Chapter 4: The Path to Power
Morning came with muted whispers. News of the "attempted burglary" spread through the Qin compound like wildfire, though the official story was carefully sanitized. Three common thieves, a lucky break for the young master, nothing more.
But those with eyes to see noticed things. The guards spoke in hushed tones about the precision of the "thieves'" injuries. The servants wondered why burglars would target the poorest part of the compound. And Madam Wang received the news with a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes.
In his woodshed, Qin Feng examined his gains. The twenty spirit stones from the assassins were a start, but more valuable was the knowledge. He knew who wanted him dead. He knew the price on his head. And he knew he couldn't stay in Linyuan City waiting for the next attempt.
The Blackwind Mountain Range. The "herb gathering trip" his uncle had mentioned. It was supposed to be an exile, but now Qin Feng saw it as an opportunity.
He needed resources to cultivate. The mountain range was dangerous, but it was also rich with spirit herbs, mineral deposits, and places where he could train without prying eyes. More importantly, it was where he might find the catalyst for the second dragon soul.
According to the Nine Dragons Devour the Heavens Art, each dragon soul required a specific catalyst to awaken fully. The Celestial Void Star Dragon had needed the star-metal essence in his bronze token. The second dragon—the World Burning Inferno Dragon—required Earth Core Fire Essence, which could only be found in places of extreme heat: active volcanoes, deep geothermal vents, or ancient lava flows.
The Blackwind Mountain Range had an extinct volcano. It was a three-day journey, but it was his best chance.
He spent the morning preparing. He packed a small bag with essentials: a water skin, dried rations, a basic medical kit, a coil of rope, a flint. He wore his sturdiest clothes and boots. And he took the three Body Tempering Pills, the cultivation manual, and the spirit stones.
At noon, a summons came. Qin Xiaotian wanted to see him.
The Family Head's study was as Qin Feng remembered it—walls lined with scrolls and books, a large desk of darkwood, the smell of ink and aged paper.
"Sit," Qin Xiaotian said, not looking up from a document.
Qin Feng sat. He noticed his uncle looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes.
"The... incident last night," Qin Xiaotian began, finally looking up. "The guards' report says it was thieves. Is that what really happened?"
Qin Feng met his gaze. "Does it matter, Uncle?"
Qin Xiaotian's eyes narrowed. "It matters if my nephew is in danger."
"I've been in danger for seventeen years," Qin Feng said quietly. "The only difference is the method."
A long silence. Then Qin Xiaotian sighed, rubbing his temples. "Your father... my brother... he asked me to watch over you before he went into seclusion. I have failed in that duty."
"You've done what you could," Qin Feng said, though the words felt hollow. "Given the circumstances."
"The circumstances," Qin Xiaotian repeated bitterly. "Yes. The Wang family's influence. The need for family stability. Always excuses." He stood, walking to a window. "I've arranged for you to go to the Blackwind Mountain Range. Officially, to search for Moonlight Grass and Silver Root—herbs that might help your condition. Unofficially... it might be safer for you away from here for a while."
"I understand," Qin Feng said.
"Take this." Qin Xiaotian handed him a small pouch. Inside were ten more low-grade spirit stones and a simple map of the mountain range's outer regions. "Stay in the marked safe zones. Don't go deeper than the second ridge. There are spirit beasts in the inner mountains that even Foundation Establishment cultivators fear."
"Thank you, Uncle."
Qin Xiaotian looked at him, really looked at him. "Feng'er. What happened yesterday at the ceremony? How did you... move like that?"
Qin Feng considered his answer. "I've been practicing, Uncle. Even without open meridians, the body can be trained. I found... a different path."
"A different path," Qin Xiaotian murmured. "Your mother said something similar once. That there were many roads to power, and the well-trodden ones were not always the best." He shook his head. "Be careful. The mountains are dangerous, but sometimes... so is home."
The dismissal was clear. Qin Feng bowed and left.
As he walked back to the woodshed, he felt eyes on him. Qin Yue and Qin Xue stood on a covered walkway, watching.
"Running away, half-brother?" Qin Yue called, his voice dripping with false concern. "The mountains are dangerous. A cripple like you might not come back."
Qin Feng didn't stop walking. "Then you'd get your wish, wouldn't you?"
He didn't see the fury that flashed in Qin Yue's eyes, but he felt it.
---
Two Hours Later
Qin Feng left the Qin compound through a side gate. He carried only his pack and a walking stick. To anyone watching, he looked like exactly what he was supposed to be: a desperate cripple on a hopeless quest.
But once he was beyond the city walls, on the road leading into the foothills, his demeanor changed. His posture straightened. His steps, while not fast, became measured, efficient. He began to practice the Void-Step as he walked, making each step cover more ground than it should.
By evening, he had reached the first foothills. The road had become a trail, the trees had thickened, and the sounds of the city were gone, replaced by birdsong and the rustle of leaves.
He made camp in a small clearing, building a fire with practiced ease. As he ate his rations, he practiced his spatial sense, reaching out to feel the space around him. He could sense small animals moving in the underbrush, the flutter of wings in branches, even the slow growth of plants.
It was during this practice that he felt it—a disturbance. Not in the physical world, but in space itself. A ripple, faint but distinct, coming from deeper in the mountains.
The direction of the extinct volcano.
The Earth Core Fire Essence calling to the World Burning Inferno Dragon sleeping within him.
He slept lightly, his senses alert. No assassins came in the night, but he dreamed of fire and dragons.
---
Day Two
The trail grew steeper. Qin Feng was now properly in the Blackwind Mountain Range, named for the dark, twisted trees that covered its slopes and the howling winds that sometimes swept through its passes.
He encountered his first spirit beast around midday—a Wind-Sprint Rabbit, a small creature with silver fur and unnaturally long legs. It was only Body Tempering Level 1, barely a threat, but it moved with startling speed.
Qin Feng watched it with his Star Pupil Art. He saw how it gathered wind energy around its legs, how it compressed space with each leap. It was a living lesson in movement.
Instead of trying to catch it, he observed. He learned.
When the rabbit finally bounded away, Qin Feng tried to mimic its technique. Not gathering wind energy—he couldn't—but compressing space. He focused on the space in front of him, trying to make it "smaller" so his step would cover more ground.
It worked, sort of. His next step took him three yards instead of two. But it was clumsy, inefficient. The rabbit did it effortlessly.
Practice, he told himself. Everything required practice.
He continued, moving deeper. According to the map, he was approaching the first ridge—the border of the "safe" zone. Beyond lay territory where stronger spirit beasts roamed.
He was considering whether to camp for the night or push further when he heard it—the sound of combat.
Metal clashing. Shouts. The roar of a beast.
Cautiously, Qin Feng moved toward the sound. Through trees, he saw a clearing where a battle was underway.
Three cultivators—two men and a woman, all in travel-worn robes—were fighting a Stone-Tusk Boar. The boar was massive, the size of a small cart, with tusks like curved daggers and skin that looked like granite. Body Tempering Level 6, maybe 7.
The cultivators were struggling. They were only Level 4 or 5, and their weapons—simple swords and a staff—were having trouble penetrating the boar's stony hide.
"Flank it!" one man shouted. "Aim for the eyes!"
The boar charged, scattering them. One man—the youngest, barely older than Qin Feng—stumbled, falling. The boar turned, preparing to gore him.
Without thinking, Qin Feng acted.
He didn't charge in. He didn't shout. He simply took a Void-Step, appearing between the fallen cultivator and the boar.
The boar hesitated, confused by the sudden appearance.
Qin Feng didn't have a weapon. But he had his palms, and he had the principles of the Star Trajectory Palm he'd been developing.
He focused on the boar's charge, on its momentum. With his spatial sense, he could see the trajectory—a straight, brutal line.
He didn't try to stop it. He redirected it.
As the boar charged, Qin Feng stepped aside at the last moment, his palm coming up not to strike the boar, but to push against the space beside its head. A tiny nudge, perfectly timed.
The boar's charge veered slightly. Not much—just enough to make it miss the fallen cultivator and crash into a tree instead.
The impact shook the ground. The boar staggered, dazed.
"Now!" Qin Feng shouted.
The other cultivators recovered from their shock and attacked. Swords found the boar's less-armored underside. The staff struck its skull with a crack.
The boar roared one last time, then collapsed.
Silence fell, broken only by heavy breathing.
The fallen cultivator got to his feet, staring at Qin Feng. "How did you...?"
The oldest of the group, a man with streaks of gray in his hair, approached Qin Feng. "Thank you, young master. That was... impressive footwork."
Qin Feng bowed slightly. "I was just passing by."
"Passing by in the Blackwind Mountains?" the woman said skeptically. She was about twenty, with sharp features and wary eyes. "Alone?"
"I'm searching for herbs," Qin Feng said.
The gray-haired man studied him. "You move like a cultivator, but I sense no spiritual energy from you."
"My meridians are blocked," Qin Feng said simply.
The three exchanged glances. A cripple, alone in the mountains, who had just saved them from a Stone-Tusk Boar?
"I am Zhang Bo," the gray-haired man said. "These are my niece, Zhang Li, and her friend, Wang Jun. We're herb gatherers from Linyuan City."
"Qin Feng."
"Qin?" Zhang Li's eyes widened. "Of the Qin family?"
Qin Feng nodded.
"The cripple," Wang Jun blurted, then flushed. "I mean..."
"It's what I am," Qin Feng said without bitterness.
Zhang Bo gave his nephew a sharp look, then turned back to Qin Feng. "Well, Qin Feng, you saved Wang Jun's life. We owe you a debt. Are you heading deeper into the mountains?"
"To the volcano region."
Zhang Bo's expression grew serious. "That's dangerous territory. There are Fire-Scale Lizards near the volcano, and they're territorial. Body Tempering Level 8 or higher."
"I'll be careful," Qin Feng said.
Zhang Bo hesitated, then seemed to come to a decision. "We were heading to a valley not far from here. There's a patch of Silver Root there—good money in the city. If you help us gather it, we'll give you a share. And..." he lowered his voice, "we know a safer path to the volcano region. The main trail is watched by a pack of Shadow-Wind Wolves."
Qin Feng considered. He didn't need money, but the safer path was tempting. And these people seemed genuine.
"Alright," he said.
---
The Silver Root Valley
The valley was a hidden gem, accessible only through a narrow pass that Zhang Bo seemed to know from memory. Inside, the air was cooler, and the ground was covered in silvery-leafed plants.
"Silver Root," Zhang Li explained as they worked. "The roots contain a mild spiritual energy. Alchemists use it in foundation-building pills."
They dug carefully, preserving the roots. Qin Feng worked alongside them, his spatial sense helping him find the largest roots without damaging them.
As they worked, they talked. Zhang Bo's family had been herb gatherers for generations. They knew the mountains better than most, which was how they survived despite their modest cultivation levels.
"You're really from the Qin family?" Wang Jun asked during a break. "The big manor near the east gate?"
"Yes."
"But why are you out here alone? Shouldn't you have guards? Resources?"
Qin Feng gave a half-smile. "My branch of the family is... less favored."
Zhang Li snorted. "Noble families. All politics and backstabbing." She looked at Qin Feng with something like sympathy. "We may not have mansions, but at least we don't have to watch our backs at family dinners."
They finished by late afternoon. Zhang Bo divided the harvest fairly, giving Qin Feng a share equal to theirs despite him joining late.
"Now," Zhang Bo said, unrolling a much more detailed map than Qin Feng's. "The safe path to the volcano." He pointed. "Here, through the Stone Serpent Gorge. It looks treacherous, but there's a hidden ledge system. The spirit beasts avoid it because the stone is unstable. But if you're careful..."
He gave detailed instructions. Qin Feng memorized them.
"Why are you going to the volcano anyway?" Zhang Li asked. "It's not known for herbs. Just heat and Fire-Scale Lizards."
"I'm looking for something specific," Qin Feng said. "A... rare mineral."
They didn't press further.
As the sun began to set, they parted ways at the valley entrance. Zhang Bo clasped Qin Feng's shoulder. "Be careful, young master. The mountains don't care about your family name or your meridians. They'll kill you just the same."
"Thank you," Qin Feng said sincerely.
He watched them disappear down the trail toward Linyuan City, then turned toward the Stone Serpent Gorge.
The Zhang family had given him more than just directions. They'd given him a reminder that not all humans were like his family. That there was kindness in the world, even to strangers.
It was a good reminder. Because where he was going, he would need to remember what he was fighting for.
Not just survival. Not just revenge.
But the chance to become something more.
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