Traces Left Behind

By the time the sword light pierced through the thin clouds above Thanh Van City, the sun had already begun to tilt toward the west, casting the last pale golden light of the day across the rooftops and city walls.

From high above, the blue-stone streets intersected like an enormous chessboard. The flow of people through the districts remained heavy, while carts loaded with spirit herbs, beast hides, and ore passed continuously through the city gates. The banners of merchant associations fluttered above tall buildings, and the cries of vendors, the ringing of carriage bells, and the voices of people bargaining below blended into the familiar clamor of a prosperous city.

Hao Nhien stood at the front of Tieu Dao Sword, his pale gray robe streaming behind him in the wind. Tieu Lan stood close behind, one hand holding her medicinal bag while the other gently grasped the edge of his robe.

They had left Hoa Van three days and three nights ago. Along the way, they stopped whenever Hao Nhien needed to recover his spiritual power or Tieu Lan needed rest, since she was only at the fifth layer of Qi Condensation.

When Thanh Van City came fully into view below, Hao Nhien guided Tieu Dao Sword toward the northern gate.

“We’ll go to the Quan family first.”

Tieu Lan nodded lightly.

“Yes.”

The sword light descended onto a relatively quiet road not far from the city gate. Hao Nhien put away Tieu Dao Sword, then entered the city with Tieu Lan after completing the registration formalities and paying the entrance fee.

The Quan family residence was only a few streets from the northern gate.

Blue-stone walls stretched along the road, and the familiar family crest hung above the main entrance. Two rows of guards stood beneath the eaves in orderly armor, their long spears held upright.

The moment Hao Nhien stepped onto the stone stairs, a young guard noticed him. The man froze briefly, his gaze resting on Hao Nhien before shifting toward Tieu Lan beside him. Only a few breaths later, his expression changed completely.

“Young Master Hao Nhien?”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“It’s me.”

“Please inform the Family Head that Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan have come to visit.”

The young guard hurriedly bowed.

“Please wait here. I’ll report it immediately.”

He turned and ran inside.

The other guards gradually recognized them as well. Several who had met Hao Nhien before could not help taking a few extra looks.

In their memories, the young man who had left the Quan family nearly a year ago had only been at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation. Although Hao Nhien had already been stronger than many cultivators of the same realm, there had still been an unmistakable sharpness to his aura, the edge of a young cultivator who had only recently begun walking his path.

The Hao Nhien standing before them now was entirely different.

He released no pressure deliberately, and his spiritual power was restrained deeply within him, yet that very stillness made him harder to understand. His aura no longer spilled outward as it had before. He was like a calm surface of water whose depth no one could judge.

One young guard unconsciously tightened his grip on his spear. There was no fear in his eyes, only admiration and a trace of longing he could not quite hide.

Hao Nhien did not pay much attention to those gazes. His eyes drifted almost unconsciously across the front courtyard, where the familiar corridors and rooftops seemed to have changed very little.

There was no sign of Quan Nha.

He knew she had no reason to appear at the gate the moment he arrived, yet his heart still sank slightly.

Tieu Lan stood beside him without speaking and gently touched the back of his hand.

Before long, hurried footsteps came from within the estate. News of Hao Nhien’s return quickly spread through the front courtyard, and a group of people emerged from the residence.

At the front was Quan Vo Cuc.

The old Family Head still wore a dark blue-black robe. More than half of his hair and beard had turned white, but his back remained straight, his steps steady, and his Golden Core aura deeply restrained. Quan Lam walked beside him, followed by several elders.

The sternness on Quan Vo Cuc’s face disappeared the moment he saw Hao Nhien.

“Hao Nhien!”

He quickly descended the stone steps.

“You finally remembered to come back.”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands and bowed.

“Greetings, Family Head.”

“Greetings, Elders.”

Tieu Lan also bowed.

“Tieu Lan greets the Family Head and the seniors.”

Quan Vo Cuc reached out and helped Hao Nhien straighten.

“We’re family. There’s no need for so much ceremony.”

Yet the moment his hand touched Hao Nhien’s arm, his movement slowed.

Quan Vo Cuc’s gaze changed at once.

The joy of an elder seeing a younger member return was still there, but beneath it appeared the serious scrutiny of a Golden Core cultivator.

Hao Nhien had restrained his spiritual power deeply. Those with lower cultivation could not easily see his exact realm, but such a change could not be completely hidden from Quan Vo Cuc.

The spiritual power circulating through Hao Nhien’s meridians was far steadier than before, and there was no instability in his aura. That degree of solidity clearly did not belong to someone who had only recently entered Foundation Establishment.

The elders behind Quan Vo Cuc gradually noticed it as well.

One silver-haired elder studied Hao Nhien for a little longer and narrowed his eyes. The wind still moved through the courtyard as usual, but when it passed around Hao Nhien, the airflow seemed to shift almost naturally with the circulation of his Wind affinity. At the same time, a faint trace of heat briefly surfaced from deep within his spiritual power before disappearing again, pure enough that none of the Foundation Establishment elders could ignore it.

No one spoke immediately.

Quan Vo Cuc looked Hao Nhien over from head to toe before finally asking,

“You’ve reached mid Foundation Establishment?”

His voice was not loud, but the moment the question was spoken, the area before the gate became noticeably quieter.

The Qi Condensation guards could not determine Hao Nhien’s cultivation on their own, but all of them understood what those words meant.

Mid Foundation Establishment.

The young man who had left the Quan family at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation had returned a little over a year later at the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment.

Quan Lam stepped half a pace forward, his astonishment completely undisguised.

“Mid stage?”

He stared at Hao Nhien.

“You’re really at the fourth layer already?”

Hao Nhien did not hide it.

“Mm.”

His answer was calm.

The reaction around him was not.

One elder slowly exhaled.

“His foundation is extremely stable. There’s no sign that the realm was forced upward.”

Another elder studied Hao Nhien for a long time before saying,

“His Wind affinity is already this stable, and his Fire spiritual power is this pure…”

He stopped before finishing the sentence.

There was no need to continue.

Everyone present understood.

The Quan family had produced talented cultivators before, including younger members who entered Foundation Establishment at an early age. Quan Nha herself was already considered one of the most outstanding members of the current generation, yet she was still in early Foundation Establishment.

Hao Nhien had already reached the fourth layer.

Even beyond the Quan family, such speed was enough to make people reconsider how they viewed him. Famous geniuses of the great sects, people such as Tieu Kiem whom ordinary younger cultivators once could only look up to from a distance, were no longer nearly as far beyond Hao Nhien as they had once seemed.

Just over a year.

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From the seventh layer of Qi Condensation to the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment.

More importantly, his cultivation showed no sign of instability.

Quan Vo Cuc remained silent for quite some time before slowly breathing out.

“The news from Tieu Dao Sect told us that you had broken through to Foundation Establishment, but it seems the news has fallen far behind you.”

He looked at Hao Nhien, his satisfaction completely undisguised.

“The Quan family has placed great hopes on more than one member of the younger generation, but your progress has still exceeded anything I expected.”

Quan Vo Cuc laughed.

“Good.”

“Very good.”

It was not empty praise.

For a family that had once known greater glory and still hoped its younger generation might one day surpass those before them, the appearance of someone like Hao Nhien naturally carried special meaning.

Quan Lam looked Hao Nhien over once more, and the astonishment on his face gradually turned into genuine happiness.

He stepped forward and slapped Hao Nhien firmly on the shoulder.

“Brother.”

“Father sent me to Tieu Dao Sect looking for you several times. Every time, I was told you were on a mission or had already left the sect.”

He laughed.

“You’re getting harder and harder to find.”

Then he shook his head.

“But this time, you’ve really left the rest of us with nothing to say.”

Behind them, several younger disciples looked at Hao Nhien with increasingly heated gazes.

Not all of them dreamed of surpassing him.

Some only hoped that one day they too might enter Foundation Establishment. Others wanted to reach Tieu Dao Sect. A few, after hearing the words mid Foundation Establishment, had already silently decided to spend more time cultivating once they returned.

Tieu Lan stood beside Hao Nhien and quietly observed their reactions.

She had already known that Hao Nhien had reached the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment, and she knew better than most what he had endured to reach it. Yet only now, after returning to a place that had known him when he was still in Qi Condensation and seeing familiar faces look at him so differently, did she truly feel how far her Young Master had come.

Hao Nhien noticed that the subject was beginning to drag on and smiled lightly.

“I only encountered a few opportunities.”

“And went through quite a few dangers.”

Quan Vo Cuc immediately shook his head.

“Opportunities do not turn themselves into cultivation.”

“If you reached this point, then whatever you paid along the way certainly wasn’t small.”

He looked deeply into Hao Nhien’s eyes, then waved his hand.

“But what kind of sense does it make to stand outside the gate talking?”

“Come inside.”

“Today, you’re going to explain everything properly.”

“From the moment you left the Quan family for Tieu Dao Sect, all the way to the moment you somehow ran off to the Western Wastes.”

He looked toward Tieu Lan.

“You too.”

“Neither of you is getting away with saying you merely ‘encountered a few opportunities.’”

Tieu Lan smiled softly.

“Yes.”

Everyone entered the residence together.

Hot tea and refreshments were quickly prepared inside the main hall.

The elders sat in two rows, while several younger disciples stood behind them, their gazes still drifting toward Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan from time to time.

The moment Quan Vo Cuc sat down, he asked,

“After leaving the Quan family, you entered Tieu Dao Sect and took first place in the outer-sect examination. We all heard about that.”

“Later, word came that you had accepted missions in the Western Wastes, and then there was no news from you for quite some time.”

He looked directly at Hao Nhien.

“What exactly happened?”

Hao Nhien accepted the cup of tea Tieu Lan handed him.

He did not tell them everything.

Some matters could not be revealed.

Others simply did not need to be revealed yet.

He only selected what could safely be made public, beginning with what happened after the outer-sect examination and his first missions, then briefly explaining how he had gained the recognition of the Fire Qilin Jade, become the new Clan Head of the Fire Qilin Tribe, and gathered the surviving clansmen.

Then came Heavenly Eye Forward City.

The people who had been rescued.

And finally, the plan to build Hoa Van Town.

The more the elders heard, the straighter they sat.

The younger disciples standing behind them scarcely dared to make a sound.

Quan Vo Cuc asked,

“The Fire Qilin Tribe truly accepted you as Clan Head?”

“Yes.”

“And Tam Thành approved the construction of Hoa Van Town?”

“They did.”

Hao Nhien replied.

“For now, Hoa Van will serve as a logistical point between the Eastern Plains and the Western Wastes, but I don’t want it to become a settlement only for the Fire Qilin people.”

“Members of other tribes, independent cultivators, and even people from the Eastern Plains can come, as long as they follow the rules.”

Quan Vo Cuc began asking in detail about Hoa Van’s water supply, its distance from Tam Thành, its ability to defend itself if Heavenly Eye applied pressure, the sources of food that could support the settlement over the long term, and the transport routes Hao Nhien intended to use. What concerned him most was not how many buildings or walls Hoa Van could construct, but what a place without an established trade route would rely on to keep people there and continue surviving months or even years later.

Hao Nhien answered each point.

He explained the water-gathering formation, experimental spirit fields, granary, livestock, the transport route back to Tam Thành, trade with the surrounding tribes, and the medicinal path he and Tieu Lan had only recently begun developing.

He did not mention the supreme-grade pill.

Nor did he explain Wind-Fire Medicine Refining in detail.

He only said that Hoa Van was attempting to establish a medicine room and medicine garden so that it would gradually depend less on outside medicinal supplies.

Quan Vo Cuc listened for a long time.

Finally, he looked down at the map Hao Nhien had taken out and said,

“If the water source holds, the route to Tam Thành remains open, and medicine and food can gradually become self-sustaining, then that place truly has a chance to survive.”

He looked up.

“You aren’t merely building a rest station.”

Hao Nhien nodded lightly.

“I want people who go there to have a reason to stay.”

Quan Vo Cuc slowly stroked his beard.

“Then you’ll need patience.”

“Building a place where people can live for years is much harder than building a wall.”

“I understand.”

Hao Nhien replied.

One of the elders asked several more questions about the Fire Qilin Tribe, while another was more interested in how much support Tam Thành intended to provide. The conversation continued for a while before a brief silence finally appeared.

Hao Nhien set down his teacup.

“The mission in the Western Wastes didn’t succeed because of me alone.”

Quan Vo Cuc raised an eyebrow slightly.

Hao Nhien looked toward Tieu Lan.

“Tieu Lan helped treat the wounded, handle medicinal materials, and more than once helped us through dangerous situations.”

Tieu Lan was about to say something, but Hao Nhien continued,

“She is also responsible for Hoa Van’s medicinal work now.”

Quan Vo Cuc looked at Tieu Lan with clear approval in his eyes.

“I still remember how you used to carry books of medicinal notes around behind Hao Nhien when you were younger.”

Tieu Lan paused slightly.

Her gaze softened.

“Yes.”

“I still have those notes.”

Quan Vo Cuc nodded.

“Keep them well.”

“Sometimes it takes many years before we truly understand the value of what those before us left behind.”

Hao Nhien remained silent for a moment before asking,

“Family Head, are my parents still staying with the Quan family?”

Quan Vo Cuc looked at him as though he had expected the question.

“I had people bring both of them here for a time. Once they learned that you had entered Tieu Dao Sect and were frequently taking missions outside, they became somewhat more at ease.”

He paused before continuing,

“But after they heard that you would be away on an extended military assignment in the Western Wastes, your parents said that remaining here wouldn’t accomplish much. They wanted to return to Dong Thanh and deal with some unfinished matters there.”

Hao Nhien frowned slightly.

“They returned on their own?”

“No.”

Quan Vo Cuc shook his head.

“The Quan family sent people to escort them the entire way. I also instructed our people there to report back regularly.”

Tieu Lan had remained quiet beside him, but now she asked softly,

“Uncle and Aunt are both well?”

“Very well.”

Quan Vo Cuc replied.

“You two don’t need to worry too much. The Han family is no longer a threat to them. Even in Dong Thanh, no one would casually dare touch people under the protection of the Quan family.”

Only then did some of the tension in Hao Nhien’s heart ease.

He had never stopped thinking about his parents in Dong Thanh. But ever since entering Tieu Dao Sect and then being drawn from one event to another in the Western Wastes, there had been many things he simply could not return to handle himself. Knowing that the Quan family had brought them here and later sent guards to escort them back at least meant he no longer had to worry that he had left his parents without any protection at all.

Tieu Lan also let out a quiet breath.

She had known Hao Nhien’s family since childhood, and many of the medicinal notes she still kept had begun with guidance from his father. Their safety had never been something that concerned Hao Nhien alone.

Quan Vo Cuc looked at the two of them.

“If you aren’t in too much of a hurry this time, once you finish your matters in Thanh Van City, you can return to Dong Thanh and visit them.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“I was thinking the same thing.”

The atmosphere in the hall relaxed somewhat.

Quan Lam looked at Hao Nhien and naturally followed the direction of the conversation.

“What about Quan Nha? You were both in the Western Wastes for quite some time. You must have met often.”

Hao Nhien immediately looked up.

“Quan Nha carried out some of my earliest missions in the Western Wastes with me.”

He continued,

“She contributed greatly to disrupting Heavenly Eye’s plans and bringing information back to the camp.”

“If it hadn’t been for her, I might not even have had the opportunity to continue deeper into what came afterward.”

Several elders exchanged glances.

Quan Vo Cuc nodded.

“That girl has refused to lose to anyone since she was young.”

“Knowing she made real contributions in the Western Wastes puts my mind somewhat at ease.”

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“Family Head.”

“Where is Quan Nha now?”

Quan Vo Cuc paused.

“Quan Nha?”

He looked at Hao Nhien as though he did not understand why he was asking.

“Isn’t she still in the Western Wastes?”

In that instant, Hao Nhien felt his heart sink slightly.

Beside him, Tieu Lan unconsciously tightened her fingers around her sleeve.

Hao Nhien kept his voice calm.

“Deputy City Lord Lanh Huyen said she requested leave from Tam Thành to return to Thanh Van City for family matters.”

“She expected to be gone for three to five days.”

Hao Nhien paused.

“As of today, she has been away from Tam Thành for nine days.”

“Even counting the longest period she gave them, she is already four days overdue, and there has been no word of her return.”

The hall immediately fell silent.

Quan Vo Cuc frowned.

He turned toward Quan Lam.

“Have you seen Quan Nha?”

Quan Lam shook his head at once.

“No.”

One of the elders seated to the left thought for a moment before saying,

“I heard someone in the residence mention that she might have returned.”

“But she never came to the main hall.”

He paused briefly.

“Perhaps she only went to see Elder Linh Van.”

Quan Vo Cuc immediately summoned the steward.

An elderly man in gray robes quickly entered and bowed.

“Family Head.”

Quan Vo Cuc asked directly,

“Did Quan Nha return to the Quan family?”

The steward thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Yes.”

“Miss Quan Nha returned to the residence several days ago.”

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“Where is she now?”

The steward answered,

“The next day, Elder Linh Van and Miss Quan Nha left the residence together.”

“They have not returned since.”

Quan Lam immediately asked,

“Did they say where they were going?”

“No.”

“Elder Linh Van only said there was a private matter he needed to handle, and Miss Quan Nha went with him.”

The steward lowered his head slightly.

“Elder Linh Van often leaves to search for information and has disappeared for several days at a time before without explaining his route, so I did not think there was anything unusual.”

Quan Vo Cuc’s voice became heavier.

“Did he say when they would return?”

“No.”

Silence settled over the hall again.

Hao Nhien did not speak immediately. He quietly arranged the timeline in his mind.

Quan Nha had indeed returned to the Quan family, which at least proved that nothing had happened to her on the road from the Western Wastes back to the Eastern Plains. Yet only one day later, she had left again with Linh Van without giving a destination or a time of return.

Within the Quan family, Linh Van was the person who knew the most about what had happened to Quan Nha’s parents, and for many years he had quietly helped her search for whatever clues remained.

Hao Nhien also clearly remembered the way Linh Van had looked at him during his previous visits to the Quan family, especially after learning that Hao Nhien had passed through the Inner Secret Realm and obtained a major opportunity. At the time, Hao Nhien had only felt that the elder’s gaze lingered on him a little too intently, but he had never thought deeply about why.

Remembering it now, that feeling was suddenly difficult to ignore.

If Linh Van had taken Quan Nha away from the residence without explaining much, then perhaps he had found something new: a trace, someone connected to the past, or a clue important enough that Quan Nha had followed him without hesitation.

But that possibility did not make Hao Nhien feel any more at ease.

Quan Nha had once told him clearly that the force behind what happened to her parents was extremely powerful, powerful enough that even the current Quan family might not be able to confront it directly. If Linh Van had truly discovered a clue connected to that force, why had he taken only Quan Nha with him without informing the Family Head?

Hao Nhien looked toward Quan Vo Cuc, his gaze gradually darkening.

What he wanted to know now was no longer only where Quan Nha had gone, but what had made Linh Van take her away from the Quan family in such haste.

And why, during their previous meetings, the elder had always looked at Hao Nhien as though he were waiting for something.