The Mark of the Fire Qilin

The atmosphere over the beach changed abruptly.

Waves of heat rose from the sand, twisting the air. Thin traces of seawater left between the grains evaporated into white vapor, while behind Hao Nhien, a massive phantom slowly emerged among dark-red patterns of flame.

A majestic beast’s head.

Great horns curving backward.

A body covered in blazing markings.

Its crimson eyes, glowing like burning coals, looked down over the rocky shore with an ancient pressure that made everyone present instinctively struggle to breathe.

The Fire Qilin Beast.

The middle-aged man charging toward Lang Tuyet suddenly stopped.

The palm force in his hand had not dispersed, but his eyes had already been drawn toward the phantom behind Hao Nhien. Shock slowed his movement for a fraction of a breath, and the killing intent that had been locked onto Lang Tuyet wavered.

That single instant was enough.

Hao Nhien stepped forward.

Dark-red flame patterns covered his right fist as he drove it directly into the descending palm strike.

A portion of the surrounding Wind force gathered along his intent, accelerating the punch, while Fire force compressed around the point of impact.

He did not force a large amount of True Qi through his still-injured meridians.

The changes in his method of circulation after the Fate-Convergence Realm allowed the limited power he could still safely use to cooperate with forces from the surroundings. Even so, the pressure of Fury caused the meridian branches throughout his body to tighten painfully.

BOOM!

Fist and palm collided.

A ring of compressed air exploded across the beach.

The sand beneath both men caved inward, while small stones were thrown far into the distance.

The middle-aged man was forced half a step back.

Disbelief flashed across his face.

Hao Nhien was driven three steps backward.

His right arm went numb.

Blood and Qi surged violently within his chest.

But this time, he remained standing.

Neither man attacked again.

Because by then, every eye had turned toward the Fire Qilin phantom behind Hao Nhien.

An old man among the crowd suddenly began trembling.

His aged eyes widened.

His lips moved for a long time without producing a sound.

Finally, both knees gave way beneath him.

He dropped onto the sand, both hands braced before him as though his body could no longer support its own weight.

Another person saw him.

Then slowly turned toward the phantom.

He too knelt.

“Divine markings…”

The hoarse voice sounded among the gathered tribespeople.

“Fire Qilin…”

“It is the Fire Qilin…”

The younger tribesmen remained standing, confusion filling their faces.

But as more and more elders knelt, whispers began spreading through the crowd.

“The mark of the God…”

“Has the God returned?”

“No… that man isn’t the God…”

“But those divine markings…”

The middle-aged man remained standing before Hao Nhien.

He did not kneel immediately.

Instead, he stared at the Fire Qilin phantom, his expression shifting repeatedly between shock, suspicion, and an emotion more difficult to define.

Only after a long silence did he finally look at Hao Nhien.

“You…”

“Who exactly are you?”

Hao Nhien did not answer at once.

He had already noticed the unusual reaction of these people.

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He also understood, at least in part, why the image of the Fire Qilin carried such weight among them.

But within his body, Fury was beginning to place increasingly heavy pressure upon him.

He slowly withdrew his intention.

The enormous phantom behind him faded.

The flame markings along his arm disappeared one after another.

The moment Fury was suppressed, his blood and Qi became heavy.

The already-disordered True Qi in his body grew even more difficult to circulate.

A sharp pain ran along the meridians of his right arm.

Hao Nhien maintained his posture.

Quietly adjusted his breathing.

This time, Fury had only erupted for an extremely short period.

It had not left him unable to stand as it had after U Minh Mountain.

But the price was still far from small.

Lang Tuyet stepped beside him.

She studied his complexion.

Something shifted in her eyes, but she did not question him in front of strangers.

The middle-aged man watched the vanishing phantom for a little longer.

At last, he slowly lowered one knee to the ground and bowed his head.

“I don’t know who you are.”

“But that mark just now…”

“It cannot be false.”

The killing intent had disappeared from his voice.

In its place was caution mixed with reverence.

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“Stand up.”

“First, explain what is happening here.”

The man raised his head.

He hesitated before finally rising.

“I am Hoa Can, Clan Chief of the Fire Spirit Clan.”

Hao Nhien looked over the people surrounding them.

Many were still kneeling on the sand.

The younger ones held their weapons tightly, uncertain whether they should remain on guard or lower them.

“Why did you try to kill outsiders the moment you saw us?”

Hoa Can fell silent for a beat.

“We thought you were scouts from the Thunder Spirit Clan.”

Lang Tuyet finally spoke.

“Suspicion alone is enough for you to kill on sight?”

Hoa Can looked at her.

His gaze moved briefly over the tribesmen she had wounded.

Then returned to Hao Nhien.

“You do not know the situation on this island.”

“Outsiders appearing on this stretch of coast have rarely come with good intentions for a very long time.”

Hao Nhien asked,

“You are at war with the Thunder Spirit Clan?”

“Yes.”

“How long?”

Hoa Can looked toward the low forest behind him.

“My father fought them.”

“Before that, so did my grandfather.”

An elderly man standing nearby spoke in heavily accented common speech.

“Longer.”

Hao Nhien observed silently.

Most of the weapons in these people’s hands were old.

Many pieces of armor had been repaired repeatedly.

Scars covered the hands, necks, and faces of both young and old.

One person was missing several fingers.

Another no longer walked steadily.

These were not marks left by a recent conflict.

“Why do you fight?”

Hoa Can answered,

“To protect the land of the God.”

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“Which God?”

“The Fire Qilin.”

At those words, several nearby tribespeople instinctively looked toward Hao Nhien again.

He did not continue questioning them on the beach.

Too much remained unclear.

And his own physical condition made this a poor place to remain standing for long.

“I want to understand this better.”

“Can you take us to where your people live?”

Hoa Can hesitated.

His gaze moved toward Lang Tuyet.

Then toward the wounded tribesmen lying nearby.

Hao Nhien noticed.

“Your people were injured.”

“But we nearly died as well.”

“What happened here can stop for now.”

“Until the reason is clear, I have no desire to continue fighting.”

Hoa Can watched him for a while.

Then nodded.

“Very well.”

“Please follow me.”

He turned and ordered the others to carry the wounded back.

Most immediately obeyed.

Several still directed wary looks toward Lang Tuyet.

She noticed.

But said nothing.

They had attacked first.

She had merely made them incapable of continuing.

Explaining herself now would accomplish little.

Little Spirit had appeared beside Hao Nhien at some point without anyone noticing.

The child watched the Fire Spirit tribesmen help their wounded companions away.

Then looked up at Hoa Can.

The clan chief noticed the child as well.

Confusion flickered across his face.

In the end, he asked nothing.

The path into the island was narrow.

Black cliffs rose on both sides, broken by stretches of dry ground.

Low forest covered the slopes.

Most leaves were dark green, thick, and harder than the plants commonly seen on the mainland.

The farther they traveled, the stronger the smell of smoke and old burning became.

It was not the scent of a recent fire.

It seemed to have soaked into the stone and soil over many years.

Hoa Can led from the front.

The other tribesmen kept their distance from Hao Nhien’s group.

Their killing intent had disappeared.

But their caution had not.

After nearly half an hour, the path widened.

A low valley appeared between several ridges of black stone.

Stone-and-wood houses were scattered around a wide open area.

Most of the architecture was simple.

Low roofs.

Thick walls.

Old scorch marks remained on many of the buildings.

At the center of the valley lay a patch of dark-gray ground, as though fire had burned over it repeatedly.

In the middle stood a stone platform.

Upon it rested an old beast-head statue.

One horn had broken.

Many of the features had been worn smooth by time.

Yet Hao Nhien recognized the shape immediately.

The Fire Qilin Beast.

Lang Tuyet glanced at him.

Hoa Can walked toward the stone platform and slowly knelt.

The tribesmen following him did the same.

Only Hao Nhien’s group remained standing behind them.

“This is where our ancestors worshiped the Fire Qilin God.”

Hoa Can’s voice carried solemnity.

“It is also the land the Thunder Spirit Clan has always tried to seize.”

Hao Nhien looked at the statue.

“Why do they want this place?”

“Because they claim it is also their ancestral land.”

“Do either of you know why both clans call the same place ancestral land?”

Hoa Can remained silent for a long time.

“These matters have been passed down for generations.”

“I only know our ancestors commanded us to protect this place, regardless of the price.”

Hao Nhien did not ask who was right.

Instead, he looked at the houses around them.

The old people standing near doorways.

The children peering curiously at the strangers from behind stone walls.

This was a place that had lived with war for generations.

“When does the Thunder Spirit Clan usually come?”

Hoa Can turned.

“They have attacked the outer areas repeatedly in recent days.”

“Based on the previous times, they may come tomorrow.”

Hao Nhien nodded faintly.

“Then if they come tomorrow, I want to meet their clan chief before either side begins fighting.”

Hoa Can immediately looked at him.

“You want to meet Loi Trach?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Hao Nhien answered evenly.

“I did not come here to help the Fire Spirit Clan fight the Thunder Spirit Clan.”

“I also do not understand the cause of this war.”

“So I cannot listen only to one side and decide who is right.”

Hoa Can frowned.

“But you carry the mark of the Fire Qilin God.”

“That does not mean I have to help you kill people.”

Hao Nhien’s voice remained calm.

“Yesterday, one of my people nearly died because of this war.”

“I want to know why a hatred can continue for so long that people who have never met each other are willing to kill on sight.”

Hoa Can stared at him for a long time.

“You are not one of us.”

“Why interfere?”

“First, because we have already been dragged into this matter.”

Hao Nhien replied.

“As for whether I can do anything beyond that, I’ll decide after hearing both sides.”

The clan chief considered this.

He clearly did not agree with everything Hao Nhien said.

But he could not find a convincing reason to refuse.

At last, Hoa Can slowly nodded.

“If Loi Trach truly comes, I will give you a chance to speak first.”

“But if he still intends to fight, the Fire Spirit Clan will not stand still and wait to die.”

“Of course.”

Hao Nhien asked for nothing more.