From the perspective of Zhuge Yu Jin
The branches of the Black Forest still whispered behind him, as if unwilling to let him go.
Zhuge Yu Jin walked in silence, the saber strapped to his back, his gaze alert to every shadow stretching between the ancient trees. His boots crushed dry leaves, but the sound felt too small before the vastness that surrounded him.
The truth was that, compared to the woods surrounding the small city of Gray Sky, this forest was something else entirely. Immense. Without contours. A labyrinth of black trunks and low mists, capable of making even the most experienced lose their way.
He took a deep breath, absorbing the air heavy with resin and moisture.
— …If not for the warnings of the elder of the Subtle Pearl, I would have become a beast's banquet long ago — he muttered to himself.
It was no exaggeration. During the last month, survival there had not been a matter of strength, but of vigilance. More than once he had felt presences hidden among the branches, shadows carrying the weight of cultivators in the Spiritual Condensation realm. Beasts of that level were monsters that an entire village would not dare to face — and yet, here, they were just part of the scenery.
It was a place of opportunities, yes… but also of cemeteries.
Yu Jin clenched his fist tightly.
He had conquered. He had killed. He had awakened.
And now… he was leaving.
Ahead of him, beyond the last stretch of trees, stretched the road that led to the heart of the White Flame Empire. Albivion — the Eternal Capital, as traveling bards called it. The city that never slept, sustained by walls that reflected the sun's brilliance as if made of flaming marble.
It was the first time his feet would lead him there.
Before his elder brother took on the mantle of Patriarch, he was nothing more than a distant descendant, someone the clan spared little more than indifferent glances. Afterwards… came isolation. The closing of the Zhuge Clan's gates, turning away from political games and covetous eyes.
For him, the world had always been confined to the small square of Gray Sky.
Now, however, each step took him somewhere different. Somewhere greater.
And Yu Jin had to admit…
He was curious.
Curious to know what kind of city it was that everyone called vast, splendid, and dangerous like an arena hidden behind golden walls.
The forest finally thinned, giving way to a wider path where the light of the sky could filter without the resistance of black branches. The damp silence of the woods was replaced by something different — metallic, sharp, repetitive.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Swords.
There was no doubt.
Yu Jin narrowed his eyes. The sound was not of training, but of desperate combat. The clash of blade against blade had that irregular tone that betrayed urgency, ferocity, and fear.
He did not hesitate to change direction.
Perhaps it was none of his business, but it cost nothing to see.
And if necessary… intervene.
A few steps were enough. Soon the scene appeared before his eyes.
A small clearing opened among low trees, and in it, three young people resisted against twelve. The contrast was striking.
The only boy of the smaller group stood at the front, his short sword slicing the air with nervous yet firm movements, trying to block all advances. Behind him, two girls also armed with swords struggled not to be a burden, though fear was evident in their eyes.
The twelve enemies, all men, surrounded them like hungry wolves around cornered prey. Malicious laughter echoed between blows.
— Hahaha! Look at our luck. Three little lambs daring to walk alone down the road! — mocked the one who seemed to be the leader, a tall young man with a scar across his face.
— Not lambs… lambs female — corrected another, his eyes fixed on the two girls behind the boy. — Just look at their delicacy. Imagine… how "pleasant" it would be to take them with us.
The two girls clenched their teeth, gripping their swords tightly. One of them shouted, her voice trembling but firm:
— Dream on! Better to die here than be touched by scum like you!
The leader laughed loudly, swinging his blade with disdain.
— Hm? Such a sharp tongue for someone without the power to sustain their words. You're at the ninth level of Body Refinement, aren't you? What a pity… we are too. Except we are twelve.
Another of the men stepped forward, pointing his blade toward the boy protecting the girls.
— Hey, boy! Why not make a deal? Leave the two to us… and maybe we'll let you live.
The young man tightened his grip on the sword, sweat dripping down his forehead. His breathing was heavy, but the determination in his eyes did not waver.
— Don't even think about it! — he roared. — If you want to touch them, you'll have to step over my corpse!
The leader laughed again, as if that was exactly what he wanted to hear.
— Hahaha! Then over the corpse it will be! Men, break him first. Then the two… will learn to cry to the heavens.
The encirclement tightened, blades glinting in the pale afternoon.
Yu Jin watched in silence, his hands crossed, as if he were merely a spectator of a cheap play. He still had not moved. Still had not decided. But his narrowed eyes already measured every step, every angle, every breath.
Yu Jin observed for a few more moments. The vile laughter, the lascivious looks, the ever-tightening encirclement — each detail was like embers thrown against the calm he tried to maintain.
He sighed.
Long, deep, almost like one bidding farewell to a patience that never existed.
— Scum like this… don't even deserve to breathe the same air as me. — he murmured, softly.
His feet advanced over the damp grass. The wind blew between the trees, covering for a moment the sound of his steps. And when he truly moved, he was no longer an ordinary wanderer. The saber slid into his hand with the lightness of someone wielding not a weapon, but an extension of himself.
The twelve did not see him coming.
For them, there was still only the sweating boy and the two sword-wielding girls, cornered like trapped prey. But amid the laughter and the clash of blades, a shadow cut across the clearing.
Yu Jin appeared behind the band.
The cold gleam of the saber sliced the air before anyone realized.
Sshrrak!
Two bodies fell at once, life torn away in a single gesture. Their heads rolled across the still-wet grass, eyes wide in eternal astonishment.
The silence that followed was almost unreal.
Until the ten remaining turned all at once — and then the silence shattered into choked screams.
Spiritual pressure emanated from him like the heat of a contained fire. A blaze unseen, but burning the souls of those too close.
— S-Spiritual Realm…? — one of them stammered, legs trembling. — He… he's at Spiritual Refinement!
Yu Jin did not move. He merely lifted his gaze, letting the weight of the second level spread through the clearing. He did not need to strike again. He did not need to say anything.
It was enough.
One of the men dropped his sword. Another stumbled back. In seconds, the encirclement dissolved into pure chaos. The ten fled in panic, shoving one another, vanishing among the trees like rats fleeing a fire.
Only Yu Jin remained… the saber still bloodstained… and the three young ones he had just saved.
The boy, still panting from exhaustion, looked at him with the same incredulity as someone witnessing thunder strike a few steps away. The two girls, pale, gripped their swords as if unsure whether to thank him… or fear him.
Yu Jin stared at them in silence, blood dripping slowly from the blade to the ground.
The silence after the slaughter was heavy as iron. The smell of blood still lingered in the air, mixed with the chill of the afternoon seeping through the trees.
Yu Jin looked at the three young people before him. It was not hard to notice what lay in their eyes: fear.
The kind of fear that does not fade even when born alongside gratitude.
He understood.
The strong were respected, yes. But they were also feared.
With a slow gesture, Yu Jin allowed his cultivation to retract. The spiritual pressure dissolved, flowing away like invisible water until nothing remained but the common presence of a young traveler. The saber was sheathed with a dry click.
He turned to leave.
He did not seek thanks.
He did not want explanations.
But before he could take the first step beyond the clearing, a gentle voice stopped him:
— Senior, wait.
One of the girls quickly approached, her breathing still broken by the fright. Her black hair, tied in twin braids, fell over her shoulders with strands sticking to her face with sweat. Her large brown eyes reflected both nervousness and sincerity. She wore a light-blue linen hanfu, marked by the dust of travel and torn cuffs.
Bowing before him, she spoke in a reverent tone:
— Thank you very much for saving us.
Yu Jin observed her for a moment. His voice, when it came, was calm, almost indifferent:
— It's not a problem.
The second girl, who until then leaned on her sword to regain her breath, also stepped forward. She was slightly taller, with loose hair that glistened dark brown under the filtered light. Her delicate face bore dust marks, but her green eyes carried unexpected resolve. Her hanfu was simple, beige, tightened at the waist by a worn fabric sash.
She slightly inclined her head, her voice more hesitant but still clear:
— Senior, may we ask your name?
Yu Jin looked at both.
— Zhuge Yu Jin. — he answered, simply, without adornment, after the girl's request.
The braided-haired girl, who had stopped him first, seemed to gain courage with the answer. She straightened her posture, placed her hand on her chest, and bowed in a more formal reverence.
— It is an honor to meet you, Senior. My name is Lin Xue, and this is my friend, Mei Rong.
The second girl, with loose hair and green eyes, followed the gesture with a slight respectful nod, silently confirming the introduction.
Lin Xue turned her face to the boy who remained silent, still gripping the sword firmly. His tension was palpable, yet she continued, not allowing him the chance to refuse the introduction:
— And this is my cousin, Lin Hao.
Yu Jin cast him a brief glance. The clenched jaw, the trembling fist, the mute refusal to speak — it was all there, exposed. Still, Yu Jin said nothing.
He only nodded lightly.
— Understood.
The girls' eyes lit up, as if the weight of the name confirmed what they already suspected.
Mei Rong, the green-eyed girl, still resting her sword on the ground, spoke clearly despite her nervousness:
— We are on our way to the capital… — she said, exchanging a quick look with Lin Xue before continuing. — We will participate in the selection of the imperial sects. May I ask if Senior is also going to participate?
Yu Jin turned his gaze to her. The wind swayed loose strands of her brown hair, and behind the question lay a mix of respect and genuine curiosity.
He did not hesitate.
— Yes. — he replied, firm and direct. — My journey is also toward the selection.
The two girls exchanged glances, a spark of expectation lighting their faces. Lin Hao, on the other hand, remained immobile, his expression hardened, as if Yu Jin's simple confirmation was reason enough to grind his teeth inwardly.
Yu Jin noticed, but did not comment.
The two exchanged quick looks again, as if sharing the same thought without words. Then, the first girl bowed once more, speaking with sincere respect:
— Senior Yu Jin, would it be possible… for us to travel together to the capital?
The request lingered in the air, and the forest seemed to hold its breath for a moment.
Yu Jin observed them closely now.
The boy — the only one who had not opened his mouth until then — stood behind the two. His short black hair stuck with sweat to his forehead, his expression rigid. He wore a gray hanfu, more worn than the girls', with a red sash tied carelessly. He did not dare speak, but the discontent was blatant in his eyes: clenched jaw, closed fists, as if chewing words he dared not spit out.
Yu Jin noticed.
But did not comment.
He took a deep breath, glanced briefly at the path that led to Albivion, and then answered simply:
— Alright. We can go together.
The two girls brightened with relief, bowing once more. The boy, however, remained immobile, his gaze fixed on the ground as if swallowing something bitter.
Yu Jin adjusted the saber on his back and resumed his walk.
— Then let's go. The road to the capital waits for no one.
And so, for the first time since leaving Gray Sky City, he no longer walked alone.