When Yun Qiang woke up, confusion flashed in his eyes. He still remembered the dream and the strange words he had read.
What did Ren Lu mean by saying that heaven was blood's poison? Heaven was a word that people usually used to refer to 'destiny' or 'fate'; sometimes heaven also referred to the general trend of the world. But why did he say otherwise?
By how Ren Lu described it, heaven felt more like some kind of malicious entity blocking people from cultivating blood or by not giving them spiritual roots.
'Isn't it all up to luck?'
He really couldn't understand Ren Lu's line of thinking. To Yun Qiang, if someone was born with a spiritual root or not, then he or she was just a lucky individual. There was no need to go on about fate, destiny, or heaven. In the end, it was all about luck.
He was about to go on and think more about Ren Lu's words when a series of groans and coughs forcefully brought his attention back to reality.
Tian Lei was still lying on the ground, his eyelids trembling, while his mouth was letting out a few pained groans. He was about to wake up.
Yun Qiang's senses instantly went on high alert, and he instantly summoned his spear. Since he had saved Tian Lei, he naturally didn't want to kill him. However, Yun Qiang couldn't know if Tian Lei felt the same.
As the trembling of Tian Lei's eyelids accelerated, Yun Qiang took a step backward, ready to react against any incoming tricks or surprise attacks.
However, his worries never materialized because as soon as Tian Lei opened his eyes, he only managed to pronounce one word: "Water," before falling unconscious once again.
Yun Qiang let out a sigh of relief.
It looked like Tian Lei's injuries were worse than he thought, and they would require a lot of time to heal. This meant that Yun Qiang could take some time to completely heal his injuries and think about his next moves.
"Besides, I still have to use this..."
He took out a small pill from his ring.
This was the Golden Core pill that he had exchanged using the majority of his contribution points. Between his meeting with Liang Wei, the time spent marching, and the duel of fate, he had never found time to use it.
Yun Qiang stared at the pill for a few minutes before decisively putting it away. His condition wasn't stable, and even if he could move, the majority of his wounds would take a few days to heal completely.
"If only I had my brother's root."
His mind unconsciously went to Yun Nian. It had been two years since he had seen him. The last time he had seen him, Yun Nian was being dragged away by one of the sect elders.
He let out a low sigh. Briefly losing himself in his own fantasies, he wondered how different his life would be if he had a better spiritual root.
Maybe he would live a luxurious life, unaware of the wars and suffering that were around him. Or maybe he would become a young hero trying to save everyone using his strength and resources.
Unknowingly, Ren Lu's words came to his mind.
When I was dealt a bad hand, I worked hard.
Yun Qiang smiled while letting out a strange, resigned laugh.
"Indeed, Ren Lu, when you are dealt a bad hand, you can only work hard..."
In the following days, Yun Qiang fell into a monotonous routine similar to the one he used when he was in prison. Wake up, meditate, eat, sleep, repeat.
This routine was only interrupted on the fourth day, when Yun Qiang finally decided to consume the Golden Core pill.
The consumption went well, and in the span of a few minutes, Yun Qiang digested the pill, completing the first level of the Qi Element and officially completing five of the six levels required to become a Golden Core cultivator.
He let out a long sigh.
Normally, completing a stage was supposed to bring him happiness, but he couldn't feel it right now.
He knew that when he returned to the army, he would have to risk his life again. Following orders while Liang Wei or someone else tried to kill him or put his life into danger.
He was tired.
For a moment, he thought back to his home village, wishing to peacefully live there. Wishing to slowly cultivate while surrounded by the people he grew up with.
Another long sigh escaped his mouth.
He knew that something like this wasn't possible anymore.
According to the sect's punishment, he had to serve in the military for one more year before going back to the Skyward Pavilion. Returning to his birthplace was impossible.
Besides, Liang Wei was using him as a shield to attract attention away from Yun Nian and he was sure Liang Wei wouldn't let go of him that easly. Moreover his friendship with Sun only made things worse.
As long as they remained together, Liang Wei could deal with both of them at the same time.
If they both died, Liang Wei would accomplish two things in one go. He would completely hide Yun Nian's existence while also getting rid of Sun.
Yun Qiang leaned on the cold walls of the cavern, letting his eyes wander towards the ceiling.
He started consedering his other option. Desert the army.
Run away and hope nobody came looking for him.
But if they did, he would have to spend the rest of his days as a fugitive, desperately trying to escape law enforcement. Wandering from place to place without a home to return to or a safe place to stay.
He moved his gaze towards the cave exit. He knew that returning to his village was just a fantasy.He had to leave this place and move on.
Slowly, he stood up and left the cave. His steps were hesitant, yet his gaze was alert and focused. Even if his state of mind wasn't stable, war had warped his instinct, and he couldn't help but stay alert even when his mind wanted to wander away from reality.
He continued forward, walking around obstacles and taking random turns through the forest. He walked like this for two hours before arriving at a small clearing.
He had returned to the cave.
Yun Qiang looked at the cave, then back at the forest.
Even if he didn't walk for long, his mind felt tired as if he had spent days performing arduous tasks.
Without hesitation, he entered the cave. He could return to the army tomorrow. Right now, he could stay in this cave. A small refuge from the world outside.
For the next two days, this scene repeated itself.
Yun Qiang would leave the cave, wander aimlessly through the forest for two hours, eventually finding himself back at the cave. His mind tired, his will weak.
However, this cycle didn't last long because, on the third day, Tian Lei awoke.
On the third day, when Yun Qiang returned from his walk, he found him.
Tian Lei wasn't lying on the ground anymore. Instead, he was calmly leaning on the wall, his gaze fixed on the entrance.
As Yun Qiang entered, they locked eyes.
Neither of them spoke. However, from their lack of weapons, they clearly didn't intend to fight each other.
Yun Qiang moved to the side, clearing the way towards the exit before sitting down; his gaze was unfocused, his eyes occasionally wandering from Tian Lei to the floor.
Tian Lei continued staring at him, watching his every move.
"Thank you for saving me."
Tian Lei's voice didn't sound cold like Yun Qiang had imagined. Instead, he could feel some respect within it.
Yun Qiang continued looking at the floor.
"You probably sacrificed a lot to kill those beasts. We are even now."
He sighed. He didn't truly think they were even. Tian Lei had sacrificed his lifespan to save him, while he had only dragged him inside a cave.
If Yun Qiang hadn't intervened, Tian Lei would have awoken in a field with some bug bites, but he would have survived.
There was a long silence between the two before Tian Lei spoke again.
"Who killed my brother?"
Surprised, Yun Qiang stopped staring at the floor and looked at Tian Lei.
Tian Lei continued.
"I understand that you are a talent and that the Liang family is using this war to build up your reputation, but there is no way you managed to kill my brother. You are too weak to do that."
They stared at each other. Yun Qiang opened his mouth to speak multiple times, however, he couldn't find the right words.
Suddenly, he took out a red sphere from his ring. He decided to explain things one by one without losing himself in details.
"I'm not a talent. Liang Wei is using me to hide someone else."
He let his hand down, touching the sphere. The moment he touched it, the red sphere let out an extremely weak light.
Tian Lei looked at the sphere, disbelief briefly flashing in his eyes.
"And my brother?"
Yun Qiang looked him in the eyes.
"I did it."
For a brief moment, Yun Qiang's gaze became cold before turning into a fiery one. Killing Tian Lao was something he didn't want to deny. He hated that man for everything he had done to Voss and his predecessor.
He paused for a second before continuing.
"Liang Wei tried to screw us over. I met him south of the Lifen River. He killed one of my teammates and activated a trapping array set up by Liang Wei's subordinates."
Yun Qiang closed his eyes and bowed down slightly.
"Tian Lao and I had an unresolvable grudge. I apologize for killing him, but I don't regret it."
Tian Lei fell silent for a moment.
"..."
"How did he die? Was his death painful?"
Yun Qiang shook his head.
"When I killed him, I was in a state similar to yours, except I couldn't control myself. I don't know if his death was painful or not. Everything I know about those events comes from one of my teammates."
As he spoke, he kept his eyes closed. He had told only half of the truth to Tian Lei and didn't want him to notice something was missing because of his gaze.
There was a long silence between the two before Tian Lei spoke again.
"I haven't healed yet. I will stay here for two days before leaving for the Astarian Fortress."
After these words, neither of them spoke again.
The cave fell into silence as they waited for the next day to arrive.
Dawn.
The sound of branches breaking and bushes moving interrupted the silence of the cave.
Yun Qiang and Tian Lei's eyes snapped open. They stared at each other. Both of them summoned their weapons, their bodies tensing as they prepared to fight the incoming people.
A voice sounded in the distance.
"You move south, I will move east. Check the entire area."
Yun Qiang's pupils shrank. He put back his weapon, signaling Tian Lei to stop.
Tian Lei looked down at him, silently unsheathing his sword. He was ready to strike.
Yun Qiang put his hands up, slowly stepping outside the cave. He let out a whisper.
"I won't tell them you are here."
Tian Lei looked at him, silently nodding before sheathing his sword. However, his body didn't relax. Clearly, Tian Lei was still ready to attack.
Yun Qiang gave a small bow before running west. He recognized that voice. It was Sun. His friend was still alive.
Sure enough, after dodging a few trees and jumping a few rocks, he found him. Sun's blonde figure was carefully making his way through the forest. Both his hands were occupied: one held a sword, while the other held a metal sheath. A scar still ran along his cheek, giving him a lived look.
"Yun Qiang?!"
Yun Qiang walked closer.
"Yes."
Sun put away his blades and hugged him. A few tears of joy came out.
"Everyone thought you were dead..."
He paused for a second.
"We missed you..."
Yun Qiang hugged him back. It felt good seeing someone that cared about him.
"I'm also happy to see you."
Sun stopped hugging him, his hand cleaning the few tears that had come out.
"Are you real? How did you survive the beast attacks? You were still fighting Tian Lao when we started running away."
He composed himself.
"We— We even made a fake burial after conquering the Astarian Fort."
Yun Qiang's face turned serious. He grabbed Sun's shoulder.
"You conquered the Fort?!" He shook Sun. "Tell me what happened."