The mountains around Verdant Sky Sect were not empty.
Liang Yu learned this on his first real excursion outside the sect walls—a routine herb gathering mission for outer disciples, the kind that happened every few weeks. He'd volunteered immediately. Not because he wanted herbs, but because he wanted to understand the terrain where two fugitives were hiding.
The mission leader was an inner disciple named Han Wei, a quiet man in his twenties who spoke rarely and observed constantly. He assigned Liang Yu to the边缘—the outer edge of the gathering area—with strict instructions to stay within sight of the group.
"The mountains have demon beasts," he said. "Weak ones near the sect, stronger ones deeper in. Don't go looking for trouble."
Liang Yu nodded and went to work.
The forest was beautiful in a way that made his chest ache. Ancient trees with trunks wider than houses. Vines that glowed faintly in the shadows. Flowers that opened when you approached, releasing scents that made his head swim. This was a cultivation world, through and through—every leaf, every stone, every breath of air hummed with latent energy.
He gathered herbs mechanically, following the instructions he'd been given. But his eyes were always moving, always searching.
Where would I hide if I were them?
Somewhere with water. Somewhere with shelter. Somewhere away from patrol routes but close enough to watch the sect.
Somewhere high? Low?
He studied the terrain. The sect sat in a valley, surrounded by three mountains. The mountains rose steeply, their slopes covered in forest that grew thicker and wilder with altitude. Above the tree line, bare rock and ice. Below, caves and crevices and streams.
The fugitives are outer disciples. They have basic cultivation—stage 1 or 2. They can survive in the wilderness longer than mortals, but not indefinitely. They need food, water, shelter. They need to avoid patrols.
They'd go high. Less traffic. More places to hide.
He looked at the peaks and felt a cold certainty settle over him.
They're up there. Watching. Waiting.
For what?
For a chance. For revenge. For death, if nothing else.
The mission lasted three days. Liang Yu gathered herbs, avoided trouble, and mapped the terrain in his head. By the end, he had a rough understanding of the lower slopes—the patrol routes, the dangerous areas, the places where a person might hide.
He also had confirmation that someone was watching.
It happened on the second night. He'd volunteered for the late watch—a quiet shift that no one else wanted—and sat by the campfire while the others slept. The forest was dark, full of sounds he couldn't identify. He'd learned to ignore them.
Then he felt it. Eyes. On him. From somewhere in the darkness.
He didn't move. Didn't look. Just sat there, staring at the fire, heart beating steadily.
They found me.
Maybe. Or maybe they're watching the group. Looking for weaknesses.
Either way, they know I'm here.
He waited. The feeling persisted for a long moment. Then it was gone.
In the morning, he examined the area where the eyes had been. Found nothing but disturbed leaves and a faint footprint, half-erased.
Small. Light. Someone who knew how to move quietly.
Stage 1 or 2. Confirmed.
He said nothing to Han Wei. Finished the mission. Returned to the sect.
That night, he took out the second pill and swallowed it.
The pain was less this time—his meridians had already adjusted to the first cleansing. But it was still agonizing, still left him gasping on the floor, still felt like fire consuming him from within.
When it passed, he reached for qi.
More flowed now. Not much—still a trickle compared to what talented cultivators could manage. But a larger trickle. Faster. More responsive.
He was getting closer to stage 1.
The fugitives know I'm here. They know I'm connected to Lin Fei's warning. They'll come for me eventually.
Then you need to be ready.
How? I can't fight them. I can barely cultivate.
Then don't fight. Think.
Liang Yu sat in the darkness, mind working.
They're watching. They're waiting. They want revenge, but they also want to survive. If they kill me openly, the sect will hunt them down. They need to make it look like an accident. Like a demon beast. Like I just disappeared.
Which means they'll wait for the right moment. A mission outside the walls. A moment alone. A chance to strike without witnesses.
I can use that.
How?
I don't know yet. But I have time. They're patient. I can be patient too.
He lay back on his pallet and closed his eyes.
Somewhere in the mountains, two men were watching. Waiting. Planning.
And somewhere in the sect, a poisoner was still free.
Liang Yu smiled in the darkness. It was not a pleasant expression.
This is my life now. Hunters and prey. Secrets and lies. Choices and consequences.
I chose this.
Did you?
He didn't answer. He wasn't sure he could.