On the third day of their journey away from Millbrook, Li Yuan walked beside the cart carrying Old Pete and Granny Meredith—the two oldest members of their group. At sixty-three and sixty-five years old, these two elders were the only ones who remembered stories about the world beyond their village's borders.
Their small convoy consisted of seventy people: fifteen children ranging from toddlers to twelve years old, ten teenagers from thirteen to seventeen, and forty-three adults, including Li Yuan himself. They moved slowly on the dusty dirt road, with five buffalo-drawn carts carrying supplies, the wounded, and their precious belongings.
"Yuan," Old Pete called out in his hoarse voice from inside the cart. "Come here. I have something to tell you."
Li Yuan approached, walking alongside the cart as he listened.
"My great-grandfather once told a story," Old Pete began, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "He said that far to the east, there are people with eyes shaped like crescent moons and straight black hair like silk. They have darker skin than us, like ripe yellow, and a way of speaking that sounds like a song."
Granny Meredith nodded from her side. "I also heard a similar story from a merchant who occasionally stopped by the village. They said there were very distant lands across the sea, where people build houses out of bamboo and plant rice in terraced fields."
Li Yuan listened with deep attention, though in his heart, he knew far more about the diversity of this world than anyone in the group could imagine.
They're talking about the kuatria race, he realized. About my true homeland, even though that was thousands of years ago.
"Do you believe those stories?" Li Yuan asked softly.
"I used to think they were just fairy tales," Old Pete admitted. "But after seeing what you did the other day... after witnessing things that should have been impossible... I'm starting to think that maybe this world is indeed full of wonders we don't yet know."
Behind them, Anna walked while carrying a tired Lila. The little girl occasionally peeked at Li Yuan with eyes that still showed a hint of fear after witnessing his transformation in battle.
"Uncle Yuan," Lila said in her small voice, "will there be kids like me in the place we're going?"
Li Yuan smiled warmly. "Of course, Lila. Wherever there are families, there will be children who want to play, learn, and grow up happily."
Marcus, who was walking with a slightly unsteady gait from the wound on his head, caught up with them. "Yuan, I'm starting to worry. We've been walking east for three days, but we haven't seen any signs of other settlements. What if we get lost?"
"To be honest," Li Yuan answered with calm candor, "I don't entirely know where this path will lead us. I'm just following my instincts and hoping we'll find a friendly settlement."
This continent is foreign to me, he admitted to himself. Even though I've lived for a very long time, most of my time was spent in my homeland far across the sea. Here, I'm just like you all—a wanderer searching for a new home.
David Miller, who was still weak but insisted on walking on his own, joined the conversation. "What I'm afraid of isn't getting lost. What I'm afraid of is... what if the people at our destination don't like us? What if they're different from us?"
"Different how?" asked Thomas Aldrich, who was sitting in the second cart with his arms still recovering.
"Skin color, way of speaking, beliefs," David explained his worries. "What if they see us as a threat?"
Li Yuan sensed similar anxiety from several others in the group. This was a natural fear for people who had lived in a homogenous community their whole lives, suddenly facing the possibility of meeting different cultures.
"David," Li Yuan said with an understanding voice, "may I ask you something? When I first came to Millbrook, did I look the same as you all?"
David fell silent, thinking. "No... your black hair was different from most of us who have brown or blonde hair. And your eyes... your gray eyes were also unusual."
"But did you reject me because of that?"
"Of course not," Anna answered from behind. "We accepted you because... because your heart is good. Because you helped us, protected us, became a part of our family."
"Well," Li Yuan smiled. "That's what will happen at our destination, too. Good people recognize goodness, regardless of their outer appearance."
Sarah Miller, who was walking while occasionally supporting her son, joined the conversation. "But what if they don't speak the same language as us?"
Li Yuan was silent for a moment. This was a real challenge—language is a barrier that is not easily overcome.
"Then we will learn," he finally answered. "And they might learn from us, too. There are languages more universal than words—a smile, kindness, a willingness to help. Those languages are understood by all human races."
Ben Carter, the thirteen-year-old who lost two fingers in the battle, ran closer with an enthusiastic gleam in his eyes.
"Uncle Yuan, is it true that there are people who can build houses out of bamboo? How can bamboo be strong enough for a house?"
Li Yuan laughed at the boy's enthusiasm. "Bamboo is stronger than you think, Ben. The people in the eastern lands have been using it for thousands of years. They don't just build houses, but also bridges, tools, and even weapons."
"Wow!" Ben's eyes shone even brighter. "I want to see it!"
This conversation attracted the attention of the other children. One by one, they came closer, walking, their eyes full of adorable curiosity.
"Uncle Yuan, is it true there are people who grow rice in water?" asked Lily, the Fletcher family's daughter.
"Yes, and the results are very plentiful. They make terraces on the mountain slopes, channel water from rivers, and create beautiful rice fields that look like stairs to the sky."
"I want to see it too!" the children exclaimed almost in unison.
Li Yuan felt a warmth in his chest seeing the enthusiasm of this young generation. Children don't have the prejudices that adults do. They see differences as interesting wonders, not threats to be feared.
Margaret Aldrich, who was walking and helping her still-weak husband, asked in a more serious tone: "Yuan, if we really do meet people from different cultures, how should we act?"
"With respect," Li Yuan answered without hesitation. "Listen more than you speak. Observe how they live before judging. And most importantly—remember that beneath all the external differences, we are all human with the same needs: love, security, and recognition."
Robert, who was still using crutches, added in a thoughtful voice: "Just like you did with us back then. You didn't immediately change the way we live. You first learned who we were, and then you became a part of us."
"Exactly," Li Yuan nodded. "And that's what we will do then, too."
Late afternoon began to fall when their group decided to set up camp in a wide grassy field. The children played around the campfire while the adults prepared a simple dinner.
Li Yuan sat slightly apart from the group, staring at the stars that were beginning to appear in the night sky. In his Zhenjing, seventeen wrapped Understandings vibrated gently, reminding him of the complexity of the world they were about to face.
They will soon see the true diversity of this world, he mused. Different races, various cultures, foreign languages. How will they react? How will they adapt?
And more importantly... how will the world receive this small community of Millbrook, who carry these simple yet pure values?
Anna approached and sat beside him, Lila already asleep in her arms.
"You're thinking about something," she said softly. "I can see it on your face."
Li Yuan smiled. "I'm thinking about all of you. About how this journey will change your lives."
"Change for the better, right?"
Li Yuan looked towards the campfire where the people he loved were gathered—children laughing, adults joking despite their exhaustion, and elders sharing stories with sparkling eyes.
"Yes," he answered with profound conviction. "It will definitely be for the better. Because you will learn that this world is far more beautiful and diverse than you ever imagined. And even more importantly—you will realize that your kindness, your values, are a very precious treasure in this vast world."
Night fell peacefully upon the small group moving toward an uncertain future that was full of new possibilities.
And in their sleep, seventy souls dreamed of a wider world, full of new faces, foreign languages, and wonders they had never seen before.