The next morning brought gray skies over Qinghe Village.
No thunder. No rain. Just a cloudy stillness, as if the heavens themselves were holding their breath.
Lin Wei took it as a sign.
He strapped his light bag across his shoulder, told no one, and walked into the western forest path—one of the less-used trails out of the valley.
Today was a test run. Not a full escape.
Just far enough to see how many eyes were watching the road… and which ones weren't human.
He took it slow.
No rushing. Just steady steps on damp soil. Birds scattered. Leaves crunched. The occasional squirrel darted by.
> Ding!
> [Terrain Familiarity: +1 Agility]
> [You are now 63% undetected by spiritual signatures within this area.]
>[Pathway Observation Active: "Eagle Thread" initiated.]
A thin translucent line formed in his vision—a faint silver thread stretching along the path.
His instincts guided him to follow it, to walk where it led and not deviate.
He obeyed. Step by step.
But thirty minutes into the woods, the silver line cut off abruptly.
It stopped in midair. Glitched. Then twisted into a spiral and disappeared.
> Warning.
> L[Warding Field Detected – S-Rank Concealment Seal]
> [Exit Pathway Bound to Local Shrine System]
> [You may not leave Qinghe without triggering spiritual awareness unless seal is weakened.]
Lin Wei froze.
They've locked the valley.
No one had ever mentioned this.
Not the chief. Not the healer. Not even Uncle Jian, who raised him. Either no one knew… or they weren't allowed to.
But that wasn't the worst part.
As he stared at the fading thread, he noticed something just above it.
A symbol carved into a tree—so faint it barely existed.
Three circles. One inside the other. A triangle etched in the middle.
He didn't recognize the mark.
But his System did.
> Ding!
> [Inscription Detected: Sect-level Tracking Ward]
> [Placed within last 10 days.]
> [Intent: Not to prevent exit—but to record who leaves unseen.]
So it wasn't a full barrier.
It was a test.
They wanted to see who could slip through it—and then they'd know who was worth watching.
This entire village… it's bait.
Lin Wei returned to Qinghe by noon.
Careful not to appear shaken. Careful not to move too fast.
At the entrance path, he saw Mei Lan kneeling by the riverbank, gathering lotus roots. She looked up when she spotted him.
"You went wandering again," she said, brushing her hair back. "You've been doing that more lately."
"Just needed some quiet," he replied.
> Ding!
> [Partial Truth Registered: +1 Caution]
> [Affinity Thread with Mei Lan: Stable]
She stood, holding her basket. "You know… you're not the only one who hears things."
His breath caught. "What do you mean?"
"I heard Aunt Tu whispering yesterday. She said the shrine might be… 'calling out again.' Whatever that means."
"And you believed her?"
"I believe people say strange things when something's wrong." Mei Lan's eyes narrowed. "And I believe you've changed."
Lin Wei stayed silent.
For the first time, the easy distance between them… felt fragile.
That evening, he visited the old training ground behind the forge—a patch of packed dirt with bamboo dummies and broken spears.
No one else was there. Good.
He needed to test something.
Lately, he'd noticed something strange. When danger approached, his feet sometimes moved before he thought about it.
He'd dodge rocks mid-slip. He'd turn corners smoother than his legs should've allowed. And during yesterday's Gravel Shadehound incident, he remembered shifting weight just in time to avoid its scent stream.
> Ding!
> [Movement Pattern Recognition Detected.]
> [New Passive Skill: Miststep (Lv. 1)]
> [Effect: Your body adjusts trajectory slightly to minimize detection and avoid harm. Passive. Evolves with use.]
He stepped forward—then back—then sideways.
On the third attempt, his right foot shifted by itself, just a bit, just enough to feel unnatural. His balance corrected on its own. It was like something inside him wanted to glide, not walk.
Miststep activated.
He chuckled. "I'm learning footwork… by walking wrong."
But as he stood alone, testing steps, someone else entered the training ground.
A man in simple robes. Face covered by a white half-mask, flute tucked under his sleeve.
He was humming.
And the moment Lin Wei turned, the humming stopped.
"Strange," the man said, smiling under the mask. "I thought no one came here anymore."
Lin Wei's heart sank.
> Ding!
> [Threat Evaluation: Moderate]
> [Disguised Aura: Condensed Foundation Realm – Upper Tier]
> [Intent: Observational, Unknown Alignment]
"You're not from around here," Lin Wei said flatly.
"I'm not. But I like villages like this. Quiet places. Good to... listen." The man pointed at his own ear.
"Listen for what?"
The man smiled again.
"Footsteps. Breaths. Lies."
They stood in silence.
The breeze passed. The trees rustled. Far off, someone rang the bell for evening prayers.
The masked man finally bowed and turned to leave.
As he did, he added, "Careful with that footwork, boy. That's a technique older than this village. Might draw the wrong memories."
Then he was gone.
That night, Lin Wei didn't sleep much.
He laid on his mat, eyes open, listening.
To the wind.
To the System.
To his own breath.
He had planned to leave within a week. Now, he wasn't sure he had that long.
> Ding!
> [Day 5 Complete. Passive Growth Recorded.]
> [Level 6 → Level 7]
> [Miststep: Lv. 1 → Lv. 3]
> [New Tagline Added: "Hidden Disciple Movement Signature recognized by unknown sect."]
Unknown sect?
Someone recognized the step.
That masked man knew more than he let on. And worst of all…
He might not have been the last one watching.