In the night sky, a crescent moon hung high, its light flowing like water.
Shang Xinci stood atop a boulder, gazing into the distance, her face etched with worry. "Brother Heitu, why hasn't he come back yet?"
"Could something have happened?" Xiao Die echoed.
"He couldn't possibly be in any trouble, don't worry." Bai Ningbing leaned against a dead tree, thinking to herself, what is Fang Yuan up to now?
Time trickled by, and Shang Xinci grew ever more anxious, her brow furrowed tight.
Bai Ningbing gradually sensed that something was wrong too — at least half an incense stick's worth of time had passed. Had something truly happened on Fang Yuan's end?
She couldn't care less whether Fang Yuan lived or died. What she cared about was the Yang Gu in his hands.
A trace of agitation stirred in her heart.
Half of it stemmed from Fang Yuan's disappearance, and the other half came from the helplessness gnawing at Bai Ningbing's mind. Fang Yuan's cultivation grew ever stronger, and with the Yang Gu in his possession, she found herself in an increasingly awkward position if she wanted to deal with him.
In other words, if Fang Yuan decided to renege on their agreement, she had no way to counter him.
Having traveled alongside him, she knew exactly what kind of person Fang Yuan was. His cultivation was approaching Third Transformation, and the agreed-upon deadline was drawing near — which only made Bai Ningbing more anxious.
Just as the three of them were discussing going back to back up Fang Yuan, the man himself finally appeared on the mountain path.
Shang Xinci let out a sigh of relief, but when Fang Yuan drew close, her heart seized once more. "Brother Heitu, you're hurt again!"
Fang Yuan had deliberately added several wounds to his body. He sucked in a sharp breath. "Right after you left, a green-furred zombie showed up. I barely managed to outrun it. Let's move — it might still be chasing us."
At his words, the other three dared not linger, and they traveled through the night.
From then on, Fang Yuan got what he wanted and behaved himself for the rest of the journey.
After passing Tombstone Mountain, they arrived at Twin General Mountain.
The mountain was a pair of twin peaks, separated by a sheer cliff valley, facing each other across the divide — an imposing and majestic sight.
Without the merchant caravan's guards, the four struggled to make their way through the mountain forests.
Fortunately, beyond Twin General Mountain lay Blood Tear Mountain.
Blood Tear Mountain had the Zhao family stronghold, meaning they were no longer in untamed wilderness — there were signs of civilization.
The most difficult stretch of this trade route was behind them, and the danger had greatly diminished.
Both Fang Yuan and Bai Ningbing were wanted by the Hundred Family Stronghold, so they naturally avoided the Zhao family stronghold. Without pausing, the four crossed Blood Tear Mountain and then pushed on through Thousand Cave Mountain, Giant Mountain, Algae Mountain, and several more.
During this stretch, Fang Yuan's cultivation rose from High Stage of the Second Transformation to the Peak realm.
Throughout the entire journey, they made only brief resupply stops at remote villages.
The closer they got to Discussion Mountain, the wider the mountain path became, and the more travelers they encountered.
And then, on this day, Discussion Mountain appeared before their eyes.
"Whew — is that Discussion Mountain?" Shang Xinci raised a hand to her brow to shield against the sunlight, squinting into the distance as she let out a long breath.
"Miss, we're finally almost there!" Xiao Die chimed happily, excitedly shaking Shang Xinci's arm.
Bai Ningbing said nothing, watching in silence.
"Once we reach Discussion Mountain, we'll part ways. Miss of the Zhang clan, I've repaid the debt of your kindness." Fang Yuan suddenly spoke.
"What?" Xiao Die cried out in surprise, never having expected Fang Yuan to say something like this. She stood rooted to the spot, blank and bewildered.
Shang Xinci's expression shifted. Her beautiful eyes turned toward Fang Yuan, her lashes trembling involuntarily.
Over these days, though Fang Yuan had been quiet and few with words, he had become someone to rely on. Now he was suddenly leaving, and Shang Xinci felt an immediate hollowness in her chest — a deep sense of loss.
"All good things must come to an end," Fang Yuan sighed.
"Indeed..." Shang Xinci pressed her lips tight together, feeling as though the air had been squeezed from her lungs. After days of traveling together from dawn to dusk, she understood Fang Yuan's character well. He was a man who said what he meant and never wavered once his mind was made up.
"Let's go. It's still not safe here. We'll say our goodbyes at the city gates." Fang Yuan took the first step forward.
The mood of the group plunged to freezing. Even the usually chattering Xiao Die said not a word.
Getting closer to Shangcheng meant getting closer to their parting, and Shang Xinci's footsteps unconsciously slowed. Shangcheng was the destination of her journey — logically speaking, success was right within reach, but right now she would almost rather never arrive.
But the road was finite, and they reached the foot of Discussion Mountain.
The towering gates of Shangcheng stood right before them.
The moment had come to say goodbye.
Fang Yuan fixed his gaze deeply upon Shang Xinci, nodded, and said just two words.
"Take care."
Two simple words, and Shang Xinci's delicate frame trembled.