Chapter 61: Sleepless Night
By sunrise, the Azure Wolf Consortium had once again become a moving line upon the ancient trade road.
Willowbrook slowly disappeared behind them.
The Frost Wolves had finished their work before dawn. Throughout the surrounding forests, trees, rocks, and even the borders of animal trails now carried the scent of the pack. To ordinary beasts, it was an unmistakable warning.
This territory belongs to stronger hunters. Stay away.
Elder Ruan Zhentian estimated that few predators would dare enter for at least three or four days. By then, the officials would have reached the village. Alongside investigators, they would undoubtedly dispatch experienced hunters to sweep the surrounding forests and eliminate any Foundation Establishment beasts capable of threatening nearby settlements.
The nightmare had ended.
Now the kingdom would have to ensure another never took its place.
The caravan resumed its familiar rhythm.
Mountain Chargers pulled the heavy wagons over the winding road while merchants resumed discussing prices and destinations. Guards rode alongside the convoy with practiced calm, yet now and then someone's eyes drifted toward the forest.
The events at Willowbrook had left their mark on everyone.
Not every wound bled.
That evening, after camp had been established beside a narrow river, most of the caravan quickly fell asleep.
Yun Che did not know when his dreams began.
Only that they refused to end.
He stood once more inside Willowbrook.
The villagers smiled.
Warm smiles.
Kind smiles.
They invited him inside.
A steaming bowl of food rested upon the table.
Someone urged him to eat.
He smiled politely...
...and took a bite.
Immediately his throat closed.
His limbs became heavy.
The room twisted.
The smiling faces watched silently as he collapsed onto the floor.
Nobody moved to help.
They simply continued smiling.
The scene changed.
He awoke underground.
Darkness pressed against him from every direction.
The air was damp.
Heavy.
His fingers clawed desperately at packed soil above his face.
He couldn't move.
Roots wrapped around his arms.
His legs.
His neck.
Something enormous waited beneath him.
He heard chewing.
Slow.
Patient.
As though it already knew escape was impossible.
The earth split open.
A gigantic flower unfolded beneath his body.
Rows of wooden teeth opened.
Waiting.
Hungry.
He screamed.
No sound came.
The nightmare shifted again.
This time he wasn't alone.
Lin Xia.
Jin Wei.
Bao Kun.
They were laughing around a campfire.
Friendly villagers approached carrying food.
One by one...
They accepted it.
One by one...
They collapsed.
Their smiles faded.
Roots burst from beneath the ground, dragging them screaming into the darkness.
Yun Che ran toward them.
His feet refused to move.
The villagers simply watched.
Still smiling.
Always smiling.
He awoke with a sharp gasp.
Cold sweat soaked his clothes.
His breathing was uneven, and for several long moments he remained completely still, staring into the darkness above him.
His heart refused to slow.
"...Just a dream."
He whispered the words.
Yet they felt strangely hollow.
Somewhere deep within his heart...
A small seed of fear had taken root.
Fear of strangers.
Fear of false kindness.
Fear of trusting the wrong smile.
Yun Che didn't know it.
He couldn't.
Hidden far beneath his consciousness, the Abyss Seed quietly stirred.
Like oil poured upon a tiny flame…
It fed that fear.
Made it brighter.
Sharper.
Harder to forget.
Knowing sleep would not return, Yun Che quietly left his bedroll and walked toward the edge of the camp.
Several guards nodded as he approached.
One of them smiled.
For one disorienting heartbeat, Yun Che saw Willowbrook again.
The waiting bowls.
The frozen smiles.
His body tightened before reason caught up with fear.
This was one of Ruan's guards. A man who had already stood watch beside him for several nights.
Yun Che forced his shoulders to relax.
"Can't sleep?" the guard asked.
"Seems not."
The guard laughed softly.
"Then welcome to the watch."
Yun Che accepted a cup of warm tea before taking a seat beside the fire.
The crackling flames gradually steadied his breathing.
Only then did he notice someone already sitting there.
Lin Xia.
She was wrapped tightly in a thick blanket, staring silently into the dancing fire.
"You couldn't sleep either?"
She gave a faint smile.
"I never really did."
For a while...
Neither spoke.
The fire crackled quietly between them.
Finally, Lin Xia whispered,
"I keep seeing those children."
Yun Che remained silent.
"I thought monsters were the frightening part of travelling."
She lowered her eyes.
"I never imagined..."
"...that people could become worse."
Her voice trembled.
"They trusted their own neighbours."
"They played together."
"They celebrated festivals together."
"And all that time..."
"Some of those people were choosing who would die next."
She wrapped the blanket tighter around herself.
"I don't know how to accept that."
Yun Che understood.
He wasn't sure he accepted it either.
After another long silence, Lin Xia suddenly spoke again.
"I kept thinking about running," she admitted.
"Then I realized I wouldn't know how."
Yun Che looked at her.
"I've been thinking ever since the battle."
"I don't want to become a warrior."
"I don't think I ever will."
She smiled weakly.
"I'm still a tailor."
"I like making clothes."
"I like designing things."
"I like watching people smile when something fits perfectly."
She looked toward her hands.
"But..."
"If another battle like that happens..."
"I'll die."
Yun Che slowly nodded.
"You won't have time to write runes."
"Exactly."
"I need enough protection..."
"...to buy myself time."
She pulled a small notebook from her storage pouch.
"I've been making lists."
Yun Che accepted it.
The pages were already filled with careful handwriting.
Invisible cloth.
Scent suppression.
Barrier runes woven directly into clothing.
Transformation talismans.
Barrier talismans.
Lightning talismans.
He read each page carefully.
Finally he smiled.
"You've actually prepared far more than most cultivators."
Lin Xia sighed.
"It still doesn't feel like enough."
"No," Yun Che said gently.
"Not yet."
He stared thoughtfully into the fire.
Minutes passed.
Neither hurried him.
Finally...
His eyes brightened.
"I think I have something."
Lin Xia immediately straightened.
"What?"
"You've seen my grenades."
She nodded.
"What if they didn't stay on your belt?"
She blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"Add Weight Runes."
She frowned.
"They'll become heavier."
"Not necessarily."
"You can also make them lighter."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"...Floating?"
Yun Che smiled.
"Exactly."
He picked up several small stones from beside the fire.
"Imagine these are grenades."
Using Ki, he made the stones slowly orbit around his hand.
"You make them almost weightless."
"Weight to reduce the burden," Yun Che said.
"Attraction to bind them to a central anchor."
"Rotation to keep them moving around you."
Lin Xia's pen stopped.
"A three-rune compound inscription."
Lin Xia leaned closer.
He continued.
"They become a moving defensive ring."
"Anyone rushing into close combat has to think twice."
"Even if they avoid one..."
"...another is already behind them."
She began writing rapidly.
"What if the control point isn't the sphere?" Lin Xia murmured.
"What if it's the sleeve?"
Yun Che paused.
She tapped the cuff of her robe.
"Threads already follow movement. If I weave attraction guides through the sleeves, the orbit can respond to hand gestures instead of constant thought."
Yun Che slowly smiled.
"That's better."
"What else?"
Yun Che grabbed two more stones.
"Now imagine these aren't grenades."
"They're metal spheres."
He held them apart.
"Weight Rune"
"Attraction Rune."
"Lightning Rune."
The two stones drifted together before stopping a short distance apart.
"If you keep several floating around you..."
"...electricity constantly jumps between them."
He traced invisible lines through the air.
"They become a moving lightning barrier."
Lin Xia's eyes slowly widened.
"And while someone is trying to cross that..."
"...I'm writing runes."
"Exactly."
"You don't need to defeat them."
"You only need enough time."
She stared at the notebook.
Ideas began flowing so quickly that she could barely write fast enough.
Every suggestion led to another.
The conversation continued for nearly an hour.
Neither of them noticed how much time had passed.
Eventually Lin Xia closed the notebook.
She looked genuinely excited for the first time since Willowbrook.
"...Thank you."
Yun Che chuckled.
"I should be thanking you."
She looked confused.
"For what?"
He gazed thoughtfully at the dancing flames.
"When I fight..."
"I naturally think about what works for me."
"But helping someone with a completely different style..."
"...forces me to think differently."
He smiled to himself.
"I just realized something."
"The best way to invent new techniques..."
"...might be to imagine how someone else would solve the same problem."
The realization lingered in his mind.
His own path had never been about copying others.
It had always been about combining ideas.
And perhaps...
The more different those ideas became...
The stronger his own path would grow.
-------------------------
The caravan had settled into the quiet rhythm of the night.
Most of the merchants had already fallen asleep.
Only the crackling campfires, the distant murmur of the river, and the occasional howl of a Frost Wolf disturbed the silence.
The Azure Wolf Consortium had chosen its campsite carefully.
Beside them flowed the Azureflow River, one of the Four Great Rivers of the northern continent. Originating in the snow-covered peaks beyond the Land of Clouds, the four rivers wound through neighboring kingdoms before eventually merging into the vast Eastern Star Ocean, whose endless waters connected dozens of nations.
Even in the darkness, the broad river reflected the moon like polished silver.
Beyond it...
Ancient forest stretched toward the horizon.
Beautiful.
Peaceful.
And extremely dangerous after sunset.
Ordinary travelers would never dare camp here without experienced guards.
Yun Che sat beside the watchfire with Lin Xia.
The notebook they had been filling lay open between them.
Neither noticed the approaching figure until one of the Frost Wolves slowly stood.
Its ears twitched.
Its golden eyes fixed upon the darkness.
A moment later...
Footsteps.
Steady.
Confident.
A young man emerged from the moonlit trees.
He looked no older than seventeen.
His robes were white trimmed with deep blue, embroidered with silver clouds and jagged bolts of lightning. Across his chest rested the emblem of a silver roc soaring through azure storm clouds.
He was a disciple of the Azure Thunder Roc Sect, a respected regional power whose sword cultivators were famous for combining explosive lightning with terrifying aerial movement.
Its Sect Master was said to have reached the Spirit Transformation Realm, allowing the sect to dominate several counties despite remaining far below the truly great powers.
The young cultivator carried a sheathed sword across his back.
His posture remained relaxed.
His breathing calm.
His aura...
Almost nonexistent.
He had completely suppressed it.
Experienced cultivators often traveled that way.
Keeping one's presence hidden conserved Ki and avoided attracting unnecessary attention.
Still...
No one was fooled.
Anyone capable of traveling alone through wilderness like this almost certainly possessed at least Foundation Establishment cultivation.
Otherwise...
They would already be dead.
The young man stopped well outside the campfire's light and politely cupped his fists.
"Good evening, my name is Lei Zhenyu. I am an inner disciple of the Azure Thunder Roc Sect."
"I am travelling toward the east."
"I noticed your caravan while passing by."
"Would it be possible for me to meditate nearby until dawn?"
Several guards exchanged glances.
One stepped forward immediately.
"No."
The answer came without hesitation.
"Find another place."
The young cultivator blinked.
"I am not asking to join your caravan."
"I merely wish to remain nearby."
"Our answer is still no."
Another guard pointed toward the darkness.
"You may continue on your way."
The young man's smile faded.
"I am not some filthy bandit."
"If I intended harm, I would not have announced myself from outside your perimeter."
Several guards frowned.
The confidence in his voice bordered on arrogance.
A deep sigh came from beside the largest campfire.
Elder Ruan Zhentian slowly rose to his feet.
The old captain looked at the sect emblem.
His expression immediately became colder.
"Azure Thunder Roc Sect..."
He muttered almost to himself.
"Figures."
The young man straightened respectfully.
"Senior knows my sect?"
"I know enough."
Ruan folded his arms.
"The only reason you're still standing here..."
"...is because you haven't drawn that sword."
The smile disappeared from the young cultivator's face.
Ruan continued calmly.
"Now leave."
"Before my patience runs out."
The young man's brows furrowed.
"Senior, isn't that rather excessive?"
"I've done nothing."
Ruan snorted.
"Exactly."
"And I'd like to keep it that way."
He pointed toward the forest.
"You expect a merchant caravan to allow an unknown Foundation cultivator to sleep within striking distance?"
"We cannot verify your identity."
"We cannot verify your character."
"We cannot verify your intentions."
"So from our perspective..."
"You're simply another armed stranger."
The young man opened his mouth.
"But—"
"No."
"You are too close for comfort."
"Cross the boundary after being refused, and I will treat you as a hostile cultivator."
Ruan's voice remained calm.
"Whether you leave afterward will depend entirely upon how quickly you surrender."
The surrounding guards nodded.
No one doubted he meant it.
The young cultivator rubbed his forehead.
"...That's unnecessarily cruel."
"I'm literally asking to sit by a river."
"Then sit somewhere else."
"What's the problem with this spot?"
"The problem..."
Ruan answered flatly,
"...is you."
Nearby, Yun Che quietly leaned toward Lin Xia.
"I don't think this is ending well."
Lin Xia nodded.
"I've noticed."
She glanced toward Elder Liang Wen.
The old merchant calmly sipped his tea while reading through a ledger.
He didn't even pretend to notice the argument.
Yun Che blinked.
"...He's ignoring it."
Lin Xia whispered,
"I think..."
"...he also dislikes the Azure Thunder Roc Sect."
"It certainly looks that way."
The argument continued growing louder.
Nothing yet suggested that he intended violence.
Unfortunately, his pride was rapidly making him sound as though he did.
And Elder Ruan...
Had absolutely no patience for that sort of confidence.
Lin Xia sighed.
"If this keeps going..."
"...someone's getting thrown into the river."
Yun Che nodded.
"My money's on the swordsman."
Before either elder could say another word...
Lin Xia stepped forward.
"Excuse me..."
"The river bends downstream," Lin Xia said.
"There is an open bank beyond the next group of trees. You would remain close enough that the wolves' howls would warn you of danger, but far enough that the guards would not consider you a threat."
She offered a polite smile.
"Would that not satisfy everyone?"
Her gentle voice immediately interrupted the confrontation.
Every head turned.
The young swordsman looked toward her.
His eyes widened ever so slightly.
The fierce confidence he'd worn moments ago vanished as though someone had flipped a switch.
His expression changed.
Perhaps because she was a young woman.
Or perhaps because she had offered him a way to withdraw without admitting that Elder Ruan was right.
"...Ah."
He immediately cupped his fists.
"My apologies."
"It seems I've caused unnecessary trouble."
Everyone blinked.
He bowed politely toward Elder Ruan.
"I understand your concerns now."
"I'll meditate farther downstream."
"I won't approach the caravan again tonight."
"Please rest peacefully."
He smiled warmly.
Then calmly walked away without another complaint.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Yun Che looked at Lin Xia.
Lin Xia looked at Yun Che.
Neither understood what had just happened.
Even the guards stared after the retreating cultivator.
Finally...
Elder Ruan let out a long, tired sigh.
"...Hopeless."
He rubbed his temples.
"Young men."
"Always trying to look impressive the moment a girl starts watching."
Several guards burst into laughter.
One nearly dropped his spear.
Even Yun Che couldn't help smiling.
Lin Xia blinked in complete innocence.
"...Was it something I said?"
Ruan shook his head.
"No."
"You merely reminded him that acting like an idiot in front of a young lady is usually a poor strategy."
The old captain looked toward the distant figure now quietly sitting beside the river, exactly where he had been told to go.
"...At least this one still has enough sense to be embarrassed."
The camp slowly relaxed again.
Farther downstream, beneath the pale moonlight, the young disciple of the Azure Thunder Roc Sect sat cross-legged in meditation.
Far enough away that no one felt threatened.
Close enough that the wolves could still keep an eye on him.
Peace, at last, returned to the campsite.
Yun Che glanced once more toward the young man sitting beneath the moonlight.
At first glance, he looked harmless now. Almost pitiful.
Then a moth drifted too close to his shoulder.
A thread of silver flashed.
The insect split cleanly in two without the sword leaving its sheath.
Yun Che's smile slowly faded.
Embarrassing or not...
That young man was dangerous.