“I swear... What do they expect me to do about this?" Qin Meihui mumbled as she walked the streets of the Qin clan towards her domicile. "No matter how often they ask, it won't change anything. If they want to fix this, they shouldn't have forced him out in the first place..."

She sighed as she passed the threshold of her own house, nodding to the servants who welcomed her back. She had just returned from another unproductive summon by the clan's elders, and it only left a bitter taste in her mouth. Somehow, she couldn't help but resent Qin Yun for all her woes. After all, if not for him acting callously, she wouldn't be asked to deal with all this.

As she reached her room, hoping to find some much-needed rest, she stopped and stared at the slightly opened door, a feeling of tension rising in her chest. She considered calling for the guards yet ruled against it. Not many could infiltrate so deep into her home without anyone noticing. Whoever they were were far from ordinary.

After taking a deep breath and calming her nerves, Qin Meihui put on a mask of calmness and walked, head held high, into her room as if nothing was wrong. Yet her mask crumbled soon after as she realized who was waiting for her.

"Do you know how much of a nuisance your departure was for me? What makes you think you are welcome here?" she said, her frustration apparent in her voice. Yet, she couldn't hide the joy on her face as she gazed at the man present in her room.

Qin Yun had been waiting for her, seated on her bed, eyes closed. As she entered the room, he rose and walked toward her silently, closing the door behind her. He then pasted a sheet of paper filled with countless obscure characters onto it. It was only after all this that he chose to open his mouth.

"You know, you don't have to put up with it," Qin Yun said, showing a slight smile as he sat at a nearby table, prompting her to do the same. "I'm sure your father would be inclined to make it stop if you were only to ask. You only have yourself to blame for not turning them down."

A slight pout marred her face, yet it soon disappeared as the scent of a freshly brewed cup of tea reached her slender nose. She only looked back to Qin Yun, feeling a slight nostalgia. It had only been slightly more than a month since he had been banished from the clan, yet it already felt like an eternity.

"What are you here for?" she asked, showing a slight frown. "I don't believe you came to see me only because you missed me. I know you aren't that type of man. Besides, I heard your wife has already left the city with her master; why haven't you gone with her?"

Qin Yun took a sip of tea, basking in the feeling. Somehow, he had missed how frank this woman could be.

“I've come to say goodbye," Qin Yun finally said as he put his cup on a luxurious wooden table. "I felt I owed you that much."

Qin Meihui's big eyes widened even more, if only momentarily before a gentle smile graced her lips.

“Did you finally find something worth striving for, or is this just another one of your whims?" she asked, somewhat conflicted. "Where are you going?"

“For now? As far west as I can go... There's some answers I need to find."

Qin Meihui paused, her small mouth hanging open slightly, barely able to process the information she had received.

“Do you seek to reach the western edge?" she asked as she regained her composure. "Don't you think it's called the Dead Lands for a reason? What made you want to do something like that? That's not like you..."

Qin Yun sighed, closing his eyes for a moment as he tried to find the right words—words that could keep her from worrying about him. Yet, obviously, he could find none; he could only be honest.

“I hate to say this, but I don't think you would understand even if I tried to explain. It has nothing to do with your intelligence, but there's just so much you don't know, and telling you would only be a disservice. Sometimes, finding the answer on your own is worth so much more."

After saying so, Qin Yun remained silent for a moment, watching her reaction. All he could see was obvious derision, which only made him chuckle.

“Once you possess the strength, you should consider making the trip yourself,” Qin Yun added, taking another sip of tea. “What you’ll find is sure to change your worldview.”

“Why are you making the trip if you already know?” Qin Meihui asked, her eyebrows rising slightly.

“It's only speculation for now, but I need to know for sure. Otherwise, I can't decide the best way to move forward."

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Qin Meihui remained silent, her gaze lowered, fixated on the amber water of her tea. She felt slightly melancholic.

“What about after that? Are you going to come back?” she asked, unable to sustain the heavy silence.

“...No," Qin Yun finally replied, watching her reaction. "This isn't where I want to be. This city has nothing to offer me anymore. Besides, I can't leave my wife alone for too long. Once I'm done, I plan to follow her to her sect and take things from there."

Qin Meihui had many words she wished to say, yet they were all stuck in her throat, unable to come out. She wished to berate him for his selfishness, yet she also understood him. After all, she had been attracted by how free he seemed to be—unlike herself, always bound to the whims of her clan.

Seeing her turmoil, Qin Yun rose without a word and approached her, putting his hand on her thin shoulder.

“You should learn to live for yourself,” he said, looking into her eyes as she raised her gaze. “Whatever the clan wants from you, you are the master of your fate. Only you can decide how to live your life. If you are content with how things are, that’s fine. But, if there’s something else in your heart, you’ll know where to find me...”

With his goodbye said, Qin Yun vanished from her room as if a slight breeze rustled in the leaves, leaving Qin Meihui with the scent of freshly brewed tea leaves to remember him by. She sighed before she rose, standing next to an opened window, feeling a fresh breeze on her skin, yet her heart was as heavy as a stone, conflicted and lost.

******

A curtain of blackness hung over the world as Qin Yun sped through the woods and climbed a nearby hill, a mantle of darkness hanging off his shoulders. He stopped and looked back, only to see bright lights in the distance, the birthplace he had left behind.

There was no nostalgia in his eyes as he looked at the only city he had known in this life grow dimmer the further he ventured away from it; there was only the thought of what was to come.

He steeled his mind and turned back, venturing further west, seeking the world's edge. Except for Meihui, Qin Yun didn't warn anyone of his departure for fear that he would be made to stay. He only left a single letter in his workshop, containing the deed to that place, returning it to the Lian Clan.

He knew Lian Huiling would resent him for it, but honestly, he didn't care. That city meant nothing to him, and the clan's struggles were irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

With this phase of his life behind him, Qin Yun dove back into the dense forest surrounding Jin City, yet he couldn't help but feel something was amiss. As if instinctually, he tilted his head to the side, avoiding a flying dagger aimed at the back of his head.

The dagger cut the wind as it passed by before hitting a nearby tree. It passed right through, leaving a significant gap in its trunk before a black liquid oozed out of the wound. The dagger then swerved into the air and rushed back toward him.

With precise movements, Qin Yun stopped the dagger mid-flight, pinching the edge with his vice-like grip before snapping the back in one quick motion. The dagger fell utterly inert to the soft forest ground in two distinct pieces.

“How about showing yourself?" Qin Yun said as his eyes narrowed, looking deep into the darkness where the dagger originated. "I would much rather see what kind of man you are before I end your life."

His tone was grave, filled with a slight murderous intent. Yet, as expected, his opponent remained camouflaged in the darkness of night, completely out of sight. Even for Qin Yun’s enhanced eyesight, this foe remained an enigma.

Hearing a slight breeze from his left, Qin Yun stepped back, barely avoiding another flying dagger as it nicked his cheek before catching it in his mechanical hand. He scoffed at how pointless this attempt on his life was, yet he soon felt vertigo assault him as he lost his balance, falling to his knees as the colours drained from his face.

His breathing became ragged as dark lines appeared on his white skin. Black blood flowed to his throat as it stained the forest ground. With disbelief in his eyes, Qin Yun collapsed, unable to move but barely able to remain conscious.

“Poison..." he said with difficulty, drawing air into his lungs, getting harder and harder as he felt his eyes slowly close.

Then, a man dressed in all black emerged from the darkness, almost perfectly blending into his surroundings. He stood over Qin Yun's immobile body, looking down at him, only his eyes full of murderous intent barely visible.

“Who... are... you?" Qin Yun managed to say as the man bent down to his level, uncovering his visage and showing a wide sneer.

“The Ma clan send their regards,” the man said, his voice grave, and the glee within was easily recognizable.

“Why..." Qin Yun said, almost inaudibly, as he struggled to breathe.

“I don't mind entertaining your curiosity, as you'll have no one to share it with in the afterlife," the man said almost joyfully, knowing his prey was at death's door. "Do you really think a clan of that size would allow any loose ends to get away? Don't be ridiculous!"

He looked down at Qin Yun, watching him lying on the wet forest soil.

“Ever since the events with the black token, the elders had you in their sights,” he added. “I must say, Ma Zhiqiang, that fool, left the elders quite some headaches, then went and got himself killed. The same applied to that idiot Ma Yongzheng... If not for his brother's protection, the elders would have torn him a new one."

The man paced back and forth, feeling glee at telling this story.

"He was so eager for the balance between the four clans to crumble that he acted prematurely, leaving the elders with no choice but to postpone the plan. Then, he, too, just had to wind up dead at the hands of the man he hoped to use as a trigger for all this. Even if you weren't directly involved in his demise, don't you think it's ironic how it all turned out?"

He stopped and looked down on Qin Yun once more.

“We couldn’t have you interfere more than you already have. You should have died at Ma Yongzheng’s hands back then. Still, choosing to leave as you did gave us the perfect opportunity to act against you. After all, it was impossible to hide this from the city lord as long as you remained in the city. You can only blame your own stupidity.”

“I see," Qin Yun said, his voice solid and flat, no trace of his earlier weakness present.

Seeing this, the man's eyes widened as he tried to take a step back. However, Qin Yun was faster. His hand sprung forward, catching the man's ankle as he tugged on it fiercely, pulling the man to the ground.

Qin Yun then mounted him, catching his wrists as he tried to defend himself with blades hidden in his mantle, breaking them by only squeezing his hand.

The man howled as pain assaulted him, yet none could hear his scream within this dense forest except for Qin Yun and the surrounding fauna. Unable to resist, caught within Qin Yun's grip, the man could only look up, feeling an overwhelming dread as he saw Qin Yun showing a slight eerie smile.