Far Away – The Darkness Headquarters
Far from human settlements stood a towering, ominous structure. Its walls were dark, adorned with skull reliefs and forbidden ancient symbols. Inside, rows of black-robed soldiers with bone masks stood silently.
In front of the formation stood five leaders.
One of them, Ci Jheon, broke the silence.
> "Are we moving again?"
A tall, skinny leader responded with a deep voice:
> "For now… we'll remain dormant. Don't worry, I'm preparing a plan to sow chaos within the Murim alliance."
Another one let out a bitter, short laugh.
> "Hah… good. Lord Seo Whan's return won't be long now."
The fourth leader added:
> "The Murim world will fall into disorder again... just like when Lord Seo Whan ruled with an iron fist."
The last leader nodded slowly, his voice cold:
> "Very well. For now, we'll cease all movement. But chaos will come... slowly... and inevitably."
---
Evening – On the Way Back from the Market
The sky turned orange; the sun was about to set. Su Daji and Tang Wu were walking back from the market, their hands full of shopping bags.
> "Tang Wu, the chicken's still alive, right?"
> "Well... I thought it was asleep. But it challenged me to a duel just now."
Suddenly—WHAM!
A young boy, about seven years old, crashed into Tang Wu.
> "Ugh, my stomach!!" Tang Wu groaned, squatting like he'd just been hit by a charging bull.
Su Daji quickly hid behind Tang Wu.
> "A zombie kid?!"
The boy quickly stood up, panic on his face.
> "Uncle, please help me! Strange people are chasing me!"
Tang Wu looked at him suspiciously.
> "What's with you? You bump into me and now you want to tag along? C'mon, Daji. Let's go home. No trouble allowed."
But the boy—Leon—kept following them with a pitiful look. His eyes were on the verge of tears.
> "Tang Wu... please help him," Daji said softly.
Tang Wu turned.
> "No, Daji. We need to get home. Your father's waiting. Besides, who knows what kind of mess this kid's dragging us into?"
Still, Leon kept following quietly, dragging his feet while hugging a small bag. Tang Wu finally sighed and gave in.
> "Fine. But at least carry some groceries, alright? Don't just follow us like a duckling."
---
At Jian Mo's House
Tang Wu rushed into the kitchen dramatically.
> "My stomach's traumatized! I got hit by a living missile!"
Meanwhile, Daji ran to Jian Mo, who was reading on the veranda.
> "Father!"
> "You're back already?"
They hugged.
> "A kid ran into Tang Wu, and... he followed us all the way home."
> "Oh yeah? Where is he?"
Daji pointed toward the gate. Leon peeked shyly from behind the fence.
> "Hmm... I'll take care of it. You go rest."
Daji went inside. Jian Mo stared at Leon for a moment, then called out:
> "Hey, kid. Come here."
Leon slowly approached, still wary.
> "What's your name?"
> "My name is Leon. I'm a student at Tianyin Academy. I was vacationing in Diyun City when strange people suddenly started chasing me. I ran into the forest... and accidentally hit that uncle."
Jian Mo nodded.
> "And?"
> "Please... let me hide here for a while."
> "What about the people chasing you?"
> "They probably won't follow me this far… I hope."
Jian Mo was silent, studying Leon from head to toe. Finally, he smiled.
> "Alright. Come in. Let's have dinner together."
Leon looked relieved.
---
Dinner Table
Tang Wu was still rubbing his belly, staring at Leon with an expression full of grudge.
> "Hey kid... do you know how much this belly costs?"
Leon replied innocently:
> "No idea. But it's the softest belly I've ever crashed into."
> "This is not a pillow, you know!"
Su Daji burst into laughter while Jian Mo smiled at the strange warmth in the air.
> "Well then... I guess we have one more family member now," Jian Mo said softly, his eyes somewhat melancholic yet warm.
Outside, night fell slowly. But inside, the house was peaceful and full of quiet joy—for now.
---