The Road Home

The desert wind swept endlessly across the dunes, carrying fine layers of dust close to the ground until the footprints left by the group ahead gradually disappeared beneath them.

The sun was already high.

Light poured across the low rocky hills stretching eastward, leaving the distant landscape submerged beneath a thin veil of heat.

Hao Nhien traveled at the front, with Lanh Hoa to his right and three Hoa Ky warriors following behind.

They carried little luggage and no cumbersome supplies, so their pace was considerably faster than the journey from Hoa Van to Heavenly Eye had been.

After everything that had happened, Hao Nhien was no longer in much of a hurry.

Heavenly Eye had entered a new stage, and for the time being, everything he could personally interfere with there had come to an end.

The rest belonged to Quan Nha and those who had chosen to remain.

Lanh Hoa occasionally glanced toward him as they traveled.

Since leaving Heavenly Eye, the young Alliance Leader seemed quieter than before.

Yet there was a change in his aura that even Lanh Hoa found difficult to ignore.

Foundation Establishment layer nine.

After a long period of accumulation, Hao Nhien had finally crossed that barrier.

What drew his attention, however, was not the increase in True Qi.

It was the unusual stability of its circulation.

In the past, every breakthrough had required a period of adjustment before his body fully adapted to the new level of strength.

This time, his True Qi, meridians, and soul had reached equilibrium almost simultaneously.

There was none of the obvious conflict between newly increased power and his ability to control it that had appeared during previous breakthroughs.

Hao Nhien had spent most of his final night at Heavenly Eye examining the change.

He knew the force born from belief that had touched his soul was connected to what had happened, but he found no sign that it had directly transformed into True Qi.

His cultivation foundation had already accumulated enough before the breakthrough.

After everything he had experienced recently, his soul seemed to have reached a more stable state as well, allowing body, Qi, and soul to cooperate at a level he had never achieved before.

What role the Soul Art had played in that process, he still could not fully explain.

Hao Nhien was in no hurry to decide.

What had happened at the heart of Heavenly Eye had shown him clearly that forces existed in this world beyond his current understanding.

If he assumed he understood their nature merely because he had touched a small part of them, he might one day pay dearly for that arrogance.

By mid-afternoon, the group stopped near a line of rocky hills to rest.

Lanh Hoa sent the three warriors to inspect the surrounding area while he remained behind to prepare the campsite.

Hao Nhien looked around, selected a flat stretch of ground sheltered by several large boulders, and summoned the Cosmic Ark.

Faint light appeared.

Its familiar dwelling form quickly took shape before them.

Lanh Hoa glanced over without surprise.

“I’ll go inside for a while. Call me if anything happens.”

“Clan Chief, rest assured. This subordinate will keep watch outside.”

Hao Nhien nodded and entered the Ark.

The interior remained as quiet as ever.

Familiar chambers appeared beneath gentle light, spiritual energy flowing steadily through the space and bringing a sensation completely different from the dry heat of the desert outside.

Hao Nhien walked along the corridor until he reached the place where Tieu Lan lay.

She still had not awakened.

He stood there for a while before moving closer and sitting beside her.

Tieu Lan’s face was peaceful.

The intense pain she had shown when everything first happened was gone, yet that silence still made Hao Nhien uncomfortable every time he saw it.

He reached out and adjusted the corner of the blanket beside her.

Then he spoke softly.

“Tieu Lan, we’ve left Heavenly Eye.”

There was no answer.

Hao Nhien looked at her, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

“This trip took longer than I expected.”

“And a lot more happened.”

He told her about Tien Thanh.

About the Hoa Ky people who had spent years scattered throughout Heavenly Eye’s armies.

About Luu Ho and those who had chosen to return.

He did not recount every battle in detail.

He only spoke of the things he thought Tieu Lan would have wanted to know if she were awake.

More than three hundred Hoa Ky warriors had been given the right to choose.

Those who owed no blood debt were free to leave.

Those who had harmed their own people would have to answer for what they had done.

Duong Long had been captured as well.

“He used to believe the Hoa Ky shouldn’t be allowed to choose their own path.”

“I talked to him about a few things, though I still don’t know how much he truly understood.”

Hao Nhien paused, remembering Duong Long’s expression among the medicinal fields of Lac Van.

“But at least he was willing to look.”

Then he told her about Lac Van, where medicinal fields had begun turning green across once-barren ground.

“I sent people from Hoa Van to help them for a while.”

“Later, Lac Van will continue sending people to Hoa Van to learn, then take back whatever actually suits their own land.”

Hao Nhien looked at Tieu Lan.

“See?”

“The things we once did in Hoa Van are starting to be learned elsewhere.”

“If enough places can become like that one day, maybe fewer people will have to abandon their homes just to survive.”

He fell silent for a moment.

Then his voice slowed.

“As for Quan Nha… she’ll remain in Heavenly Eye.”

The spiritual patterns outside the room continued glowing quietly.

Hao Nhien leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling toward the hand resting beside Tieu Lan.

“Heavenly Eye has changed a great deal.”

“Quan Nha is now recognized by all four Deputy City Lords as the God-Lord.”

“And she accepted that position.”

He told Tieu Lan what had happened in the inner shrine, the changes in Quan Nha after receiving the force gathered through faith, and the decisions they had discussed before parting.

Heavenly Eye would gradually stop using faith as a tool to force tribes into submission.

People who had once been made to choose between obedience and losing their homes would be given the chance to decide their own future.

The military lines would still need to maintain order during the transition.

But in the long term, the goal would no longer be to expand control through force.

It would shift toward trade, cooperation, and mutual development.

Hao Nhien understood that none of those changes could be completed in a few days.

Heavenly Eye contained too many people, too many interests, and too many rules that had existed for years.

The four Deputy City Lords might accept Quan Nha.

That did not mean everyone beneath them would immediately change the way they thought.

“I told her there was no need to rush.”

“A place as large as Heavenly Eye won’t truly change just because the person at the top changes.”

“If the way it operates remains the same, eventually everything underneath will become the same again.”

Hao Nhien paused.

The image of Quan Nha standing in the wind above Heavenly Eye City returned to his mind.

“Quan Nha is still Quan Nha,” he said quietly.

“She just has another road she needs to walk now.”

He remained there for a while.

Then his hand gently closed around Tieu Lan’s.

Since she had fallen unconscious, Hao Nhien had sat beside her many times and told her about what had happened outside, despite knowing she could not answer.

Sometimes he wondered whether she could hear him.

But he always continued anyway.

Just as he once had whenever he returned to the Cosmic Ark after a long journey.

Hao Nhien looked at her peaceful face.

Then the corner of his mouth suddenly curved upward.

“Oh, there’s one more thing.”

“This one you’d probably want to know.”

He reached into his storage ring and took out a small object of ancient design, placing it on the table beside her.

It was the key fragment he had obtained from the Heavenly Spirit Merchant Association.

One of three fragments said to open the path toward the Firmament.

Hao Nhien picked it up and studied it briefly.

Then he took a second object from his storage ring.

Its shape shared clear similarities with the first.

The material.

The ancient patterns carved across its surface.

And when the two were placed beside one another, the missing edges made it easy to see that they had once belonged to the same whole.

“Look.”

Hao Nhien smiled faintly, even though the girl before him remained still.

“Now we have two.”

“The second fragment was found by Quan Nha within Heavenly Eye’s collection.”

“The Saintess once suspected it might have fallen into their hands, but even I didn’t expect us to actually find it this time.”

He placed the two fragments close together and changed their positions several times, comparing the patterns across their surfaces.

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Then he sent a strand of spiritual sense into them.

Having two pieces gave him more points of comparison.

But too much was still missing.

He could not yet determine their complete shape or how they were meant to be used.

After a while, Hao Nhien withdrew his spiritual sense and looked at the two fragments.

“Only one left, Tieu Lan.”

His voice became slower.

“If what we know about them is true, then once all three are gathered, I may be able to find the road to the Firmament.”

He paused.

Anh Nhien’s image appeared in his mind, along with the few scattered clues he had followed for so long.

“Maybe I’ll find some trace of Anh Nhien there.”

“There is still too much I don’t know.”

“Even where I should begin looking for her is still unclear.”

His gaze dropped toward Tieu Lan.

His grip unconsciously tightened around her hand.

“And there’s you.”

Hao Nhien looked across the face still lost in its long sleep.

“The Firmament may still contain records connected to the Heavenly Spirit.”

“If I can find them, perhaps I’ll understand some of the things I still can’t explain.”

“Maybe I’ll even find a way to wake you.”

He made no promises.

He still knew too little about the Firmament.

No one had confirmed whether the place truly held the answers he wanted.

But compared with continuing to search blindly, the two key fragments before him had at least given him a direction.

Hao Nhien ran a finger lightly across the ancient patterns of the second fragment.

Then he looked at Tieu Lan and smiled.

“I’ll find it.”

He stored both fragments back into his ring and adjusted the blanket beside her once more.

“For now, we’re going back to Hoa Van.”

“It’s been a long time since you’ve been home.”

Before leaving the room, Hao Nhien turned and looked at her one last time.

“Rest.”

“I’ll handle the rest.”

The chamber remained silent.

Hao Nhien closed the door behind him and left the Cosmic Ark.

Soon afterward, he and Lanh Hoa continued their journey home.

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.

“Clan Chief, 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’re 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 one another?”

“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’ve 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 personally.”

Hao Nhien thought for a moment before adding,

“Do not include any details.”

“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.

Far more people were 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 along both sides to serve outsiders arriving in 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?”

“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 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 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 deal with 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 entire 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’s 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 at the gate.

Lieu Thien Van.