The mountain pass had finally fallen quiet.
The chill of the wind was all that was left, sweeping away the smell of blood that lingered in the air.
Dust drifted gently from the grey sky, settling upon broken wagons, shattered weapons, and the bodies scattered across the road.
The battle was over.
Sun Yunso remained completely still, his hand frozen on the handle of his sword, which was still sheathed at his side.
The pain behind his scarred eyes had become worse.
“…Tch.”
He quickly dug into his robe’s inner pocket and grabbed a tiny glass bottle.
He carefully opened the tiny bottle, revealing a transparent liquid inside.
Then, he gently tilted his head back and removed the small stopper.
With precision, he allowed a few drops of the liquid to fall into each of his eyes.
At first, the medicine stung, but he tolerated it quietly.
A few seconds passed, and then the burning sensation that had been tormenting him started to fade away slowly.
As the pain eased, his vision began to clear up, and the discomfort that had been clouding his eyes gradually disappeared.
“That’s better.”
As he slowly opened his eyes, the trembling that had been caused by pain was no longer there.
Lei Shun watched silently.
“That’s how you’ve been managing to keep your pain under control, right?
And the reason you didn’t want to share about it.”
Sun Yunso carefully put the vial away inside his robe.
“…It’s only temporary.”
Sun Yunso calmly cleaned the last bits of blood off his sword, then put it away.
He walked over to the Lei siblings without saying a thing.
Lei Mei stood frozen.
Her emotions were a complete mess.
Those being; relief, fear, confusion and gratitude.
She wanted to say something, but no words came out.
She simply stared at the young swordsman who had defeated the Black Fang Bandits almost single-handedly.
Sun Yunso stopped a few steps away and glanced around at the wreckage scattered across the road.
He broke the silence, speaking as calmly as he always did.
“It looks like our trip to Meizou is going to take a little longer than expected.” This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Lei Mei blinked.
“Huh?”
Of all the things she thought he might say that was the last one she expected.
Lei Shun let out a small laugh, shaking his head.
That’s not what I was thinking you’d say, but I guess you make a good point.
He looked over the devastated caravan.
“Before we can continue, we need to bury the dead, tend to the wounded horses, and salvage whatever supplies remain.”
He turned back to Yunso.
“We owe those men at least that much.”
Sun Yunso silently nodded.
“I agree.”
For a brief moment the three of them stood together in silence, the cold wind carrying snow across the battlefield where the price of their survival lay all around them.
The four escorts were buried together beneath the snow.
Using their swords and whatever tools remained, they dug four graves at the edge of the mountain pass.
The fallen horses were laid to rest nearby, their sacrifice remembered and respected, just like the men who had bravely fought to their very last breath, giving their all in a final act of loyalty and duty.
No grand speeches were made nor any tears were shed but plain silence.
Lei Mei gently placed a small white flower on each grave and bowed her head.
“Thank you for protecting us.”
The three of them paid their respects and then slowly made their way back to the lead carriage.
“Lei Shun.” Sun Yunso called out.
Lei Shun glanced over.
“Yes?”
I’ve been wondering about something since the fighting stopped.
“What is it?”
Sun Yunso looked directly at him.
“Why did you hide your identity from me?”
Lei Shun remained quiet.
“You are a cultivator but I couldn’t sense your Seidan.
Zhang Pojun recognised you immediately.
Sun Yunso frowned.
“So, how did you hide your presence from me?”
Lei Shun stopped walking.
He sat there for a while, just looking out at the road covered in snow.
Then, a small smile started to show up on his face.
“You’ve got sharp instincts.”
He turned toward Yunso.
“Well you need a proper explanation after everything, so listen.
When we first met, I didn’t know what to make of you.
You seemed like a normal swordsman, but then I sensed your energy and it was subtle, yet refined, like you’d spent years perfecting it.
That’s why I kept my distance, why I hid who I really am.
You see, I’m not someone who trusts easily, especially not strangers.
But being in the same caravan, I couldn’t help but feel your presence, and it made me curious.
I had to be careful, though, because I didn’t know what your intentions were.
Now, I’m taking a chance and opening up to you, hoping that you’ll understand where I’m coming from.”
Sun Yunso was stunned by what Lei Shun had explained to him.
The reason was that he had learned from the books his master Su Qing had kept about the basics of Seidan.
Hiding your energy is a huge task in itself, and it’s also super risky because it can end up killing you.
When you shut it down, it slowly burns away at your Seidan, which is pretty dangerous.
The longer you keep it hidden, the more it eats away at you, making it a really tough thing to do without suffering serious consequences.
It was even more surprising that Lei Shun managed to keep it a secret until the fight actually started, and that was a pretty long time – a whole two hours.
That was impressive, something that deserves praise itself.
“Well, I must say you’re pretty amazing yourself.
I never even thought of doing that because I was a little terrified of dying, so I just left it alone.”
“You’re not alone in thinking that, but it can be a lifesaver in tough spots, so maybe give it another thought.”
Sun Yunso nodded as they finally arrived at the caravans.
Lei Mei wondered aloud, “What’s the plan for the rest of them?”
Sun Yunso and Lei Shun exchanged a glance, but it was obvious they were both drawing a blank.