Years passed like water flowing beneath a bridge—quiet, steady, and unstoppable.
What once felt uncertain gradually settled into routine.
Life resumed its rhythm.
Kai grew up within the Heavenly Martial Sect.
The crying infant once carried through stone corridors became a youth shaped by silence, discipline, and endless skies above mountain peaks. He learned to walk along worn paths of stone, to sit still in meditation halls, and to observe more than he spoke.
As the years passed, his figure stretched taller, his movements growing measured and precise. His expressions rarely changed, yet his eyes carried a calm attentiveness that made even elders pause when meeting his gaze.
Rai, meanwhile, grew within the Zhou Family estate, surrounded by ancient walls and warm voices.
The lively toddler who once ran freely through courtyards matured into a young girl with a bright spirit and quick steps, her presence filling rooms more easily with each passing year.
Between the two families, discussions continued quietly over time.
What began as hesitation slowly turned into acceptance.
Their engagement was eventually formalized—without ceremony, without spectacle.
The marriage was set for the day Kai turned sixteen.
It was also decided that the wedding would be held at the Heavenly Martial Sect, while the baptism of the two children would take place at the Zhou Family estate. Two locations. Two families. One shared path.
As for Kai and Rai themselves…
They rarely met.
In their early childhood, their paths had crossed a few times—fleeting meetings, half-remembered moments that faded as years passed. As they grew older, those meetings ceased altogether.
They grew up knowing of each other's existence rather than knowing each other.
Names spoken in passing.
A bond acknowledged.
A fate accepted.
And just like that…
The date of their marriage drew near.
Only one month remained.
One evening, as Kai stood beneath the open skies of the sect, a quiet yet daring thought surfaced—unbidden, persistent.
He wondered how Rai looked now.
The image he carried belonged to childhood, long blurred by time.
Before that day arrived…he wanted to see her once.
He made up his mind.
Kai did not announce his decision.
He didn't inform the elders, nor did he seek permission from anyone within the sect. In truth, he wasn't even sure how to explain the impulse that had been growing quietly in his chest.
He simply knew one thing—
Before the day of marriage arrived, before vows were spoken and destinies sealed, he wanted to see her.
Not the child from distant memories.
Not the name spoken during discussions.
But Rai—as she was now.
Late in the evening, when the sect paths grew quieter and the lanterns along the stone corridors began to glow softly, Kai moved through the inner grounds with measured steps. He carried only the bare necessities, his movements careful, almost practiced, as if he had already considered every possibility.
Just as he passed through a narrow passage near the outer courtyard—
"Kai."
The single word halted him instantly.
He turned.
Lee San stood several steps behind him, arms crossed, his sharp eyes fixed squarely on his nephew. The faint light of the lanterns cast long shadows across his weathered face, making his expression unreadable.
"…Uncle," Kai said calmly.
Lee San glanced once at the small bundle Kai carried, then back at him. "Care to explain why you're sneaking around the outer paths at this hour?"
Kai remained silent for a moment.
There was no panic in his eyes—only hesitation.
"I wasn't sneaking," he said at last. "I was leaving."
Lee San raised an eyebrow. "Leaving the sect. Alone."
"Yes."
"And where exactly do you think you're going?"
Kai lowered his gaze slightly. "To the Zhou Family estate."
The air between them stilled.
Lee San's expression hardened. "Absolutely not."
Kai looked up again. "Uncle—"
"You're not even sixteen yet," Lee San cut in sharply. "And the world outside the sect isn't something you can wander into on a whim. Especially not now."
Kai clenched his fingers briefly, then relaxed them.
"I won't take long," he said. "I just… need to see her."
Lee San stared at him, clearly unimpressed. "You'll see her soon enough. The marriage is already decided."
"That's exactly why," Kai replied quietly.
Lee San paused.
Kai took a step forward, his voice steady but sincere. "I don't want the first time I see her to be on the day of our marriage. I don't want her to be a stranger standing beside me."
His eyes met Lee San's fully now.
"I just want to know what kind of person she has become."
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Lee San exhaled slowly. "You've thought this through."
"Yes."
"Enough to risk sneaking out?"
Kai nodded. "If I had to."
Lee San clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Stubborn. Just like your father."
Kai hesitated, then bowed slightly. "Please. I won't cause trouble. I promise."
Lee San studied him closely—the calm posture, the restrained expression, the determination quietly burning beneath the surface.
Finally, he sighed.
"…You're not going anywhere alone."
Kai looked up, surprised.
Lee San stepped past him, already turning toward the outer gate. "If you're set on going, then I'll go with you. Someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed before your wedding."
Kai blinked once.
Then, for the first time in a long while, a faint change crossed his expression—not quite a smile, but something softer, more calming.
"Thank you, Uncle."
"Don't thank me yet," Lee San muttered. "If your mother finds out, I'll be the one taking the blame. So don't take lightly of my sacrifice."
Lee San knew how terrifying his sister-in-law could become if her son was involved in the issue, and this was after all her son's doing, and he instead of stopping him, had even agreed to go with him.
The two figures moved at the sect's outer boundary, lantern light fading behind them.
Unseen by either of them—
Fate stirred quietly once more.
Kai had planned everything carefully.
If he were going alone, he would not take the most direct route. Leaving the sect too openly would invite questions, and questions would eventually reach ears he didn't wish to involve. His original plan was simple—travel for several days on foot and by spirit carriage, reach a neutral city far from the Heavenly Martial Sect's influence, and from there use a public teleportation array to enter Zhou territory.
Slow. Quiet. Unremarkable.
But plans made for one person rarely survived the addition of another.
Especially not someone like Lee San.
As they moved through the quieter inner paths of the Heavenly Martial Sect, Lee San subtly changed direction.
Kai noticed it almost immediately.
"Uncle… this isn't the outer route."
Lee San didn't answer at first. He led Kai deeper into the mountain, past several sealed corridors rarely used by ordinary disciples.
At the end of the passage stood a heavy stone gate, its surface carved with layered formations and sect insignias that radiated restrained power.
The Sect Teleportation Chamber.
Kai's steps slowed.
"This place…" he murmured. "Only elders are allowed here."
Lee San placed a palm on the gate. Spiritual energy flowed, precise and controlled. The formations recognized him instantly, and the massive doors parted without a sound.
Inside, the chamber was vast and silent.
A circular teleportation array occupied the center, engraved directly into the stone floor. Countless runes overlapped one another, forming a complex web of spatial laws. Several spirit crystals were embedded along the perimeter, dormant yet brimming with stored power.
Kai drew a quiet breath. "If we activate this, won't it alert the sect?"
Lee San shook his head. "Not this array. It's restricted. Its activations are recorded, not announced."
He glanced at Kai. "That privilege comes with being an elder."
Kai hesitated. His original plan had been careful—slow travel, a public array, nothing that stood out. This was… far more direct.
"But my plan was—"
"Too cautious," Lee San cut in mildly. "And unnecessary."
He stepped onto the array, placing his hand over the core inscription.
"The longer you remain outside controlled territory, the greater the risk. If we can reach Zhou lands in one step, then that is what we'll do."
After a brief pause, Kai stepped onto the formation beside him.
"…Alright."
The runes ignited one by one, their glow restrained, orderly. The chamber hummed softly as spatial energy gathered—not violently, but with the confidence of a system designed to bend distance itself.
There was no shock.
No roaring surge.
Only a gentle distortion of space.
Light folded inward.
And then—
The mountain air of the Heavenly Martial Sect vanished.
They stood instead within a wide stone chamber, its walls carved with unfamiliar sigils and reinforced with Zhou Family markings. The air was warmer here, heavier with worldly qi rather than sect-refined spiritual energy.
Kai exhaled slowly.
They had arrived.
Lee San stepped forward, pushing open the chamber doors.
Beyond them lay a vast city.
High walls of pale stone surrounded it, each brick etched with protective runes. Wide streets stretched outward in orderly patterns, lined with cultivation shops, spirit inns, and trading halls. Banners bearing the Zhou Family emblem fluttered above rooftops, their presence unmistakable.
This was a city under Zhou rule.
Not a battlefield.
Not a frontier.
But a stronghold—stable, prosperous, and carefully governed.
Kai paused at the threshold, his gaze sweeping across the unfamiliar skyline.
"So this is Zhou territory…" he murmured.
Lee San nodded. "One of their main cities. The estate itself isn't far from here."
Kai clenched his fingers slightly, feeling an unfamiliar tension settle in his chest.
Somewhere beyond these streets, beyond these walls—
She was here.
And for the first time since making his decision, the weight of it truly settled upon him.
Lee San glanced at him. "You still sure about this?"
Kai nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
The two stepped forward into the city, disappearing into the flow of people—
Unaware that with this quiet arrival, a long-awaited thread had begun to tighten once more.