Traveling South Together

At first light, the rumble of wheels and the bustle of travelers drifted from the distant post road. The morning mist had yet to lift from the woods, carrying the scent of grass and trees.

After a quick tidy-up, the group set off again.

The Wolf King—perhaps he ought to be called "Little Wind" now—was too conspicuous. Chen Qing had it follow them through the woods on its own. The giant wolf gave a low growl, then its agile form vanished into the emerald sea of trees. Only an occasional deep howl from somewhere among the woods proved it was still there.

Lan Tianye cheerfully mounted his magnificent white horse, Snow Dragon Steed. The horse was white from head to hoof, save for a faint golden tint along the edges of its four hooves. It was a wondrous sight.

He was an excellent rider, guiding the horse in light, measured steps beside Chen Qing's carriage. As usual, his mouth was like a floodgate thrown open, his words pouring out without end.

He talked about the customs and scenery of the ancient kingdom of Loulan in the Western Regions, the solitary smoke rising over the desert, and his own "heroic deeds"—such as teaching bullies who mistreated street vendors a lesson and settling disputes between caravans. Then he moved on to his "insights" and critiques of the famous martial artists of the Central Plains, most of which he'd picked up through hearsay.

"...So, Brother Chen, that Mountain Splitting Palm, Lei Meng, has quite a reputation. They say he can cleave rivers and split seas with a single palm! But I reckon it's mostly hot air. His stance is flimsy as a house of cards. If it came to a fight, I could strike the back of his knee in three moves..."

A Ning sat beside Chen Qing, her big eyes taking in the lush green woods around them. She seemed to be gradually getting used to the noisy blue-clad big brother beside her.

Every so often, when Lan Tianye got carried away and started gesticulating, she would sneak a look at him with her clear, slightly bewildered eyes. Her face remained expressionless, but her gaze had begun to brim with curiosity.

Before noon, the carriage reached a fork in the road. In the distance, several rough-looking men had surrounded a mule cart that appeared to belong to an ordinary farming family. They were shouting at the occupants, apparently accusing them of blocking the road and demanding "toll money."

The old farmer trembled with fear, bowing and scraping repeatedly.

"Outrageous!" Lan Tianye's sword-like brows shot up, and he was about to spur his horse forward.

Chen Qing merely said, "There's no need."

Before he'd finished speaking, a low, menacing howl rang out from the woods beside them—"Awoooo!" It was deep and powerful, charged with a raw, oppressive wildness unlike the cry of any ordinary wolf.

Every insect and beast in the woods scattered in terror.

The ruffians' faces changed at the sound. They stared fearfully toward the dense woods it had come from, forgetting all about extorting the travelers.

"A wolf... There's a wolf! It sounds huge!"

"Let's go, hurry! This place is cursed!"

The men panicked. Leaving the mule cart behind, they shoved one another as they scrambled back to their own donkey cart, then hurriedly fled the fork in the road.

The old farmer was startled too. He quickly bowed toward the woods, then hurried his mule cart along.

Lan Tianye stared in stunned amazement, then burst out laughing. "Brilliant, Brother Chen! Your way is much easier! One howl from Brother Little Wind is worth more than me talking until my mouth goes dry! Hahaha!" He gave a thumbs-up toward the woods. "Brother Little Wind, you're a legend!"

The woods fell silent. There was no response, as though the howl had been nothing but an illusion. But Lan Tianye was even happier, convinced that his wolf brother was the coolest thing ever.

At midday, the carriage stopped beside a clear stream for a rest. Lan Tianye volunteered to fetch water for the horses, and he moved with surprising efficiency. His Snow Dragon Steed seemed to love the stream water, nuzzling its owner's hand affectionately.

Chen Qing took out some provisions to share. His gaze passed over the quiet A Ning, and he suddenly recalled the day they'd left Pebble Town. While passing through the crowded market, A Ning's eyes had lingered for a moment on a stall selling bamboo flutes.

There had seemed to be the faintest trace of curiosity in her eyes.

He hadn't said anything then, but had quietly doubled back and bought a bamboo flute from the stall.

Now, Chen Qing took the pale-green flute from his pack. It was roughly made, not even quite straight, but its surface had been smoothed reasonably well.

Lan Tianye returned after watering the horse. When he saw the flute in Chen Qing's hand, his eyes lit up again. "Brother Chen! You know music too? How cultured! Play us a tune!" He leaned closer, full of anticipation.

Chen Qing ignored him and brought the flute to his lips.

In his previous life, he'd only dabbled a little in music, and his memories had long since grown hazy. But he calmed his mind and focused. The extraordinary perception and control granted by the Ancient Star Ruins Scripture flowed naturally through him as his fingers covered the holes and he tried blowing.

"Whee—screee—"

The first note came out, crude and rough. His breath wavered, producing a painfully shrill squeak.

"Pfft!" Lan Tianye had just taken a drink from his waterskin. He spat it out at the sound and broke into a violent coughing fit, his face twisting as he clapped his hands over his ears. "Bro... Brother Chen! Stop! That flute of yours... it's as deadly as the Soul-Snatching Devil Music of the Demon Cult! My meager inner strength can't withstand it! If Brother Little Wind hears that, he'll probably carry the whole forest off on his back and run for the hills!"

Chen Qing frowned slightly, not because of Lan Tianye's antics, but because he disliked the noise he'd made.

He closed his eyes and focused. Though he didn't deliberately summon his Starforce, it naturally adjusted his breathing—the force and angle of his breath, and even the pressure of each fingertip. To him, it felt more like an intriguing new exercise in controlling power.

He tried again.

The notes still came in fits and starts, with no tune to speak of, but the shrill squeak had vanished. The sound was much steadier.

Lan Tianye lowered his hands from his ears. A touch of surprise crossed his face. "Huh?"

Chen Qing stayed focused, completely immersed in the experience of "control."

His ability to learn and command his body was downright monstrous. In barely a dozen breaths, the crude notes grew astonishingly fluid!

The simple notes began to flow together. There was still no complex melody, only a few basic notes repeated and slowly combined, but the sound had become remarkably steady and clean, with excellent pitch. And the player's tranquil state of mind seemed to lend it a plain, ethereal quality, stripped of all ornament. It drifted along the quiet stream, unexpectedly harmonious and pleasing to the ear.

The mockery and surprise vanished from Lan Tianye's face. His mouth fell open, and he stared in genuine disbelief. He looked from the flute to Chen Qing's calm, focused profile as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Brother Chen... you..." he murmured. "Were you messing with me just now? Or did some master of music possess you? Th-this is way too fast! How are ordinary people like us supposed to survive when you learn things at that speed?!" He simply couldn't understand how someone could go from making sounds that pierced the ears to playing something almost respectable in a few short moments—even a simple melody had its own unique charm.

Chen Qing lowered the flute without explaining.

Only he knew it wasn't merely a matter of musical skill. It was the absolute control granted by his Star Ruins Scripture. Anything that required control came much more easily to him.

His gaze turned to A Ning.

A Ning, who had been sitting quietly to one side the whole time, had her little face tilted up. Her eyes were fixed on Chen Qing, utterly absorbed.

The timidity and bewilderment that usually clouded her gaze had faded a little, replaced by pure curiosity.

Lan Tianye noticed A Ning's reaction too. He immediately forgot all about Chen Qing and leaned toward her with a grin. "Little Sister A Ning, do you like listening? Want to learn? My flute playing isn't as freakish as Brother Chen's—uh, as fast to learn as his—but I can sing songs from the Western Regions. They're really good!" As he spoke, he couldn't resist humming a lively little tune full of exotic flair, gently swaying to the beat.

A Ning shifted her gaze from the flute to Lan Tianye's face. After studying him for a moment, she looked back at Chen Qing.

Chen Qing carefully put the bamboo flute away. It seemed he'd chosen well when he bought it.

A faint melancholy stirred in Lan Tianye's heart. He couldn't understand why A Ning didn't like the exotic tune.

Once they had rested, the carriage set off again.

Chen Qing gently patted A Ning's little head and said softly, "Go back inside the carriage. It's windy out here."

But A Ning stubbornly shook her head. She quietly edged closer to Chen Qing and clutched his clothes tightly, as though afraid he'd send her away.

In the end, Chen Qing had no choice but to give in. A Ning got to sit beside him as she'd wanted, her feet dangling above the ground.

Just then, Lan Tianye began humming a cheerful tune. A Ning's little feet started swaying to the rhythm without her noticing. Lan Tianye smiled and hummed with even more gusto!