The city of Yunzhou was a stark contrast to the quiet forests Ling Feng had been wandering. The streets were alive with the clamor of merchants hawking their wares, the clang of blacksmiths’ hammers, and the laughter of children running through the alleys. Ling Feng pulled his straw hat lower over his face, his hand resting on the hilt of the Frostmoon Blade, now wrapped in plain cloth to avoid drawing attention.

He approached the Stormwind Dojo, a well-known martial arts school in the city. The entrance was guarded by two burly men who eyed him suspiciously. “What do you want?” one of them asked, his voice gruff.

“I’ve come to train,” Ling Feng replied, his tone steady. “I’ve heard this is the best place to learn.”

The guard smirked. “It’ll cost you. Two silver coins for a month’s training.”

Ling Feng handed over the coins, his heart pounding. He couldn’t afford to draw attention, but he needed information about the Black Eagle Syndicate. Inside the dojo, students sparred with wooden swords, their movements precise but lacking the deadly edge Ling Feng had seen in his father’s techniques.

During a sparring match, Ling Feng’s opponent, a cocky young man named Li, taunted him. “You look like a farmer, not a swordsman. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Ling Feng hesitated, then drew the Frostmoon Blade. The moment the blade was unsheathed, the room fell silent. Its cold light seemed to cut through the air itself. With a single, fluid motion, Ling Feng disarmed Li, the wooden sword clattering to the ground.

The students erupted into murmurs. “That blade… it’s incredible!” one of them whispered.

That night, as Ling Feng lay in his small room at the inn, he heard the faint sound of footsteps on the roof. He grabbed the Frostmoon Blade just as the window shattered, and three assassins burst into the room. Their movements were swift and deadly, but Ling Feng’s training with the old man had prepared him. He parried their strikes, his blade moving like a shadow in the moonlight. One assassin fell, then another, but the third managed to graze Ling Feng’s arm before fleeing.

Ling Feng slumped against the wall, his breath ragged. “They’ve found me,” he muttered. “I need to get stronger.”