ARK SPIRIT

After resting a little longer, Hao Nhien stood up.

He removed his outer robe, leaving only the thin inner layer, then stepped into the pool.

The water was colder than he had expected.

The moment it reached his waist, his body tensed instinctively. His wounds had already closed, but the cold water still made them sting faintly. Hao Nhien did not immediately move beneath the waterfall. He stood still for a while, allowing his body to adjust to the temperature before slowly making his way forward.

The closer he came, the louder the water became.

The rocks beneath his feet were slippery. Water crashing into the pool sent wave after wave against him, forcing Hao Nhien to lower his center of gravity and plant his feet more firmly.

The moment he stepped directly beneath the falling water, his shoulders sank.

Boom.

The water struck his shoulders and back like a massive hand coming down upon him.

Not sharp.

But heavy.

One blow followed another without pause. After only a few breaths, the muscles in his back and legs were already tightening against the force.

From the shore, Tieu Lan immediately called out,

”Young Master! Can you endure it? Be careful, the water is freezing!”

Hao Nhien heard her, but did not turn around.

He was afraid that merely opening his mouth to answer would disrupt the breathing he had just stabilized.

Inhale.

Exhale.

The roar of the waterfall drowned everything else away. All that remained in his awareness was the water hammering against his body, his feet gripping the stone beneath him, his breath moving through his chest, and the thin thread of true qi in his lower abdomen being forced into clearer circulation.

He raised an arm.

A basic fist form.

Merely lifting it was enough for the water to force his arm downward. His shoulder trembled, and his elbow slipped out of position.

Hao Nhien immediately withdrew his arm, stood still, regulated his breathing for several breaths, then tried again.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Throwing one punch beneath the waterfall was harder than throwing ten on dry sand.

Every time he raised an arm, his muscles had to resist the falling water. Every time he turned his hips, the current pulled his body off line. Every step required both physical strength and that faint thread of true qi simply to maintain balance.

It was not elegant.

Not fast.

If anything, it looked awkward.

But the longer Hao Nhien practiced, the more clearly he understood what he needed.

On the sand, he could move slowly and search for the correct path of force.

Under the waterfall, every mistake was immediately magnified.

If his footing was unstable, his body tilted.

If his breathing quickened, his chest tightened.

If his muscles tensed incorrectly, his shoulder hurt.

If his true qi failed to keep pace with the movement, the fist form immediately became hollow.

The waterfall was like a brutal teacher.

It offered no explanations.

No praise.

No criticism.

It simply used the endless weight of water to force him to see his own weaknesses.

Hao Nhien gritted his teeth.

One punch.

Then another.

At times, the water nearly knocked him off his feet. At times, pain stabbed through his left shoulder halfway through a movement and forced him to stop. Whenever his breathing became disordered, the thin thread of true qi inside him scattered as well, and his entire body seemed to lose a layer of support.

But he did not grow impatient.

If something was wrong, stop.

If the rhythm broke, breathe.

If it hurt, reduce the force.

Once everything settled, continue.

Several times when Hao Nhien glanced toward the shore, he saw Tieu Lan standing close to the water’s edge, her expression tense as though she might call him back at any moment.

But whenever he stopped on his own to regulate his breathing, she remained silent.

By mid-afternoon, Hao Nhien finally stepped out from beneath the waterfall.

He was soaked from head to toe. His hair clung to his forehead, his inner robe stuck tightly to his body, and his shoulders and chest had turned red from the constant impact of the water.

His breathing was heavy.

His legs felt so weighted that every step back toward shore was slow.

But his eyes remained clear.

Tieu Lan hurried over and handed him the dry cloth she had prepared.

”Young Master, dry yourself quickly. The mountain wind is cold. You’ll catch a chill.”

Hao Nhien accepted the cloth and wiped the water from his face and hair.

”I’m fine. Let’s head back.”

”You’re not going to practice anymore?”

”That’s enough.”

He looked back at the waterfall.

One afternoon beneath it had not brought him a breakthrough, nor had it made his body noticeably stronger.

But it had taught him a great deal.

His left leg was weaker than his right.

His left shoulder could not endure sustained pressure.

His breathing tended to break when he turned his hips.

And his current true qi was only enough to support brief movements.

All of those things needed to be corrected.

But not today.

”We’ll stop here,” Hao Nhien said. ”I want to keep enough energy for my second session of breathing cultivation tonight.”

Tieu Lan had been wiping the water from his shoulder. At that, she looked up.

”You still plan to cultivate tonight?”

”Mm. But I won’t force it. I want to see whether my body absorbs spiritual qi differently after practicing the fist art and training under the waterfall.”

Tieu Lan clearly did not understand all of it, but she nodded anyway.

”Then we should go back to the boat and rest first. I’ll make minced-meat porridge tonight. Something soft will be easier to digest.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

”All right.”

The two gathered their things and started back.

Hao Nhien walked much more slowly than he had that morning. His body ached from head to toe, and every step made the dull soreness in his calves and shoulders more obvious.

But in his mind, the day’s training was replaying piece by piece.

Where the movement had gone wrong.

Where the force had broken.

Where his breathing had lost rhythm.

Where the true qi had scattered.

And among those repeated fragments, a clearer direction was beginning to emerge.

The Iron Body Fist on the sand helped him find the path of force.

The waterfall showed him where that path broke down.

If he combined the two, then used his breathing cultivation at night to stabilize the meridians again, perhaps he could gradually break free of the cycle that had trapped the former Quan Hao Nhien.

Beside him, Tieu Lan talked about what she had found.

”I found several useful herbs today. There was one I recognized immediately, but this white root…”

She opened the basket and took out an ivory-colored root.

”It looks very similar to the Bai Qi root Uncle used before, but I’m not certain, so I didn’t dare use it.”

Hao Nhien glanced at it.

”If you aren’t sure, don’t use it.”

”Yes. I’ll keep it for now. When we have enough money to buy an herb manual, I can check properly.”

”Mm.”

Tieu Lan carefully returned the root to her basket.

Hao Nhien said nothing more.

His first day practicing beneath the mountain had not given him strength.

But it had given him direction.

And right now, direction was already something precious.

Just as the two reached the dirt road near the edge of town, several loud bursts of laughter came from ahead.

Hao Nhien stopped.

Five or six youths emerged from around the bend. They were around the same age as him and Tieu Lan, but dressed far more flamboyantly. Their outer garments were brightly colored, strips of cloth were tied around their foreheads, and several carried wooden staffs.

They swaggered along as though the road belonged to them.

The one in front stood half a head taller than the others. His skin was dark, his shoulders broad, and a bruise still lingered on one cheek.

A dry blade of grass hung from the corner of his mouth, while his lips were curled into an expression he probably thought looked imposing.

He lifted his wooden staff and pointed it at Hao Nhien.

”Hey, kid. Where are you from? What are you doing wandering around our area?”

Tieu Lan tensed slightly.

Hao Nhien merely gave the group a glance.

A handful of youths trying to look impressive.

They did not seem genuinely vicious.

But handled poorly, they could still become troublesome.

He had no interest in fighting them.

Even less interest in wasting the little strength he had recovered after a full day of training.

Hao Nhien shook his head faintly and started to walk around them.

The tall youth’s face immediately darkened.

”Trying to pretend you didn’t hear me? I’m talking to you!”

One of the boys behind him laughed loudly.

”Big Brother asked you a question! You come into Brother Hac Cau’s territory and still act like that?”

Hac Cau.

Hao Nhien paused slightly.

Not because he was afraid.

The name simply struck him as both ridiculous and strangely familiar in an ordinary, human way.

Apparently, no matter what world one lived in, there were always young men who liked giving themselves names that sounded far more intimidating than they actually were.

Hao Nhien exhaled lightly.

”We’re not looking for trouble. We were at the waterfall and are only passing through on our way back.”

Hac Cau sneered and stepped closer.

”I saw you practicing your fist art. Looked pretty decent. How about letting my brothers and me see whether you actually have any skill?”

The boys behind him immediately began making noise.

Hao Nhien remained where he was.

Beating them would accomplish nothing.

Losing would be even more troublesome.

His body was still too weak. Another injury now would almost certainly interfere with his cultivation that evening.

He was considering whether it would be simpler to take another route when Tieu Lan stepped half a pace forward.

”Brothers, please wait.”

Her voice was not loud, but it was clear.

Hac Cau frowned at her.

Tieu Lan gave a slight bow.

”We aren’t looking for trouble. My Young Master only went out today to practice his fist art and recover his health. We aren’t here to compete with anyone over territory.”

Her gaze moved carefully over Hac Cau’s face before settling on his right shoulder.

”Brother Hac Cau seems to be injured as well.”

He froze.

”You… how do you know?”

”Your right shoulder and ribs still hurt, don’t they?”

Hac Cau’s expression changed visibly.

Tieu Lan opened the small basket on her back and took out a rough porcelain bottle.

”I learned some medicine from Uncle. This is a healing liniment I prepared myself. It’s used externally for bruising and minor injuries to the muscles and tendons. Uncle That in town has used it before. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him.”

The moment they heard Uncle That’s name, more than half the arrogance on the boys’ faces disappeared.

Even Hac Cau’s shoulders seemed to draw in slightly.

Hao Nhien noticed.

It seemed Uncle That carried some weight in Thanh Van Town.

Hac Cau stared at the bottle in Tieu Lan’s hand.

”You know Uncle That?”

”I often buy game from him, and I’ve sold him healing liniment before.”

Tieu Lan spoke naturally.

No boasting.

No threat.

That made her words all the more believable.

One of the boys behind Hac Cau muttered,

”Big Brother, maybe forget it. If Uncle That hears we stopped someone he knows…”

”Shut up.”

Hac Cau glared at him, though his voice had already lost much of its force.

Tieu Lan held out the bottle.

”Take this and use it. Rub it on twice a day, and don’t exert yourself too much for the next two days. Otherwise, a small injury may turn into an old one.”

Hac Cau stared at her.

Perhaps he had expected begging.

Or insults.

Or a fight.

He clearly had not expected her to offer him medicine.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally took the bottle.

”No payment?”

Tieu Lan smiled faintly.

”No. Consider it an introduction. But don’t casually stop people on the road anymore. Everyone in town knows one another. Things like this can easily cause misunderstandings.”

Her tone remained soft.

But the reminder was perfectly clear.

Standing behind her, Hao Nhien’s gaze shifted slightly.

Tieu Lan had not used strength.

Nor had she humiliated the other side.

She had given Hac Cau a way to back down while quietly removing his excuse to continue causing trouble.

She was more tactful than he had expected.

Hac Cau scratched his head, holding the medicine bottle.

Almost all of his earlier swagger had disappeared, though he still coughed awkwardly and tried to maintain some dignity.

”Fine. Today was… a misunderstanding.”

Tieu Lan nodded.

”It was a misunderstanding.”

Hac Cau glanced at Hao Nhien again.

”You really train at the waterfall?”

”Mm.”

”By yourself?”

”Mm.”

Hac Cau frowned, seemingly about to ask something else, but Tieu Lan spoke first.

”If you really want to practice the fist art, let your injury heal first. Maybe later, if there’s a chance, everyone can exchange a few basic forms.”

Hac Cau immediately looked up.

”Really?”

Hao Nhien glanced at Tieu Lan.

She immediately turned toward him, a tiny hint of pleading in her eyes.

Hao Nhien remained silent for a breath.

”Treat your injury first.”

Hac Cau looked down at the bottle in his hand, then finally nodded.

”Fine. I’ll try the medicine first.”

One of the boys behind him grinned.

”Big Brother, she even gave you medicine. Aren’t you going to thank her?”

Hac Cau spun around and glared at him before awkwardly giving Tieu Lan a martial salute.

”Thank you… Miss Tieu Lan.”

Tieu Lan inclined her head slightly.

”It’s nothing.”

The group finally left.

Before disappearing around the bend, Hac Cau looked back once at Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan.

There was no longer any provocation in his gaze.

Mostly curiosity.

Only after they were gone did Tieu Lan finally let out a breath.

She turned toward Hao Nhien, the tension in her face fading.

”Young Master, you didn’t even have to do anything.”

Hao Nhien looked at her.

”You handled it very well.”

Tieu Lan blinked.

”Really?”

”Mm.”

He meant it.

With only a few sentences, a bottle of medicine, and the small amount of trust she had already built in town, she had dissolved something that could easily have become a fight.

More importantly, she had done it without humiliating the other side enough to leave behind resentment.

”Were you scared?” Hao Nhien asked.

Tieu Lan looked down at her hands.

”A little. But Hac Cau didn’t seem like a truly bad person. And he was already injured. If you fought him, even winning would only bring trouble. So I thought… maybe we should try talking first.”

Hao Nhien smiled faintly.

”Đối chiếu và kiểm tra bản dihcj chương 9 (lưu ý tôi đã rút gọn, hãy xem nếu ổn):After resting a little longer, Hao Nhien stood up.

He removed his outer robe, leaving only the thin inner layer, then stepped into the pool.

The water was colder than he had expected.

The moment it reached his waist, his body tensed instinctively. His wounds had already closed, but the cold water still made them sting faintly. Hao Nhien did not immediately move beneath the waterfall. He stood still for a while, allowing his body to adjust to the temperature before slowly making his way forward.

The closer he came, the louder the water became.

The rocks beneath his feet were slippery. Water crashing into the pool sent wave after wave against him, forcing Hao Nhien to lower his center of gravity and plant his feet more firmly.

The moment he stepped directly beneath the falling water, his shoulders sank.

Boom.

The water struck his shoulders and back like a massive hand coming down upon him.

Not sharp.

But heavy.

One blow followed another without pause. After only a few breaths, the muscles in his back and legs were already tightening against the force.

From the shore, Tieu Lan immediately called out,

”Young Master! Can you endure it? Be careful, the water is freezing!”

Hao Nhien heard her, but did not turn around.

He was afraid that merely opening his mouth to answer would disrupt the breathing he had just stabilized.

Inhale.

Exhale.

The roar of the waterfall drowned everything else away. All that remained in his awareness was the water hammering against his body, his feet gripping the stone beneath him, his breath moving through his chest, and the thin thread of true qi in his lower abdomen being forced into clearer circulation.

He raised an arm.

A basic fist form.

Merely lifting it was enough for the water to force his arm downward. His shoulder trembled, and his elbow slipped out of position.

Hao Nhien immediately withdrew his arm, stood still, regulated his breathing for several breaths, then tried again.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Throwing one punch beneath the waterfall was harder than throwing ten on dry sand.

Every time he raised an arm, his muscles had to resist the falling water. Every time he turned his hips, the current pulled his body off line. Every step required both physical strength and that faint thread of true qi simply to maintain balance.

It was not elegant.

Not fast.

If anything, it looked awkward.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

But the longer Hao Nhien practiced, the more clearly he understood what he needed.

On the sand, he could move slowly and search for the correct path of force.

Under the waterfall, every mistake was immediately magnified.

If his footing was unstable, his body tilted.

If his breathing quickened, his chest tightened.

If his muscles tensed incorrectly, his shoulder hurt.

If his true qi failed to keep pace with the movement, the fist form immediately became hollow.

The waterfall was like a brutal teacher.

It offered no explanations.

No praise.

No criticism.

It simply used the endless weight of water to force him to see his own weaknesses.

Hao Nhien gritted his teeth.

One punch.

Then another.

At times, the water nearly knocked him off his feet. At times, pain stabbed through his left shoulder halfway through a movement and forced him to stop. Whenever his breathing became disordered, the thin thread of true qi inside him scattered as well, and his entire body seemed to lose a layer of support.

But he did not grow impatient.

If something was wrong, stop.

If the rhythm broke, breathe.

If it hurt, reduce the force.

Once everything settled, continue.

Several times when Hao Nhien glanced toward the shore, he saw Tieu Lan standing close to the water’s edge, her expression tense as though she might call him back at any moment.

But whenever he stopped on his own to regulate his breathing, she remained silent.

By mid-afternoon, Hao Nhien finally stepped out from beneath the waterfall.

He was soaked from head to toe. His hair clung to his forehead, his inner robe stuck tightly to his body, and his shoulders and chest had turned red from the constant impact of the water.

His breathing was heavy.

His legs felt so weighted that every step back toward shore was slow.

But his eyes remained clear.

Tieu Lan hurried over and handed him the dry cloth she had prepared.

”Young Master, dry yourself quickly. The mountain wind is cold. You’ll catch a chill.”

Hao Nhien accepted the cloth and wiped the water from his face and hair.

”I’m fine. Let’s head back.”

”You’re not going to practice anymore?”

”That’s enough.”

He looked back at the waterfall.

One afternoon beneath it had not brought him a breakthrough, nor had it made his body noticeably stronger.

But it had taught him a great deal.

His left leg was weaker than his right.

His left shoulder could not endure sustained pressure.

His breathing tended to break when he turned his hips.

And his current true qi was only enough to support brief movements.

All of those things needed to be corrected.

But not today.

”We’ll stop here,” Hao Nhien said. ”I want to keep enough energy for my second session of breathing cultivation tonight.”

Tieu Lan had been wiping the water from his shoulder. At that, she looked up.

”You still plan to cultivate tonight?”

”Mm. But I won’t force it. I want to see whether my body absorbs spiritual qi differently after practicing the fist art and training under the waterfall.”

Tieu Lan clearly did not understand all of it, but she nodded anyway.

”Then we should go back to the boat and rest first. I’ll make minced-meat porridge tonight. Something soft will be easier to digest.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

”All right.”

The two gathered their things and started back.

Hao Nhien walked much more slowly than he had that morning. His body ached from head to toe, and every step made the dull soreness in his calves and shoulders more obvious.

But in his mind, the day’s training was replaying piece by piece.

Where the movement had gone wrong.

Where the force had broken.

Where his breathing had lost rhythm.

Where the true qi had scattered.

And among those repeated fragments, a clearer direction was beginning to emerge.

The Iron Body Fist on the sand helped him find the path of force.

The waterfall showed him where that path broke down.

If he combined the two, then used his breathing cultivation at night to stabilize the meridians again, perhaps he could gradually break free of the cycle that had trapped the former Quan Hao Nhien.

Beside him, Tieu Lan talked about what she had found.

”I found several useful herbs today. There was one I recognized immediately, but this white root…”

She opened the basket and took out an ivory-colored root.

”It looks very similar to the Bai Qi root Uncle used before, but I’m not certain, so I didn’t dare use it.”

Hao Nhien glanced at it.

”If you aren’t sure, don’t use it.”

”Yes. I’ll keep it for now. When we have enough money to buy an herb manual, I can check properly.”

”Mm.”

Tieu Lan carefully returned the root to her basket.

Hao Nhien said nothing more.

His first day practicing beneath the mountain had not given him strength.

But it had given him direction.

And right now, direction was already something precious.

Just as the two reached the dirt road near the edge of town, several loud bursts of laughter came from ahead.

Hao Nhien stopped.

Five or six youths emerged from around the bend. They were around the same age as him and Tieu Lan, but dressed far more flamboyantly. Their outer garments were brightly colored, strips of cloth were tied around their foreheads, and several carried wooden staffs.

They swaggered along as though the road belonged to them.

The one in front stood half a head taller than the others. His skin was dark, his shoulders broad, and a bruise still lingered on one cheek.

A dry blade of grass hung from the corner of his mouth, while his lips were curled into an expression he probably thought looked imposing.

He lifted his wooden staff and pointed it at Hao Nhien.

”Hey, kid. Where are you from? What are you doing wandering around our area?”

Tieu Lan tensed slightly.

Hao Nhien merely gave the group a glance.

A handful of youths trying to look impressive.

They did not seem genuinely vicious.

But handled poorly, they could still become troublesome.

He had no interest in fighting them.

Even less interest in wasting the little strength he had recovered after a full day of training.

Hao Nhien shook his head faintly and started to walk around them.

The tall youth’s face immediately darkened.

”Trying to pretend you didn’t hear me? I’m talking to you!”

One of the boys behind him laughed loudly.

”Big Brother asked you a question! You come into Brother Hac Cau’s territory and still act like that?”

Hac Cau.

Hao Nhien paused slightly.

Not because he was afraid.

The name simply struck him as both ridiculous and strangely familiar in an ordinary, human way.

Apparently, no matter what world one lived in, there were always young men who liked giving themselves names that sounded far more intimidating than they actually were.

Hao Nhien exhaled lightly.

”We’re not looking for trouble. We were at the waterfall and are only passing through on our way back.”

Hac Cau sneered and stepped closer.

”I saw you practicing your fist art. Looked pretty decent. How about letting my brothers and me see whether you actually have any skill?”

The boys behind him immediately began making noise.

Hao Nhien remained where he was.

Beating them would accomplish nothing.

Losing would be even more troublesome.

His body was still too weak. Another injury now would almost certainly interfere with his cultivation that evening.

He was considering whether it would be simpler to take another route when Tieu Lan stepped half a pace forward.

”Brothers, please wait.”

Her voice was not loud, but it was clear.

Hac Cau frowned at her.

Tieu Lan gave a slight bow.

”We aren’t looking for trouble. My Young Master only went out today to practice his fist art and recover his health. We aren’t here to compete with anyone over territory.”

Her gaze moved carefully over Hac Cau’s face before settling on his right shoulder.

”Brother Hac Cau seems to be injured as well.”

He froze.

”You… how do you know?”

”Your right shoulder and ribs still hurt, don’t they?”

Hac Cau’s expression changed visibly.

Tieu Lan opened the small basket on her back and took out a rough porcelain bottle.

”I learned some medicine from Uncle. This is a healing liniment I prepared myself. It’s used externally for bruising and minor injuries to the muscles and tendons. Uncle That in town has used it before. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him.”

The moment they heard Uncle That’s name, more than half the arrogance on the boys’ faces disappeared.

Even Hac Cau’s shoulders seemed to draw in slightly.

Hao Nhien noticed.

It seemed Uncle That carried some weight in Thanh Van Town.

Hac Cau stared at the bottle in Tieu Lan’s hand.

”You know Uncle That?”

”I often buy game from him, and I’ve sold him healing liniment before.”

Tieu Lan spoke naturally.

No boasting.

No threat.

That made her words all the more believable.

One of the boys behind Hac Cau muttered,

”Big Brother, maybe forget it. If Uncle That hears we stopped someone he knows…”

”Shut up.”

Hac Cau glared at him, though his voice had already lost much of its force.

Tieu Lan held out the bottle.

”Take this and use it. Rub it on twice a day, and don’t exert yourself too much for the next two days. Otherwise, a small injury may turn into an old one.”

Hac Cau stared at her.

Perhaps he had expected begging.

Or insults.

Or a fight.

He clearly had not expected her to offer him medicine.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally took the bottle.

”No payment?”

Tieu Lan smiled faintly.

”No. Consider it an introduction. But don’t casually stop people on the road anymore. Everyone in town knows one another. Things like this can easily cause misunderstandings.”

Her tone remained soft.

But the reminder was perfectly clear.

Standing behind her, Hao Nhien’s gaze shifted slightly.

Tieu Lan had not used strength.

Nor had she humiliated the other side.

She had given Hac Cau a way to back down while quietly removing his excuse to continue causing trouble.

She was more tactful than he had expected.

Hac Cau scratched his head, holding the medicine bottle.

Almost all of his earlier swagger had disappeared, though he still coughed awkwardly and tried to maintain some dignity.

”Fine. Today was… a misunderstanding.”

Tieu Lan nodded.

”It was a misunderstanding.”

Hac Cau glanced at Hao Nhien again.

”You really train at the waterfall?”

”Mm.”

”By yourself?”

”Mm.”

Hac Cau frowned, seemingly about to ask something else, but Tieu Lan spoke first.

”If you really want to practice the fist art, let your injury heal first. Maybe later, if there’s a chance, everyone can exchange a few basic forms.”

Hac Cau immediately looked up.

”Really?”

Hao Nhien glanced at Tieu Lan.

She immediately turned toward him, a tiny hint of pleading in her eyes.

Hao Nhien remained silent for a breath.

”Treat your injury first.”

Hac Cau looked down at the medicine bottle in his hand, then finally nodded.

”Fine. I’ll try the medicine first.”

One of the boys behind him immediately grinned.

”Big Brother, she even gave you medicine. Aren’t you going to thank her?”

Hac Cau spun around and glared at him.

”Too much talking.”

But after a brief hesitation, he still turned back toward Tieu Lan and awkwardly gave her a martial salute.

”Thank you… Miss Tieu Lan.”

Tieu Lan inclined her head slightly.

”It’s nothing.”

Hac Cau coughed lightly, seemingly deciding that if he stayed any longer, whatever dignity he had left as the group’s big brother might disappear completely.

He turned to leave.

After only two steps, however, he suddenly seemed to remember something.

”Oh, right.”

He looked back.

”Uncle That told us a few days ago to keep our eyes open. Recently, several strangers have shown up in town. They don’t look like people from around here.”

Tieu Lan, who had been about to adjust the basket on her back, suddenly paused.

Hao Nhien also raised his eyes.

”Strangers?” he asked.

”Mm.”

Hac Cau tapped the wooden staff lightly against his shoulder.

”I haven’t seen all of them myself. I only heard that some came asking for directions, places to stay, and a few things about the area around town. Uncle That thought something felt off, so he told us to pay attention.”

Hao Nhien remained silent for a moment.

”Do you know where they came from?”

”No.”

Hac Cau shook his head.

”Anyway, they don’t look local.”

He glanced at Hao Nhien, then at Tieu Lan.

”If you see anyone suspicious, tell Uncle That. Or you can tell me.”

One of the boys behind him immediately burst out laughing.

”Big Brother, why would they need to report to you too?”

Hac Cau’s face darkened.

”Shut up.”

The others began laughing.

Perhaps feeling that the little authority he had just recovered was about to collapse again, Hac Cau quickly lifted his chin and tried to look fierce.

”Anyway, this is still Thanh Van Town. Familiar faces are one thing. But if some outsider comes here looking for trouble…”

He tightened his grip on the wooden staff and gave a crooked grin.

”We’ll make sure he learns that getting into town is easier than getting out.”

One of the boys behind him muttered,

”Big Brother, weren’t you the one who got beaten black and blue the other day…”

”Will you shut up?”

The laughter grew louder.

Hac Cau’s face reddened. He immediately turned and led the group away.

Before disappearing around the bend, he still looked back once at Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan.

There was no longer any provocation in his gaze.

Mostly curiosity.

Only after the group had gone some distance did Tieu Lan let out a quiet breath.

But this time, the tension on her face did not completely disappear.

She looked in the direction Hac Cau had gone.

”Young Master…”

”Mm?”

”Those strangers he mentioned…”

She hesitated.

”Do you think they could be connected to the people from that night?”

Hao Nhien did not answer immediately.

The same possibility had already crossed his mind.

But simply because a few strangers had appeared in town, it was far too early to connect them directly to the people who had pursued the Quan family.

”I don’t know yet.”

He spoke calmly.

”Thanh Van Town is small, but it lies beside the river. Outsiders passing through shouldn’t be unusual.”

Tieu Lan nodded faintly, though her brows were still slightly furrowed.

Hao Nhien looked at her.

”But if Uncle That specifically told people to keep watch, then at the very least, he must have noticed something unusual.”

Tieu Lan’s expression immediately became more serious.

”Then should we…”

”Do nothing.”

Hao Nhien answered quickly.

”At least for now.”

He looked toward the small town ahead.

”We don’t know who they are, and we don’t know why they came here. If we start investigating on our own, we’ll only draw attention to ourselves.”

Tieu Lan understood.

”Just observe?”

”Mm.”

Hao Nhien nodded slightly.

”If you happen to see them, remember their faces, how many there are, and what they ask about. Don’t approach them on purpose.”

He paused.

”Especially if you’re alone.”

Tieu Lan obediently nodded.

”I’ll remember.”

Only then did the tension in her expression ease slightly.

She suddenly glanced at Hao Nhien.

”But at least today we didn’t have to fight.”

Hao Nhien looked at her.

”You handled it very well.”

Tieu Lan blinked.

”Really?”

”Mm.”

He meant it.

With only a few sentences, a bottle of medicine, and the small amount of trust she had already built in town, she had dissolved something that could easily have become a fight.

More importantly, she had done it without humiliating the other side enough to leave behind resentment.

”Were you scared?” Hao Nhien asked.

Tieu Lan looked down at her hands.

”A little. But Hac Cau didn’t seem like a truly bad person. And he was already injured. If you fought him, even winning would only bring trouble. So I thought… maybe we should try talking first.”

Hao Nhien smiled faintly.

”When did I get such a capable little healer?”

Tieu Lan froze, and her face immediately reddened.

”Young Master is teasing me again.”

”I’m not.”

Hao Nhien turned and continued toward the riverbank.

”When something happens in town from now on, perhaps I should listen to you more often.”

Tieu Lan stood still for a moment, then quickly hurried after him.

”Then Young Master has to remember you said that.”

Hao Nhien did not answer.

But the corner of his mouth curved slightly.

A day beneath the waterfall had shown him that this body could still improve.

What had just happened taught him something else.

In this world, strength mattered greatly, but not every problem needed to be solved with a fist.

At least for now, there was someone beside him who knew how to use medicine, words, and sincerity to open a path.

For someone who had only just stepped into Fading Clouds, that too was a kind of good fortune.?”