Chapter 38 – The Road of Echoes
The wind carried a whisper through the mountain pass — a low hum that seemed to come from the earth itself.
Snow dust swirled gently in the air as Ye Tianlan and Mei descended the winding trail that led away from the northern cliffs. The last rays of dusk painted the sky in shades of violet and gold.
Neither spoke for a while. The silence wasn't heavy, but reflective — both trying to process the same truth: the Veiled Sect's illusions had led them to more than deception. They had uncovered something far older.
Mei tightened her cloak around her shoulders. "You really think those rune fragments are connected to the Crimson Seal?"
Ye Tianlan didn't look back. His gaze stayed fixed on the valley ahead, where faint lights shimmered — the signs of a distant village.
"The runes were drawn using soul ink," he said quietly. "That kind of technique hasn't been used for centuries. Whoever created it knew the Seal's structure."
"So we're chasing a dead language now?"
"Not dead," he murmured. "Just buried."
She sighed softly. "You know, normal people go sightseeing when they travel. Not… this."
A faint smile ghosted across his lips. "We're far from normal people."
---
They reached the edge of the forest as night fully set in. The moon rose above the valley, bathing the land in pale light. Below, they could see the outlines of rooftops — a small settlement nestled beside a frozen river.
Mei's steps quickened. "Finally! Civilization."
"Stay cautious," Tianlan said, slowing his pace. "Villages this deep in the northern ranges don't survive without reason."
"You mean trouble."
"I mean something that keeps trouble away."
Her expression turned uneasy. "That's not comforting."
---
The village seemed peaceful at first. Smoke rose from chimneys, and a few lanterns flickered dimly near doorways. But as they entered, Mei noticed something strange — no voices, no footsteps, no movement at all.
The air felt thick, almost muffled.
Ye Tianlan stopped in front of a house and touched the doorframe. The wood was cold — unnaturally cold. His spiritual sense brushed over it, meeting faint resistance.
"A barrier," he muttered.
"Like the ones at the Veiled Sect?"
"Similar… but this one isn't for keeping people out."
He turned slightly. "It's for keeping something in."
Mei frowned, stepping back instinctively. "You mean—"
Before she could finish, the door creaked open on its own.
A faint gust swept through, carrying the smell of burnt incense and damp air. Inside, the house was empty — furniture intact but covered in dust. At the center of the floor lay a single object: a clay bowl filled with dark, dried residue.
Ye Tianlan's eyes narrowed. "Blood incense. Used in old spirit-binding rituals."
Mei crossed her arms. "Great. And you said this place might be safe."
"I said we'd see," he corrected calmly.
"Next time, use better words."
He ignored her tone, kneeling beside the bowl. The residue pulsed faintly, almost invisible to the naked eye. He traced a finger through the air above it, and symbols began to flicker — ancient runes, similar to those they'd found in the mountain cave.
It wasn't random. It was a message.
"'The seal spreads through silence,'" he read under his breath. "'The echo carries what the voice cannot.'"
Mei blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Someone here was studying the Crimson Seal," Tianlan said quietly. "But they realized too late that it listens."
She tilted her head. "Listens?"
He met her gaze, serious now. "Some seals don't just bind — they remember. Speak its name too often, and it begins to trace your voice."
Mei's throat went dry. "You're saying—"
"The Veiled Sect didn't forbid the name out of superstition," he said, standing slowly. "They were afraid of being heard."
---
They searched the rest of the village, but every house was the same — empty, undisturbed, and lined with faint spiritual residue. In one home, an unfinished talisman lay on the floor, its ink smeared as if the writer had vanished mid-stroke.
By midnight, they reached the far edge of the settlement, where a single shrine stood beneath a dying tree. Its wooden beams had long cracked, and the statues inside were worn smooth by time.
Mei knelt to light a lantern. The flame's glow revealed something carved into the stone altar — the mark of a crimson eye.
Her voice trembled slightly. "It's here too…"
Ye Tianlan stepped closer, hand resting on his sword's hilt. The mark was old, faded, yet pulsing faintly with energy.
He closed his eyes, extending his spiritual sense into the stone. What he felt made his chest tighten — grief, fear, and something else… a trace of will that refused to die.
He withdrew his hand and exhaled slowly. "This place wasn't abandoned. It was silenced."
Mei looked up. "By what?"
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the forest beyond the shrine. For a heartbeat, his expression changed — not fear, but recognition.
"Something that remembers," he said finally. "Something that's still listening."
---
They left the village before dawn. The first light of morning touched the frozen fields, casting long shadows that reached toward them as if trying to hold them back.
Mei broke the silence after a long while. "You never told me why you're doing this," she said softly.
Ye Tianlan didn't slow his steps. "You already know."
"I know you're looking for answers. But… the Xu Clan's gone. Even if you find the truth, what then?"
He stopped. The cold wind rustled his hair, and for the first time, Mei saw something in his eyes — not anger, not vengeance, but sorrow that had turned to resolve.
"When something is erased," he said, "it leaves behind emptiness. But emptiness still echoes. I can't change what's gone. But I can stop the same silence from swallowing others."
Mei stared at him for a moment, her usual sarcasm gone. "You really think you can stop something like that?"
He gave a faint smile. "No. But I can make it bleed trying."
---
They walked until the mountains thinned into rolling hills. In the distance, a faint trail of smoke rose from another settlement — larger, livelier.
Mei pointed. "Looks normal enough. Maybe they have food that isn't dried meat?"
Tianlan nodded. "We'll rest there. Then head east."
"East?"
He adjusted his pack. "Toward the River of Ghosts. Someone there might know how to decode the rune fragments."
"Someone?" she repeated. "Or something?"
He didn't answer.
---
As they descended the slope, the wind picked up again — cold and sharp, carrying a faint, almost inaudible sound. Mei glanced around.
"You hear that?"
Ye Tianlan did. It was like distant chanting — dozens of voices murmuring in a language older than time. He turned toward the sound, but it vanished as quickly as it came.
Just the wind again. Or maybe not.
He exhaled softly, tightening the grip on his sword.
"The echoes are following," he said quietly.
And the two of them continued down the road — toward the plains, toward the unknown — their shadows stretching long behind them as if the past refused to let go.
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Author's Note
Hey everyone, it's King_Fuzu here!
I just wanted to let you all know that I've started working on a new web novel titled "Reverse Chastity World."
It's currently under verification, so it might not show up on my profile just yet. Don't worry — once it's approved (it usually takes around 7 business days), you'll be able to find it listed under my official works.
For now, if you want to check it out early, just search the name "Reverse Chastity World" directly. You should be able to find it there.
Thank you all for the love and support you've shown me so far. Your encouragement is the reason I keep creating. I hope you'll give my new story a read once it's available — and as always, your comments and feedback mean the world to me.
Stay tuned, and see you all in the next chapter!
— King_Fuzu