When the deadly traveler continued to walk kuou shen yin wants to rule the west because the rule is he wants to rule them both together. First, if he rules the west, he cannot rule the east, and if he rules the east, he cannot rule the west, but he wants both of it to do it.
First, he orders several geniuses who can read and create projects. He hires them. He gives them his plan kuou shen yin said, my plan is to rule the East and West together. First, I need you geniuses who can create anything. To first create a knife, call this knife the skewer of the earth, so people can buy it more. So, this knife can cut through walls and it also can not broke because the power it has is unbreakable. Also, if you are bleeding on your hand or leg, head or chest or any place, if you slowly, where you are seeing the bleed, splash over there in like few hours, it will like cure means just like regenerating. It can regenerate your hand or whatever the body part it is.
Second, if you don't have water, this can shoot water a good amount of infinitely, no matter how much it is, it can shoot infinitely. And this can give you like vegetables and fruits for free
Now make it. The server genius says, ban it and say that is too costly, we need the money for it kuou shen yin Slowly began to say, Tell me how much money do you need? I will give it to you. The geniuses finally calmed themselves and say 65 million money kuou shen yin Thanks and said, Sure, but you only get that money for the project, and overall you don't get any money for doing this project, the genius says. No, we do kuou shen yin is, so rather get killed. The genius is panic and said, It will take us 84 hours to completely make it. Can you at least tell what is the goal? Kuou shen yin Slowly said, As you are a genius, said, see yourself. The geniuses smiled and said, Yes. We'll begin to make the project
Yesterday the genius is calculated. After 84 hours, the project was done. The project was right front of kuou shen yin kuou shen yin smiled and said, will be done kuou shen yin This said the project in only the west. People start buying this knife more than tomatoes. When one guy buyed, he leaked it to others. Then this got into newspapers and newspapers. It started spreading and spreading
Now that tomato and other vegetables and fruits price was going down, plastic glass water was going down. People were quitting jobs because they did not need money. They could just buy this for only 300 money when they have to work so hard
Countries and countries, the government panics because they have no other choice. The government panics and panics and panics because they are not getting tax The government asked kuou shen yin to stop this kuou shen yin just smiled and said, Only one condition would be it, and that is to make me rule your countries. I will not get the money. You get your monies yourselves. I will only rule the countries to do what I want
The government instantly agrees and stops panicking. The answer came out kuou shen yin goal was to rule the East and the West combined
They kept walking.
No one stopped.
No one rushed.
Just walking.
The road stretched forward without anything special, just dust, small stones, and a slow wind moving across their legs.
Bao Yuan looked around again and again. He was not used to this kind of silence.
He asked, where exactly are we going?
No one answered immediately.
So they kept walking.
After a few steps, the dragon lifted its head and said, forward.
Bao Yuan frowned. He said, forward where?
The dragon blinked once and said, if you keep walking, somewhere will come.
Bao Yuan sighed but continued walking anyway.
The group did not change direction.
They just walked.
Step after step.
The sound of footsteps became the only rhythm.
Bao Yuan looked at the ground, then at the sky, then back at them.
He asked again, is there at least a place we are trying to reach?
A short pause.
Then a calm voice said, not yet.
Bao Yuan scratched his head.
He said, so we are just walking without a destination?
The dragon answered, sometimes walking is the destination.
Bao Yuan stared at it for a moment, then shook his head and kept moving.
They walked past a broken sign.
The letters were faded.
Bao Yuan tried to read it but could not.
He asked, do you know what was written here?
The dragon looked at it and said, old direction mark. It used to point to a village.
Bao Yuan asked, used to?
The dragon said, it is not there anymore.
Bao Yuan went silent for a bit after that.
They continued walking.
The air felt normal.
No danger.
No pressure.
Just distance.
Bao Yuan then said, so… that thing… the knife… is it really everywhere in the west now?
A voice replied, spreading.
Bao Yuan nodded slowly.
He asked, then what about the east?
The answer came simple, not yet.
Bao Yuan thought for a moment.
He said, so first west, then east?
No answer.
They kept walking.
A small breeze passed.
The dragon adjusted its position and looked ahead.
Bao Yuan then asked, how long have you all been walking like this?
A short answer came, long enough.
Bao Yuan gave a small laugh.
He said, that doesn't help at all.
Still, no one stopped.
They walked past a small abandoned cart.
Its wheel was broken.
Bao Yuan looked at it and said, someone left this behind in a hurry.
The dragon replied, or they didn't need it anymore.
Bao Yuan did not respond.
They walked again.
Time passed, but no one counted it.
The sun shifted slowly.
Bao Yuan finally said, do you ever get tired?
The dragon answered, sometimes.
Bao Yuan asked, then why not stop?
The answer came, no reason to stop.
Bao Yuan looked ahead again.
He said quietly, this is weird.
But he did not stop either.
They kept walking.
And walking.
And walking.
Nothing changed much.
But still, they moved forward.They kept walking.
And walking.
And walking.
The road stayed quiet, but it was not empty. Small stones shifted under their steps. Dry grass bent and straightened again in the wind. A few birds crossed overhead and disappeared toward the far side of the hills.
Bao Yuan looked at the road for a while, then at Gu Yanshu, then at Qu Yaoyang, then back ahead.
He finally asked, "Do you always walk like this?"
Gu Yanshu answered, "Sometimes."
Bao Yuan nodded like that explained everything, even though it did not.
The dragon on Gu Yanshu's shoulder turned its head a little and said, "He means when there is no reason to stop."
Bao Yuan looked at the dragon. "That sounds like a very strange way to live."
The dragon replied, "It is still a way."
Bao Yuan gave a small laugh.
"Well, I guess that is true."
They kept moving.
After a while, Bao Yuan asked again, "So this road, does it lead to your sect?"
Gu Yanshu replied, "It leads to places we can use."
Bao Yuan blinked. "That is even more unclear."
Qu Yaoyang said, "You ask a lot."
Bao Yuan looked at him. "Because nobody answers clearly."
The dragon said, "Clear answers depend on the question."
Bao Yuan looked up at the dragon. "Then let me ask a clear one. Where are we sleeping tonight?"
This time the dragon answered without delay.
"Small town ahead. There is an old inn near the outer street."
Bao Yuan's face relaxed a little.
"Finally. A proper answer."
Gu Yanshu kept walking.
The road became wider after a while. It was still dirt, still uneven in places, but there were signs of people passing through often. Wheels had cut grooves into the ground. Some broken baskets had been thrown aside near the edge of the path. A faded signboard leaned near a tree, pointing toward the same town the dragon had mentioned.
Bao Yuan looked at the signboard and said, "Someone should fix that."
Qu Yaoyang glanced at it. "No one cares enough."
Bao Yuan nodded slowly. "That is fair."
They walked on.
The town appeared gradually instead of all at once. First came a few low roofs in the distance. Then smoke. Then the thin shapes of walls and scattered shops. It was not a large town, just a practical one. A place people passed through, bought what they needed, and left again.
Bao Yuan stared at it for a moment. "So this is it?"
The dragon said, "Yes."
Bao Yuan looked around. "It feels too normal."
Qu Yaoyang replied, "That is why it survives."
Bao Yuan thought about that and did not argue.
They entered through the outer road. A few people were walking around the market side, carrying baskets, cloth bundles, or tools. A man near a food stall glanced at the group and looked away quickly. A woman carrying water paused for half a second, then kept moving. The town had seen enough strange people to know better than to stare too long.
Bao Yuan noticed that too.
He whispered, "People here act carefully."
Gu Yanshu answered, "They know how to stay alive."
Bao Yuan glanced at him. "You say things like that very casually."
"I have reasons."
Bao Yuan nodded once.
The dragon looked around and said, "The inn is there."
It pointed with a small tilt of its head toward a building near the outer side of the road. The place was old but kept up. The roof slanted slightly on one side. Lanterns hung near the door. A wooden sign swung a little in the wind.
Bao Yuan looked relieved again.
"Good. I like places that already know what they are."
Qu Yaoyang gave him a sideways glance.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Bao Yuan said, "It means I do not like places that try too hard."
Gu Yanshu's mouth shifted a little, almost a smile, then faded.
They went toward the inn.
Inside, the room smelled like wood, tea, and cooked grain. A man at the counter looked up, saw the group, saw Qu Yaoyang's posture, saw Gu Yanshu's blade, then lowered his eyes and calmly asked, "Staying or passing through?"
Qu Yaoyang answered before anyone else could speak. "Staying one night."
The innkeeper nodded without surprise. "Rooms are upstairs. Food is ready if you want it."
Bao Yuan stepped slightly forward and asked, "Do you have water?"
The innkeeper pointed toward a side table. "Pitcher there."
Bao Yuan looked grateful.
Qu Yaoyang paid first. Gu Yanshu handed over a small amount too. Bao Yuan reached for his own pocket, then stopped and looked embarrassed.
"I don't think I have a place to keep money yet."
The dragon said, "Then keep it in your empty space."
Bao Yuan lit up. "Right. I can do that."
He practiced the motion under his breath, then used the empty space to tuck his money in. The movement was still a little uneven, but it held.
Gu Yanshu watched once and said, "Better than before."
Bao Yuan looked pleased. "You noticed?"
"Yes."
That was enough to make Bao Yuan stand straighter.
They took a table near the back.
A bowl of soup came first. Then bread. Then some simple vegetables. Nothing fancy. Just enough to fill the body.
Bao Yuan ate carefully at first, then faster once he realized nobody was judging him.
After a while he looked up and said, "So… you really are making a sect?"
Gu Yanshu replied, "Yes."
Bao Yuan leaned on one hand. "Still no name?"
"Not yet."
Qu Yaoyang said, "Names come later."
Bao Yuan looked between them. "How does that work?"
The dragon answered, "First you build the thing. Then you name it. If you name it too early, you start pretending it exists before it does."
Bao Yuan stared at the dragon a moment.
Then he slowly nodded. "That is actually good."
The dragon blinked once. "Of course it is."
Bao Yuan took another bite of bread and asked, "So what exactly is the sect supposed to do?"
Gu Yanshu answered, "Keep people alive. Keep them useful. Keep them moving."
Bao Yuan thought about that.
"Useful how?"
"By being able to do something when needed."
Bao Yuan asked, "Like pills?"
Gu Yanshu nodded once. "Like pills."
Bao Yuan swallowed.
Then he said, "That sounds a little strict."
Qu Yaoyang gave a short hum. "Strict is fine."
Bao Yuan looked down at his soup, then back up. "I just hope I do not get kicked out the moment I fail something."
Gu Yanshu said, "If you fail, you learn."
Bao Yuan blinked. "That was surprisingly normal."
Qu Yaoyang leaned back slightly. "You expected something else?"
Bao Yuan said, "From you, yes."
That got a short look from Qu Yaoyang, then a faint smile.
The dragon drank from a cup of water and said, "He is less difficult than he looks."
Bao Yuan looked at the dragon. "That is also a good line."
The dragon nodded.
Bao Yuan asked, "Can the empty space hold food too?"
"Yes," the dragon said.
Bao Yuan thought of that at once. "Then I should fill it."
Gu Yanshu answered, "That is sensible."
Bao Yuan looked pleased again and kept eating.
A little later, a merchant near the door came in, spoke to the innkeeper, and sat down at another table. Bao Yuan watched him for a moment, then asked quietly, "Do people here know who we are?"
Qu Yaoyang replied, "No."
Bao Yuan asked, "Do they want to know?"
"Some do," Gu Yanshu said. "Most do not."
Bao Yuan nodded. "That feels safer."
The dragon said, "It is safer until a rumor starts."
Bao Yuan paused.
Then he looked at the dragon again. "You really know a lot."
The dragon replied, "I hear things."
Bao Yuan said, "Do dragons usually hear things?"
The dragon looked at him. "Only the ones who live long enough."
Bao Yuan accepted that without argument.
A few minutes passed in peace.
People came and went from the inn. The innkeeper filled cups, carried bowls, wiped tables. The town outside kept moving in its slow daily rhythm.
Bao Yuan watched all of it and finally said, "This is almost relaxing."
Qu Yaoyang said, "Do not say that too early."
Bao Yuan looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"
"Because then something often happens."
Bao Yuan stared at him.
Then he looked at Gu Yanshu.
Gu Yanshu did not confirm or deny it.
That silence was enough to make Bao Yuan sit a little straighter.
After dinner, they stayed inside a little longer. Not because they needed to. Because there was no need to rush back out.
Bao Yuan asked, "If the sect has no name, do I still call you master?"
Gu Yanshu answered, "If you want to."
Bao Yuan blinked. "That is very open."
Qu Yaoyang said, "Do you want it to be complicated?"
Bao Yuan immediately shook his head.
"No. Open is better."
The dragon said, "Then follow that."
Bao Yuan looked at Gu Yanshu and asked, "Then what do I call the others?"
Qu Yaoyang answered, "Use their names."
Bao Yuan nodded. "That I can do."
Then he hesitated.
"What about orders? If you tell me something, I do it?"
Gu Yanshu said, "If it makes sense."
Bao Yuan thought for a second.
"So not blind obedience."
"No."
Bao Yuan looked relieved. "Good."
Qu Yaoyang gave a small huff of amusement. "You expected blind obedience?"
Bao Yuan said, "I did not know what to expect. Sect rules usually sound worse than they are."
The dragon tilted its head. "That depends on the sect."
Bao Yuan asked, "What was your last sect like?"
Gu Yanshu's eyes shifted slightly.
Not far.
Just enough.
Bao Yuan noticed the movement and immediately corrected himself. "Sorry. You do not have to answer."
Gu Yanshu said, "It is fine."
Then after a short pause he added, "It was destroyed."
Bao Yuan went quiet.
Qu Yaoyang did too.
The dragon said nothing.
Bao Yuan lowered his eyes and nodded once. "Then that is why there is no name."
Gu Yanshu looked at him.
Bao Yuan continued carefully, "If something gets destroyed, and you rebuild it, then giving it a name too soon feels like pretending the old thing never existed."
Gu Yanshu did not answer right away.
Then he said, "Something like that."
Bao Yuan sat back slightly, realizing he had probably said the right thing without meaning to.
The inn was getting quieter now. Some guests had already gone upstairs. The market noise outside had softened too.
Bao Yuan looked toward the window. "So after this town, where do we go?"
Gu Yanshu replied, "Further."
Bao Yuan waited for more.
No more came.
He sighed, then smiled a little.
"Your answers are very short."
The dragon said, "Short answers are easier to keep."
Bao Yuan looked at it. "That makes sense too."
A little later, Bao Yuan asked, "Can I really make an empty space big enough to hold more things?"
The dragon answered, "If you keep practicing."
Bao Yuan nodded. "I want to."
Qu Yaoyang glanced at him. "Why?"
Bao Yuan shrugged. "Because it is useful. And because it feels like the kind of thing I should learn if I am staying here."
That answer made Gu Yanshu look at him for a moment.
Bao Yuan noticed the look and added quickly, "I mean if that is okay."
Gu Yanshu replied, "It is okay."
Bao Yuan relaxed again.
The night deepened outside.
Inside the inn, the air stayed warm.
Gu Yanshu stood first.
"Upstairs," he said.
Bao Yuan looked a little startled, then got up quickly too.
Qu Yaoyang followed.
The dragon settled on Gu Yanshu's shoulder again.
Bao Yuan looked at the stairs and asked, "One room or separate rooms?"
Qu Yaoyang answered, "Separate."
Bao Yuan nodded. "Makes sense."
They started up the stairs slowly.
Bao Yuan went last, still thinking about the empty space, the sect without a name, and the strange calm of the group around him.
At the top of the stairs, he turned and asked one more question.
"So when we wake up tomorrow… do we keep walking?"
Gu Yanshu looked at him.
"Yes."
Bao Yuan nodded.
"Okay."
Then he stepped toward his room.
The door closed quietly behind him.
Qu Yaoyang walked to his own room.
The dragon shifted a little on Gu Yanshu's shoulder and said, "He asks many questions."
Gu Yanshu opened his door.
"Yes."
"Will he keep asking?"
"Yes."
The dragon seemed satisfied with that.
Gu Yanshu stepped inside.
The room was simple. A bed. A table. A chair. A window that looked out toward the dark road beyond the town.
He stood near the window for a moment and watched the night.
The town was quiet.
Bao Yuan was nearby.
Qu Yaoyang was nearby.
The road would still be there in the morning.
And tomorrow, they would keep walking again.The dragon brother came back and looked at the dragon.
"Now who is this new one?" he asked.
The dragon said, "Um, yeah, this is a new one. He is new for our sect."
The dragon brother frowned. "You are making a sect? But isn't that supposed to be dangerous? Are you the sect leader?"
The dragon said, "Um, I will become the next one, but I am not the one right now. The sect leader is that guy."
The dragon pointed at Gu Yanshu.
The dragon brother looked at Gu Yanshu and said, "Yeah, I see he is tall. Mommy dragon and father dragon are soon coming."
The dragon said, "What?"
The dragon brother said, "Yeah, you better be prepared. I was just here to give you the alert."
Then the dragon brother flew away.
The dragon was left there shocked.
The new disciple looked at everyone and said, "Nothing is wrong. Isn't that supposed to be justice? Like an insect, but a lot bigger."
The dragon said, "Yes."
He said it slowly.
Gu Yanshu said, "He cares about me. He is giving you warnings for any further to what he is telling me. Leave it to me. I will talk to it myself. No need to do anything."
The dragon smiled and said, "Just trust me. You really can do it."
Then the new disciple said, "Well, also I am hungry."
"What?" Gu Yanshu said. "You are hungry? We don't have money."
Gu Yanshu said, "No, we have. And stop saying anything. Just let me handle it."
The new disciple did not answer because he did not have one.
And if he did not have one, that was his weakness.
That is why he hated himself and he was careless.
He did not care about anyone, not even himself.
If they die, they die.
If he died, he died.
But he did not fully accept it.
That was a big weakness.
Gu Yanshu looked around.
They were in a new town.
After walking for a while, he saw a restaurant.
He pointed at the dragon and said, "Here is seventeen nine money. Go there. Buy anything you could with this."
The dragon took the money with his small hands and went inside.
The others were bigger than him.
These clients were very pale compared to the dragon, and it was even more painful for the dragon because he was smaller, very small, a little too small.
He slowly smiled at the men when the clients started laughing at him.
The dragon slowly bought food and ran out.
The clients did not stop laughing.
When they opened their eyes, they saw nothing but a wall where they had been laughing.
Their faces turned even more pale.
But the dragon escaped.
In that restaurant, the last thing the dragon heard was someone beating someone.
He slowly came back toward Gu Yanshu.
He sat on his shoulder and said, "I am so uncomfortable and you didn't walk at all."
Gu Yanshu nodded and said, "I was waiting for you."
The dragon said, "Ah, that should be good."
The new disciple looked shocked because the dragon was looking a little too uncomfortable.
Gu Yanshu let the dragon settle properly on his shoulder again.
Bao Yuan stood nearby, still holding the feeling of the new town in his head like it was something strange he had just stepped into.
He looked from Gu Yanshu to the dragon and then back again.
Then he asked, "So… your dragon can go in there by himself?"
Gu Yanshu said, "Yes."
Bao Yuan stared for a second.
"That place had a lot of people."
The dragon said, "Yes."
Bao Yuan looked at the dragon again. "And they laughed at you?"
The dragon replied, "Yes."
Bao Yuan blinked. "Then why didn't you do anything?"
The dragon looked at him and said, "Because I returned."
Bao Yuan went quiet for a moment after that.
Then he slowly nodded.
"Okay. That makes sense somehow."
Qu Yaoyang was standing a little to the side, arms relaxed, watching the street.
He had not said much during the exchange.
But now he looked toward the restaurant again and said, "You were gone longer than expected."
The dragon curled slightly on Gu Yanshu's shoulder.
"I had to wait."
Bao Yuan looked between them.
"Wait for what?"
The dragon answered, "For the right time."
Bao Yuan frowned.
"That sounds like something a very annoying person would say."
The dragon did not react strongly.
"It still worked."
Bao Yuan opened his mouth, then closed it again.
He was starting to realize that the dragon would answer in a way that made everything sound simpler than it should.
Gu Yanshu started walking again.
The others followed.
Bao Yuan stayed near the middle this time, as if he had decided that walking too far behind would make him miss something important.
He looked at the street signs as they passed.
The town was not large.
Small shops on one side.
A repair stand near the other.
A few old carts.
A water stall.
People walking past with baskets, sacks, cloth, and food.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing loud.
Just movement.
Bao Yuan looked at it all and said, "This place feels normal."
Qu Yaoyang replied, "That is the point."
Bao Yuan glanced at him.
"The point of what?"
"To keep moving without causing trouble."
Bao Yuan considered that and said, "That sounds easy when you say it."
Gu Yanshu answered, "It is not easy. That is why it matters."
Bao Yuan nodded slowly.
He was still learning the way these people spoke.
Not a lot.
Not directly.
But enough to understand the shape of their thinking.
They reached a narrower road inside the town.
The buildings stood closer here.
One window was open.
Someone inside was talking too loudly.
A child ran across the path and disappeared behind a cart.
Bao Yuan watched all of it and asked, "Are we staying here long?"
Gu Yanshu said, "No."
Bao Yuan looked disappointed and relieved at the same time.
"Then what are we doing here?"
"We eat," Gu Yanshu said. "We rest. We keep going."
Bao Yuan scratched his head.
"That really is your whole style."
The dragon said, "It works."
Bao Yuan looked up at it.
"You keep saying that."
The dragon replied, "Because it is true."
They walked for a little while longer until the street became a little quieter.
A second food shop came into view.
Not as crowded as the first one.
Bao Yuan looked at it and asked, "Should I buy something too?"
Gu Yanshu said, "No. You already have food."
Bao Yuan looked at the dragon.
The dragon had the bag from the first shop now, tucked neatly near Gu Yanshu's side.
Bao Yuan blinked.
"Oh. Right."
Qu Yaoyang looked forward and said, "You ask a lot of questions."
Bao Yuan replied, "Because I do not know anything yet."
That got a small pause from the group.
Then the dragon said, "That is acceptable."
Bao Yuan looked almost offended. "Acceptable?"
The dragon answered, "You are not useless if you are still asking."
Bao Yuan stopped for half a second and then smiled.
"That is better."
Gu Yanshu kept walking.
The town moved around them.
A man passed carrying a wooden frame.
Two women crossed the road talking about cloth.
An old merchant stood outside his stall and watched them pass without speaking.
Bao Yuan asked, "Where did you learn to act like this?"
Gu Yanshu answered, "Act like what?"
"Like you know where you're going even when you don't explain it."
Gu Yanshu said, "I don't need to explain it."
Bao Yuan nodded. "That is exactly what I mean."
Qu Yaoyang gave a short breath that might have been a laugh.
Bao Yuan looked at him.
"What?"
"Nothing," Qu Yaoyang said.
Bao Yuan did not believe him, but he let it go.
They turned onto another road and came near a small open area with benches and a water basin.
Gu Yanshu slowed a little.
The dragon moved slightly.
Bao Yuan looked around and asked, "Do you sense something?"
Gu Yanshu said, "No."
Bao Yuan relaxed.
Then Gu Yanshu added, "Just checking."
Bao Yuan went quiet again.
Then he said, "You like making people nervous."
Gu Yanshu answered, "No. People do that themselves."
Bao Yuan stared at him for a second.
Then he gave up trying to argue and said, "That is a very annoying answer."
The dragon said, "It is still true."
Bao Yuan sighed.
"Everyone here talks in a way that makes me think too much."
Qu Yaoyang replied, "Good."
Bao Yuan looked at him with fake frustration. "That was not comforting."
Qu Yaoyang only shrugged.
They kept moving.
A few minutes later, Bao Yuan asked, "Where do we sleep tonight?"
Gu Yanshu said, "In the inn."
Bao Yuan nodded.
Then he looked at the road ahead and said, "Tomorrow?"
"Walk," Gu Yanshu said.
Bao Yuan looked at the dragon. "That really is the answer to everything."
The dragon replied, "It is one answer."
Bao Yuan smiled despite himself.
Then he looked back at Gu Yanshu and said, "If I keep walking with you, will I really learn something?"
Gu Yanshu did not answer quickly.
He looked ahead for a moment.
Then he said, "If you keep paying attention."
Bao Yuan accepted that.
"That sounds fair."
They walked on.
No fight came.
No rush came.
Just the town, the road, the sound of footsteps, and the shape of a group that was slowly becoming more like a group.
Bao Yuan kept asking small questions as they moved, and the dragon kept answering the ones it could.
Gu Yanshu said little, but when he did speak, the others listened.
And the road kept going forward.Bao Yuan kept walking with them.
The town did not change much as they moved deeper inside it.
The roads stayed narrow in some places, then opened again into small squares with a few stalls, a water barrel, and old wooden signs leaning at strange angles. Nothing felt urgent. Nothing felt loud. It was the kind of place where people spoke in low voices and never stood in the middle of the road too long.
Bao Yuan looked around carefully and said, "This place is kind of strange."
Qu Yaoyang asked, "Why?"
Bao Yuan thought for a second. "Because it looks normal, but it also looks like it has seen a lot."
The dragon on Gu Yanshu's shoulder turned its head slightly and said, "That is because it has."
Bao Yuan nodded.
"That makes sense."
Gu Yanshu kept walking at the same pace.
Not slow.
Not fast.
Just steady enough that nobody had to rush to follow him.
Bao Yuan noticed that too.
He said, "You always walk like that?"
Gu Yanshu answered, "Like what?"
Bao Yuan pointed with his chin toward the road. "Like you already know where your next step is before you take it."
Gu Yanshu said, "I usually do."
Bao Yuan stared for a second, then gave a short laugh.
"That sounds like a very annoying skill."
Qu Yaoyang said, "It is useful."
Bao Yuan looked at him. "You say everything is useful."
Qu Yaoyang replied, "Because most things are."
Bao Yuan nodded slowly, then looked forward again.
They passed a woman carrying folded cloth. She glanced at the group, then looked away. A boy near a basket of fruit stared at the dragon for a little too long before his mother pulled him aside. Bao Yuan watched that and asked, "Do people always look away like that?"
The dragon replied, "When they do not want problems, yes."
Bao Yuan said, "That is fair."
He walked for a few more steps, then asked, "Are we going anywhere specific before the inn?"
Gu Yanshu answered, "No."
Bao Yuan blinked. "So we are just walking through the town?"
"Yes."
Bao Yuan looked at the street, then at the buildings. "That is oddly calming."
The dragon said, "That is the point of towns."
Bao Yuan smiled faintly.
"Now that is a better answer."
They kept moving.
After a while the road widened into another open stretch where a few benches sat near a water basin. A man was sitting there with a cloth over his head, resting without talking to anyone. Bao Yuan looked at the basin and said, "Can we stop for water?"
The dragon answered first. "Yes."
Gu Yanshu did not object, so they slowed down.
Bao Yuan walked to the basin and washed his hands first, then looked at the water again as if checking whether it was worth drinking.
Qu Yaoyang noticed that and said, "It is water."
Bao Yuan replied, "I know, but some water tastes like it was carrying bad news."
That got a short breath from Qu Yaoyang that was close to a laugh.
The dragon said, "This one is normal."
Bao Yuan looked at it. "You are very confident in water."
The dragon answered, "I have to be."
Bao Yuan poured some into his palm and drank.
Then he sighed.
"Okay. That is good water."
Gu Yanshu stood nearby, watching the town and not the people in it. He had the kind of stillness that made the area feel a little more ordered just by standing there.
Bao Yuan noticed that too.
He walked back and said, "You really do not talk much."
Gu Yanshu replied, "I talk when it matters."
Bao Yuan asked, "How do you decide when it matters?"
Gu Yanshu answered, "Usually I know."
Bao Yuan looked at him for a moment, then said, "That is not helpful at all."
Qu Yaoyang said, "You will get used to it."
Bao Yuan tilted his head. "That sounds like a warning."
The dragon said, "It is."
Bao Yuan sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"You all act like this is normal."
Gu Yanshu replied, "It is for us."
Bao Yuan looked between them, then accepted that with a slow nod.
They left the basin area and kept walking through the town. The sun had shifted a little higher than before, but the shadows were still soft, not harsh. Shops had started opening more fully. A baker pulled a tray inside. A seller called out something about grain and dried vegetables. Someone in a blue robe crossed the street without looking at anybody.
Bao Yuan watched all of it.
"This place has a lot of routine," he said.
Qu Yaoyang answered, "That is why it survives."
Bao Yuan thought about that and said, "Routine sounds boring."
The dragon said, "Boring is sometimes stable."
Bao Yuan glanced at it.
"That is another one of your strange useful sayings."
The dragon replied, "Thank you."
Bao Yuan looked surprised. "That was not a compliment."
"It still works as one."
Bao Yuan laughed again, then looked at Gu Yanshu.
"So… where did you learn to be like this?"
Gu Yanshu did not answer right away.
He kept walking for a few steps.
Then he said, "From losing enough things to stop wasting movement."
Bao Yuan's smile faded a little.
He did not ask more about that.
Instead he said, "That is a heavy answer."
Gu Yanshu replied, "It is still an answer."
That was enough.
They moved past a narrow alley with hanging signs. One sign had a painted bowl. Another had a cracked pair of chopsticks. Bao Yuan looked at them and asked, "Do restaurants here all look like that?"
The dragon answered, "No. Only the ones that try to look friendly."
Bao Yuan stared for a second.
Then he asked, "And are they friendly?"
The dragon said, "Not always."
Bao Yuan nodded slowly.
"Noted."
They continued walking.
After a while the road became less crowded, and the side buildings started looking like places where people actually lived instead of just sold things. Small curtains in windows. A broom leaning against one wall. A stack of firewood beside a door. Bao Yuan saw all of it and said, "This is more peaceful."
Qu Yaoyang said, "Only because you are looking at it from a distance."
Bao Yuan looked at him. "What does that mean?"
"It means if you lived here long enough, you would see the repairs, the shortages, the complaints, the arguments, and the people trying to hold everything together."
Bao Yuan was quiet for a second.
Then he said, "You make everything sound harder than it should be."
Qu Yaoyang answered, "Things are usually harder than they first look."
Bao Yuan accepted that too.
The dragon looked ahead and said, "The inn is not far now."
Bao Yuan immediately looked more alert.
"Good."
They walked another block and then turned toward a wider street near the edge of the town. The inn sat there like it had been waiting. The same old sign. The same slightly tilted roof. A few lanterns hanging by the entrance even though it was still daytime.
Bao Yuan smiled a little.
"That place again."
Gu Yanshu said, "Yes."
Bao Yuan asked, "Do we just go in?"
The dragon replied, "That is usually the method."
Bao Yuan nodded and followed.
Inside, the air was warm and quiet. The innkeeper glanced up, recognized them, and gave a small nod without speaking much.
Gu Yanshu walked to the counter and placed the room payment down.
The innkeeper counted it once and said, "Same rooms as before?"
Gu Yanshu answered, "Yes."
The innkeeper nodded and handed over the keys.
Bao Yuan watched the interaction carefully.
Then he asked, "You come here often?"
Qu Yaoyang answered, "Often enough."
Bao Yuan looked toward the staircase. "It feels like you already know every place you pass."
Gu Yanshu said, "I remember useful places."
Bao Yuan smiled slightly.
"That sentence makes you sound like you sort people and buildings into the same category."
The dragon said, "Sometimes that is accurate."
Bao Yuan looked up at the dragon, then shook his head with a small laugh.
"I still do not know whether that is funny or concerning."
Gu Yanshu replied, "Both."
Bao Yuan blinked, then laughed again.
This time Qu Yaoyang gave a short look at Gu Yanshu, like he had noticed the answer had actually been a little more open than usual.
Bao Yuan noticed the rooms and then looked back down the hall.
"So are we resting now?"
Gu Yanshu said, "Yes."
Bao Yuan exhaled in relief.
"Finally."
The dragon turned slightly and said, "Do not get too comfortable."
Bao Yuan looked at it. "Why not?"
The dragon answered, "Comfort ends quickly if you do not prepare."
Bao Yuan went quiet for a second.
Then he said, "You really never stop sounding like you know something I don't."
The dragon replied, "That is because I usually do."
Bao Yuan stood there for a moment, then just sighed.
"All right. I accept that."
They went upstairs slowly.
The hallway was narrow but clean enough. A few old portraits hung on the wall. One was crooked. Bao Yuan looked at it as they passed and asked, "Do you think the owner ever fixes anything here?"
Qu Yaoyang answered, "Probably when it matters."
Bao Yuan nodded. "That is becoming a familiar answer."
The dragon said, "It works."
They reached the rooms.
Gu Yanshu opened his room first, then looked toward Bao Yuan and said, "You can stay in the room next to Qu Yaoyang."
Bao Yuan looked at the door and nodded.
"Okay."
He hesitated, then said, "Thanks."
Gu Yanshu gave a short nod and entered his room.
Qu Yaoyang went into the next one.
Bao Yuan stood outside his own room for a few seconds and then slowly opened the door.
Inside it was simple.
A bed.
A table.
A chair.
A window.
Nothing special, but enough.
Bao Yuan stepped in and looked around as if expecting something hidden to appear.
Nothing did.
He closed the door carefully and then sat on the bed.
For a while he just stared at the wall.
After that, he opened his empty space and checked the pills again.
The three pills were still there.
He looked at them with a strange expression.
Then he muttered, "Still weird."
A knock came at the door.
Bao Yuan quickly shut the space and stood up.
He opened the door to see the dragon sitting there on the hallway railing with its tail curled neatly around itself.
Bao Yuan blinked. "How did you get here so fast?"
The dragon said, "I moved."
Bao Yuan stared.
"That is not an explanation."
The dragon replied, "It is enough."
Bao Yuan sighed and leaned against the doorway.
"What do you want?"
The dragon looked at him.
"You ask many questions."
Bao Yuan gave it a tired look.
"I know."
The dragon said, "Good. Then ask one useful one."
Bao Yuan thought for a second.
Then asked, "What should I be careful about?"
The dragon looked down the hall once, then back at him.
"About wasting your attention."
Bao Yuan frowned slightly.
"That is vague again."
"It is also correct."
Bao Yuan rubbed his forehead.
"You and Gu Yanshu both talk like that."
The dragon said, "That is because he does not waste words either."
Bao Yuan looked at the room, then back at the dragon.
"Does he trust me?"
The dragon answered honestly, "Not fully."
Bao Yuan nodded.
"That is fair."
The dragon continued, "But he did let you stay."
Bao Yuan was quiet for a second.
Then he smiled a little.
"Yeah."
The dragon watched him.
"If you stay, then stay seriously."
Bao Yuan looked at it and said, "I was planning to."
The dragon nodded once, as if that was the correct answer.
Then it asked, "What do you want from the sect?"
Bao Yuan thought longer this time.
He looked at the wall, then the floor, then the window.
After a while he said, "A place."
The dragon said nothing, so Bao Yuan continued.
"I don't really have one. Not anymore. So… I think I want one where I can stand without being told to leave."
The dragon listened quietly.
Bao Yuan scratched the side of his neck.
"That sounds more dramatic than I meant it."
The dragon replied, "It still means something."
Bao Yuan smiled a little again.
Then he said, "I guess so."
The dragon looked at him for a second longer and then said, "That is enough for now."
Bao Yuan nodded.
"Thanks."
The dragon turned to leave, then paused.
"One more thing."
Bao Yuan looked up.
The dragon said, "If you want people to answer your questions, ask them at the right time."
Bao Yuan gave a short laugh.
"You really like giving advice now."
The dragon replied, "No. I like surviving."
Bao Yuan laughed a little harder at that.
"All right."
The dragon left and Bao Yuan closed the door again.
He sat down on the bed, then leaned back and stared at the ceiling.
For a while he said nothing.
The town outside kept moving.
People walked in the street.
The inn creaked softly.
Gu Yanshu was somewhere nearby.
Qu Yaoyang too.
Bao Yuan looked at his hands, then at the empty space he had learned to make.
It still felt strange to him.
But useful.
He tried to open it again carefully, just to see if he could do it without mistakes.
A small gap appeared.
Not large.
Just enough.
Bao Yuan smiled to himself.
"Better."
He closed it again and leaned back.
After some time, his mind drifted to the questions he had asked earlier.
The sect.
The road.
The town.
The dragon.
Gu Yanshu's way of speaking.
Qu Yaoyang's short answers.
Everything had its own shape.
A little odd.
But not bad.
Bao Yuan stared at the ceiling and muttered, "Maybe this is fine."
There was no answer.
Only the quiet of the room.
Outside, the day continued.
The group rested.
The road would still be there in the morning.
And when they woke up, they would keep walking again.