THE RULER OF MAP

The clash of steel rang through the air as Mingyue and Zhen met in battle, their blades flashing with deadly precision. Zhang Xin stood frozen for a heartbeat, his mind spinning in disbelief as he watched the two men fight. Zhen, the one who had haunted his past, now stood before him, and Mingyue, the companion he thought he understood, was fighting to protect him. The very ground seemed to tremble beneath their feet as the two warriors clashed, each blow ringing out with the weight of years of conflict.

Zhang Xin's hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. He could feel the rage building inside him, but there was something else too—something he couldn't quite place. It was as if the past was unraveling around him, exposing truths he wasn't prepared to face.

He forced himself to focus. This battle wasn't his, not yet, but the man in front of him—the one who had caused so much pain—was a part of his story, a part of his past. And that past was now coming to a head.

Zhen's laughter echoed through the clearing as his sword collided with Mingyue's with an almost mocking force. "You still think you can protect him, Mingyue? You think you can save him from the truth?"

Mingyue's face remained hard, his sword moving with such precision that Zhang Xin almost didn't see the motions. "The truth?" Mingyue's voice was a low growl, his gaze never leaving Zhen. "You've twisted the truth to suit your lies, Zhen. But it ends here."

Zhen's grin never faltered as he parried another strike. "You think you're the hero in this story? You've always been a fool, Mingyue. The truth you've been protecting isn't what it seems."

Zhang Xin's mind raced, his pulse quickening as he tried to make sense of the words. What was Zhen talking about? What truth? He turned to Mingyue, searching his face for any sign of the answer. But Mingyue's expression was unreadable, the battle fury in his eyes making it impossible for Zhang Xin to decipher his thoughts.

Zhen, seeing the confusion in Zhang Xin's eyes, turned his gaze toward him. "You don't know, do you, Zhang Xin? You have no idea why I've come for you. But it's not just you I'm after—it's everything you represent."

Zhang Xin's heart skipped a beat as Zhen's words struck like a hammer. Everything he represented? What did that mean? The sense of foreboding deepened, and Zhang Xin found himself stepping forward, drawn in by a force he couldn't explain.

"No," Mingyue barked, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. "Stay back."

But it was too late. Zhen's next words hit Zhang Xin like a storm.

"You were never meant to be just a pawn, Zhang Xin," Zhen sneered, his eyes gleaming with dark knowledge. "You were meant to be the key. The key to all of this—everything that's been set in motion. You were always meant to be the one to decide, and now the time has come."

Zhang Xin's mind reeled as the words crashed over him. What was Zhen saying? Key to what? And why was his heart pounding with the sense that he had always known this moment would come, even though he had never truly understood it until now?

"Stop!" Zhang Xin shouted, his voice hoarse with the weight of his confusion. "What are you talking about? What's the truth?"

Zhen's expression softened, just for a moment, as if he were relishing the moment before the storm. "The truth is that you've been living a lie, Zhang Xin. The world you think you know, the world you've fought for—it's all a carefully constructed illusion."

Zhang Xin's breath caught in his throat. The words echoed in his mind, the weight of them suffocating. A lie? His entire world?

Zhen moved closer, his voice growing colder. "The true power has always been hidden, buried deep beneath the surface of this world. And you… you were the one who was always destined to uncover it."

Mingyue growled, his blade striking with increased intensity. "Enough of your riddles, Zhen. You've already caused enough damage. Leave now, or I will end this."

Zhen only chuckled, unfazed by Mingyue's threats. "You still don't understand, do you? This has never been about you, Mingyue. It's always been about Zhang Xin."

Zhang Xin's mind was spinning. He wanted to shout, to demand answers, but the words caught in his throat. This was too much. Too much to process at once. His heart pounded in his chest as Zhen's words sank deeper into him, gnawing at his thoughts like a virus.

"I don't care about your twisted games, Zhen," Mingyue said, his sword flashing in the fading light. "Leave him be."

Zhen tilted his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. "You can't stop what's already in motion, Mingyue. I'm here to finish what we started. And Zhang Xin…" He turned his attention back to Zhang Xin, his voice dropping to a low, menacing whisper. "You'll soon see the truth for yourself. You'll have no choice."

Before Zhang Xin could respond, Zhen's blade struck, forcing Mingyue to parry with all his strength. The two were locked in a deadly dance, their movements blindingly fast. But even amidst the chaos, Zhang Xin couldn't shake the feeling that he was at the center of something far larger than he could ever comprehend.

His hand trembled as he tightened his grip on his sword, the weight of his destiny—whatever it was—heavy in his chest.

He had been thrust into a world of shadows and half-truths, and now, with the past unraveling around him, he had to decide what to believe, who to trust, and, most importantly, what role he would play in the storm that was about to consume them all.

Mingyue was right about one thing—Zhen's words were nothing more than a twisted game. But the more Zhang Xin thought about it, the more he realized that this game was not one he could afford to lose.