The wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it the ache of unanswered questions. Lin Hai, Lei Fan, and Xu Min stood among the broken foliage, their eyes scanning every shadow, every flicker of movement that might lead them to Qing Zhi.
But she was gone.
Vanished.
Taken.
The forest around them was deep, far from the quiet harmony of the village they had left behind. Hours passed. Days, maybe. The passage of time had begun to feel meaningless as they carved through paths both wild and desolate, shouting her name into the cold air. Spirit beasts fled from their fury, their sorrow. But Qing Zhi never answered.
It was Lei Fan who finally dropped to his knees beside a stone altar half-swallowed by moss. His voice cracked as he whispered, "We failed…"
"No," Lin Hai said firmly, his eyes glowing with fury. "We're not done yet."
Just then, the silence was broken.
A footstep.
Calm. Purposeful.
Fang Yuan walked from the woods, untouched, as if the forest itself parted to welcome him.
And he was alone.
No Qing Zhi.
Seeing him—the one who smiled beside their fire, the one who shared their meals—now returning without her, ignited something feral within the trio.
Without a word, Lin Hai dashed forward like a bolt of thunder. Xu Min and Lei Fan followed, their strikes aimed with fury and grief. Spirit energy ripped the air. The ground cracked beneath their feet.
But Fang Yuan stood tall.
He didn't draw his sword.
He didn't call for help.
With nothing more than precise movements and subtle flicks of his wrist, he countered each of their strikes. Lin Hai's sword was deflected, Lei Fan was knocked into a tree, and Xu Min was thrown to the dirt, gasping for air. The gap between them was undeniable.
Fang Yuan didn't gloat. He simply straightened his robe, brushing off a fallen leaf from his shoulder.
"I warned you," he said quietly. "Don't let emotions cloud your senses. You're cultivators."
"Where is she?" Lin Hai growled, blood trickling from his mouth.
Fang Yuan finally looked up, his eyes unreadable.
"She's safe," he said. "And valuable."
He took a step forward. "You think she's just your companion? She's much more than that. My elders… gave me a treasure. A locator. It senses energies on par with saints. And it pointed to her. Do you understand what that means?"
Lei Fan clenched his fists. "She's not an object to detect."
"No," Fang Yuan said. "She's a key. You think the Qingmo Clan is just a mid-tier power? My elders know what lies buried in the roots of this world. And Qing Zhi… she holds a secret even she doesn't know."
"You're a coward," Xu Min spat. "Using trust to steal someone away."
"I call it purpose," Fang Yuan replied. "Besides, I didn't hurt her. She's being treated well. Her presence will change the future of cultivation. We're not going to kill her. We're going to understand her."
"And if we come for her?" Lin Hai asked coldly.
Fang Yuan's smile returned—but it no longer held warmth.
"Then you'll die. My clan has dozens at the peak of the King realm. Elders at the Emperor level. Enter our territory… and your corpses will be used to feed our spirit beasts."
Lei Fan stood despite the pain. "We will come."
Xu Min wiped the blood from his chin. "We'll burn your banners."
Lin Hai's voice cut through the forest like steel. "And we'll tear your clan down stone by stone. In front of the entire continent. You will answer to us."
For a moment, silence ruled.
Then Fang Yuan chuckled softly.
"So much conviction… I like that." He turned his back to them and walked away, speaking over his shoulder. "Let's see if fate agrees with you."
As his figure disappeared into the mists, none of them moved. They stood still in their bruises and pain, their hearts heavy with both dread and promise.
—
Deeper in the forest, the sun had dipped beneath the horizon.
Fang Yuan knelt on a mossy rock, his treasure-compass hovering above his palm, spinning slowly.
Its core—a violet crystal—pulsed brighter the farther he walked.
He followed the pull.
Leaves crackled underfoot. The shadows seemed to part around him as if they too were obeying some greater call.
Then he saw it.
Qing Zhi.