Chapter 3: The Weight of Debts

Dawn came in shades of grey and gold, spilling over Qingshui's crooked rooftops like a slow tide. Kai Cheng stood in the doorway of Mei Ling's tea shop, his back against the frame, watching the light inch across the mud-packed street. His hands were raw, his knuckles split, and a dull ache had settled into his ribs—somewhere in the chaos of the basement, a guard had gotten in a lucky kick. He cata...