The Phoenix of the Slums

The silence after battle was always the strangest part—when the shouting stopped, the footsteps ceased, and the only sound left was the drip of blood on cold tile. Tianming stood there, breath slowing as the adrenaline bled out of his system.
His fingers still trembled from the intensity of the fight, but his mind had never been sharper. He turned slowly to face the old man at the end of the hallway.
"You said… the bracelet belonged to my father," Tianming said, voice low, cautious.
The old man nodded, eyes glinting beneath the dim hallway lights. "That’s right. And not just any man—your father was once the Shadow General of the Orchid Society. He was the one the Lotus Clan feared more than death itself."
Tianming’s heart pounded harder now, but not from battle. He looked down at the red-and-black bracelet hanging from the old man’s wrist. It was unassuming, made of twisted cord and jade beads—but it thrummed with memory. It was the same one he’d seen in the photo his mother kept hidden in her drawer all those years ago. The man with sharp eyes and quiet strength standing beside her had worn that exact bracelet.
"But how do you know that?" Tianming demanded. "And who the hell are you really?"
The old man smiled faintly. "I once served him. My name is Lu Qingshan, but to your father, I was just his right hand. When the Orchid Society fell, I went underground. Been watching ever since. Watching you."
Tianming narrowed his eyes. “Why not tell me sooner?”
Lu Qingshan stepped forward slowly, placing a hand on Tianming’s shoulder. "Because you weren't ready. You’ve grown up humiliated, beaten, and broken. But that pain—it forged you. Only through that suffering could you carry the weight of your father’s legacy."
Tianming clenched his fists. “What happened to him?”
Lu Qingshan’s gaze darkened. “He was betrayed… by someone inside the Orchid Society. The Lotus Clan struck during the purge. Your father held the line so you and your mother could escape. But there was no body. Only blood. I've spent years trying to confirm if he survived. But if he did… he disappeared even from my eyes.”
Tianming’s mind raced. His father—alive? Dead? A ghost?
The ground beneath his feet felt like it shifted.
"And what now?" Tianming asked.
Lu Qingshan turned and began walking. "Now… we prepare. The Lotus Clan won’t let this go. You just slaughtered one of their elite teams. They’ll send more. Stronger. Smarter. This time, with names you won’t even find in classified dossiers."
Tianming followed him down the corridor. "Then we fight."
"You think you're ready?" Lu Qingshan asked, glancing over.
Tianming gave a crooked smile. "After tonight? I’m just getting started."
They moved through the underground complex, weaving through old stone tunnels and hidden access doors until they reached a chamber lined with steel walls and low, humming lights. Inside were racks of weapons, encrypted terminals, and digital maps of the city—this wasn’t just a hideout. It was a war room.
Lu Qingshan gestured to the central table. “Come. There’s something you need to see.”
He tapped a few keys on the terminal, and a holographic display emerged. The map of Denghai lit up in red zones and surveillance feeds. A blinking dot marked a tall skyscraper on the west side.
“This is the Jade Summit Building,” Lu Qingshan explained. “It’s the Lotus Clan’s legal front. Real estate. Investments. Political bribes. But below the 30th floor… that’s where they do their real business.”
Tianming stared at the image, fury boiling just beneath his calm exterior.
Lu continued. “They’re holding someone there. A hacker we’ve used in the past. Name’s Yan. She’s the one who discovered the old files tied to your father’s last mission. They caught her two days ago. If she breaks… they’ll know everything.”
"Then we break her out," Tianming said, voice like steel.
Lu nodded. “I thought you’d say that. But you’re not going in alone.”
Another door hissed open at the back of the room. A tall woman stepped in, dressed in fitted tactical gear, long black hair tied into a braid down her back, twin daggers at her hips. Her eyes were as sharp as broken glass, scanning Tianming from head to toe.
“This,” Lu said, “is Lin Xiaoran. She trained under me in the deep provinces, and she’s the best infiltration expert we’ve got."
Lin gave Tianming a curt nod. “You’re the son of the Shadow General?”
“That’s what they tell me,” Tianming replied.
“Then don’t slow me down,” she said flatly.
Tianming smirked. “Try to keep up.”
They began reviewing schematics of the Jade Summit, identifying security weak points, patrol routes, thermal sensors, and electronic locks. Lin pointed out the elevator shaft access through the ventilation system. “If we can jam the second floor’s security override, we can reach the sublevels without triggering the emergency lockdown. But timing has to be perfect. Thirty seconds too late and we’re sealed in.”
Tianming studied the route. “I can handle that.”
Lu turned serious. “There’s something else. We believe one of the men stationed inside was part of the strike that killed your father.”
Tianming’s eyes darkened. “Then he’s mine.”
That night, as the moon hung over Denghai’s twisted skyline, Tianming suited up. His bruises still ached, his shoulder was bandaged, but his focus was razor-sharp. This wasn’t just a rescue mission.
It was personal.
The rooftop of the Jade Summit Building was quiet, wind howling past the neon-lit edges. Lin landed first, her body moving like silk over stone. Tianming followed, keeping low. She jammed the sensors in place and opened the maintenance hatch. They descended through the shaft, rappelling silently, inch by inch, until they reached the 32nd floor.
Inside, the hum of fluorescent lights and the low murmur of security chatter filled the air.
Lin cracked the security panel. “I’ll loop the cameras. You take the guards.”
Tianming nodded and slipped into the hallway. Two guards stood by the door, chatting. He moved in with surgical precision. A sharp elbow to the throat, a spinning sweep to drop the second. Neither had time to raise an alarm.
Moments later, they reached the door to Sublevel 1.
Inside, Yan was shackled to a steel chair, wires attached to her temples, a heartbeat monitor beeping steadily. Her face was bruised, but her eyes widened when she saw Tianming.
“You’re real,” she whispered.
Tianming didn’t hesitate. He moved in and cut the restraints. “You’re coming with us.”
But before they could move, the door exploded inward.
Smoke. Shouts. A blur of motion.
Then a deep voice cut through the chaos.
“Well well… if it isn’t the Shadow General’s brat.”
Tianming turned to see a tall man in a grey suit, black gloves on his hands, and a scar running down the side of his face.
“My name is Jiang Long,” the man said, stepping forward. “And I was there the night your father died.”
Tianming’s eyes locked on him, rage rising like a storm.
“Then I’ll make sure you never walk out of here,” he said.
The two men lunged forward—battle imminent.