What Must Come Will Come

After considering the matter for a while, Van Du Tu looked at Hao Nhien again.

“You believe people from Heavenly Eye may have already infiltrated the Free Roaming Sect?”

Hao Nhien did not answer immediately. He knew that if he stated the suspicion too strongly, it could easily turn into baseless mistrust. Yet after everything he had witnessed in the Western Wastes, he could no longer pretend the possibility did not exist.

“This disciple has no evidence, but judging from the way they operate, it cannot be ruled out. Duong Long was able to hide within the Fire Qilin Clan for many years, while the ambushers possessed genuine Tam Thành tokens. If Heavenly Eye has been preparing for this long, it is difficult to believe they planted people in only one place.”

Van Du Tu nodded slightly.

“Vigilance is correct, but the Free Roaming Sect will not turn itself into a place where everyone suspects everyone else merely because of a possibility.”

His gaze passed through the transparent formation surrounding the great hall. Outside, white clouds still drifted slowly between the mountains, completely unaffected by the conversation taking place within.

“The Free Roaming Sect does not judge a person solely by bloodline, nor do we use whether they were born in the Eastern Plains or the Western Wastes as the sole reason to reject them. A person’s origin does not determine how they will ultimately choose to live. But openness does not mean blindness.”

Van Du Tu’s voice remained calm, yet every word was clear.

“The outer sect does not investigate every person’s past too deeply, because someone who comes here to study, complete missions, or seek a different path does not need to surrender their entire life to the sect. But the greater the authority, the stricter the verification. Anyone who wants to learn cultivation methods must earn mission points. Anyone seeking access to warehouses, core formations, communication routes, or restricted inheritance areas must possess the appropriate authority, and every important access is recorded.”

He paused briefly, and his gaze became noticeably sharper.

“Those who come to learn are welcomed by the Free Roaming Sect. Those who come to spy will only see what they are permitted to see. As for those who come to kill, destroy formations, or steal secrets, the Free Roaming Sect has swords as well.”

The pressure appeared for only an instant before vanishing, but even Elder Bai and Phong Van Tu remained silent during that brief moment.

Van Du Tu returned to his usual relaxed demeanor.

“There have been people throughout the sect’s history who infiltrated with malicious intentions. Some were expelled, some were killed, but there were also those who saw another path and chose to remain. I am willing to give people a chance to change, but I will not gamble with the lives of our disciples.”

He looked at Hao Nhien.

“The Free Roaming Sect gives people the right to choose, but it also makes them bear responsibility for those choices. If one wishes to live freely, one must first refrain from taking away the freedom of others.”

Hao Nhien remained silent for a long time.

Hoa Van appeared in his mind, a place now gathering people from the Eastern Plains and Western Wastes, members of the Fire Qilin Clan, wandering groups, and even those who had once lived under Heavenly Eye’s control. If Hoa Van interrogated everyone’s past out of fear of infiltrators, it would sooner or later become a place filled with suspicion. But if it imposed no controls at all, the weakest people would be the first to pay the price.

He cupped his hands.

“This disciple understands.”

Van Du Tu smiled faintly.

“What do you understand?”

“Hoa Van should not reject someone merely because of their origin, their past, or because they once lived under Heavenly Eye’s control. But it must have rules that limit authority according to the degree of trust earned.”

Hao Nhien thought for another moment before continuing.

“New arrivals only need to obey the town’s laws to live, work, and trade there. Anyone wishing to participate in missions, patrols, warehouse management, or gain access to supplies should be judged by their conduct, contributions, and guarantors. As for core formations, military affairs, communications, and secrets, those should require repeated verification.”

He looked at Van Du Tu.

“We should not close the gates because of someone’s background, nor hand over authority because of a few promises. Those who want to live peacefully should be welcomed. Those who want to change should be given a chance. Those who choose to cause harm must bear the consequences.”

Van Du Tu nodded.

“That can work. If Hoa Van can preserve such a principle, then it may truly become a bridge between different groups of people.”

Standing nearby, Phong Van Tu chuckled.

“The Headmaster says a few words, and somehow ends up teaching him how to govern a town.”

“I only gave him a seed,” Van Du Tu replied. “How he grows it into a tree is his own affair.”

Elder Bai stroked his beard.

“Will Hoa Van eventually open its own Mission Hall?”

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“Possibly.”

“Then do not ask me to manage it,” Elder Bai immediately replied. “This old man does not want to wonder how much the warehouse will lose every time you walk through the door.”

Tieu Lan could not help laughing.

Van Du Tu shook his head slightly before returning to the main subject.

“As for Heavenly Eye, I will have the sect quietly review the matter. We will not make a spectacle of it, nor allow outsiders to realize that an internal investigation is underway.”

Hearing this, Hao Nhien’s gaze shifted. A thought that had remained with him since the Western Wastes suddenly became much clearer.

“Headmaster, this disciple has another matter I would like to ask about.”

“Ask.”

Hao Nhien paused before speaking.

“Is Heavenly Eye connected to the war from a thousand years ago?”

Van Du Tu’s fingers, which had been resting on the armrest, suddenly stopped.

Phong Van Tu ceased stroking his beard, while Elder Bai slowly set down his teacup.

Those tiny changes alone told Hao Nhien that he had asked the right people.

After a while, Van Du Tu finally asked,

“Why do you think so?”

“Heavenly Eye does not appear to be interested only in taking territory. They search for people, altars, ruins, and have planted agents over long periods of time. The Yin Soul Sect has also appeared on ancient battlefields to collect corpse qi and resentment. If all of this were merely for present-day interests, there would be no need to prepare so many things over so many years.”

Van Du Tu looked at him for a long time.

“I cannot confirm whether the Heavenly Eye of today is the same Heavenly Eye mentioned in records from a thousand years ago. But a similar symbol did appear.”

Hao Nhien immediately asked,

“Where?”

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

“In the final records written before part of that history was sealed.”

“Who sealed it?”

“The survivors.”

“Why?”

Van Du Tu answered calmly,

“Perhaps to protect those who came after them. Or perhaps to protect themselves.”

The great hall fell silent again.

Hao Nhien did not continue asking about the sealed history. Instead, he turned to another matter.

“Then what about the Tian Ling Merchant Association?”

This time, Van Du Tu’s expression truly changed.

“Where did you hear that name?”

Hao Nhien took out the Fire Spirit Sword and presented it.

“This disciple found this sword inside an ancient ruin. The stone pedestal beneath it was carved with the four characters ‘Tian Ling Merchant Association,’ but the writing that followed had been destroyed.”

Van Du Tu accepted the sword. His Divine Sense slowly traveled along the blade, lingering for a long time over the faint patterns hidden beneath its surface.

“This is not a complete Earth-rank sword artifact. It is an old sword embryo that was nurtured for many years. If you find the correct materials, it still has the potential to continue growing.”

He returned the sword to Hao Nhien.

“It would be best not to let too many people see this sword.”

Hao Nhien put it away.

Van Du Tu considered the matter briefly.

“For now, you can understand Tian Ling as an auction organization, because auctions were the part outsiders were permitted to see. Behind that were also exchanges of information, qualifications, status, and things that could not be fully valued in spirit stones.”

“There was more beyond that?”

“At present, even I cannot confirm how much of what remains is true.”

Hao Nhien looked at him.

“Was it connected to the Firmament?”

Van Du Tu’s fingers stopped on the armrest once again.

This time, he did not answer immediately.

“Where did you hear the name Firmament?”

For a moment, Hao Nhien did not know how to explain.

Van Du Tu watched him for several breaths before withdrawing his gaze on his own.

“We will stop here for today.”

Hao Nhien paused.

“Headmaster?”

“You are only at Foundation Establishment layer four. Knowing more about these matters will not help you protect Hoa Van, nor will it make the road ahead easier. On the contrary, some secrets, if learned too early, will only turn you into a target before you possess the strength to protect yourself.”

There was no contempt in his voice, only a practical assessment.

“If you reach Golden Core before that day comes, return and see me. I will allow you to read the first sealed records concerning the war from a thousand years ago. As for the Firmament, only then will I decide whether you are strong enough to know more.”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“This disciple understands.”

Van Du Tu shook his head slightly.

“You do not understand everything yet, but at least you now know that you are standing before a door. What you need to do right now is not smash it open. You need to become strong enough that when the door opens, whatever lies behind it cannot swallow you.”

After saying this, he turned toward Phong Van Tu.

“Complete the survey team roster within three days. They depart in five days. Before then, submit the route, logistics arrangements, formation plan, and withdrawal plan.”

Phong Van Tu cupped his hands.

“Understood.”

Van Du Tu looked back at Hao Nhien.

“Anything else you want to ask?”

Hao Nhien remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“Headmaster, you agreed to let this disciple exchange such a large amount of resources, and you also approved Medicine Peak sending people to Hoa Van. Is it truly only because of this disciple’s military merit?”

Elder Bai, who had been sitting nearby, straightened slightly. Phong Van Tu stroked his beard but did not interrupt.

Van Du Tu looked at Hao Nhien for several breaths before setting down his teacup.

“Your military merit makes supporting you compliant with the rules, but it is not the only reason.”

He looked beyond the formation surrounding the hall.

“There are things that sooner or later someone must begin. Not because that person is certain to succeed, but because if no one begins, then when the need finally arrives, it may already be too late. Hoa Van is one of those things.”

Hao Nhien’s eyes shifted slightly.

Van Du Tu continued.

“The Eastern Plains and Western Wastes have been separated for too long. Between them lie trade routes, tribes, ancient battlefields, resources, and grudges that have existed for generations. There are also many places that do not truly belong to either side.”

He paused.

“During peaceful times, those gaps attract little attention. But once war returns, they will also be the places where chaos spreads fastest.”

Hao Nhien remembered the lands he had crossed, tribes suffering from lack of water, groups of people who could lose their food supply because a single caravan failed to arrive, wounded warriors without pills for treatment, and those whom Heavenly Eye drew to its side through profit, fear, or hatred.

Van Du Tu continued.

“The fact that Heavenly Eye has begun revealing traces does not mean a great war will erupt tomorrow. Perhaps their plan has entered another stage. Perhaps they are waiting for a particular moment. Or perhaps they are simply testing how the various powers will respond. I do not know which answer is correct, and perhaps all three are wrong.”

He looked at Hao Nhien.

“But not knowing the answer does not mean we should not prepare.”

Hao Nhien asked,

“Have the other powers noticed as well?”

“How much they know, I cannot say. But the Free Roaming Sect is not the only place that still possesses records of the war from a thousand years ago. Ancient sects, families that have survived for generations, and merchant networks spread across vast regions all possess their own sources of information. Perhaps each side has seen only one fragment, and no one has enough evidence to place everything openly on the same table.”

Hao Nhien slowly began to understand.

“So many people are already watching the Western Wastes.”

“Possibly.”

Van Du Tu looked at him.

“And now you are building Hoa Van directly inside that gap.”

Something stirred in Hao Nhien’s heart.

Until now, he had always thought Hoa Van needed to actively seek out each power one by one, inviting Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, the Free Roaming Sect, the great families, and then trying to convince each of them to believe in a town that had not even been completed.

But Van Du Tu’s words showed him another possibility.

Perhaps many eyes were already turned toward the Western Wastes.

There simply had not yet been a place stable enough for them to truly set foot there.

Phong Van Tu frowned slightly.

“If so, Hoa Van will be even more likely to become a place of contention.”

“Correct,” Van Du Tu replied calmly. “Opportunity and danger always come together. If Hoa Van has no value, no one will pay attention. If it truly becomes valuable, then you will not be able to prevent other powers from appearing.”

He looked at Hao Nhien.

“The important thing is to establish the rules before they arrive.”

Hao Nhien slowly nodded.

Van Du Tu continued.

“But do not misunderstand and assume Hoa Van is destined to become a gathering place for major powers. At present, that is merely one possibility. How large that possibility becomes depends on what you accomplish in the coming months. Hoa Van must first prove it can survive, and only afterward prove that it has value.”

Hao Nhien cupped his hands.

“This disciple understands.”

Van Du Tu raised an eyebrow.

“What do you understand this time?”

“Hoa Van cannot sit and wait for the major powers to arrive. First it must stand on its own, and only then can it give those already watching a reason to step inside.”

Van Du Tu nodded slightly.

“Hoa Van does not need to become a great city immediately. You only need to make it a sufficiently convincing answer.”

The scattered ideas in Hao Nhien’s mind gradually began fitting together.

Heavenly Treasure Pavilion was not merely a source of goods. The Free Roaming Sect was not merely a source of alchemy students. Tam Thành was not merely military backing, and the great families were not merely sources of spirit stones and manpower.

If Hoa Van could prove its value, every power would find a different reason to become involved.

And when enough different people had interests tied to the town, it would become increasingly difficult for any single force to quietly erase it.

Only then did Van Du Tu address the final point.

“If Hoa Van belongs to only one person, those watching it will hesitate to invest too much, because if that person disappears, everything may collapse with them. If it belongs only to the Fire Qilin Clan, every other group will always see itself as a guest. If Heavenly Treasure Pavilion controls it, others will regard it as Heavenly Treasure Pavilion’s merchant town. If the Free Roaming Sect directly takes control, other sects will naturally become wary.”

He looked directly at Hao Nhien.

“You need Hoa Van to have someone at its head without turning it into the private property of one person or one power.”

Hao Nhien raised his head.

It was something he had thought about for a long time, but he had never put it into such precise words.

“Hoa Van must allow many sides to participate, but no one can be allowed to control it alone.”

“Correct.”

Van Du Tu continued.

“Heavenly Treasure Pavilion can be the first door, but it must not be the only one. The Free Roaming Sect can send people there, but it must not turn Hoa Van into a branch institution. Tam Thành can provide guarantees and security, but it cannot treat every person from the Western Wastes as someone under military rule. The tribes must have a voice, but they cannot use their numbers to overwhelm everyone else.”

Phong Van Tu let out a quiet breath.

“That will be difficult.”

“Of course it will,” Van Du Tu replied. “If it were easy, someone would have done it long ago.”

Hao Nhien remained silent for several breaths before bowing deeply.

“This disciple will first make Hoa Van a place worth watching, then a place worth entering, and eventually a place that many people would rather not see fall.”

Van Du Tu looked at him, and the corner of his mouth slowly lifted.

“That is exactly why I agreed to help you.”

The great hall fell silent.

Hao Nhien understood that the words carried two meanings. If Hoa Van truly developed, those who wanted to support it would come, but so would those who wanted to destroy it. Yet a place watched by enough eyes could sometimes be harder to erase in silence than a place no one knew existed.

Perhaps Hoa Van would eventually become more than a defensive line.

It might become a lamp lit in the middle of a land that far too many powers were already watching from the shadows.

Van Du Tu studied him for another moment before saying,

“And you are still a disciple of the Free Roaming Sect. If you encounter something beyond your ability, do not insist on carrying everything alone. Send word back. The sect does not raise its disciples only to watch them go outside and die for the sake of pride.”

Something stirred deeply in Hao Nhien’s heart.

He bowed.

“This disciple will remember.”

Van Du Tu waved a hand.

“Good. Official matters are finished. Phong Van Tu, where is the tea?”

Phong Van Tu immediately lifted the teapot.

“More than half a pot remains.”

Elder Bai stood as well.

“Pour me a cup.”

“Get your own cup.”

“Does the Headmaster’s hall not have cups?”

“If it does, go find one yourself.”

Elder Bai snorted and actually turned to look for a cup, quickly dispelling the solemn atmosphere that had filled the hall.

Standing beside Hao Nhien, Tieu Lan gently tugged at his hand.

“Young Master.”

“Hmm?”

“We succeeded, didn’t we?”

Hao Nhien looked at her, then at Phong Van Tu keeping the teapot out of Elder Bai’s reach, and finally at Van Du Tu, who still sat calmly in the main seat.

“We have only just begun.”

He gently tightened his hand around Tieu Lan’s.

“But this time, we no longer have to walk alone.”

Outside the great hall, white clouds continued drifting slowly past the mountain peaks.