Song clan—song yan's Manor
The courtyard was still draped in the cool embrace of dawn. A crisp breeze rustled through the grass from time to time, carrying with it the faint fragrance of morning dew.
Song Yan sat at a round stone table, her brows furrowed as she scanned the empty courtyard.
"Where is he? Don't tell me he's still asleep," she muttered, her frown deepening as she rose to her feet, ready to search for Ye Kaishan.
Before she could leave, soft footsteps brushed against the grass. Ye Kaishan appeared, his face refreshed and ruddy after a bath. He walked toward her with an easy smile and took a seat across from her.
"So, when are we departing?" he asked casually.
Song Yan relaxed slightly. "I was waiting for you. Preparations are complete—we can leave anytime."
"It's been a month," Ye Kaishan said, his tone more gentle, "have you visited your mother? It might be a long while before we return."
Her expression dimmed. "She… is still in retreat," she replied slowly, her eyes narrowing faintly.
"Still?" Ye Kaishan frowned. "Don't you know when she'll come out?"
"No. When it comes to clan matters, I've never been involved.
My focus was always cultivation. And when Mother secluded herself, I had already left to wander the world." She shook her head lightly, though her voice softened. "But… they will be fine."
Ye Kaishan glanced at her, noticing how her gaze lingered downward. Though she smiled, worry lingered in her eyes. To ease her heart, he quickly changed the subject."So, where are we heading first?"
"Starfall City," she replied after a pause, her gaze lifting. "From there, we'll board a flying boat to the Eastern Continent."
"Starfall City?" He tilted his head. "Sounds fancy. Is it like Mistveil Town?"
Song Yan shook her head. "It is far grander. Starfall City is the capital of the Yunhua Empire—almost every major event in the empire is held there." She stood, her voice carrying a subtle trace of pride.
Her eyes drifted toward the horizon, where the first rays of sunlight painted the sky in gold."Let's go. The sun is already rising—we should depart early."
"You're right," Ye Kaishan said, glancing at the warming twilight that pushed away the chill of dawn.
With a flick of her hand, Song Yan summoned a flying tool from her ring—a massive leaf, broad enough to carry three or four people. Its tail shimmered with iridescent hues, while golden patterns glimmered faintly across its dark green surface.
Together, they stepped onto it. With a low hum, the leaf rose into the air. A sudden gust carried it forward, soaring into the sky with breathtaking speed as the Song Clan and Mylan Mountain quickly shrank beneath them.
Song Yan steadied their pace. Her eyes lingered one last time on the clan's grounds before she turned resolutely toward the horizon.
"It's just a retreat… they're together, so there won't be any accidents," she murmured to herself, though her heart tightened.
Beside her, Ye Kaishan glanced over. She's trying to convince herself… but she's worried. He chose not to voice it, instead leaning back as the wind carried them higher.
"Take some rest," Song Yan finally said. "I'll cultivate for a while." She set the leaf's course toward Starfall City, then crossed her legs and closed her eyes, her aura gently circulating.
"Well, a nap doesn't sound bad…" Ye Kaishan stretched, yawning before slipping into his soul subspace. There, he lay down with his hands behind his head, and soon, faint snores echoed softly.
The sun climbed and fell from its reign, giving way to the dominion of night. Under the vast heavens,
a solitary leaf flew through the moonlit sky. A silver moon hung above, so bright that the stars dimmed in its presence.
Stepping out from the subspace, Ye Kaishan gazed at the scenery.
His eyes drifted toward Song Yan, her features illuminated by the moon's gentle glow. The starlight seemed to kiss her skin, giving her the ethereal grace of a fairy drifting through the heavens.
The more I look, the harder it is to look away, he thought with a faint smile.
Moving closer, he sat beside her. "Did you stabilize your realm?"
"Yes. It's stable now." Song Yan opened her eyes, her voice calm. "We should reach Starfall City in four or five days."
"Four to five days?" Ye Kaishan sighed, resting his chin on his palm. "This world is too vast. Compared to mine, it feels endless. I'll die of boredom."
Song Yan chuckled softly, her eyes lifting toward the heavens where three moons shone together. The stars scattered across the night sky reflected in her gaze as she smiled faintly.
"Well… it won't be that boring."
Their shoulders brushed as Ye Kaishan slid a little closer. Slowly, their hands found each other, fingers intertwining with a soft warmth. Song Yan leaned her head gently on his shoulder, her grip on his hand tender.
"Do you know," she whispered, her eyes tracing the endless stars,
"the stars sometimes reveal fate. They say every person one meets in their lifetime is destined, and it can be seen through the stars… though, such things only apply to ordinary people."
Ye Kaishan looked at her, her words lingering in the night air. "I've never heard of that before," he murmured, feeling her warmth against him, "but it sounds… beautiful."
Days slipped by one after another.
After five days of traveling across vast mountain ranges and endless stretches of land, Ye Kaishan and Song Yan finally arrived at their destination—the famed Starfall City.
The city lay at the very edge of a colossal valley, so wide that its other end could not even be seen. Compared to the abyssal pit of darkness below, Starfall City seemed no more than a speck of dust clinging to the cliffside.
"So this is Starfall City?" Ye Kaishan murmured in wonder. His eyes swept across the bustling streets teeming with people. At the cliff's edge, he noticed a massive port where flying boats were docked, lined up to cross the vast valley.
Song Yan guided their leaf-shaped flying tool downward, and the two of them landed smoothly inside the city.
Ye Kaishan stepped onto the ground, his gaze lingering on the towering structure that stood at the city's heart—a grand tower bearing the crest of the Yunhua Empire, surrounded on all sides by a sprawling shopping district filled with noise and life.
"Let's first look for a tavern to rest," Song Yan said softly, her eyes scanning the crowded streets ahead.
They moved together through the lively district, passing rows of merchants calling out their wares, the air heavy with the scent of roasted meats, incense, and the faint tang of spirit herbs being sold in open stalls.
After some time, they reached the quieter end of the district where the crowd had thinned. At the corner stood a tavern with a simple wooden exterior.
A sandalwood board hung above the entrance, its name carved in bold golden letters—Midow Tavern. A line of script below read: Two soul stones for a night's stay.
The tavern appeared plain, almost ordinary.
"Midow Tavern?" Ye Kaishan raised an eyebrow.
Without hesitation, Song Yan led the way inside.
"Oh! Welcome, welcome! What can I do for you?" A woman hurried over, her face grumpy in shape yet stretched into a wide smile, as though it had been stitched there.
"We'd like a room," Ye Kaishan replied evenly.
"Of course, of course, just…" The woman rubbed her hands together, her smile never faltering.
Before she could finish, Song Yan handed over two soul stones. "This should be enough."
"Enough? More than enough!" the woman beamed, her stitched-on smile widening as she led them upstairs.
The room they entered was simple—one bed by the window, a few decorations, and the faint fragrance of sandalwood lingering in the air.
"Hm. Two soul stones for such a basic room?" Ye Kaishan muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the woman. From the moment they had met her until now,
Her smile never wavered, fixed as if stitched into place, carrying a sharp shrewdness beneath its cheer.
Just as the woman was about to leave, Song Yan turned and asked lightly, "Do you know when the flying boat to the Eastern Continent is scheduled?"
"Eastern Continent?" The woman tapped her chin thoughtfully. "The flying boat departs tomorrow evening."
"Tomorrow evening?" Song Yan nodded. "Thank you for the information."
"If you need anything, just call for me anytime," the woman said cheerfully before slipping out of the room, her smile still plastered across her face.
The sun dipped slowly beyond the horizon as the chill in the air deepened, and one by one the stars brightened, reclaiming the night sky.
Inside the room, Song Yan sat cross-legged in quiet meditation.
The soul energy within Starfall City was abundant—befitting the capital of the Yunhua Empire, where countless resources had been invested to nurture its prosperity.
Meanwhile, Ye Kaishan sat perched upon the tavern's roof, his gaze lingering on the vibrant, bustling night below.
The shopping district glowed with lantern light, alive with merchants calling out their wares—meats roasting over open flames, robes and spirit herbs displayed in vivid colors—while people with families and friends strolled through the lively streets.
A faint sigh escaped his lips as he turned his eyes upward, lying back against the tiles. The endless sky stretched above, vast and unchanging, a quiet contrast to the world of noise beneath him.