Inside a dark corridor, a figure steps towards a golden glow. Her eyes, sharp like blades, glare forth at the shadows flickering within the glow beyond the exit of the corridor. As the figure steps closer and closer to the glow, the sound of desperate cries and pleas begins to echo in her ears.

The screams, likely belonging to young girls, remind the figure of an unpleasant memory, igniting a burning fury within her eyes. With a light click, she pushes on the crossguard of her blade with her thumb, lifting the blade a few centimeters from the sheath. Swinging her hand towards the side of her hip, she wraps her fingers tightly around the handle of her blade.

As the echoes grow louder and louder, the burning rage escapes her, crashing through the corridor and filling the interior with a crippling pressure. As she steps into the cave, the glows from the torches lining the walls bounce off her dark hair, revealing streaks of white and red. With her full figure basking beneath the golden glow, she flicks her arm and draws her slim blade. A sharp metallic hum fills the cave, sending chills down the spines of everyone present. A masterfully engraved symbol of a plateau and a sun rests on the flat side of the blade near the crossguard, accompanied by a crude marking of two stick figures holding hands in the empty space between.

“T-T-The Heaven St-Steps S- Steps Se-” One of the men, clad in black, stutters as he sets eyes on the pattern decorating the elderly woman’s sleeve.

The lady vanishes, leaving a cloud of dust at the entrance to the corridor. In an instant, she reappears at the center of the massive cave behind the stuttering man.

“Silence.” She commands, flicking her sword, causing blood to spray off the blade and splatter onto the ground. “Do not sully my esteemed sect with your filthy mouth.”

Her command proves unnecessary, as a head falls to the ground with a thud. A fountain of blood erupts behind her, staining the whites of her hair crimson before vanishing with another thud. The gruesome scene, combined with the oppressive aura, leaves everyone present feeling weak in the knees.

“I believe there must be some sort of confusion.”

A voice, accompanied by rhythmic steps, calls out from the shadows of the corridor to her side. As the figure enters the cave, he brushes his hair above his head, revealing a black circle tattooed on the corner of his forehead. He smiles, eyeing the figure standing at the center of the cave to confirm her identity. Upon seeing the red streaks running through her dark hair and the symbol adorning her sleeves, the man cups his hands and bows.

“Grandmaster Miao, please allow this humble one to clear up any misunderstandings.”

“You kidnap helpless young women of Zhou and hold them against their will.” Grandmaster Miao responds, her deathly glare fixed on the man. “What misunderstanding is there to clear up?”

“On behalf of the Blood Moon Sect, I offer a profound apology for wasting your time.” The man maintains a low bow as he continues. “May I suggest a fair trade? I assure you it will be mutually beneficial.”

Grandmaster Miao furrows her brows as more men, clad in black and armed with blades, emerge from the corridors one after another. Noting the shape of the tattoos on their foreheads, she smirks internally before sheathing her blade.

“A fair trade… Is that so?” She inquires, a glint of intrigue in her eyes. “Speak.”

“The renowned Grandmaster is truly wise beyond reproach. Thank you for your boundless pati-”

“Skip the ass-kissing.” Grandmaster Miao commands as she pushes the blade back into its sheath with her thumb. “Speak.”

“Apologies.” The man quickly hides his smirk before lifting his face towards Grandmaster Miao. “The trade is simple. We release all the women of Zhou currently in our captivity. In exchange, we ask that you grant us a simple favor regarding a certain someone.”

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“Bring the girls, all of them.” Grandmaster Miao orders, releasing her thumb from the crossguard of her blade, allowing it to slide fully back into its sheath. “Once I confirm their well-being, you may speak of the favor and the name.”

“This humble one will trust your word, on the honor of your name and the hon-”

“Finish that sentence, and it will be your last.”

“My apologies.” The man lifts his hand and motions towards the others. “Bring the girls. And you all, lower your weapons. She is an honored guest.”

Hundreds of footsteps shuffle into the corridors, making haste to fulfill the command. As they scatter like smoke in the wind, Grandmaster Miao and the man stare silently at each other across the empty space. Surrounding her, thirteen men soften their stance and carefully sheath their blades. Although they look at ease, the sweat between their palms and the sheaths tells a different story. All thirteen men, including the man with the full-moon tattoo, secretly exchange glances as they gauge Grandmaster Miao's aura.

A minute passes in complete silence. The torchfire flickers, and the golden glow dances.

Another minute passes in the same manner. Drops of sweat begin to slide down the edges of their sheaths.

Yet another minute of silence. The sweat escapes the sheaths, floating towards the cavern floor.

The silence is broken as footsteps echo within the cave once again. Grandmaster Miao maintains her cold gaze as she listens to the unsettling cries, smothering out the sound of footsteps. Keeping the raging fire buried deep in her chest, she scans across the corridors, noting the unsightly state of the unclothed girls.

“My apologies for their appearances.” The man with the circle tattoo, realizing how the situation looks, bows once again towards Grandmaster Miao. “I can assure you that we did not lay hands on them in that way.”

“Is that everyone?” Grandmaster Miao turns her gaze back towards the man. Before the man can answer, she continues. “If I were to scan this filthy place, what would I find?”

“On my life as an Elder of the Blood Moon Sect, they’re all here.”

“So be it. Tell your men to step away from the girls.” She commands as she releases her hands from the sheath and handle of her blade. “Then speak the favor and the name.”

The Elder lifts his hand and signals towards his men. Everyone, except for the thirteen with half moon tattoos, steps back towards the cavern walls. The thirteen observe as the Elder lowers his hand, looking for a message.

“A meeting with a high ranking member of the Grand Government. We do not know his name, but he is currently holding two of our men hostage.”

“Oh, him?” Grandmaster Miao chuckles at the ridiculous request. “It’s no simple matter to get an audience with him…”

Hidden behind his sleeve, the Elder extends two fingers, ready to signal the end of negotiations.

“...but you’re in luck.” Grandmaster Miao smiles as she reaches into her sleeve. She pulls out a golden plaque. “I just happen to be good friends with his master.”

“Your wisdom is beyond reproach.” The Elder smiles as he examines the plaque from afar. “In exchange for your personal plaque as a sign of good will, we will leave the girls h-”

“Fair warning though, he does not negotiate with those on the demonic path.” Grandmaster Miao chuckles as she tosses the plaque towards the Elder.

The Elder smiles as he reaches out to catch the golden plaque, confident that anyone will negotiate under the right circumstances. As the plaque flies through the air, reflecting the torchfire off its pristine surface, a terrifying aura descends upon the entire cave.

“...And neither do I.”

The men standing against the cavern walls collapse onto all fours, choking for air as blood escapes their nose and eyes. The thirteen men surrounding her reach for their blades, only to find that their movement has been impaired by the deathly aura. Moments from catching the plaque, the Elder’s eyes grow wide as the immense burst of pressure sends a cold chill down his spine.

The golden plaque blocks his vision as it flies towards him. As it flies past him, it leaves his field of view and reveals a scene that causes his knees to tremble.

A wave of blood, lining the walls of the cave, shoots into the air like a tsunami. In rapid succession, the heads of his men fly across the air, accenting the crimson painting on the walls. As the last head flies into the air, the Elder realizes he had gravely underestimated the woman who once vied for the pinnacle of the martial world.

“The women of Zhou are not objects for you to use as leverage.”

His vision begins to blur as the bloodstained face of Grandmaster Miao appears before him. The condescending gaze grows further and further away as his head descends towards the cavern floor. With a thud, his vision fades to black.

“It’s okay, brave girls.” Grandmaster Miao retracts her aura and whips her sword, expelling the blood from her blade before sheathing it with a metallic hum. A soft smile decorates her crimson visage as she turns her gaze towards the girls. “Everything will be okay…”