Durai — a fox beast men village nestled along the northern border between the Human and Dragon Realms.
"Is it really necessary to hold a festival at a time like this?" a beast woman murmured, her hands busy over the cooking fire, though her mind was clearly elsewhere. "Does the village chief have any idea how many children went missing in just two weeks…"
Her husband let out a quiet sigh. "It's not like the village chief is ignoring it. He's doing everything he can to find the culprit."
Before she could respond, a sharp cry pierced the air from outside.
"Mama—!"
Both of them froze for a heartbeat before rushing out.
Their daughter came running toward them, her face pale with terror, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Mama!"
But before she could reach them—
A rope shot out from the shadows, tightening around her neck and yanking her violently backward.
"Dia!" her mother screamed.
Her father reacted instantly, lunging forward. Seeing his child choking, he grabbed at the rope with all his strength—but in the next moment, an arrow tore through his stomach, forcing him back.
He staggered, blood spilling, yet refused to fall.
With a roar, he seized the rope again and pulled with everything he had. The force dragged the attacker out of hiding—a human. For a split second, both sides froze.
Then more figures emerged from the shadows.
"It seems we won't be leaving quietly," one of the humans said coldly. "They've seen us. Kill them." Armed with swords, axes, and bows, they advanced without hesitation.
The beastman gritted his teeth, struggling to hold his ground. "Go—inform the others!" he shouted to his wife.
She turned to run, but an arrow struck her leg, sending her crashing to the ground. Before she could even cry out, another arrow pierced her chest.
Her body went still.
"Poor thing…" the archer muttered with a mocking smirk.
Moments later, silence fell over the scene.
The humans lifted the unconscious child and disappeared into the forest, as swiftly as they had come.
Blood soaked the earth.
The father's body lay motionless, eyes still open, as if refusing to accept what had just happened.
But what the attackers hadn't noticed…
The mother was still alive.
Barely.
With the last remnants of her strength, she dragged herself across the ground, leaving a trail of blood behind. Her vision blurred, her breath shallow—but she did not stop.
Not until she reached one of the patrolling guards.
Grabbing onto him weakly, she forced the words out through trembling lips:
"Please… save my daughter… save them… the humans… taken her away"
Her grip loosened.
And with that final plea— her life faded away.
...
Soon, the news reached the village chief.
For a long moment, he remained silent, his expression unreadable. Then, with a controlled breath, he spoke—his voice steady, yet laced with restrained fury.
"For years, we have honored the peace treaty. Not once have we raised our hands against them."
His gaze darkened.
"And now… they have broken it first. We have no reason to hold back any longer.
We will bring our children back—ourselves."
...
Meanwhile, at the Chen Long Sect—
"Admit it—you've already lost. No matter what move you make, the outcome remains the same." In a teasing tone, Chen Zoe mentions it to Rui, who had been thinking about his next move.
Rui frowned, his eyes fixed on the remaining pieces on the board, unwilling to accept defeat. After a tense pause, he swept the board aside in frustration, unwilling to admit defeat. "I don't accept it. "
A faint smile appeared on Zoe's lips. "That's what every loser says."
"I—I hate you," Rui snapped, his voice laced with irritation.
Before Zoe could respond, a deep, resonant sound echoed throughout the sect.
Gong
Both of them froze. The great bell… It is only used in emergency situations to alert the sect members. But why now?
Rui's expression shifted, unease replacing his earlier frustration. "What's happening?" he asked anxiously.
Zoe's eyes narrowed slightly. He had a guess what it was but chose not to voice it. "Don't worry, it might not be any serious issue. You wait here. I will be right back." Not wanting to make Rui anxious, Zoe spoke and left to the meeting hall where his father, the sect leader, was present.
As he expected, there was a meeting ongoing. Not like usual, those who came there after realising the emergency situation was free to enter.
Zoe stood there and learned about the situation. The topic was about the sudden attack of beast men in the northern border area.
"Our aim is to eliminate everyone; there is no need to show any mercy." Chen Zeng ordered his subordinates in a cold tone.
No one spoke against him as his words were absolute.
Within moments, the sect began to mobilize. Elders and disciples prepared to depart for the northern front. Among them were Chen Zeon, Chen Zoe, and Xi Shen, each accompanied by their disciples. Rui's father joined as well, leading a group assigned to handle medical support.
Their path was filled with the dead and injured humans.
Cries of sorrow and fear echoed endlessly in the air, clinging to the battlefield like a suffocating weight. The medical team, along with lower-ranked disciples, moved swiftly—tending to the injured and guiding civilians to safety.
Amidst the chaos, a beast men's anguished voice rose above the rest—
"Where are you hiding our children? Give them back!"
However, for humans it was some foreign language that they don't understand. But hearing it, two faces had a slight change in expression.
One was Chen Zoe. The other... Chen Zeon.
Even though they clearly heard the demand of them, both stayed silent.
"If possible, capture them alive," Chen Zeon ordered calmly. "Death would be too easy a punishment for them."
Zoe glanced at him, a trace of confusion crossing his expression. For a brief moment, he couldn't understand why Chen Zeon would give such an order.
However, it didn't take time for him to figure out his uncle's twisted intentions. Because of those words, the elders chose to spare the beast men's lives instead of ending it in one slash.
After imprisoning the beast men, Chen Zeon and the other elders chose to return to the sect, leaving the situation under the temporary command of Chen Zoe and Xi Shen.
Zoe and Xi Shen, along with their disciples, made their way to the inn prepared for their stay.
While everyone remained calm, believing the situation was under control, Zoe couldn't calm himself down. He knew the peace is the sign of the storm that about to come. Before that happen, he needs to find the children or else… the future became unpredictable.
"Shouldn't we at least try to understand the reason behind the attack?" Zoe asked, testing Xi Shen's stance before taking matters into his own hands.
Xi Shen's expression hardened immediately.
"Zoe, we are here to protect the people—not to investigate why those beasts suddenly decided to attack," he replied firmly. "Whatever their reasons may be, our duty is to eliminate them. Nothing more."
His tone left no room for argument.
Zoe understood there was no point in pushing further. So he made his decision to act alone.
Later that night, under the cover of darkness, Zoe quietly slipped out of the inn. He carried a few medicine bottles in case of emergencies. Zoe made his way directly toward the place where the captured beast men were being held.
The moment he approached, their gazes locked onto him.
Fierce. Hostile. Filled with hatred.
If the iron cage were opened, they would not hesitate to tear him apart.
However, Zoe remained unfazed. "I came here to help you," he said—speaking in their language. Years of living in the Dragon Realm in the past… had finally come in handy for Zoe.
For a brief moment, silence fell. The beast men exchanged uncertain glances.
"You… understand our language?" one of them stepped forward, his voice laced with suspicion.
"I do." Zoe met his gaze calmly. "I came to learn the truth. Why did you break the peace and attack the village?" Even though he knew the reason, Zoe asks without batting an eye.
The beast man's eyes burned with anger.
"We broke it?" he growled. "It was your kind who started this. You kidnapped our children… slaughtered our people… and now you expect us to remain silent?"
Zoe didn't react to the accusation. Instead, he stepped closer, his voice steady. "And what have you gained from this?"
The question hung heavily in the air. "When you invade another land and spill innocent blood, it becomes no different from what you accuse us of. Because of your actions, countless innocent lives have already been lost."
The beast man fell silent.
"Just because of a few humans wrongdoing, you came here to slaughter an entire village."
The tension in the room shifted. Their anger didn't disappear—but it wavered.
"I can overlook this situation once, knowing you had your reasons to act this way. But never try to cross the limit again, if you want your entire tribe to be alive." As a warning Zoe spoke, after taking a deep breath to calm his tone, he asks. "If I free you from here, can you able to find your children?"
"We can…" Before the beast man could finish, a sharp metallic sound rang out.
Clang.
The lock fell to the ground, cleanly severed.