Wandao 033
Night blanketed Niupu Village like a thick shroud of ink, the sky awash with a bone-chilling moonlight. The pale silver glow spilled across rooftops and eaves, casting long shadows that flickered with each whisper of wind. In the nearby fields, stalks of rice rustled in hushed tones, and an occasional chirp of insects stirred the silence—soft warnings of a peace soon to be broken.
Wan Xiaochuan stood at the bamboo gate of his small courtyard, his gaze fixed on the dark woods in the distance. His brow furrowed. A nameless tension coiled in his chest—an ominous premonition that the long-buried discord within his family was rising again, like a tide that could no longer be held back. Even Lin Qixian, his usually carefree sworn brother, had grown uncharacteristically solemn these past few days.
Beside him, Renee leaned gently against his arm, her voice a soothing murmur. "Xiaochuan, what's troubling you again? You've been frowning all night. Is something wrong?"
Her fingers found his, entwining with warmth and quiet strength, as if to anchor him in the now.
Xiaochuan turned to her, forcing a crooked smile. "It's nothing. Just some petty family drama, nothing worth worrying about. My uncles and aunts—people like that—always stir up trouble from the shadows. Nothing new."
He said it lightly, but the shadow in his eyes betrayed a deeper concern. This was no mere squabble. The storm brewing within the Wan family had claws—and blood would not shield him.
Renee didn't press him. She merely smiled, her gaze unwavering. "Xiaochuan, whatever happens, I'll be right here. Through wind and storm, we face it together."
The flickering lamplight within the courtyard cast their entwined shadows onto the ground, warm and silent. For a moment, the chill within Xiaochuan's heart ebbed. But deep down, he knew—the real trial was yet to come.
A few hours later, the wind shifted.
It began as a subtle shift in air pressure—then came the footsteps. Soft, hurried, unnatural. Xiaochuan's eyes narrowed. He held a finger to his lips to signal Renee to stay silent, then reached for the hilt of the Wind and Thunder Sword hanging beside the door. A familiar, crackling intent surged through his fingers—the sword's aura humming with dormant power, waiting to be unleashed.
A figure moved in the darkness beyond the threshold, gliding in like a phantom.
Xiaochuan's breath caught. He recognized that face immediately—elegant, cold, merciless. His mother.
Zeng Lihui.
"You didn't go far after all," she said, her voice as sharp as a blade of frost, every word a precise stab.
She stepped into the courtyard, her presence warping the air, oppressive and commanding. It was as if the shadows bent toward her, compelled by the gravity of her malice.
Xiaochuan met her gaze, his voice low and bitter. "Mother. Are you here to cause trouble again? I told you, I'll handle the family affairs. You don't need to interfere."
She gave a chilling laugh, her lips curling into a smirk. "Such foolishness. The family's secrets and wealth don't belong to you alone. Yazhen and I—we have every right to take what's ours. Don't forget, we are not so easily dismissed."
Renee stepped forward, her eyes flashing with fierce resolve. She positioned herself between Xiaochuan and Zeng Lihui, her voice unwavering. "You've gone too far. Xiaochuan has done everything to protect this family. If you raise your hand against him again, I won't hold back!"
The tension in the air was palpable. Outside, the wind howled violently, rattling the courtyard lanterns. Their flames danced wildly, casting the faces of the three into flickering contrast—anger, resolve, and pain.
Zeng Lihui scoffed, her eyes flicking dismissively to Renee. "And what gives an outsider the right to lecture me?"
Without warning, she drew a dagger from her waist. The blade caught the moonlight, gleaming with a cold, merciless light.
Xiaochuan tensed, Wind and Thunder Sword drawn in one fluid motion. Its tip shimmered, aimed squarely at his mother's heart.
"I won't hold back this time," he said. "If you've come to kill or be killed, then come. I'll show you the fury of Wind and Thunder."
Renee said nothing, but her stance was firm. She clasped her hands tightly, her body trembling not with fear, but with helplessness. She was no warrior, but her heart stood with Xiaochuan, unshakable.
Zeng Lihui's lips twisted into a sneer. Then she moved—like a serpent through shadows, the dagger arcing with a hiss through the air.
Xiaochuan met her head-on.
Steel rang against steel, lightning sparked where blade met blade. Thunderous force rippled through the courtyard. The world shrank to the clash of iron and fury, a lifetime of resentment unleashed in a matter of heartbeats.
For a moment, Xiaochuan faltered. Even now, facing the woman who had betrayed him, a sliver of pain lingered. She was still his mother.
Renee's voice, soft and tremulous, cut through the roar of clashing blades.
"Xiaochuan… remember, we're not alone. Our swordsmanship is one—wind and thunder, together."
Something ignited in him.
With a cry, he unleashed Wind and Thunder Resonance: Twin Hearts Beating as One, a sweeping strike that tore through the courtyard like a storm unleashed. Wind howled. Thunder cracked. Sword light blazed like a falling star.
Zeng Lihui staggered back, blood trailing from the corner of her lips. Her expression, for a heartbeat, was one of disbelief.
Then she turned away.
"This isn't over," she said, her voice a whisper lost to the wind. "We will meet again."
And she vanished into the night.
Silence fell once more. The courtyard, torn and scattered by their battle, lay bathed in the moon's pale glow.
Xiaochuan slowly lowered his sword. His breath came hard, but his resolve remained steel-hard. Renee stepped forward and gently took his hand. Her touch steadied him—wordless, unwavering.
He looked at her and nodded. "So long as you're with me… I can endure anything."
Above them, the moon hung cold and bright. And in its light, the silhouette of a young man with a sword stood tall against the rising winds—a sign that the path to immortality, no matter how treacherous, had only just begun.