Test of the Master Smith
Prologue
Once, there was a ronin swordsmith named Tsi Xing Guo. His skill was as legendary as his fiery temper, and long ago he forged katana of the finest steel for any who would meet his price. Not long after the Battle at Oblivion's Gate, two samurai came to him with a remarkable offer; to forge weapons for the Fortunes, the Sun and the Moon. Those samurai were Lord Yakamo and Lady Hitomi, and the reward they granted Xing Guo was ascension to the Celestial Heavens as the Fortune of Steel. Xing Guo's only regret was that he left no apprentice, no heirs to his teachings. His blades were his only legacy.
Last full moon, Tsi Xing Guo was seen once more in the world of mortals, tears flowing freely from his immortal eyes. He hovered over the empty throne room of Otosan Uchi, where the Steel Throne once stood. Without speaking a word, he leaves a message for the assembled emissaries of the Clans, "In this time of strife, it is time for us to come together, like the folding of steel, once together we become stronger. I shall take the finest smith among you to the Celestial Forge, to make a blade unmatched in history in the name of a Great Kami. This blade shall be your gift to another so we might come together and bring peace to the Empire. That very day the message spread across the land as swift Miya courtiers carried the news to the daimyo of all the clans.
But other ears heard the Master Smith's message as well. The creatures of the Shadowlands, servants of darkness and corruption, look upon the opportunity with eagerness. Xing Guo made his offer "in the name of a Great Kami..."
He never excluded Fu Leng.