Inside a dimly lit alleyway, "Hah! Hyah!!"
A young woman with intense, determined eyes threw a decisive punch forward, striking her male opponent with lethal precision. The hit sent him crashing to his knees, coughing up saliva.
"Agh! A lady punches this fucking hard?!"
He forced his head up to look at her smirk.
"Give the kid his money back. Don't say I didn't warn you." The young woman clenched her fists, taking a deep breath.
"Hah... Three. Two. On—"
"Alright, alright! Dammit!" The man hurriedly yanked out a wad of cash and handed it back to her.
"Run. Unless you want a broken neck." The young woman stood with her hands on her hips, granting him a brief window to escape.
Taking the cue, the man scrambled to his feet and bolted down the alley. "Don't think this is over, you crazy bitch! Catch you off guard next time and we'll bleed you dry!"
Once she secured the cash, she walked over to return it to a young boy sobbing near the alley entrance.
"(Sniffle) Thank you so much, Big Sis..."
"Stay sharp out there. This city is getting overrun with thugs by the day." The young woman gently patted the boy's head. "Don't grow up to be like them, alright?"
"I won't! You stay safe too, Big Sis." The young boy gave her a quick hug before they parted ways.
There are countless stories left behind, waiting to be passed down. Yet, no matter how monumental a tale may be, those who listen can never truly grasp the raw reality of the events, simply because they were not standing there when it happened.
I am talking about the catastrophic tragedy that befell a small island named Yueguang—the once-flawless haven I used to call home.
I am a daughter of this land, one who witnessed both the birth and the tragic demise of her own birthplace. My name is Feng Mu Ling... or as they come to know me: The Ghost of Yueguang.
January 20, 2058
Nan bing Port, Yueguang Island
"HYAH!" "HAH!"
The sharp, synchronized roar of a crowd exhaling their breath echoed through the port.
"Good!"
A clean-shaven monk dressed in a brown robe, a strung set of prayer beads hanging around his neck, called out in praise.
"Strike with absolute mindfulness! Inhale deeply~"
The venerable master was conducting a self-defense training session for local youths and their parents. Under the brilliant morning sky shifting into late morning, traffic flowed steadily while pedestrians frequented the roadside shops.
I was one of those children, a disciple of Master.
"HYAH!" "HAH!"
A young girl with dark hair and a fierce, determined gaze exhaled softly before executing a fluid martial arts sequence.
"Outstanding, Feng!" The master praised her graceful yet lethal form.
Feng curled her fingers into tiger claws before bringing the form to a close with a heavy, deliberate stomp.
"HYAH!"
The surrounding spectators broke into applause, snapping photos of her performance.
"Our culture will never fade as long as we hold the heart to preserve it. Take immense pride in being born upon our soil. This is a land of abundance and prosperity. We uplift the weak so none shall struggle alone. Yueguang Island is brimming with smiles of pure happiness, is it not?!" Master preached warmly to the crowd.
"It certainly is!" The crowd cheered, clapping for the enlightened monk.
Watching the scene, Feng let a faint smile grace her lips.
Moments later, a colossal cargo ship docked at the pier, its massive hull casting a towering shadow that blotted out the sunlight behind it. None of the locals knew what cargo lay hidden within its hold.
Noticing dockworkers unloading a massive crate, Master walked over to inquire, his eyes catching a stark warning emblem painted on the wooden surface: FRAGILE GOODS! BEWARE!
"Excuse me, good sir~ What manner of goods are you shipping here?"
"Couldn't tell you, Boss just paid us to lift. If you don't mind." The workers quickened their pace, hauling the crate toward a discreet, secluded spot by the water where a bright red shipping container stood.
The young girl, her eyes narrowed in suspicion, observed the operation carefully. Down near the container, a hooded man was interrogating the workers with a grim expression, a flick-blade resting in his hand.
"Mu Ling.... Mu Ling"
Hearing Master's call, she snapped her head back and flashed a quick, innocent smile.
"Y-Yes, Master~?"
"Come help your master pack up our gear onto the truck, will you?" the smiling monk called out.
"Right away!"
Feng brushed aside her lingering doubts and rushed over to help Master fold the Yin-Yang woven mat on the ground.
I should never have turned away. I should have warned everyone while I still had the chance.
But it was already too late, all because of the foolish carelessness of a fifteen-year-old child.
After returning to her rented apartment in the evening, she turned on the television to listen to the news while twirling her motorcycle key, which was adorned with a red panda charm. The young woman opened the refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of stockpiled mineral water to quench her thirst.
"Ah~ another good day passed without a hitch. Only two more days until the New Year, huh? How exciting! Xin jie hao~" Feng yawned after hearing the news anchor drone on.
"We wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year. Coming up, a news report regarding ARCI Corporation's new global warming initiative, presented by Mr. Vandran. Announcements have been issued regarding the implementation of (blah, blah, blah)..."
"How boring. I can't wait for the new episode of the late-night drama. Mmm~ step on it already." Feng leaned her head against the sofa and drifted off to sleep for a brief moment.
The young woman snapped awake in the dead of night.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Mmm! Who on earth is setting off firecrackers around here?! So damn loud~ people are trying to sleep!"
She slapped the sofa cushion and got up to open the window.
"Hey!! What do you think you're do—"
SWISH! A scatter of buckshot grazed her face, shattering the glass pane.
CRASH! Looking closely, she spotted a figure in a black cloak leaping onto her apartment balcony.
"Hey!"
Gunfire closely pursued the intruder. The man kicked his way through the fractured window frame, sending Feng tumbling backward onto the floor.
"Ow! That hurt, damn it!"
The thief did not hesitate for a single second. He charged forward, plowing through Feng's apartment door and shattering it to pieces as though he possessed supernatural strength.
"Why, you little bastard!!"
Feng slammed her hand against the floor and sprang to her feet. She dashed over, grabbing a wooden two-by-four board to use as a makeshift weapon.
"Don't you dare mess with me, you lowlife thief! Pay for my window and my door right now!"
Feng quickened her pace, chasing the intruder down floor after floor. The lively music booming from various apartment rooms bled together into a chaotic new rhythm.
The thief vaulted through a hallway window onto the outer ledges, while Feng took the emergency fire exit leading to the rooftop. The swift intruder paused briefly to inspect his ankle, realizing that a shard of broken glass had cut deep into his skin.
"I don't need the cops to handle this!" Feng leaped across the gap to confront the mysterious figure.
"Who are you?" the man's deep, gravelly voice demanded.
The young woman leveled the wooden board directly at him. "The person who's about to beat your ass."
"Get out of here. You have no idea what you're messing with," the intruder warned, trying to reason with her.
"Oh, really~? All I know is you're paying for my apartment insurance first."
"If you want it... come and get it!"
The mysterious thief sprinted forward, scaling the rooftop walls with fluid agility. Spotting his trajectory, Feng took a shortcut to stay hot on his heels. Though he was vastly superior in speed, Feng knew these rooftops better than anyone. They traversed across the skyline, surrounded by the neon lights of the city glowing from every direction.
"This is my turf! No matter how good your acrobatics are, it means nothing if you don't know the layout!"
Feng slid forcefully into his path, cutting off the nimble thief. Finding himself cornered, he dropped into a firm stance, preparing for combat.
"Should've just done this from the start," Feng said, spinning the wooden board as she seamlessly combined it with traditional martial arts forms.
"You know kung fu," the intruder noted.
"Hmph! A temple master's top disciple, I'll have you know!"
"Intriguing." The figure drew a sidearm, a compact handgun. "Chasing me all this way, didn't you stop to think I might have a gun?"
"If you've got the balls, shoot me," Feng taunted, letting out a cool breath.
The thief nodded slowly, pulling back the hood. Black hair tumbled out, revealing a Caucasian woman. Her blazing, crimson-red eyes seemed to pierce right through Feng's soul.
Ah~ my dearest friend and fiercest enemy. How many years has it been since we first met?
She casually tossed the handgun aside, as if she had no further use for it. "Big mouth. I kind of like it. Let's see if your skills can back up your mouth."
"Bring it... WOO!"
Feng swung the wooden board straight toward her face. However, the female thief raised her forearm, blocking the heavy strike with absolute rigidity. All the force behind the swing was neutralized effortlessly.
"?!!!" Feng's mind reeled in shock.
Before she could recover, a heavy left punch came hurtling toward her face. Sensing danger, Feng raised the wooden board to block—
CRACK! The sturdy timber snapped clean in half.
Refusing to back down, Feng countered with a low sweeping kick, taking the thief off balance before throwing the broken wooden stake straight down at her. The thief rolled aside to dodge, slamming her fist into a brick wall to break off a chunk of masonry, hurling it like a projectile.
Feng flipped backward through the air, taking cover behind a structural side wall. Seeing this, the female thief let out a sinister smirk and stepped into the dark corner after her.
The neon glow was blocked out by the narrow recess, leaving only her glowing, crimson eyes illuminating the shadows.
"Come out, little mouse. My money is right here in my pocket. Come and get it~"
The mysterious woman hugged the wall, stalking her target's position. Reaching a brightly lit gap, she poked her head around the corner, only to find no one there.
"...Watch your head!"
THUD!
Feng plunged down from above, driving her elbow straight into the thief's head.
"Agh! Leaping around like a fucking frog, you little--!"
The thief gritted her teeth, forcing herself back up despite the heavy blow.
Suddenly, gunfire erupted from the ledge below, accompanied by harsh shouting!
"She's right there! Kill the witness! Don't let 'em escape!"
A group of armed men raised their weapons, taking aim. Spotting the threat, the female thief grabbed Feng firmly by the waist.
BANG!
Both bodies tumbled over the balcony railing, plunging into the abyss below. When the armed men rushed over to check the edge, the two women had vanished into thin air.
That was the turning point of my life.
The young woman awoke on an operating table, discovering that her left field of vision had been entirely shrouded in a hue of deep violet.
"W-What happened...?"
Feng regained consciousness to find the female thief standing over her in a tank top, her gloves caked in fresh blood.
"Where am I?" She scanned her surroundings until her eyes caught her own reflection in a nearby mirror.
"Eek~~~~ My eye! Why is my eye like this?! What did you do to me?!" Feng shrieked in horror.
"Saved your life... A bullet shattered your conjunctiva completely. So, I performed surgery to give you a new one," the mysterious woman replied dryly.
"Huh?! Y-You're a doctor?!"
"Doctor Eva. I used to be... but not anymore. I told you not to meddle, but you wouldn't listen. Yueguang is going to shatter into pieces in less than seventy-two hours! And you're the obstacle standing in my way to stop them."
"W-What on earth is going on?! I-I really don't know!"
"That container on the shore... it's filled with radioactive material."
"H-How can I trust you...?" the young woman pressed, her voice trembling with doubt.
She laid out everything I ever wanted to know. She exposed the stark reality hidden beneath the city—the subterranean underworld known as Mueller—which served as the true origin of it all. Everything I had seen up above on the surface was merely a fraction of existence. If living humans were buried down there, it was hardly a surprise; life below was simply the inverted face of the coin.
Eva... she taught me how to survive much like Master had, yet her core principle was fundamentally different:
"We shall become the liberators of the weak, so they need never endure this cruel fate... ever again."
On a day of torrential downpours, Feng walked through the rain, ascending the stone steps toward the mountain summit where the monastery stood. She had been one of its disciples since childhood, raised and nurtured far away from evil.
Now, deeply conflicted by the dark realities of the surface world, she sought guidance from her master. Sliding the monastery door open, she found the venerable monk sitting in silent prayer.
"Master..."
"Walking through such heavy rain, are you not afraid of falling ill, Feng?"
"I have a matter I must ask of you, Master." The young woman knelt politely beside him. "If we are forced to take a person's life... will that sin haunt us for the rest of our days...?"
"Hmm..." Master closed his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. "Every life possesses inherent value, Feng. Every living thing carries its own mind and purpose. Master cannot dictate to anyone what is strictly right or wrong. Yet human beings inherently know within their hearts what should or should not be done. The martial forms we practice exist purely to protect from danger, not to slaughter one another. Thus, Master wishes to ask you, Feng..."
"..." The young woman bowed her head, waiting for his words.
"Do you truly see the value of life right now?"
"Inhale. Exhale. Breathing is the path to mastering your mind." Master picked up a sacred ceremonial blade, placing it directly before Feng. "If Master were the one who stripped away everything you ever held dear... would you pick up this blade and end the life of the person standing before you?"
"Ugh..." The young woman clenched her fingers tightly into the floor mat, tears streaming down her cheeks. "If everyone could think as deeply as you, Master... this world would be a far better place. Excuse me... once I find my answer... I will return to give it to you."
Feng stood up, wiping away her tears.
"Stay safe out there," Master offered his gentle blessing.
The final two hours of the girl named Feng Muling. If only I had been given one more chance...
Fireworks thundered across the night sky. Thousands of people gathered to enjoy the New Year festival. Atop the skyscrapers, a massive crimson dragon hologram flickered to life, coiling and swooping gracefully through the sky to greet the cheering crowds below.
"Happy New Year to you all!"
CLANG! CLANG!
The dragon dance procession surged forward smoothly. Meanwhile, perched atop a lighted billboard sign overlooking the street, two young women sat observing the scene in secret.
"Do you see that man?" Eva handed over a pair of high-tech binoculars.
"I don't need those," Feng declined the offer.
She raised her right hand to cover one eye, allowing her prosthetic ocular lens to engage at full capacity. Her vision locked onto a young man in festival attire, flanked by more than five personal bodyguards.
"Bi Yang, CEO of Jile International, a robotics manufacturer. A corrupt businessman through and through. He holds a remote detonator; the moment the clock hits midnight, the explosive will trigger automatically. There are snipers positioned in the alleyways whom you must eliminate while I go down to handle the payload. I've marked the three sniper locations. This shouldn't be too difficult for you."
"Saying it like that... you actually know how to disarm a bomb?"
"I told you, I used to be a doctor. Here..." Eva handed her a long, retractable bo staff. "A gift from me."
"Hmph, you sure have a sense of humor. But thanks. Come on, let's move! We've only got two hours left."
Feng grabbed the staff and vaulted toward the roof of the opposite building just as the crimson dragon hologram flew overhead. Spotting a red laser reflection against a glass window, Feng didn't hesitate, she smashed through the pane, delivering a heavy sidekick straight into the sniper's ribs.
"Hah!"
She spun the bo staff to generate momentum, bringing it down on his head to knock him out cold in a single blow. "HAH! One down!"
The young woman kicked open the rooftop access door, sprinting forward until she realized the gap between the next buildings was far too wide to jump. Scanning with her ocular lens, her vision picked up a thick utility cable running between the two roofs. Hooking her staff over the line, she zipped across the gap to confront the second sniper.
The second sniper reacted instantly, reaching for his sidearm. Feng flicked her staff downward, crushing his hand before sweeping the staff into his legs to shatter his balance. As the sniper dropped weakly to his knees, Feng delivered a brutal kick straight to his face.
THUD!
High above, the blood-red dragon hologram turned its gaze toward Feng, watching her with eerie fascination.
BANG!
A high-caliber round ripped through the air, piercing right through her skull. Everything transpired in a fraction of a second. The final sniper had been tracking Feng from the start. A cold smirk spread across his face as he reached for another round from his ammo crate, only to find the box completely gone.
"Hmm?" Turning around, he was met with the sight of a young woman twirling a bo staff with effortless grace.
"Out of bullets?"
"The fuck?!" The sniper drew his sidearm, unloading a frantic volley of bullets directly at Feng.
Her figure collapsed into the dark shadows on the floor.
"La-la-la~ What kind of bullets are those? Paintballs? That didn't even hurt," her voice echoed through the space, sending a cold shiver down the sniper's spine.
"What the fuck are you?! Show yourself, dammit!"
"If you insist~"
A young woman emerged, covered in a pool of blood as her body crawled out from beneath the shadows. As sheer terror paralyzed the sniper's mind, a bo staff swung out from the side, shattering his nose with a sickening THUD!
Feng, completely unharmed and fully intact, looked down at the illusionary decoy that had been shot, using her ocular eye to erase the optical projection. "So you can see the dragon hologram floating, but you can't tell my body apart from a projection?"
Fireworks thundered across the sky, drowning out every sound around her.
"Is it done?" Feng spoke into her comms unit. "Eva, do you copy? Hello?!!"
SCREAM~~~!!!
Panic erupted below as a sudden mass shooting broke out in the crowded street.
"Everyone, get down!!"
"Feng!! You need to get o—@##@%%" The signal deteriorated rapidly into static. "You have to!@#@$#% away fr—#%#%— there!!!"
Receiving the garbled warning, she had no choice but to retreat immediately from the perimeter of the dragon parade.
The memory of that moment... All I had left in this world was Master.
Feng ditched her motorcycle upon arriving at the base of the mountain stairs, only to be met with an agonizing sight.
The holy master who had raised her was bound in heavy iron chains, tethered to the back of a pickup truck. A gang of violent thugs laughed mockingly at his bruised, battered body.
Master strained to lift his head, looking toward his disciple. "... r-run....." As the words left his lips, his eyes closed.
"This city is falling apart~~~ Falling apart just like it was meant to from the start! Woo-hoo~~ Time for a revolution!!" The thugs cheered hysterically for the New Year, entirely unaware of the young woman kneeling silently behind them. High above, the blood-red dragon swooped below the clouds, grinning down at the gang.
"Oh hey~~ girl~ Why so glum over there? Come on over and have some fun with us."
Hearing those words, Feng's artificial eye burst into a glowing violet light, her expression turning terrifyingly cold. She stood up slowly beneath the neon streetlights, her breathing dead silent as if swallowed whole by the blood dragon.
"Master... you were my everything. And lowlifes like you... fucking took him away from me!!"
"Ah~ hey, girl, i don't know what y-"
CRACK!
A sharp wooden stake plunged directly into his throat, cutting off his breath instantly. "Gaggh!"
Feng roared like a vengeful ghost unleashed from the abyss. "Your worthless pieces of shit don't deserve to live~~~ HAAAAAGH!!"
The remaining thugs lunged forward to subdue her, only to be met with the devastating force of her staff. The young woman showed no mercy, unleashing lethal strikes upon the street thugs. She swung with every ounce of strength in her body, continuing to strike long after they had fallen unconscious.
High in the sky, the blood dragon grinned, gazing down at Yueguang Island before plunging at terminal velocity straight toward the earth.
BOOM!!!
A massive explosion rocked the center of the island, triggering a cascading blackout across the city district by district. Torrential rain poured from heavy mushroom clouds, blotting out the moonlight.
"GYAAAAAH!"
Feng swung the staff until it snapped in two. Seizing the opportunity, she drove the jagged wooden point deep into a thug's abdomen, piercing clean through to his back. The three remaining thugs seized the opening, tackling Feng to the ground and pinning her down.
She thrashing violently for what felt like an eternity before finally regaining her senses.
And there before her lay a lifeless body, killed by her hands alone.
Standing before Master's body... An overwhelming, hollow silence consumed me.
"What have i done...." i've been asking myself every time.
The thug spat back, trying to talk his way out.
"Can't you see this damn city is already ruined?! Where are the cops, huh?! Where the hell are they?! This entire city is just an illusion! Nobody knows why folk like us are starving to death! Nobody knows how those motherfuckers in power got so rich!! Stop playing the saint! Everything your master preached was a goddamn lie!! Good thing I'm done with your master." The street thug licked his lips, a filthy grin spreading across his face. "Guess I'll move on to you next~"
THUD!
Suddenly, an ice-cold hand reached out, grabbing the shoulder of the man pinning her down. Turning around, he was met with the sight of a woman whose blazing, crimson-red eyes flickered with a cold, predatory smirk.
"And what do you boys think you're doing to my girl? She's only fifteen, ya know," Eva spoke, her tone cool and collected.
"That bitch killed one of my crew!! Who's gonna pay for that?!"
"Oh~ Well, if I kill the three of you left... you can go keep him company, Yes?"
Before the words fully left her lips, she shredded his shirt with both hands and drove a devastating, heavy punch straight into his chest.
SPLURGE!
A fountain of rose-red liquid spurted out, pooling directly over Feng's lap.
Seeing this, the remaining two thugs drew their knives and plunged them straight into Eva's abdomen. Without so much as flinching, the young woman hoisted the weight of her first victim high off the ground.
"Shhhhh~ nobody knows."
She yanked her forearm free, her grip shifting to crush the throat of the second man. Spotting the third thug attempting to bolt, she grabbed the pocketknife still lodged in her own belly and hurled it with lethal precision, pinning him through the thigh.
She tilted her head toward the second thug, flashing a chilling smile before gently lowering him down. Eva traced two fingers across his terrified face.
"Aw~ how pitiful. But hey, you're a big boy now, you can handle this, right?" Eva slid her thumb over his eye socket.
"YAAAAAGH~~~!!!~~~" SQUELCH!
An agonizing shriek echoed into the distance.
The final thug scrambled across the floor, desperately trying to crawl away, until he felt an overwhelming weight crush down on his skull.
"N-No, don't~~~~ Ggghkkkk!" CRUNCH!!
The shrieks of agony fell dead silent.
"What a mess. My shoes are ruined again. I really need to start wearing red. Are you hurt?" Eva turned back, offering a hand to pull her friend to her feet. "Sorry you had to see that, but... it was necessary for me. I hope you understand. I'm sorry about what happened... But the bomb has been triggered. We have to move now. With me if you want to live."
Eva took the lead, sprinting toward the harbor. But before Feng turned to follow, she cast one final look at the lifeless body of her master, whispering her final words:
"Please... forgive me."
And that was the final day of the girl named Feng Mu Ling. Now, I am nothing more than a wandering ghost.
11 YEARS LATER
A howling storm swept heavy rain across the ruined city, the pale moonlight blotted out by dense fog.
A lone woman sat perched atop a building roof pillar. She hurled a bottle of liquor down to the pavement below, her gaze turning upward toward a flickering holographic sign spray-painted with a desperate message:
EVERYTHING IS BURNING. S.O.S. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME ESCAPE THIS HELL ISLAND.
She tried to avert her eyes, but the voice of her master echoed clearly in her mind once more:
"Do you see the value of life, Feng?"
The young woman nodded faintly to herself.
"A person's environment inevitably shapes who they become," Feng answered the ghost of that question. "Slaughtering others is just a way to purge evil... but not always. More often than not, it is merely a way to feed the demon lurking within ourselves. Taking a life degrades our own worth. And in the end, once that demon fully awakens... our own lives cease to hold any value at all."
Finishing her thought, she tipped over the remaining bottle of liquor, watching the liquid spill onto the ledge.
"Why couldn't you understand that, Eva?"
The young woman watched the flickering neon lights distort through the curved glass bottle.
WHOOSH!
A sharp gust of wind struck her face as an aircraft descended from above, hovering near the landing pad. As the engines hummed to a halt, the bay doors slid open, revealing a man figure with neon-green hair stepping down alongside Eva.
"Hmph." The solitary woman let out a faint, knowing smile. "And now you're going to turn him into another copy of yourself... I beg to differ."