Chapter 1

On the jagged cliff, the moon appeared unnaturally large, surrounded by a faint, eerie purple glow. In the distance, ominous clouds rolled in, advancing quickly toward the cliff, with occasional flashes of lightning illuminating the sky. The low rumble of thunder echoed faintly.

On the high precipice, numerous black silhouettes danced, the gleam of blades cutting through the darkness in fierce combat. The clash of swords sent brief sparks into the night, only to be instantly swallowed by the dark. The sound of metal clashing reverberated endlessly across the cliff, making it impossible to count how many strikes had been exchanged. The murderous intent in the air was palpable, enough to make one’s skin crawl.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that more than ten people were attacking a lone figure dressed in black. The black-clad individual fought with brutal precision, every strike perilous, each blow aimed to kill. His style was reckless, as if willing to die along with his opponents, yet each time he managed to force them back, narrowly escaping death.

The ominous clouds were now directly overhead, and within them, a faint purple glow emanated from the same place where the moon had been visible earlier. But no one in the heat of battle had the luxury to glance up. The torches had fallen in the chase, and the night was as black as ink. The black-clad figure moved like a phantom, appearing suddenly in front of his attackers. Even though they outnumbered him, everyone knew that while he was fated to die, their own lives were hanging by a thread. No one dared to let their guard down for even a second.

A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, turning night into day for a brief moment. In that blinding flash, the black-clad man killed two of his attackers! The group was shocked, but soon realized he was near his limit, his strength waning.

With renewed determination, they closed in, gradually forcing him to the edge of the cliff. At last, the black-clad man found himself with nowhere left to retreat. In the distance, more firelight and figures could be seen approaching—additional pursuers had arrived.

The black-clad man noticed the crossbows they carried. He knew that there was no way forward, and behind him… behind him was the cliff.

With a final sweeping slash, the black-clad man’s blade carved a brilliant arc through the night, forcing back the closest attackers. Seizing this fleeting moment, he leaped off the cliff—not to die, but to escape. As he fell rapidly, he reached for his waist and pulled out a steel grappling claw.

The claw shot out, hooking securely onto the rocky cliffside, slowing his descent. But just then, another flash of lightning illuminated the ground.

A bizarre white light exploded around him, engulfing the falling figure. The crash of thunder roared through the world. The black-clad man’s silhouette vanished without a trace, swallowed by the strange light.

In another dimension, far from the storm, the night sky was clear—no wind, no clouds, just stars twinkling peacefully.

Away from the bustling city, a car was parked at an angle on the quiet riverbank. Ruan Qing sat by the water’s edge, taking the last sip of her milk tea. After chewing and swallowing the final tapioca pearl, she stood up and hurled the crumpled cup into the river with all her might.

“I swear! I’ll never spend another cent on a man again!”

“If I ever judge someone just by their looks again, I’ll be a dog!”

“If he doesn’t know how to act like a decent man, he can go die!”

Her boyfriend was several years younger, still a student, tall with long legs, abs, and a handsome face. Ruan Qing had been infatuated with his looks and had supported him for two years, paying for everything, even his tuition. She had thought she was raising a loyal ‘little wolf,’ but it turned out the ‘wolf’ had cheated on her.

No matter how many sweet lies or tearful apologies he offered, Ruan Qing had caught him in the act today. Furious, she threw him out of her house.

She had left her hometown and was living alone in Jiang City. She had no friends here, only colleagues, and there was a meeting at work tomorrow. She wasn’t the type to drown her sorrows in alcohol after a breakup. With no better way to release her anger, she had driven out to the desolate outskirts. The heartache wasn’t that deep, after all, it was just the usual intense but fleeting romance between city dwellers. However, one thing was clear: one should have principles. If he was going to eat her food and spend her money, he should at least stick to some basic decency. Otherwise, wasn’t her money wasted?

It was just like how idols, supported by their fans, weren’t allowed to date. Same logic. Campus romances during college hadn’t worked out, and even the arranged dates set up by her parents later on had failed. She had thought this time, with her personally grooming someone, it would be different. But alas, it turned out to be another pitfall. After thinking long and hard, she made a vow to the empty riverbank that she would never take care of a pretty boy again! No more ‘puppy boys’ or ‘wolf boys’!

Her angry shouts echoed faintly in the vast, dark night. Releasing the anger brought a sense of relief. From today, she was single again, and tomorrow would be a new beginning. Ruan Qing let out a long sigh. Feeling a little better after venting her emotions, she prepared to leave.

At a glance, she noticed the milk tea cup she had just thrown had gotten stuck in the crevice of some rocks along the shallow shore. Littering wasn’t a good habit. Gritting her teeth, Ruan Qing couldn’t go against years of education on proper behavior. She kicked off her shoes and waded barefoot through the water to retrieve it.

The water in city pipes was warm in the summer, but this natural river was cold, especially at night. She quickly bent down, picked up the milk tea cup, and hurried back to the shore. After shaking the water off her feet, she slipped back into her sandals. Glancing around, it wasn’t a scenic area, just an empty road in the countryside. She could only hold onto the cup, planning to toss it into the trash bag in her car and throw it away when she got home.

As she headed toward her car, a sudden burst of white light filled the sky! Saying the night was “bright as day” didn’t seem quite right, but at that moment, everything was indeed illuminated like broad daylight. A swirling mass of purple clouds churned in the sky, and blinding white light shot out from the center of the vortex.

In the intense brightness, Ruan Qing watched in shock as a figure fell straight out of the swirling cloud, landing with a heavy “bang” on the roof of her car! The figure bounced off, crashing onto the hood before finally rolling onto the ground. It… looked painful.

Then, just as quickly, the white light vanished, and the purple clouds dissipated. The only remaining light came from the distant streetlights along the road, and the night returned to its natural darkness, as if the strange event had never occurred.

Ruan Qing stood there, dumbfounded. She was frozen for several seconds before snapping back to reality. Glancing up at the now-empty night sky, she hurried over to check on the person who had fallen.

As soon as she squatted down, the thick scent of blood hit her. The person was dressed entirely in black, lying face down on the ground.

“Hey? Hey?” she gently poked the person. “Are you okay? Hey?”

The figure in black didn’t respond at all. Ruan Qing had no choice but to grab him by the shoulder and try to turn him over. But suddenly, her wrist was seized in an iron grip!

The strength was immense, like a steel vice. For a moment, Ruan Qing thought her bones might be crushed.

In the dim light, she saw a pair of piercingly bright eyes staring at her. Ruan Qing froze. How could someone’s eyes be so bright?

The man, his face covered by a black cloth, realized she wasn’t one of his pursuers, but just a woman. For a brief moment, a look of relief flickered across his face.

In the next instant, his eyes closed, and the hand gripping her wrist went limp, falling to the ground.

This scene felt exactly like those TV dramas where someone finishes their final words before dying. Ruan Qing almost thought he was dead. With trembling hands, she touched his nose to check his breath—he was still alive. She quickly pulled out her phone to call an ambulance. After giving them her location, she hung up and looked again at the unconscious man lying on the ground.

He was tall and lean, dressed entirely in black… Was this a hanfu? It was one of those traditional outfits with crossed collars and right-side lapels. His whole body was clad in black, from head to toe. He looked like he was wearing one of those night-raid costumes you see in period dramas. No, not just “looked like”—he was even wearing a face covering. This was definitely a night-raid outfit!

Looking closer, she noticed not only was he wearing a black outfit reminiscent of ancient night clothes, but he also had his hair styled in a traditional topknot—the kind ancient men wore! Ruan Qing’s heart started pounding. She had a sinking feeling that she had stumbled into something serious—something that only happens in novels!

She stood up and walked over to check her car. The roof was dented from where he had landed. The impact was strong enough to suggest he had fallen from a great height. But when she looked up, it was a clear, calm summer night, the moon and stars shining bright—nothing up there at all. She scanned the area. This was a stretch of open road, with some dirt and wild grass near the roadside and pebbles by the river. Not a single tree in sight. He couldn’t have jumped down from anywhere nearby.

And there had been no aircraft flying overhead. Commercial planes don’t drop people, helicopters would have made noise, and a fighter jet… well, that was just ridiculous. With all the possibilities ruled out, the only answer left was that this man—dressed in ancient clothes—had literally appeared out of thin air!

Ruan Qing couldn’t help but take a deep breath, stepping back cautiously. Her foot suddenly hit something. She looked down and bent over to pick it up. It was long and narrow. A sword? No, swords are straight and double-edged. This weapon, though mostly straight, had a slight curve and only one edge.

It was a knife.

Yes, Ruan Qing knew that real ancient knives weren’t like the exaggerated props in old black-and-white movies or stage performances. True, practical ancient knives looked just like this. And this one was stained with blood.

Her hand, gripping the knife, trembled slightly. She glanced at the man in black lying on the ground, bit her lip, and then opened the trunk of her car, carefully placing the knife inside. Returning to the man, she knelt down and pulled off the black cloth covering his face.

He had a strikingly handsome face. Long eyebrows, a high nose, and well-defined jawlines. He had appeared out of nowhere, dressed in ancient clothes, with his hair in a traditional topknot, wielding a steel knife. Ruan Qing took a deep, steadying breath.

Could it be what she was thinking? Could this really be happening?