Kael awoke to silence. Not the tense, watchful silence of the Blood-Wind Territories, but a deep,
true silence. The air was clean. The oppressive, chaotic Qi was gone, purged by his
[Retribution]. He was in their bed. Lin Yue was asleep in the chair beside him, her head resting
on her arms, her hand holding his. She looked exhausted, her new Golden Core power settled
deep within her, stable and calm. He had been out for three days.
He squeezed her hand. She awoke instantly, her eyes snapping open, and for a second, he saw
the warrior. Then, he just saw Yue. "Kael," she breathed, a universe of relief in that single word.
"I'm alright," he said, his voice a bit rough. "You?" "I'm... Golden Core," she said, as if just
realizing it. "And you... you are... you." He was. He checked his system. [Stamina: 1000/1000.
All skills ready.] He was perfectly, completely fine.
When they stepped out into their courtyard, they found it... changed. It was clean. The grime
had been washed away. And at their gate, there were... offerings. Baskets of fresh bread, dried
herbs, clean water, and even a bolt of fine, blue silk. A family—the blacksmith Kael had
defended—was standing fifty feet away, watching. When they saw him, they didn't cheer. They
bowed. Deeply, and with a reverence that was almost painful. Then, they left, scurrying away as
if not wanting to disturb the gods.
Kael and Lin Yue were no longer "The Wall" and "The Witch." They were "The Aegis" and "The
Sky-Cleaner." In a single, cataclysmic battle, they had become the patron saints of the entire,
lawless territory. They had brought peace.
Three days later, Elder Jian returned. He stood at the gate of the courtyard, just looking. He
looked at the clean, blue sky. He looked at Lin Yue, her power now a vast, calm ocean. And he
looked at Kael, who felt, to his senses, like a mountain. Not a man, just a fact of the world. The
old man, for the first time in a century, was utterly speechless. He just... laughed. A deep,
rumbling, joyful laugh. "You did it," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I came to avenge you.
I find you... thriving." "Master," Lin Yue said, bowing, a smile in her voice. "No, no," he said,
waving her off. "I am no longer your master, Lin Yue. You have forged your own Dao. And you,
Kael... I do not what you are. But the world is better for it."
He tossed a scroll onto their table. "A wedding gift. From... well, from me." Lin Yue opened it. It
was a deed. Not to a house, but to the entire mountain range that composed the Blood-Wind
Territories. "The Raging Sky Sect—and every other sect—has officially declared this land
'barren' and 'cursed.' They have ceded all claims. This is just a formality," Elder Jian said, a
twinkle in his eye. "The mountain... is yours. And no one," he added, "will be foolish enough to
try and take it from you." He bowed to them both. "Live well, children." And he was gone. Kael
and Lin Yue stood on their rooftop, looking out at the vast, empty, clean land that was now their
home. "Well," Kael said, slipping his arm around her waist. "We're going to need a bigger
house." She laughed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I think... I think I'm alright with that."