The spring moon hung pale and high above the pines. Cold air cut through the forest, their breath curling in mist. The earth smelled rich and wet—finally thawed by the shifting season.
Owls called from hidden branches. Crows answered, harsh and low.

Excitement simmered between the brothers, quiet but insistent, like the sun melting snow. This was what they longed for.
They journeyed through the forest, each step illuminated by the moon’s glow—deliberate and sure. They knew this path well; Anle Cun had fallen victim to their savagery many times before. But raiding for livestock was a first.

“Runt, how are you going to get goats out of the village—quietly?” Hei’an asked, his shoulder crashing into Jianyu’s.
Jianyu’s pace slowed to a stop. He turned abruptly to face Hei’an. “I thought you had a plan!”
He returned to his path; Hei’an followed.

“Can you knock a goat out?” came a whisper from behind.
The pack snickered in unison, then fell silent.

The forest pressed close, the air heavy with the bitter scent of frost and pine. Jianyu’s breath fogged in the moonlight as he glanced back, checking everyone’s positions.
Hei’an moved closer to the front and raised a hand, prompting the group to spread out. Like prowling wolves, their formation shifted neatly—each man adjusting his step to lock with the brother before him.
Their anticipation thickened, pulsing in the cold, as their unwitting target slowly came into view.

— ✦ —

Silently lurking at the edge of the group, Shouban moved like a shadow, watching Hei’an and Jianyu weave through the trees. Their easy laughter gnawed at him.
How dare they move so lightly after shaming him?

His mind drifted back—to the night of his initiation trial.

After besting challenger after challenger, Shouban had grown boastful, drunk on his own victories. He stood at the center of the sparring platform, chest heaving, pride swelling like a storm.
“Is this all you’ve got? Give me Shan Hu’s boys!” he roared, voice cutting through the chaos. “All of you—come at me together! I’ll put you in your place!”

With a wolfish grin, Húlí accepted.

The platform flooded with blood-thirsty clansmen, eager to see the fool who dared challenge any of Shan Hu’s sons. Men and women crowded shoulder to shoulder, wine in one hand and coin in the other, wagers shouted into the night.
Even Shan Hu himself, who had long stopped attending the initiation trials, took interest—perching on his wooden throne for the best view.

Húlí whistled, and from the dark perimeter came Hei’an, joining him on the platform. The crowd roared, their confidence feeding the frenzy.
Shan Hu lifted a single hand, and the noise died instantly.

“Give me a blade,” Hei’an murmured to Húlí, bumping his elbow with a grin.
Shouban sneered. “No. I want you where you belong—in the trees.”

His arrogance only widened Húlí’s grin.
Hei’an stepped back, bowing slightly in mock courtesy before melting into the shadows.

“I’ve never seen a dead man stand so proud,” Jianyu taunted from a distant seat.

The memory still burned. He could hear the crowd’s roar as Húlí carved away his pride; feel the bite of Hei’an’s arrow bury deep into his shoulder; taste the dirt in his mouth when they left him bleeding.

His grip tightened on his sword to keep from striking out. Every glance was a spark.
He couldn’t hold back—shoving past the others, his shoulders crashing into them, ignoring their groans of protest.

Clenching his jaw, he drew slow, shallow breaths. His chest burned. With every step, his resolve sharpened.
His hand found the hilt once more.
The whisper of steel brushed against leather—soft… hungry.

Eager.

— ✦ —

Next Episode — Chapter 19: Pretty in Pink

A royal scolding turns into a stolen moment neither emperor nor empress can explain.
In the quiet of the study, beneath the weight of spring and candlelight, two people bound by duty take their first stumbling step toward something far more dangerous than rebellion—
they begin to notice each other.