To Han Yu the situation was manageable... Very manageable.
Hong Yao stretched slightly as they walked.
"So don't bother explaining the details to ," he said. "Just show what it does when we get there."
"As you wish, Senior."
They continued down the path.
The wind grew colder as they descended.
Disciples they passed stepped aside quickly, recognizing the robes Hong Yao wore. So glanced curiously at Han Yu. Others avoided eye contact entirely. The difference in status was clear.
A Core Disciple and a personal Disciple.
Two figures not to be trifled with.
Hong Yao spoke again after a while.
"You don't seem nervous," he said.
Han Yu glanced at him briefly.
"Should I be?"
Hong Yao smirked faintly.
"Most people are, when they're sent to a place like that."
Han Yu's expression remained calm.
"This disciple is only focused on completing his task."
Hong Yao studied him for a mont.
Then chuckled softly.
"Interesting."
He did not elaborate.
But Han Yu felt it again.
A faint thread of orange energy.
Anticipation.
The man was intrigued.
That was not ideal.
But it was not dangerous either.
Not yet.
They walked in silence for a few more monts before reaching Han Yu's courtyard.
Han Yu stopped.
"I will prepare a few things," he said. "It will not take long."
Hong Yao nodded.
"I'll wait."
As Han Yu stepped inside, his mind was already moving ahead.
The mine.
The slaves.
His companions.
And now…
Hong Yao.
A variable he had not planned for.
But one he would have to handle carefully.
Very carefully.
Because this ti… He was not the powerless observer anymore.
Han Yu did not take long.
True to his words, he returned within ten minutes, stepping out of his courtyard with asured strides. He had not brought much. A few extra storage pouches, so refined components, and a set of prepared tools.
Everything else he needed could be procured or constructed later.
Hong Yao was already waiting outside, leaning casually against a stone pillar. He glanced at Han Yu once, gave a small nod, and pushed himself upright.
"Done?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Good," Hong Yao replied. "Then let's not waste ti."
He stepped forward and then added, almost as an afterthought,
"Just fly alongside ."
Han Yu nodded.
SHUA
Without hesitation, he took out his halberd. The weapon glead faintly under the light, its surface reflecting a subdued crimson sheen from his qi. With a light push of his Qi, the halberd stabilized in the air, and he stepped onto it with practiced ease.
Hong Yao, on the other hand, did not take out any tool.
He simply rose.
His body lifted into the air as if gravity had lost its hold on him, the Qi around him stabilizing his form effortlessly. There was no flash, no dramatic display. Just a smooth ascent.
Han Yu followed.
The two figures shot into the sky, leaving the Second Kidney Peak behind.
For a while, only the sound of wind accompanied them.
Han Yu glanced sideways.
"Senior is not using his wings?" he asked.
The question was natural.
Curious, but not intrusive.
Hong Yao did not seem bothered.
"Those?" he said, shrugging slightly. "They're faster, sure. But they consu a lot more Spirit Qi."
Han Yu nodded.
"I see."
That made sense.
High-speed tools often traded efficiency for performance. In prolonged travel, such consumption would beco a burden.
Still, Han Yu could not help but ask further.
"If Senior does not mind, what exactly are those wings?"
His tone was respectful.
asured.
Frad as admiration rather than probing.
Hong Yao glanced at him briefly, then smirked.
"You've got an eye for things," he said. "They're a High Grade Spirit Tool. Called the Magnet Rise Falcon Wings."
Han Yu's interest deepened.
He had studied many Spirit Tools.
Flying tools, especially.
Cloud Silk constructs.
Feather-based artifacts.
Even wind-attributed gliders.
But tal wings?
That was rare.
Extrely rare.
"I have not heard of them before," Han Yu admitted.
Hong Yao nodded.
"Not surprising. They're not common."
He stretched his arm slightly as they flew, as if recalling the sensation.
"They use magnetic forces generated through formation arrays. Interact with the natural magnetic fields of the land. That's what gives them lift and acceleration."
Han Yu's eyes flickered.
Magnetic manipulation. That explained the tallic structure. Also explained the efficiency in burst movent.
But it also ant…
High consumption.
Complex formations.
And environntal dependency.
"A unique design," Han Yu said.
Hong Yao chuckled. "Yeah. Got them when I beca my Master's disciple."
There was a hint of pride in his tone.
Not arrogance.
Just acknowledgnt.
Han Yu did not comnt further. But he stored the information carefully. Every detail mattered after all.
As they continued flying, Hong Yao's gaze shifted.
It landed on Han Yu's halberd.
For a brief mont, his expression changed.
Subtle.
But noticeable.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
He leaned a bit closer.
"…That halberd," Hong Yao said slowly. "Feels familiar."
Han Yu had expected this.
He did not react.
Not outwardly.
Instead, he answered calmly.
"I obtained it during the purge. From a righteous sect disciple."
He paused briefly, then added,
"It felt suitable, so I kept it."
Hong Yao's gaze lingered on the weapon.
His mory stirred.
Then a flicker of recognition appeared on his face.
"Ah."
nodded.
"So that disciple did die."
Han Yu's expression remained unchanged.
"This disciple killed the owner personally."
A clean answer.
Confident.
Direct.
Then Han Yu tilted his head slightly.
"If Senior has seen this halberd before… was it during the inheritance grounds?"
Hong Yao let out a short laugh.
"Not exactly."
He looked ahead, as if recalling the scene.
"There was soone. Stuck behind the temple barrier."
Han Yu's grip tightened imperceptibly.
"He had that halberd."
Hong Yao continued casually.
"Couldn't get in. Otherwise, I would've killed him."
The words were spoken lightly.
As if describing a missed opportunity.
Nothing more.
Han Yu felt a faint surge of red energy within himself.
Anger.
Sharp.
Sudden.
But it vanished just as quickly.
Controlled.
Buried.
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