The road north narrowed as the trees thinned.
Liang Yue slowed her steps when the land ahead opened into farmland. Low fences, irrigation channels, and patches of cultivated soil appeared on both sides of the path. Smoke rose from chimneys in the distance.
"That should be Shuiyun Town," she said quietly.
Mo Chen followed her gaze. From here, the town looked peaceful. Wooden houses clustered near a river bend. A stone bridge crossed the water. People moved along the road—farmers, merchants, a few guards.
Too normal.
"That makes it dangerous," Mo Chen said.
"Yes," Liang Yue agreed. "Places like this hear news quickly."
They stopped before entering the main road.
Liang Yue adjusted the cloth covering her face, tightening it so only her eyes showed. She pulled her hair back and tucked it under a plain scarf. Her clothes were simple and loose, hiding her figure.
Mo Chen rubbed dirt into his hands and smeared a little on his face and neck.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Looking poor," he replied. "Strong men get noticed. Dirty ones don't."
She paused, then nodded. "Good idea."
He picked up a bundle of firewood lying near the path and slung it over his shoulder.
"Now I look like a laborer," he said.
She almost smiled.
They walked toward the town with measured steps, keeping their heads down. The closer they got, the louder the noise became. Voices, carts, animals, water splashing against the bridge.
As they entered the outer edge of Shuiyun Town, Liang Yue felt it immediately.
Eyes.
Not all of them, but enough.
People glanced at them and then looked away. A shopkeeper paused mid-conversation when they passed. A guard near the bridge watched them a little longer than necessary.
Mo Chen leaned closer and murmured, "We're being assessed."
"Yes," Liang Yue said softly. "But not actively hunted. Not yet."
They crossed the bridge. The river flowed steadily beneath it, clear and shallow. Children played near the water. Women washed clothes on the stones.
Everything looked normal.
That worried her more than open hostility.
They passed a public notice board near the town square. Several people stood in front of it, murmuring.
Mo Chen slowed, his body tense.
Liang Yue whispered, "Don't stare."
"I know," he said. "But I smell ink and new paper."
Her heart skipped once. "A notice?"
"Maybe," he said.
They walked past without stopping. But as they moved, Liang Yue caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye.
A scroll nailed to the board.
Two figures drawn roughly.
One was clearly her. The cloth over her face, the scar visible beneath. Words written beside it.
Alive preferred. High reward.
Her breath tightened.
The second figure stood beside the first.
Broad shoulders. Head lowered. No details on the face.
Next to it, different words.
Kill on sight.
Mo Chen did not look, but he felt it.
"They posted it," he said quietly. "Didn't they?"
"Yes," she replied. "They did."
He exhaled slowly, controlled. "Then we don't stay long."
"No," she agreed. "We gather supplies, information, and leave."
They turned down a side street and walked toward a row of small stalls near the river. The sellers here were less alert, focused on fish, vegetables, cheap tools.
A thin man behind a dried goods stall eyed them briefly, then smiled in a practiced way.
"Travelers?" he asked.
"Yes," Liang Yue answered. "Passing through."
"You came from the south?" he asked.
"Yes," she said.
His smile tightened slightly. "Hard times there."
She nodded. "Very."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "If you're smart, you won't stay the night. Town's been… restless."
Mo Chen asked, "Why?"
The man glanced around before speaking. "Hunters. Not guards. Real ones. Asking questions. Paying for rumors."
Liang Yue kept her expression neutral. "What kind of rumors?"
The man hesitated, then shrugged. "Something about a girl with strange healing light. And a man who doesn't fight like a man."
Mo Chen stiffened, but said nothing.
Liang Yue reached into her pouch and placed two small coins on the counter. "Thank you."
The man's eyes flicked to the coins. He slid them away quickly. "If you're headed north," he added, "take the river road. Fewer eyes. And don't speak of gods or light in public. People here get nervous."
Liang Yue inclined her head. "We'll remember that."
They moved on.
Mo Chen spoke once they were out of earshot. "Tier one threats already know our names."
"Yes," Liang Yue said. "Which means tier two will follow soon."
They stopped at a bakery and bought flatbread. Then at a stall selling dried meat. They kept their purchases small, careful not to draw attention.
As they turned another corner, raised voices echoed ahead.
"…telling you, I saw the light myself!"
"That's nonsense."
"I swear it! White light! Burned through those men like fire!"
A group had gathered near a tea house. Several men argued loudly. One wore a simple robe with a sect emblem stitched on the sleeve—a bird with spread wings.
Qingming Sect.
Liang Yue's pulse quickened.
Mo Chen murmured, "Tier two."
"Yes," she said. "Don't engage."
They tried to pass quietly, but the sect disciple's gaze flicked toward them.
He frowned.
"You," he said suddenly. "Stop."
Mo Chen's body shifted instinctively, stepping slightly in front of Liang Yue.
The disciple walked closer, eyes sharp. "You two. Where are you coming from?"
Liang Yue answered calmly, "From the south. Looking for work."
The disciple studied her face covering. "Why hide your face?"
She did not hesitate. "Burn scars. People stare."
He looked unconvinced. "Remove it."
Mo Chen's hand twitched.
Liang Yue raised her chin. "Sect disciple," she said respectfully, "is it required for travelers to show their scars to strangers?"
The disciple bristled. "Careful with your tone."
"I am being careful," she replied evenly.
A few townspeople slowed, watching.
Mo Chen spoke, his voice low. "We don't want trouble."
The disciple turned his attention to him. His eyes narrowed.
"You," he said. "Lift your head."
Mo Chen obeyed, just enough.
The disciple's gaze lingered. "You're built strangely for a laborer."
Mo Chen said nothing.
The disciple's lips curved slightly. "What's your name?"
"Mo," he said.
"Just Mo?" the disciple pressed.
"Yes."
The disciple chuckled. "Convenient."
Liang Yue felt the warmth in her chest stir. A warning.
She stepped forward half a step. "Sir, we are only passing through. If we have offended—"
The disciple raised a hand, cutting her off.
"I sensed something earlier," he said slowly. "A disturbance not far from here. Unusual energy. Not qi."
Liang Yue held her breath.
He continued, "If you know anything about that, it would be wise to speak."
Mo Chen's jaw tightened.
Liang Yue met the disciple's eyes. "We arrived this morning. We know nothing of disturbances."
The disciple stared at her for a long moment.
Then he smiled.
"Very well," he said. "But know this—if you lie to a sect, consequences follow."
He stepped aside. "Go."
They did not hesitate.
Once they turned the corner, Mo Chen whispered, "That was close."
"Yes," she said. "He was probing."
"If I had struck him—" Mo Chen began.
"—we would be dead by nightfall," Liang Yue finished. "You did well holding back."
His fists clenched. "It goes against my instincts."
"I know," she said. "But restraint is also strength."
They reached the far edge of town near the river. Fewer people lingered here. The water flowed calmly, reflecting the sky.
Liang Yue paused and looked upstream.
"The river road starts there," she said. "We follow it out of town."
Mo Chen nodded. "No rest here."
They walked along the riverbank until the sounds of the town faded. Only water and wind remained.
After a while, Mo Chen spoke. "When the sect disciple looked at me… something moved."
"What do you mean?" Liang Yue asked.
"My body reacted before my mind," he said. "Like it recognized danger beyond strength. Not fear. Assessment."
She nodded slowly. "That's your bloodline instincts."
"Then I don't want to face a tier three enemy yet," he said bluntly.
She almost laughed. "Neither do I."
They continued walking until the sun began to lower. The river curved gently, leading them away from civilization.
Liang Yue stopped and turned to him. "This is as far as we go today."
He scanned the area. "No cover."
She gestured to a cluster of trees near the river bend. "There. We rest briefly. Not sleep. Just recover."
They settled among the trees.
Liang Yue sat and closed her eyes. She focused inward, guiding the divine energy in a slow, controlled cycle. Not outward. Not bright.
Mo Chen watched her, alert.
After several minutes, she opened her eyes.
"I can feel it now," she said quietly.
"What?" he asked.
"My Faith Core," she replied. "It's responding more calmly. Less reactive. Like it understands restraint too."
"That's good," he said.
"Yes," she agreed. "Because if I release light like before in a town… tier three enemies will come."
He nodded. "Then we save it for when it matters."
She looked at him seriously. "Mo Chen, if we are forced into a fight with a sect disciple again… you may have to hold them off alone while I escape."
He shook his head immediately. "No."
"Listen," she said firmly. "I'm not saying I want to leave you. I'm saying we need plans. Survival plans."
He stared at her. "I will not let them take you."
"And I won't let them kill you," she replied. "So we plan."
He exhaled slowly, then nodded. "All right."
She softened. "We're partners. Not shields."
A faint smile touched his lips. "Partners."
The river flowed beside them, steady and quiet.
Above them, unseen, a pair of calm eyes observed from afar.
Shen Elder stood on a high ridge, hands clasped behind his back.
"They handled it correctly," he murmured. "Restraint in a tier two zone. Good."
He turned his gaze northward.
"The Silent Shrine will test them harder than any hunter," he said. "If they survive that… then the world will truly have a problem."
End of Chapter 11 — Shuiyun Town