They arrived in Lin-An, the City of the Jade Sea, a week later. It was a sprawling, vibrant port,
smelling of salt, fish, and the faint, sweet tang of imported spices. The buildings were made of
white stone and weathered blue tile, a stark, beautiful contrast to the deep green of the ocean.
Merchant Guo was a new man, his journey a success. He paid Meilin and Jin their bonus, with
Jin snatching the pouch and disappearing into the crowd without a word.
"Master Kael," Guo said, bowing low. "Your payment. And... and this. It is not enough to repay
my life, or my niece's, but it is all I have."
It was a heavy bag of silver. Far more than the posted reward. Kael nodded, his face grim, and
accepted it. "You're a good man, Merchant Guo. Take care."
As he turned to leave, Lin Yue's voice stopped him. "Wait."
She stood there, once again the center of attention. She had shed her traveler's disguise
entirely. Her robes were of the finest silk, a silver emblem of a cloud and flute on her shoulder.
The common folk in the street gave her a wide, berth, bowing their heads.
"You saved my life," she said, her voice formal. "The Sky-Veil Sect repays its debts. This is a
Foundation-Establishment manual. 'The Azure Mist Art.' And these are a hundred mid-grade
Spirit Stones. Enough to cultivate for a decade. It is a gift that would make a sect-elder weep.
Take it."
She offered him an ornate, silk-bound book and a heavy, embroidered pouch that chimed with
the sound of the stones.
It was a fortune. It was a new life. It was useless.
Kael looked at the book, at the glowing, energy-filled stones. He felt the gulf between their
worlds more acutely than ever.
"I cannot use this, Lady Lin," he said, his voice quiet but firm.
Her eyes narrowed. "Do not be a fool. I know you have no root. But this... this is wealth. You
could buy a city block. You could live as a king among mortals."
"And what?" Kael said, a spark of his old-world frustration flaring. "Wait for the next One-Eyed
Jian to come and take it all? Wait for another beast to slaughter people I can't protect?"
"This is not your concern!" she snapped, her patience finally breaking. "You are a mortal. This is
your reward! Take it!"
"I have my reward," Kael said, touching the bag of silver at his hip. "I was paid for my work. I
don't want your charity."
He turned his back on her. He turned his back on a fortune, on the prodigy, on the entire system
of cultivation, and walked away. He could feel her gaze on his back, a mixture of burning, icy
disbelief and a new, sharp, undeniable spark of interest.
Kael walked the city for hours. He was, for the first time, truly, painfully lonely. He had chosen
this. He had refused the world's power. He had refused its wealth. What, then, was his path? tanneries. It was a single, run-down building with a faded sign: "Mortal Aid Shelter." It was an
orphanage.
He watched from across the street. He saw a tired-looking woman in a threadbare robe trying to
break up a larger loaf of bread into a dozen tiny, insufficient pieces for a line of small, silent
children.
And then he arrived. A minor-league cultivator, pot-bellied and wearing cheap, flashy robes. He
was flanked by two thugs. He kicked over the woman's table, the bread scattering into the mud.
"The rent is due, old woman!" the cultivator sneered. "Or the building is mine! These... rats...
can sleep in the sea for all I care!"
The woman didn't cry. She just stood, trembling, as the cultivator laughed and spat on her door.
"I'll be back at sundown. With the deed. Or a torch."
Kael watched them leave. He looked at the children scrambling in the mud, not for the bread,
but for the crumbs.
His knuckles turned white on his sword-hilt. His loneliness vanished, replaced by a cold, familiar
resolve. He knew what his path was. It wasn't to fight monsters. It was to stand in their way.
He walked to a quiet alley, his mind clear. "I am Kael. These people are innocent. They are
weak, and he is strong. I will not let them be harmed. I will not let their home be taken."
The deep, bronze bell chimed in his soul, louder this time.
[Vow of Conviction Registered!] [VOW (Primary): "I will not let these people be harmed. I
will not let their home be taken."] [System Responding to Vow... Power Amplifying...]
[Aura of Protection (Passive) Lvl 3 -> Lvl 4] [Guardian's Stance (Active) Lvl 2 -> Lvl 3]
[Skill EXP Gained... Level Up! Level 3 -> Level 4!]
Name: Kael Path: The Knight (Guardian's Path) Level: 4 Experience: 0/2000 Vows: (2)
Stats: HP: 200/200 Stamina: 200/200
He felt the power settle into him, a new layer of density. He was stronger. He was ready. He
began walking toward the shelter, his steps heavy and even, to wait for sundown.
He did not notice the wisp of silver-blue light, a scouting-glyph, detach itself from a rooftop and
flit away. He did not know that Lin Yue, too fascinated to let him go, had been watching the
entire time.