As the morning sun gently filtered through the cave’s open ceiling, its light cascaded onto the green foliage and a solitary, ancient tree. The serene rays illuminated a small, somber gathering in the cave—a place that now served as a sanctuary for Minho, Tao, Gu, and Shun. They stood before a weathered stone, upon which were etched the names of every member of the Thunder Sky Brotherhood who had perished during the attack.

Today marked a week since that tragic day. Despite the revelation that Dao and Minfe had betrayed them, the surviving members honored the Brotherhood’s long-standing tradition of mourning. Erecting a monument to their fallen comrades was a sacred act they refused to abandon, even if they could not recover the bodies from the village. It was the least they could do to remember those they had lost, and the atmosphere was thick with grief and unspoken sorrow. After a moment of silence, they bowed their heads, offering a quiet prayer for the souls of their departed brothers and sisters.

Once the prayers were done, they settled down around the stone, forming a small circle. Tao handed each of them a drink—a ginger ale of sorts, brewed from fresh ginger she had gathered that very morning. The drink was cool and slightly sweet, a small comfort in the midst of their collective grief.

Gu took a sip and looked over at Tao, a puzzled expression on his face. “I thought you were going to make alcohol from those berries we collected. It would have been fitting to toast our brothers and sisters with something stronger. Sister Tao, why the ginger ale?”

Tao hesitated for a moment before glancing at Minho, her expression a mix of amusement and mild reproach. “Ask Xiao Minho,” she said, with a faint smile. “Apparently, she ate all of the berries last night.”

Shun turned to Minho, his brow furrowed in surprise. “All of them? There were quite a lot, weren’t there?”

Minho lowered her head, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Gu shook his head slowly, his tone a blend of disappointment and gentle chastisement. “Minho, you need to be more considerate. We’ve lost our village, our Brotherhood, and everything we once had. You can’t just indulge yourself like that without thinking about the rest of us.”

Gu’s words carried the weight of his own regrets. He had once been reckless and carefree, often shirking responsibilities when the Brotherhood was still thriving. But after witnessing the devastation of everything he held dear, he understood the value of responsibility, and now he sought to pass that wisdom on to others.

Minho bit her lip, accepting the scolding without a word. She felt a pang of guilt; she knew how much it would have meant to have something to properly toast their fallen comrades. But she couldn’t very well explain that she had used the berries to charge her [Smartphone]. Losing such a valuable tool could be disastrous, and she hoped her brothers and sisters would understand that it was a necessary sacrifice. Still, it hurt her to think that she had let them down during such a solemn occasion.

Her heart ached at the thought of everyone who was no longer with them. She silently vowed to herself that one day, when the time was right, she would arrange a grand ceremony to honor each and every one of them. But for now, she had to prioritize their immediate survival, and that meant keeping the [Smartphone] powered and ready.

Gu, sensing the lingering sadness in the air, decided to change the subject. “Ha... anyway, let’s talk about the tunnel,” he said, trying to steer the conversation away from the somber mood. “Like I mentioned earlier, we found the exit, and it’s much closer to a town.”

The others looked up, the shift in focus a welcome reprieve from the somber mood. Tao was the first to speak, her eyes sharp with curiosity. “So, what’s the plan?” she asked, eager to hear how they would proceed.

Gu leaned forward, his expression thoughtful. “We need to be careful. Yu Ryang is meticulous, and if Minfe betrayed us, it’s likely he knows the four of us survived. He would have checked the bodies, cross-referenced descriptions—he’s not the type to leave loose ends. That means it’s too risky for all of us to go into town. We’ll need to send only one person, someone who can move quickly and quietly if things go south. Shun, that’s where you come in.”

Shun nodded, already understanding the role he’d been given. He was light on his feet, quick to react, and had a knack for blending into the background when needed. “I’ll head into Hisu Town,” he said. “I can gather supplies and see what information I can pick up. If there are patrols, I’ll make sure to steer clear.”

Gu continued, outlining the plan in more detail. “We’ll sell off some of the metal chains and iron pieces that were connected to the old door in the tunnel. That should fetch us a decent amount. With the money, we can buy supplies and, hopefully, arrange for a ride to the town at the base of the mountains. We have some funds stashed there, hidden with one of the brothels we used to frequent for information. If we can get to that money, we’ll have a better chance of preparing for winter.”

Tao and Shun nodded in agreement, but Minho looked hesitant. “Brother Gu,” she said, her voice wavering slightly, “what if the Greenwood Bandits are checking carriages? Or if Brother Shun can’t find a ride to the town at the base of the mountains? What then?”

Gu took a deep breath, considering her concerns. “That’s a risk we have to account for, and it’s why we’re not putting all our eggs in one basket,” he explained. “While Shun is in Hisu Town, the rest of us will work on opening the sealed door we found deeper in the cave. It’s likely a storage room or a vault of some kind. If we can get it open, there might be something valuable inside—something we could sell or trade. That way, we’ll have a backup plan.”

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The plan wasn’t flawless, and everyone knew it. But it was the best they could manage given their circumstances. Each of them carried a bounty on their head, and wanted posters bearing their faces were likely still plastered across the region. Attempting to leave the Jing Mountains would mean passing through a heavily monitored checkpoint, where guards from the Central Plains awaited. Without a way to clear their names, or at least enough money to bribe an official for safe passage, there was no way they could venture into the heart of the empire and start fresh.

But he also understood that Tao, Shun, and Minho didn’t share his vision. The wounds of betrayal and loss were still fresh for them, and the scars ran too deep to be healed by mere escape. Each of them had suffered in ways that he couldn’t fully comprehend. They didn’t just want to survive; they craved justice, or at the very least, a chance to settle the score. It was a desire Gu could understand, even if he couldn’t bring himself to embrace it. He had no interest in revenge; he just wanted them to be safe, even if it meant tricking them into leaving when the time came.

With the plan set, the group waited for nightfall. The sun dipped lower, painting the sky with streaks of crimson and gold, until it disappeared entirely, leaving only the faint glow of twilight. The air grew colder, and a heavy silence settled over the cave, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant cry of a mountain bird. When darkness finally enveloped the mountains, it was time to act.

Shun gathered the metal chains and iron pieces they had salvaged, packing them into a worn, leather bag. He took a torch from the cave wall and lit it, the flickering flame casting shadows across his face. He was ready to make the journey to Hisu Town, where he would sell the metal and gather whatever supplies he could.

Before he left, Minho stepped forward and hugged him tightly, as if clinging to a fragile sense of safety. “Be careful,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Shun gave her a reassuring smile, patting her back gently. “I’ll be fine,” he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

With that, he turned and made his way into the dark tunnel, the light of his torch growing smaller and smaller until it was swallowed by the blackness. The cave felt emptier without him, and for a moment, Gu wondered if they were making the right choice. But he shook the thought away. They didn’t have the luxury of second-guessing. Not anymore.

As Shun embarked on his journey, Tao retreated to the new hut they had finally finished building earlier that day. It had been a small victory, completing the structure, a sign that they were still capable of moving forward despite everything. Tao was exhausted, her body aching from the day’s work, and she fell asleep almost as soon as she lay down, the quiet hum of the night lulling her into a deep slumber.

Minho, on the other hand, went to her own hut, her mind still buzzing with thoughts. She was grateful that another hut had been completed. If She had shared her space with Tao, while she would have appreciated the company, it would have made it difficult to sneak in some time with her secret. Now, with Tao in a separate hut, Minho finally had a chance to use the [Smartphone] without worrying about being caught.

Meanwhile, far to the north at the border of the Central Plains, lay the town of [Everton], the first settlement within the Frost Kingdom from Jing Mountains. The town, nestled at the base of snow-capped peaks, had a chill in the air that hinted at the kingdom’s harsh winters. Cobblestone streets wound their way through clusters of wooden buildings, most of which had smoke rising from their chimneys as residents sought warmth from the cold night.

In the heart of [Everton], a small, sturdy carriage came to a stop in front of the central tavern, its wheels creaking to a halt. The tavern was lively despite the late hour, filled with the chatter of merchants, travelers, and locals enjoying their drinks. As the carriage door swung open, two men stepped out, drawing the attention of a few curious onlookers.

The first was a young man dressed in fine, tailored clothes, his hair neatly tied back and his posture exuding a quiet, controlled confidence. He looked like the son of a wealthy merchant or a member of a noble clan, someone who had never needed to worry about where his next meal would come from. The second man, however, was a stark contrast. He was older, with a broad, muscular build that spoke of years of hard labor or fighting, and his clothes were simple and rugged, more befitting a common thief or a mountain bandit. Together, they made an odd pair as they stepped into the warm, noisy interior of the tavern and found a table in the corner.

They sat down, ordering drinks and a modest meal. As the tavern’s warmth began to thaw their cold, travel-worn bodies, the younger man leaned back, his eyes scanning the room before he spoke in a language different from the Central Plains Han Language. “It’s been a month since I left the Central Plains Capital,” he said, his voice low but tinged with a hint of unease. “By now, they must have realized I’m missing.”

The older man, who had been staring absently at his drink, turned to face him. “Even if there were a few hiccups along the way, Your Highness, the plan worked well enough,” he said. His voice was gruff, but there was a note of respect in it.

These two were none other than Han Ming, the second prince of the Frost Kingdom, and Jin, once known as Dao, the former member of the Thunder Sky Brotherhood. After weeks of traveling through treacherous mountain paths and avoiding checkpoints, they had finally crossed into the Frost Kingdom. The journey had been grueling, but here, in this distant town, they could finally relax—at least for a moment.

Noticing Jin’s distracted expression, Han Ming frowned slightly. “Are you still thinking about those bandits?” he asked, his tone sharp and impatient. “I told you before, they were just pawns in a much larger game. You were undercover, and getting attached was the last thing you should’ve done.”

Jin shifted uncomfortably, his large hands gripping the edge of the table. “No, it’s not that, Your Highness,” he replied hastily. “I understand they were part of the mission, and I never let myself forget that. But... there was this girl, Minho, in the brotherhood. I tried to keep her out of it for years, knowing something like this might happen. But in the end...”

“Ah, so that’s it,” Han Ming said, cutting him off with a dismissive wave of his hand. “You’re worried she didn’t survive, which she certainly didn’t. Look, I understand—being undercover for so long, it’s natural you’d grow attached. But now that you’re free, you need to think about your real family. You’ve been away from them for a decade. It’s time to stop thinking about some bandit girl and start thinking about your own daughter.”

Jin’s expression softened at the mention of his daughter, a girl he hadn’t seen in ten long years. He had left her behind in the capital, just a child of four, to carry out his mission. It had been a duty he couldn’t refuse, even if it meant abandoning his family. But now, with that mission finally complete, he had the chance to return to them, to see his wife and daughter again.

Still, the memory of Minho lingered. He remembered her as a bright, stubborn girl, someone who had managed to find hope in the most hopeless of places. She had been like a daughter to him in those years he spent undercover, a surrogate for the child he had left behind. But the prince was right—those days were over. The brotherhood was a thing of the past, and he had to focus on the future.

“Your Highness is correct,” Jin said at last, nodding slowly. “I shouldn’t be thinking about Minho. I have my own family to return to, and I’ve spent far too long away from them. It’s time I focused on that.” His voice was steady, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, a glimmer of regret that he couldn’t entirely hide.

Han Ming smiled, pleased to see that his companion was coming around. “Good,” he said, lifting his drink in a casual toast. “Then let’s focus on the future. We’re safe for now, but we’ll need to be careful as we head further into the Frost Kingdom. The last thing we need is for word of our whereabouts to reach the wrong ears.”

Jin raised his own glass, clinking it against the prince’s. “Understood, Your Highness,” he said. “To a new beginning.”