Long Lie

The fourth son of the Long clan, Long Lie, was an obsessive warrior by nature. Harboring zero interest in clan business or leadership, he spent every waking hour honing his swordsmanship.

The fourth son of the Long Clan, Long Lie devoted his life to brute martial mastery. He forged a colossal, heavyweight sword-qi capable of literally splitting mountains and shattering even the sturdiest bulwarks with ease.

His ultimate technique condenses an immense golden blade of pure sword qi; channeling his inner Sha-Qi, he surges forward alongside the blade in a devastating, unstoppable thrust that shatters anything in its path!

Blessed as a direct descendant of the Long Clan, Long Lie enjoyed distinct privilege: his family lavished the naturally martial-minded youth with every regimen, technique, and vitality-nourishing elixir he could ever desire, charting an effortless path forward in his martial mastery.

Among the nine scions of the Long clan, Long Lie was truly unique—from start to finish, he harbored no desire whatsoever for the family's patriarch seat.

The vast Long Clan empire extended far beyond martial affairs, controlling vast enterprises in finance, metallurgy, logistics, and hospitality.

Yet etiquette, dance, scholarly verses, and mathematics never captured Long Lie's heart; since childhood, the pursuit of supreme martial prowess was the sole ambition he ever cherished.

Long before he was old enough to formally begin martial training, Long Lie would trail behind his clan mentors, closely studying every strike and stance.

Mimicking the martial forms of elders with clumsy, childish gestures, their completely structureless moves never failed to bring fond smiles to the older generation.

"The boy was born for martial glory," an elder once mused with a pat to his head. Those idle words etched into Long Lie's heart, igniting a lifelong vow to become the clan's peerless warrior.

Much later, Long Lie would still recall those fleeting moments when he and Long Wu slipped past the servants, scrambling atop the courtyard walls just to steal a glimpse of the clan disciples practicing martial arts...

Those misadventures invariably ended with their elders catching them red-handed. Yet even while taking their punishment, neither hesitated to point fingers, loudly insisting the whole scheme had been the other's bright idea.

In the realm of martial arts, raw talent may well eclipse tireless grit. Ever since Long Lie and Long Wu began training side by side, Lie felt the stinging truth: Wu’s innate gift surpassed his own by leaps and bounds. Given the exact same techniques, Wu invariably executed them with effortless perfection. Unlike Lie, who spent entire days grinding in the training grounds, Wu mastered flawless forms as if by second nature—never seeing them as something to brag about.

What truly sparked Long Lie's envy and eventual hatred toward Long Wu was the elders' blatant bias. Ever since the two began sparring together, the clan elders showered praise solely on Long Wu, calling him the family's future and an once-in-a-generation prodigy. Long Lie could never fathom why: he was far more earnest and put in far more grueling hours than Long Wu ever did. Yet Long Wu effortlessly eclipsed him, casting a shadow that claimed every shred of glory. Deep within Long Lie's heart, the bitter seeds of jealousy took root.

Before long, Long Wu had thoroughly mastered every martial discipline guarded by the Long family and walked away from the training grounds. To him, martial arts were never his life's pursuit, but simply a means to achieve his ends.

Watching Long Wu walk away with infuriating nonchalance, Long Lie simmered with fury. He silently swore that one day he would triumph over his younger brother and completely shatter that sickening, aloof smile once and for all.

In Year 10 of The Order, a crisis rocked the Long clan when Patriarch Long Tairan died under mysterious circumstances without naming an heir. Long Wu, a leading contender for succession, volunteered to depart the main compound and stay at Xinglong Manor to investigate his father's demise.

That day, an emissary from Long Lie's second elder sister, Long Yijue, arrived at his dwelling with a ruthless proposition: join forces with Long Er under cover of night to storm Xinglong Manor and eliminate Long Wu.

Word came that Long Er had outwitted Long Wu, luring his strongest protector far away. Convinced this was his golden opportunity to settle scores with Long Wu once and for all, Long Lie accepted without hesitation.

That night, Long Er, Long Si, and Long Jiu quietly ringed Xinglong Manor with their sworn assassins. Feigning a casual visit with a handful of retainers, they sprang their ambush mid-conversation with Long Wu, plunging the Long Clan into a bloody civil war amidst the pouring rain.

Long Si had spent his entire life waiting for this chance to prove himself. Yet in the end, he fell once more before Long Wu's blade—and this time, the price of failure was his very life.

Indeed, how could it come to this? Beneath Long Lie's searing resentment and bitter regrets, in the beginning he had simply yearned for a single victory over...