88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0NDNiFAGv
The terrace fell into a frozen silence.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXjYFN2Lsv
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1fSkPH3s9
Emperor Hongxi found his voice. "Kill him," he said. "All of you. Now."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwjPfkNROX
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7qBO45dov
"Now!" the emperor shrieked.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9CJkUuNTX
The guards charged.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmilnT3AAkj
Liang Wei smiled.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPsydzy1Rn
He stepped forward.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcuN3GIVJb
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPAich3vPK
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDBxnmsKMd
One guard stumbled and fell. Another struck his comrade by accident. A third screamed, "Where did he go?!"
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOyAw4WGkA
The emperor saw.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aZjZOnlTf
Liang Wei was walking directly toward him. Calmly. Quietly. His hands still at his sides. His robes barely rustling.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5g5xtWC3IX
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQE7JxKtKg
Li Wei drew his sword and stepped between Liang Wei and the emperor.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3ssRdkR4p
"Stop," the general said. "One more step, and I will cut your throat."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudwSVht1pM
Liang Wei did not stop. He kept walking. His eyes never left the emperor's.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQK1eCGoyaY
Li Wei swung.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRoarWr1x7
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6GoTRemPr
Li Wei stared at his sword. The edge was dulled. A notch had formed near the hilt.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0HNoaKilJ
"Impossible," he whispered.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2CCUueN9I
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFUQctBK73
Li Wei stumbled back, holding only a broken hilt.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HWi2ZMeWj
The emperor screamed, "Shoot him!"
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34icrM56Bw
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDSYdUQWGU
The ball flew straight and true.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmu4j0jtiAf
Liang Wei moved his head.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yjv8u9XZA
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAtRC99dAb
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPKZmtr5wK
The guard fell to his knees, trembling.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItQAI3LtLG
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYR6vtMUnt
The emperor backed away slowly, his silk robes dragging on the stone. His face was pale. His lips moved, but no sound came out.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmpSyl7dY1
"Stop," he finally whispered. "Stop, please—"
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnsdfxeNZT
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTiCndywL8
"Master Liang Wei," the sorcerer said, "you are powerful. But can you stop this?"
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeiopaj9uv
He thrust the staff forward. A fireball shot toward Liang Wei's chest.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacaRexIni9
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIsc6NVBxB
The fireball stopped.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUOlYutIISY
It hung in the air, three inches from Liang Wei's palm, spinning but not advancing. Green light flickered across his face.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzomxPfofPY
Tao Zhongwen's eyes widened. He sent a second fireball. Then a third. Then a fourth.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyoi9xbqUh6
Each one stopped beside the first. Four green suns hovered before Liang Wei, humming with trapped energy.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87pXuEZB9K
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wEy9QFp2F
Tao Zhongwen lowered his staff. For the first time, fear showed in his eyes.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHFra2yjQP
Liang Wei turned back to the emperor.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PBSbefrok
"Sit," he said. "Now."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22QfUxTBGn
The emperor's legs gave way. He fell backward onto his throne, his hands gripping the armrests, his knuckles white.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxz0uj0y6M
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLyvMmvnTn
"I am not here for war," he said. "I want to talk."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaVTZlmRUe
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7heRUAbS4
The emperor swallowed. "Talk," he said hoarsely. "I am listening."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDcY6MMsEs
Liang Wei nodded. He took a breath. His voice was calm, but it carried weight.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3zaEElIdW
"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."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkFJxYiiog
The emperor said nothing.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnPgRzhtps
"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."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5hqZ9sIbgt
He leaned forward.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9EeIXvUei
"I will not sit by and watch this kingdom fall apart. Not while I still have breath in my body."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldv8TOteRJ
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—"
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHjpWy2j3J
"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."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF1sVN8Rpid
The emperor's face twisted. "Then I will not send the army after you. I will send them after them."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11GuTQ8mXD
He gestured vaguely toward the square below.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQcWuJ9AU9
"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."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtad2lzfZMy
Liang Wei's smile faded.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvgMEmjaBl
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."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvnc1aotxq
Liang Wei's face went still. His eyes lost their warmth.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtciaAlbuh2
For the first time, the emperor saw fear in the master's face.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBdPZ7P9eZ
Not fear for himself. Fear for others.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5COd5RYD2J
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?"
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WhxcCyc8Y
The silence stretched.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYywwFqelu
Liang Wei sat motionless. His chest rose and fell. His hands, resting on his knees, curled into fists.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxbDfymR4s
Then he stood.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6jHX9GiHt
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUN6lO37nd
But Liang Wei did not attack.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08kF1KL4vK
He stood to his full height, brushed the dust from his robes, and looked down at the emperor.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiUspPS6cY
"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."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZs5Xt7wyc
The emperor opened his mouth.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PfwcwH4ld
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."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Hm6QJcixL
The emperor's eyes darted to Tao Zhongwen. The sorcerer gave a tiny nod.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpttr2fJrTJ
"Agreed," the emperor whispered.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7QjvMsU22
Liang Wei turned his back to the emperor.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27iBKmU4Eb
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmg5CeRl1A
He had taken three steps when General Feng Jian spoke.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxViKTz6FXf
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.
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qHjOlKjpo
"Master Liang Wei."
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhhNmUP0Ja
Liang Wei stopped. He did not turn around. "Yes?"
88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByYdRYzMYh
"Before you leave... there is something else." 88Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MOMis2N0k
and then Add to home screen.