A Place to Return To

Nearly a month later, the wind began to change.

It was still the Western Wastes, with dunes stretching all the way to the horizon, but a faint trace of moisture had begun to appear in the air.

With each day they drew closer to Hoa Van, the scents of earth, plants, and medicinal herbs became clearer, gradually replacing the dry heat of the desert regions they had crossed.

That morning, after the group passed over a line of low hills, Hao Nhien began recognizing the familiar signs of the land surrounding Hoa Van.

The sand beneath their feet was increasingly broken by stretches of hard earth.

Wheel tracks and Sand Beast prints appeared along the road ahead, evidence that merchant caravans passed through the area regularly.

They still had not seen Hoa Van Town when Lanh Hoa turned his gaze toward a rocky rise nearby.

“Alliance Leader, there’s a watchpost ahead.”

Hao Nhien followed his gaze.

A low observation tower had been built atop the rise from wood and stone, high enough to watch the road entering from the desert.

Several small buildings stood beneath it for the guards, with an open area nearby where Sand Beasts and transport groups could stop for inspection.

The sentries had noticed Hao Nhien’s group long before they arrived.

One remained atop the tower while another came down to the road with two warriors.

Seeing them approach on their own, Lanh Hoa nodded slightly.

“There used to be only rotating scouts here.”

“Looks like they’ve turned it into a permanent station.”

“That’s better,” Hao Nhien said. “If something happens, at least the news won’t have to wait until people are already standing at the town gates.”

The three warriors stopped several zhang away.

The leader cupped his hands, cautious but not tense.

“Are you coming from the east? Are you entering Hoa Van to trade or to find someone?”

Hao Nhien had not yet answered when the man’s gaze stopped on Lanh Hoa.

He looked again.

His expression changed immediately.

“Commander Lanh Hoa?”

Lanh Hoa nodded.

“It’s me.”

The man hurriedly turned toward Hao Nhien.

The moment he recognized the young man standing beside Lanh Hoa, he froze briefly, then immediately cupped his hands and bowed.

“Alliance Leader!”

The two warriors behind him recognized Hao Nhien as well and hurried to salute.

Hao Nhien smiled and gestured for them to straighten.

“No need for ceremony.”

“Was this station established recently?”

“Alliance Leader, it has been operating for some time.”

“Lord Luu Thanh ordered additional watchposts established along the roads most frequently used by merchant caravans.”

“Besides checking people entering and leaving, we are responsible for sending warnings if we discover troops or suspicious groups.”

Hao Nhien looked up at the tower, then toward the road leading back to town.

“Can the stations communicate with each other?”

“Yes.”

“Ordinary messages are carried in stages by people and Sand Beasts. Urgent matters can use communication talismans.”

“There is now a dedicated route from here directly to Hoa Van.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“Then send a message ahead for me.”

“Tell Luu Thanh that Lanh Hoa, three Hoa Ky warriors, and I have returned safely and are currently at the eastern watchpost.”

“We should reach town today.”

The man immediately accepted the order.

“This subordinate will report it at once.”

Hao Nhien stopped him before he left.

“Wait.”

“There’s one more thing.”

The warrior immediately paused.

“Please instruct me, Alliance Leader.”

“Send another message to Lieu Thien Van.”

“Tell him I have returned safely to Hoa Van and would like to meet the City Lord when convenient.”

“There have been several important changes in Heavenly Eye.”

“I’ll explain them to him personally.”

Hao Nhien thought for a moment before adding,

“Do not include any details in the message.”

“Only confirm that it came from me. Everything else can wait until we meet.”

“This subordinate understands.”

The warrior immediately returned to the station.

Hao Nhien watched him go, feeling somewhat satisfied.

He had once worried that Hoa Van’s defenses might fail to keep pace with its expansion.

At the very least, what he saw now showed that Luu Thanh had begun building a warning system capable of operating on its own instead of relying entirely on a handful of strong cultivators taking turns on patrol.

Lanh Hoa looked toward the station and smiled faintly.

“Luu Thanh has become much steadier in the way he handles things.”

“Mm.”

“Looks like he hasn’t had much time to rest while we were gone either.”

Hao Nhien finished speaking and continued onward with the group.

After several more stretches of road, the first outlines of Hoa Van Town finally appeared on the horizon.

At first, there were only low rooftops half-hidden behind the thin haze of dust.

As they drew closer, stone walls, broad roads, and warehouses gradually came into view.

Several rows of buildings were still under construction.

Beast carts constantly carried materials back and forth.

Outside the town, sections of land had already been marked out for future expansion.

Hao Nhien unconsciously slowed.

When he had last left, Hoa Van had only begun to resemble a proper town.

What stood before him now had already exceeded what he had imagined.

There were far more people moving through the gates.

Cultivators from Dong Nguyen.

People of the Western Wastes.

Merchants.

Hoa Ky families who had only recently returned.

Roads that had once barely allowed several beast carts to pass had been widened.

Shops, restaurants, and inns had appeared on both sides to serve outsiders arriving in the town.

Lanh Hoa slowed beside him as well.

His gaze rested on the expanding rows of buildings.

Hao Nhien turned.

“Much different from before?”

Lanh Hoa nodded.

“Yes.”

“This subordinate hasn’t been away long, but there are already quite a few new structures.”

To Lanh Hoa, Hoa Van was not merely somewhere he could stay.

Years of wandering had taught him what it meant for a people to lose their homeland.

Now, every house, every road, and every child playing in the distance was proof that the Hoa Ky were slowly reclaiming the life they had once lost.

When the group approached the eastern gate, Hao Nhien noticed people waiting ahead.

Luu Thanh stood in the center.

Beside him were Quan Lam and several people responsible for military affairs and the town’s administration.

A number of Hoa Ky clansmen stood behind them, though not enough to obstruct the caravans entering and leaving.

Clearly, the watchpost’s message had already arrived.

The moment Luu Thanh saw Hao Nhien, he hurried forward.

He stopped before the young Clan Chief, looked him over from head to toe, and finally smiled.

“Alliance Leader, you finally came back.”

Hao Nhien looked at him.

Luu Thanh’s aura and demeanor had changed.

His cultivation had not risen dramatically, but his posture and eyes carried the steadiness of someone who had grown accustomed to bearing responsibility.

“I met the people at the eastern watchpost.”

“You’ve done well.”

Luu Thanh smiled.

“That also came from the directions Clan Chief gave before.”

“More people enter and leave the town every day now, and merchant caravans pass through constantly.”

“If we relied only on a few patrol teams, something would eventually go wrong.”

“So we established additional posts along the main routes.”

“You handled it correctly.”

Hao Nhien nodded, then looked around.

“But I only sent word so everyone would know I was back.”

“There was no need to come all the way to the gate.”

Before Luu Thanh could answer, Quan Lam stepped forward and looked Hao Nhien up and down.

Then he laughed.

“I thought you were planning to stay in Heavenly Eye forever and had forgotten how to come home.”

Only then did Hao Nhien focus on him, visibly surprised.

“Quan Lam? You’re here too?”

“If I weren’t, how would I know our Alliance Leader had finally decided to return?”

Quan Lam slapped Hao Nhien heavily on the shoulder.

He had clearly intended to tease him further, but the instant his palm landed, he sensed something different in Hao Nhien’s aura.

A trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“You start putting your hands on people the moment they return?”

“Is this how the Quan Family welcomes someone home?”

A brief source check: carries the author's chapter, and this copy was made without permission.

“Not everyone.”

“With you, I need to check whether you actually came back in one piece.”

Quan Lam looked behind Hao Nhien.

Seeing only Lanh Hoa and the three Hoa Ky warriors, he paused.

“Where is Quan Nha?”

“She didn’t return with you?”

Hao Nhien was silent for a moment.

“She stayed in Heavenly Eye.”

“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later.”

Quan Lam studied his expression and realized this was not something Hao Nhien wanted to discuss casually in front of a crowd.

He did not press.

“Fine. We’ll talk inside.”

“She’s still one of the Quan Family. Whatever happened, we can discuss it together.”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“Mm.”

He then turned toward the clansmen still standing nearby and cupped his hands.

“I’m back.”

“There will be plenty of chances to see each other.”

“Go back to your work for now.”

“I’ll come to the square tonight. If there’s anything to discuss, we can talk then.”

Only after hearing that did the Hoa Ky people gradually disperse.

Several still came over to greet him.

Some asked about his injuries.

Others wanted to know what had happened to the clansmen who had left Tien Thanh.

Hao Nhien answered what he could.

The more important matters he left for the gathering that evening.

Everything around him felt both familiar and unfamiliar.

A new shop stood where there had once been empty ground.

The inn district had expanded.

Farther away stood a refining workshop Hao Nhien did not remember existing when he had left.

A group of children ran past.

One recognized him, turned, and shouted toward the others.

“The Alliance Leader is back!”

Hao Nhien helplessly shook his head.

Luu Thanh laughed beside him.

“You’re more famous now.”

“I’m not sure that is a good thing.”

“Maybe not for you.”

“But for Hoa Van, at least everyone knows you still remember the way home.”

Hao Nhien glanced at him.

“When did you learn to speak like Quan Lam?”

Luu Thanh only smiled.

He did not answer.

It was not until the familiar courtyard appeared ahead that Hao Nhien finally stopped.

Amid an ever-expanding Hoa Van Town, the place looked somewhat old.

The wooden door remained the same.

The low wall had not been raised.

A small tree still grew in one corner of the yard beside the familiar racks used for drying medicinal herbs.

Hao Nhien stepped through the gate.

Someone was crouched beside a medicinal bed.

Her hair was tied neatly back.

Both hands were covered in soil.

Beside her lay a small shovel and a basket containing trimmed roots.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up.

Tieu Nhan.

Her eyes stopped on Hao Nhien.

The shovel slipped from her hand and fell to the earth.

“Brother…”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“I’m back.”

Tieu Nhan sprang to her feet.

She looked him over from head to toe, then stared at his face.

It took her a moment to seemingly convince herself that he had truly returned intact.

“So you finally remembered the way home.”

Hao Nhien raised an eyebrow.

“I thought you would say something more touching.”

“What is there to be touched about?”

“You don’t even know how to take care of your own home. You leave everything to other people.”

Tieu Nhan bent down to retrieve the shovel.

As she brushed off the dirt, she gestured around the courtyard.

“The medicinal beds need fresh soil.”

“The plants need watering.”

“The rooms need cleaning.”

“Several of the drying racks behind the house needed repairs.”

“If I didn’t come check regularly, this place would have turned into a field of weeds.”

Hao Nhien looked around.

Everything really had been maintained with great care.

He was about to thank her when Tieu Nhan continued,

“Oh, and I found the jar of wine Luu Thanh hid beneath the kitchen.”

Hao Nhien paused.

Then he turned toward Luu Thanh.

Luu Thanh immediately coughed.

“I still have things to handle.”

“Quan Lam, come with me.”

Quan Lam blinked.

“Me?”

“Mm. I need your help.”

“With what?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

Without waiting for further argument, Luu Thanh immediately pulled Quan Lam out of the courtyard.

Hao Nhien watched them leave.

After a moment, he turned back.

Tieu Nhan was already laughing.

Lanh Hoa, standing near the gate, cupped his hands as well.

“Alliance Leader, this subordinate will go check on the clansmen first.”

“The matters that need reporting can wait.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“Go.”

“It was a long journey. You should rest as well.”

Lanh Hoa acknowledged him and left, leaving the courtyard quiet again.

Tieu Nhan dusted the soil from her hands.

She looked at Hao Nhien for a little longer, then unconsciously glanced toward the gate.

When the person she expected did not appear, she frowned.

“Where is Sister Quan Nha?”

Hao Nhien was silent for a moment.

“She didn’t return with me this time.”

Tieu Nhan immediately looked at him.

“Did something happen?”

“There were several changes in Heavenly Eye.”

“Quan Nha decided to remain there and handle what is still unfinished.”

“Is she in danger?”

Hao Nhien shook his head.

“Not at the moment.”

“With the position she holds now, many people in Heavenly Eye are probably more worried about her safety than I am.”

Tieu Nhan relaxed slightly, though her expression still showed that she wanted to ask more.

Hao Nhien thought for a moment.

“Heavenly Eye has changed the person standing at the center.”

“It is also preparing to change how it treats the tribes.”

“Quan Nha will deal with that personally.”

“The details are long. I’ll tell you when there’s time.”

Tieu Nhan studied him for another moment, then nodded.

“That’s enough.”

Her voice softened.

“As long as Sister Quan Nha is safe.”

Hao Nhien looked at her and laughed.

“Who taught you to talk like that?”

“I’ve spent this long around all of you.”

“It would be stranger if I hadn’t learned something.”

Hao Nhien had no answer to that.

Tieu Nhan walked toward one of the drying racks, took down a bundle of nearly dried spiritual herbs, and handed it to him.

“I have something to tell you too.”

Hao Nhien accepted the bundle and examined it.

It was a low-grade spiritual herb commonly found throughout the Western Wastes.

Its medicinal properties were nothing special.

But the quality of the plants in the bundle was extremely consistent.

Their maturity and processing clearly showed they had been grown and harvested using the same method.

“You grew these?”

“Some of them.”

“The people of Hoa Van can handle quite a lot on their own now.”

“I mostly adjusted how the seeds are planted, the spacing between plants, when the leaves should be harvested, and how much of the root should be left so the plant can keep growing.”

She pointed toward the drying racks behind them.

“People in the Western Wastes used to pull up the whole plant whenever they found something useful.”

“Roots, young plants, everything.”

“So some places that had plenty of herbs several years ago gradually ended up with nothing.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“You want to change the way they harvest.”

“Yes.”

“We’ve tried several methods in Hoa Van already, and the results are good.”

“I want to bring what we’ve learned back to Cat Loi and let everyone there try it too.”

Hao Nhien looked slightly surprised.

“You want to return to Cat Loi?”

Tieu Nhan nodded, her eyes brightening.

“The Cat Loi Clan has many herbs that only grow near Loi Te Mountain.”

“Some will grow again the next year if harvested in the right season.”

“Some need their roots preserved.”

“And some may be able to be transplanted into land outside the dangerous regions.”

She paused before continuing.

“If it works, the clansmen won’t have to keep going deep into dangerous places just to gather herbs.”

“I want to return and test it in a few areas first.”

“Then I can teach people how to care for and harvest them.”

Hao Nhien looked at her for a while.

The Tieu Nhan before him was no longer the girl who only knew how to follow others.

She spoke of no grand ambition.

She did not dream of changing the entire Western Wastes.

But she had found something she genuinely wanted to do with her own hands.

That made Hao Nhien happier than anything else.

“Good.”

“Cat Loi is your home.”

“If you learned something useful and want to bring it back to help your people, that is a good thing.”

He set the herbs down.

“When are you planning to leave?”

“In a few days.”

“I still need to hand over the medicinal beds I’m responsible for, and some seeds need to be sorted before I bring them back.”

Hao Nhien thought for a moment.

“Then wait for me.”

“I’ll take you back.”

Tieu Nhan stared at him, clearly surprised.

“You have time?”

“It is only a trip to Cat Loi.”

“How long could that possibly take?”

Tieu Nhan said nothing.

She only looked at him with deep suspicion.

Hao Nhien recognized the expression and laughed.

“At least this time, I really can arrange it.”

“Then I’ll wait.”

She nodded and returned the bundle of herbs to the drying rack.

Hao Nhien said nothing more.

He genuinely intended to stay in Hoa Van for several days.

Meet familiar people again.

Check on cultivation and the work throughout the town.

Then take Tieu Nhan back to Cat Loi before thinking about his next journey.

The matters outside had dragged on for too long.

Rarely did he have a chance to return home.

For once, he wanted a few days when he did not have to constantly calculate who was coming next, which faction was moving troops, or where another crisis might erupt.

But that plan had only just formed when footsteps sounded outside the courtyard.

An elderly man appeared.

Lieu Thien Van.

The moment he stepped through the gate, his gaze settled on Hao Nhien.

He studied him for quite some time, from his expression to the aura he was suppressing, before slowly shaking his head.

“I once thought I had already judged you highly enough.”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“City Lord.”

Lieu Thien Van looked him over once more and exhaled.

“Apparently not.”

Hao Nhien laughed.

“City Lord, you say that the moment you see me. Did something give you another headache?”

“You still have the nerve to ask?”

Lieu Thien Van glared at him.

“Heavenly Eye just went through a major upheaval.”

“I received several reports I haven’t even had time to verify, and then I hear you’ve returned.”

He paused and lowered his voice.

“There are also rumors outside that the God-Lord appeared in Heavenly Eye City.”

“What exactly happened?”

Hao Nhien looked at him for a moment before stepping aside.

“Come inside. We’ll talk.”

Lieu Thien Van immediately entered.

Tieu Nhan glanced between the two men, realized they had matters to discuss, and quietly gathered her tools before leaving the courtyard.

Inside, Hao Nhien poured tea.

Lieu Thien Van did not drink.

He stared directly at Hao Nhien with an expression that made it clear he would not leave without a proper explanation.

Hao Nhien understood.

He began recounting the main events at Heavenly Eye, from the four Deputy City Lords being drawn into the changes at the center of power to Quan Nha’s appearance within the divine chamber.

He did not reveal everything.

Especially not the secrets involving the anchor or matters he himself still did not fully understand.

Even so, what he could safely explain was enough to make Lieu Thien Van set his tea down several times.

When he heard that all four Deputy City Lords now recognized Quan Nha as the God-Lord, the old man remained silent for a long while.

“Quan Nha became the God-Lord of Heavenly Eye?”

“At present, everyone at the top of Heavenly Eye recognizes her as such.”

“And Quan Nha herself?”

“She accepted the position.”

Lieu Thien Van looked at Hao Nhien.

“You are comfortable leaving her there?”

Hao Nhien did not answer immediately.

“I can’t say I am completely at ease.”

“Heavenly Eye is too large.”

“And whatever exists behind that system may not be as simple as what we have already seen.”

“But I trust Quan Nha.”

“And before we parted, we spoke clearly about what she intends to do.”

He explained the direction Heavenly Eye was beginning to take.

More peaceful relations.

Reducing the use of faith as a tool to force tribes into submission.

Creating room for cooperation between powers that had once treated one another as enemies.

Lieu Thien Van listened carefully.

He had personally led Tam Thanh’s forces against the lines of Heavenly Eye.

He understood better than most that conflicts accumulated over many years could not disappear because of one order.

“The four Deputy City Lords will really accept the tribes choosing for themselves?”

“At least for now, they have accepted Quan Nha’s authority.”

“How far the changes actually go will depend on the decisions that follow and how each line handles its own interests.”

Hao Nhien took a sip of tea.

“I don’t expect everything to go smoothly.”

“But if Heavenly Eye truly begins changing, the tribes that once had no right to choose will gradually have another road available to them.”

Lieu Thien Van considered that.

“Then what happens between Tam Thanh and Heavenly Eye?”

“That still needs to be decided by both sides.”

“I only hope that from now on, matters that can be resolved through negotiation and trade won’t need war.”

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“Tam Thanh has things Heavenly Eye needs.”

“Heavenly Eye also has resources and trade networks other places can use.”

“If both sides want to develop, one does not necessarily need to weaken the other to benefit.”

Lieu Thien Van slowly nodded.

After a while, he laughed.

“Good.”

“If things truly reach that point, maybe I won’t have to stare at military maps every day.”

Hao Nhien raised his tea.

“I think the City Lord would enjoy that.”

“Of course.”

“But I still need to see whether the people in Heavenly Eye actually do what you say.”

“They should be watched.”

Lieu Thien Van drank, and only then did his expression finally relax.

After a while, he looked toward the courtyard outside, where the drying racks stood in the afternoon sun.

“You’ve been gone too long, Hao Nhien.”

Hao Nhien looked up.

Lieu Thien Van continued,

“I passed through nearly half of Hoa Van Town on the way here.”

“This place is completely different now.”

“There are new districts even I hadn’t seen before.”

“Roads that used to be nothing but sand now have carts passing every day.”

He looked at Hao Nhien.

“Since you’re back, why not stay?”

“A few months.”

“A year, even.”

“Cultivate.”

“Rest.”

“Watch this place grow.”

“Hoa Van no longer needs you to leave and fight someone every day.”

Hao Nhien remained silent for a moment before smiling.

“I want that too.”

Lieu Thien Van looked surprised.

“Then stay.”

“But I’m afraid it won’t be as long as the City Lord hopes.”

“What happened now?”

Hao Nhien placed his cup down.

“I just reached Foundation Establishment layer nine.”

Lieu Thien Van had been about to raise his cup.

He stopped.

He stared at Hao Nhien.

Then slowly lowered the cup back to the table.

“Foundation Establishment layer nine?”

“Yes.”

“When you left Hoa Van, you were only at layer eight.”

“Correct.”

Lieu Thien Van watched him for a while longer.

“When?”

“Before returning.”

“After everything that happened at Heavenly Eye.”

The old man remained silent for quite some time.

Then he shook his head.

“Monster.”

Hao Nhien laughed.

“City Lord, there’s no need for that.”

“I had already accumulated for a long time. The opportunity simply arrived at the right moment.”

Lieu Thien Van looked at him as though he could not believe what he was hearing.

“Do you know how many late-Foundation cultivators spend their entire lives without advancing another layer?”

“I do.”

“And you still say it as though it were nothing?”

Hao Nhien decided drinking tea was safer than answering.

Lieu Thien Van stared at him a while longer before asking,

“Has the new realm stabilized?”

“Yes.”

“More stable than I expected, actually.”

Hao Nhien thought for a moment before continuing,

“This breakthrough was different.”

“My cultivation foundation had already accumulated enough.”

“But there were still places where my soul and my control over True Qi were not completely synchronized.”

“After what happened at Heavenly Eye, that condition seems to have changed.”

He did not go deeply into the force born from belief or the mechanics of the Soul Art.

He himself had not yet determined the whole truth.

Lieu Thien Van’s expression gradually became serious.

“Then have you thought about the next step?”

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“Golden Core?”

“Mm.”

Lieu Thien Van nodded.

“You’re already at Foundation Establishment layer nine.”

“There is still peak Foundation ahead, but with your cultivation speed, some things need to be prepared early.”

Hao Nhien fell silent.

He understood what worried Lieu Thien Van.

The Western Wastes could not sustain a true Golden Core cultivator.

Duong Quang’s forbidden pill had once forced his combat strength close to that threshold, and the result had shown exactly how dangerous it was to force oneself beyond the region’s limits.

If Hao Nhien truly reached the point where he could form a Golden Core, he could not attempt it casually while still here.

“I’ve thought about it.”

“If I begin approaching that threshold, I’ll leave the Western Wastes before attempting the breakthrough.”

Lieu Thien Van looked at him.

“Remember what you just said.”

“You’ve cultivated this far already.”

“Don’t let impatience put you in danger.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“I know.”

Lieu Thien Van exhaled, lifted his now-cold tea, and took a drink before glancing toward the door.

“Then rest for a few days.”

“At least here in Hoa Van, there are people capable of handling what happens outside.”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“That was my plan.”

Lieu Thien Van looked at him suspiciously.

“You mean that?”

“City Lord, I just spent nearly a month traveling back.”

“I am still human.”

“I do get tired.”

“I was beginning to think you didn’t know that.”

Both men laughed.

By the time Lieu Thien Van left the courtyard, evening was already approaching.

Hao Nhien walked him to the gate, then returned.

Tieu Nhan had already finished tending the medicinal beds.

Several drying racks had been moved beneath shelter to avoid the night dew.

A fresh pot of tea waited on the stone table beneath the tree.

Hao Nhien sat down and let the evening wind pass through the small courtyard.

Voices drifted in from the street outside, mixed with the sound of beast carts carrying goods and children calling one another home.

Those sounds had once been rare in Hoa Van.

Now they had become an ordinary part of the town’s life.

Hao Nhien remembered the earliest days when this place had first been built.

Back then, people cared about only a few things.

Whether there was enough water.

How long the food would last.

And if an army came, how they could protect everyone inside.

Now the people of Hoa Van were planning new medicinal gardens.

Building houses.

Managing warehouses.

Receiving new families.

There were still disputes.

There were still difficulties.

But at least they now had time to think about the future instead of merely surviving until tomorrow.

Hao Nhien lifted his cup and looked toward the new rooftops visible beyond the courtyard wall.

The last evening light slowly withdrew from the low stone wall.

The scent of drying herbs mixed with warm tea.

Voices continued drifting steadily from the streets outside.

Hao Nhien sat there for a while longer, allowing himself to feel a rare peace after the long journey.

He had promised to meet everyone at the square that night.

There were things he needed to say.

People he wanted to thank.

But before that, he still had a meal waiting in this familiar courtyard, where things had changed somewhat but the feeling of having somewhere to return to remained.

He had thought that after the gathering that night, he could spend several days resting.

He would look over the unfinished matters in Hoa Van.

Then take Tieu Nhan back to Cat Loi as promised.

Whatever journey came afterward could wait a little longer.

For once, he wanted to decide for himself when he would leave.

Unfortunately, on the path of cultivation, some things had never cared whether he was ready for them.