Su Changhe was momentarily stunned, then broke into a genuine smile. To others, he was always a man with a perpetual smirk, though his eyes never reflected joy—only mockery. But at this moment, his eyes shone with unmistakable delight.
"Good!" Su Changhe nodded firmly, then strode forward with the Sleeping Dragon Sword in hand.
The Spider Shadow members exchanged glances before turning their attention to Su Muyu, who followed closely behind. Su Muyu gave them a slight nod. Without further hesitation, the Spider Shadow members laid down their weapons and knelt in reverence. Su Changhe continued walking outward, while Su Muyu turned back to look at The Head, who remained seated inside the room.
The Head raised a hand slightly, signaling Su Muyu to proceed forward.
Su Muyu nodded and turned to follow Su Changhe.
Bai Hehuai addressed The Head, "If we proceed with the acupuncture now, we might still buy a few more days... During that time, I can try to think of another solution. There might still be a chance."
"No need. Miracle Healer, you may leave now," The Head said, closing his eyes. "Let me stay here alone."
Bai Hehuai hesitated but eventually stepped out, closing the door behind him.
A voice, both sinister and amused, spoke from behind The Head: "You've made a terrifying decision."
The Head kept his eyes shut. "Perhaps only such a transformation can bring forth a new Dark River—a shadow unlike any other in this world."
"Then I shall watch. But no matter the outcome, you won't live to see it," the newcomer said, placing a hand on The Head's crown.
"I am no longer The Head," The Head murmured, eyes still closed. "I have borne the Mu surname and the Su surname, yet I have never truly left this river."
"A shadow remains a shadow—it can never step into the light," the newcomer sneered.
Su Changhe pushed open the gates, holding the Sleeping Dragon Sword aloft as he faced the members of The Other Shore.
"Su Changhe of the Su Family, recognized by the former Head and bestowed the Sleeping Dragon Sword, hereby ascends to the position of The Head, effective today!" Su Muyu declared in a clear, resonant voice.
Without hesitation, The Other Shore members knelt and proclaimed, "We greet The Head!"
"Su Muyu of the Spider Shadow Assassins relinquishes the Puppet Removal Position and assumes leadership of the Su Family," Su Changhe continued.
The Other Shore members exchanged startled glances before turning to Su Luandan at the forefront. Su Luandan lowered his head further and was the first to speak: "We greet the Family Head!"
"We greet the Family Head!" The others echoed, visibly relieved.
"Clownish pretenders! The Sleeping Dragon Sword is in my hands. How dare you brandish a counterfeit and spout such arrogance?" Mu Zi Zhe arrived with the Mu Family in tow, their white robes fluttering ominously in the night wind.
Su Changhe stroked his beard. "Finally, you've arrived. The last act of today's spectacle."
Mu Zi Zhe frowned at the identical sword in Su Changhe's grip. "Su Changhe, a mere Nameless One, what right do you have to inherit the position of The Head?"
"Silence!" Su Changhe barked. "At the Surname Conferral Ceremony, it was declared that henceforth, we are bound by blood, inseparable even in death. So why do terms like 'Nameless Ones' and 'clan bloodlines' still exist?"Mu Zi Zhe sneered, "The so-called Nameless Ones are merely tools for Dark River to kill."
"Don't you have Nameless Ones behind you? Are they just your tools too?" Su Changhe asked.
Mu Zi Zhe narrowed his eyes, realizing he had been too hasty and fallen into the other's trap.
Mu Qingyang tossed a Peach Blossom Coin into the air and caught it firmly. "I am a Nameless One, and I don't consider myself anyone's tool. The Book of Fate says, 'My destiny is mine to command, not Heaven's!'" With that, Mu Qingyang suddenly drew his Peach Wood Sword and thrust it toward Mu Zi Zhe.
Caught off guard, Mu Zi Zhe barely dodged in time, but his sleeve was shredded by the sword. He staggered back three steps. "Mu Qingyang! You traitor!"
Mu Qingyang laughed. "If Nameless Ones aren't family in your eyes, then we were never on the same path to begin with. How can you call this betrayal?"
"Kill him!" Mu Zi Zhe commanded.
The other members of the Mu Family moved to attack, but a cloud of poisonous mist surged toward them, forcing them back. Mu Xuewei pressed her hands to the ground—the mist emanated from her. She said coldly, "Don't move recklessly."
Mu Zi Zhe laughed in fury. "Well, well, Mu Xuewei! You, a trueborn member of the Mu Family, would actually—"
Mu Xuewei shook her head. "There's no such thing as 'trueborn.' We are all abandoned by this world. Only by trusting each other can we move forward."
"Enough of this." Su Changhe lunged at Mu Zi Zhe, swinging his Sleeping Dragon Sword. Though swordsmanship wasn't his forte, Mu Zi Zhe met the strike, hoping to counter Su Changhe's blade with his own "Sleeping Dragon Sword." If he won this duel, the lopsided battle could be reversed in an instant.
But fate had other plans. After fewer than ten exchanges, Su Changhe's horizontal slash severed the tip of Mu Zi Zhe's "Sleeping Dragon Sword."
"Seems the Water Official's counterfeit sword was just a cheap roadside purchase," Su Changhe remarked, sheathing his blade before kicking Mu Zi Zhe in the chest and sending him flying.
Furious, Mu Zi Zhe discarded the broken sword and spread his arms, preparing to unleash the Puppet Assassination Art.
"Enough. Let's end this quickly." Su Muyu deflected the flying sword tip and moved to assist Su Changhe.
Under the moonlight, a gaunt middle-aged man sat on the eaves, smoking. In thickly accented Mandarin, he said, "The three of us working together again—just like when we fought the Demon Sect back in the day."
"Uncle Zhe," Su Muyu called up to him.
"The Demon Sect was no match for us, let alone the Mu Family," Su Changhe declared with a laugh.
Bai Hehuai stood in the courtyard, watching the battle outside, when she suddenly turned. The mansion behind her had burst into roaring flames.
"The Head..." Bai Hehuai murmured.
On this day, within Dark River, an old star had fallen, and a new one was rising.
The revolution was complete, baptized in blood.
This was Dark River's Night of Blood.On the deserted streets of Nine Heavens City, a beautiful woman in purple robes was running wildly while shouting at the top of her lungs.
"Tang Lingyue! Tang Lingyue! Tang Lingyue!"
...End of Part One of "Dark River Chronicles"
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