The sun peeked over the horizon as the Twilight Shadow Sect left their mountain.
For the first time… together.
No wild spirit beasts ambushed them.
No cauldrons exploded.
No rival sects hurled insults from afar.
Just a dirt path, rolling fields, and the chirping of Lin Fan's walking cauldron.
"I told you not to bring that thing," Yun Xi muttered.
"He's emotionally attached," Lin Fan replied, stroking the cauldron. "His name is Bubba."
"It chirps like a duck."
"That's a feature."
Shen Mo walked ahead, expression calm, reading the map.
Han Li ran from flower to flower, picking herbs, some of which were clearly not herbs.
Xue Rong carried everyone's luggage without complaint. One bag was filled entirely with Lin Fan's "emergency spices."
"We should reach the village by nightfall," Shen Mo said.
"And the bandits?" Yun Xi asked.
"Sooner."
Midday – Forest Crossing
The path narrowed between two cliffs, with mossy boulders and lazy winds whistling overhead.
Shen Mo stopped.
"Trap," he said casually.
"Bandits?" Han Li whispered.
"Rogue cultivators pretending to be bandits," Yun Xi added. "So yes, worse."
"Shall we go around?" Xue Rong asked.
Shen Mo smirked. "No. We'll go through."
He turned to Lin Fan. "How's Bubba's aim?"
"Let's find out."
Ambush!
As they stepped into the canyon, three masked figures leapt from the rocks.
"Hand over your valuables and walk away with your—AAUGH!"
BOOM!
Bubba launched a pill the size of a walnut. It exploded mid-air into a puff of spice and smoke. One of the rogues sneezed violently and fell off the cliff.
"What… what even was that?!" the second one shouted.
"Cinnamon-based smoke bomb," Lin Fan grinned. "Mildly disorienting. Tastes festive."
The second rogue dashed forward with a blade glowing blue.
"Spirit Saber Technique—!"
Xue Rong met him with a punch that cracked the air.
The rogue spun like a top and landed face-first in a bush.
"One more," Yun Xi noted, forming an array with a flick of her fan.
"I got this," Han Li volunteered bravely.
"You sure?"
"Absolutely!"
Han Li ran forward, tripped over a root, and accidentally flung a pouch of sticky sleeping powder in the rogue's face.
The rogue blinked… and promptly collapsed.
Everyone stared.
"...Did I win?" Han Li asked from the ground.
"Yes," Shen Mo said with a straight face. "It was clearly part of your plan."
[System Notification:]Ambush ClearedRogue Scouts DefeatedMorale +2 | Han Li: Self-confidence +1Bubba the Cauldron: Combat Utility Confirmed
New Trait: "Clumsy Hero" applied to Han Li
Evening – Arrival at Grain Village
The fields were dry, the air thick with dust, and the villagers tense.
At the village entrance stood a hunched elder. His back was crooked, but his eyes were sharp.
"You're the ones they sent?" he asked, skeptical.
"Yes," Shen Mo replied. "Twilight Shadow Sect."
"Never heard of you."
"You will."
Yun Xi stepped forward. "We're here to deal with the rogue cultivators."
"Then you'd best be quick," the elder said. "They've taken over the storage barn. Said they'd come for our daughters next."
Shen Mo's smile faded.
"How many?"
"Seven. Two with real cultivation. The rest are thugs with Qi-dampening powder."
Shen Mo turned to his disciples.
"Tomorrow morning," he said. "We send a message."
"What kind?" Lin Fan asked, shaking a bottle.
"The spicy kind," Xue Rong grinned.
"No," Shen Mo said, looking back toward the barn glowing faintly in the distance."We'll give them a choice tonight—run, or be dealt with."
"And if they choose wrong?" Han Li asked.
"Then we remind the region who we are."