After a day of travel on a bumpy road, the cart stopped. No light entered from the cart window, making the inside pitch black. It was night.
A voice called from outside.
"We are opening the cart, stay far from the door and don't try anything funny."
The duo didn't respond; they knew it wasn't necessary. Instead, they scuttled away from the door. The travel was monotonous, and if it wasn't for their strange conversation about stains, Yun Qiang and Sun wouldn't have talked to each other. After staying for more than four months in a prison cell, they didn't have a lot to talk about.
With a metallic screech, the door opened. The cold winter air and the flickering light of the torch instantly entered the room. The only thing that interrupted the light was the armored guard that opened the door.
Without wasting time with embellishment or presentations, the guard announced what was going to happen. The voice sounded young and inexperienced; he was probably an outer disciple that took on the task of escorting them.
"The door will stay open for 30 minutes. During this time, you are allowed to walk out of the cart and eat the food at the campfire." He moved to the side, letting the duo see a bush not far from the door. "That bush will be your bathroom. If you don't use it in the next 30 minutes, then you will have to wait until tomorrow night."
After doing his little announcement, he walked towards another guard that was close to the campfire with a satisfied smile.
Under the watchful gaze of the guards, Yun Qiang got off the cart with a clank of chains and started gazing at the surroundings. The dark night made it difficult to see, and he could only see the trees and the dirt road that were a few meters from the crackling campfire. The only thing he could deduce from the familiar-looking trees was that they were in a random forest in the southern part of the Rose Kingdom.
After giving a good look at the surroundings, he looked at the guards. He could only find two of them. They both wore armor and were sitting around the campfire. There was nothing special about them—no scars, no accessories. Their look was clean and standard, like any guards. The only thing that set them apart was their young age and the sect insignia on their armor, marking them as sect disciples and distinguishing them from city guards or the kingdom's military.
The guard that had opened the cart was still smiling while trying to impress his senior with his actions and the occasional stern gaze towards the prisoners. Yun Qiang wondered where the third guard was; he could have sworn that there were three of them when they departed.
Well, whatever. It's not my business to search for him.
He took some time to stretch his legs before slowly walking towards the campfire and eating the soup that the guards had prepared. It tasted bland, and the pieces of meat that were present were uncooked, almost raw. Yun Qiang could still feel the taste of blood from them. He still ate it without complaining. He was already used to the overcooked white rice that was served in prison. This soup was a masterpiece by comparison.
After eating, he did his business in the bush and started walking in circles. After staying seated in the cart for a day, his leg muscles were sore, and he didn't want to waste the occasion to stretch and awaken them.
Should I try escaping? The guards look a bit too inexperienced for this kind of mission...
He looked towards the darkness that extended beyond the dirt road. Yes, he didn't know where they were, but he could probably escape if he managed to hide somewhere in the darkness; cultivators under the Golden Core realm couldn't see in the darkness.
He was about to take a step towards the dirt road just to test the guards' reactions when he felt a strange pain in his chest. It wasn't real pain, but Yun Qiang felt like someone was gripping his heart, giving him a strange and uncomfortable sensation. However, after taking a step towards the campfire, the sensation vanished.
For a few seconds, he just stood there, staring into the darkness. He had the feeling that if he went there, he would only encounter danger. The voice of the novice guard reprimanded him.
"Hey you! What is it? Not feeling like walking anymore?"
Yun Qiang didn't think about what he was saying and instinctively murmured a response.
"No, I just saw something in the darkness..."
He continued walking in a circle. However, this time he paid attention to walk close to the campfire. Luckily, nothing bad happened, and after half an hour, he did the monotonous routine that would accompany him during this travel.
He entered the cart only when the guards ordered him to do so. Then he meditated before sleeping on the hard wood of the cart.
Isolated cliff house – Western Coalition –
Silas was looking outside the window. The sea looked agitated, and every wave that crashed on the coast made his house slightly tremble. The house was old, and some of the foundation was almost rotten, but he insisted on not repairing or replacing the old parts. When something was about to break, he simply put a preserving array in place. But he knew he was only delaying the inevitable.
But that's the only thing I can do...
He looked at the painting of his ancestor that hung on the eastern wall. It depicted the man drinking tea, his posture perfectly straight and refined, just like the Victorian-style furniture that surrounded him. However, instead of focusing on his tea, his ancestor appeared to be staring directly ahead, as if he could see the viewer through the canvas. This, combined with the mocking smile on his face, gave the painting a strange feeling. It felt like seeing a scratch on a perfectly clear glass. It doesn't matter how good the glass is or where it's positioned — you will only see the flaw in an otherwise perfect creation.
While staring at the painting, Silas passed his hand through his silvery hair, the same as his ancestor's. He hated it. He hated the position of the painting, he hated how similar he looked to his ancestor, and he hated how the canvas and its frame had no scratches on them, making them seem new and freshly painted. But most importantly, he hated the mocking smile that his ancestor had.
Every time he saw it, he felt like his ancestor was mocking the weakness and hopelessness of his descendants. With a flick of his hand, Silas summoned a silver dagger. The blade he had cultivated for one hundred years tore through the air, leaving small ripples in its wake as it flew toward the painting at lightning speed. Its momentum seemed frightening and unstoppable; however, when it hit its target, the blade abruptly stopped and fell to the floor lifelessly.
Silas sighed and slowly bent down to pick up the blade. He had expected to fail; even his strongest strike couldn't scratch the painting. A random hit with his dagger wasn't going to damage it that easily. However, he still examined it, hoping to find some signs of damage.
He found none.
"Has expected...."
There was both bitterness and tiredness in his voice like that of an old man. And just for a second Silas gave off the feeling of a tired and old man. A man who had lived too much and clearly felt the weight of life on his shoulders, even if he still looked like a middle-aged man
His father's words echoed in his mind:
"Due to a curse, the sanity of our family is tied to this house. If the house gets destroyed, then our minds will fall into madness. If something inside this house is stolen or replaced, then our minds will change accordingly. Only by breaking our ancestor's painting will we be free from this house."
He sighed again. He had tried countless times to destroy the painting, but every method had failed. Blades, arrays, spells — once, he even used a priceless artifact that could shatter the void. However, the painting was always left unscathed. He couldn't do anything to it; he couldn't even move it to another wall. He felt powerless.
As he recounted his failed attempts, a small piece of wood left the house and entered the sea.
Silas could feel it, another piece of his mind was gone, lost forever in the waves below.
He cursed his ancestor and started going through his memories and knowledge in search of what was lost. If he was lucky, he would have lost an unimportant memory or some basic knowledge that he could easily learn again.
The sound of light steps, followed by his butler's voice, stopped him before he could find what he had lost.
"Sir, the guild sent an assignment."
Silas was in a bad mood and wanted to dismiss his servant, but he restrained himself. The guild was an important sponsor. Without their money, he wouldn't be able to pay for the preserving array that constantly ran and slowed the decay of the house.
"Speak."
The servant slightly bowed before replying with a monotone but respectful voice.
"The target is Tian Jian, a member of the Golden Generation and the current young master of the Tian family."
"Golden Generation? Someone paid a lot this time..." His voice carried a hint of irony. It didn't matter how much a client paid; members of the Golden Generation were all strong individuals with important backers. A hit on them wasn't something that could be bought in the conventional sense. He took out a silver coin from his pocket and started rubbing his fingers on it.
"Go on, tell me the details."
"The Tian family is a military family in the Sacred Empire. Except for the head of the family, Tian Jundao, and Tian Jian, no member of the family has good talent. However, every member must serve in the military for at least three years if they want to be considered part of the family and have respectable positions in it. Because of this, the family has a high standing within the Sacred Empire. Besides this, some rumors say that a member of the family has caught the royal family's attention. Maybe they will have another Tian Jian in their lines in ten years or so."
The servant paused to see if his master wanted more details.
"Go on. Focus only on the target. I'm sure the guild intel has something more reliable than rumors."
"Yes, sir," the servant's back was unnaturally straight, and his eyes seemed lost in the void as he spoke to his master. This time, he didn't have rumors or opinions in his speech; instead, he recited the details he had memorized before reporting.
"Tian Jian is rarely seen outside. He spends most of his time in his training chamber and only goes out when his presence is required for official matters like tournaments, sect meetings, and other occasions. Even if he currently has a position in the military, he is not required to fight at the border. Unless a war breaks out, he won't appear on the battlefield."
Silas's voice interrupted the servant's narration; indignation could be heard in it.
"How am I supposed to kill him if he never goes out? Do I have to infiltrate his sect or should I pray for a war so he can show up?"
"Sir, the client has assured the guild that a war will start six months from now. In case it doesn't start, the client will still pay half of the stipulated price and consider the contract void."
Silas responded with a slow grunt. At least he could still get something out of it.
"What about the deadline of the contract?"
"It's two years from the start of the war, Sir."
Silas pointed at a small tea table that was close to the door. "Leave all the intel there and go away, I need to think."
The servant politely bowed and left after leaving a thick envelope on the table.
Silas took the envelope. At first, it looked like an ordinary white letter in his servant's hands. But when he touched it, a stylized pitchfork similar to the one he wore on his left hand appeared. This one was golden, unlike his silver one.
Gold such a disgusting color.
He restrained his disgust and started reading the letter. However, when he put away the smooth silver coin he was still rubbing, he couldn't help but wonder:
When did I pick up such a stupid habit...
Two weeks later border between Rose Kingdom and Sacred Empire
A chained duo wearing tattered and dirty robes got off a cart. Their hair was oily, and the stench of sweat and mud surrounded them like an ominous aura.
Yun Qiang and Sun had arrived at the border guard— their new home.