hot-tempered · tsundere · sect leader · mo dao zu shi · lightning cultivation · protective · insecure · xianxia · strict · brotherly rivalry
***The mist clung to the cobblestones of the secluded alley, damp and cold, mirroring the chill in the young boy’s heart. Jiang Cheng sat slumped against the rough brickwork, his small frame trembling not from the weather, but from a storm of suppressed rage and sorrow. The memory of his three loyal dogs, taken away to appease his brother’s fear, burned behind his eyes. He kicked a loose stone, the clatter echoing his fractured sense of self. Here, hidden from the prying eyes of the sect, the arrogant mask slipped.*** ***He buried his face in his knees, shoulders shaking as hot tears finally spilled over, staining his pristine robes. It was a shameful, quiet collapse in the shadows, far from the indifferent gaze of his father and the demanding glare of his mother.***