The smoke from the campfire rose thinly into the morning air when Li Yuan first caught a familiar yet foreign scent—the smell of human cooking. It wasn't their cooking, as the Millbrook community's campfire was barely smoking, frugal with their precious firewood. This scent came from the west, carried on the wind like a whisper from another civilization.
Marcus, who was sharpening a stone arrowhead, raised his head, his eyes alert. After more than a month of living in the wilderness, his survival instincts had become as sharp as the arrowhead he held. "There are others," he whispered, his voice low but clear. "Not far from here."
Li Yuan nodded slowly. In his tranquil Zhenjing, he felt subtle vibrations—the presence of a large group of people, their complex emotions a mix of wariness and exhaustion. Other wanderers, he concluded. And they've been on the road for a long time.
"Gather the others," Li Yuan said to Marcus. "Slowly. Don't make us look like a threat."
In a short time, the seventy souls of Millbrook had gathered in a compact circle. The children were pulled to the center, while the men formed an outer ring with their simple weapons—bows, knives, sharpened sticks. They were no longer fearful village farmers—they had become wanderers who knew how to protect their families.
The sound of approaching footsteps was rhythmic and cautious. Then, from behind the dense foliage, a group of people emerged, making Li Yuan hold his breath.
Luxen race, he quickly recognized. But ones who have wandered for a long time.
Around fifty people—men, women, and children—moved in a loose but coordinated formation. Their clothes were tattered but practical, their faces weathered and hardened by the sun, their eyes holding a familiar glint—the glint of people who had learned to survive in the wild.
Their leader was a middle-aged man with a graying beard and sharp blue eyes like ice. His body was lean but muscular, moving with the confidence of someone who had spent years on the road. A worn but well-maintained bow hung on his back, and a knife with a handle worn smooth from frequent use was at his waist.
"Good morning," the man said in a deep but non-threatening voice. "My name is Gareth. We're a group of wanderers from the northern regions. We didn't mean to intrude, just... the scent of your campfire carried all the way to our camp."
Thomas Aldrich, though his arm was still healing, stepped forward with the dignity of an elder. "Good morning. I'm Thomas, this is our community from... the southern regions. We are also wanderers."
Li Yuan observed this interaction with sharp eyes. There was tension in the air—not hostility, but the wariness of two groups who both knew that resources in the forest were limited.
Gareth looked around the Millbrook community with appraising eyes. Li Yuan could see that the man was calculating—how many people, how many weapons, how experienced they were as wanderers.
"You look... new," Gareth said in a tone that wasn't insulting, just an observation. "Just left your settlement?"
"Two months," Anna replied in a voice that was stronger than she felt. "We're still learning."
A woman from Gareth's group stepped forward—a woman with tightly braided reddish-brown hair and green eyes full of years of exhaustion. "Elara," she introduced herself. "And if you're only two months into wandering, you've done a good job of still being... intact."
There was something in her tone that made Li Yuan wary. They have lost people, he realized. And maybe many.
"How long have you been on the road?" Li Yuan asked, his voice calm but concerned.
"Three years," Gareth replied, and the number dropped between the two groups like a stone into still water. "Since the civil war in our home region destroyed our lands."
A thick silence descended like a fog. Li Yuan felt how the Millbrook community absorbed that number with a mixture of awe and horror.
"Three years," Old Pete repeated, his voice trembling. "And you're still... still fifty people?"
Elara laughed, but there was no joy in the sound. "We started with eighty. This forest isn't always kind to people who don't know its rules."
Li Yuan felt a wave of subtle fear from his community. Reality, he thought. They are just now realizing how dangerous the road they are on is.
"But," Gareth continued in a warmer tone, "you have something valuable—you still have hope in your eyes. And that's... that's not easy to maintain after the first year."
Marcus stepped forward, his brown eyes looking at Gareth with respect. "Would you be willing to share some knowledge? We... we know we have a lot to learn."
Gareth exchanged glances with Elara and a few other members of his group. Li Yuan could sense the silent discussion happening—was it worth helping a new group that might become a competitor for limited resources?
"There's a small lake about a two-hour walk to the east," Gareth finally said. "Clean water, plenty of fish. But there's also a bear that drinks there often. Don't go alone, and don't leave food traces."
Elara added, "The white mushrooms with black spots you see around the old trees—don't touch them. They're poisonous. They'll make you sick for days, if not kill you."
Li Yuan listened attentively, even though he already knew this information. What was more interesting to him was the dynamic between the two groups—the way they cautiously shared information, the way they assessed each other.
"In return," Thomas said with the diplomacy of an elder, "we can share information about the paths we traveled from the south. There are some water sources you might not know about."
The exchange of information lasted for several hours, and Li Yuan observed how both groups slowly began to relax. Children from both communities started playing together, although still under close supervision. The women shared tips on preserving food and making tools from natural materials.
But then came the first friction.
"The small spring to the north," Gareth said to Li Yuan, "that's the best water source within a few days' walk. We usually restock our water there every week."
"We found that spring yesterday too," David Miller said without thinking. "The clearest water we've ever found."
A thick silence descended like heavy snow. Li Yuan felt the change in the atmosphere—suddenly, the two groups were no longer sharing information. They were claiming territory.
"That spring is quite small," Elara said in a controlled voice. "It's probably only enough for one group at a time."
"Of course," Anna quickly replied, trying to ease the tension. "We don't mean to disrupt your routine."
But the damage was done. Li Yuan could feel how both groups began to see each other not as fellow wanderers helping each other, but as competitors for limited resources.
This is the reality of a wanderer's life, Li Yuan reflected with a heavy heart. Even among people who are all struggling to survive, competition for resources can override solidarity.
Gareth stood up, a sign that the meeting was over. "Thanks for the information," he said formally. "May you find a safe path."
"And you as well," Thomas replied in the same formal tone.
When Gareth's group disappeared back into the forest, the Millbrook community gathered in a smaller circle.
"They weren't as friendly as I'd hoped," Margaret said with disappointment in her voice.
"They're afraid," Li Yuan explained softly. "Three years on the road have taught them that kindness can be a luxury they can't afford."
"Then what about us?" Ben Carter asked with eyes that were still innocent despite everything he had experienced. "Will we become like them too?"
Li Yuan looked at the faces staring at him with trust, and in his tranquil Zhenjing, he felt the gentle vibration of an understanding of hope wrapped around him.
"That depends on our choices," he answered in a voice full of calm conviction. "We can let hardship chip away at our kindness, or we can choose to remain people who look out for each other, even when the world teaches us to be selfish."
"But that spring," David said with worry. "If they've already claimed it..."
"This world is vast," Li Yuan smiled. "And water doesn't flow in just one place. We will find other sources, and when we do, we will remember not to be possessive of them."
Anna nodded slowly. "Like you always teach—to share what we have, not to claim what we find."
Yes, Li Yuan thought, looking toward the small spring in the distance, where Gareth's group might be restocking their supplies. Today's lesson isn't about how to hunt or gather food. Today's lesson is about how to remain a good person when the world tries to teach us to be hard.
And may they remember this lesson when greater trials come.