“What do you mean we aren’t ready to face them?” Yao Ruolan said with a frown on her face. “If you know something, why be so vague about it.”

However, Qin Yun didn't respond. Instead, he looked toward the west, where the world's edge lay, pondering over something. There was an uneasy stillness in the air. She turned toward He Zihao, wishing to obtain his viewpoint on what had just happened, yet he, too, seemed to have something on his mind. Yao Ruolan couldn't help but want to break the silence, yet relented, opting to wrangle the leftover mounts instead.

Of the four, one had been grazed by the poison spilled by the Emerald Lord's disciples, killing it almost instantly. What remained seemed like a puddle of putrid flesh and gore that lost shape. She could barely stand more than ten meters away before she had to turn back; the leftover stench became too much to bear. Even the satchels that once stood on each side of its body began to break down like organic matter.

“What kind of poison could do this?” she mumbled, almost imperceptibly. “I don’t want to imagine what would happen to me if I ever were to touch that thing.”

She could barely restrain a shiver as she looked at the aftermath but then turned away to search for the remaining three. Two of them had been scared by the fight, yet they were close enough for her to catch them without much effort. The third was already long gone, making it impossible to find, especially with their current condition.

“Find anything worthwhile?" Qin Yun asked as he stepped next to her.

She twitched and tensed before drawing her sword in a flash. The cold metal blade drew a graceful arc in the air, aimed at Qin Yun's throat, yet he caught it easily, pressing his fingers on the blade's flat, stopping its movement. Only then did Yao Ruolan realize who her target was, pulling back her sword.

“Don’t sneak up behind me!” she exclaimed, still rattled by the events. However, she seemed more surprised that Qin Yun had managed to catch her blade. “How did you do that?”

“I can tell how much time you've put into swordsmanship," Qin Yun said calmly, not at all concerned that her blade had been aimed to kill. "However, you lack experience. Your blade is much too straightforward, making it easy to determine its path, however quick it might be."

“I’m one of the best within the clan,” she said, frowning slightly. “Even the elders praise me for it. I don’t believe I am that lacking. None of those of my generation can even come close to me.”

“Indeed. If we only look at your talent, few can match you, and yet, you were still ambushed by mere worms and almost lost your life. Also, if not for me, you and your senior brother might have already reached the netherworld at the hands of those assassins."

Yao Ruolan frowned further, unable to find the words to repudiate his claims. She could only hold her tongue in frustration.

"How old are you?" Qin Yun asked, yet didn't give her any time to answer before adding, "No older than seventeen at most, I would wager. It’s no wonder things turned out this way. After all, you can’t anticipate something you have never experienced. You may have been taught the knowledge, yet using it isn’t that simple. Isn’t that why your elders arranged this trip for all of you? A shame most die before they can learn...”

After this, both remained silent for a while; Qin Yun only gave her a slight smile, which Yao Ruolan couldn't stand. It felt like she was standing next to one of her sect's elders. She felt like nothing more than a child before him, despite the man being seemingly only a few years older than she was.

“He's right," He Zihao said as he slowly wobbled toward them. "Teaching you all this was my responsibility, yet it seems I failed in the end. Forgive me."

He then lowered his head, yet his gaze seemed calm and tranquil, making Qin Yun even more interested in him. Yao Ruolan, on the other hand, seemed close to panicking when she saw her senior brother bow to her.

“I suppose you've come to terms with it?" Qin Yun asked.

“Wallowing in self-pity will achieve nothing. My time would be better used reaching the city if only to inform the various sects of their disciples' demise."

“While those assassins' words are not to be trusted, there's one thing worth considering: they will no doubt try to pin this on you. I doubt your sect will try to protect you if it means antagonizing them. Are you truly ready to face the world's ire?"

Hearing this, He Zihao's breathing accelerated slightly, and his pupils dilated. Yet he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, taking back control over himself. As he opened them again, there were no traces of his earlier distress. He seemed just like a windless lake: calm and serene.

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"I cannot lie and say I feel justified in my actions. I let them all down and should pay for it. However, I will not be made a scapegoat. All I can do is relay what happened truthfully. If they still wish to persecute me after all this, then there is nothing I can do."

"A foolish sentiment," Qin Yun replied as he shook his head. "While I commend your integrity, what will that achieve? You may think owning up to your mistake will lessen your sect's involvement, but do you truly think so? Are those sects truly worth your faith in them?"

He Zihao frowned, feeling conflicted at Qin Yun’s rebuttal. On the other hand, Yao Ruolan couldn’t contain her anger.

"The hell with them!" she exclaimed. "We were attacked by demonic beasts. In that case, deaths are to be expected. This was supposed to be a training expedition, and everyone's lives were their own responsibility. They can't expect Senior Brother to shoulder all the blame!"

“If the world ran on logic, then most conflicts could be avoided, yet bloodshed is still everywhere,” Qin Yun replied, offering a slight sneer. “Besides, reputation is paramount for those sects, even more so for the small ones. How could they recruit new blood otherwise?"

“But that's not his fault!" she screamed, yet even she barely believed the words coming out of her mouth.

Her pretty face deformed as she wrestled with the idea of her senior brother being made to pay for something that was out of his control.

“Where’s the justice in that?” she added on the verge of tears, not even expecting a response.

“There's no such thing as justice to begin with," Qin Yun replied, shrugging, unconcerned with her volatile state of mind. On the other hand, He Zihao took her in his arms, comforting her as she shook from a mix of anger and sadness. Qin Yun added, "There's only desire. There are so many people with different sets of values; it's no wonder they can't help but inevitably clash."

“Indeed,” He Zihao replied, feeling a bit hopeless. “Nothing can really be done. An individual’s strength is limited compared to the collective. I can only do my best to ride the wave, wherever it might take me...”

“Not necessarily,” Qin Yun said. “You can also learn to be selfish. Why should other people’s values concern you? As long as you keep to your own principles and moral values, why should their intentions matter?”

“Are you telling me to become a criminal?” He Zihao asked, a deep frown on his face.

“You already are... Besides, I'm just a stranger to both of you. Why should my opinion matter? It's your life, and the choice has always been yours."

“Even if that choice is forced on me?”

“Whether or not you feel forced is irrelevant. There are still choices to be made, and we all have to face the consequences of our choices eventually," Qin Yun replied as he began rummaging through the satchel found on the two remaining mounts. "Anyway, we should get going. Nothing good will happen if we remain here. You can think about how you want to proceed as we return to the city."

Yao Ruolan and He Zihao looked at each other, reluctance evident on their faces, yet he couldn’t help but sigh.

“Can’t we just return to the sect?” she asked.

He shook his head before sliding his fingers through her long black hair.

“We can’t,” he replied. “Doing so would be admitting my guilt in this incident. Besides, I may feel regretful that those deaths occurred under my watch, but that doesn’t mean I have anything to be ashamed of. As you said, this place isn’t lenient enough to allow inexperienced cultivators to come and go so easily. Death is everywhere, and we should get used to it. I can only hope that the sect will see it that way. Besides, I owe them too much to simply run away."

“If you say so,” she replied, yet her tone carried her reluctance.

He Zihao couldn't help but smile and press the palm of his hand on her cheek, which brought a slight blush to it. She closed her eyes, expecting something, yet he stood motionless, only looking at her features, as if for the last time.

“We should go," he said as he walked away, leaving her alone with her expectations. She opened her eyes and felt the blush intensify before her mouth formed a pout. She stumped her feet onto the soft sand, making it dance in the wind as she followed two men to their new mounts.

******

“There it is, the Western Frontier," He Zihao said as he pointed toward a large storm in the distance. Clouds of sand rose to the heavens, blotting the sky and churning with extreme velocity as if seeking to destroy the world.

Yet, the storm remained stationary but extended on all sides, forming an impenetrable barrier that separated the inner desert from the world's edge. It was a sigh to behold, if not a grim one, but more than that, it felt somehow artificial as if someone had created it to keep away from whatever was on the other side.

There was only a single crack in this wall of sand. A single area of peacefulness where the massive walls of a city stood as if carving a safe passage through the storm. As they trekked closer to the town, Qin Yun couldn't help but notice how flawless those stone walls were despite the constant assault of sand grinding on their surface. Yet, on closer look, he noticed an intermittent shimmer, barely perceptible from this distance.

"I've heard rumours; this city is impressive, but the barrier surrounding it is even more so," Qin Yun said.

"Indeed," He Zihao replied. "No one even knows who built it, only that it stood for countless eras already. If not for the constant threat looming on the other side, many scholars would have liked to take a closer look at the formation. Some say the city is built on a dragon vein and is drawing powers from it, allowing it to even repair itself automatically, requiring no input from anyone."

Qin Yun remained silent for a while longer but then spoke in a tone filled with interest.

"Doesn't it seem overkill, only to keep the outsiders at bay?" Qin Yun mused, making the other two ponder as well. "With the storm raging constantly, this city is their lone entry point into the inner lands, yet it has never been breached until now. Don't you think there was something else they were concerned about as they built it?"

From the back of their own camel, the two turned to face Qin Yun, only to find him showing a slight smile as if he knew something they didn’t. Yao Ruolan opened her mouth to ask, yet her senior brother gestured for her to wait.

“Maybe so, but we probably aren't qualified to know. Whatever is out there—if there is such a thing—doesn't concern us. Better to leave it to the sects' higher-ups," he said.

“Quite true,” Qin Yun replied, yet his smile only deepened, looking toward the city with a glint in his eyes before adding, “Shall we?”

Without waiting for their input, Qin Yun spurred his mount toward the city, followed shortly after by the two riding their camel, Yao Ruolan's hands wrapped tightly around He Zihao's waist.