but firm. "This is the record of a blood oath sworn over twenty years ago. It details a conspiracy—the erasure of an entire bloodline."
Liang Hua stiffened. "Whose bloodline?"
Mei Ying met their eyes. "Yours."
A heavy silence fell between them. Zhao Min could hear the distant echo of his own heartbeat.
"This is madness," Liang Hua whispered, but there was an unmistakable tremor in her voice.
Mei Ying took a step closer, her gaze unreadable. "Twenty-two years ago, Emperor Wen Zhi rose to the throne, but his claim was built on betrayal. The rightful heir—his own elder brother—was overthrown, his lineage systematically wiped out to ensure there would be no threats to the new dynasty."
Zhao Min clenched his jaw. "Then why are we still alive?"
Mei Ying's expression darkened. "Because someone protected you. The emperor's assassins were thorough, but one child was hidden in the northern plains, raised among warriors. The other was placed in the care of a noble household… only to be cast aside when they feared what you might become."
Liang Hua's hands curled into fists. "You're saying… that we're descendants of the overthrown emperor?"
Mei Ying nodded. "Not just descendants. The last of his bloodline. And the jade in your possession—it's more than just a relic. It's the key to proving your lineage."
Zhao Min exhaled sharply, his mind spinning. If this were true, it meant their entire existence had been shaped by a war they never even knew they were part of. The countless attempts on their lives, the betrayals, the silent forces pulling strings in the shadows—it all made sense now.
Liang Hua's voice was barely above a whisper. "And if we claim our birthright?"
Mei Ying's lips curled into a smirk, but there was no humor in it. "Then the empire will burn before they let you sit on that throne."
A sudden rustle outside snapped them out of their trance. The flickering torches cast eerie shadows on the walls as Zhao Min instinctively reached for his sword.
"We've been followed," Mei Ying murmured.
The next moment, the doors burst open. Dark figures rushed in—imperial assassins clad in black, their blades gleaming in the dim light.
Zhao Min and Liang Hua barely had time to react before the first strike came. Swords clashed, sparks flying as steel met steel. Mei Ying moved like a phantom, her twin daggers slicing through the air with deadly precision.
Zhao Min fought with newfound fury, each strike fueled by the revelation of his past. Liang Hua moved beside him, her every motion laced with determination.
Their enemies weren't just trying to kill them. They were trying to erase them—completely, permanently.
And Zhao Min refused to let that happen.
With a final slash, the last assassin fell, his body crumpling to the ground. Silence settled over the chamber, broken only by the heavy breathing of the three warriors.
Mei Ying wiped her blade on the tunic of a fallen enemy before glancing at Zhao Min and Liang Hua. "If you want to live, you must stop running."
Liang Hua met Zhao Min's gaze. "Then what do we do?"
Zhao Min tightened his grip on his sword, the jade pendant warm against his chest.
"We take back what was stolen," he said. "Piece by piece."
The blood oath would not be forgotten. The empire would tremble before them.
And the war for the throne had only just begun.