Outcast

During the Crusades, Jacob leads an army that sacks an Arab city. Gallain pleads with him to spare the people, arguing that killing them is not God's will and urging him to head East. Jacob grows increasingly violent, and eventually Gallain abandons him to pursue a different path.

Three years later in Song China, a dying Emperor chooses his son Zhao as successor, bestows the imperial seal, and sends him away under the care of Princess Lian. Meanwhile, their ambitious brother, Prince Shing, murders the King after being passed over as heir. The throne teeters as Shing consolidates power.

Shing orders the deaths of his siblings to secure the throne and the seal, cementing his claim through fear and coercion. The Black Guard and the royal army operate under threat, ensuring obedience. Zhao and Lian remain on the run from Shing's expanding purview.

Zhao and Lian reach a tavern, but the Black Guard closes in on them. Jacob, though high on opium, defends the fugitives and kills several guards before moving on. He initially refuses to escort them, signaling a brittle trust between him and the imperial siblings.

Moved by memories of battle and the horrors he has seen, Jacob decides to aid Zhao and Lian. His decision marks a turning point from self-preservation to protective alliance. The small band sets off together through a dangerous landscape.

Traveling through a village destroyed by the Black Guard, the group rescues a girl named Xiaolei. They press on toward the desert city of Jingshao, hoping for safety and shelter. The world around them remains a hostile, collapsing backdrop.

They attempt to seek refuge in the desert city Jingshao, but their hosts betray them and summon the Black Guard. A fierce fight ensues, forcing them to flee by boat to the Silver Mountain, where some bandits Jacob once sought refuge.

Jacob is injured and the bandits capture the others. He awakens to find Gallain has saved them, though he is now known as the White Ghost. The two reconcile as Jacob explains that he never murdered civilians in the Crusades.

Shing and the Black Guard corner them at the bandit hideout, triggering an intense battle. Gallain is killed in the clashes, a brutal blow to Jacob and the others. The fight tightens the grip of fate on their path.

Jacob duels Shing, who initially gains the upper hand. Lian intervenes to protect him but is stabbed by Shing. Enraged, Jacob overpowers Shing and ends his threat with a fatal strike.

With Shing dead, the leader of the Black Guard swears loyalty to Prince Zhao, reshaping the power dynamics and signaling a shift in allegiance after the killing.

Jacob, Lian, Zhao, and Xiaolei, escorted by the Black Guard, reach the city where Zhao is recognized as the new Emperor. The throne's legitimacy is solidified, at least on the surface, as the group finds a fragile peace.

Despite the apparent stability, Jacob remains tormented by his past. He buries Gallain and parts ways with Lian, choosing to continue his journey alone, carrying the weight of what has transpired.