As we walked in silence toward Elder Ming’s house, Tianyi’s gaze lingered on me. Her presence, usually a quiet comfort, felt unusually intent. Finally, she spoke, her voice soft but firm. “You’re hurt.”

I stiffened, shaking my head without looking at her. “I’m fine.”

“You are not,” she said, stepping in front of me and stopping my stride. Her sharp eyes scanned me, seeing through the fac?ade I’d worked so hard to maintain. “Why do you ignore it?”

“There’s too much to do,” I replied, sidestepping her. “The village needs me right now.”

“The village needs you whole.”

Before I could argue, she stepped behind me, her arms wrapping gently around my torso. I froze, startled by the gesture. Warmth bloomed where her hands rested, spreading through my chest and ribs in a soothing wave. The lingering ache in my side eased, and the tightness in my throat relaxed. It wasn’t a complete cure, but the relief was enough to steal my breath.

“Tianyi...”

She leaned her chin lightly on my shoulder. It seemed the act had taken a lot out of her. “You don’t need to do everything alone, Kai. Let us help.”

I nodded, my voice caught in my throat. “Thank you,” I managed after a moment.

Her lips curved into a faint smile as she turned, motioning for Windy to follow. As I watched her walk ahead, the warmth of her qi still lingering in my chest, I found myself standing a little straighter, the weight on my shoulders feeling just a little lighter.

The stone path leading to Elder Ming’s courtyard was quiet, the air heavy with the chill of dusk. The faint scent of jasmine lingered from the garden lining the entrance, though many of the plants were dormant in the cold season. I paused briefly at the threshold, gathering my thoughts. Inside, I could hear the murmur of conversation—Elder Ming and Feng Wu.

I stepped inside cautiously, not wanting to interrupt. Elder Ming sat straight-backed, his grey hair illuminated faintly by the lantern hanging nearby. Feng Wu stood beside him, his expression calm but focused.

“...I’ll speak to Tian Zhan,” Feng Wu was saying as I entered. His gaze flicked to me, and he gave a small nod. “Kai.”

“Feng Wu,” I replied, bowing slightly. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Not at all,” he said smoothly, stepping back. “We can wrap this up here. I’ll discuss the details with Tian Zhan and see what the Whispering Wind Sect is prepared to do. Rest assured, we’ll find a way to help the village.”

I nodded, grateful but feeling the weight of the unspoken implications. “Thank you. Truly.”

Feng Wu offered a faint smile, then turned to Elder Ming. “I’ll take my leave, Village Head.” He strode past me, his movements unhurried but purposeful.No?v(el)B\\jnn

Now it was just Elder Ming and me, and the air grew noticeably heavier. The silence stretched, and for a moment, I wondered if he was upset with me. After all, I had acted without consulting him; hiding my plans, threatening Zhao Wen, and risking more than just my own life.

“Sit,” Elder Ming said finally, gesturing to the chair across from him. His voice was calm, but it incensed me even more.

I obeyed, settling into the chair. Tianyi, who had been quietly following me, hesitated before moving to stand nearby. Windy slithered in without a care.

Elder Ming’s gaze shifted to her, his expression softening ever so slightly. “Would you care for some tea as well?” he asked, his tone more gentle than I expected.

She tilted her head, but noticed the steaming teapot and recognition dawned on her face. She gave a small bow, her movements graceful despite her newly acquired human form. “I would. Thank you,” she replied, her voice soft and composed.

Elder Ming poured the tea with steady hands, sliding a cup toward her before offering one to me. I took it with a murmured thanks, my eyes flicking between the two of them as the atmosphere subtly shifted. There was no hostility here, no reprimand.

Just a quiet, measured calm.

“You’ve grown strong, Tianyi,” Elder Ming said after a moment, his gaze lingering on her as though seeing something beyond the surface. “Though I must admit, I hardly expected to see you in this form.”

“And then,” he continued, his voice softening, “there was my sworn brother. The one who saved me, who fought against all odds to get me out of that place. I held on to hope that he was alive, that we would reunite. But after months of silence... of searching... I realized the truth. He was gone. Either he was captured, or... worse.”

Elder Ming closed his eyes briefly, as if to steady himself. “I knew I couldn’t stay. I had to move on, to go somewhere so far from the sects and the mainland that no one would think to look for me. And so, I fled to Tranquil Breeze Province, never looking back.”

The words hung heavy in the air, each one a fragment of a life shattered and painstakingly pieced back together. I struggled to find something to say, but Elder Ming’s voice cut through my hesitation.

“When I arrived here, I was nothing more than a wanderer. I didn’t plan to stay. This village was just another stop on a journey to nowhere.” He gave a faint smile, his gaze flicking to the garden visible through the window. “But then a week passed. Then a month. Then a year. And before I knew it, decades had gone by. The people here—they gave me a place, even when I thought I no longer had one. And so, I found purpose again.”

“Elder Ming... I can’t imagine how hard that must have been.”

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “You don’t have to. You’ve faced your own hardships, Kai. You’ve felt the sting of powerlessness, the burden of responsibility. I see it in your eyes, the way you carry yourself. You think you’re weak because you couldn’t defeat Wei Long, because you had to rely on others. But let me tell you this: strength is not measured by victories alone.”

I frowned, his words stirring something deep within me. “Then... how do you measure it?”

Elder Ming set his cup down, his gaze steady as he met mine. “By the choices you make when all seems lost. By the people you protect, even at great cost to yourself.”

My hands clenched into fists, hard enough where I wouldn''t have been surprised it bled.

“I... I want to be stronger,” I admitted. “Fighting Wei Long... I realized just how I underestimated him. If Feng Wu and Tian Zhan had been a minute late, then I would''ve died. I want to become strong, strong enough to stand with my own feet. Not just for me, but for the village. For everyone who stood with me today.”

Elder Ming’s smile grew faintly, a flicker of approval shining through his otherwise tired features. He nodded slowly as if weighing my words against some unseen scale. “And I feel I''ve failed you by not sharing all that I could. Let''s change that together."

I tilted my head questioningly.

"I''ve held back these teachings out of fear—fear of revisiting old wounds, fear of what might happen if I let the past resurface. But perhaps it''s time I let go of that fear for the sake of your future.”

I straightened, his words catching me off guard. “Elder Ming, you’ve done more than anyone could ask. I wouldn’t even be where I am without your guidance.”

He raised a hand, silencing me gently. “And yet, it hasn’t been enough. Your fight against Wei Long made something clear to me. You’re ready. Ready for more than just cultivation exercises and simple techniques. You need a foundation strong enough to stand against the world.”

"What do you mean?”

Elder Ming leaned forward, his expression contemplative. “I’m going to teach you everything I know. My martial arts, my techniques, the principles of my former sect. Including the Heavenly Flame Mantra.”

The name struck like a spark igniting dry tinder. I stared at him, my breath catching. “Really?"

He nodded, his gaze turning distant, as if he were looking back through time. “Yes. The Heavenly Flame Mantra was the core style of our sect. I want to teach you what I know of it. Understand, Kai, that my knowledge is incomplete. I was still a third-class disciple when my dantian was destroyed. I never reached the later stages of the art myself. But I can give you the principles, the foundation upon which you can build your own path. My sworn brother gave everything to save me. He believed in a future I could no longer see. Passing on this mantra, incomplete as it is, is my way of ensuring that his spirit endures.”

The idea of learning the Heavenly Flame Mantra ignited a flicker of hope in me.

This might be the answer—the missing piece I’d been searching for. Against Wei Long, I could defend, evade, and endure, but I couldn’t strike back with enough force to make a difference. My techniques were solid defensively, but offense? I had nothing that could tip the scales.

If Elder Ming’s martial art could bridge that gap, it might be exactly what I needed.

I clenched my fists, the warmth of Tianyi’s earlier healing still faintly lingering in my chest. “I don’t want to just endure anymore, I want to stand on my own, to fight for this village and everyone who believes in me. If the Heavenly Flame Mantra can help me do that—help me protect them—then I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Then Tianyi, sitting quietly for the entirety of the conversation, spoke up.

“Can I learn too?”