The Fire Qilin Route

Lieu Thien Van pulled the map of the Western Wastes toward the center of the table. Lanh Hoa and Luu Thanh stepped closer, and Hao Nhien leaned in as well.

On the eastern half of the map, military routes, strongholds, and explored regions were marked in considerable detail. But the farther west it went, the sparser the markings became, until only scattered symbols remained in the deeper regions.

Lieu Thien Van pointed to one of them.

"From here onward, Third City's maps begin to lose accuracy."

Lanh Hoa nodded.

"Not only because the area has not been fully explored."

He placed a finger on a narrow gap between two stretches of red rock.

"The terrain of the Western Wastes is always changing. Some places remain the same for years, while in others, a single season of strong winds can erase an old route completely. Certain paths have also been deliberately hidden by the tribes."

Hao Nhien studied the location he indicated.

"Do we have to pass through here to reach the Fire Qilin Tribe?"

"Not necessarily."

Lanh Hoa moved his finger along a faint line on the map.

"The main route is faster, but it is also the easiest place to be noticed."

"Then which way are we taking?"

Lanh Hoa did not answer at once. His finger moved south, circled around a vast blank region with almost no markings, then stopped over an area outlined by only a few faint strokes.

"The Fire Qilin route."

Hao Nhien looked at the spot.

Lieu Thien Van's military map contained almost no information there.

Lanh Hoa raised his head.

"This is one of the old routes our people used when they needed to avoid the other tribes. Many sections have no fixed road at all. Only someone familiar with the terrain would recognize them."

Hao Nhien nodded.

"Then we take this route."

Lanh Hoa said nothing more and withdrew his hand from the map.

Only then did Lieu Thien Van speak.

"You will leave the camp today. The fewer people who know about this journey, the better."

He looked at Hao Nhien.

"What are you still missing?"

Hao Nhien considered it for a moment.

"Some spirit stones, recovery pills, maps of the regions we may pass through, and any recent information about the Fire Qilin Tribe. Anything else can be dealt with along the way."

"Most of that has already been prepared. Phi Long will bring it to you before you leave."

Lieu Thien Van paused before continuing.

"I have also made arrangements for Quan Nha and the Wind and Cloud Squad. Tieu Kiem is already in Third City. Tieu Lan will be transferred to the medical section and, for now, will not take part in combat missions that venture deep into the Western Wastes."

Hao Nhien let out a quiet breath.

"As for your military merit, I will have it recorded. Part of the corresponding resources will be transferred to Quan Nha to help stabilize her cultivation after her recent Foundation Establishment breakthrough."

Hao Nhien cupped his fists.

"Thank you, City Lord."

Lieu Thien Van waved a hand.

"Do not thank me yet. Come back alive first."

Hao Nhien looked at him for a moment, then nodded.

"All right."

Lieu Thien Van rolled up the map.

"Go prepare. Leave through the southern gate before the sun rises too high."

The three of them cupped their fists in acknowledgment, then turned and left the hall.

The moment they stepped into the corridor, Hao Nhien noticed that Lanh Hoa and Luu Thanh naturally moved to opposite sides behind him, keeping just enough distance to react if anything happened. Neither of them had discussed it, nor did either need reminding. It felt like a formation shaped by habit.

Hao Nhien glanced back at them.

Lanh Hoa remained as cold and unreadable as ever.

Luu Thanh noticed the look and smiled.

"Clan Head?"

"Nothing."

Hao Nhien turned forward again.

Only yesterday, he had still been nothing more than a disciple of the Tieu Dao Sect sitting inside a study, searching through fragmented records of a war that had taken place more than a thousand years ago. Today, two members of the Fire Qilin Tribe were already walking behind him and calling him Clan Head.

What would happen once he ventured deeper into the Western Wastes, even he did not know.

A faint warmth spread from the Fire Qilin Jade within his Sea of Consciousness, then quickly faded.

Hao Nhien did not dwell on it.

He simply kept walking.

Phi Long was waiting outside the military supply depot.

Along with three storage bags containing water, dried provisions, spirit stones, and pills, he handed Hao Nhien two jade slips.

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"One contains maps of the regions still known to the military. The other contains the records of the two people traveling with you."

Hao Nhien raised an eyebrow.

"Records?"

Phi Long glanced toward Lanh Hoa and Luu Thanh, who were standing a short distance away.

"The City Lord said you should at least know who you are traveling with."

Hao Nhien sent his spiritual awareness into the jade slip.

There was not much information.

Lanh Hoa, Foundation Establishment layer four, Fire affinity. He had served along the Western Wastes defensive line for many years and was skilled in desert terrain, close combat, and tracking. His combat record was brief in wording, but filled with dangerous missions.

Luu Thanh, twenty-five years old, Foundation Establishment layer three, Wind affinity. He specialized in archery, scouting, and long-distance travel, and had taken part in many patrols near territories bordering the tribes.

Hao Nhien paused at the section describing their affinities.

He had originally assumed that Luu Thanh's bow and the red talisman markings on his arrows meant he cultivated Fire, but the man himself was actually Wind-affinity. Those Fire talismans were only auxiliary tools.

That made sense.

Wind affinity paired with archery could increase speed, adjust trajectories, and maintain distance far better than most other affinities.

Hao Nhien withdrew his spiritual awareness from the jade slip.

Phi Long asked,

"Anything else you need?"

"This is enough."

Phi Long nodded.

"Then take care."

Neither of them said anything more.

Not long afterward, three Black Horses left the southern gate of the camp and headed southwest.

No one came to see them off.

There was no escort.

Aside from Lieu Thien Van, Phi Long, and a very small number of people involved in the arrangements, almost no one knew where the three of them were going.

By late morning, the camp had completely disappeared from view behind them.

Under the sun, the Western Wastes resembled a vast furnace. Blinding white light poured across the endless sea of sand, while the wind offered no relief, carrying only hot grains that struck against their faces and robes.

Across that burning yellow expanse, three Black Horses raced like dark streaks.

They were a desert breed Lieu Thien Van had prepared specifically for the journey. Larger than ordinary horses, they had powerful legs and broad hooves that allowed them to run across soft sand without sinking too deeply. Their glossy black coats remained stable even beneath the brutal heat, clearly the result of being bred for this kind of terrain.

Lanh Hoa rode in front.

Since leaving the camp, he had barely wasted a word. Whenever the terrain changed, he only gave short instructions.

"There is quicksand three li ahead."

Hao Nhien looked forward but saw nothing unusual.

Lanh Hoa pointed toward a slightly lower stretch of sand.

"Circle right and follow the low ridge. Clan Head, let the Black Horse run on its own. Do not pull the reins."

Hao Nhien loosened his grip.

Sure enough, the horse beneath him adjusted its course by itself, following the tracks of the horse ahead without hesitation.

As they passed the area, Hao Nhien expanded his spiritual awareness and finally noticed that the sand beneath the surface had an unusual hollowness. Without prior warning, it would have looked no different from the rest of the desert.

He looked at Lanh Hoa's back.

The man clearly did not rely on spiritual awareness to find his way.

He understood the desert in another manner entirely.

The shape of the dunes, the direction of the wind, the color of the soil, the position of exposed stone, even the way the Black Horses placed their hooves seemed capable of becoming signs in his eyes.

A while later, Luu Thanh, riding at the rear, pulled up his collar to block some of the sand.

"The sun is vicious today."

Lanh Hoa did not turn around.

"Drink less water."

Luu Thanh blinked.

"I only said it was hot. I did not say I wanted a drink."

"The next oasis is two days away."

Luu Thanh fell silent for a moment.

"...I understand."

Hao Nhien could not help laughing.

Luu Thanh urged his horse closer.

"Clan Head, see that? I complain once, and he has already calculated our water supply for the next two days."

Lanh Hoa kept his eyes forward.

"The more you talk, the thirstier you get."

Luu Thanh shut his mouth.

For about half a quarter of an hour.

"Uncle Lanh."

"What?"

"My Wind affinity consumes less stamina than your Fire affinity."

"Mm."

"So perhaps I do not need to ration water as strictly as you do."

Lanh Hoa turned and looked at him once.

Luu Thanh cleared his throat.

"I was joking."

Hao Nhien watched the exchange, a faint smile appearing on his face.

After only half a day on the road, he was already beginning to understand the difference between the two men.

Lanh Hoa resembled this land: dry, hard, and unwilling to waste anything, including words. The forearms exposed beneath his rolled sleeves were covered in old scars, yet he never mentioned them. Whenever they encountered dangerous terrain, he naturally moved to the front. Whenever they stopped to inspect something, he positioned himself between Hao Nhien and whatever threat might be ahead.

No one needed to tell him to do it. The habit of a guard had almost become part of his body.

Luu Thanh was different.

Although he stayed at the rear of the formation, he never truly relaxed his vigilance. Whenever the terrain opened up, his eyes swept across both sides first. From time to time, he even turned around to check the hoofprints behind them. His bow always rested where he could draw it in a single motion.

Outside those moments, however, he seemed almost incapable of remaining silent for long.

By mid-afternoon, the three stopped beneath the shade of a low rock wall to let the Black Horses rest.

Lanh Hoa sat several steps away, removed the curved saber from his back, and began inspecting its edge.

Luu Thanh leaned against the rock and took a small drink of water. He stared at the sky for a while before suddenly speaking.

"Clan Head."

Hao Nhien was studying the map and did not look up.

"What?"

"If we really manage to restore the Fire Qilin Tribe this time, I want to build an eight-story tower."

Hao Nhien finally looked at him.

"For what?"

"The ground floor will sell wine."

Luu Thanh raised one finger.

"The upper floors will have a stage for storytelling."

He raised another.

"Every night, I will tell stories about Clan Head's achievements."

Hao Nhien stared at him.

"What achievements do I have for you to tell?"

"Not many yet, but there will be more later."

Luu Thanh answered as though it were obvious.

"If there still are not enough, I can add a little."

"How?"

Luu Thanh thought seriously.

"For example, one sword splitting a sandstorm in half, one hand holding up the entire Fire Qilin Tribe, then riding a Fire Qilin Beast straight into the Heavenly Eye stronghold..."

Hao Nhien nearly choked on his water.

Nearby, Lanh Hoa raised his head from his saber.

Just one look.

Luu Thanh sat upright at once.

"I was joking."

Lanh Hoa said nothing.

"Uncle Lanh, I really was only joking."

Lanh Hoa lowered his head and continued inspecting the blade.

"Mm."

Luu Thanh waited a moment, then leaned toward Hao Nhien and lowered his voice.

"Clan Head, see? He is the reason I still have not opened my wine house."

This time, Hao Nhien truly laughed.

One man was so cold that he seemed unwilling to waste even half a sentence.

The other appeared physically uncomfortable if he remained silent for too long.

Hao Nhien could not tell whether Lieu Thien Van had paired them together deliberately or by chance.

At the very least, the long journey ahead probably would not be too suffocating.

They had rested for less than half an hour when Lanh Hoa stood.

"We continue."

Luu Thanh sighed.

"I have not even finished explaining the plan for my eight-story tower."

"Live long enough to return first."

Luu Thanh paused, then laughed.

"Fair enough."

The three mounted their horses again.

The farther southwest they traveled, the fewer traces of the military remained. Stone markers used to identify patrol routes gradually disappeared, while wheel tracks and beast prints also became increasingly scarce.

Near sunset, when the sun had begun to sink toward the horizon, Lanh Hoa suddenly pulled on the reins.

The Black Horse beneath him stopped.

Hao Nhien slowed as well.

"What is it?"

Lanh Hoa did not answer right away.

He dismounted, walked toward a patch of sand that looked completely ordinary, then crouched down. After studying it for several breaths, he drew his curved saber and used the tip to brush aside the upper layer of sand.

A faint hoofprint appeared beneath it.

Hao Nhien looked carefully.

If Lanh Hoa had not pointed it out, he would almost certainly have missed it.

Luu Thanh had already taken the bow from his back. The teasing look on his face was gone.

"Someone passed through here?"

Lanh Hoa studied the hoofprint a little longer.

"Yes."

He used the tip of his saber to brush aside more sand nearby.

Another mark appeared, though most of its outline had already been covered.

Hao Nhien asked,

"How long ago?"

"No more than half a day."

Lanh Hoa stood and looked toward the dunes stretching ahead.

Luu Thanh stepped closer.

"Same route as us?"

Lanh Hoa remained silent for several breaths, then shook his head.

"Not certain."

He looked down at the hoofprint one last time.

"But someone tried to erase their tracks."

The smile vanished completely from Luu Thanh's face.

Hao Nhien placed a hand on the hilt of the Tieu Dao Sword.

The evening wind swept across the dunes, quickly covering the hoofprint at their feet with another thin layer of sand.