The flames continued to roar behind them.
Sun Yunso didn’t dare look back, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He knew that if he did, he would lose the courage to keep going and leave everything behind.
The home where he had laughed, the forge where he had learned to shape steel, the fields he had complained about tending every morning.
Everything was disappearing into the fire.
As they walked, Anyu Feng moved ahead, his footsteps quiet on the ground, until they came to a stop beneath a large tree where two horses were waiting.
Without a word, he untied the reins and then handed one of the horses’ reins over to Sun Yunso.
“They’re gentle.”
“You don’t need to worry.”
Sun Yunso quietly accepted the reins.
For a brief moment, he simply stared at the horse then, with a little effort, he climbed onto its back.
Anyu mounted his own horse before turning toward the road stretching into the distance.
“…Ready?”
Sun Yunso’s hands tightened around the reins, his face a picture of calmness.
But beneath his serene exterior, his mind was elsewhere, haunted by the memory of Su Qing’s grave.
“Let’s go.”
With a gentle pull of the reins, the horses began moving.
Behind them the flames swallowed the last traces of the life Yunso had once known.
A long and difficult road lay ahead, one that would either make him a great warrior or lead to his death, alongside the people he wanted to get revenge for.
The horses just kept going along the quiet mountain road, no need to rush, they took their time.
There was no destination that demanded haste but a road leading toward an uncertain future.
The sound of horse’s hooves beating against the ground filled the air as they rode through the forest.
It was quiet for a while, until Anyu Feng finally spoke up, breaking the stillness that had settled over them.
“We’re on our way to my place now.
You can stay there for a while, at least until things get sorted out.”
Sun Yunso quietly listened.
“No.”
Anyu blinked.
“…No?”
Yunso didn’t take his eyes off the road in front of him.
“I don’t want to.”
That response totally threw Anyu off.
He turned to face the boy.
“Why?”
Sun Yunso lowered his head.
“I want to live alone.”
The wind gently brushed past them.
Anyu frowned.
“You’re only twelve.”
“I know.”
“You have nowhere to go.”
“I know.”
“I know.”
Every answer came quietly, without hesitation or emotion.
“I just….need to be alone.”
He tightened his grip on the reins.
“No matter how long it takes I don’t want to rely on anyone anymore.
And I don’t want anyone relying on me.”
Anyu gazed at the boy, and in that moment, everything clicked into place.
He realized that Yunso wasn’t pushing him away, he was just scared – scared of letting someone in, only to lose them like he had before.
The fear of getting hurt again was written all over his face, and Anyu’s heart went out to him.
He understood that Yunso’s silence wasn’t a rejection, but a cry for protection, a shield to guard himself from the pain of potential loss.
Anyu let out a quiet sigh.
“You’re more like Su Qing than I thought.”
The horses continued down the lonely road, neither of them speaking another word.
***
Two days passed and the journey was not put into a pause.
The horses followed a narrow mountain trail, climbing higher and higher until the sounds of civilization had completely faded away and only the wind and the songs of distant birds remained.
As the ride wore on, Anyu Feng slowly began to rein in his horse, bringing it to a gentle stop.
“We’re here.”
Sun Yunso lifted his head.
Nestled against the mountainside stood a small wooden house.
It wasn’t fancy or over-the-top, but there was something calming about it.
A small stream flowed beside it, while tall trees surrounded the home like silent guardians.
Anyu raised a hand and pointed toward it.
“How about that place?”
Sun Yunso quietly studied the house.
This place has all the essentials, like a roof over your head, a fireplace to keep you warm, fresh water to drink, and plenty of land to grow your own food.
If you’re really looking to live alone and be self-sufficient, then this is the perfect spot for you – it’s got everything you need to take care of yourself.
A faint smile appeared on Sun Yunso’s face.
“…I like it.”
As he dismounted his horse, he approached the humble dwelling with caution, his eyes fixed on the door.
Sun Yunso then turned to face Anyu Feng, bowing his head in a gesture of respect, his movements deliberate and courteous.
The warm sunlight cast a gentle glow over the scene, illuminating the quiet moment between the two individuals.
“Thank you.”
Anyu smiled.
“You don’t have to thank me.”
He looked toward the distant mountains.
“You’re the disciple of my best friend.
If I can’t even do this much for him then I have no right to call myself his friend.”
Sun Yunso gave a silent nod, then turned to gaze back at the small house one last time.
It wasn’t home, well not yet but perhaps one day it could become one.
Anyu Feng didn’t rush off right away, instead he stood there beside his horse, gazing over at Sun Yunso, and let out a soft sigh.
“Are you certain about this?
It consumes people, changes them.
And even if you succeed….what will it solve?
It won’t bring Su Qing back.”
Sun Yunso looked down, his eyes fixed on the ground.
He spoke in a calm tone.
“I know, I know my master won’t come back, I know killing them won’t erase my pain.”
He slowly closed his eyes.
“But this is the kind of world we live in.
A cruel one.
If nobody hated, fought or shed blood then perhaps this world would be different.”
He slowly opened his eyes again.
“I’ve come to terms with things, but that doesn’t mean I’m okay with what happened.
I still can’t forgive those who took away my only family – it’s a pain that’s hard to shake off.
I’m not going to pretend like everything will magically get better, because it won’t.
And I’m definitely not going to run away from my problems, that’s just not who I am.
I’ll face them head-on, no matter how tough it gets.”
Anyu was taken aback, a realization hitting him like a ton of bricks.
The kid standing in front of him, the same one his best friend had always spoken so highly of, was gone – vanished into thin air the night Su Qing passed away.
And in his place stood someone who had already taken their first steps down a path from which there was no return, a path shrouded in darkness.
Anyu Feng gazed silently at Sun Yunso, her eyes fixed on him for what felt like an eternity, before finally giving a subtle nod of acknowledgement.
“If you’re determined to go down that road, I won’t stand in your way.”
He walked over to his horse and placed a hand on its neck.
“But promise me one thing.”
Sun Yunso looked at him.
“I’ll stop by every year to check in and make sure you’re doing okay.
If you ever need anything, don’t think twice about reaching out to me.”
Sun Yunso stood there for a moment, not saying a word, before he slowly nodded his head.
Then, a small smile crept onto his face, and for a brief instant, his expression changed, revealing a hint of something more beneath his usual calm demeanor.
“Okay, thank you….Uncle Anyu.”
Anyu Feng’s eyes froze, widening just a little, but then a warm smile slowly began to spread across his face.
“Take care of yourself, Yunso.”
He swung his leg over the horse’s back and settled into the saddle, then softly tugged on the reins to guide his mount.
As the horse made its way slowly down the mountain path, Sun Yunso stood perfectly still, her eyes fixed on the pair until they vanished from sight behind the trees.
The sound of their gentle descent faded into the distance, leaving an unsettling silence in their wake.
He raised a hand.
“Goodbye.”
The wind swept his voice away, leaving only silence on the mountain.
Sun Yunso turned slowly towards the small wooden house, his eyes scanning the peaceful surroundings that would soon become his home.
The stillness was almost palpable as he took in the quiet beauty of his new surroundings, the trees standing tall and unmoving in the distance.
He moved slowly, taking one step and then another, his face set in a serious expression as he spoke:
“My journey begins here.”
As he spoke those words, Sun Yunso took a step forward, embracing the next phase of his life.