Bringing Back a Way Forward

Near noon the following day, Tam Thành's forward camp finally appeared at the edge of the horizon.

Amid the endless sea of blazing golden sand, the camp's towering rammed-earth walls resembled an artificial mountain range planted deep within the Western Wastes. Dark-gray watchtowers rose from all four corners, while the banners of Tam Thành snapped sharply in the wind. Squads of lightly armored soldiers continuously patrolled the walls, and the large crossbows positioned at intervals had already been turned toward the desert, bundles of rune-carved bolts stacked beside each one.

From behind the walls came the almost uninterrupted ringing of hammers against metal. Wagons carrying food, clean water, and spirit stones moved through the side gate in steady succession, while squads of soldiers changed shifts quickly, with almost no one stopping to talk longer than necessary.

Compared with when Hao Nhien had left, the atmosphere here had become far more tense. The entire camp felt like a sword drawn more than halfway from its sheath, not yet swung, but with enough of the blade exposed that one more disturbance could send it striking out at once.

Hao Nhien stood atop the Tieu Dao Sword and watched the camp grow clearer beneath the sunlight.

A faint warmth rose within him.

Tieu Lan and Quan Nha were not here. Both were still in Tam Thành behind the defensive lines, but simply seeing Tam Thành's banners standing in the middle of the Western Wastes made Hao Nhien feel that the distance between them had shortened considerably.

He found himself thinking of the medicine bottles Tieu Lan had prepared before he left. Each one bore a familiar handwritten label: Qi Recovery, Hemostasis, Meridian Stabilization, Burn Treatment, Severe Injury Recovery. Several even carried a smaller note reminding Young Master not to use too much. Knowing her, Tieu Lan was probably somewhere in the treatment area or medicine room right now, lowering her head as she checked bottle after bottle while occasionally glancing toward the door whenever footsteps sounded outside.

As for Quan Nha, he could almost imagine her wearing that same cool expression while practicing continuously with the sword in her hand. The sword had always been the weapon she used in combination with her Charm affinity, and the further she progressed, the more precise every step, every sword angle, and every moment of activating her power had to become. She was probably cultivating even harder than before, because at the oasis she had once told him that when they met again, she wanted enough strength to decide for herself whether she could accompany him.

The corner of Hao Nhien's lips curved faintly.

Then another face appeared in his mind.

Anh Nhien.

It had been nearly a year since his old world had stopped for him, and nearly a year since he had awakened in this place.

During that time, he had gone from someone with no cultivation at all to someone who had crossed paths with spirit beasts, Secret Realms, pursuit, battlefields, and finally the depths of the Western Wastes. His current Foundation Establishment layer four was already incomparably distant from the Hao Nhien of his first day here, but whenever he thought of the Firmament and the powerful being that had taken Anh Nhien away, he still understood how far he remained from his final goal.

He was still not strong enough.

But at least he was still moving forward. As long as he did not stop, that road would continue to exist.

The Tieu Dao Sword hummed softly beneath his feet and, almost unconsciously, carried him closer to the main gate.

At that moment, a shout rang down from the wall.

“Stop! The area ahead is a restricted flight zone!”

Hao Nhien immediately returned to his senses.

More than ten soldiers on one of the watchtowers had already turned toward him. Two large crossbows slowly shifted as well, their rune-carved bolts locking onto the position of the Tieu Dao Sword.

Hao Nhien did not continue forward. He immediately descended, put away the sword, and landed on the sand more than fifty zhang from the main gate, keeping both hands visible outside his robes so the soldiers above could clearly see that he had no intention of attacking.

“My apologies. I am Hao Nhien, returning from the Western Wastes. I was distracted and came too close to the restricted flight zone.”

A captain in black armor stepped forward above the gate.

“Present your token.”

Hao Nhien took out the silver token Lieu Thien Van had given him and held it up between two fingers.

A mid Foundation Establishment soldier flew down from the wall but stopped more than a zhang away. Rather than taking the token directly, he produced a gray jade piece and infused it with spiritual power. Light from the jade fell across the silver token, causing two runes to appear simultaneously. After several breaths, the spiritual awareness imprint of Lieu Thien Van also surfaced across its face.

The Foundation Establishment soldier nodded.

“Fellow Cultivator Hao, please wait a moment. The camp is currently under lockdown, so everyone returning must be verified.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“Follow your procedures.”

A soldier immediately ran inside to report. The two large crossbows on the wall remained trained on him, while Hao Nhien stood quietly in the sand without showing the slightest irritation.

After everything he had witnessed involving Heavenly Eye, the Yin Soul Sect, and the way powerful forces could plant people inside an organization years before revealing them, the camp's caution did not bother him. If anything, it made him feel more at ease.

Less than an incense stick later, the messenger returned and whispered several words to the captain.

The captain immediately raised a hand.

The two large crossbows slowly lowered.

The main gate opened only far enough for one person to pass.

“Fellow Cultivator Hao, City Lord Lieu is waiting for you in the central command room.”

Hao Nhien cupped his fists.

“Thank you.”

He stepped through the gate.

The moment he entered, the tension within the camp became even more obvious.

A group of wounded soldiers had just been brought toward the treatment area. Three men lay on stretchers with white cloth pulled up to their chests, fresh blood still staining the fabric beneath them. Near the supply depot, several soldiers were hurriedly replacing the wheel of a transport wagon, while a deputy commander stood in the middle of the road issuing orders one after another.

“The third patrol still hasn't returned?”

“No news yet.”

“Send another team to search, but under no circumstances are they to go beyond the Blackstone Line. Double the guards on the western watchtowers, and from now on no one leaves camp alone.”

Hao Nhien's gaze darkened slightly when he heard that.

A patrol had gone missing, while the Yin Soul Sect had erected an altar less than half a day away by sword flight. The two matters might be entirely unrelated, but in the current situation, no coincidence could be dismissed lightly.

The soldier leading him moved quickly. Hao Nhien followed through two layers of the camp before reaching a low stone building near the center.

Four Foundation Establishment cultivators stood guard outside.

After the escort announced him, one of them opened the door.

“Fellow Cultivator Hao, the City Lord is waiting.”

Hao Nhien entered.

The command room was not large. A map of the Western Wastes covered nearly the entire inner wall, filled with small markers. White flags represented Tam Thành, red flags marked areas under Heavenly Eye's influence, while several newer black arrows stretched from the west toward the border regions of the Eastern Plains.

Several intelligence scrolls lay partly opened across the table.

Lieu Thien Van stood before the map. When he heard the door open, he immediately turned, and the tension on his face eased noticeably.

“Hao Nhien. It is good that you are back.”

He approached and immediately noticed the change in Hao Nhien's aura.

“You have entered mid Foundation Establishment?”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“Layer four.”

Lieu Thien Van paused and looked at him again.

“It seems this journey brought more than danger.”

Hao Nhien smiled faintly.

“There was danger, but there were gains as well.”

Lieu Thien Van's gaze shifted to the repaired tear at the shoulder of his robe.

“You were injured?”

“Nothing serious. Most of the Yin qi has already been forced out.”

The words Yin qi immediately changed Lieu Thien Van's expression, but he did not ask further at once. Instead, he pulled out a chair.

“Sit first. You have been traveling for days. Drink some water.”

There was only a simple jug of clean water on the table.

Hao Nhien poured a cup and drank it in one go. Only when the cool water passed down his throat did the fatigue accumulated through days of sword flight begin to make itself felt.

Lieu Thien Van did not rush him.

After Hao Nhien set down the cup, he finally said,

“The people who followed Luu Thanh out of Heavenly Eye Forward City have arrived.”

Hao Nhien's hand relaxed slightly against the edge of the table.

“How many?”

“Seven hundred and twelve reached the temporary settlement. More than a hundred have injuries of varying severity, and twenty-three did not survive the final stretch of the journey.”

Hao Nhien fell silent.

He knew he could not carry every death that happened along the road on his own shoulders, but those people had left Heavenly Eye Forward City after hearing his words. Because of that, twenty-three could never be merely a number.

After a while, he asked,

“How were the bodies handled?”

“Cremated. Luu Thanh personally supervised everything.”

Hao Nhien nodded faintly.

After witnessing the Yin Soul Sect's Corpse Summoning Ritual, the word cremated gave him far more reassurance than it once would have.

Lieu Thien Van looked at him.

“Luu Thanh said you continued toward the Fire Qilin ancestral homeland. What happened after that?”

Hao Nhien did not recount every minor detail. He chose only what Lieu Thien Van needed to know.

He told him about Heavenly Eye's pursuit, his return toward Fire Qilin territory with Lanh Hoa, the ambush that escalated far beyond expectation, and how he had been forced to use a life-preserving measure to break out. He said nothing about the Cosmic Ark and did not mention how many Thunder Bursts remained.

Then he told him about the ancestral homeland.

Hao Nhien had reached the Fire Qilin Altar, completed the formal inheritance rite, and been officially acknowledged by the entire tribe as Clan Head. During that process, his cultivation had advanced from Foundation Establishment layer two through layer three before stabilizing at layer four.

The Fire Qilin clansmen were now leaving the ancestral homeland under the leadership of Lanh Hoa and Luu Tan, traveling along a concealed route toward Tam Thành in several smaller groups to avoid detection.

Lieu Thien Van listened carefully without interrupting. But the moment he heard that the group included many elders, children, and wounded people, he immediately stood and moved to the map.

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“What route are they taking?”

Hao Nhien rose as well and used a wooden pointer to indicate the Dragonmist Thorn Forest.

“They will pass around three small oases from here, then follow the low mountain range to the south. Lanh Hoa is not taking a direct route. He divided the clansmen into five groups, keeping them close enough to support one another without forming a single large column.”

Lieu Thien Van studied the route for a while.

He placed three small white flags on the map.

“This path is relatively concealed, but the greatest problem is water. The second oasis has already lost nearly half its supply since the start of the season. It will not be enough if the entire group reaches it too close together.”

Hao Nhien frowned.

“Is there another route?”

“Yes, but it would add around five days. Healthy adults might endure it, but the elders and children are another matter.”

Lieu Thien Van thought for several breaths before calling toward the door.

“Someone come in.”

The door opened immediately, and a deputy commander in gray armor entered.

“City Lord.”

“Prepare three transport teams with water, dry rations, medicine, and thirty desert mounts. They leave before sunset.”

Lieu Thien Van pointed to three places on the map in succession.

“The first team goes to Red Seed Oasis. The second circles along the southern mountains. The third takes the central route and searches for signs of the Fire Qilin convoy. Keep the banners hidden, and if you encounter Heavenly Eye forces, avoid battle unless there is no other choice.”

The deputy commander memorized the locations.

“When we find them, should we bring them directly to the camp?”

“No. Escort them to the temporary settlement south of Tam Thành and establish a separate camp there first. Elders, children, and the seriously wounded are to be given priority for examination inside the city. Everyone else registers by group.”

The deputy commander cupped his fists.

“As commanded.”

Hao Nhien watched him leave before saying,

“I am troubling you with this, Brother Lieu.”

Lieu Thien Van shook his head.

“The Fire Qilin Tribe is already an ally of Tam Thành. Helping an allied tribe keep its people alive long enough to reach safety is not something you need to thank me for.”

He turned back toward the map.

“What about Sand Thunder?”

Hao Nhien pointed toward the southwest.

“Cat Thanh agreed to an alliance. Sand Thunder will watch Heavenly Eye's movements within the territory they control and relay any unusual developments. They also agreed to quietly assist scattered Fire Qilin clansmen if the two sides encounter each other along the road.”

Lieu Thien Van placed a pale-yellow marker over Sand Thunder territory.

“So at present, only Fire Qilin and Sand Thunder?”

“For now, yes. But I do not think this should stop with an alliance between two tribes.”

Hao Nhien used the wooden pointer to indicate the oases and tribal settlements scattered across the map.

“Heavenly Eye does not expand through battle alone. They build cities and control roads, water, food, and trading points. As long as every tribe remains isolated, the pressure on each one will continue to increase until they are forced to choose between becoming dependent on Heavenly Eye or being treated as an enemy.”

Lieu Thien Van looked at the places Hao Nhien had indicated.

“You want to connect the tribes.”

“Not by creating another sect or forcing everyone to obey one person.”

Hao Nhien shook his head.

“I think the first step only needs to be a network simple enough for anyone to join. The tribes can share safe water sources, rest points, communication routes, and common warning signals. If one location is attacked or loses contact, the message can travel another way instead of disappearing with a single station.”

He shifted several markers across the map.

“Each point only needs to know two or three nearby points, not the entire network. That makes it easier to maintain and reduces the risk of one compromised location exposing everything.”

Lieu Thien Van did not answer immediately.

He used a red cord to connect several markers, then added a second route curving around the outside.

“Overlapping routes. If one path is cut, another can still carry the message.”

“Exactly.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“It would not be enough to confront Heavenly Eye directly, but it would at least make it harder for them to isolate one tribe at a time and swallow them without anyone else knowing.”

Lieu Thien Van studied the map for a long while.

“Tam Thành considered building something similar before, but we faced two major problems. First, the tribes do not trust one another. Some have fought over water for generations, while others cannot even hear each other's names without refusing to sit at the same table. Second, if Tam Thành organizes the system directly, many will assume we are trying to extend Eastern Plains influence into the Western Wastes.”

He turned toward Hao Nhien.

“But the situation is different this time. You helped the Fire Qilin Tribe gather again, brought Sand Thunder into an alliance, and led more than seven hundred people out of Heavenly Eye Forward City to safety. More importantly, all of that happened without Tam Thành sending a large force deep into the Western Wastes.”

Lieu Thien Van pointed toward the red markers on the map.

“If we had tried to achieve the same result through our old methods, Tam Thành would have had to mobilize hundreds of cultivators, establish additional supply lines, and accept casualties before we could hope to save that many people. Instead, you returned with people, allies, and intelligence, while Tam Thành has lost almost no manpower because of those actions.”

He did not hide his high assessment.

“So this proposal is not an empty idea. At the very least, you have already shown that you understand what people in the Western Wastes need better than many of those who have only ever studied this place from behind a map.”

Hao Nhien showed no pride at the praise.

“I only passed through places where Tam Thành cannot conveniently appear, so I saw things from a different angle.”

He pointed toward the route the Fire Qilin Tribe was taking.

“If we want the tribes to truly trust this network, I do not think we should begin by asking them to unite against Heavenly Eye. We should begin by saving people.”

Lieu Thien Van narrowed his eyes slightly.

Hao Nhien continued.

“Tam Thành can send water and medicine to the Fire Qilin convoy. Sand Thunder can provide information and safe places to rest. Fire Qilin can share the routes they know through Dragonmist Thorn Forest. When a tribe runs into trouble and receives real help from the others, they will understand the value of the network for themselves.”

“There is no need to force them to believe.”

“We only need to show them that there is another road besides complete dependence on Heavenly Eye.”

Lieu Thien Van studied the map for another moment before slowly nodding.

“If this works, it may become more than a temporary alliance. It could become a lasting foundation through which the tribes protect one another.”

He looked at Hao Nhien.

“I think very highly of this, not only because of the idea itself, but because of what you accomplished before bringing it here. An untested plan can remain nothing but words, but a method that has already saved people and created allies is worth serious investment from Tam Thành.”

Hao Nhien smiled faintly.

“Then let it begin with small things.”

Lieu Thien Van smiled as well.

“Good. Tomorrow we will discuss this in more detail with the commanders responsible for logistics and the border lines.”

Hao Nhien was about to continue when his gaze fell on the sealed storage bag at his side.

His expression immediately grew serious.

“Brother Lieu, there is something more urgent.”

He took out the storage bag and placed it on the table. Three thin layers of Fire spiritual power surrounded it, isolating the remaining sinister qi.

One glance at the seal was enough to make Lieu Thien Van's smile disappear.

“What is inside?”

“Evidence from the Yin Soul Sect.”

The room fell silent.

Lieu Thien Van stared directly at him.

“The Yin Soul Sect?”

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien stepped toward the map and pointed to a position northwest of the camp.

“I found them here last night, less than half a day away by sword flight.”

Lieu Thien Van immediately looked at the location.

“Near the third patrol route.”

Hao Nhien turned back.

“That patrol is missing?”

“Since yesterday morning.”

Both of their expressions darkened.

Hao Nhien did not jump to a conclusion.

“I did not see the bodies of any Tam Thành soldiers at the altar, but I cannot rule out a connection.”

He then recounted what he had witnessed: thirty-six gray-cloaked sinister cultivators, eight stone coffins, the Blood Yin Disc, a ritual that raised corpses buried beneath the sand, and an unfinished Corpse Puppet whose strength had already reached the level of late Foundation Establishment.

Before dying, the leader had also admitted that the Yin Soul Sect was establishing multiple altars across the Western Wastes to exploit corpses, resentment, and old battlefields. Someone was secretly providing them with safe routes, battlefield intelligence, and sources of corpses, but when Hao Nhien asked for the identity of that collaborator, the restriction inside the leader immediately activated.

“After he died, a stream of gray smoke escaped from between his brows and flew northeast. I do not know whether it was a communication imprint or a fragment of soul intent, but whoever placed the restriction has probably already learned that something happened to the altar.”

Hao Nhien pushed the storage bag forward.

“I used the Message Talisman you gave me to report back as soon as I discovered the ritual, but perhaps the distance was too great, or the sinister qi around the altar interfered with it, because the message never arrived.”

Lieu Thien Van nodded slightly.

“I received nothing.”

“Inside this bag are a bone token, several pieces of hide covered in unfamiliar markings, and several bottles containing sinister liquid. I did not open them. I did not want to examine anything recklessly without knowing what other restrictions might be hidden inside.”

Lieu Thien Van did not touch the bag directly.

He reached for a small bronze bell at the corner of the table and struck it.

The sound had barely traveled outside before a soldier appeared at the door.

“Call Deputy Commander Trinh, the formation master currently on duty in the central district, and a medicine cultivator experienced with Yin toxins. Bring them here immediately.”

The soldier acknowledged the order and left.

Not long afterward, three people arrived one after another: a deputy commander in gray armor, a middle-aged formation master in dark robes, and a female medicine cultivator in green carrying a medicine case.

Lieu Thien Van wasted no time with lengthy explanations.

He pointed to the location on the map.

“Lock down the northwestern route. Send two Foundation Establishment teams and three reconnaissance teams to inspect this area. Do not split your forces, and no one is to touch corpses, coffins, or anything carrying Yin qi without authorization. The formation master goes with them. If you discover a sinister formation, mark its location and withdraw to report before attempting to deal with it.”

The deputy commander asked,

“What about the third patrol?”

“Finding them is the highest priority, but no one is to split off in haste.”

Lieu Thien Van turned toward the middle-aged formation master.

“Recheck every burial ground, old battlefield, and area with dense resentment within three hundred li. Any suspicious location is to receive a temporary Yin-suppressing formation. From now on, every body left outside the battle lines must either be cremated or brought back before nightfall. No corpse is to remain in the desert overnight.”

The formation master became solemn.

“As commanded.”

Lieu Thien Van looked toward the female medicine cultivator.

“Take this evidence to the eastern sealing chamber. Do not open it inside the main camp. Find two more medicine cultivators and someone knowledgeable about sinister toxins to examine it with you. If you encounter any restriction connected to the soul or spiritual awareness, stop immediately and report to me.”

The woman studied the layers of Fire spiritual power surrounding the bag.

“I understand.”

The three were about to leave when Hao Nhien spoke.

“One more thing. I destroyed the Blood Yin Disc and burned away most of the Yin qi, but the remaining seven stone coffins were only burned from the outside until all movement stopped. I cannot guarantee that everything inside has been completely destroyed.”

The deputy commander nodded.

“I will not allow anyone to open them until the formation master confirms it is safe.”

The three quickly left the room.

As soon as the door closed, Lieu Thien Van took out a dark-blue communication jade, recorded a short message, and pressed his City Lord seal into it.

The jade transformed into a streak of light, passed through the formation in the ceiling, and flew east.

“I have reported this to Tam Thành and requested that someone with prior experience dealing with this kind of sinister art be sent to the front.”

He looked at the new black marks being added to the map.

“Heavenly Eye alone has already placed the entire line under pressure. Now the Yin Soul Sect can establish an altar less than half a day from our camp. Whether the two sides are directly cooperating is still uncertain, but someone providing routes, corpses, and battlefield intelligence to these sinister cultivators is almost certain.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“I also do not think we should immediately blame Heavenly Eye. The people helping the Yin Soul Sect could be merchants, a tribe, someone in the transport routes, or even someone already inside this camp.”

Lieu Thien Van looked at him.

“You suspect an infiltrator?”

“I do not want to suspect people without reason, but I have already seen Duong Long remain planted inside the Fire Qilin Tribe for years, and I once found traces of Heavenly Eye inside a sect in the Eastern Plains. Now the Yin Soul Sect knows this region around the camp well enough to establish an altar while avoiding most patrols.”

Hao Nhien looked toward the map.

“At the very least, we should investigate before assuming this place is secure.”

Lieu Thien Van remained silent for several breaths before nodding.

“I will quietly review the patrol teams, the places where bodies are gathered, and the transport routes. This will not be announced widely. If someone inside is feeding information outward, I want them to continue believing they have not been noticed.”

“That would be better.”

Lieu Thien Van sat down. The relief he had shown when Hao Nhien returned had now been completely replaced by the seriousness of a man responsible for an entire defensive line.

“Tomorrow I will summon the key commanders. Both the Yin Soul Sect and your tribal network need to be discussed carefully. You will attend as well.”

Hao Nhien looked out the window.

The sun had already begun to descend toward the west.

“Before the meeting, I want to see the people who followed Luu Thanh.”

Lieu Thien Van seemed to have expected that.

“They are staying in the temporary settlement northwest of here, about two shichen away by desert mount. It is a small oasis with enough water and grass for now, and we have established a defensive formation around it.”

He paused before continuing.

“I have not allowed those seven hundred and twelve people into the main camp. It is not because I distrust you, but this is a strategic military position and their individual identities have not yet been fully verified.”

Hao Nhien answered immediately.

“You made the right decision. Even I do not know everyone who left Forward City. If Heavenly Eye wanted to plant someone among them, this would be an excellent opportunity.”

He looked at Lieu Thien Van.

“Keeping them in a separate area protects the camp, while also keeping the soldiers from treating all of them with suspicion.”

Lieu Thien Van nodded.

“They have asked about you many times. Luu Thanh only told them that you still had matters to handle.”

Hao Nhien fell silent.

The faces of those who had stood beneath the walls of Heavenly Eye Forward City surfaced in his mind. Some had walked out because they believed his words. Some had simply wanted to escape Heavenly Eye's control. Some had brought their families, while others had almost nothing left to carry.

They had stepped out of the old cage.

But leaving a cage did not mean the future would immediately appear before them.

“I need to speak with them,” Hao Nhien said.

Lieu Thien Van studied him for a moment.

“If they still choose to follow you, they could become a considerable force in the future.”

“Perhaps.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“But before they become anyone's force, they are still people who have just lost the place they once called home.”

Lieu Thien Van said nothing further.

He took a wooden token from the table and pushed it across.

“Take this. The guards at the temporary settlement will let you in.”

Hao Nhien accepted the token.

“I am troubling you again, Brother Lieu.”

Lieu Thien Van laughed softly.

“I just told you there was no need for such courtesy.”

Hao Nhien smiled as well.

“I forgot.”

The smile quickly faded from Lieu Thien Van's face, leaving the fatigue still visible in his eyes.

“Go, but do not stay there until morning. Your shoulder is still injured, and your spiritual power has not fully recovered. Tomorrow will not be a short meeting.”

Hao Nhien stood.

“I know.”

He walked toward the door.

Just before he stepped outside, Lieu Thien Van called to him.

“Hao Nhien.”

He turned.

Lieu Thien Van still stood before the map, with red, white, yellow, and black markers scattered across the Western Wastes behind him.

“I will have people begin preparing the tribal network today. But Tam Thành will not stand in the center and order everyone else to follow.”

His gaze shifted toward the positions of Fire Qilin and Sand Thunder.

“I need both tribes involved from the beginning. If this road is truly meant to last, it has to belong to the people who live in the Western Wastes, not to Tam Thành alone.”

Hao Nhien looked at the map and nodded.

“No one should build it alone. That way, even if one person falls in the future, the entire network will not disappear with them.”

Lieu Thien Van nodded faintly.

“We will continue tomorrow.”

Hao Nhien cupped his fists and left the room.

Outside, the sun was already nearing the horizon. Red evening light spread across the walls and rows of tents, but the rhythm of the camp had not slowed.

Soldiers moved continuously between posts. The steady ringing of blacksmiths' hammers continued. A reconnaissance team that had just received orders was checking the saddles of their desert mounts before departing northwest, while the formation master and several others had already begun loading chests of talismans onto a wagon.

No one knew exactly what awaited them beyond the walls.

But from the moment the orders were issued, the entire camp had begun to move.

Hao Nhien headed toward the side gate.

The evening wind carried the scent of sand, heated iron, and cooking smoke.

To the northwest, a dark road stretched between the dunes.

In another two shichen, he would meet again with the people who had walked out of Heavenly Eye Forward City after hearing his words.

The last time, he had asked whether they wanted to continue bowing their heads.

This time, Hao Nhien had no intention of choosing their path for them.

He only wanted to know where they themselves wished to go now that they had truly stepped outside that cage.