Kai and his group had spent an extra day in Biragawa at Chen Gong’s request. The scholar had urgent letters to dispatch—messages that would expose the atrocities committed by Wuyuan City’s lord, who had been selling refugees into the hands of demonic cultivators, condemning them to slavery or worse. Gathering evidence and carefully wording the missives had taken time, as had negotiating with the couriers.

  The former magistrate sighed as he sealed the last letter, his expression heavy with regret. He wished he could do more—march into Wuyuan City himself, rally forces, and put an end to the corruption—but he was no longer in a position of power. For now, this was the best he could do: ensuring that the right people knew of the injustice. If the regional lords and righteous sects took action, perhaps the refugees would have a chance.

  Meanwhile, with little else to occupy their time, Kai had decided to make the most of their stay by focusing on training. Biragawa offered little in the way of entertainment this season, and their funds were too meager for indulgence. Their trade goods—mostly furs and hides—had drawn little interest in the market, leaving them with few options.

  Lu Bu, ever eager to prove himself, had initially been excited at the prospect of honing his skills. But his enthusiasm quickly waned under Kai’s relentless drills. The boy was a natural talent, his body adapting swiftly to the rigors of cultivation, but his greatest weakness lay not in his fists or his footwork—it was his tongue.

  Kai had given him a stern lecture after yet another careless slip-up. "Revealing that we’re cultivators puts us all at risk," he had warned, his voice sharp. "Not everyone is an ally. Some will seek to exploit us; others may try to eliminate us."

  To drive the lesson home, Kai had devised a particularly grueling exercise. Lu Bu now stood in a horse stance behind the tavern, his thighs burning, sweat dripping into his eyes as he chanted between gritted teeth:

  "I will not tell people I’m a cultivator. I will not tell people I’m a cultivator."

  His legs trembled, threatening to buckle, but Kai remained unmoved. "Again. Louder."

  Lu Bu groaned but obeyed. He was strong, yes—but discipline was just as crucial as strength in their world. And if it took hours of agony to make him understand that, so be it.

  By nightfall, the boy’s legs felt like water, his voice hoarse from repetition. Yet, as he collapsed onto the ground, panting, Kai allowed himself a small, satisfied nod.

  Maybe this time, the lesson will stick. Kai mused to himself.

  As for Lulu and Gin, Kai had left them under Soma’s sleep spell—partly out of respect for Lulu’s desperate need for rest, and partly because Gin was annoying. But all things must come to an end, and when the time came to depart Biragawa, Kai decided it was time to rouse them.

  Kai asked Yinying to wake them. The shadow fox, ever eager to test her abilities, seeped into their dreams and conjured her signature Yin-induced nightmares.

  Gin shot upright with a strangled scream, his face pale as he babbled something about "Su’s father" and "the teeth, oh heaven, the teeth—" before he realized where he was. Thankfully, Kai had kept Lulu’s sound-dampening formation active, so the tavern remained undisturbed by his outburst.

  Lulu, on the other hand, woke with a slow, languid stretch, completely unfazed by Yinying’s nightmare. She blinked up at the shadow fox with an amused smirk, as if she had merely been watching a mildly interesting play rather than suffering through a terror meant to shake the soul.

  Yinying’s ears drooped. Again. No matter how potent her nightmares, Lulu seemed immune. With a defeated whimper, the fox slunk into the corner to sulk.

  Once the group had gathered their belongings, they set out from Biragawa. Gin, now fully awake and seething, directed a venomous glare at Kai.

  "You left me asleep for two days?! Do you have any idea how disorienting that is?!"

  Kai barely spared him a glance. After the headache Gin had caused yesterday, he had zero patience for complaints. "Be grateful that’s all I did."

  Lulu, meanwhile, seemed like an entirely different person. The deep bags under her eyes had somewhat faded, her movements were more deliberate, and her demeanor had shifted dramatically. When they had first met, she had carried herself with an overconfident, sultry air—flirtatious and theatrical, like the courtesans of Jinsu Kai had suspected she used to be. But now, she was composed, almost professional, her words measured and her gaze sharp behind a pair of thin-framed glasses she now wore.

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  It seemed the real Lulu had finally emerged from beneath the exhaustion.

  Her attire had changed as well. Gone were the scandalous crimson silks that left little to the imagination; instead, she wore thick blue robes that draped modestly over her form, the fabric embroidered with subtle blue patterns. The glasses perched on her nose gave her an air of quiet intellect, a far cry from the provocative charm she had wielded before.

  Kai studied her for a moment, intrigued. Sleep deprivation had turned her into a different person entirely.

  Lulu caught Kai studying her, his gaze lingering just a moment too long. She arched an eyebrow, adjusting her glasses with a deliberate flick of her finger.

  “What?”

  Kai shrugged. “You just seem like a different person.”

  A dry laugh escaped her. “You try not sleeping for months and see if you stay the same person.”

  He considered that, then grimaced. “Fair. But why did lack of sleep turn you so… sultry? Actually—” He held up a hand before she could answer. “Never mind. I have a feeling I don’t actually want to know.”

  Lulu smirked, but there was something sharper in her expression now—something calculating. “Wise man.”

  By the time the group finished packing and made their way to the city gates, the morning sun had fully risen, casting long shadows across the worn cobblestones. The same guard who had greeted them upon their arrival stood at his post, his brow furrowing in surprise as he recognized them.

  “Leaving already?” he called out, stepping forward. “We haven’t even had time to confirm your bounty. The magistrate’s office still needs to verify the capture of the Zuzu bandits.”

  Kai waved a dismissive hand. “Keep the money. Give it to an orphanage, or use it to patch up the roads. We’ve got somewhere to be.”

  The guard’s eyes flicked over Kai’s attire—the distinct, wind-stitched patterns of the Windriders Clan. A knowing look crossed his face. “Meeting up with other clansmen further north?”

  “What?” Kai blinked, then glanced down at his robes. He’d nearly forgotten. Kai was wearing the clothing people of the Windrider clan often wore “No, nothing like that. Just… personal business. Trying to make good time.”

  The guard studied him for a long moment before shrugging. “Alright, alright. I can tell you don’t want to say where you’re headed.” He stepped aside, gesturing toward the open road beyond the gates. “Your business is your own. Stay safe out there—bandits have been getting bold lately.”

  Kai gave a curt nod. “We’ll manage.”

  As they passed through the gates and onto the winding path beyond, Lu Bu muttered under his breath, “Bandits? Really? We’re the ones they should be worried about.”

  As the group ventured deeper into the forest, the sounds of the city faded behind them, replaced by the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of unseen creatures. The air grew thick with the scent of damp earth and wild foliage, the sunlight filtering through the canopy in scattered golden beams.

  Then—movement.

  At first, it was just a flicker at the edge of Lulu’s vision—a shadow darting between the trees. Then another. And another.

  Before she could react, the forest erupted with life.

  Spirit beasts of every imaginable shape and size surged forth from the undergrowth, their forms shimmering with untamed qi. Tiny fox-like creatures with fur like molten silver bounded forward, while towering stag-like beings with antlers wreathed in mist stepped gracefully from the shadows. Serpents coiled around tree branches, their scales glinting like polished jade, and winged beasts alighted on nearby rocks, their feathers iridescent in the dappled light.

  Lulu froze, her breath catching in her throat.

  Kai had warned her about the spirit beasts, but nothing could have prepared her for this. There were hundreds of them, their presence so overwhelming that the very air hummed with their energy. And every single one of them radiated unmistakable joy as they converged upon Kai.

  A massive tiger, its fur streaked with flame-like patterns, nuzzled against his side like an overgrown kitten. A flock of tiny, glowing sparrows swirled around his head, chirping excitedly. Even the more aloof beasts—a great horned owl with eyes like polished onyx, a sinuous water drake that curled around his leg—regarded him with unmistakable affection.

  Lulu could only stare, her mind racing.

  She had known Kai was unusual. But this?

  Most spirit beasts were prideful, territorial creatures. They did not bow to humans, did not flock to them like loyal hounds. And yet, here they were, pressing close to Kai as if he were their rightful sovereign, their very essence thrumming with devotion.

  Just who the hell is this man?

  She had thought Kai was just another rogue cultivator, a lone wanderer. But no mere wanderer commanded the loyalty of so many spirit beasts. No ordinary man carried an aura that drew them like moths to flame.

  Extraordinary didn’t even begin to cover it.

  And if these beasts adored him so fiercely… what did that make her for traveling at his side?

  A thrill of unease—and something like anticipation—coursed through her.

  This journey was going to be far more interesting than she’d anticipated.

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