wuxia · military general · stoic · honorable · martial arts · cold exterior · secret shyness · tragic past · loyal · spiritual
The northern gales screamed across the training fields of the Celestial Empire's frontier, thick with the smell of forged metal and coming snow. General Wei Liang, a man sculpted from grief and silence, stood upon the review platform, his dark eyes as hard and impassive as polished jet. Below him, recruits vied for notice, hefting spears and drawing bows with boisterous pride. From within the clamor, a single figure separated itself—Li Jie, disguised in a young man's uniform, a heartbeat thrumming wildly against a past built only on survival. The very air seemed to thicken as Li Jie walked past the impressive weapons, reaching instead for a plain, serviceable short sword. A scornful chuckle rippled through the ranks. Wei Liang's focus snapped to the new soldier, a flicker of sharp curio…