The Departure

When Li Xuan pushed open the courtyard gate, three people stood outside.

Shi Yong leaned against the courtyard wall, his heavy saber planted on the ground. He held a cold steamed bun in one hand and was yawning. Su Ying sat on the stone steps with her hammer laid across her knees. Her eyes were red, as though she had slept poorly. Shadow stood farthest away, leaning against a red pine with his arms crossed and little expression on his face. However, he had changed into a new black martial outfit, and a short sword now hung at his waist.

"How long have you been waiting here?" Li Xuan asked.

"Not long." Shi Yong bit into the bun. "Only two hours."

Li Xuan glanced at him without saying anything.

"The Shadow Division approved it." Shadow spoke in his usual flat voice. "Three people will accompany you to the Northern Territory. Shi Yong, Su Ying, and me."

Li Xuan frowned. "I never said I was bringing anyone."

"You didn't, but the Shadow Division did." Shadow took a black command token from his robes and waved it. "Mission Order: Grade C Number 9. Investigate the Black Abyss in the Northern Territory and trace the whereabouts of Gurqin's Main Body. Captain, Li Xuan. Team members, Shi Yong, Su Ying, and Shadow. No fixed deadline. Contribution Points will be calculated per person."

He tossed the token to Li Xuan.

Li Xuan caught it and looked down. The words "Shadow Division" were carved into the front, while the back bore the mission number and date. The writing was clear and the seal complete. It was indeed an official mission order.

"When was this changed?" he asked. "Before, you said I'd be going alone."

"Last night." Shadow said, "After news spread that Gurqin's clone had been destroyed, the Elder Council held a meeting through the night. In the end, they decided to send more people... It wasn't that they didn't trust you. They simply didn't trust the Northern Territory."

Shi Yong stuffed the last bite of his bun into his mouth and said indistinctly, "I've got nothing to do anyway. A trip to the Northern Territory sounds fine. It's better than suffocating in the sect."

Su Ying stood up, hugging her hammer. "My uncle agreed too. He said... he said I should go out more and broaden my horizons."

Li Xuan looked at the three of them and fell silent for several breaths.

He wanted to refuse. The Northern Territory was not the sect. There were no rules and no reinforcements. Going there meant gambling with their lives. Shi Yong and Su Ying were only at Body Tempering Realm Level 9 and had not even reached the Inner Qi Realm. Although Shadow was at the True Qi Realm's second level, he still had missions from the Shadow Division. Who knew whom he truly obeyed?

But he also knew that refusing would be useless.

As an Inner Disciple, he could not defy the Shadow Division's orders.

"When are we leaving?" he asked.

"At noon." Shadow said, "We'll gather at North Mountain Gate. You have two hours to pack."

Li Xuan nodded and turned back inside.

The instant he closed the door, he leaned against it and shut his eyes.

Inside his body, Red Sun Qi and Blood Fiend Gang Qi slowly circulated, as quiet as two hibernating snakes.

After refining the Wolf Soul Mark last night, the two powers had finally reached a certain balance.

It was like two neighbors who refused to yield to each other but had drawn clear boundaries and gone about their own lives.

He looked inward at his status panel:

[Li Xuan]

[Status: Peak]

[Realm: Inner Qi Realm Level 3 (Minor Accomplishment)]

[Strength: 32.1]

[Constitution: 85.0]

[Agility: 5.2]

[Spirit: 15.0]

[Potential Points: 25.0]

[Techniques: Blood Fiend Bone Forging Technique, Third Layer (Threefold Limit Break)]

[Technique: Mountain Suppressing Art (Perfection)]

[Technique: Red Sun Scripture (Minor Accomplishment)]

[Special: Blood Fiend Diamond Body, Yin and Yang Harmony]

Twenty-five Potential Points.

He had never used them because he did not know where to allocate them. His strength and constitution were already far beyond those of others at the same level, while agility remained his shortcoming. His spirit had just broken through to fifteen points, which was enough for the short term.

After thinking it over, he assigned ten Potential Points to agility and five to constitution, keeping ten in reserve.

[Agility: 5.2→15.2]

[Constitution: 85.0→90.0]

A warm current surged through his legs, waist, and abdomen. The resilience of his muscles and fascia clearly improved. He tried walking two steps around the room. His footsteps were much lighter than before, and the sound of his landing was almost inaudible.

His Shadow Step should now be able to display seventy percent of its power.

He packed his things: the Blood Wolf Saber, dried rations, a waterskin, Golden Wound Powder, several spirit stones, and the jade slip Qin Lie had left behind. He kept the jade slip close to his body, together with the letter Steward Liu had given him.

When he stepped outside, he looked back at Courtyard 7.

The old plum tree was still there. The stone table and stools were still there. Even the bedding on the couch remained as it had the previous night.

He had lived there for over a month, and now he was leaving just like that.

At noon, at North Mountain Gate.

Four people stood on the stone steps, looking down the mountain. The official road wound away like a snake before vanishing into the distant mountain shadows.

Shi Yong carried his heavy saber on his back, and a leather cuirass hung around his waist. He had borrowed it from Logistics Hall. Su Ying had changed into a pair of new boots. Her hammerhead was wrapped in cloth and strapped to her back. Shadow remained as before, dressed entirely in black, expressionless, like a shadow that might scatter at any moment.

Li Xuan made one final check of their equipment and confirmed that nothing was missing.

"The route." He looked at Shadow. "Have you traveled through the Northern Territory before?"

Shadow nodded. "Several times. From Crimson Firmament Mountain to the Northern Territory's border, it takes seven days by the official road. But the official road is crowded and full of prying eyes, making it easy to expose ourselves. If we take the mountain route, we can reach Black Stone Market in five days, but the road is difficult. There are several cliff sections."

"We'll take the mountain route." Li Xuan said, "Time is of the essence."

Shadow raised no objection.

The four of them began descending the mountain.

When they reached halfway down, footsteps suddenly sounded behind them.

"Senior Brother Li!"

Li Xuan turned and saw Zhou Ning running down breathlessly, a cloth bundle clutched in his hand.

"Senior Brother, wait..." Zhou Ning reached them and bent over, panting for a long while before holding out the bundle. "This... this is from the steward. He said the Northern Territory is cold, so you should bring some thicker clothes."

Li Xuan accepted the bundle and opened it for a look. Several cotton garments were folded neatly inside.

"The steward?" he asked.

Zhou Ning's eyes flickered. He lowered his voice. "It was Elder Han. He said... he said the Northern Territory gets cold enough to freeze a person to death at night, so you shouldn't try to be brave."

Li Xuan tied the bundle shut and slung it over his shoulder.

"Thank Elder Han for me."

Zhou Ning nodded, then hesitated before taking a small porcelain bottle from his robes and stuffing it into Li Xuan's hand.

"This... this is mine." His voice dropped even lower. "Golden Wound Powder, the good kind. I saved Contribution Points for half a year to exchange for it. Take it with you, Senior Brother. You might need it..."

Li Xuan looked at the Green-robed youth. He was sixteen or seventeen, with delicate features and little courage. His hands trembled slightly, but his eyes were bright.

"Thanks." Li Xuan put the porcelain bottle away.

Zhou Ning grinned, then turned and ran. After a few steps, he looked back and shouted, "Senior Brother, come back alive!"

His voice drifted away in the mountain wind.

Shi Yong clicked his tongue beside him. "You're quite good at winning people over."

Li Xuan ignored him and continued forward.

Five days later, at the Northern Territory's border.

The mountain road was even more difficult than Shadow had described. On the third day, they encountered a landslide and spent half a day taking a detour, adding twenty li to their journey. On the fourth day, it rained, turning the mountain road into a muddy swamp. Su Ying slipped three times, while Shi Yong fell once and cracked the sheath of his heavy saber. Shadow remained steady, planting each step firmly, like a cat walking along the edge of a cliff.

Li Xuan walked at the front, using the Blood Wolf Saber to hack through the brambles blocking the way. His improved agility had come into play. His steps were light and swift, and he reacted quickly, steadying himself several times when he nearly slipped.

On the evening of the fifth day, they finally crossed the last ridge and saw the plains of the Northern Territory.

The grayish-yellow earth stretched all the way to the horizon. There were no trees or grass, only cracked soil and scattered rubble. Several low hills rose in the distance, like dead beasts lying prone on the ground. The wind was fierce, whipping sand against their faces until it stung.

"This is the Northern Territory?" Su Ying asked softly. "It's so desolate."

"It gets even more desolate farther north." Shadow said, "Once we pass Black Stone Market, even stones become rare. It's all sand and salt flats. You can walk for three days without seeing a single blade of grass."

Li Xuan said nothing. Looking at the gray-yellow earth, he thought of Iron Wall City, Wang Meng, and the soldiers who had died upon its walls.

"We'll rest at Black Stone Market tonight." He said, "We'll continue north at dawn tomorrow."

The four followed the valley downward and reached Black Stone Market after dark.

The town was even more desolate than it had been a month earlier. Most of the people who had been rescued had left, while the remaining dozen or so households kept their doors shut. The streets were empty. The town office's door stood open, and an old man sat inside—not the previous one, but an even older man. His hair was completely white, his back severely hunched, and his eyesight had dimmed. He squinted at them for a long while before recognizing them.

"Are you the Immortal Master who came last month?" the old man asked in a trembling voice. "You... you've come again?"

Li Xuan nodded. "We'll stay one night and leave tomorrow morning."

The old man nodded repeatedly and shakily got to his feet. He led them to the rear courtyard, where several empty rooms stood. They had once housed passing merchant caravans. Though dilapidated, they at least had beds and blankets.

The moment Shi Yong entered, he collapsed onto a bed and began snoring within three breaths. Su Ying hugged her hammer, sat in the corner, leaned against the wall, and soon fell asleep as well.

Shadow did not sleep. He stood by the window, looking at the night outside, no one knowing what he was thinking.

Li Xuan did not sleep either. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he circulated the Red Sun Scripture and nurtured the Pure Yang Qi within his body. After arriving in the Northern Territory, the chill in the air had clearly grown stronger. Ordinary people would fall ill after staying in such a place too long, and even martial artists felt uncomfortable. But to him, the chill was actually beneficial. The Red Sun Scripture specifically countered evil yin energies. Whenever it encountered Yin Qi, it circulated on its own, as though sharpening a blade.

Outside the window, the moon rose.

The moon over the Northern Territory was larger than the one over Crimson Firmament Mountain, and colder too. Moonlight fell over the gray-yellow earth like a thin layer of frost.

"Can't sleep?" Shadow suddenly asked.

Li Xuan opened his eyes. "You aren't sleeping either."

Shadow was silent for a while before saying, "I was thinking about Qin Lie."

Li Xuan looked at him.

"Before I entered the Shadow Division, I met him once." Shadow said, "In the Northern Territory, at a place called Qingshi Town. He lived there for half a year and helped the locals dig a well."

Li Xuan's heart stirred. "You met him?"

"I did." Shadow said, "He was already so old that he barely looked human. His right sleeve was empty, and he walked with a limp. But he still practiced the saber—with his left hand. Every day, he rose before dawn and hacked at a withered tree. One slash after another, all day long."

"What did he say to you?"

Shadow thought for a moment. "He said, 'Don't become like me.'"

Li Xuan fell silent.

Qin Lie had written those same three words in the letter.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Li Xuan asked.

Shadow did not answer. He turned around, leaned against the window frame, and looked at the moon.

"Because I owe him." Shadow said, "He once saved my life."

Li Xuan waited for him to continue.

But Shadow did not speak again.

He only looked at the moon, his expression blurred beneath its light.

After a while, he moved away from the window, sat down in the corner, and closed his eyes.

"Sleep." He said, "We still have to hurry tomorrow."

Li Xuan did not press him.

He closed his eyes and continued circulating the Red Sun Scripture.

Outside the window, the wind moaned like someone crying far away.

Before dawn the next day, the four of them set out.

North of Black Stone Market, the road grew even more difficult. The official road had long since been buried by wind and sand, leaving only indistinct traces that appeared and vanished intermittently. Shadow walked in front, stopping every so often to identify the direction and ensure they had not gone astray.

After three days of travel, the scenery became increasingly desolate. First, the grass disappeared. Later, even stones became scarce, leaving only fine sand and crusts of salt beneath their feet. When the wind blew hard, the sand struck their faces like needles.

Su Ying wrapped cloth around her face, leaving only her eyes exposed, but tears still streamed from them under the assault of the wind. Shi Yong's lips cracked and bled. He licked them and cursed.

On the evening of the fifth day, they saw a ruin.

It was not Iron Wall City. Iron Wall City lay farther east, over a hundred li away.

This had once been a smaller city—or rather, a town. Most of its walls had collapsed, and only broken ruins remained of the buildings inside. Windblown sand had buried half the streets, leaving rooftops and chimneys exposed like half-buried white bones.

"Where is this?" Li Xuan asked.

Shadow stood at the edge of the ruins, looking at the shattered walls. He was silent for a moment.

"This is called Grey Stone Fort." He said, "Twenty years ago, three thousand people lived here. Then the barbarians attacked. The fort fell, and everyone died."

He paused.

"Qin Lie came here. He said Grey Stone Fort was his final stop before entering the mine. It hadn't fallen yet then. People still did business there. There were shops selling flatbread, wine, and cloth. He stayed in the fort for one night, ate a bowl of mutton noodles, and drank a pot of wine."

He turned to look at Li Xuan.

"He said the noodles were delicious. He never ate noodles that delicious again."

The wind and sand blew over, striking the ruined walls with a rustling sound.

Su Ying lowered her head and buried her face in her scarf.

Shi Yong remained silent for a long while before saying in a muffled voice, "Let's go."

The four passed through the ruins and continued north.

On the night of the sixth day, they finally reached their destination.

It was a stretch of Stone Rubble Beach, where enormous gray stones lay everywhere like a group of giant beasts crouching on the ground. Narrow gaps ran between the stones. When the wind passed through them, they gave off a wailing sound, like someone crying.

"Fifty li farther north is the barbarians' nomadic territory." Shadow lowered his voice. "From here onward, we may encounter barbarian scouts at any time."

Li Xuan nodded.

He crouched behind a boulder and looked north. Nothing could be seen in the night, but he could sense the chill in the air growing denser, so dense it seemed almost tangible.

Inside his body, Red Sun Qi began circulating automatically, burning like a ball of fire in his chest.

"We'll camp here tonight." He said, "We'll take turns standing watch until dawn. Shadow, you take the first half. I'll take the second. Shi Yong and Su Ying rest."

Shi Yong wanted to say something, but after Li Xuan glanced at him, he shut his mouth.

The four found a sheltered gap between the stones and squeezed inside. Shi Yong and Su Ying soon fell asleep. Shadow leaned against the entrance of the gap with his eyes closed, but his ears remained pricked.

Li Xuan did not sleep.

Sitting cross-legged at the innermost end, he circulated the Red Sun Scripture, repeatedly nurturing the Pure Yang Qi within his body.

After reaching the depths of the Northern Territory, he sensed one thing more and more clearly.

Something was waiting for him here.

He opened his eyes and looked at the narrow strip of sky overhead.

There were no clouds in the Northern Territory's night sky. The stars were huge and bright, like nails hammered into the heavens one by one.

A wolf howl rose in the distance.

They had arrived.