"Restless? What kind of reaction? Did you have that dream again?" Wen Xian put down the document in his hand and subconsciously touched the bridge of his nose, though there were no glasses perched there anymore. It was still his habit to adjust them while thinking.
"No, but my spiritual intuition keeps warning me, as if something is approaching. I just can't find the source." Ivy frowned, genuinely looking puzzled.
"Your spiritual intuition is far beyond mine. If you can sense something approaching, it means we are indeed in some kind of danger. However, if I haven't felt anything yet, and Li Xian hasn't received any intelligence, then maybe we still have time." Wen Xian walked to the open kitchen, poured a glass of chilled fruit wine, and mixed in some other fruit juice. "Calming fruit wine, try it. It's soothing."
Ivy took the glass and downed it in one gulp. Only after she put the glass down did she realize something was off, while Wen Xian stood there, stunned by the sight of her quick drinking, his expression darkening.
"You're quite skilled, aren't you?" he said, a bit exasperated.
"I think I can explain..." Ivy's voice dropped to a soft, kitten-like murmur as she looked up, innocent and bashful.
Wen Xian could only sigh. "You know we cannot indulge in any desires. For those who seek longevity, that path leads to ruin."
"I envy you, Wen Xian. You can sleep. I can too, but only rarely. Most nights, I count the stars—whether in the attic or in dreams..." For the first time in days, Ivy called him by his name directly. The innocence in her eyes quickly faded into melancholy. She stood up, walked to the kitchen stove, and took out a bottle of cooking wine, about to open it...
Wen Xian silently took the bottle from her and replaced it with a bottle of juice, handing it to the already flushed Ivy.
He knew about Ivy's "little issue"—one drink and she was out. A total lightweight. What he didn't understand was how she, once someone who didn't dare touch a drop, now seemed so practiced at it.
"She's had a rough time too," Wen Xian thought as he gently pressed an acupoint that would help her fall asleep. Ivy soon collapsed, and Wen Xian carried her back to her room.
Li Xian walked in just then. "The first batch of refugees has been settled in the mining area. They've been assigned plots of land and instructed to build their homes. For now, the temporary shelters are set up at the foot of Mount Mang, and a fence has already been erected."
"Are we moving too slowly? Have you had any bad feelings or received any troubling news recently?" Wen Xian asked, hoping for some insights from Li Xian.
"None, everything seems normal. But since arriving here, every day has felt ominous, so nothing's changed—still the usual," Li Xian shrugged. Wen Xian, listening to this, felt as though he'd hit a dead end.
"Any news from the group searching for minerals and coal?" Wen Xian inquired.
"Not yet, but I trust my intel. About seventy kilometers east of Mang Mountain, there's a natural open coal field. They left two days ago, so we should hear something by tomorrow. By the way, your recruitment notice worked, but most applicants are fresh arcane graduates. Master-level arcanists aren't motivated by money." Li Xian wandered over to the kitchen, pulled out a fine bottle of wine Wen Xian had hidden, and popped the cork before Wen Xian could stop him.
"You're awfully familiar! That's..."
"Thirty-year-old osmanthus wine? Don't kid me. You could give me something three hundred years old, and it'd still be fine. Let a brother have a sip." Li Xian took a swig directly from the bottle, praising the quality, then chilled the bottle with a flick of his hand and continued drinking.
"Is it that hot outside today? Why do both of you need a drink the moment you come in?" Wen Xian muttered to himself. Aloud, he said, "I have a friend from the Church of Life coming in a while. You don't mind meeting a clergy member, right?"
"I mind a lot," Li Xian replied without hesitation. "Getting involved with any church is asking for trouble. The Church of Life has a very specific agenda. Unless absolutely necessary, I'd rather avoid this meeting."
"Your War School and the Church of Life don't get along either?" Wen Xian asked curiously. Li Xian looked at him in surprise.
"You don't know? The Church of Life's real target isn't the School of Life—it's the School of Reproduction."
Wen Xian's eyes flashed with confusion. He hadn't been aware of the specific alignments of the major churches, but he did know Qi Hui, an old friend from the Church of Life. Qi Hui's philosophy, "Observe nature to reflect on oneself," seemed to align with the School of Life. How could there be conflict?
Seeing Wen Xian's lingering confusion, Li Xian explained further. "Just because something has 'Life' in the name doesn't mean it's related to the School of Life. In fact, even though the School of Life tries to fix the mess caused by the School of Reproduction, they rarely interact with the affairs of the continent. Any church bearing the name 'Life' is either a devout front for the School of Reproduction or a false cover for some rogue cult."
"Perhaps I should delay or even cancel this meeting," Wen Xian said, his expression growing more serious. "You're right. Getting entangled with the church at this stage would only cause trouble. If we get drawn into the brewing conflict between the two schools, the consequences could be disastrous." He glanced out the window at the Jiang River, which flowed through the heart of Norton. The sunlight made the water shimmer brightly. "Norton isn't ready. We still need more time."
…
Mount Song used to be a beautiful place, renowned for its scenic beauty. Temples and monasteries once dotted the landscape, with monks and Daoists coexisting peacefully. In those days, incense burned thick, and the area thrived with visitors. But now, it was a borderland between four nations. Since the collapse of the once-great empire, no one was allowed to live there. The temples had been forced to relocate to the foot of the mountain, within the borders of Li Kingdom, while the Daoists, unwilling to abandon their ancient temple, had been besieged by armies from the four nations. The once-holy site was now reduced to ruins. Only the scars from an old fire, now covered by moss and overgrowth, hinted at its past.
A squirrel darted through the tall grass, its target a cluster of berries hidden in a bramble thicket. It paused a few steps from its goal, head cocked as if plotting its next move. With a quick chirp, it found its path and in an instant had reached the nearest berry, gnawing at the thorny branches.
A length of blackened wall was covered in purple vines. At a glance, it might be hard to notice the figure standing before it. Draped in a black cloak, the figure's face was obscured in shadows so deep, it seemed as if the robe itself was a void, swallowing all light.
"They refused my visit," a voice echoed from the cloak, an unnatural sound that seemed to come from the void itself.
"They won't refuse forever," a second voice, accompanied by the sound of waves crashing, responded from beneath the cloak. "Continue the 'cultivation' mission. We need more 'children' to please the Goddess."
"Yes, Schoolmaster of Heceline." The cloaked figure bowed slightly toward the empty air, and the surroundings fell eerily silent. Had anyone been watching, they might have noticed the black vines crawling over the wall were threaded with countless black eyes...
The black "tendrils" snaked into the squirrel's left ear and emerged from the right. The once-rigid creature twitched, then suddenly sprang back to life. Its small limbs, now seemingly endowed with unnatural strength, grasped and tore the branches apart. The squirrel then retraced its path back to its nest, moving with unnerving precision.