The road from the Dugu Clan to Ascending Dragon City stretched endlessly ahead of Aiden, a dusty strip running through fields and scattered merchant huts. He walked it at a steady pace, the old dagger on his belt tapping against his leg, the small sack of coins and scraps he'd managed to save rustling with each step.
Going into the city sounded easy in his head. Buy the bare minimum, disappear into the mountains, and hope no one from the clan bothered asking questions. Reality, though, always liked proving him wrong.
Morning sun pressed warm fingers against the back of his neck. On both sides of the road, rows of spirit grain shimmered faintly, catching the light in soft pulses. Farmers bent over their fields without looking up; a servant walking alone wasn't worth their time.
Long Chen's memories offered him nothing useful. The boy had grown up inside those clan walls like a caged bird. Aiden only had scraps from the half-built world he'd created, lines he never finished writing, maps he never bothered updating.
Ascending Dragon City spread out below the foothills of the Fallen Dragon Mountains like a giant fan. Stone walls, curved rooftops, banners fluttering from wooden beams. Great powers ran things here, like the Ye Clan in the north, and the Dugu Clan in the south. Their rivalry old enough to be carved into the streets.
Aiden slipped into the line of travelers entering through the massive wooden gates. Hunters carried pelts, merchants dragged carts of herbs, a few cultivators passed by with the quiet confidence he envied.
When he reached the front, the guard barely looked up from his stool.
"Purpose of entry?"
"Buying supplies," Aiden answered.
A wave of the guard's hand dismissed him, and he stepped into a flood of noise.
The city lived loudly. Smoke from roasting meat curled into the air, vendors shouted about talismans and stones, children darted between stalls, and the currents of spirit energy made his skin twitch.
He kept to the side, scanning for something cheap enough. A crooked sign hanging between a blacksmith and a tea house caught his eye. The shop looked as tired as he felt.
Inside, dust coated nearly everything. Shelves sagged under rope, cloaks worn thin, dented waterskins, and rations wrapped like afterthoughts. An old man sat behind the counter reading a manual he could barely keep from falling apart.
Aiden stepped closer. "Excuse me, senior."
"What is it?" the man grumbled without glancing up.
"A waterskin. And rations. The cheapest ones."
"Second shelf from the bottom," the old man muttered, waving one thin hand. "If it leaks, that's your problem."
Aiden gathered a battered waterskin and a small bundle of dry food. When he placed them on the counter, the old man finally looked at him.
"Eight copper."
Aiden slid the last of his coins across.
The man snatched them with the reflexes of someone who practiced greed as an art. Aiden took his things and turned, walking straight into someone standing at the doorway.
It was a girl. Sixteen? Seventeen? He wasn't sure. She wore plain gray robes, loose black hair, lashes too long for someone who stared so sharply. Her presence felt quiet, but not small.
"Sorry," Aiden murmured, stepping aside.
"Wait."
He paused, glancing back.
She studied him without hesitation. "You're from the Dugu Clan's servant division, right?"
That tightened something in his chest. "…Yeah. Why?"
Instead of answering, she reached into her robe and pulled out a small cloth-wrapped bundle. "Here."
Aiden blinked at it. "What is it?"
"Dried spirit beast meat," she said simply. "It boosts stamina. You look like you're about to travel far."
"Why give it to me?" Suspicion crept into his voice before he could stop it.
The girl shrugged lightly. "Curiosity, maybe. You look… different."
He hesitated. Then took it.
"Thanks."
She nodded once and walked past him into the shop, as if gifting food to strangers was perfectly normal.
Aiden tucked the bundle deep into his sack and stepped back into the crowded streets. Kindness never came without purpose in a world like this. But if the meat was real, it might keep him alive for a couple more days.
He'd only just crossed the plaza toward the eastern gate when someone caught his arm.
"Well, look what crawled out of the clan walls."
Aiden stiffened.
A Dugu outer disciple grinned at him — broad-shouldered, a few years older, eyes glowing with petty cruelty. Two more blocked the way behind him.
Aiden kept his voice level. "Let go."
"What's a servant doing this far from home?" the man drawled. "Running away? Stealing? Empty your pockets."
"No."
The disciple's hand tightened, spirit energy prickling against Aiden's skin.
Then a calm voice cut across the noise.
"That's enough."
Three men approached, wearing the dark green robes of the Ye Clan. Their twin-leaf crest shimmered faintly. The leader's presence alone made space open around him.
The Dugu disciple scowled. "This has nothing to do with the Ye Clan."
"You're blocking the plaza and extorting someone in daylight." The Ye clansman's tone was uninterested, which somehow made it worse. "That already makes it everyone's business."
"This is clan intern—"
"Your internal matters is none of our business," the man cut in.
That ended the conversation. The Dugu disciple shoved Aiden's arm away. "This isn't over."
Aiden said nothing.
The Ye clansman gave him a brief look, not friendly, not hostile, just observant. Aiden opened his mouth to thank him, but they were already gone.
He took a breath, steadied himself, and headed out through the eastern gate. The road narrowed into a dirt path, the forest thickening around him. The air grew cooler, humming with spirit energy that stirred the leaves.
He walked for nearly an hour before voices drifted through the trees.
"Are you sure this is the right path?"
"The map says northeast."
Aiden slipped behind a tree. Five figures appeared — four men in dark travel clothes, and leading them—
Aiden stifled a gasp. It was the girl from the shop.
Her ponytail swayed as she studied a map. Up close, she felt even more self-contained, like her thoughts were sharper than her expression showed.
One of her men spotted him. "Someone's there."
Aiden stepped out slowly with both hands visible. Running would only prove guilt.
"A servant?" one man scoffed. "He won't last the night."
The girl lifted her gaze. Recognition flickered — faint, but present. "Leave him," she said.
"But—"
"I said leave him."
The authority in her voice silenced them. She walked a little closer, stopping a few steps from Aiden. "You're heading somewhere dangerous."
He didn't bother lying.
After a moment, she spoke again. "We're going toward an old ruin. If you want to follow until the next boundary, you can."
Aiden weighed the options. Traveling alone was dangerous. Traveling with strangers… dangerous in a different way.
"Alright," he said quietly. "For a while."
She nodded and turned away. Her group moved forward. Aiden kept a little distance behind, listening, learning.
When the forest thinned and ancient stone pillars appeared between the trees, the group finally stopped.
Cold energy seeped from the cracked stones. The place felt older than anything he'd seen.
"This is where I stop," Aiden said before anyone could suggest otherwise. "I won't survive deeper."
One of the men snorted. "At least he's aware."
The girl studied him again, more intently than before. Then she reached into her robe and handed him a jade slip.
"Take it. A basic Body Refining technique. Use it well."
Aiden stared. "Why give it to me?"
Her lips curved, just slightly. "Because I'd like to see whether you survive."
With that, she turned and disappeared with her group into the ruins.
Aiden stood alone beneath the ancient pillars, the jade slip cool in his palm. The forest breathed quietly around him.
Seven days. The thought echoed behind his ribs.
He took a slow breath and looked up the mountain path.
'Alright,' he thought. 'Let's try this again.'