Chapter 39 : The Aftermath
Weeks passed and the ridge returned to its ordinary rhythm.
Livestock arrived.
Livestock thinned.
Lantern light flickered above the storehouse table while Tan Suzi’s chalk moved over the board.
On the surface, nothing had changed but beneath the quiet routines, tension had begun to accumulate like water pressing behind packed soil
Time passed.
Yan rested inside the storehouse that afternoon, leaning against the wooden beam near the ledger table.
A moment later, The air compressed.
"Maa"
"Maa"
"Maa" The goats screamed.
"Creak" the store house ceiling began to break.
Pressure descended suddenly, heavy and suffocating.
Yan smiled.. his smile was not noticeable at first glance, but on focus look one could see the smile.
Then he opened his eyes and rose slowly.
A faint smile still touched his lips, so slight that no one could see it “So it has begun.”
He stepped outside.
The courtyard was already full.Disciples. Servants. Even several elders had emerged from the halls.
Everyone was staring upward.
Yan followed their gaze.Two figures stood suspended in the sky above the ridge.
One was unmistakable.
A towering, broad-shouldered old man.
Elder Tao.His aura pressed against the air like a collapsing mountain, the air around him felt denser.
In his grip hung another figure.A middle-aged man whose robes were torn and soaked with blood.
Elder Chao.
Tao held him by the collar as if lifting a broken puppet.
“Chao.”
The single word thundered across the ridge.
“You’ve gone too far.”
The disciples below stood frozen.
“Stop your madness”
Tao’s voice dropped.
At that moment it was far more dangerous.
“Or this sect dies with you.”
"Sacrifice is required for the progress"
Chao stubborn despite blood dripping from his sleeve.
Tao’s eyes hardened.
“If you don't stop this, next time I won't be showing mercy”
Then without any warning, Tao hurled Chao downward.
The body smashed into the main hall.
Stone exploded.
The already decayed wall collapsed with a violent crack.
Dust burst outward like a wave.
Several disciples staggered back.
Tao descended slowly afterward, landing heavily before the ruined structure.
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For a moment the courtyard was silent except for falling debris.
Then Tao turned.
His gaze swept across the gathered disciples.
“What are you looking at?”
No one moved.
The disciples immediately lowered their heads.
Even the elders avoided his eyes.
Tao exhaled once.
The violent pressure slowly receded.
Without another word, he stepped through the shattered entrance of the hall.
Inside the rubble, movement stirred.
Elder Chao rose slowly from the broken stone.
Blood covered half his face.
His robes hung in torn strips.
Yet his back remained straight.
He walked forward calmly.
Ignoring the dozens of eyes fixed upon him.
Ignoring the whispers spreading through the courtyard.
He stepped into the hall after Tao and disappeared from the vision.
Only then did the courtyard begin breathing again.
Tan Suzi stood near the edge of the gathered crowd. Her eyes remained fixed on the broken wall.
Footsteps approached quietly beside her.
Yan.
He stood there as if he had always been part of the crowd. Right about this moment, His voice rose calmly beside her “I know what happened.”
The words were not loud but they spread instantly through the nearby disciples.
Several heads turned.
" Does he really know it? "
" He might"
"Let's try asking him"
"Look...look.. he is beside Tan Suzi. Tan Suzi must have told him how Elder Tao cherished her and was willing to fight Chao to stop sacrificing herself"
A few whispers began, Tan Suzi’s eyes flickered toward him.Yan simply looked ahead.
"What happened?"
Some disciples approached Yan. Yan did not reply, instead he looked over Tan Suzi.
"You..." Tan Suzi looked back at Yan but did not say anything.
Moments later the disciples began dispersing.
"So it's Tan Suzi all along"
But the whispers continued.
Night settled slowly across the ridge.Yan returned to the storehouse.The familiar scent of grain dust and livestock greeted him.
He had barely taken his seat when the door opened again.Tan Suzi entered with the manual beneath her arm.And immediately grabbed Yan by the neck "Didn't I say not to play tricks with me?"
"I did not, I just fulfilled my promise, and it's your time now" Yan remained calm.
She was about to say something when another voice interrupted.Lin stepped inside.“You two are summoned by Elder Chao.”
Tan Suzi froze for a brief moment and released Yan.
"If you ever play any tricks again, I will crush you" Tan Suzi warned as they walked together toward the main hall.
The broken wall had already been cleared.
Inside Chao’s chamber, a lantern burned steadily.
Elder Chao sat behind the table.
His injuries were clearly visible now.Bruises darkened his face.
One sleeve was still stained with blood but his gaze remained sharp.
Muchen stood beside him in silence.
Chao looked at Yan and Tan Suzi.
“You two.”
His voice was calm.
“I am assigning you to a special mission.”
Neither of them spoke.
“It will be long-term.”
Chao took a breath and looked at Yan“You will no longer receive the green liquid.”
“I will inform you about the mission and when to return, until then don't return”
The order carried no explanation.
“You may leave.”
Yan and Tan Suzi bowed slightly and turned to exit.
Outside, the night wind moved across the ridge.
Yan spoke quietly.
“Since I have kept my promise, Now tell me now what lies beneath the drainage?”
Tan Suzi did not look at him.“In your dreams.”
“I have to make preparations, we will leave the day after tomorrow.”
Her voice was steady.
Then she walked away.
Yan watched her disappear into the darkness.
Back at the storehouse, the lantern had already been lit.Not long after, Ren burst through the door.
His face was bright with excitement.“You saw it, right?”
He leaned closer “Everyone is getting played and they don’t even realize it!”
Yan watched him calmly.
Then he said, “I will be leaving soon.”
Ren blinked.
“I have been assigned to a mission.”
“I do not know when I will return.”
Ren’s enthusiasm faded slightly.
“…I see.”
Yan stood.
“Before that,” he said quietly, “let’s go to the Westbrook.”
Ren frowned.
“The restaurant?”
Yan nodded.
“We should eat together.”
Ren studied him for a moment.
Then asked slowly,
“Did you anticipate your mission as well?”
Yan did not answer immediately.
He simply stepped outside into the night.
"I bet on the probability"