The night shrank into silence when the first whisper of danger cut through the wind. Jin stood still, his eyes fixed on the bushes ahead. The campfire crackled behind him, casting dancing shadows over the parked carts and the sleeping men.
— Three coming from the east, one circling from behind — Chi murmured, appearing beside him, floating above the ground. His eyes gleamed with unusual intensity. — They know what they're doing. This isn't an opportunist attack. It's a planned ambush.
Jin slid silently along the side of the nearest cart, keeping his hand on the hilt of the short blade. The metal was cold, like his controlled breath. The movement techniques he had practiced over the past few nights vibrated in his legs, ready to be put to the test.
On the other side of the camp, a branch snapped.
It was enough.
Jin moved forward without hesitation, like a shadow emerging from the night. The first intruder, hooded and armed with a curved dagger, looked up too late. Jin struck with precision: a horizontal slash at the wrist, disarming him, followed by a second strike across the shoulder, sending the opponent to the ground with a dull thud.
— One! — Chi shouted, excited, as if he were watching a show. — Two more at the front. The last one is still approaching from behind.
The screams woke the others. The other escorts drew their weapons and rushed to protect the carts, but Jin was already on the move again.
Using the Sliding Wind Technique, he crossed the terrain between two carts and struck the second enemy with a spinning kick to the stomach, pushing him against a barrel. The sound of the impact echoed like muffled thunder.
The third attacker came from behind, agile and silent. Jin felt his presence a second before the blade slashed through the air. He ducked, spinning on the ground, and used the momentum to rise with an upward strike. The blade met flesh.
The man screamed, staggered back, and fled into the forest.
Chi was laughing.
— Now that's growth! You almost missed, but still... good reflexes.
The fourth invader, realizing the ambush had failed, didn't get closer. He fled without attempting anything. When the other escorts arrived, they found only two unconscious men and Jin standing at the center, his sword dripping.
— What... happened here? — one of the veteran guards muttered.
Baekho, who had been awakened by the sounds of the fight and had been watching from afar, approached with a serious expression. His eyes scanned the fallen attackers, then fixed on Jin.
— Alone? — he asked.
Jin nodded, still panting.
— Very well — Baekho said in a low voice. — Very well...
The next morning, with the sun painting the sky gray and pink, the caravan resumed its march. Jin now walked at the front, alongside the veterans. But no one saw him as just a hardworking young man anymore. His eyes now had a different glow — the glow of someone who had crossed the line between promise and realization.
Chi floated above, silent. But he was smiling. A proud, rare smile.
— Heir... now we truly begin to forge your legend.