Chapter 1: Shattered Ideals

The day started like any other at the Tu Shan Mansion. Young Master Tu Shan Jing had gotten used to servants running to and fro across the halls within the past few months as preparations for his wedding continued. He was initially anxious about meeting his bride-to-be, but he had grown more and more resigned as the big day approached.

Only one month was left until Fangfeng Yiying arrived for the wedding, but Jing was by then totally disenchanted about his supposedly big day. He heard she was beautiful, virtuous, and skillful, but what of it? He wanted to discover those things for himself in some unforced way. Vows are sacred to Jing. How could he make a vow to love someone, and share weal and woe with a woman he didn't know?

Before his mother arranged a marriage partner for him, he had dreamed of the kind of girl whom he could share his life with. He had traveled the world on business, a lot of times disguising his looks and status. As a descendant of the deity spirit nine-tailed fox, he was an expert in illusionary disguises that even the most powerful beings couldn't see through, even as he himself could see through others in disguise. He secretly envisioned meeting the girl of his dreams somewhere and immediately knowing she was the one. She would love him for himself and not because of the Tu Shan name. But as the second master of the Tu Shan Clan, it turned out that he really had no say on matters of love and marriage.

His older brother's marriage was arranged by his mother too, which he knew brought no happiness to either bride or groom. Jing sighed in complete surrender to his fate. He had no right to complain. Hou willingly accepted getting paired with Lan Mei. Though Jing didn't look down on Lan Mei for being a servant, he knew his mother did it to humiliate Hou. The bride chosen for Jing came from a reputable clan and, of course, much higher status than Mei, so how could he refuse? His misgivings in not being able to choose his own bride did not outweigh his guilt for his mother's doting favor of him and her cruel prejudice against Hou.

Tu Shan Hou was not much older than Jing, yet he took care of his younger brother like he was much older, as if taking the place of their departed father. Jing could tell from the time they were small that their mother despised Hou, which constantly boggled him since they were supposed to be twins. If they knew early on that Hou was born of a different mother, would Hou have treated Jing differently? In his heart, Jing was convinced that Hou would still be the same big brother he had always been. After all, Hou got along with him as always after their grandmother revealed the truth.

Hou would've been spared all his efforts to please Jing's mother if he only knew. And if Jing had known, he would've exerted more effort in talking some sense to his mother to treat Hou more fairly. But the chance was past; his mother was dead, and Hou had already endured countless humiliation.

"You will run out of breath if you keep sighing like that," a voice from behind Jing said.

He turned around to find Hou smiling at him.

"Why does it seem like you're not happy to be getting married?"

"I am," Jing said while forcing a smile. Any show of discontent would be an insult to his brother. "I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

Hou swung his arm around Jing in his usual brutish but friendly way. "Got time for me today? I have a bit of an emergency."

"Of course. Always!"

"Great! Let's go!"

Jing smiled widely at the invitation. In all those years that he witnessed Hou's mistreatment from any clan member, Jing did his best to defend him and make it up to Hou in any way he could. His big brother remained magnanimous through it all, just as he was right then. Jing swore to himself long before that he would work for Hou to gain his due honor as the elder son of the Tu Shan Clan.


Jing woke in a daze. His head ached badly and his body felt numb for some reason. He shook his head, still unable to open his eyes due to the searing pain in his temples. He jogged his memory to remember what happened. He left the mansion with Hou who led him to a forest where they usually went hunting. As they reached the middle of the forest, Hou pointed at something at a far direction then everything went black.

He kept his eyes tightly shut until the pain subsided before slowly opening them. His pupils widened only slightly in response to the faint light that illuminated the surroundings. Where the light came from, he didn't know. The gray stone walls and huge chains hanging from the ceiling told him that he was in a dungeon. He was bare-chested, his clothing reduced to nothing more than his undergarment below his waist. His arms and legs were splayed across a wooden X-beam, his wrists and ankles bound by chains. He strained his eyes and recognized the chains to be made of dragon bone. Even with his spiritual power he wouldn't be able to break chains made with dragon bone, yet he could feel that his power had been sealed anyway. His bare feet could feel the coldness of the stone floor.

His thoughts turned to Hou. Where was he? Was Hou also bound like him somewhere? His brother had always been the better fighter. He hoped that Hou managed to escape. If this was a kidnap for ransom situation, taking one of the brothers was enough and Jing would gladly be that one.

The creaking sound of scraping metal indicated that someone had entered the dungeon from behind him. Instinctively, Jing pulled at the chains that restrained him, even though he knew it was futile to get loose. A hooded man wearing a mask appeared from behind and made his way toward a long table by the edge of the wall in front. Jing didn't notice it before on account of the shadows that partly hid its presence. Once his eyes adjusted, he saw that the table contained various tools and weapons. The man took one from the array and uncoiled it. It was a long whip lined with barbs.

Jing observed the man and waited. Strangely enough, his height and form were similar to Hou's. Jing again thought of his brother and hoped he was safe. Jing deemed this man before him foolish if indeed he was kidnapped for ransom. The Tu Shan Clan had more than enough resources to pay for his freedom, but they would not so easily let the kidnapper go either. And hurting him would surely lead to vendetta without escape. His brother Hou would make sure of that. He didn't relish the thought of Hou getting violent at all.

"For your sake, I advise you to just name your price. My family will certainly pay, but hurting me will lead to certain death for you. Don't do it."

The man flicked the whip once on the ground then struck with lightning speed against Jing's body. Jing shut his eyes and bit his lip to counter the pain. The strike produced a long streak of blood across his chest. The barbs cut harshly through his flesh. Another strike followed shortly to produce another streak across the first. Jing now had a huge red X mark on his body. Another strike, and another. Jing didn't bother counting the strikes. He only endured without as much as a whimper.

The man got bored of using the whip. He strode toward the table again and picked up another tool. Jing's head lolled downward as he let out throated groans between heavy intakes of breath. Before he knew it, the man had already walked up toward him. He lifted Jing's head from under the chin with the sharp edge of a knife until the blade cut through the skin. Blood trickled down on Jing's neck.

The man's masked face was now a hand's breadth away that Jing could peer into his eyes. Those eyes were strangely familiar, yet the glint in them spoke malice that for the first time, Jing realized the purpose of his abduction wasn't about money at all.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he asked calmly even as he struggled with the electrifying sensation from the multiple lashes he sustained.

The man lifted his hood and slowly took off his mask. Jing's unbelieving eyes grew wide in shock. It couldn't be. Someone must be playing tricks. It wasn't the first time that he had been pitted against his brother, yet no one ever succeeded in breaking their bond.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

"Jing, you know who I am."

"No. You're not Hou. Where is he?"

Hou grabbed the back of Jing's head and pulled it closer to his own face that they could both feel the other's breath. "You know very well that it's really me."

Jing's heart shattered. His innate power enabled him to see through any kind of illusion. This was no illusion. He was in denial from the start. The man, who had bound him and hurt him with so much hatred and malice, really was his own brother.