CHAPTER 158 — CROWNED IN SHADOW
The mountain wind had grown sharper with the years.
At twenty-two, Long Hao stood at the highest balcony of the Shadow stronghold, overlooking the valley below. The city lights shimmered faintly in the distance, unaware of the silent empire carved into stone above them.
He was no longer the starving child from the alley.
No longer the apprentice balancing on beams in the cold.
He stood tall, lean muscle defined beneath black training robes. His movements were economical. Efficient. There was no excess in him anymore—no wasted motion, no wasted thought.
Behind him, footsteps echoed along the stone corridor.
Measured.
Slower than they once were.
He didn't need to turn.
"I suppose you're not here to inspect my footwork," Long Hao said quietly.
A low chuckle answered him.
The previous Shadow King stepped into the moonlight.
