119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKskbd1Itw
The terrace fell into a frozen silence.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAgXb2VaUi
Liang Wei stood in the doorway, his feet planted on cracked stone. Dust still drifted in the morning light. Behind him, the square below buzzed with whispered rumors. Before him, a wall of imperial guards – fifty at least, maybe sixty – formed a semicircle around the emperor.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECOKpAypm7
Emperor Hongxi found his voice. "Kill him," he said. "All of you. Now."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jdvpJx3JI
The guards hesitated. They had seen him break a blade. They had seen him leap thirty feet. They had seen him crack stone with a single stomp.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrCBmodgJm
"Now!" the emperor shrieked.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLEOf07FAL
The guards charged.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqyFqae0rNu
Liang Wei smiled.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQ58QO6sdf
He stepped forward.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xBNq3JYr0
Not a fast step. Not a slow step. A silent step. His foot touched the floor without a sound. Then another step. Then another. He moved through the charging guards like a ghost through mist.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVGvL8lpmE
Swords swung at his chest. They cut air. Spears thrust at his stomach. They pierced emptiness. Guards spun, searching, shouting, but Liang Wei was already past them, already behind them, already somewhere else.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0W4cu17hc
One guard stumbled and fell. Another struck his comrade by accident. A third screamed, "Where did he go?!"
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtAfCG8QTep
The emperor saw.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr2zP9qCYzp
Liang Wei was walking directly toward him. Calmly. Quietly. His hands still at his sides. His robes barely rustling.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KNzhKsRma
General Li Wei saw too. His eyes widened. He was the only one on the terrace with enough training to follow the movement – and even he could barely track it. A flicker here. A blur there. The master's feet made no sound, left no trace.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIT84Syuep
Li Wei drew his sword and stepped between Liang Wei and the emperor.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHY0DBnl5uE
"Stop," the general said. "One more step, and I will cut your throat."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkY0dhLJRZx
Liang Wei did not stop. He kept walking. His eyes never left the emperor's.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3TcmvQsiI
Li Wei swung.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLLh8FUDkr
The blade struck Liang Wei's neck – and slid aside. It did not cut. It did not draw blood. It failed. The steel scraped against skin like stone against stone, then bounced away.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbI5xdUwnb
Li Wei stared at his sword. The edge was dulled. A notch had formed near the hilt.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ028fL9pg8W
"Impossible," he whispered.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliRrVvaE8l
Liang Wei walked on. The general backed away, then swung again – harder this time, aiming for the shoulder. The blade struck, sparked, and shattered. Three pieces of steel clattered onto the stone floor.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwyH1pHBcv
Li Wei stumbled back, holding only a broken hilt.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndX8OGAw2w
The emperor screamed, "Shoot him!"
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWZC3lamfU
One of the guards raised a musket – a hand cannon, short and black, its fuse already lit. He aimed at Liang Wei's chest and fired.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8JRDr1PTB
The ball flew straight and true.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9vzWlvdBY
Liang Wei moved his head.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1GFe0spD0t
Not much. Just a tilt – a fraction of an inch to the left. The musket ball whizzed past his ear, close enough to stir his hair. It struck a stone pillar behind him and embedded itself with a thunk.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQcA2BgmxR
Liang Wei reached out, grabbed the musket barrel, and twisted. The metal groaned and bent. He pulled. The musket flew from the guard's hands, spun through the air, and shattered against the floor.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgNGsSJQCc
The guard fell to his knees, trembling.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuuql7adwi
Now Liang Wei stood before the emperor. Only two steps separated them. The emperor's guards lay scattered behind him, confused and frightened. General Li Wei clutched his broken sword. The new court had hidden behind pillars.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAt68hBILC
The emperor backed away slowly, his silk robes dragging on the stone. His face was pale. His lips moved, but no sound came out.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFWp6oBSOI
"Stop," he finally whispered. "Stop, please—"
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHqD3Bjh1r
Tao Zhongwen stepped forward, his staff raised. Green fire gathered at its tip – not a small flame, but a roiling ball of emerald light, crackling with energy.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg6GjGj9rUR
"Master Liang Wei," the sorcerer said, "you are powerful. But can you stop this?"
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGrIdfM7gm
He thrust the staff forward. A fireball shot toward Liang Wei's chest.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5ZDtSTO81
Liang Wei did not dodge. He raised his right hand and made a circular gesture – a slow, smooth motion, as if drawing a circle in the air. Then a smaller gesture, his fingers tracing something invisible – a character, perhaps, or a seal.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfipk00PPZ6
The fireball stopped.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaSOeDCTMm
It hung in the air, three inches from Liang Wei's palm, spinning but not advancing. Green light flickered across his face.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmMsnBjeZa
Tao Zhongwen's eyes widened. He sent a second fireball. Then a third. Then a fourth.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPbbGPrPDo
Each one stopped beside the first. Four green suns hovered before Liang Wei, humming with trapped energy.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacuPqwhIgl
Liang Wei looked at the sorcerer. He moved his hand slightly – a gentle push – and the four fireballs drifted sideways, harmless, and dissipated into the morning air.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiSdIadlmE
Tao Zhongwen lowered his staff. For the first time, fear showed in his eyes.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1dehsF5O2
Liang Wei turned back to the emperor.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzaq12N2RP
"Sit," he said. "Now."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHq99wIfVup
The emperor's legs gave way. He fell backward onto his throne, his hands gripping the armrests, his knuckles white.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqITwK0xnGN
Liang Wei did not advance. Instead, he lowered himself to the floor, crossing his legs beneath him. He sat on the cold stone, facing the emperor, his hands resting on his knees.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9DtKCXGBU
"I am not here for war," he said. "I want to talk."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPzINqkVMZ
The guards who had been running toward him stopped. They looked at each other, then at the emperor. No one gave an order. No one moved.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvy24HoGT1
The emperor swallowed. "Talk," he said hoarsely. "I am listening."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhvB3TxtEl
Liang Wei nodded. He took a breath. His voice was calm, but it carried weight.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NrBl5nMNu
"I have heard about the arrests," he said. "The small teachers. The men and women who taught commoners to breathe, to stretch, to defend themselves. You arrested them. You beat them. You threw them in chains."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnTrpsN5o90
The emperor said nothing.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kU7zRD8Li
"I stayed silent," Liang Wei continued. "I told myself it was not my fight. I told myself the small teachers would survive. I told myself you would stop." He shook his head. "But you did not stop. You exiled your own court. You tried to execute a general. And now I am here."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhWoe1DWPih
He leaned forward.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3QpGOM1MS
"I will not sit by and watch this kingdom fall apart. Not while I still have breath in my body."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlQ7ZoZFzK
The emperor found a sliver of his old arrogance. "You are one man, teacher. One man against an empire. I have armies. I have weapons. I have—"
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1myFmxVrW
"You have nothing that can stop me," Liang Wei said quietly. "Your guards cannot touch me. Your swords cannot cut me. Your sorcerer's fire obeys my hand. Even your entire army—" He smiled. "Even your entire army cannot take me down."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnECiXAr6nV
The emperor's face twisted. "Then I will not send the army after you. I will send them after them."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPbJXtjkIc
He gestured vaguely toward the square below.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5xvpkDQgI
"The commoners who cheer for you. The villages that hide you. The families who feed you. My soldiers will burn their homes. My soldiers will take their children. My soldiers will make them watch while you float above them like a ghost." His voice rose. "You cannot protect everyone, teacher. You are only one man."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLpTKjQrt9
Liang Wei's smile faded.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgCFDUaBoE
General Li Wei stepped forward, his broken sword still in his hand. "The master is right that we cannot kill him," he said to the emperor. "But he is also right about something else. He cannot be everywhere at once. My armies are spread across the provinces. I can have a hundred villages burning before sunset."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmu09luWzXT
Liang Wei's face went still. His eyes lost their warmth.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyJNBJjNBc
For the first time, the emperor saw fear in the master's face.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6jJcCorQN
Not fear for himself. Fear for others.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9pOjjbxCN
The emperor leaned forward. "You see, teacher? You have power. But I have reach. You can break my guards and stop my sorcerer's fire. But can you stop a thousand soldiers from marching on your students' homes? Can you stop my edicts from banning every martial arts school in the empire? Can you stop my spies from hunting down everyone you have ever taught?"
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywCw7CSOyW
The silence stretched.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJf2ee6E6C
Liang Wei sat motionless. His chest rose and fell. His hands, resting on his knees, curled into fists.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2Gz7s0uum
Then he stood.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAKa2Lkjqa
He rose slowly, smoothly, like a blade being drawn from a sheath. The guards flinched. The new court cried out. Even the emperor shrank back.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSiIyWIKUJ
But Liang Wei did not attack.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UUfYI20vi
He stood to his full height, brushed the dust from his robes, and looked down at the emperor.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBipaBTinI
"This will stop immediately," he said. His voice was soft, but it cut like steel. "The general will not be executed. If he is executed—" He paused. "If he is executed, I will take down this palace. Not you. Not your guards. The palace. Stone by stone. Brick by brick. I will bury your throne under a mountain of rubble."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7F7mZOcnu7
The emperor opened his mouth.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYBYrYWxaE
Liang Wei raised a hand. "I am not finished. I will not meddle in your affairs. Rule as you wish. Appoint your loyalists. Collect your taxes. I do not care. But the general walks free. And the small teachers are released. Those are my terms."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlg6g0n72Ux
The emperor's eyes darted to Tao Zhongwen. The sorcerer gave a tiny nod.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNriUgP0nf
"Agreed," the emperor whispered.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0uw95qUeO
Liang Wei turned his back to the emperor.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhQIwWzjdP
The entire terrace gasped. No one turned their back on the Son of Heaven. No one was that bold. But Liang Wei walked toward the door, his robes flowing behind him, his footsteps silent on the cracked stone.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsQDNIfGa8
He had taken three steps when General Feng Jian spoke.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf5gzAO4WFW
The general had climbed the stairs from the square. He stood in the doorway, his wrists still raw from the ropes, his face still bruised. But his voice was strong.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoU0mLzFkc
"Master Liang Wei."
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjekH8bBFg
Liang Wei stopped. He did not turn around. "Yes?"
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6brrPbn7Z
"Before you leave... there is something else." 119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfCyA9IOn1
and then Add to home screen.