Chapter 44: Beyond the City Walls
A week passed quietly after Tianyu's departure.
Mistforge had not changed.
The forges still rang from dawn until dusk.
Merchants still argued over prices in the marketplace.
Children still chased one another through snow-covered streets.
Smoke still rose from hundreds of chimneys every morning.
Yet...
To Yun Che, the city felt strangely empty.
Whenever he passed the academy, his eyes instinctively drifted toward the training grounds.
There was no familiar figure waiting with folded arms.
No white wolf lounging lazily beside the arena.
No loud voice demanding another spar.
The rivalry that had become part of his daily life had vanished almost overnight.
It left behind an unexpected silence.
For the first time since arriving in this world...
One of his closest friends was truly gone.
Rather than dwelling on the feeling, Yun Che buried himself in work.
Every morning began inside the forge.
Every afternoon ended at his workbench.
His armor was dismantled piece by piece before being carefully repaired.
The deep claw marks left by Tianyu's transformed attacks disappeared beneath fresh layers of reinforced metal.
The cracked Ki conduits inside the boosters were replaced.
The damaged telekinetic receivers were recalibrated.
Broken chains were melted down and reforged.
New wires were braided stronger than before.
The remains of the Mountain Piercer were laid out across his table until every damaged component had either been repaired or replaced.
Even the puppet received extensive maintenance after the punishment it had endured during the duel.
Nothing escaped inspection.
Nothing escaped improvement.
By the end of the week...
Every piece of equipment had been restored.
Better than before.
Satisfied, Yun Che activated the silver storage bracelet Tianyu had gifted him.
One by one...
The weapons disappeared into the bracelet's spatial storage.
The armor.
The chains.
The rifle.
The puppet.
Boxes of tools.
Medicine.
Camping supplies.
Even spare clothing.
Each vanished with a faint ripple of spatial Ki.
Yun Che smiled.
"...I don't know how I ever carried all of this before."
The week was not spent entirely working.
Knowing he would soon leave Mistforge himself, Yun Che made a point of spending every evening with his family.
Dinner lasted longer than usual.
Stories stretched late into the night.
Sometimes they simply sat together in comfortable silence beside the fireplace.
Unlike Tianyu...
Yun Che was free to return whenever he wished.
No sect rules bound him.
No elder would forbid him from visiting home.
Still...
He understood that constantly returning would slow his own growth.
After much thought, he had settled on a promise.
"I'll come back on my birthday next year."
His mother smiled warmly.
"We'll hold the celebration until you arrive."
His father nodded approvingly.
"Good."
"If you're always running home, you'll never become independent."
His brother grinned.
"And don't come back empty-handed."
Letters would be enough in the meantime.
The kingdom maintained a reliable courier network between its major cities.
If something truly urgent happened...
There were even Formation Masters capable of transmitting voices across vast distances using communication formations.
The service, however...
Was painfully expensive.
When Yun Che mentioned the possibility...
His father immediately folded his arms.
"You are absolutely forbidden."
Yun Che blinked.
"...Forbidden?"
"One conversation costs enough to feed a family for weeks."
His mother nodded vigorously.
"If you waste money like that..."
His brother finished the sentence with a grin.
"...you'll become a beggar."
Yun Jian sighed dramatically.
"And then we'll have to rescue you from the Beggar Sect."
"There isn't a Beggar Sect."
"There might be if you keep spending like that."
Even Yun Che couldn't stop himself from laughing.
"I'll write letters."
"Much cheaper."
"Much smarter."
Outside the forge waited another companion.
Amon.
The Frost Drake had grown steadily over the past months.
Now standing nearly three meters tall at the shoulder and stretching almost ten meters from snout to tail, he had become an impressive sight.
His pale blue scales gleamed beneath the winter sun.
Powerful muscles shifted beneath his armored hide with every step.
A specially crafted saddle rested comfortably between his shoulders.
Yun Che climbed onto his back with ease.
"...Perfect."
Amon rumbled proudly.
The saddle barely shifted.
Long journeys would no longer require exhausting marches through snow and mountain paths.
Mirage perched comfortably atop Amon's broad head.
The small spirit beast looked entirely pleased with his elevated position, occasionally tilting his head as though supervising everyone below.
Whisper rested elsewhere.
Within Yun Che's Frost Necklace.
The magical necklace had become the tiny frost spirit's favorite home.
Cold elemental energy constantly flowed through the artifact, allowing Whisper to recover and cultivate more efficiently than ever before.
Yun Che gently touched the necklace.
"You comfortable?"
A tiny happy chirp echoed faintly within his mind.
He smiled.
"Good."
Almost every coin from the reward he had earned by defeating Tianyu had already disappeared.
Not on weapons.
Not on armor.
On Frost Crystals.
Spirit beasts cultivated differently from humans.
Just as cultivators required suitable environments and resources...
So too did monsters.
For creatures aligned with ice...
Frost Crystals were among the finest natural treasures available.
Amon had eagerly consumed several already.
Mirage used them during meditation.
Whisper practically hugged them whenever given the chance.
Watching the three of them made Yun Che shake his head.
"...You lot are expensive."
Amon merely snorted.
Departure day arrived beneath another cold winter sky.
The eastern gate stood open once more.
This time...
The farewell was far smaller.
There were no gathered crowds.
No escort.
No soldiers.
Only family.
And friends.
Jin Wei waited beside a heavily loaded merchant carriage, waving cheerfully the moment Yun Che appeared.
"Took you long enough!"
"I was saying goodbye."
"That's acceptable."
Lin Xia stood nearby wrapped in a thick traveling cloak.
Beside her waited her father, calmly checking their cargo one final time.
Bolts of cloth.
Finished clothing.
Runic materials.
Business records.
Everything needed to establish a new Cloudweave branch.
Their destination would be the nearest city beneath the mountains.
One of the five cities governed by Lord Shen.
If business succeeded there...
More shops would follow.
One city after another.
Step by step.
The Cloudweave name would spread throughout the entire mountain region.
Yun Che looked beyond the gates.
The road stretched into forests covered with fresh snow before disappearing among distant mountains.
Those mountains marked the edge of everything familiar.
Beyond them...
The world waited.
A world filled with powerful cultivators.
Ancient sects.
Dangerous ruins.
Unknown kingdoms.
Monsters capable of crushing entire villages.
For the first time since his reincarnation...
He truly understood how small his life in Mistforge had been.
Within the city...
Lord Shen's strength protected everyone.
Outside...
No such protection existed.
If danger appeared...
His parents would not be there.
His brother would not arrive with his spear.
His mother would not cover him with arrows from the trees.
His father would not stand between him and overwhelming enemies.
His friends would travel beside him.
But...
They would also depend on him.
That realization settled heavily upon his shoulders.
His feet refused to move.
A firm hand landed on his shoulder.
Yun Jian.
"What are you waiting for?"
Yun Che remained silent.
His father smiled knowingly.
"You're afraid."
"...A little."
"Good."
The answer surprised him.
"Fear is like heat in the forge," Yun Jian said.
"Enough of it tempers the metal. Too much warps it. Use it. Don't let it shape you into something you never intended to become."
Yun Ren stepped forward next.
He wrapped one arm around his younger brother's shoulders.
"When you come back..."
"I expect presents."
Yun Che laughed.
"Only presents?"
"And stories."
"The dangerous kind."
"The funny kind."
"The embarrassing kind."
He grinned mischievously.
"If you meet someone stronger than Tianyu..."
"I want every detail."
Yun Che nodded.
"I'll bring back both."
Yun Mie approached last.
Instead of giving advice...
Yun Mie checked the clasp of his cloak, then slipped a small packet into an inner pocket.
"Hunting herbs," she said. "For your scent. And the red packet contains antidote powder."
"I already packed both."
"Now you have more."
Then she looked into his eyes.
"Come home safely."
No grand speech.
No complicated lesson.
Just those three words.
Yun Che nodded.
"I will."
He climbed onto Amon's back.
Mirage chirped excitedly.
Whisper stirred warmly inside the Frost Necklace.
Jin Wei cracked the reins.
The merchant caravan began to move.
Amon took his first step beyond the gates.
Then another.
Yun Che looked back one last time.
His family remained standing exactly where he had left them.
Watching.
Smiling.
Waiting.
He raised one hand in farewell.
Then turned toward the mountains.
Mistforge slowly disappeared behind him.
Ahead lay the unknown.
Ahead lay danger.
Ahead lay adventure.
For the second time in his life...
Yun Che left home.
This time...
He intended to discover just how vast the world beyond the mountains truly was.
----------------------------
The mountain road wound steadily downward through the white peaks.
Unlike the narrow hunting trails Yun Che had often followed with his mother, this road was broad enough for several wagons to travel side by side. Stone retaining walls supported the steep cliffs, while sturdy bridges crossed icy streams that tumbled down from the mountains above.
The road itself was one of Lord Shen's proudest achievements.
Every few miles stood a watchtower.
Guard posts overlooked narrow passes.
Patrols regularly rode between them, ensuring merchants and travelers could move safely through the mountain territory.
It was one of the reasons Mistforge had prospered.
Trade could only flourish where people believed they would survive the journey.
Jin Wei spread his arms dramatically.
"See?"
"I keep telling everyone."
"Lord Shen's roads are the safest in the kingdom."
Yun Che nodded as Amon walked beside the caravan with slow, steady steps.
The Frost Drake drew more than a few curious looks from passing travelers.
Three meters tall.
Nearly ten meters from nose to tail.
Covered in pale blue scales.
He looked less like a mount and more like a walking fortress.
Mirage remained perched proudly atop Amon's head as though claiming the highest seat in the caravan.
Occasionally the little creature chirped at passing birds, apparently convinced they should admire him.
Lin Guo guided one of the wagons while his daughter walked beside him.
He had been unusually quiet all morning.
Eventually, he cleared his throat.
"So..."
Lin Xia smiled knowingly.
Here it comes.
"If you've changed your mind..."
He kept his eyes on the road.
"...you could stay."
"The new shop will need someone trustworthy."
"I won't complain."
Lin Xia laughed softly.
"You've asked me that three times already."
"I know."
"And my answer hasn't changed."
"I know."
"So why ask again?"
Lin Guo smiled sheepishly.
"Because..."
"...I'm your father."
She reached over and gently squeezed his arm.
"I've prepared."
"I know how dangerous traveling can be."
"I've spent months preparing."
She patted the pouch hanging from her belt.
"I have emergency talismans."
"Protective talismans."
"Escape talismans."
"Signal talismans."
"And..."
She lowered her voice conspiratorially.
"...transformation talismans."
Her father blinked.
"The ones Master taught me."
"If something terrible happens..."
"I'll turn into..."
She wrinkled her nose.
"...a very ugly man."
Jin Wei burst into laughter.
"I've seen those!"
"They're horrifying!"
"They're supposed to be."
Lin Xia smiled proudly.
"No bandit is kidnapping someone who suddenly grows a beard bigger than yours."
Jin Wei instinctively rubbed his chin.
"...That's surprisingly practical."
Trying to ease the older man's concerns, Jin Wei rode his horse closer.
"Uncle Lin."
"You're worrying too much."
He gestured toward the road ahead.
"We're not alone."
Dozens of wagons stretched both in front of and behind them.
Traveling merchants.
Pilgrims.
Hunters returning from the mountains.
Several hired mercenary groups rode alongside the larger caravan, chatting casually as though this journey were routine.
"It isn't just us."
"There are experienced mercenaries."
"Professional guards."
"I've traveled this road for years."
"The biggest problem is usually broken wagon wheels."
Lin Guo listened patiently.
When Jin Wei finished...
He remained silent for several moments.
Finally he spoke.
"Life..."
"...is unpredictable."
His voice was calm.
"Sometimes a powerful spirit beast wanders into protected territory."
"Sometimes bandits become desperate."
"Sometimes..."
He looked at his daughter.
"...being a young woman makes danger very different."
The cheerful atmosphere faded slightly.
"If someone attacks me..."
He nodded toward Jin Wei.
"They might steal my goods."
"I can replace goods."
He looked toward Lin Xia.
"But there are losses..."
"...that cannot simply be bought back."
Jin Wei's smile slowly disappeared.
He had no easy answer.
Because the older man wasn't exaggerating.
Such things did happen.
Rarely.
But they happened.
After a long silence, he finally nodded.
"...You're right."
"I've seen it happen."
"Not often."
"But enough."
He took a slow breath.
"Our caravan has plans if anything like that happens."
"The women carry disguise talismans."
"There are emergency escape routes."
"Signals."
"Hidden supplies."
"We learned a great deal after... previous incidents."
Lin Guo's expression softened slightly.
"I know."
"I still worry."
Yun Che, who had been quietly listening from Amon's back, finally spoke.
"We'll do everything we can to keep Lin Xia safe."
Everyone turned toward him.
He continued calmly.
"But life really is unpredictable."
"Danger doesn't wait for convenient places."
"It can appear inside cities."
"On roads."
"In forests."
"Anywhere."
He looked at Lin Guo.
"If the worst happens..."
"I'll make sure she escapes."
"How?"
Yun Che answered without hesitation.
"I'll stuff her inside Amon..."
"...and tell him to run."
Silence.
Lin Guo blinked.
Lin Xia blinked.
Jin Wei blinked.
Even Mirage stopped chirping.
Amon stopped walking altogether.
The Frost Drake slowly turned his enormous head toward Yun Che.
His golden eyes narrowed.
Run?
The thought itself sounded offensive.
Yun Che immediately felt the indignant emotion through their bond.
"You're a descendant of dragons."
"A dragon does not run."
"A dragon dominates."
"A dragon certainly does not flee carrying frightened humans."
Yun Che coughed awkwardly.
"It would be..."
"...a strategic retreat."
Amon remained unconvinced.
"It still sounds suspiciously like running away."
"It's tactical."
"Hmm."
"It's temporary."
"Hmm."
"You'd be protecting someone important."
The Frost Drake considered that.
After several moments...
"Very well."
"But I shall retreat with dignity."
Yun Che smiled.
"Deal."
Lin Xia folded her arms.
"I have to admit..."
"...that wasn't the answer I expected."
"What did you expect?"
She looked toward the distant mountains with exaggerated dreaminess.
"I thought you'd say..."
"'Don't worry.'"
"'I'll carry you away with those fancy boosters of yours while flying heroically into the sunset.'"
She sighed dramatically.
"Instead..."
"...your plan is to stuff me inside a dragon."
Jin Wei laughed so hard he nearly slipped from his saddle.
Yun Che looked genuinely puzzled.
"Someone has to stay behind."
"If we both leave..."
"Who holds off the enemy?"
Lin Xia stared at him.
"...You're impossible."
She couldn't even decide whether to laugh or sigh.
It was perhaps the least romantic answer she had ever heard.
And yet...
She couldn't deny something about it made her feel unexpectedly safe.
Yun Che hadn't answered emotionally.
He had answered practically.
His first instinct hadn't been to make impressive promises.
It had been to think about survival.
For some reason...
She appreciated that more than dramatic words.
Lin Guo quietly observed the exchange.
The young blacksmith's son had changed.
Not completely.
He was still awkward.
Still far too serious.
Still prone to treating dangerous situations like engineering problems.
But...
He was thinking beyond city walls now.
He was considering retreat.
Protection.
Priorities.
That was good.
Very good.
Even so...
He was still a teenager.
Experience could not be replaced with good intentions.
Lin Guo sighed.
"Lin Xia."
She looked over.
"You know..."
"...I still worry."
She smiled gently.
"I know."
"I'm your daughter."
"Exactly."
She reached over and held his hand for a moment.
"Dad."
"I'm not crossing forbidden wilderness."
"I'm not exploring ancient ruins."
"I'm not marching into a war."
"We're visiting..."
She looked toward Jin Wei.
"...Goldriver City."
Jin Wei nodded enthusiastically.
"The biggest trading city in the Kingdom."
"Lots of merchants."
"Lots of guards."
"Lots of food."
"Especially the food."
Lin Xia laughed.
"We're following a road that thousands of people travel every year."
"I'll be careful."
"I promise."
Lin Guo looked at his daughter for a long moment.
Then he smiled.
A tired smile.
One filled with both pride and worry.
"I know you will."
He looked toward the road stretching ahead.
"But..."
He squeezed her hand gently.
"I'm still your father."
"And parents..."
He chuckled quietly to himself.
"...are professionals at worrying."