The river road carried them steadily north, winding through land that grew wilder with every passing mile. The trees pressed closer together here, their branches forming a loose canopy that filtered the sunlight into uneven patches of shade, while the path beneath their feet narrowed and softened into packed earth marked by only occasional footprints. The farther they moved from Shuiyun Town, the more Liang Yue felt the weight of attention gathering behind them, not as a single presence but as many distant threads slowly tightening toward the same point.
They walked in silence for a long while, not because there was nothing to say, but because both of them were thinking carefully about what had already happened and what it meant for the road ahead. The ambush on the river road, the confirmation of the bounty, and the encounter with the Silent Shrine had not been isolated events. Together, they formed a clear message: the world had begun to notice them, and it would not stop simply because they wished to move quietly.
Mo Chen broke the silence first, his voice low and controlled, as if he were afraid that speaking too loudly might alert something unseen. "The hunters from earlier weren't reckless," he said. "They waited until we left the town, chose a place without witnesses, and tested us instead of charging blindly. That means others like them will be more careful."
Liang Yue nodded, her gaze fixed on the path ahead as she adjusted her pace to match the uneven ground. "They weren't sent to kill us at all costs," she replied. "They were sent to evaluate. To confirm whether the bounty was worth pursuing."
"And now they know it is," Mo Chen said.
"Yes," she answered quietly. "Which means the next group won't underestimate us the same way."
They slowed as the path curved sharply around a cluster of rocks near the riverbank, where the water deepened and flowed more quietly. Liang Yue paused there, placing one hand against the rough stone as she allowed her breathing to steady. Since leaving the Silent Shrine, the Faith Core within her chest had felt different—not stronger in a raw sense, but more contained, its movements smoother and more deliberate. She could feel its limits now, could sense when she was nearing them, and that awareness brought both relief and caution.
"We can't keep reacting the same way," she said after a moment. "If every encounter turns into a fight, the rumors will grow faster than we can move."
Mo Chen glanced back down the path they had traveled. "They already are."
She turned to look at him fully. "That's why we need to change how we move through the world. Not just where we go."
He frowned slightly. "You mean hiding better?"
"Not exactly," she said. "Hiding completely isn't realistic anymore. But we can control what people think they know about us."
Mo Chen considered that, his brow furrowing as he searched for the meaning behind her words. "You want to shape the rumors."
"Yes," she said. "Right now, the story is simple. A scarred girl with strange light and a violent fool who kills without thought. That makes us targets. But if the story changes, even slightly, it buys us time."
"How?" he asked.
"By being selective," she replied. "By choosing when to act and when not to, and by making sure that when people do talk about us, they aren't sure what they've seen."
Mo Chen gave a short, thoughtful exhale. "That sounds like a dangerous game."
"It is," she admitted. "But less dangerous than being chased openly by every bounty hunter, sect scout, and ambitious cultivator within a hundred miles."
They continued walking until the sound of voices drifted faintly toward them from ahead. Liang Yue slowed instantly, lifting a hand to signal Mo Chen to stop. They stepped off the path and into the trees, moving carefully until they could see the source of the noise without being seen themselves.
A small group of travelers had gathered near a bend in the river where the path widened slightly. There were two merchant carts pulled off to the side, their drivers sitting on overturned crates as they spoke in low, animated voices. A pair of armed escorts stood nearby, their posture alert but not aggressive.
"…telling you, it wasn't just a fight," one of the merchants was saying. "Four clan patrol members dead. No survivors except one who ran screaming about light that burned through armor."
"That's just exaggeration," another replied, though his tone lacked conviction. "People always add details when they're afraid."
"I saw the bodies," the first man insisted. "Or what was left of them. Whatever did that wasn't normal."
Liang Yue felt her stomach tighten. The story was already spreading, and it was changing with every retelling.
Mo Chen leaned closer, his voice barely audible. "They're talking about us."
"Yes," she murmured. "And we didn't even fight here."
One of the escorts shifted his weight and spoke up. "The Qingming Sect is asking questions too. Quietly, but they're watching the roads. Anyone who looks unusual gets stopped."
"That's not good," the second merchant said. "Trade will suffer."
Liang Yue drew back slightly, her expression tightening as she absorbed the information. The involvement of a sect, even a minor one, meant the situation was escalating beyond simple bounties. Sect disciples operated under different rules, and their attention could easily attract stronger forces.
"We shouldn't pass through any settlements for a while," Mo Chen whispered once they had moved farther away. "At least not openly."
She nodded. "Agreed. But we still need supplies and information. We can't disappear entirely."
They moved on as the afternoon stretched toward evening, the sky slowly shifting toward warmer hues. The terrain grew rougher, forcing them to slow their pace, and by the time dusk settled fully, Liang Yue could feel fatigue creeping into her limbs. She signaled for them to stop near a shallow ravine where fallen trees and thick brush provided natural cover.
They set up a simple camp without fire, eating quietly as the forest darkened around them. For a long while, neither spoke, both listening to the night sounds and the subtle movements that might indicate approaching danger.
It was Mo Chen who noticed it first.
"There's someone following us," he said quietly, his voice steady but alert.
Liang Yue closed her eyes, reaching inward rather than outward, letting the Faith Core rotate slowly as she focused on sensing intent rather than presence. It took a moment, but then she felt it too—a distant, careful awareness that did not press forward aggressively, but did not retreat either.
"One," she said softly. "Maybe two. They're keeping their distance."
"Hunters again?" Mo Chen asked.
"No," she replied after a brief pause. "Not like before. This feels… lighter. Curious."
They waited, bodies tense but still, until a figure finally stepped into the faint moonlight at the edge of their camp. The man wore travel-worn clothes and carried no visible weapon, though Liang Yue could tell immediately that he was not unarmed in any meaningful sense.
"I don't mean any harm," he said calmly, stopping several paces away. "If I did, I wouldn't have announced myself."
Mo Chen rose slowly to his feet, placing himself between the stranger and Liang Yue without hesitation. "Then state your purpose and leave."
The man lifted his hands slightly in a placating gesture. "Fair enough. I'm a messenger of sorts. A watcher. I've been following the rumors, not the bounty."
Liang Yue studied him carefully, noting the lack of overt hostility but also the sharp awareness in his eyes. "Rumors about what?"
"About you," the man said simply. "About a girl whose healing light doesn't behave like qi, and a man whose body ignores cultivation limits. People are talking. Not loudly yet, but enough that those who listen carefully are paying attention."
Mo Chen's jaw tightened. "If you're here to threaten us, do it quickly."
The man shook his head. "No. I'm here to warn you."
Liang Yue's gaze sharpened. "About what?"
"About what happens next," he replied. "The bounty will escalate. The clans won't be satisfied with hunters for long, and the sects won't stay neutral once they believe something truly unusual is happening. When that point comes, running along roads like this will no longer be an option."
Silence stretched between them.
"And your advice?" Liang Yue asked finally.
"Disappear," the man said. "Not completely, but convincingly. Change how you're seen. Let the rumors fracture instead of solidify. If people can't agree on what you are, they won't know how to pursue you."
Mo Chen scoffed quietly. "That sounds easy when you're not the one being hunted."
The man smiled faintly. "It never is. But it's survivable."
Liang Yue considered his words carefully, weighing them against everything she had already sensed and learned. "Why help us?"
"Because unstable variables interest certain people," he replied honestly. "And because if the wrong side gains control of you too early, the balance of this region will shift in ways that won't be easily undone."
She met his gaze evenly. "Then you're not neutral."
"No," he admitted. "But I'm not your enemy either."
After a moment, he stepped back, retreating into the shadows. "You're heading toward the Silent Shrine's influence zone," he added. "That will draw attention whether you like it or not. Choose carefully how you respond to it."
And then he was gone, leaving only the quiet forest behind.
For a long time, Liang Yue and Mo Chen said nothing.
Finally, Mo Chen spoke. "We're running out of time to stay unknown."
"Yes," she said softly. "But we're not out of choices yet."
She looked north, where the land rose gradually and the path ahead disappeared into darkness. "From now on, we move with intent. No unnecessary fights. No unnecessary displays of power. We let the world guess instead of know."
Mo Chen nodded slowly. "And when guessing turns into certainty?"
She met his eyes. "Then we decide whether we want to be feared… or followed."
The forest around them remained still, but far beyond their sight, rumors continued to spread, carried by travelers, merchants, and those who listened more closely than others ever realized.
By the time dawn came, the world would be moving again.
And this time, it would be moving toward them.