Chapter 16: Whispering Roots
The path from the Grove of Ruin wound through jagged cliffs draped in mist. The Sickle of Memory hung at Li Yuan's side, its bronze surface glowing faintly, each name etched into it whispering softly as if alive. He walked calmly, his long white hair fluttering, his golden eyes soft yet unwavering.
Even here, in the wild where danger could strike at any moment, Li Yuan radiated patience—each step measured, as though he was still tending crops rather than walking toward the unknown.
The Seeds That Dream
Back in Green Mist Village, life continued to blossom. The Seedbuds stood at their posts, silent and unmoving. But something had begun to change.
At the western boundary, one Seedbud tilted its head, its golden eyes flickering as if considering the children playing nearby. Mei Lin, bold as ever, sat cross-legged before it, sketching its bark-like body in her diary.
"You're different," she said matter-of-factly, tilting her head just as it did. "You look like you're thinking."
The Seedbud did not reply, but for the first time, its wooden fingers twitched… almost like a wave.
Mei Lin gasped, excitement sparkling in her eyes.
"I'll call you Budder! You're the nicest-looking one."
The villagers whispered, nervous, but Granny Xue only smiled knowingly, tapping her cane.
"Even seeds grow curious if the soil is kind."
A Trail of Ashborne
Far away, on a cliff overlooking a scorched battlefield, Ashborne crouched low, examining deep footprints embedded in stone—Li Yuan's trail.
He stared at them in silence, his soot-colored robes fluttering in the breeze. A single sprout poked out from between the stones.
Instead of burning it, Ashborne gently pressed two fingers to it.
"He still plants," he whispered.
His amber eyes glinted with conflict.
The Watchers had ordered him to strike, yet his hand tightened instead around the hilt of his flame-forged blade.
"I want to see where you walk this time, old friend."
For the first time in centuries, he smiled faintly—a smile so rare it felt almost human.
The Harrower Stirs
In the distant Looming Chambers, threads of fate shifted violently. The Harrower sat cross-legged in silence, the faint red glow of his mask reflecting the countless tangled strands.
A Watcher approached nervously.
"He now holds two relics. Ashborne follows but does not kill. Shall we deploy you fully, Harrower?"
The Harrower raised his head slightly, his gaze like sharpened glass. His presence was so heavy the Watcher stumbled back.
"Not yet," he said, voice soft but final. "Let him grow. Seeds are sweetest when full before the harvest."
Then he closed his eyes again, returning to meditation—yet his aura rippled, cracking the threads around him.
Even restrained, he was terrifying.
Li Yuan's Resolve
By nightfall, Li Yuan reached a plateau where wind howled like distant crying. He paused, planting the Rootsplit Hoe into the ground, kneeling as if planting a seed even here.
The Sickle of Memory whispered, showing flashes of those he had hurt before. He sighed, voice soft but filled with unshakable resolve.
"I plant where I walk. Even in ruins. Even if the world calls me by that cursed name again."
He closed his golden eyes.
Somewhere, the soil shifted faintly… as if answering him.
End of Chapter 16