Chapter 48: Camp Beneath the Canyon Walls
By the time the sun disappeared beyond the western cliffs, the canyon had become a world of shadows.
The towering rock walls swallowed the last traces of daylight, leaving only a ribbon of deep blue sky visible high above. The evening wind carried the scent of stone and wild herbs, while distant cries echoed through the canyon—some belonging to ordinary birds settling for the night, others far less ordinary.
The caravan gradually slowed.
Elder Ruan rode to the front and raised his hand.
"We stop here."
His voice remained calm, but everyone immediately obeyed.
"This is the last safe campsite before we leave the canyon tomorrow."
The drivers guided the wagons into a rough circle, leaving enough space in the center for campfires while presenting solid wooden barriers toward the surrounding wilderness.
Years of experience showed in every movement.
Nobody asked what to do.
Nobody stood around waiting for instructions.
Within moments, everyone had found their task.
The eleven young guards gathered around Elder Ruan.
The old captain glanced toward the darkening cliffs.
"Usual hunting teams."
"No unnecessary risks."
"Bring back enough for yourselves and your wolves. Anything suitable for the cooking pot is welcome, but don't waste time searching for it."The guards answered in unison.
"Yes, Elder!"
"Remain within the marked section of the canyon. Signal if you encounter anything above the Mortal Realm. Return before the second watch."
"Yes, Elder."
One after another, Six of the Frost Wolves bounded silently into the darkness with their partners close behind while five took their place to remain on guard.
Watching them disappear almost without a sound, Yun Che couldn't help admiring their discipline.
"They're hunting?"
Elder Ruan nodded.
"It serves two purposes."
"They feed themselves."
"And they train."
"The wilderness doesn't care whether you're on duty or not."
"A guard who cannot hunt..."
"...will struggle to protect others."
Unlike the escort company, the caravan workers had no intention of chasing monsters through a canyon after sunset.
Most were cultivators.
Even the youngest assistants had entered the Mortal Realm years ago.
But there was a vast difference between possessing strength...
...and making a profession of fighting.
The workers unpacked preserved vegetables, rice, dried herbs, spices, and carefully stored monster meat that had already been prepared before the journey.
One of the younger assistants laughed.
"I'll happily leave monster hunting to the professionals."
"I prefer eating them."
Several people nearby immediately agreed.
Yun Che's attention was soon captured by another figure.
A woman in her early thirties rolled up the sleeves of her thick winter robe before calmly unpacking an assortment of unusual cooking utensils.
"This," Jin Wei whispered proudly, "is Aunt Mei."
The woman looked up and smiled.
"You've grown taller again."
"And you're still avoiding paperwork?"
Jin Wei coughed awkwardly.
"...Only sometimes."
She laughed.
Everyone in the caravan seemed to treat her with genuine affection.
Aunt Mei wasn't merely the cook.
She was a Spirit Cook.
Unlike ordinary chefs who simply prepared meals...
Spirit Cooks cultivated an entire profession dedicated to nourishing cultivators.
Every ingredient.
Every movement.
Every flame.
Every seasoning.
All of it contained Ki.
Two assistants positioned six polished heatstones around the bronze stove, completing the small cooking array engraved across its base.
Aunt Mei placed several pale-blue crystals beneath it.
Instead of striking flint...
She gently rested two fingers upon the formation.
A faint stream of Ki flowed from her hand.
The crystals immediately ignited with a soft blue flame.
Yun Che watched intently.
His mother also infused Ki into her cooking.
Most cultivators naturally did.
But this...
...was something entirely different.
Every movement possessed precision.
The herbs weren't simply chopped.
Each was sliced along specific energy pathways.
Monster meat was carefully separated according to muscle groups rather than ordinary anatomy.
Some ingredients were briefly exposed to heat.
Others remained untouched until the final moment.
Occasionally Aunt Mei would sprinkle powdered medicinal herbs into the pot while simultaneously guiding her Ki through the steam itself.
The aroma changed almost instantly.
It became richer.
Cleaner.
More vibrant.
Yun Che unconsciously stepped closer.
Aunt Mei noticed immediately.
"Curious?"
He nodded honestly.
"I've never seen a Spirit Cook work."
She smiled.
"Most people think cooking ends with making food taste good."
She gently stirred the soup.
"A Spirit Cook prepares the body to receive nourishment."
She pointed toward several herbs resting nearby.
"This herb restores Ki."
She lifted another.
"This one strengthens blood circulation."
Another.
"This softens monster meat so the body can digest its spiritual essence instead of wasting it."
Yun Che found himself completely absorbed.
Forging.
Runes.
Alchemy.
Cooking.
Every profession cultivated Ki differently.
It was another reminder of just how vast cultivation truly was.
Yun Che's attention drifted from the cooking fire when he noticed Lin Xia walking toward a cluster of boulders at the edge of camp.
She checked that no one stood nearby before drawing a slender silver rune pen from her sleeve. Rather than reaching for cloth or paper, she raised it toward the empty air.
Pale-blue light gathered around its tip.
Lin Xia began to write.
Delicate lines of Ki remained suspended behind the moving pen, as though an invisible sheet had been stretched between the boulders. The evening wind disturbed their edges, but the strokes did not immediately scatter.
Yun Che raised an eyebrow.
"Air inscriptions..."
The first symbol took shape beneath her pen.
Barrier.
Lin Xia extended a narrow linking stroke from its outer boundary and began the second rune without allowing the first to collapse.
Silence.
The sounds around the boulders weakened. The crackling fires became distant murmurs, and the voices from camp faded almost entirely.
Her expression tightened. A bead of sweat appeared near her temple as she guided her pen through the unused pathways between the first two symbols.
Invisibility.
The air rippled. Colours and shadows bent around the enclosed space until the boulders became difficult to notice unless Yun Che stared directly at them.
The three runes remained distinct, but linking channels allowed Ki to circulate through them as a single compound script. Barrier defined the boundary. Silence suppressed sound within it. Invisibility distorted the light passing around its exterior.
Beneath them flowed the principles of the Threefold Living Script Art. Attraction held the released Ki together. Rotation kept it circulating through the suspended lines. Transformation allowed each rune to produce a different effect without disrupting the others.
The script remained stable for several breaths.
Then the outer lines began to tremble. Pale-blue fragments peeled away into the wind. Silence failed first. The concealed boulders slowly returned to view, and the remaining Barrier Rune collapsed into scattered sparks.
Lin Xia released a long breath.
She did not look disappointed. The purpose had never been to make the inscription permanent. It was to complete all three runes in open air and keep them connected without a physical anchor.
Yun Che smiled.
"You can hold three now."
Lin Xia spun toward him. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough."
"Spying on me?"
"Observing."
"Those are the same thing when you hide behind a rock."
"I wasn't hiding. You were distracted."
Lin Xia rolled her eyes and reached into her storage bracelet.
She removed several folding poles and a thick sheet of grey cloth reinforced along every edge.
Yun Che looked from the sheet to the buckets of heated water being carried nearby.
"A bathroom?"
"A bathing enclosure," Lin Xia corrected. "Unless you would prefer everyone washing beside Aunt Mei's cooking fire."
"I would not."
"Then make yourself useful."
Yun Che accepted the poles without complaint.
Once the frame stood securely between the boulders, Lin Xia wrapped the privacy sheet around it and left one overlapping flap for entry. This time, she pressed the silver tip of her pen directly against the cloth.
The material gave every stroke an anchor. It bent beneath her fingers and possessed grain, tension, seams, and edges—qualities Lin Xia understood as naturally as breathing.
She inscribed Barrier first, connected Silence to its inner pathways, and threaded Invisibility around the exterior. The same three runes that had strained her concentration in open air settled comfortably into the cloth.
When she completed the final linking stroke, the sheet shimmered. Sound from within weakened, its surface borrowed the colours of the surrounding stone, and a thin barrier stiffened the cloth against accidental intrusion. The entrance flap remained loose until touched with Ki, allowing anyone inside to open it without assistance.
Once activated, the compound inscription would last for several hours. Folded and inactive, it consumed no energy. A small infusion of Ki each evening would be enough to maintain it throughout the journey.
Lin Xia lowered her rune pen with a satisfied smile.
-------------------------
By the time Lin Xia lowered her rune pen, the last traces of daylight had disappeared behind the canyon walls. Campfires now burned throughout the wagon circle, and the smell of Aunt Mei's stew drifted through the cold evening air.
It was peaceful.
Almost too peaceful.
Most of the caravan had settled into their evening routines.
To Yun Che...
That meant work.
He walked a short distance from the largest campfire before selecting a flat section of stone. With practiced movements, he unpacked a compact blacksmith's workstation from his storage bracelet. A folding anvil, several specialized hammers, clamps, chisels, carving tools, miniature molds, files, and polishing stones were arranged neatly around him.
Jin Wei wandered over carrying a bowl of tea.
"You really don't know how to rest, do you?"
Yun Che smiled without looking up.
"This is resting."
"No."
"This is what you call relaxing."
"They're different."
Jin Wei laughed and settled onto a nearby crate.
"I'll watch."
Yun Che didn't object.
For him...
Forging wasn't merely craftsmanship.
It was cultivation.
He closed his eyes.
His breathing slowed.
Ki flowed naturally through his meridians before gathering inside his hands.
Instead of immediately shaping metal, he directed part of that energy into a familiar pathway.
Fire Drake Breath.
The technique wasn't inherited from an ancient sect.
Nor purchased from some famous pavilion.
It had been created by Yun Jian himself after decades standing before blazing furnaces.
It was the fire of a blacksmith.
Not the fire of a warrior.
At least...
Originally.
Yun Che slowly inhaled.
He didn't simply gather Ki.
He imagined the entire process taking place inside his body.
Heat.
Fuel.
Oxygen.
Three simple requirements.
His Ki became the fuel. A compressed knot of Fire Ki provided ignition. The surrounding air supplied what the flame needed to continue burning.
The difficulty lay in their proportions. Too little air left part of the fuel unburned. Too much scattered the heat before it could concentrate. Yun Che narrowed the passage through which the Fire Ki left his body and increased its speed, allowing the rushing flame to pull surrounding air into itself.
The result was not a larger fire. It was a cleaner one—longer, more concentrated, and hotter at its core while consuming slightly less Ki.
In his previous life those had been basic scientific principles.
In this world...
They became surprisingly useful.
Rather than forcing enormous quantities of Ki into a burst of fire, Yun Che carefully adjusted the balance between those three elements.
It was no different from controlling a forge.
Exactly as intended.
Again.
This time he increased the flow of surrounding air while reducing his Ki output.
The flame immediately became narrower.
Hotter.
Longer.
"...Better."
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each attempt became slightly more refined.
His father had already created the technique.
Yun Che wasn't changing it.
He was simply understanding why it worked.
Knowledge transformed instinct into precision.
Eventually...
The charging process became smoother.
The flame responded more quickly.
Still not instant.
Each attempt still required several slow breaths to prepare. The gathering heat tightened his chest and left the back of his throat unpleasantly dry. By the sixth attempt, however, the charge had shortened by nearly one full breath.
But every small improvement mattered.
Satisfied for the moment, he redirected his attention toward the forge.
Several small ingots rested inside the miniature furnace.
The metal gradually softened beneath the carefully controlled flame.
Yun Che picked up a tiny hammer.
Ting.
The first strike rang softly through the camp.
Ting.
Ting.
Ting.
Instead of crafting swords or armor...
He forged pieces no larger than his thumb.
Tiny shoulder plates.
Small helmets.
Miniature joints.
Finger-sized gears.
Every component was shaped individually before being filed smooth and placed into neat rows.
Watching him work almost felt like watching someone assemble a puzzle.
No movement was wasted.
His hammer struck with remarkable consistency.
Each blow landed precisely where intended.
Occasionally he reheated a piece.
Occasionally he discarded one entirely.
Perfection mattered.
Even for toys.
Perhaps...
Especially for toys.
Nearby...
Lin Xia had entered her own world.
Holding her silver rune pen, she practiced writing directly into the night air.
Unlike before, she no longer focused upon single inscriptions.
Now she experimented.
Learning how different runes interacted.
A Barrier Rune appeared.
Moments later she added a Durability Rune.
Finally...
An Iron Rune.
The three inscriptions resonated together.
The transparent barrier immediately darkened into a metallic sheen.
Lin Xia tapped it gently with the handle of her pen.
The surface barely trembled.
"...Much stronger."
She carefully wrote several notes into a small journal before allowing the runes to disperse.
Again.
This time...
An Invisibility Rune.
A Silence Rune.
Finally...
A Scent Concealment Rune.
The air shimmered.
Even Yun Che briefly lost sight of her despite knowing exactly where she stood.
Mirage tilted her head in confusion.
A satisfied smile appeared on Lin Xia's face.
"...That worked."
Once more.
Wind gathered around her pen.
She calmly wrote a Wind Rune.
Followed by a Rotation Rune.
Finally...
A Transformation Rune.
The circulating wind compressed into a narrow crescent before slicing cleanly through a distant practice log.
Another attempt produced several slender arrows of compressed air.
They shot forward one after another before dispersing harmlessly against the canyon wall.
Every successful combination deepened her understanding.
Every failure taught another lesson.
This was her cultivation.
Not meditation.
Not breathing exercises.
Writing.
Experimenting.
Understanding.
Only five guards remained inside camp.
Elder Ruan sat quietly near the central fire.
The remaining guards maintained relaxed but alert watch while six of their companions hunted somewhere deeper within the canyon.
Bao Kun happened to be assigned near Yun Che.
The enormous swordsman gradually wandered closer until he stood directly behind the young blacksmith.
"...Can I ask something?"
Yun Che looked up.
"Of course."
"What are you making?"
Yun Che held up a tiny metal arm.
"A toy."
Bao Kun blinked.
"...A toy?"
"For children."
The giant looked genuinely surprised.
"You mean dolls?"
"Not exactly."
Yun Che smiled.
"They're puppets."
"The idea is for children to act out battles."
He continued assembling the small pieces.
Helmet.
Chest plate.
Arms.
Legs.
Everything clicked together with astonishing precision.
Finally...
He attached several nearly invisible strings.
Holding the control bar above the figure, he gently moved his fingers.
The puppet stood.
Took several careful steps.
Raised its oversized two-handed sword.
Then performed a surprisingly convincing downward slash.
Bao Kun's eyes widened.
"...That's incredible."
The puppet even shifted its footing before raising its weapon again.
Yun Che smiled.
"This is only the first model."
Bao Kun crouched lower for a better look.
"You know..."
He scratched Snow behind one fluffy ear.
"...you should make one carrying a shield."
"And a sword."
Snow barked once.
As if agreeing.
Yun Che laughed.
"I already planned to."
"Different weapons."
"Different armor."
"Different characters."
Bao Kun grinned broadly.
"My younger brother would absolutely love one."
"My little sister too."
"Make two for me when they're finished."
"I'll pay."
Jin Wei looked delighted.
"See?"
"I told you people would buy them."
A quieter voice interrupted.
"...I don't understand."
Shen Rui stood nearby with his arms folded.
His expression remained calm.
"Is this really worth your time?"
Yun Che looked toward him.
"What do you mean?"
"You're a blacksmith."
"You should forge weapons."
"Armor."
"Tools."
"Things cultivators actually use."
He glanced at the tiny puppet.
"This seems..."
He searched for the right word.
"...wasteful."
Silence lingered briefly.
Yun Che answered without irritation.
"It isn't meant for cultivators."
"It's meant for children."
"I need money."
"This is another way to earn it."
Shen Rui frowned.
"Your skills are valuable."
"Why waste them making toys?"
Before Yun Che could reply...
Jin Wei set his tea cup down with a loud clack.
"Oh, stop talking."
Shen Rui looked at him.
"You've spent your entire life thinking every problem can be solved with a sword."
"Weapons are valuable once," Jin Wei said. "A man buys a sword and hopes to keep it for twenty years. Children will want every warrior, every weapon, every new suit of armor, and every monster we add later."
Shen Rui stared at him.
"That sounds predatory."
"That sounds like commerce."
Jin Wei lifted the miniature figure more carefully.
"And children deserve things made for joy, not merely things preparing them to kill."
Shen Rui remained silent for a long moment.
Eventually...
He simply nodded once.
"...Perhaps."
Without arguing further, he turned and calmly resumed his patrol.
Bao Kun sighed.
"Sorry about him."
"He grew up in a military household."
"They measured usefulness by combat."
"He isn't trying to be rude."
"He just genuinely doesn't understand."
Yun Che smiled.
"I figured."
Bao Kun returned to his post beside Snow, who promptly curled into a fluffy white ball while remaining surprisingly alert.
Not long afterward, Lin Xia finished another page of notes and finally joined everyone around the fire.
The hunting party had also returned.
Their wolves dragged back two Rockhide Gilas and a lean Frost Cougar that had attempted to ambush one of the hunting teams.
Aunt Mei inspected the carcasses, selected several fresh cuts for the stew, and ordered the remaining meat cleaned and preserved for the following days.
Soon the campsite filled once more with conversation and laughter.
The official roadside campsite was well maintained.
Ancient stone pillars surrounded the clearing.
Formation lines ran through each one before disappearing beneath the earth.
A single Ki Stone rested inside every pillar.
As long as they remained supplied with energy, the defensive formation would discourage weaker monsters from approaching.
Such camps existed throughout the kingdom's official roads.
One of countless quiet conveniences travelers rarely appreciated.
Until they needed them.
Dinner had only just begun.
Warm bowls of stew were passed from hand to hand.
Someone laughed at one of Jin Wei's exaggerated stories.
Snow rested his head on Bao Kun's enormous boot while happily chewing on monster meat.
Everything felt peaceful.
Then...
Elder Ruan suddenly stopped eating.
His expression hardened.
Slowly...
He stood.
Every nearby guard immediately noticed.
"What is it?"
Bao Kun asked.
The old captain didn't answer immediately.
His eyes slowly swept the darkness beyond the formation pillars.
"...Something is wrong."
The laughter died.
The canyon became strangely quiet.
Too quiet.
Yun Che followed Elder Ruan's gaze.
At first...
He saw nothing.
Then...
Movement.
Dozens...
No...
Hundreds...
Blood-red vines crept silently across the frozen ground.
Each vine was covered in long black thorns.
They moved with disturbing purpose, weaving around rocks and slipping between patches of snow until they formed a tightening circle around the campsite.
At the very same moment...
A deafening chorus of shrill screeches exploded from the cliffs above.
Every cave mouth erupted with movement.
Hundreds of Cave Bloodbats burst into the night sky, their wings blotting out the stars as they poured from the darkness like a living black cloud.
Elder Ruan drew his weapon.
"Workers to the centre! Drivers secure the Mountain Chargers!"
The guards were already moving.
"Wolf Brigade!" Ruan thundered.
"Defensive formation!"