"The head of the house has betrayed the country! His Majesty has decreed your doom—surrender now and face your fate!"
A deafening roar, laced with the pungent stench of fresh blood, jolted me from my peaceful afternoon lethargy. In disbelief, I stared at the armored, blade-wielding imperial guards who had swarmed into the estate like ravenous wolves. Everywhere they went, swords flashed and cries of agony filled the air.
I burst out of my room to find my father covered in blood, still fighting desperately. Beside him, my mother and brother lay lifeless in pools of blood.
"Chen'er, run! Save the last bloodline of the Lu Family!" my father screamed with his dying breath. A guard deflected his longsword, and an instant later, a sharp blade mercilessly pierced his chest.
"Father!" My eyes split with grief and fury, but I was utterly powerless. Everything had happened too fast; before I could even grasp the situation, total catastrophe had struck my family.
"Kill them all! Leave no survivors!" A cold voice rang out beside me.
I spun around to see a burly man in black martial attire and holding a broadsword walking toward me. A bloodthirsty sneer twisted his face, and his eyes burned with murderous intent. With every step he took, the blood on the ground seemed to come alive, surging toward his feet. I realized then that he had come to claim my life.
Swallowing my grief, I turned and plunged into the chaotic crowd. Our estate guards fought to the death, but against the well-trained government soldiers, they were quickly overwhelmed. Stumbling through the corridors, I had only a single thought in my mind: *Survive!*
"Trying to run? Not so easy!" came the burly man's icy voice from behind.
I looked back to see him slashing through the air with his broadsword, cutting down everything in his path as blood and flesh flew. In the blink of an hour, he was right behind me.
It was Lin Hu, a notorious assassin of the pugilistic world, infamous for his ruthless bloodlust. I had never imagined I would become his prey.
"Die!" Lin Hu roared with a grin, his broadsword whistling through the air as he brought it down toward my head.
Instinctively, I dodged to the side, barely escaping the fatal blow, though the edge of the blade still sliced open my shoulder, drawing a gush of fresh blood.
Ignoring the piercing pain, I scrambled to my feet and ran for my life toward the estate gates. Lin Hu's sneer echoed behind me. "Little bastard, you can't escape!"
I fled the courtyard and plunged headfirst into the forest on the outskirts of the city. The dense trees blocked out the sky, offering me a brief respite. I knew Lin Hu wouldn't let me go easily; I had to shake him off as soon as possible.
Enduring the agonizing pain of my wound, I darted through the thicket, but the footsteps behind me grew louder. Like a beast catching the scent of blood, Lin Hu pursued me relentlessly.
"Little beast, stop hiding! Come out and take your punishment like a good boy!" Lin Hu's voice echoed through the woods, chilling me to the bone.
Daring not make a sound, I ran with all my might. Suddenly, a patch of bushes appeared ahead, and I dove straight into them without hesitation, hoping to throw Lin Hu off my trail.
Yet Lin Hu seemed to know this forest like the back of his hand. With a cold sneer, he circled the bushes and cut off my path.
"Nowhere left to run!" He raised his broadsword, his eyes flashing with cruel delight.
Desperation gripped my heart, but I refused to surrender without a fight. At that exact moment, my foot caught nothing, and I plunged into a quagmire.
"Damn it!" I cursed internally, struggling frantically. But the more I thrashed, the deeper I sank, and in a flash, the muddy water had risen to my chest.
"Ha! Heaven truly favors me!" Watching my wretched plight, Lin Hu burst into laughter. "Little bastard, let's see where you can run now!"
Anxiety overwhelmed me. I was like a fly caught in a spider's web—the more I struggled, the weaker I became.
The freezing muddy water poured endlessly into my mouth and nose, and the shadow of death closed in around my heart. Was I, Lu Chen, really going to perish here today?
*No! I refuse to give up!*
Taking a deep breath, I pushed down my fear and desperation, groping blindly until my hand brushed against a dead branch jutting out from the swamp. Putting every ounce of strength I had left into it, I tried to haul myself out of the mud.
"It's useless. Just accept your fate!" Lin Hu sneered, stepping closer by the second.
Clenching my teeth, I tried again and again until finally, my fingers grazed solid ground. Like a drowning man grabbing a straw, I dug my hands into the earth and inched myself out of the quagmire.
Drenched and a complete mess, I had somehow managed to hold onto my life.
Yet Lin Hu was already right upon me!
At this life-or-death moment, inspiration struck. I spotted a large tree nearby and slammed my palm against the trunk with all my might. The massive tree came crashing down, blocking Lin Hu's path just in time.
"Damn you!" Lin Hu roared, hacking through the obstacle with his blade.
Seizing the chance, I scrambled to my feet and bolted for my life.
I had no idea how long I ran; my legs had grown completely numb, and my throat burned as if it were on fire.
Finally, twinkling lights flickered in the distance—a small town!
A spark of hope ignited in my chest, and I sprinted toward the town with all my remaining strength.
Even so, I knew deep down that Lin Hu wouldn't easily let me go. Like a cunning leopard, he would be trailing in the shadows, always ready to deliver a fatal strike.
Dragging my exhausted body, I finally reached the outskirts of the town.
Yet as I looked at the brightly lit streets before me, hesitation gripped me.
I had no way of knowing if there were still enemies waiting in this town, or if another trap had been laid for me.
Still, I had no retreat left. I had to take the gamble!
Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward and entered the town.