"The legend of the Jian, the incomplete bird with one eye, one leg and one wing. The only way for them to survive is to find a partner, though having one another isn't enough.

Despite their connection, their heads are not one and they do not share a single mind. This means that a great understanding of one another is necessary to survive in a cold, harsh world."

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Chapter One : Battle of Shi Lung Bridge

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Torches lit ablaze the palace at night, stone walls and fortified gates keeping the unwanted out. 

Midnight was the moment they struck, the squad of hooded soldiers tossing ropes over stone walls, chilling breaths escaping their lips as they scaled up under the cover of darkness.

They skulked atop the wall that surrounded the palace, looking ahead to see the barrier ahead of them. Beneath the rope bridge rested a great valley where a river ran past, their target waiting just ahead.

Standing tall was the lead of the small brigade, the hooded man squeezing the neck of the rope he held as he let out a breath.

"That guard..."

The others were struck with panic when their leader took the plunge, letting out a shout as they watched him begin the engagement.

"Luei Yahn!”

Yahn landed with a roll, and before the spear wielding guard could turn around to catch him, a knee strike tore into his back. The man fell limp, the other soldiers alerted to his presence as the battle began.

A spear grazed past his cheek, Yahn retaliating with a rolling elbow to the man’s face as the noise of a horn filled the air. With martial arts alone, he dealt with three guards, clenching his wrist as he turned to face the bridge.

One of his men saw the speeding arrow, blocking it with a gauntlet clad palm strike, their clawed hand twitching as they spoke.

“What do we do now, Yahn? It looks like they’re going to cut the bridge.”

“We beat them to the punch.”

Before he could stop Yahn, he bolted on ahead, not a drop of fear in their leader as he stepped onto the shaky rope bridge. They had no choice but to follow, their lives worth nothing when the Emperor’s assassination was at their fingertips.

Blood splashed as two of the hooded men were fatally hit, their bodies falling into the abyss below as arrows flew. Yahn had no time to react, continuing his mad dash across the bridge, the guards pointing as they let out a shout.

"That's their leader! Open fire!”

Ahead, he looked up to see a gun-wielding soldier standing in the center of the bridge, his matchlock gun blasting a parting shot as the plume of smoke blinded him.

But when the smoke dissipated with the wind, he found himself on the sharp end of his sword, beheaded in a single swing as Yahn kicked his body into the abyss below.

Moonlight flashed from his blade as he tore through bullets, Yahn left untouched as he dashed across. On the opposite end of the bridge was the captain of the guards who stood baffled, lowering his smoking gun as he let out a breath.

"That man, he's unstoppable."

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“So he was telling the truth after all.”

The captain froze when he saw the figure who approached him, staring as the figure waved to the gunmen to stop, stepping foot onto the bridge with their sword unsheathed.

Yahn felt the heavy aura that rose from the figure, his eyes gazing upon their jet black armor, the swordsman’s head covered in a helmet, topped with an iron mask emblazoned with the face of the devil.

The bridge shuddered, the surviving infiltrators stepping back as the figure approached them. Yahn was unfazed by the sight of the iron demon, resting the sword on his shoulder as he taunted the beast.

“What’s the masked swordsman doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be fighting on the frontline?”

Yahn was quick to sway back, narrowly avoiding a downward sword swipe that would have cleaved his nose in half. The demon couldn’t help but be impressed, azure eyes staring back as they spoke.

“I’m afraid we had a change of plan. Does that upset you?”

His hood blew back from the sudden movement, revealing him to be a teenage swordsman with long black hair and a small scar on his cheek. With narrow, fox-like eyes he scanned his foe, a cold look on his face as a grimace grew.

Yahn could tell from one glance just how dangerous this swordsman was, raising a finger as he ordered his surviving soldiers to retreat.

The demon watched as the others fled, glaring as Yahn pulled his arm back for a killing blow, his shout filling the night.

“It doesn’t upset me! Not one bit! It looks like it’s just the two of us!”

The others watched as he dashed in, their blades clashing, the masked swordsman narrowly avoiding a gut busting kick to the stomach.

The bridge shook as the two fought, gunfire reminding the other infiltrators that they weren't safe. They did their best to imitate Yahn, narrowly avoiding gunshots as they returned to the other end of the bridge.

"You’re Luei Yahn, aren’t you?"

He could hear the person speak as they fought, his foe an equally deadly fighter, their blade dancing under the pale moonlight.

It was a black dao sword, one that struck fear into the hearts of even the most seasoned fighters. Accompanied by the shaky bridge atop the abyss, it was either a recipe for disaster or the ingredients to an unforgettable duel.

Still, hearing his name be used by his enemy was unacceptable, his tone scorching hot as he answered with a shout.

"So what if I am!?”

He attacked with a hefty overhead swing, the masked swordsman just narrowly dodging, receiving a few nicks and scrapes on their armor. Yahn could tell they were getting fired up, the excitement of battle reflecting in their voice as they shouted back.

"What if I told you we knew about this attack!?"

He dodged a head hunting strike as he leapt into a back handspring, forced to move quickly as they swung repeatedly, threads of the rope bridge snapping.

Yahn grit his teeth, slipping past underneath their sword, the two trading places as Yahn tried to impale them through their back. It wasn't enough, the swordsman lifting their sword over their head to block his stab.

"Don’t be ridiculous! Are you saying we’ve been betrayed!?"

"I am!"

The figure bent forwards, striking Yahn in the chin with a bone shattering kick from behind, the young fighter stumbling back from the harsh impact. The next kick wasn’t as successful, Yahn grabbing their leg as he unleashed his fury.

"If that's the case, I’ll kill you first!”

Yahn’s death blow was blocked, the swordsman striking him in the chin with a closed metal fist, breaking his grip on their leg as they slipped away. 

It was clear they were evenly matched, the entire world waiting as they watched the coin flip land.

However, it didn’t matter if the coin landed on heads or tails, as a person took it upon himself to decide for them.

“Wait! What are you doing!?”

They both saw him, the young man clad in clothing fit for royalty, moonlight reflecting off the golden crown atop their head. In their hand was a small knife, the rope bridge one swipe away from collapsing.

"Prince Lao! Wait!"

Before the demon could even bargain or plead, the rope had been severed, the two sentenced to a watery death.