The carriage was a rickety wooden box that smelled of damp hay and neglect. For three days, it jolted along the uneven roads leading away from the Jade Capital. The further they went, the thinner the Qi in the air became. To a normal cultivator, this was a descent into a wasteland. To Xuan Ye, it was a release of pressure.
In the capital, the sky was heavy with the overlapping "fates" of powerful men. Here, the sky was vast and empty.
"We're here, Young Master," the driver grunted, his voice full of disdain. He didn't even bother to step down to open the door.
Xuan Ye stepped out into the biting wind of the Northern Border. Before him lay the grain storehouses—vast, grey stone buildings guarded by a handful of unranked soldiers. Beyond them sat the Great Forest, a wall of ancient, blackened trees that seemed to swallow the horizon.
"Young Master Xuan Ye?" A middle-aged man with a scarred face walked toward him. "I am Captain Hu. The Manor sent word. You're in charge of the inventory. Just stay out of the way, and we'll make sure you don't starve."
Xuan Ye offered a polite, shallow bow. "I appreciate the hospitality, Captain. I'll try to be as invisible as possible."
"Good. The Royal Hunt starts in two days. The peripheral woods will be crawling with noble brats and their guards. Don't go wandering. Even the outer forest has beasts that would eat a mortal like you in one bite."
Xuan Ye smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."
He spent the evening in his small, drafty quarters. He didn't light a candle. He sat in the dark, calling the Book of Fate.
The black ink swirled, manifesting the heavy tome. This time, the pages felt more reactive. As his distance from the Xuan Clan Ancestors grew, the Book's presence became sharper.
"You didn't wake up just to show me maps," Xuan Ye whispered, his finger tracing the blank pages. "If I am the paper and you are the pen, what is the first word?"
The Book shivered. Ink bled across the page, forming a jagged list.
[Mortal Vessel: Level 1 - Requirement: Essence of the 'Lawful'.]
[Target identified: Captain Hu. Body: Lesser Stone Body (Rank 8).]
[Status: 4th Step Qi Gathering.]
Xuan Ye's eyes locked on the text. Captain Hu was a veteran. He had survived decades at the border. But in the eyes of the Unwritten, he was nothing more than a source of "hardware."
"The Lesser Stone Body," Xuan Ye murmured. "It increases bone density and skin durability. Perfect for a foundation."
He didn't feel a shred of guilt. Hu was a soldier who had spent his life killing for the Xuan family. Now, he would simply serve a different member of the family