The town bell rang three times at sunrise.
Its deep echoes rolled across Stone River Town, mingling with the sounds of merchants opening their shops and farmers leading oxen toward the fields. To most people, it was another ordinary morning.
To Ye Chen, it felt like the beginning of a trial.
The elderly physician sat quietly in the courtyard, pouring tea into two small clay cups.
"Drink."
Ye Chen accepted the cup.
His hands were steady.
At least, they appeared to be.
"You are nervous."
Ye Chen looked into the steaming tea.
"I've never met a cultivator."
The physician smiled.
"Neither had I, once."
He took a slow sip.
"Remember one thing."
"What is it?"
"When you stand before someone stronger than yourself, do not try to appear fearless."
Ye Chen frowned.
"Why?"
"Because true experts recognize false courage immediately."
The old man placed the cup down.
"Speak honestly."
"Observe carefully."
"And never underestimate anyone."
An hour later, the physician and Ye Chen walked through the eastern district of Stone River Town.
The streets grew quieter as they approached the magistrate's residence. Town guards stood every few steps, while several Azure Cloud disciples watched the surroundings with calm, disciplined expressions.
Unlike the bandits, they carried themselves with dignity.
Yet Ye Chen noticed something unsettling.
No one looked them in the eyes.
Every passerby instinctively lowered their head.
Respect...
Or fear.
The distinction remained blurred.
Inside the magistrate's courtyard stood a massive ancient pine tree.
Beneath it sat Elder Han.
He wore simple blue robes without ornamentation, his hands resting calmly upon his knees. A pot of tea steamed gently beside him.
If not for the disciples standing respectfully behind him, he could have been mistaken for an ordinary scholar.
His eyes slowly opened.
For a brief moment, they met Ye Chen's.
An invisible pressure descended.
It was not murderous.
Nor was it hostile.
It simply felt as though every secret buried within Ye Chen's heart had been laid bare.
His previous life.
The fire.
His father's death.
The man he had killed.
Everything.
Ye Chen instinctively lowered his gaze.
The pressure disappeared.
"Interesting."
Elder Han's voice was calm.
"So young..."
"And yet your heart has already witnessed life and death."
The physician bowed respectfully.
"You wished to see me, Elder?"
Elder Han nodded.
"I did."
His attention remained fixed upon Ye Chen.
"What is your name?"
"Ye Chen."
"Age?"
"Ten."
"You survived Green Willow Village."
It was not a question.
Ye Chen answered honestly.
"Yes."
Silence followed.
Even the wind seemed reluctant to disturb the courtyard.
Finally, Elder Han spoke again.
"Do you hate the bandits?"
Ye Chen thought of the burning houses.
Of Old Liu.
Of his father.
"Yes."
"Do you wish to kill them?"
Another pause.
"I wish they could never harm anyone again."
A faint smile touched Elder Han's lips.
"You avoided my question."
Ye Chen raised his head.
"If killing them is the only way to stop them..."
His voice remained steady.
"...then I will."
The disciples exchanged subtle glances.
Elder Han merely poured another cup of tea.
"You answer like someone much older."
Ye Chen said nothing.
The Elder suddenly asked,
"Tell me..."
"If one innocent life could save a thousand others..."
"Would you sacrifice it?"
The question struck like lightning.
Ye Chen remained silent for a long time.
The courtyard waited.
Finally, he answered.
"I don't know."
One disciple frowned.
Another looked disappointed.
Elder Han, however...
Smiled.
"Good."
He placed the teacup aside.
"The people who answer such questions without hesitation usually understand neither innocence nor sacrifice."
He slowly rose.
His movements were graceful, almost effortless.
"Walk with me."
They entered the residence's rear garden.
A small pond reflected the clear sky, while lotus flowers floated peacefully upon its surface.
Elder Han stopped beside the water.
"Do you know why cultivators pursue strength?"
Ye Chen remembered everything he had heard.
"To become powerful."
The Elder shook his head.
"No."
"Power is only the result."
He looked at the ripples spreading across the pond.
"Some cultivate to protect."
"Some cultivate to rule."
"Some cultivate because they fear death."
"And some..."
His gaze became distant.
"...because they seek answers."
He turned toward Ye Chen.
"And you?"
"If one day you choose this path..."
"What answer will you seek?"
Ye Chen stared at the still water.
His father's face appeared in his memory.
His mother's tears.
The villagers.
The nameless old wanderer.
The frightened people who bowed simply because blue robes walked past.
After a long silence, he replied,
"I want to understand..."
Elder Han waited.
"...why people with strength choose to protect..."
"...while others choose to oppress."
The garden fell silent.
Even the disciples seemed surprised.
Elder Han studied the boy for several breaths.
Then, unexpectedly...
He laughed.
Not mockingly.
Genuinely.
"It has been many years..."
he murmured.
"...since someone gave me an answer I did not expect."
He reached into his sleeve and removed a small jade token no larger than a thumb.
It bore a single engraved cloud.
"This is not an invitation to the Azure Cloud Sect."
He handed it to Ye Chen.
"It is merely proof that we have met."
Ye Chen accepted it carefully.
"Thank you, Elder."
As they prepared to leave, one of the senior disciples stepped closer to Elder Han and whispered,
"Master..."
"Is he the one?"
Elder Han watched Ye Chen disappear through the courtyard gate.
His expression became unreadable.
"No."
He answered quietly.
"But..."
His eyes lingered on the boy's retreating figure.
"...if fate does not kill him first..."
"He may one day become someone this world cannot ignore."
Far beyond Stone River Town, in the ruins of Green Willow Village, a lone figure dressed entirely in black knelt before the ashes.
He picked up a handful of burned earth and let it slip through his fingers.
"So..."
he whispered coldly,
"The child survived."
A cruel smile slowly spread across his face.
"Excellent."
"Dead prey cannot grow."
"But living prey..."
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"...makes the hunt worthwhile."
The first true enemy had finally turned his gaze toward Ye Chen.