Han Yu nodded, pulling out the sealed box containing the Regenerative Pulse Pill. "As instructed. One pill. Keep it dry, and administer it after food."
The rchant clutched the box as if it were a sacred relic. "Thank you. Truly, thank you."
Han Yu didn’t linger. After recording the transaction on his identity token and exchanging formalities, he quietly left the town and made camp on a wooded ridge just past the farmlands.
As the fire crackled beside him and the stars shimred overhead, he took out a fresh scroll and recorded a partial completion report for the pill delivery.
He’d wait a few more days to submit it—best not to make it seem like he finished too early.
Tomorrow, he’d head deeper toward the wolf territories.
’Hopefully,’ he thought, ’ng Jueyan will have already done the heavy lifting.’
And if she had?
Then his next move would bring him just a few stone throws away from the alleged mine.
Where the real ga would begin.
Han Yu departed from the southern edge of Emberthistle just as the mist began to lift from the forest floor. His robes were unmarked, simple, and unassuming—perfect for blending in. He made sure to suppress his presence and avoid any cultivators along the path.
Roughly thirty kiloters out, in the denser regions of the wild woods, he found the spot ng Jueyan had designated. It was a quiet clearing surrounded by old trees and boulders, with a bubbling stream cutting across one side. The sun filtered weakly through the canopy above, casting dappled light over the mossy earth.
She was already there.
A masked figure stood by the stream, still as stone. Her robes were plain, dyed in dull tones of gray and brown, the kind one might expect from a wandering rogue cultivator or a low-ranking rchant escort. Her spiritual aura was carefully restrained, no sect identity visible.
As Han Yu stepped into the clearing, the figure turned.
There was a mont of tension.
Her posture shifted ever so slightly, a twitch of her hand moving toward the hilt of her sword—but she stopped herself. Elder Yi’s instructions had been clear: do not probe, do not question, and above all, do not reveal.
’It’s him?’ ng Jueyan was stunned.
Han Yu gave a respectful nod.
"You must be the contact Elder Yi ntioned," he said calmly.
"I am," she replied. Her voice was smooth and neutral behind the mask. "You are the one he called ’the pawn’?"
"That’s what he calls . You may use it too," Han Yu said dryly. "Though I prefer ’independent operator with terrible luck.’"
A faint pause. She didn’t laugh, but he could sense so amusent behind her expressionless mask.
"I have already completed the preparations," she said, gesturing to the side.
They moved together toward a shaded patch near the base of an old pine tree. There, several herb bundles were wrapped in thick paper. Han Yu crouched down and unwrapped one to reveal Black Snake Vine, cleanly gathered and tied with silk thread.
Next to it, a stack of wolf corpses—intact, preserved, and unmistakably Bronze Tribe Wolves—lay arranged in a temporary stasis formation.
Han Yu examined the goods with care. "High quality. You don’t disappoint."
"I was given clear instructions," she said. "Do you require anything else?"
"Just one thing," Han Yu said, rising. "Discretion."
She gave a curt nod. "Of course."
They stood across from each other in the clearing, the breeze stirring gently between them. Neither spoke for a while, simply observing each other with quiet curiosity. Though Han Yu felt a strange sense seeing ng Jueyan like this. If he didn’t know that this was here, he certainly would’ve thought it was soone else.
’She did a good job at the disguise.’ He thought.
"You don’t talk like soone in the early stages of Outer Sect life," she said eventually.
Han Yu offered a small, unreadable smile. "Maybe I’ve had an unusual cultivation journey."
"Maybe." She didn’t press further.
The silence between them was not awkward. It was... professional. Efficient.
"I’ll be heading toward the outer ridges near the southern foothills," Han Yu said. "I’ve taken a few minor missions to justify my presence. I’ll be using them as cover to observe the area near the mine."
"I understand. If you find anything suspicious, do not engage directly. Relay the information back through our usual channel."
"Of course," Han Yu said. "This is reconnaissance, not heroics."
She nodded, clearly satisfied.
He stored everything in the Spatial Storage Pouch before turning to leave. But then, paused at the edge of the clearing. "One more thing. If possible, remain in the area. In case I need support."
There was a beat of hesitation. Then she answered.
"I’ll be close."
With that, Han Yu vanished into the trees, his figure lting into the shadows of the trees like smoke.
ng Jueyan stood still for several seconds longer, staring after him.
She didn’t know who he really was, not by na. Elder Yi had told her not to ask. But there was no way she could forget the encounter she had with him before. When he had, his companions had killed nearly all of her people.
’That strong fist skill of his as well as his ability to break our Illusory skills... Not anyone can do that,’ ng Jueyan thought to herself. ’Was it this talent that earned the interest of Elder Yi?’ She wondered.
Though she could tell he had changed since then. He didn’t carry the sa kind of naiveness he had back then. There was sothing different about him, sothing only one who had faced death several tis would have.
She had seen his strength, but this was different.
’Still in the end he is still just a pawn.’ ng Jueyan thought.
A good pawn—if he really was just a pawn.
She turned back toward her temporary camp and reset the periter formation.
Whatever ga Elder Yi was playing, she would do her part.
And if this stranger tried anything reckless...
She’d be ready.
User Comments
0 comments from readers