Chapter 37 – Journey to find shen wuhai
The moonlight stretched thin over the mountain path as Ye Tianlan and Mei descended from the Veiled Sect. The mist around them glowed faintly, like pale breath rising from the earth. Behind them, the faint lights of the Sect faded completely, swallowed by silence.
Neither spoke for a long time.
Mei glanced sideways at Tianlan, watching the calm, unreadable look on his face. She could tell his mind was far away — buried somewhere deep in the ashes of his past.
Finally, she broke the quiet.
"So... that old man really said your whole clan was wiped out by the Seven Realms?"
Tianlan's steps didn't slow. "He didn't lie."
"And this Shen Wuhai guy—" she continued, "—he came asking the same questions? About your clan?"
"Yes."
She frowned, folding her arms. "You think he's dead?"
Tianlan didn't answer immediately. "If he was reckless, yes. If he was cautious… then he's still watching."
Mei sighed, kicking a small stone off the edge of the path. "Great. So now we're chasing some ghost from twenty years ago."
"Ghosts often know more than the living," Tianlan said quietly.
She wrinkled her nose. "That's creepy when you say it."
He didn't respond, but his lips curved slightly — not quite a smile, just the faintest acknowledgment that her chatter, as usual, broke through the weight of silence.
---
By dawn, they reached the foot of the mountains. The road ahead opened into rolling plains dotted with wild spirit grass, glimmering faintly in the early light. A thin trail of smoke rose from the distance — a village, small and remote.
"Breakfast," Mei said immediately, sniffing the air. "I smell buns. Real buns!"
Tianlan looked at her, then toward the village. "You're sure that's not another illusion?"
She squinted. "If it is, it's the tastiest one yet."
He sighed lightly. "Fine. We'll rest there for a while."
"Finally!" she said, running ahead, her light steps barely touching the ground.
Tianlan followed at a slower pace, his eyes scanning everything — the quiet fields, the distant treeline, even the faint hum of spiritual energy that drifted in the air. The Elder's words still echoed in his mind.
'Power over fate threatens every throne.'
He knew what that meant — the Xu Clan hadn't been destroyed for ambition or greed. They had touched something forbidden. Something even the heavens feared.
And now, that same shadow had turned its gaze toward him.
---
The village was simple but lively. Children ran barefoot through dusty lanes, merchants set up stalls of steamed buns and dried spirit herbs, and old women chatted while weaving baskets. It was the kind of place untouched by the chaos of the greater realms.
Mei darted to the nearest stall. "Two buns! And some of that spirit honey!"
The old vendor blinked. "Spirit honey? That'll be extra—"
Before he could finish, Tianlan placed a small spirit coin on the counter. "Keep the change."
"Ah! Generous young master!" the old man said, handing over the steaming food.
Mei bit into hers immediately. "Mmm! Okay, this is worth walking for days."
"You said that yesterday," Tianlan murmured.
"And I was right both times."
He shook his head, sitting by a wooden fence overlooking the fields. The soft morning wind carried the scent of soil and wildflowers — peaceful, almost deceptively so.
For a brief moment, he allowed himself to breathe.
But peace never lasted long.
---
A faint pulse — almost imperceptible — brushed against his senses.
He set down the cup of tea he'd barely sipped and closed his eyes.
Spiritual presence. Faint, distant, but there. Watching.
He spoke softly, "Three of them. Half a mile north. Concealed by wind talismans."
Mei froze mid-bite. "Already? We just got here!"
"They were already here," Tianlan replied.
She looked around nervously. "Are they following us from the Veiled Sect?"
"No. Different scent. Their qi is unstable — assassins, not disciples."
"Wonderful," she muttered, gulping down the last of her bun. "You always attract the friendliest people."
Tianlan stood, pulling the edge of his robe tighter. "Stay near. Don't draw attention."
"Oh sure," she said dryly, "because I'm so good at blending in."
But before she could complain further, he vanished.
---
The field beyond the village lay quiet under the morning sun. Three figures crouched among the tall grass, cloaked in dull grey, their auras suppressed to near invisibility.
"Target is confirmed," one whispered. "Masked man, northern road. Orders are to observe—"
A blur of motion interrupted him.
Ye Tianlan appeared between them like a gust of cold wind, one hand already pressing against a man's chest. A flash of spirit light erupted — silent but deadly — and the first assassin fell without a sound.
The other two reacted instantly, blades drawn and talismans flaring. One threw a fire sigil, the other darted behind him for a backstrike.
Tianlan didn't move from his spot.
The fire sigil froze midair, the talisman's energy unraveling like silk threads. The backstrike stopped inches from his shoulder — blade trembling.
The assassin gasped. His limbs refused to move.
"Your hearts," Tianlan said quietly, "are too loud. I heard them before you even reached the village."
With a faint gesture, spiritual force pulsed outward. Both men collapsed to their knees.
He crouched beside them, voice calm. "Who sent you?"
One spat blood. "We answer… to no one."
Tianlan's eyes narrowed. "Then die for no one."
The man's eyes widened — and the wind swallowed his scream before it could rise.
---
When Tianlan returned to the village, Mei was pretending to browse jewelry from a merchant stall. She turned as he approached. "So... you handled it?"
"Yes," he said simply.
She sighed in relief. "Good. Because I was about to throw a bracelet at someone."
He gave her a look. "That would have helped a lot."
"It's called intimidation," she said.
"Try not to intimidate the merchants."
"I wasn't— okay, fine, maybe a little," she admitted, rolling her eyes.
They began walking again, leaving the small village behind. The road ahead stretched endlessly, the wind whispering through the fields.
"Where to now?" Mei asked after a while.
"North," Tianlan said. "The jade slip mentioned Shen Wuhai's trail starting near the border of the Cloudveil Plains. We follow that."
"Sounds far."
"It is."
"And dangerous?"
"Always."
She sighed dramatically. "At least tell me there'll be better food."
Tianlan glanced at her. "Maybe."
She grinned. "See? You do care."
He said nothing — but the faintest smirk crossed his face.
---
As night approached, they camped near a shallow stream. The water reflected the dim orange of their campfire, flickering softly against Tianlan's mask.
Mei lay beside him, tail twitching lazily. "You think this Shen Wuhai might've known your father?"
"Maybe," Tianlan said. "Or maybe he just knew the people who killed him."
She turned her head, staring at the fire. "You ever think about revenge?"
He paused. "Every day."
"And?"
"And then I remember that revenge doesn't change the truth. It only burns it slower."
She was quiet for a moment, then whispered, "Still sounds worth it sometimes."
"Sometimes," he admitted. "But not yet."
The wind picked up, scattering ashes into the night sky like tiny stars. Mei's eyes followed them, soft and uncertain.
"You know," she said finally, "you could've just lived peacefully somewhere. You didn't have to chase all this."
"I tried," he said quietly. "But peace doesn't come to those born from fire."
The fire crackled. Neither spoke again for a long time.
---
As the stars wheeled above them, Tianlan opened the jade slip once more. The faint spiritual lines within it pulsed, forming symbols and routes across a glowing map.
A small name shimmered faintly near the edge of the northern plains:
"Shen Wuhai – Last Known Path."
Tianlan traced the glowing mark with his finger. His expression stayed calm, but his eyes held something new — not anger, but focus. A direction. A purpose.
Behind him, Mei's voice came soft and sleepy. "Hey… if this Shen guy's still alive, maybe he'll have more buns."
Tianlan looked at her, then back at the map.
"Maybe," he said, as the firelight danced across his face.
"But I'm not going there for buns."
The night deepened around them, filled with quiet, restless wind.
And somewhere far beyond, in the lands of the Cloudveil Plains, the next shadow stirred — waiting for Ye Tianlan's arrival.
To be continue —