Epos Lóngzhàn: Pedang Hualian dan Amanah Sang Ksatria #1

 

Chapter 1: The Destruction of Zhaoyun Village

On a quiet morning in Zhaoyun Village, the sound of the temple bells echoed across the green fields still covered in mist. Children ran along the path, while farmers were busy harvesting their crops. Lóng Zhàn, a young man in his twenties, was helping his father stack sacks of grain on an old cart. Despite his simple life, happiness radiated from his face.  

“Lóng Zhàn, don’t forget to take the harvest to Elder Wang’s house when you’re done,” his father said, smiling proudly at his strong and agile son.  

"Okay, Dad!" he replied enthusiastically.  

However, that day would be the beginning of a nightmare they never imagined.  

When Long Zhan finished loading the cart, a panicked scream came from the north of the village. An old man ran out breathlessly. “Bandits! Bandits are coming from the north!” he shouted.  

Long Zhan froze, seeing the panic on the villagers’ faces. His father immediately pulled him. “Quick, take your sister and run into the forest!”  

Before Long Zhan could move, the clear sky turned dark. Black smoke began to rise in the distance, followed by the sound of screams and the pounding of horses' hooves. Armed bandits, dressed all in black with a red dragon emblem on their chests, charged into the village mercilessly.  

"Heluo Nation," his father whispered with a pale face.  

Long Zhan fought his instincts to run. He wanted to help his father, but the man pushed him hard. “This is not the time to be a hero! Save yourself!”  

With a heavy heart, Lóng Zhàn ran towards the house, looking for his younger sister, **Lóng Mei**, who was only ten years old. When he arrived, the fire had already consumed the roof of their house. His sister was trapped inside.  

“Mei! Where are you?” he shouted, panicked.  

“Gege!” a small voice came from the corner of the smoke-filled room. Without thinking, Lóng Zhàn dashed through the flames and carried his little brother out. However, outside, the scene that greeted them was even more horrific. Bodies of villagers were strewn about, and bandits began to burn down houses one by one.  

Suddenly, a large bandit with an axe in his hand approached them. “What do we have here? A kid who cares about his little sister? How funny,” he taunted, raising his axe high.  

Frightened, Long Zhan hugged Mei tightly, preparing to accept death. However, before the axe fell, a shadow flashed past. A long, gleaming sword cut through the air, knocking the bandit's axe to the ground.  

“How dare you touch these children!” an old man’s voice echoed. Before them stood an old man in a gray robe, carrying a shining sword. He was Master Jianzhu, a hermit who had long been thought to be nothing more than a legend.  

The hermit moved at lightning speed, dispatching the bandits who tried to approach. But the number of enemies was too great, and Jianzhu knew he had to get Long Zhan and Mei out of there.  

“If you want to live, follow me!” he said firmly.  

With no other choice, Long Zhan carried Mei and followed Jianzhu into the forest on the outskirts of the village. They ran non-stop until they reached a hidden cave.  

Inside the cave, Jianzhu looked at Long Zhan with a meaningful look. “You are different from others. There is something in you that you have not yet realized. The world needs you, young man.”  

Long Zhan remained silent, his mind still filled with the screams and faces of the villagers who were now gone.  

“From today on, your life will change. You will carry a greater responsibility than you ever imagined,” Jianzhu continued as she placed her sword on her lap.  

Amidst his pain and confusion, Lóng Zhàn had no idea that this was the beginning of a journey that would change the history of Liangfeng Kingdom forever.  

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*Rhyme*

Hualian Sword, Light in the Darkness  

At the end of the night, the mist curls,  

Shadows of revenge, deep-rooted pain.  

But in the hands of the young knight,  

Light rises, removes stains.  

Hualian Sword, an eternal relic,  

Keeping hope amidst tragedy.  

It's not just sharp steel,  

But trust, which brings safety.  

Blood is spilled, the earth cries,  

Under the sky, the truth is cut.  

But the knight will not kneel,  

Because of justice, he stands firm, even in the face of death.  

Oh, the wind from the Yunshen Mountains,  

Whisper the songs of the ancestors, which never disappear.  

To the knight, give strength,  

So that the world remembers, the struggle without limits.  

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