THE RULER OF MAP

The air crackled with tension, the sound of steel clashing in the dim light of the setting sun. Zhang Xin's mind was a whirlwind, struggling to comprehend everything Zhen had said. He had always thought his life was straightforward—training, fighting, surviving. But now, standing in the midst of this brutal battle, it was clear that the world he had known was nothing more than a carefully constructed facade, hiding a deeper, darker truth.

Mingyue's movements were fluid, his blade a blur as he parried Zhen's strikes with the precision of someone who had spent a lifetime in combat. But despite his skill, Zhang Xin could see the toll the battle was taking on him. Each clash seemed to drain him, his energy waning just slightly with every passing moment. And Zhen, with his cold smile, seemed to be enjoying the slow unraveling of the man who had once been his ally.

Zhang Xin's chest tightened. He couldn't just stand there and watch. His mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of information that Zhen had left him with. He was the key? The truth he had been living was a lie? What did Zhen mean by all of this?

"Why?" Zhang Xin shouted, his voice cracking through the chaos. "Why are you doing this, Zhen? What do you want from me?"

Zhen's grin only widened, as if he had been waiting for the question. "You still don't understand, do you?" he purred, stepping back for a moment, his eyes never leaving Zhang Xin's. "The power you've been chasing—the one you think is the key to your strength—it's not what you think. It's nothing but a shadow of the real power. And you, Zhang Xin, you were always meant to wield it."

Zhang Xin's heart pounded in his chest, the words striking him like a thunderclap. "No… I've never wanted power. I just wanted to survive. To protect the people I care about."

Zhen's eyes darkened, a flicker of something—something old and cruel—flashing in his gaze. "Survival? Protection? You've been playing a game that was never meant for you, Zhang Xin. You think you're just a soldier, just a man of simple desires? You're more than that. You've always been more."

Zhang Xin's breath hitched as he tried to understand. "What do you mean?"

Zhen's voice dropped to a whisper, almost conspiratorial. "You're the last of the ancient bloodline. The one who was meant to unlock the power."

Mingyue, who had been fighting relentlessly to keep Zhen at bay, froze for the briefest of moments. Zhang Xin noticed it immediately—the hesitation, the way Mingyue's sword faltered slightly before he regained control. His eyes flicked to Mingyue, searching for some sign, some confirmation of what Zhen had just revealed.

Zhen took another step toward Zhang Xin, his gaze piercing. "The blood that runs through your veins is the key to everything. You are the heir to the power that has been lost to time. The very same power that was hidden away, locked in the deepest corners of this world. And now, it is awakening. And you, Zhang Xin, are the one who will bring it forth."

The world seemed to tilt beneath Zhang Xin's feet. His vision blurred for a moment, and all he could hear was the pounding of his own heart. The last of the ancient bloodline? He had always been just a simple warrior, But now… now Zhen was telling him that he was connected to something far greater.

His mind screamed in disbelief. How could this be true? How could he be someone who could unlock the power? He had always been ordinary—just a man trying to survive in a world full of monsters.

Mingyue's voice cut through the haze of his thoughts. "Zhen, enough! Stop feeding him your lies."

Zhen's laugh was dark and mocking. "Lies? These are not lies, Mingyue. These are the truths you've tried so desperately to bury. You know as well as I do what Zhang Xin truly is. He can deny it all he wants, but the blood cannot lie."

Zhang Xin's knees nearly gave way beneath him, but he forced himself to stay upright. "I don't care about your bloodline, Zhen. I don't care about your power. I only care about the truth. Who am I really?"

Zhen's eyes gleamed with a cold light. "You are the last of a forgotten dynasty, Zhang Xin. The one who will either save this world. The question is, what will you choose?"

Zhang Xin's throat tightened. The weight of Zhen's words crushed him, each one sinking deeper into his soul. This was more than just a fight. It was a battle for his very identity.

He turned to Mingyue, his voice barely above a whisper. "Is it true? Am I really…"

Mingyue's expression softened for just a moment before he closed his eyes, as if he were in pain. "I've been protecting you, Zhang Xin, because I thought you were just a soldier, like any other. But the truth…" His voice faltered. "The truth is more complicated than either of us realized."

Zhen sneered at them both. "You see? He doesn't even know what he is. And that is exactly why I'm here. To show him the path. To make him realize the power that lies dormant within him. The bloodline that cannot be denied."

Zhang Xin felt his stomach twist with fear and anger. He wasn't ready for this. He had never asked for this. But the more Zhen spoke, the more he realized that this wasn't something he could ignore. His past—his true past—was coming for him, whether he was ready or not.

"Enough!" Mingyue shouted, his voice shaking with intensity as he lunged at Zhen with all his remaining strength. The two warriors collided in a storm of steel, but Zhang Xin couldn't tear his eyes away from the man he had trusted—Mingyue, who seemed to know far more than he had ever let on.

Mingyue's eyes met his for the briefest of moments, and in them, Zhang Xin saw the truth. It wasn't just about bloodlines or power. It was about something deeper—something that connected them all, woven together by fate.

Zhang Xin's hands clenched around his sword, his mind made up. He couldn't run from this truth. He had to face it, even if it meant unraveling everything he thought he knew about himself.

The battle raged around him, but for the first time in his life, Zhang Xin felt ready to fight for the truth—even if it meant confronting a past that was darker and more powerful than he had ever imagined.