The path beyond the estate was narrow and cracked.
Old stone trails curved through hills spotted with thin trees. Spring had arrived, but here, on the edge of nowhere, it still felt like late winter—dry wind, brittle shrubs, and nights too quiet to sleep through.
Yuhao walked with careful steps.
Not slow—measured.
Each step was chosen to conserve energy and avoid stone creaks. He carried a cloth pack over one shoulder and supported Yun'er gently with the other.
She had protested once, weakly, about slowing him down.
He didn't reply.
But that evening, when she asked for a short rest, he carried her silently the rest of the way to their first shelter—a collapsed shrine with only three intact walls and a roof patched with vines.
---
They shared food under the broken rafters.
Dried barley cakes, boiled root shavings, and warm water flavored with bitter tea leaves.
Yun'er leaned against the stone wall. Her lips had color again. Her eyes followed the shape of the stars peeking through the broken ceiling.
She whispered, "This is the furthest I've been from the estate."
Yuhao glanced at her.
She smiled. "It feels like... nothing's chasing us anymore."
He didn't answer, but his hand shifted slightly—closer to the hilt of the wrapped blade beside him.
There were always things that chased people like them.
But she didn't need to know that tonight.
---
Over the next few days, they walked by daylight and camped in ruins or near forgotten wells.
Yuhao's senses sharpened with each night. Sharingan gave him more than vision—it let him spot the hesitation in a bird's wings before it took flight, or the faint ripple in grass before a snake moved.
He trained in the early mornings.
Stretches, stance work, soft-breath meditation. The blade felt lighter now, but he didn't rush. Every form was practiced for control, not speed.
In the evenings, he brewed medicine and monitored Yun'er's vitals.
> [Condition: Stable – Low Mobility, High Dependency]
[Projected Decline: Slowed. No worsening symptoms detected]
[Treatment Plan: Continuous Low-Dose Herbal Management + Nutrient Replenishment]
[Medical Aptitude: Intermediate Tier 2 Achieved]
Sometimes, she helped prepare the firewood or folded their bedding.
Mostly, she watched him.
Quietly.
As if memorizing the way he moved—like she expected him to be gone the next time she blinked.
---
On the seventh day, they reached the first trade path.
It was nothing more than a cart trail cutting across dried grassland. But it led north—and that was enough.
Yuhao flagged a merchant wagon using a single silver coin from the system's storage, tucked inside a leather pouch he'd aged to look secondhand.
The merchant didn't ask questions.
Poor mother, sick. Orphan boy, soul power rank 1. Just passing through.
That's all they saw.
That's all Yuhao let them see.
---
The Heaven Dou Empire's borders began to show after ten days.
More people. Cleaner paths. Signs painted in both noble script and common language. Buildings no longer half-collapsed.
Yuhao used a portion of the system's gold—converted discreetly into dull, scratched coins—to buy a two-room cottage just outside a quiet town. Far from the Tang Sect, but close enough to learn quietly.
The house was plain.
The soil was dry.
But it had a roof, a bed, a stove.
And for the first time, Yun'er slept without coughing in her dreams.
---
That night, Yuhao sat in the yard under the stars, practicing soft sword forms with his eyes closed.
The Sharingan stayed dormant—he didn't need it now.
He just needed the rhythm.
Forward. Shift. Step. Draw. Breathe.
> [Sword Technique: 71% Efficiency]
[Movement Technique: 84% Efficiency]
[Genjutsu Potential: Locked. No External Trigger Detected]
He paused mid-step.
Then lowered the blade and looked toward the house.
Inside, Yun'er slept—peacefully, breathing even.
That was enough for tonight.
He sheathed the sword.
And watched the stars until dawn.