I want to tread the heavens

The mornings in the old village are always shrouded in a thin mist, grayish-white, like damp cotton wool, heavily pressing down on the eaves and treetops.

Before dawn, Ling Xiao woke up. He quietly dressed and got out of bed, and Fa Cai opened its eyes almost at the same time, its ears perked up, its eyes wide awake—it seemed it hadn't been sleeping at all.

"Let's go." Ling Xiao lowered his voice and gestured to Fa Cai.

The man and the wolf slipped silently out of the courtyard, taking advantage of the morning mist to sneak towards the west side of the outer courtyard. That was the living area for the servants, and Guo Si lived in the row of low houses at the very edge.

Ling Xiao and Fa Cai hid behind a clump of half-withered bushes, holding their breath. Fa Cai lay prone on the ground, his ears pressed to the ground, his amber eyes fixed on Guo Si's door.

About fifteen minutes later, the door creaked open.

Guo Si yawned as he walked out, glanced around, then closed the door and hurried toward the back gate of the outer courtyard. He carried an inconspicuous gray cloth bag, bulging and full, its contents unknown.

"Keep up," Ling Xiao whispered.

Fa Cai immediately got up, pressed itself against the shadow of the wall, and silently followed. It seemed to be born with a talent for concealment; its grayish fur almost blended into the morning mist and shadows, and its footsteps were so light they were inaudible.

Ling Xiao maintained an even greater distance, using the "swimming fish step" taught by Uncle Rong to weave and maneuver through alleys and piles of debris, always keeping Guo Si at the edge of his sight.

The morning mist provided excellent cover. Guo Si clearly hadn't expected anyone to be following him; he walked quickly but without any precautions. He crossed the outer courtyard, slipped out through the back door, and headed straight towards the back mountain.

"The back mountain?" Ling Xiao's heart tightened. It was a secluded place, indeed a good place for shady deals.

He gestured for Fa Cai to slow down, while he climbed a crooked tree by the roadside. With the help of the height and the fog, he could barely see Guo Si's direction.

Guo Si didn't go into the mountain, but stopped in front of an abandoned cave at the foot of the mountain. He looked around again to make sure no one was there, then slipped inside.

The cave dwelling is very deep, and the entrance is half-hidden by withered vines, making it very secluded.

Ling Xiao slid down from the tree and met up with Fa Cai. He hesitated—should he go in with him, or wait outside?

"Woo." Fa Cai nudged him with his nose, then pointed to the cave, his amber eyes full of eager anticipation.

"There might be danger inside," Ling Xiao whispered.

Fa Cai shook his head and scratched the ground a few times with his paws—crooked and distorted, but Ling Xiao recognized it as the character "看" (kàn, meaning "look").

"Would you like to go in and take a look?"

Nod vigorously to get rich.

Ling Xiao gritted his teeth. Uncle Rong had said that one should not be afraid when encountering trouble, but one should be cautious. He thought for a moment, then took out the "Three Character Classic" from his pocket, tore off the last blank page from the back cover, bit his finger, and used his blood to draw a few crooked symbols on it—simple warning talismans that Uncle Rong had taught him. Although they were not very powerful, they would emit a faint spiritual energy fluctuation if someone passed by, which he could sense.

He pasted the paper talisman on an old tree outside the cave and covered it with withered leaves. That way, if the people inside left through another exit, or if someone else came, he could at least detect it in advance.

After doing all that, he nodded to Fa Cai and said, "Go, be careful."

Fa Cai immediately darted ahead and was the first to slip into the cave. Ling Xiao followed closely behind.

The cave dwelling was dark, filled with a strong smell of mildew and dust. The passage sloped downwards, getting colder the deeper one went. Fa Cai walked ahead, his nose constantly sniffing and his ears darting around, trying to catch the slightest sound.

After walking about twenty paces, they could faintly hear voices and see a dim light ahead.

Ling Xiao gestured for Fa Cai to stop, then held his breath and inch his way along the cave wall. Rounding a bend, the view suddenly opened up before him—

This is a naturally formed stone chamber, about half the size of a courtyard. In the center of the chamber, an oil lamp is lit, and in its dim light, two people stand facing each other.

One is Guo Si. The other...

Ling Xiao's pupils suddenly contracted.

The man was shrouded in a large black robe, his face covered by a hideous bronze mask, revealing only two dark eye sockets. The black-robed man was tall and thin, with a stiff posture, and exuded a cold, decaying aura, which made the jade pendant around Ling Xiao's neck faintly hot.

It's demonic energy! And it's more than ten times stronger than the smell of dregs of medicine I caught in the warehouse last time!

"Where's the goods?" The black-robed man's voice was hoarse and unpleasant, like two rusty pieces of iron rubbing against each other.

Guo Si seemed very afraid of him, and hurriedly took out a palm-sized wooden box from the gray cloth bag, handing it over with both hands: "It's, it's here. As per your request, the essence of 'Fire Moss' scraped from the depths of the fire ditch in the alchemy room, mixed with three Yin-attribute medicinal materials, was refined using a secret method for seven days and seven nights."

The man in black robes took the wooden box and opened it. Inside were a dozen or so pills, each about the size of a longan, dark red in color, with fine black lines on their surface, emitting a pungent, sweet-smelling odor.

"The quality is good." The man in black closed the lid. "But the quantity is too small. We agreed on thirty last time, but there are only eighteen here."

"Your Excellency is wise!" Guo Si's forehead was covered in sweat. "The alchemy room is under strict surveillance. That old bastard Guo Rong is always hanging around there. I really dare not take more than necessary. Besides, the earth fire has been unstable lately, and the fire moss is growing slowly..."

"Enough." The man in black interrupted him, his voice turning cold. "I don't want to hear excuses. 30% off the final payment. If you're short again next time, you know the consequences."

He pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket and tossed it to Guo Si. Guo Si caught it, weighed it in his hand, his face turning bitter, but he dared not say a word, only bowing repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I understand, I will definitely gather enough next time..."

"Also," the man in black robes suddenly looked in the direction where Ling Xiao was hiding, a glint of ghostly light seeming to flash in the eye sockets beneath his mask, "you're being followed."

"What?!" Guo Si exclaimed in shock, turning around abruptly.

Ling Xiao's heart nearly stopped. Without thinking, he scooped up Fa Cai and ran outside!

"Trying to leave?" The man in black robes sneered, his withered hand emerging from his sleeve, fingers spread, making a feint towards Ling Xiao's direction!

hum-

An invisible force instantly enveloped the passage! Ling Xiao felt the surrounding air become thick and sticky, and each step required several times the effort! Even more terrifying, the chilling demonic energy burrowed into his body like a venomous snake, causing his meridians to ache and his vision to go black!

"Ugh—!"

Suddenly, Fa Cai in my arms let out a sharp roar! The sound was completely different from its usual whimpers; it was high-pitched, violent, and carried a kind of ancient and majestic penetrating power! The sound waves turned into pale silver ripples, which exploded outwards from Fa Cai!

The viscous air was torn apart! The demonic energy that had invaded the body melted away instantly, like ice and snow meeting the sun!

The black-robed man let out a soft "Huh," and the eerie light in his eyes beneath the demon mask intensified: "Howling Moon Wolf? No... it's a mixed-blood with diluted blood. But it actually managed to break through my 'Spirit-Binding Claw'?"

In that brief moment of delay, Ling Xiao had already rushed several feet away! Fa Cai broke free from his embrace, landed, turned around, bared his teeth and growled at the black-robed man and Guo Si who were chasing after him. Silver flames ignited in his amber eyes, and his small body exuded a formidable aura!

"Sir, that's Ling Xiao! That little bastard from the third branch of the family!" Guo Si exclaimed in surprise.

"Ling Xiao?" The man in black robes stopped, stared at Fa Cai for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed, his laughter hoarse like an owl's. "Interesting, very interesting... It seems this trip to the Old Land has yielded even greater gains than expected. Guo Si—"

"I am here!"

"Stop them, keep them alive," the man in black said calmly. "Especially that wolf cub, I want it whole."

"Yes!" A ruthless glint flashed in Guo Si's eyes as he drew a dagger from his waist and lunged at Ling Xiao!

Ling Xiao didn't know how to fight, but he remembered the footwork that Uncle Rong had taught him. The moment the dagger came, he twisted his waist and narrowly dodged it, while at the same time kicking Guo Si in the shin—it wasn't very powerful, but Guo Si was caught off guard and staggered.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Fa Cai pounced and bit Guo Si's wrist, which was holding the knife!

"Ah—!" Guo Si cried out in pain, and the dagger slipped from his hand. Fa Cai landed on the ground, picked up the dagger, turned and ran, his speed as fast as a gray lightning bolt.

"Chase them! Don't let them get away!" Guo Si clutched his wrist, furious.

But the man in black raised his hand to stop him: "No need."

"grown ups?"

"That kid carries the aura of the 'Star Key'." The black-robed man stared at the cave entrance where Ling Xiao and Fa Cai had disappeared, his voice trembling with excitement beneath his mask. "And it's very strong... He must be in frequent contact with the Star Key, perhaps even wearing it close to his body. Guo Si, do you know what this means?"

Guo Si shook his head blankly.

"That means we're very, very close to our target." The man in black robes turned and looked into the depths of the stone chamber. "Go, notify the Blood Eagle Guards and have them intensify their search of this area. Also, find out where Ling Xiao usually goes, especially... are there any places he frequents or places he forbids others from approaching?"

A realization dawned on Guo Si's eyes: "You mean..."

"The entrance to the Starfall Ruins is very likely inside the Guo family compound. And the key is with Ling Xiao," the man in black robes said slowly. "What we need to do is wait for him to lead us to the entrance himself."

He walked to a corner of the stone chamber, where there was an inconspicuous little mound. The man in black robes squatted down, took out a small black bone bell from his robes, and gently shook it.

The ringtone was eerie; it didn't ring, yet it had a kind of soul-stirring quality.

The mound of earth slowly cracked open, and a bone bird, about the size of a palm, dark red in color and shaped like a vulture, emerged, its eye sockets flickering with eerie green flames. It spread its bone wings and silently flew out of the cave, disappearing into the morning mist.

"Go, follow them," the man in black robes whispered. "Find the source of the Star Key."