The streets of Guangzhou…
Huang Feihong and Leung Foon walked side by side.
Huang Feihong kept his head lowered, his brows tightly furrowed.
Leung Foon glanced at his master several times, clearly wanting to say something, yet hesitating.
“Master…
watch out—”
Thud!
“Ow!”
Huang Feihong clutched his forehead as he stumbled back from a wooden post.
Leung Foon winced.
“Master…”
“I was trying to warn you…”
Huang Feihong let out a bitter smile as he looked at the post.
His thoughts drifted back…
To what had happened half an hour earlier.
He suddenly turned toward Leung Foon.
“Ah Kwan…”
“Tell me honestly.”
“…Did I make the wrong decision?”
Half an hour earlier…
“The Assassin’s Creed?”
“So…”
“You’re an Assassin?”
Huang Feihong frowned at Lucian.
Lucian simply nodded.
“Yes.”
Huang Feihong looked toward the rescued children.
“Then…”
“Do you intend to train them into Assassins as well?”
This time…
Lucian said nothing.
His silence…
Was answer enough.
Huang Feihong’s expression hardened.
“They’re only children!”
“And yet you want them to become Assassins?”
“Mr.
Lucian…”
“I originally believed you were someone who truly cared for the people and this country.”
“But now I see…”
“How are you any different from the White Lotus Society?”
Leung Foon hurriedly nodded in agreement.
“Mr.
Lucian…”
“Isn’t making children become Assassins too cruel?”
Even Aunt Thirteen spoke softly.
Hearing her words…
Lucian smiled faintly.
Just as he was about to respond—
Sebastian suddenly stepped forward.
“Master Feihong.”
“Miss…”
“I believe you’ve misunderstood.”
His voice gradually rose.
“Cruel?”
“If you want to know cruelty…”
“Then simply look at the world around you.”
“These children were called little piglets.”
“The traffickers never saw them as human beings.”
“They were nothing more than merchandise.”
“Do you know what they were sold for?”
“Slavery.”
“Human experimentation.”
“They’d break their legs…”
“Gouge out their eyes…”
“Then force them onto the streets to beg.”
He looked toward the children.
“Mr.
Lucian rescued them.”
“Every child with parents…”
“Has already been returned home.”
“Only those without parents or family remain.”
“If he simply released them…”
“Do you know what would happen?”
“They’d be captured again.”
“And next time…”
“Their fate would be even worse.”
Silence filled the hall.
Only Sebastian’s voice continued.
His eyes had turned red.
His voice trembled with grief…
And helplessness.
A man nearing forty years old…
Standing before everyone…
Shouting with tears in his eyes.
“Mr.
Lucian has given them another chance.”
“A chance to decide their own future.”
“A chance to help build a better nation.”
“And yet…”
“You call him cruel?”
He looked directly at Huang Feihong.
“…Master Feihong.”
“I think I misjudged you.”
“If you have nothing else to say…”
“Then please leave.”
He didn’t care that Lucian was the master of this place.
He openly drove Huang Feihong away.
At that moment…
Lucian slowly lowered his hood.
Then…
He crossed his forearms before his chest.
Click.
Click.
The twin Hidden Blades extended from beneath his bracers.
His calm voice echoed through the vast hall.
“We are Assassins.”
“We work in the darkness…”
“…so that others may live in the light.”
The entire hall fell silent.
Sebastian and Mordo stared at him with blazing admiration.
To them…
He embodied the very Creed itself.
Then—
A quiet voice broke the silence.
“I’ll stay.”
Everyone turned.
Aunt Thirteen stood there…
Her cheeks flushed red.
After taking a deep breath…
She repeated herself.
“Mr.
Lucian…”
“May I stay?”
A smile spread across Lucian’s face.
“The Brotherhood…”
“…welcomes you.”
“Master…”
Seeing Aunt Thirteen choose to remain…
Leung Foon hurriedly looked toward Huang Feihong.
“M-Maybe we should…”
“Let’s go.”
Huang Feihong’s voice was flat.
“Master…”
“I said…”
“Let’s go!”
This time…
His voice carried unmistakable anger.
Without another word…
He stepped through the portal.
Leung Foon looked at Aunt Thirteen…
Then at the portal.
Finally…
He followed his master.
Back to the Present…
Leung Foon scratched his head awkwardly.
“Master…”
“Do you want the honest answer…”
“Or the polite one?”
Huang Feihong laughed bitterly.
“…Forget it.”
“I already know your answer.”
“And…”
“I know now that I was wrong.”
He continued walking forward.
Leung Foon hurried after him.
“Master!”
“Then let’s go back!”
Huang Feihong smiled sadly.
“Go back?”
“Do you know where the Himalayas are?”
“Can you even find them?”
“How are we supposed to go back?”
He lowered his head.
“…We can’t.”
“We truly…”
“…can’t go back.”
As he slowly walked away…
He murmured to himself.
Behind him…
Leung Foon stared at his master’s retreating figure.
For the first time…
He felt as though Huang Feihong’s back…
Had grown noticeably more bent.
Meanwhile, in the Himalayas…
Lucian looked at Mordo with mild surprise.
Mordo bowed deeply once more.
“Mr.
Lucian…”
“Please grant my request.”
“You’ve made up your mind?”
Lucian asked.
“Yes.”
Mordo answered without hesitation.
“I spent decades studying under Master Ancient One.”
“But all those years…”
“I was lost.”
“Only after following you…”
“Did I finally find my path.”
“I want to walk beside you.”
“I want to help create that world.”
His eyes burned with almost fanatical conviction.
It was the gaze of a man who had found a purpose worth devoting his life to.
Lucian pretended to hesitate.
“But…”
“What about Master Ancient One?”
Mordo immediately replied,
“I’ll speak with her myself.”
“Master Ancient One has always respected our freedom.”
“As long as we do nothing evil…”
“She won’t stop me from leaving.”
Lucian slowly nodded.
“In that case…”
“…Very well.”
A smile appeared beneath his hood.
“The Brotherhood…”
“…welcomes you.”
Author’s Note:
Thanks to Ezio Auditore for the gift!
Judging by that name…
You’re clearly one of our own.