Dawn crept softly over the Ning estate.
The sky was still painted in muted blues and pale golds when a knock sounded at Jiang Ning's door, steady, unhurried, familiar.
"Are you up my son?" Ren Ning's voice followed before Jiang could answer.
Jiang pushed himself upright, surprised. "Father?"
The door opened, and Ren Ning stepped inside, already dressed, his cloak fastened neatly at his shoulders. He glanced once at the bed, then at his son, a faint hint of amusement touching his eyes.
"You were harder to wake when you were younger," he said. "I thought today might be the same."
Jiang smiled faintly as he stood and pulled on his coat. "I don't think I slept very deeply."
Ren Ning nodded as if he had expected that. "Come. Walk with me."
They left the room together and stepped out into the estate grounds. The morning air was cool, carrying the scent of damp stone and trimmed hedges. Dew clung to the flagstones, catching the light as the sun slowly climbed over the outer walls.
Guards were changing shifts near the gates, armor clinking softly as they saluted in passing. Servants moved quietly along the paths, carrying baskets, sweeping leaves, beginning the day without drawing attention to themselves.
Neither of them spoke at first.
They walked side by side, footsteps in sync, the silence comfortable rather than strained.
After a while, Ren Ning said, "You handled yesterday well."
Jiang glanced at him but didn't respond immediately.
"I didn't mean only the fighting," Ren continued. "The way you carried yourself. The way you spoke to people. You didn't let the fact you won the tournument carry you away."
He paused, then added, more quietly, "I didn't say it at the banquet, but I should have. I'm proud of you."
Jiang stopped walking.
For a moment, he didn't trust himself to speak.
Then he exhaled and gave a small bow of his head. "Thank you, Father."
Ren Ning waved a hand lightly, as if dismissing formality. "Winning that tournament mattered. Not because of the cheers, but because of what it showed. You kept your head, you chose to fight smart and you didn't rely on bravado."
He turned his gaze forward again, expression sharpening just slightly. "But don't mistake that victory for invincibility."
Jiang listened, face calm.
"You won because mana was restricted," Ren said plainly. "That rule favored you. Against monsters, against true elites, against men who can flood their bodies with power… it will not be the same."
He glanced sideways at his son. "I'm not saying this to diminish what you achieved."
"I know," Jiang said.
"Good." Ren nodded. "Then hear the rest. If you want your name to be known beyond this region, if you want your techniques that survive when you disappear, you'll need to push further. Refine everything. Even what you think you've already mastered."
Jiang's eyes were steady. "I plan to."
They walked a little farther before Ren spoke again, his tone shifting, less stern, more reflective.
"I once hoped you would inherit the family's sword arts," he admitted. "Our house built its reputation on steel long before gunpowder reached the north."
Jiang didn't interrupt.
"But watching you fight," Ren continued, "it's clear where your greatest edge lies. The gun arts suit you. Your instincts, your timing… you see angles others don't."
He slowed slightly. "Still, don't abandon the sword. There will be times when a blade is all you have."
Jiang nodded. "I know. I never stopped training with it."
Ren looked at him, surprised for a fraction of a second. Then he smiled, small, genuine.
"That's good," he said. "A primary path doesn't mean a narrow one."
They reached the edge of the training yard, where the sun finally broke free of the walls and spilled across the ground. Ren Ning stopped there and turned fully to his son.
"You're not walking my road," he said. "And you're not trying to imitate anyone else's."
He placed a hand briefly on Jiang's shoulder. "That's exactly how it should be."
Jiang met his gaze, something steady and unspoken passing between them as the morning continued to brighten around the estate.
Ren Ning's hand lingered on Jiang Ning's shoulder for a moment longer before he withdrew it. The morning light had grown stronger now, the estate fully awake, the quiet of dawn giving way to the low rhythm of a working household.
Ren turned slightly, resuming their walk. "So," he said, tone casual but attentive, "what are your plans for today?"
Jiang adjusted the strap of his coat. "Anthony Olliver invited me to his estate."
Ren glanced at him. "Oh?"
"He offered to let me try some of the firearms he owns," Jiang continued. "He also mentioned the possibility of having a weapon commissioned, one that actually suits me."
Ren slowed, then stopped altogether.
"That's no small offer," he said after a brief pause. "Anthony isn't a man who opens his doors lightly. If he made that invitation publicly, he meant it."
"I thought the same," Jiang replied.
Ren nodded, expression thoughtful. "He's respected in Vale and beyond. A veteran with a clean reputation. If he acknowledges you, others will follow." A faint smile tugged at his lips. "You're building strong connections without even trying."
Jiang exhaled softly. "I don't intend to waste them."
They walked on for several steps before Jiang spoke again. "Father… we'll also need to prepare a room in the estate."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "For a guest?"
"For a knight," Jiang said. "I recruited someone last night."
Ren stopped again, this time more sharply. "You did what?"
Jiang met his gaze calmly. "A former commander. His name is Cai Renyu. He's been stalled at the peak of the Knight realm due to a mana deficiency. His body consumes more mana than it should."
Ren's expression shifted, surprise giving way to focus.
"I overheard him speaking about Dragon Tail Ferns," Jiang continued. "He'd used one once in the past. It stabilized his condition temporarily. Advancing to the next realm is the only way to cure it."
Ren inhaled slowly. "And you…"
"I gave him twenty," Jiang said. "In exchange for his oath of service once he breaks through."
For a heartbeat, Ren Ning simply stared at him.
Then he let out a low breath. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"
Jiang remained silent.
"A Transcendent-level knight is rare enough," Ren went on, voice controlled but intense. "A former commander who's survived long enough to earn scars and restraint? That's not just strength, that's influence. Experience you can't buy with gold."
A sharp, incredulous laugh escaped him. "And you secured him with herbs instead of coin."
Jiang inclined his head slightly. "He couldn't afford them. But he could repay them."
Ren studied his son for a long moment, then nodded once. "You made the right call."
He turned immediately toward the main hall. "I'll have a room prepared. Close to the inner grounds. If his condition is as severe as you say, he'll need peace and security."
"Thank you, Father."
Ren paused, then added, "Once he stabilizes, we'll speak about where best to place him. A man like that shouldn't be wasted guarding walls."
"I agree."
They reached the fork in the path where Jiang would head toward the stables.
Ren stopped there. "Go to Anthony's estate," he said. "Listen more than you speak. Learn what you can. But don't shrink yourself. You've earned your footing."
Jiang met his eyes. "I will."
Jiang bowed his head once, then turned and walked on.
Behind him, Ren Ning watched as his son crossed the estate grounds, the morning sun catching in his hair, the steady stride of someone who knew where he was going.
By the time Jiang passed through the gates, the day had fully arrived.
And with it, the quiet certainty that his path, once solitary, was no longer walked alone.