CHAPTER 6 — The Ambush in the Northern Alley
The moon hung low over the quiet streets as Jason Wu faced the cloaked stranger. The air had shifted—cold, sharp, and heavy with intent. The man finally lowered his hood, revealing a pale, emotionless face. His eyes glowed faintly like a predator studying prey.
"So," the stranger murmured, "the sword speaks after all. That means the legends are true."
Jason frowned. "What legend? The legend where you lure people into back alleys like some discount assassin?"
Longwu Sword vibrated. "Ha! Good one, boy. Though I must say, this assassin does look discounted."
The stranger said nothing, but his killing intent spread like black ink. Jason felt his chest tighten.
"You're not from Windward Forge Sect, are you?" Jason asked.
"No," the man replied calmly. "But Elder Wan will die soon. And so will you."
Jason blinked. "Well… that escalated fast."
Without another word, the man's qi surged. He threw off his cloak, revealing a strange set of armor with jagged dark-red patterns that pulsed like veins.
Longwu Sword growled. "Corrupted qi. From the Void Corridors. This one is no amateur."
The man's hands moved. A wave of dark blades formed from condensed qi and shot toward Jason, each screaming like a tortured spirit.
Jason leaped back—barely. The blades embedded into the stone wall behind him, melting it like hot wax.
"Okay," Jason muttered, "that's new."
"Focus!" Longwu Sword snapped. "Channel your qi into your feet, not your arms. Stop moving like a panicked duck."
"Hey! I've never seen a duck fight demons!"
"Clearly," the sword retorted, "because they would do a better job."
Jason gritted his teeth. "Not helping!"
The assassin flicked his wrist. More blades formed—five this time—each larger than before.
Jason steadied his breathing. "Alright. Let's see what you can do, Longwu."
A pulse of ancient heat surged through his hand as he drew the blade. It glowed faintly—a humble light compared to the assassin's fearsome aura, yet undeniably alive.
Longwu Sword whispered, "Strike the center. His attack has a flaw."
Jason moved.
He dashed forward, blade sweeping in a clean arc. The five blades shrieked toward him—but Jason twisted mid-step, guided by the sword's rhythm.
He sliced through the first blade.Then the second.Then the third.
Two more remained.
"Left!" Longwu Sword yelled.
Jason spun. His blade cut cleanly through the remaining two, shattering them into bursts of shadow.
The assassin's expression twitched—his first sign of surprise.
"You… you destroyed my Shadow Scream Blades?"
Jason smirked. "Sorry. Were they expensive?"
The assassin's eyes narrowed. "No matter. I was told to test your strength, not defeat you."
Jason blinked. "Wait. This was a test?"
"Indeed." The man raised two fingers. A small orb of dark qi formed above his hand. "My master wished to confirm whether the Longwu Sword had awakened for this generation."
Longwu Sword stiffened. "Master? Who?"
The assassin smirked. "A name you will learn soon enough. For now—consider yourself warned."
He crushed the orb. The ground beneath him cracked open, forming a swirling dark vortex.
Jason tensed. "He's escaping!"
"Don't follow him!" Longwu Sword shouted. "That portal is unstable. You'll lose half your body before your foot even enters."
Jason recoiled. "Yeah… hard pass."
The assassin stepped into the vortex, but before he disappeared completely, he gave Jason one final look.
"Jason Wu… the next time we meet, you will die."
Jason raised a hand. "Cool. Looking forward to it."
Then the man vanished, leaving only silence and the faint smell of burning stone.
Jason lowered his sword and exhaled deeply. His heart pounded so hard he felt it in his teeth.
Longwu Sword sighed. "Boy… that was reckless."
"I survived."
"Pure luck."
Jason wiped sweat from his brow. "Still counts."
Footsteps echoed from behind. He turned—and there was Xueyin, her eyes wide with worry.
"Jason! Are you hurt?! I felt spiritual fluctuations—strong ones!"
Jason straightened, trying to appear heroic but mostly looking like someone who barely avoided death.
"I'm fine. Just… getting some exercise."
Longwu Sword groaned. "Liar."
Xueyin hurried closer and grabbed his wrist, checking his pulse. "Your qi is unstable. And your arm is bruised. And your robe is half-burned…"
Jason looked down. "Oh. Yeah. That happened."
She glared at him. "You could have died."
Jason smiled weakly. "But I didn't."
Xueyin's worry melted just a bit—but her glare remained. "Next time, call me before doing something this dangerous."
"Next time," Jason agreed. "Absolutely."
Longwu Sword muttered, "He won't."
She didn't hear, but Jason did—and kicked the sword lightly.
The night wind blew gently as the adrenaline faded.
But deep down, Jason sensed it:
This wasn't just an ambush.It was the beginning of something much larger.