The blue sky stretched endlessly, with scarcely a cloud in sight. A white bird spread its wings and swooped low over the vast Min River. On the deck of a cargo ship, a jade-adorned young man stood beside a burly man.
A fresh river breeze brushed his face and stirred his dark hair. The young man stood with his hands behind his back and sighed. "The Gilded Metal Sect and the Earth-Bearing Sect are at war again, fighting without cease at Two-Worlds Pass. I hear they've achieved little, yet suffered many casualties. Brother Wu, if the offensive fails and the Earth-Bearing Sect breaks through instead, Hanzhang Commandery borders the pass. I'm afraid it will bear the brunt."
Brother Wu's thick brows drew together. "Of the Five Commanderies, Hanzhang and Anhe both border the frontier. They really are in danger. If you want peace of mind, you'd best take your family away. Baoshan Commandery is under the Gilded Metal Sect's protection, and with three Violet Palace True Persons there, it should be safe.
"Or you could leave the Five Commanderies altogether and head north. But I've heard a Great Fiend is causing trouble up there. Even the direct disciples of a Golden Core lineage have gone out to slay it. I doubt the north is peaceful either—"
The young man shook his head. "In times like these, where can anyone live in peace? We're fortunate enough. We have spiritual apertures, our talents aren't too poor, and through diligent cultivation we've reached Qi Refining. That gives us some power to protect ourselves.
"If we were mortals, we could only leave our fates to Heaven. Once chaos erupted, our homes and entire families might be destroyed, every friend and relative lost."
Brother Wu said gravely, "Mortals can only be swept along by the