As the night wind finally died down, the mountain forest was left with only the four of them—heavy breathing, and the soft crackle of dying embers. Yan Lin had retreated. The immediate danger had passed, yet the crushing pressure of having brushed against death still lingered in the air.
Lin Yaochen wiped the sweat from his brow and sank down, bracing himself on his knees.
"Whew… That guy was like a ghost… I really thought I was done for…"
Luo Yan was drenched in sweat as well. The hem of his clothes had been scorched black by his own flames. He stared at his palm, where faint, fire-patterned afterglow still shimmered—his Fire Yao power trembling softly beneath his skin. He looked up at Mozi.
"Just now… that fire—was I controlling it?"
Mozi nodded, his expression more solemn than usual.
"Yes, and no. It was your Yao power awakening on its own, triggered by a sudden surge of emotion. But if you can't stabilize it, it can hurt you too."
Luo Yan nodded in silence. He remembered the moment the flames roared up—power had never felt so close, yet it also felt like something that could swallow him whole at any second.
"So this is… what a Yao-bearer has to carry?" he asked quietly.
Ge Zhiyao stepped closer, her gaze gentle but unshakably firm.
"It's our responsibility. And it's our choice. If you're willing… we'll walk this road together."
Luo Yan looked at her. In the firelight, her eyes held a resolve that could not be shaken. He nodded.
"I don't want to use fire only to cook anymore. I want to… protect people."
Lin Yaochen straightened immediately.
"That's the spirit! We're basically a destiny-bound unit now. Don't worry—training from here on will make you question your entire existence."
Zhiyao let out a helpless laugh. "Don't scare him."
Mozi gave a slight nod and looked at the three of them.
"From this day onward, you're not just fellow travelers—you're allies. And you need to be ready… because the real battlefield has only just begun."
The flames rose again, flickering between the trees. That night, a different kind of fire ignited in each of their hearts—fire for protection, for redemption, for searching out the meaning of their own existence.
And that… was their first true awakening as "Yao-bearers."
Night Camp
As the night deepened, they hastily made camp in a small clearing. Wind slid through the branches overhead. The fire stretched their shadows long, then short again—overlapping, swaying, weaving together.
Leaning against the side of the carriage, Ge Zhiyao opened a small cloth pouch she always carried. Inside lay a repeating crossbow—broken. The wooden limbs were etched with dense patterns, and the metal structure was exquisitely engineered, yet cracked from excessive strain.
"These are my mother's design drafts," she said softly, dismantling the damaged parts with practiced hands. "I only built it after she passed. I used to have two spare ones… but I lost them during my escape."
Luo Yan leaned in for a look.
"You made this yourself? The structure is so complicated."
Lin Yaochen rested his chin on his hand, watching her work.
"Your mother must've been a genius. But you're even more impressive—you brought her designs to life."
"She was a weaponsmith," Zhiyao said quietly. "To me, her drafts are the most precious inheritance." Her fingers flicked swiftly as she pinched a tiny gear and slotted it back into the firing track. "I want to fix it again. If we're going into Golden Yao Valley to rescue people, I can't go without this weapon."
Mozi sat nearby and replied in a low voice, "You repair it. I'll help you plan how to get into the valley."
Lin Yaochen immediately sat up.
"Alright. How do we get in?"
Mozi pulled a rough map from the backpack with his teeth and spread it on the ground.
"There are three checkpoints along the outer perimeter. The main road is impossible. We only have two options—"
He pointed to the eastern side of the map.
"This is an abandoned mine shaft. It was sealed after a collapse years ago. But if you can climb the cliff face, you might reach the inner zone. The problem is the collapsed sections are narrow and dangerous, and there may be remnants of old barriers."
Then he tapped another location.
"Second option: disguise yourselves as a logistics supply team and blend in. Laborers deliver grain and materials into the valley every day. Once inside, you can gradually move deeper… but you'll need a travel permit."
Zhiyao paused, lifting her head.
"Logistics… I remember the eastern entrance is controlled by a newly appointed city lord named Yan Shuo. If we can forge a permit bearing his mark, we should be able to slip in."
"But aren't you wanted?" Lin Yaochen frowned.
"He's never seen me," Zhiyao replied evenly. "When I escaped, I wore a veil. That night was chaos—only a few people know my face." Her gaze remained calm and steady. "This is the safest method we have."
Luo Yan hesitated, then asked, "The people we're rescuing… besides your family—are there others?"
Zhiyao nodded.
"My father was forced into the deepest part of the iron mines. He cannot die. And a few of our old loyalists were imprisoned with him. I have to get them out."
Lin Yaochen clenched his jaw.
"Then let's infiltrate. Stir the whole Golden Yao Valley into complete chaos from the inside."
"That's exactly what I plan to do." Zhiyao lifted the newly assembled crossbow high, snapping the final iron bolt into place. "One by one… I'll bring them out."
In the firelight, the girl's eyes were harder than steel. The metal of the crossbow gleamed coldly—like a blade that had slept too long, now finally returning to its sheathless purpose.
Mozi said quietly, "Then we enter from the eastern gate. Make the permit. Change equipment. And then… break into Golden Yao Valley."
The night grew deeper.
Mozi continued, more detailed now, tracing the map with a claw.
"These permits rotate their serial numbers and wax seals regularly. If we want a perfect copy, the only way is to take a real one."
"Take?" Lin Yaochen's brow knit. "You mean… steal?"
"More precisely," Mozi said in a low voice, "intercept."
"At the eastern entrance, between Chen Hour and Si Hour each day, a supply convoy departs from near Liuchuan Town and escorts goods into Golden Yao Valley. We can lie in wait tonight and intercept one cart—without raising an alarm—then change clothes and blend in."
Zhiyao nodded calmly.
"I know the laborers' uniforms and carriage markings. I can draw them for you."
Luo Yan frowned.
"But how do we make sure those men don't cause trouble?"
Lin Yaochen thumped his chest.
"I'll use my Earth Yao power and make them 'take a nap.' No killing. After we're inside, someone will find them eventually."
A glimmer of approval flashed in Mozi's eyes.
"That's workable. If you can create Sand-Sleep Dust, you can put a small area of people into a sleeping state."
"Then I'll try tonight—see if I can refine it," Lin Yaochen said immediately, sitting back down cross-legged and slipping into serious training mode.
Zhiyao propped up an oil lamp, took out paper and brush, and began sketching the carriage markings, uniform colors, and the permit format. She added in a quiet warning,
"Yan Shuo is extremely suspicious. If we want to fool the guards, not one detail can be wrong."
Luo Yan was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Can I make bento?"
"…What?" Lin Yaochen opened his eyes.
"I mean—if we're pretending to be a supply team delivering provisions, food is the most natural cover. I can make smoked meats or cured ham that mask scent. Add herb powder, and once the guards eat, they'll relax their vigilance."
Mozi raised an eyebrow.
"You have that kind of cooking skill?"
"Fire Yao isn't a joke," Luo Yan scratched the back of his head. "And I grew up in kitchens. Cooking… is what I'm best at."
Zhiyao thought for a moment.
"I know a few roots that can induce drowsiness. We can mix them in quietly. They'll fall unconscious within half an hour—no fighting needed."
Mozi clapped once, decisive.
"Good. One batch of Sand-Sleep Dust, one batch of drugged rations. If both succeed, it'll be flawless."
Before Dawn, They Move
They split up to prepare. Zhiyao gathered herbs in the forest. Luo Yan tended the fire and prepared the food. Lin Yaochen, under Mozi's guidance, learned to compress his Yao power into fine sand-like powder.
By the fire, the repaired crossbow lay across Zhiyao's knees, gleaming with a cold sheen. She stared fixedly at the east, where dawn was beginning to break, and only one sentence remained in her mind:
This time, I will bring every single one of them out.