Those Who Want To Return

The northern part of Tien Thanh was far quieter than the central district. The roads were still paved with stone, and the houses still stood close together, but the deeper one went, the fewer shops there were and the thinner the foot traffic became.

Hao Nhien and Quan Nha passed through two small streets before finding a courtyard that suited them.

Three rooms surrounded a stone-paved yard. The walls were not especially high, but they were enclosed enough for privacy. Behind the courtyard stood a large dead tree, its branches stretching over the roof and blocking part of the view from the neighboring houses.

The owner was an old late-Qi Condensation cultivator. He asked few questions and only wanted to know how long they intended to rent the place.

“For now, one month. We’ll extend it if necessary.”

The old man named a price.

Hao Nhien placed down the spirit stones without bargaining. They exchanged tokens, signed the agreement, and completed everything quickly.

Less than half a quarter hour later, the courtyard gate was closed.

Quan Nha walked around the yard once, checking the rear entrance, windows, and distance to the surrounding houses before returning.

“There are no surveillance formations. There’s also a narrow alley behind us. If we need to leave, we don’t have to use the front gate.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“Good.”

He pulled out a stone chair and sat down. The only thing on the table was a flask of water they had bought outside.

Quan Nha sat opposite him.

“Now what?”

Hao Nhien poured some water.

“First, I want to meet at least one person. They don’t need to hold a high position. They only need to have stayed among the Hoa Ky people long enough to know what is happening.”

Quan Nha asked,

“And then use the Charm Eye?”

Hao Nhien laughed.

“You’re starting to enjoy using it?”

The corner of her mouth curved slightly.

“If something is useful, why not use it?”

“Being useful doesn’t mean it should always be used.”

Hao Nhien placed down his cup.

“First, we listen. If it isn’t necessary, don’t use it.”

Quan Nha looked at him for several breaths before nodding.

“Fine.”

Hao Nhien leaned back slightly.

“There is something else. Not everyone who wants to return should necessarily be allowed to return.”

She tilted her head.

“You want to investigate them first?”

“Of course.”

Hao Nhien spoke more slowly.

“Some followed because they were afraid. Some were forced. Others truly believed at the time that Duong Long was the Clan Chief. Those things can still be judged again.”

His gaze cooled.

“But anyone who killed their clansmen, sold their own people, or traded Hoa Ky lives for status will have every debt counted. Regret alone is not enough to erase what they did.”

Quan Nha remained silent.

Hao Nhien continued,

“Likewise, someone who chooses to remain with Heavenly Eye does not necessarily need to die. If he owes no blood debt to the Hoa Ky, then the road he chooses is his own.”

He gave a faint smile.

“I didn’t come here to force people to choose what I want.”

Quan Nha looked at him.

“So you want them to choose for themselves?”

“Mm.”

Hao Nhien looked south, toward where the military camp lay beyond the rooftops.

“But they need to choose before Duong Long arrives.”

The next day, the two split up, though they never moved too far from one another.

Quan Nha mainly passed through the market and the streets near the military quarter, while Hao Nhien visited artifact shops, supply stores, and small taverns, listening to rumors and observing the people moving through the area.

People from the desert tribes often had habits that were difficult to hide, from the way they tied their scarves and the strips of beast hide wrapped around their wrists to the names they used for certain Sand Beasts.

The Hoa Ky Clan had several traces of its own.

None were secrets.

Outsiders simply rarely noticed them.

A little after noon, Hao Nhien saw someone.

A young man around twenty-five, broad-shouldered and sun-darkened, with an old strip of dark red beast hide tied around his left arm. He was standing inside an artifact shop with three sabers displayed in front of him.

The shopkeeper picked up one.

“This one is forged from Fire Sand Iron. Very suitable for fire-attributed techniques.”

The young man tested its weight and shook his head.

“Too light.”

The shopkeeper smiled.

“You prefer something heavier?”

“People from my clan aren’t used to light sabers.”

Standing not far away, Hao Nhien’s eyes shifted slightly.

He walked over, picked up another saber, tested it, and said casually,

“This one is better, but if you use the old Hoa Ky style, the hilt is a little short.”

The young man’s expression changed immediately.

“What did you just say?”

Hao Nhien put the saber down.

“I said the hilt is short.”

“No.”

The young man stared at him.

“The part after that.”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“The old Hoa Ky style.”

A brief silence appeared.

The young man glanced around and lowered his voice.

“You’re Hoa Ky?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

Hao Nhien looked at the dark red strip of hide around his wrist.

“That used to be tied around the left wrist after a man completed the clan’s coming-of-age ceremony.”

The vigilance in the young man’s eyes became even stronger.

“You know quite a lot.”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“Two people from the same homeland meet, and you won’t even buy me a drink?”

The other man watched him for several breaths before the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

“You’re buying.”

“Fine.”

His name was Luu Hoang.

Early Foundation Establishment.

Hao Nhien chose a small tavern two streets away from the artifact shop, neither too crowded nor too quiet.

Quan Nha arrived not long afterward.

Luu Hoang looked slightly surprised when he saw her, until Hao Nhien introduced her very naturally.

“My wife, Tieu Nha.”

Quan Nha nodded lightly.

Luu Hoang cupped his hands.

“Madam Tieu Nha.”

The three sat down.

Cactus wine, dried meat, and a plate of roasted beans.

Nothing special.

Hao Nhien did not immediately ask about the Hoa Ky Clan either.

Instead, he first spoke about several small tribes to the east, Sand Beasts, water sources along the road, and recent changes to the trade routes.

After a while, Luu Hoang visibly relaxed.

He drained his third cup.

“You two just arrived in Tien Thanh?”

“Mm.”

“Planning to stay long?”

“Not sure yet.”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“I heard there are Hoa Ky people in the city. I wanted to find some clansmen.”

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The hand Luu Hoang was using to pour wine slowed slightly.

“There are.”

“Quite a few.”

“They all joined Heavenly Eye?”

Hao Nhien asked as though it were merely casual conversation.

Luu Hoang did not answer immediately.

He drank another cup first.

“Brother Giai asks a lot of questions.”

Hao Nhien laughed.

“Then I won’t ask.”

He raised his cup.

“Drink.”

Luu Hoang looked at him for several breaths before finally touching cups.

After some time passed, Hao Nhien casually mentioned,

“I heard some major news on the way here.”

“What news?”

“Duong Quang is dead.”

Luu Hoang said nothing.

Hao Nhien continued,

“Killed by the Hoa Ky Clan Chief.”

Luu Hoang’s fingers tightened around his wine cup for an instant.

“That isn’t something you should casually talk about in the city.”

“Why?”

“No reason.”

“Duong Quang is already dead.”

Hao Nhien answered calmly.

“It isn’t exactly a secret anymore.”

Luu Hoang looked at him, then at Quan Nha.

In the end, he only took another drink.

“Dead is dead. What does that have to do with us?”

His voice was cold.

His hand around the cup was not.

Hao Nhien did not press him.

He changed the subject.

“I heard the man who killed Duong Quang can summon the Hoa Ky Image.”

Clack.

The cup in Luu Hoang’s hand struck the table hard enough for several drops of wine to splash out.

He stared at Hao Nhien.

“Where did you hear that?”

“Sa Hoa House.”

Hao Nhien answered truthfully.

“People are saying it everywhere.”

Luu Hoang remained silent for a long time.

Then he laughed, but there was bitterness in it.

“So in the end, it couldn’t be hidden anymore.”

Hao Nhien said nothing.

Luu Hoang poured himself another cup and drained it.

“Duong Long is not the Clan Chief.”

The words were very quiet.

Hao Nhien remained still.

Quan Nha did not interrupt either.

Luu Hoang continued,

“We already knew. Not just today.”

“After the news from Hoa Van reached us, people in the clan talked. Some didn’t believe it. Some said it was false. Others…”

He gave a bitter smile.

“simply didn’t dare believe it.”

Hao Nhien asked,

“And you?”

“I believe it.”

“Because of the Hoa Ky Image?”

“Mm.”

Luu Hoang answered quickly.

“Outsiders might not understand, but Hoa Ky people know that isn’t something just anyone can summon.”

Hao Nhien nodded very slightly.

After a while, he asked,

“Then why not go back?”

Luu Hoang fell silent.

This time, much longer than before.

Quan Nha had barely spoken from the beginning, only observing and occasionally nodding.

Now she picked up the wine flask and poured more into Luu Hoang’s cup.

“You want to say it.”

Luu Hoang paused.

She looked at him with calm eyes.

“You’re just afraid.”

Luu Hoang opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Quan Nha did not ask anything more.

She set down the flask.

“If you don’t want to say it, forget it.”

One breath.

Two breaths.

Luu Hoang suddenly lifted the cup and drained it.

“Yes.”

He exhaled.

“I’m afraid.”

Hao Nhien glanced at Quan Nha.

He knew what she had just done.

Luu Hoang braced both hands on the table.

“It isn’t only me. A lot of people want to go back, but things in the army aren’t simple.”

Hao Nhien waited for a beat before asking quietly,

“Someone is stopping them?”

Luu Hoang looked at him.

“Yes.”

“Who?”

Luu Hoang remained silent a little longer before answering,

“Nap Long.”

It was the first name that had surfaced.

Hao Nhien did not interrupt.

Luu Hoang continued,

“He was originally Hoa Ky, but he followed Duong Quang very early. Now most of the Hoa Ky people in the army are under his command.”

“Cultivation?”

“Late Foundation Establishment.”

“Some obey him because they respect him, some because they fear him, and some simply because they don’t dare be the first person to step out.”

Hao Nhien asked,

“No one opposes him?”

Luu Hoang looked at him.

“There are.”

“Who?”

Luu Hoang hesitated.

After a while, he shook his head.

“I can’t say more about that.”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“Fine.”

Luu Hoang looked slightly surprised.

Hao Nhien did not continue questioning him and simply raised his cup.

“I’ve asked enough.”

After a while longer, he picked up a small piece of wood from the table, dipped one finger in wine, and drew a very simple symbol.

Three lines.

One curved stroke.

A slash through the middle.

The moment Luu Hoang saw it, his expression changed.

“You…”

Hao Nhien pushed the wooden piece toward him.

“Give this to the person you trust most among those who want to return.”

Luu Hoang stared at the symbol.

It was an old Hoa Ky gathering mark that Hao Nhien had learned from Lanh Hoa.

It was not a great secret, but very few outsiders knew what it meant.

“What do you want me to tell him?”

Hao Nhien answered,

“Only one sentence.”

He looked directly at Luu Hoang.

“Does someone who once took the wrong road still want to come home?”

Luu Hoang stared at him for a long time.

“Who exactly are you?”

Hao Nhien lifted his cup.

“Deliver the message first.”

“If he wants to know, tell him to come to my courtyard in the north tonight. Alone.”

“And if he doesn’t want to come…”

Hao Nhien drained the cup.

“then treat today as nothing more than a meal and some wine.”

Luu Hoang left before nightfall.

He did not promise to return, nor did he say whether the other person would come.

Hao Nhien did not stop him.

Only after he was fully gone did Quan Nha ask,

“You’re sure someone will come?”

“No.”

“And you’ll still wait?”

“Mm.”

Quan Nha sat beside him.

“What was that symbol?”

“An old Hoa Ky gathering mark. In the past, when small groups traveled far from the clan and encountered danger, they would use it to signal that fellow clansmen were nearby.”

“The person who receives it will understand?”

“If he truly is Hoa Ky, he will.”

“And if no one comes?”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“Then tomorrow we find someone else.”

Night fully descended.

The first watch passed, and no one came.

Hao Nhien remained seated in the courtyard.

The tea on the table had already gone cold, but he showed no impatience.

A man considering betraying his current faction who rushed to meet a stranger the moment he saw an old symbol would be far more suspicious.

Near the end of the second watch, a very faint sound came from beyond the wall.

Hao Nhien opened his eyes but did not turn around.

Three breaths later, two knocks sounded at the front gate, followed by a pause, then one more.

Knock. Knock.

A short pause.

Knock.

Hao Nhien stood and opened the door.

Outside stood a large man in the darkness.

He wore ordinary clothes, no armor, and no military insignia, but his posture alone was enough to show that he had spent many years in the army.

The man looked at Hao Nhien first.

“Giai Nhien?”

“That’s me.”

Hao Nhien answered, then asked,

“Luu Hoang sent you?”

The man did not answer immediately.

His eyes swept across the courtyard behind Hao Nhien, as though confirming whether anyone else was inside, before he finally said,

“My name is Luu Ho.”

Hao Nhien nodded slightly and stepped aside.

“Come in.”

Luu Ho did not sit immediately.

After entering the courtyard, he looked over the windows, roof, and surrounding walls before finally settling his gaze on Quan Nha as she stepped out of the room.

“Another person?”

“My wife.”

Hao Nhien answered.

“She can hear anything you say.”

Luu Ho clearly disliked that, but said nothing.

He finally sat, though he did not touch the tea placed before him.

After studying Hao Nhien for a while, he asked,

“You drew that mark?”

“Mm.”

“You know what it means?”

“I do.”

Hao Nhien no longer bothered circling around the subject.

“I asked Luu Hoang to deliver the message because I wanted to ask you something. Do you want to return to the Hoa Ky Clan?”

Luu Ho’s expression changed instantly.

He did not answer.

He simply looked at Hao Nhien for longer than before, clearly weighing whether the question was a probe or a trap.

Hao Nhien understood what he feared and smiled faintly.

“If I were one of Nap Long’s men and already knew enough that Luu Hoang had to pass a message to you, would I still need to sit here and ask whether you wanted to return?”

Luu Ho paused.

Hao Nhien pushed the tea toward him.

“You saw the old gathering mark and still came. At the very least, that proves you wanted to hear this question.”

“I only want the answer from your own mouth.”

The tension in Luu Ho’s body did not disappear completely, but his gaze became less cold.

After a while, he asked,

“What if I say yes?”

“Then I keep listening.”

“And if I say no?”

Hao Nhien answered calmly,

“You stand up, walk out that gate, and treat tonight as though you never met me.”

Luu Ho looked at him for another while.

Finally, the hand resting on his knee slowly relaxed.

“I want to.”

Hao Nhien showed no surprise.

“Why?”

Luu Ho was silent for several breaths before answering,

“Because Duong Long is not the Clan Chief.”

Hao Nhien said nothing.

Luu Ho continued,

“Not all of us wanted to follow Duong Long. Back then everything was chaos. The Clan Chief was gone, the Hoa Ky Jade was gone, and Duong Long returned with people behind him. Duong Quang was there too.”

He gave a self-mocking laugh.

“Some believed him. Some were afraid. Some simply thought following the stronger side made survival easier.”

“I was the same.”

“Then the farther we went, the harder it became to turn back.”

Hao Nhien studied him for a moment before asking,

“Have you ever done anything that wronged the Hoa Ky people?”

Luu Ho was silent for several breaths before shaking his head.

“No.”

He lowered his eyes, his voice slowing.

“I never killed anyone from the clan, never sold anyone, and never pushed anyone into danger for my own benefit. But it would be a lie to say I have nothing to regret.”

Hao Nhien did not interrupt.

Luu Ho’s hand tightened slightly.

“I watched clansmen get forced into labor, have their shares cut, get beaten, have their achievements stolen, and still be made to bow their heads.”

“There were times when I knew clearly that it was wrong, but I only stood there because I was afraid that if I stepped out, I would lose everything too.”

He raised his head.

“That is what I hate most.”

“Not that I harmed them myself.”

“But when they needed someone to stand up, I didn’t dare.”

Luu Ho’s voice grew lower.

“I don’t want to keep living like that.”

Hao Nhien looked at him for a while before asking,

“If Hao Nhien were truly standing in front of you, what would you say?”

Luu Ho paused.

After some time, he finally answered,

“I would ask…”

“whether people like us, who once chose the wrong path, are still allowed to return.”

Hao Nhien did not answer immediately.

Fire-attributed True Qi circulated lightly through his meridians, only enough to make the Hoa Ky Jade respond.

A point of red appeared between his brows, then opened into a small flame. Within it, the image of the Hoa Ky Beast slowly emerged.

Luu Ho’s expression changed instantly.

He shot to his feet and stared at the flame mark between Hao Nhien’s brows as though he could not believe his own eyes.

“The Hoa Ky Jade…”

Hao Nhien allowed the mark to remain for several breaths before withdrawing it.

Then he looked directly at Luu Ho.

“My name is Quan Hao Nhien.”

Luu Ho stood frozen.

His eyes remained fixed on Hao Nhien, as though what he had just heard was too great to accept immediately.

“Hao Nhien…”

He murmured the name once, then looked again at the place where the Hoa Ky mark had disappeared.

“You really are…”

Hao Nhien did not urge him.

Nor did he explain further.

Luu Ho remained silent for a long time.

The suspicion, vigilance, and tension he had carried since entering the courtyard gradually disappeared, replaced by an emotion difficult to name.

Finally, he drew a deep breath and slowly clenched both hands.

“I thought…”

His voice became hoarse.

“Maybe the Hoa Ky Clan truly had no road back anymore.”

He lowered his head, then slowly knelt before Hao Nhien.

No spiritual pressure forced him.

It was simply that after many years of believing there was no way back, Luu Ho could no longer hold back the emotions he had suppressed for too long.

“Clan Chief…”

Luu Ho looked up, his eyes already red.

“You really are still alive.”

Hao Nhien smiled faintly.

“Do I look dead?”

A strange sound escaped Luu Ho, half laugh and half choked breath.

He lowered his head.

“Clan Chief.”

“Are we… still allowed to return?”

The exact question he had just spoken.

But this time, the person he truly wanted to ask was standing in front of him.

Hao Nhien stepped closer.

“Not everyone who wants to return will be accepted.”

“Those who owe blood must repay blood.”

“But those who merely once chose the wrong road…”

He extended his hand downward.

“I will give them one chance to choose again.”

Luu Ho stared at that hand for several breaths before finally reaching out and taking it.

Hao Nhien pulled him to his feet.

Only then did Quan Nha pour another cup of tea and push it across.

“Sit.”

Luu Ho looked at her, then back at Hao Nhien.

“Clan Chief, she is…?”

Hao Nhien answered naturally,

“Quan Nha.”

Luu Ho paused slightly before immediately cupping his hands.

“Madam Quan Nha.”

Quan Nha nodded lightly.

She did not correct him.

Hao Nhien sat again.

“Now we can talk about the real matters.”

Luu Ho also sat, his back straighter than before.

Hao Nhien asked,

“How many Hoa Ky people are still in Tien Thanh?”

Luu Ho thought for a moment.

“If we count only those still serving in the units under Nap Long, more than three hundred. If you include their families, almost twice that number.”

“How many want to return?”

Luu Ho gave a bitter smile.

“In their hearts, more than half want to return. But if you asked them to step out today, I doubt even twenty percent would do it.”

“Nap Long has around eighty truly loyal followers. Most of the others obey because of military orders, fear, or simply because they still haven’t seen another path.”

Hao Nhien asked,

“Has he harmed Hoa Ky people before?”

“Yes. Killing people, selling people—he has done all of it.”

“And people still follow him?”

“Because he is strong, has authority, and gives better resources to those who stand with him.”

“More importantly, many have already convinced themselves that the old Hoa Ky Clan no longer exists.”

Luu Ho paused before continuing,

“If Duong Long arrives, those who are hesitating will probably fall silent again.”

Hao Nhien nodded faintly.

That was exactly why he had needed to come first.

Luu Ho asked,

“Clan Chief, what do you want me to do?”

“For now, nothing.”

“Don’t gather people. Don’t spread the news. And don’t reveal that I’m here.”

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“I want to meet Nap Long first.”

Luu Ho frowned slightly.

“These past few days, he has barely left the military camp.”

“Can you bring a newcomer in to meet him?”

Luu Ho immediately understood.

His expression changed.

“Clan Chief wants to pretend to be a newly arrived Hoa Ky?”

“Mm.”

“It can be done, but…”

He hesitated, then spoke honestly.

“That is Nap Long’s military camp. There are not only his people inside, but formations and soldiers as well. If he recognizes you…”

Hao Nhien laughed.

“You’re worried he can keep me there?”

Luu Ho did not answer.

His expression already did.

Hao Nhien leaned back slightly.

“I once stood in the middle of Huu Thanh’s army of ten thousand and still left on my own.”

“You think Nap Long and a few hundred soldiers in this camp can keep me?”

Luu Ho paused.

Beside them, Quan Nha’s hand, which had been resting on her teacup, stopped slightly.

The words Huu Thanh pulled up a memory she had never truly forgotten.

Behind that army of ten thousand had been her father.

And the person standing opposite them had been Hao Nhien.

She looked at him briefly.

There was some happiness in her eyes because the man from that day was still sitting here now, but also a trace of pain difficult to name.

Hao Nhien caught that look and paused slightly.

He did not mention Huu Thanh again.

Luu Ho looked at her, then back at Hao Nhien.

The tension in his eyes gradually faded as well.

He exhaled.

“I was overthinking.”

“Being cautious is not wrong.”

Hao Nhien answered.

“It’s just that this time, the person who needs to worry is not me.”

He looked toward the military camp.

“It’s Nap Long.”