“Poison kills quickly.
Kindness without wisdom kills slowly.”
– Saying of the Poison Tribe
The stranger had been gone for five days.
Yet the village remained uneasy.
Hunters doubled their patrols.
Scouts watched every trail leading into the Black Marsh.
Even the children were forbidden from wandering alone.
…
Zhao Long sat beneath the ancient watchtree.
In front of him lay a simple wooden spear.
He slowly rubbed oil into the shaft.
Not because it needed it…
But because Grandmother Wu had taught him:
“If you neglect your weapon on peaceful days…”
“It will abandon you on the day you need it most.”
…
That afternoon…
A young hunter came running into the village.
“Tracks!”
“Fresh tracks!”
The warriors grabbed their weapons.
Grandmother Wu raised her hand.
“How many?”
“Only one.”
The elders exchanged puzzled glances.
One person?
Who would willingly enter the Black Marsh alone?
…
The tracks led to an abandoned campsite.
The fire was still warm.
Beside it lay an empty waterskin.
And a torn piece of cloth.
One elder spat.
“A scout.”
Another shook his head.
“No.”
“A survivor.”
The argument continued.
Only Zhao Long walked farther into the trees. New chapters come out on g.com first.
He crouched beside a patch of mud.
“There were two people.”
The hunters looked confused.
“There is only one set of footprints.”
Zhao Long pointed to a bent branch.
“The second never touched the mud.”
“He walked on the roots.”
Silence.
Grandmother Wu smiled faintly.
“Go on.”
“The heavier man walked openly.”
“The lighter one hid his trail.”
“The hidden one is the dangerous one.”
Several hunters instinctively gripped their knives tighter.
…
As the sun began to set…
A whistle echoed through the forest.
Then another.
The tribe immediately formed a defensive circle.
Nothing happened.
Minutes passed.
No attack came.
Only silence.
One impatient warrior charged into the trees.
“Come out!”
A loud snap.
A hidden snare pulled him into the air.
He dangled upside down.
The children gasped.
The hunters quickly cut him down.
Grandmother Wu sighed.
“The trap wasn’t meant to kill.”
“It was meant to teach.”
…
That evening…
The scouts finally returned.
“There was no enemy.”
“No ambush.”
“Only abandoned traps.” Get faster updates on g.com.
The elders frowned.
“Why?”
Zhao Long answered quietly.
“They wanted to measure us.”
“They wanted to see how we would react.”
Every face turned toward him.
He continued.
“A man who knows your strength…”
“Can prepare.”
“But a man who knows your fear…”
“Has already won.”
For the first time…
Even the oldest warriors realized they were no longer listening to a gifted child.
They were listening to someone who saw battles before they began.
…
Late that night…
Grandmother Wu placed another log onto the fire.
“You’ve begun thinking like a leader.”
Zhao Long stared into the flames.
“A leader…”
“…must protect everyone.”
The old woman looked at him for a long time.
Then she spoke softly.
“Remember this.”
“If the day ever comes when you must choose…”
“…between saving one person…”
“…or saving ten thousand…”
“Your heart will never forgive whichever choice you make.”
The fire crackled.
Zhao Long said nothing.
But somewhere deep inside…
A seed had been planted.
One day…
It would grow into the greatest strength…
And the greatest weakness…
Of the man history would call…
The Emperor of Emperors.