In the vast chessboard of fate, not every piece is chosen by choice—some are forged through it.
As Shaurya rises in glory, another soul is ready to walk beside him. Before destiny brings her to the Sanatan Flame Sect and to Shaurya, this is her story."
Some are born to bloom under sunlight, while others are forced to bloom in darkness—like her, Lin Shu.
The story began not with blood or war, but with laughter—innocent and pure.
A five-year-old Lin Shu ran through the vibrant Lin family estate, her soft laughter echoing in the garden as her mother chased her playfully.
Her father, Lin Ru, watched them from a distance, his smile warm and his eyes filled with pride.
"Shu'er, come here! Look what Father brought you," he called, revealing a delicate jade hairpin.
Little Lin Shu ran up to him and embraced him.
"Father, you're the best!"
Her mother, gentle and elegant, kissed her forehead.
"You're our pride, sweetheart."
That memory—perfect and glowing—was the last time Lin Shu remembered what true happiness felt like.
When Lin Shu turned six, her mother fell gravely ill. Whispers said it was sudden… unnatural.
A few months later, her mother passed away. Lin Shu was too young to understand the shadows behind the tears.
At the funeral, Lin Ru did not shed a single tear.
Just two weeks later, he brought another woman into the house—his new wife, Lin Ja, the sister of the Gu Family Patriarch.
From that moment on, the sunshine disappeared from Lin Shu's life.
The mansion that once held warmth now whispered cruelty. The servants who used to adore her now sneered behind her back.
Lin Ja's glare followed her every move. The maids pinched, cursed, and starved her, and no one cared.
"Why didn't you die with your mother?" her stepmother spat one day, flinging hot tea in her face.
Lin Ru did not stop it.
He never did.
By the age of twelve, Lin Shu learned the truth. Her real mother had not died from illness—she had been murdered.
By her own father.
When she confronted him, shaking with tears and rage, Lin Ru only laughed.
"You inherited your mother's foolishness."
That night, she tried to stab him with a sharp dagger.
She failed.
And that failure cost her everything.
Lin Ja scoffed.
"This dead girl dared to rebel. We should have killed her earlier."
Lin Ja wanted her dead.
But Lin Ru had a different idea.
"Don't kill her," he said with a wicked smile. "We'll make her useful. A puppet with blood ties makes the best shield."
And so began her nightmare.
A demonic curse called the Soul Puppet Seal was branded into her spirit. If she disobeyed, agony surged through every nerve like fire licking her bones.
If she tried to speak out—or even die—the curse would bring her back only to suffer again.
Her only purpose was to act as the Lin Family's scapegoat, a decoy heiress used to attract assassins away from their real daughter, Lin Ba.
Ten times she was attacked.
Four times she nearly died.
Yet they celebrated her survival not with joy, but with indifference. Her training, her pain, and her scars were nothing more than tools for others.
But inside the lifeless doll, a fire still flickered.
The fire of revenge had never died.
---
Present Day — Lin Family Manor, Central City
In the inner court, a jade scroll shattered in Lin Ru's hand. His expression twisted with shock and rage.
A messenger ran in and bowed.
"My lord, urgent news… Gu Tang, the ancestor of the Gu Family… has been killed."
"What?!"
Even Lin Ja's face turned pale.
"Impossible! Who would dare?!"
A family elder spoke carefully.
"According to reports, he was killed by a sect master… from a sect no one had ever heard of before. It recently became famous after the Fifty Disciples Competition."
Lin Ru clenched his fists.
"How can that be? Which sect dares provoke the Gu Family?"
"The sect calls itself… the Sanatan Flame Sect, from Bluestone City. It is the sect that won this year's competition."
The room fell silent.
---
A Few Hours Later — Gu Family Manor
The majestic Gu Manor was darker than usual.
Dozens of elders and core members sat in silence. The atmosphere was filled with fury.
"Lin Ru!" boomed Gu Yang, the Gu Family patriarch. "That sect—the Sanatan Flame Sect—not only dared to challenge us, they killed Gu Tang! Our ancestor!"
Lin Ru bowed deeply.
"Unforgivable! I am honored that you called me, Brother-in-law. We must crush them!"
Gu Yang growled.
"Their sect is hidden under a formation so strong that even our best spies have failed. It seems… this sect isn't ordinary.
They wiped out the Crimson Beast Sect as well. Their leader defeated Wie Lu in his demonic form and saved everyone, becoming a hero. He is no weakling."
Lin Shu narrowed her eyes and whispered to herself.
"So… a new powerhouse is rising."
"I don't care," Gu Yang snarled. "Whether he is powerful or not, I want revenge. He not only killed our ancestor but also disrespected my beloved daughter. I want him dead—but how?"
Lin Ja spoke calmly.
"We need someone inside. If spies can't get in, we will use pawns."
Lin Ru's eyes lit up.
"Exactly my thought."
Gu Yang tilted his head.
"You mean placing our people inside their sect?"
"Yes," Lin Ru nodded.
"Then I received news that they are recruiting members for their sect," Gu Yang said thoughtfully. "They are recruiting here in the capital city. Disciples and elders. The minimum age for disciples is twenty-two, and those above twenty-three who pass the elder test will become elders."
Lin Ru frowned in confusion.
"Elders from age twenty-three? And disciples under twenty-two? That sect master must be a fool."
"Perhaps," Gu Yang said. "But we must still think of something."
Lin Ru smiled with a devilish smirk.
"Our problem has already been solved before it even started. We will send some members as disciples… and someone as an elder."
"The disciple plan is fine," Gu Yang said. "But where will we get an elder? Do you have someone in mind?"
"Yes."
Lin Ru slowly turned.
"My… eldest daughter."
"Lin Shu."
From the corner of the room, Lin Shu—dressed like a servant—stepped forward silently.
"A perfect spy," Lin Ru continued. "She will pose as a new elder. If she enters their sect, she can collect information, spread chaos, and even eliminate disciples quietly."
Lin Shu's eyes widened slightly.
Not from fear—but from realization.
"They're using me again," she thought bitterly.
"This time… as a weapon."
Lin Ja spoke coldly.
"What if she escapes?"
Lin Ru smiled cruelly.
"She can't."
He summoned a cursed crystal surrounded by bones and black chains.
As he whispered a command, Lin Shu collapsed, pain wracking her body. The curse ignited in her soul like fire.
"Do you understand?" he roared.
"I… I do…" she gasped, barely able to breathe.
"Good. Complete your mission—or suffer beyond death."
Gu Yang bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Brother-in-law."
Lin Ru smiled and returned the bow.
"You flatter me. After all… we are family."
Lin Shu trembled in pain.
"Fa… family?" she thought bitterly.
"Do you even understand what family means?"
---
Later that night, Lin Shu stood silently under the moonlight, watching the stars flicker above the estate walls.
For the first time in years, she made a wish.
"If the gods truly exist… please… give me a way out. Someone… anyone… save me."
She was not crying, but the pain in her eyes told a story of unimaginable suffering.
---
Meanwhile — Central City
Shaurya sneezed while strolling down a busy street, his black sunglasses gleaming under the sunlight.
"Haan? Is someone thinking about me?" he grinned.
"Why do I feel like something is about to happen… Narayan Narayan…"
---
Lin Family Hall — The Final Orders
Lin Shu knelt before Lin Ru one last time.
"You will go to the Sanatan Flame Sect's recruitment tomorrow. No matter what you do, become their elder. Send us information. Weaken them. Divide them. And when the time comes…"
Lin Ru's eyes gleamed darkly.
"We will strike with Gu Yang… and destroy them."
"Yes, Father," Lin Shu replied obediently.
But in her heart she whispered:
"If I cannot find a cure for this curse… or someone who can free me… this darkness will become my grave."
As dawn broke, Lin Shu stepped onto the path toward the Sanatan Flame Sect's recruitment venue.
Her eyes were empty, but her heart still carried one final ember of hope.
At the same time, another figure moved through the streets of Central City.
A tall, handsome man with sharp features, blue hair, and golden eyes.
He looked toward the recruitment ceremony with clear intent.
Two souls.
Two destinies.
Both heading toward the same place.
At the center of the capital, at the recruitment grounds of the Sanatan Flame Sect, Shaurya leaned forward in his chair.
With a smirk, he whispered,
"Let the ceremony begin."
To be continued…