"I am not scolding you, Kai. I am praising you," Feng Xiu said, stepping closer. "But you know what comes next. Lin Bo is petty. His father is an Inner Sect Deacon. They will not come with fists next time; they will come with Spirit Shackles and Execution Blades."
Lin Kai nodded grimly, standing up. "I know. I was just packing."
He pointed to a small bundle of cloth on the table. It was pathetic—just a change of clothes, a few dried meats, and the portrait of Lin Yun'er.
"Master Feng," Lin Kai asked, changing the subject as a worry gnawed at him. "Xiao Bai... she's acting strange. After the fight, she just curled up and went to sleep. She feels... heavy. Like a stone."
Feng Xiu glanced at the white fox sleeping on the bed. He knew exactly why she was exhausted; she had spent the night doing her 'Mystery Work'.
"It is a phase," Feng Xiu lied smoothly. "Spirit beasts go through dormant periods when they are about to evolve. Do not worry. She is just conserving energy for her next breakthrough."
He cut the pleasantries short, his face turning grave.
"Kai. Listen to me. The Clan Leader denied your request. The Enforcers will be here within the hour to arrest you for assaulting a fellow disciple. If they catch you, they will cripple your cultivation and throw you into the Black Water Prison. If you want to leave, you must trust this old man. Now."
Lin Kai grabbed his bundle, slinging it over his shoulder. "I trust you with my life, Master Feng. Tell me what to do."
"Follow me."
Feng Xiu didn't lead him to the forest path. Instead, he walked briskly to the edge of the pond—the small, murky body of water where Lin Kai usually washed up.
Lin Kai frowned, confused. "The pond? Master, there's no way out here. It's just stagnant water. I've swam in it a thousand times."
"Look closer," Feng Xiu said, pointing his staff at the center of the water. "This is not a natural pond. This is a Drainage Node."
"Drainage?"
"The Ancestral Pocket Realm is an artificial world," Feng Xiu explained rapidly, glancing at the sky as if expecting pursuers. "It requires massive amounts of Aether Qi to maintain the floating islands and the palaces. But cultivation produces waste. Impurities. Alchemical slag. Corrupted Qi from failed experiments. This 'Grey Qi' is toxic. It cannot remain in the realm."
Lin Kai's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "It... it flows out?"
"Exactly," Feng Xiu nodded. "There is a network of underground sluices—spirit sewers—that carry the toxic 'Grey Water' out of the dimension. This pond connects to one of the oldest, smallest disposal streams. It flows underground, past the dimensional barrier, and dumps into the Wilderness of the Azure Heaven, right outside the dimension's anchor point."
Lin Kai looked at the murky water with new respect—and a bit of disgust. "So... I'm escaping through the sewer."
"It is the only path," Feng Xiu said seriously. "The Sky Gates are guarded by Griffins. The Teleportation Circles are locked by blood keys. But the waste stream? The Clan considers it too filthy to guard. Who would willingly swim through alchemical sludge and corrupted energy?"
"I would," Lin Kai said without hesitation. His eyes burned with determination. "If it leads to freedom, I'd swim through lava."
"I knew you would."
Feng Xiu raised his staff. He murmured a chant, the ancient wood glowing with a vibrant green light. He slammed the staff into the mud bank.
THUD.
The ground shook. The water in the pond began to bubble and swirl violently. Slowly, a whirlpool formed in the center, revealing a dark, gaping hole at the bottom that had been concealed by years of silt and illusion arrays. The smell of sulfur and rotten eggs wafted up immediately.
"I disabled the filter array last night," Feng Xiu said, wiping sweat from his brow. "The path is open. But Kai, you must be fast. The current is strong, and the air pockets are few. Can you hold your breath?"
"I've practiced breathing exercises for years," Lin Kai nodded. "I can hold it for five minutes."
"That should be enough."
Lin Kai turned to the hut to grab Xiao Bai, but then he hesitated. "But Master... what about Xiao Bai? She can't hold her breath like me. And if the water is toxic... she's already weak."
Feng Xiu reached into his sleeve and pulled out two yellow paper talismans. They hummed with power.
"I prepared these," Feng Xiu said. "This is a Turtle Breath Talisman. Stick it to her forehead; it will create a bubble of air around her snout. The other is a Golden Skin Talisman. It will protect her fur from the corrosive sludge."
He handed them to Lin Kai.
"She is weak right now," Feng Xiu warned, his voice shaking slightly. "You must carry her. Do not let go, no matter how rough the current gets. If she is separated from you in the tunnel, she will be lost in the void."
Lin Kai took the talismans, his hands trembling slightly. He looked at the fox, then back at the old man. The weight of leaving pressed down on him. This old man was the only father figure he had ever known.
"Master Feng..."
"Go!" Feng Xiu barked, looking toward the forest path. "They will come here! Run!"
Lin Kai rushed into the hut and scooped up the sleeping fox. Xiao Bai stirred, opening one groggy, golden eye.
"We're leaving, girl," Lin Kai whispered urgently. "It's going to be rough. Do you trust me?"
Xiao Bai looked at him. She heard the shouts in the distance. She saw the open whirlpool. She gave a short, weak bark and nuzzled into his neck, wrapping her tails around his arm.
'I am with you,' her action seemed to say.
Lin Kai ran back to the pond. He quickly stripped off his heavy outer robe, wearing only his thin white undershirt and trousers to reduce drag. He carefully stuck the Turtle Breath Talisman onto Xiao Bai's forehead. A small, shimmering bubble instantly formed around her head.
He tied the bundle of clothes tightly around his waist and secured Xiao Bai to his chest using a long strip of cloth, binding her to him like a child.
He stood at the edge of the muddy bank. The whirlpool roared silently, a mouth leading to the unknown.
He turned to Feng Xiu one last time.
The old man stood there, his back hunched, looking every bit the frail grandfather he was. But in his eyes, there was a fierce pride.