Chapter 15: The Majestic Wolf
By the time Yun Che left Cloudweave Outfitters, the streets of Mistforge had grown quiet once again.
He had spent nearly two hours discussing runes with Lin Xia.
The rune lamps still illuminated the roads, but very few people remained outside.
It was already eleven at night.
For ordinary citizens...
The city was asleep.
For cultivators...
The night was simply another opportunity to train.
Yun Che adjusted the sword resting across his back and began walking toward the City Lord's mansion.
His thoughts remained fixed on the evening's discussion.
Runes.
The more he learned...
The more mysterious they became.
"They're a language..."
he murmured.
The conclusion felt increasingly obvious.
Not merely symbols.
Not decorations.
A language capable of describing reality itself.
Whether that language belonged to the ancient sages...
Or to beings that had lived long before humanity...
He had no idea.
But every rune conveyed meaning.
And meaning possessed power.
His second conclusion proved even more interesting.
Understanding alone didn't seem to explain everything.
Belief also appeared important.
If countless generations truly believed a symbol represented fire...
Did that shared understanding strengthen the rune itself?
Or...
Was belief simply another path toward properly understanding its meaning?
Yun Che couldn't answer.
It remained only a hypothesis.
Still...
He leaned toward the simpler explanation.
Runes were probably just a language.
The better someone understood that language...
The more accurately reality responded.
His thoughts returned to Lin Xia.
She couldn't explain gravity.
Or magnetism.
Not scientifically.
Yet the corresponding runes clearly existed.
That meant someone...
Somewhere...
Had understood those principles well enough to create them.
Knowledge hadn't disappeared.
It had simply become rare.
Perhaps hidden.
Perhaps restricted.
Master Fu himself probably understood little more than practical application.
Not because he lacked intelligence.
Because that was all he had been taught.
Yun Che smiled faintly.
"I'm hardly a scientist myself."
Most of what he knew came from high school lessons and years of casual reading.
Compared to real physicists from Earth...
His knowledge barely scratched the surface.
Compared to this world...
It was enough to ask different questions.
Sometimes...
Different questions mattered more than immediate answers.
The City Lord's mansion soon appeared ahead.
Unlike the simple homes surrounding it, the estate resembled a small fortress.
High stone walls surrounded several spacious courtyards.
Rune lamps illuminated every pathway.
Two armored guards stood motionless beside the entrance.
Both immediately recognized Yun Che.
"Evening."
"Young Master Yun."
Both guards nodded respectfully.
Neither treated him like an ordinary blacksmith's son.
Partly because of his talent.
Partly because the City Lord himself held Yun Che in surprisingly high regard.
Lord Shen believed capable people strengthened the entire city.
Whenever talented youngsters appeared...
He encouraged them rather than suppressing them.
Yun Che respected that.
The guards themselves radiated powerful Ki.
Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Stronger than his own father.
Some outsiders assumed Mistforge was a remote mountain settlement of little importance.
They would have been mistaken.
Life here was harsh.
Monsters surrounded the city from every direction.
Children grew up eating beast meat rich with Ki.
Hunters became warriors.
Blacksmiths forged genuine weapons instead of ornaments.
Even ordinary citizens possessed sturdier physiques than those living in safer regions.
More importantly...
Their ruler stood within the Spirit Transformation Realm.
That alone discouraged many would-be invaders.
Mistforge survived because weakness simply wasn't an option.
A third guard arrived to escort him.
"The Young Master is already training."
"I expected as much."
The guard smiled knowingly.
"He has been looking forward to your arrival."
"...That doesn't make me feel better."
They crossed several courtyards before reaching the main training grounds.
The arena was enormous.
Large enough to accommodate dozens of warriors simultaneously.
Weapon racks lined every wall.
Practice dummies stood neatly arranged around the edges.
Several Frost Wolves rested beneath nearby shelters, calmly watching the activity with intelligent eyes.
The famous Frost Wolf Cavalry trained here whenever they weren't patrolling the mountains.
They were the pride of Mistforge.
Yun Che's attention quickly shifted toward the center of the arena.
Shen Tianyu was already fighting.
His opponent...
A Foundation Establishment guard.
The guard had clearly restricted both his cultivation and strength.
Even so...
The difference in experience remained obvious.
Tianyu found himself constantly pushed backward.
Every exchange forced him onto the defensive.
Yet...
He almost never received a clean hit.
His movements resembled a hunting wolf.
Low.
Explosive.
Patient.
Whenever the guard attempted to seize the initiative...
Tianyu immediately answered with relentless aggression.
His clawed gauntlets flashed through the air in rapid succession.
Even when retreating...
He threatened.
Even when defending...
He attacked.
There was no hesitation.
No fear.
Only instinct.
The guard finally slipped past one combination and struck Tianyu lightly across the shoulder.
Instead of retreating...
Tianyu stepped forward.
His claws slashed toward the guard's throat without the slightest pause.
The watching soldiers nodded approvingly.
One whispered quietly,
"Good."
Another smiled.
"He never stops."
Yun Che understood why.
This...
Was exactly what his father wanted him to learn.
The confidence to keep advancing despite pressure.
To treat danger as something to overcome rather than escape.
He watched silently as Tianyu launched another fierce assault.
For the first time...
Yun Che admitted something to himself.
The nickname Majestic Wolf wasn't exaggerated.
It wasn't given because Shen Tianyu belonged to the City Lord's family.
It had been earned.
Watching him fight truly felt like watching a young alpha wolf learning to rule its territory.
And in just a few minutes...
That wolf intended to turn his attention toward Yun Che.
----------------------------
The spar between Shen Tianyu and the Foundation Establishment guard finally came to an end.
The young noble stepped back, breathing steadily despite the sweat covering his forehead.
The guard saluted him.
"You've improved again, Young Master."
"I'd better."
Shen Tianyu grinned.
"Otherwise my father will make me spar with Captain Han instead."
Several nearby guards laughed.
"Now that," one of them said, "would be a short battle."
Tianyu shrugged.
"Only at first."
He turned and immediately spotted Yun Che standing near the edge of the arena.
"There you are."
"I was beginning to think you'd lost your nerve."
Yun Che folded his arms.
"I was studying."
"Hm."
"Convenient excuse."
"I almost believed it."
Yun Che wasn't even offended.
This was simply how Shen Tianyu greeted people.
His rival possessed a remarkable gift.
He could transform almost any conversation into pre-battle trash talk.
Master Liang once claimed it was psychological warfare.
Yun Che preferred calling it...
An incurable personality flaw.
"You spend all day fighting," Yun Che said.
"Do you even have hobbies?"
"Of course."
Shen Tianyu answered without missing a beat.
"I'm a professional singer."
Yun Che blinked.
"...Really?"
"And dancer."
"...Seriously?"
"I also assist Father with the duties of governing the city."
Yun Che narrowed his eyes.
"The last part sounds believable."
"The first two..."
"I'm waiting for the punchline."
Shen Tianyu placed a hand over his heart.
"You wound me."
"I'm completely serious."
"...You're lying."
"Am I?"
The grin on Tianyu's face suddenly disappeared.
He snapped his fingers.
Several guards immediately began clapping out a steady rhythm.
One even tapped a wooden practice spear against the ground like a drum.
Yun Che looked from the guards...
Back to Tianyu.
"...What is happening?"
The answer came immediately.
Shen Tianyu began dancing.
Not awkwardly.
Not as a joke.
Actually dancing.
His movements were light, controlled, and surprisingly elegant.
Every step flowed naturally into the next with the same precision he displayed during combat.
He spun once.
Pivoted.
Stepped smoothly across the training ground.
Even his posture remained perfect.
The watching guards cheered enthusiastically.
Yun Che stared blankly.
"...Bloody hell."
"What kind of illusion is this?"
He honestly wondered whether someone had cast a mental technique on him.
The proud young wolf...
Dancing.
Gracefully.
His worldview felt mildly threatened.
Then...
It became worse.
Shen Tianyu started singing.
Yun Che expected something passable.
He was completely unprepared for the rich, clear voice that echoed across the courtyard.
It carried naturally.
Powerfully.
Without the slightest strain.
Even several resting Frost Wolves lifted their heads to listen.
When the song ended...
Silence lingered for a heartbeat.
Yun Che slowly raised both hands.
"...Alright."
"I'm impressed."
"Genuinely."
Tianyu gave an exaggerated bow.
"I accept your admiration."
"I hate that you're actually good."
"So do many people."
The young noble looked positively pleased with himself.
"You've spent years pretending you're just a battle maniac."
"I am."
"Then why are you also good at this?"
"My mother insisted."
He sighed dramatically.
"Apparently future City Lords should possess culture."
"So..."
"I learned music."
"Dancing."
"Poetry."
"Painting."
Yun Che blinked.
"...Painting too?"
"I'm terrible at painting."
"Oh."
"Everyone has limits."
Yun Che immediately felt better.
Then Tianyu pointed accusingly at him.
"You, however..."
"...are completely uncultured."
Yun Che frowned.
"Excuse me?"
"You can't sing."
"Correct."
"You can't dance."
"...Correct."
"You don't understand poetry."
"I actively avoid it."
"You appreciate art..."
"...about as much as a Frost Bear appreciates flower arrangements."
Yun Che opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
Unfortunately...
Everything Tianyu had said was true.
"It isn't my fault."
"Oh?"
"I was born this way."
Tianyu crossed his arms.
"You're blaming your parents?"
"I'm blaming genetics."
"...Genetics?"
"It's..."
Yun Che waved vaguely.
"...A complicated theory."
"I inherited these defects."
"Across dimensions."
Tianyu stared.
"...I have absolutely no idea what you just said."
"Neither do I."
"It sounded convincing."
"It didn't."
Several nearby guards chuckled.
Tianyu shook his head with exaggerated disappointment.
"What a tragic rival."
"So talented."
"So hardworking."
"So hopelessly uncultured."
Yun Che pointed toward the training racks.
"I'd like to resolve this disagreement."
"With violence."
"Now you're speaking my language."
Tianyu's grin immediately returned.
He clapped his hands once.
"Enough entertainment."
"Time for business."
His expression shifted almost instantly.
The cheerful performer vanished.
The young wolf returned.
"Wear your armor."
He flexed the metal claws on both gauntlets.
"And get ready."
"For the next two hours..."
"I'm going to teach you why predators smile before they attack."