The Phoenix of the Slums

The smell of sweat and blood lingered in the air as Tianming, Fang, Zhao, and Dr. Jin slipped into the maintenance corridor running behind the Scarlet Fist Arena.

The roar of the crowd faded into a distant hum as they navigated narrow tunnels barely lit by flickering emergency lights. No security cameras. No guards. This path had been used for something else once—something darker.

Fang led the way, her sidearm drawn. “Xu Liang’s quarters are above the northern loading bay. If he’s not there, we’ll wait.”

Dr. Jin’s voice was low. “You have to be careful. If he sees you as a threat before he awakens, he may not hesitate to kill.”

Tianming’s voice was steady. “Then I’ll give him no reason to strike. But if he does—” he glanced at Fang—“we do it clean.”

Zhao muttered behind them, “Great. Another fight with a guy who breaks people with one slap.”

They reached the ladder shaft and climbed in silence, emerging inside a ventilation chamber beside a rusted security gate. On the other side was Xu Liang’s room—bare concrete, a cot, and a single punching bag hanging from the ceiling. It swung slowly, as if someone had just touched it.

Tianming stepped out first.

He saw him.

Xu Liang stood shirtless at the far wall, wrapping his fists with gauze. He turned slowly, eyes locking onto Tianming’s. There was no fear in his gaze. No surprise. Just silence. A recognition that went deeper than memory.

“Who are you?” Xu Liang asked.

Tianming stepped forward. “Someone like you. Someone who’s waking up.”

Xu Liang narrowed his eyes. “I’ve heard those words before. From a man with silver eyes.”

Dr. Jin froze. “Lu Qingshan.”

Xu Liang didn’t answer. His stance shifted slightly—subtle, but Tianming noticed. He was reading the room. Preparing.

“I don’t want to fight you,” Tianming said calmly.

“But you came sneaking through the walls like a rat,” Xu Liang replied. “You didn’t knock.”

Fang raised her hands. “We didn’t come to hurt you. We came to help you remember.”

Xu Liang took one step forward. His muscles tightened.

Then he moved.

Tianming barely dodged as Xu Liang launched forward, fist like a hammer slicing through air. The punch was fast—not just fast, but precise. Tianming dropped to the side, rolled, and came back up, raising both hands to defend.

Xu Liang twisted into a spinning heel kick, aiming for Tianming’s head. The arc was beautiful—perfect control of weight and balance.

Tianming ducked under and slid forward, reaching for Xu’s waist—but Xu Liang reversed, planted a knee into his ribs, and flung him against the wall.

Tianming gasped, ribs screaming, but he didn’t counter. He stood slowly, wiping blood from his lip.

“I’m not your enemy.”

Xu Liang’s breath was steady. His fists dropped. “Then why didn’t you fight back?”

“Because I know what it’s like to lose control,” Tianming said. “I’ve been where you are. I know what you’re afraid of.”

Xu Liang stared at him.

Something in the air shifted.

Then he stepped back. “You don’t feel normal. There’s something in you… humming.”

Dr. Jin spoke up. “It’s because you both share the same origin. You and Tianming are part of a project long buried. You’re Keys. And you're not the only ones.”

Xu Liang sat down slowly, expression unreadable. “I always wondered. Why I don’t bleed like others. Why my bones heal in hours. Why I dream of things I’ve never seen.”

Tianming nodded. “We’re going to unlock it together. But we need to move fast. The Lotus Clan is circling you. Song Rui already made you an offer.”

Xu Liang looked up. “I turned him down.”

“But he won’t take no forever,” Fang said. “They want your body. Not your will.”

Xu Liang stood and walked toward a hidden cabinet. He opened it to reveal a black duffel. Inside were files—old, burnt, partially intact documents with symbols resembling the Orchid Society’s crest.

He held one out to Tianming. “This was left in my cell the day I turned fifteen. It has a name: Project Chrysalis. And a warning: Do not awaken without the Seal.”

Jin’s face went pale. “The Seal… I thought it was a myth.”

Tianming clenched his jaw. “Then we find it. And we do it before Song Rui figures out where it’s buried.”

Zhao cleared his throat. “And where exactly is it buried?”

Xu Liang looked at them all. “In the Catacombs of Gaowei. And that place hasn’t seen sunlight in fifty years.”