Dao Eternal

The afternoon sun slowly descended behind the western peaks as the three travelers continued southward.

The mountain trail wound through ancient forests where towering pines blocked most of the sunlight, leaving the ground beneath covered in a carpet of brown needles and fallen leaves. The air carried the scent of damp moss and medicinal herbs, while distant waterfalls echoed faintly between the cliffs.

Gu Ming walked at the front with practiced ease.

Every few steps, he would stop to inspect an unfamiliar plant or scrape a small amount of moss from the bark of an old tree before placing it carefully into his basket.

He seemed more interested in the forest than the road itself.

Ye Chen quietly observed him.

His movements were calm.

Measured.

Nothing seemed unusual.

Yet the uneasiness in Ye Chen's heart refused to fade.

Perhaps it was because of everything that had happened.

Perhaps he had simply become suspicious of everyone.

Or perhaps...

His instincts were warning him of something his eyes had yet to discover.

As they rounded a narrow bend, Gu Ming suddenly raised his hand.

"Stop."

His voice was barely louder than a whisper.

Lin Yue immediately halted.

Ye Chen did the same.

Gu Ming slowly knelt beside the path.

Without touching the ground, he pointed toward several shallow impressions in the soft earth.

"Horse tracks."

Ye Chen stepped closer.

The prints were fresh.

"So the bandits came this way?"

Gu Ming shook his head.

"No."

He traced one of the marks with a finger.

"These horses wear iron shoes."

He pointed to another.

"The bandits who attacked your village rode mountain horses. They rarely shoe them because they travel over rocky terrain."

Ye Chen frowned.

"Then who made these?"

Gu Ming remained silent.

His expression had grown noticeably more serious.

"They're disciplined riders."

He stood and looked toward the dense forest surrounding them.

"Six horses."

"No..."

He corrected himself after another careful glance.

"Seven."

His eyes narrowed.

"They passed less than an hour ago."

Ye Chen's heart skipped a beat.

"Can they be soldiers?"

"They could."

Gu Ming's answer lacked confidence.

"They could also be cultivators."

The unfamiliar word caused Lin Yue's expression to tighten.

Ye Chen remembered the traveling storyteller.

Cultivators.

People capable of splitting mountains and commanding the heavens.

If such people were involved...

What chance did ordinary villagers ever possess?

Without another word, Gu Ming led them away from the main trail and into a dense grove of bamboo.

"There is a small cave nearby," he whispered.

"We'll wait until sunset before moving again."

The three of them climbed through thick undergrowth until they reached a narrow opening hidden behind hanging vines.

The cave was little more than a crack in the mountainside, but it was large enough for them to rest unseen.

Inside, the air was cool and dry.

Ye Chen sat near the entrance, watching the forest through the curtain of vines.

No one spoke.

Even Gu Ming appeared unusually tense.

Nearly an hour passed.

Then...

The sound of hooves echoed faintly through the valley.

Not hurried.

Not chaotic.

Steady.

Controlled.

The riders came into view one after another.

They wore dark blue robes instead of leather armor.

Each carried a sheathed sword across their back.

Their horses were strong, well-fed, and perfectly trained.

The man leading them appeared to be around forty years old.

Unlike the others, he rode without even glancing at the path beneath him.

His posture was straight.

His gaze calm.

Yet the very air around him seemed strangely oppressive.

Ye Chen instinctively held his breath.

The man had done nothing.

He had not spoken.

He had not drawn his weapon.

Even so...

An invisible pressure settled over the surrounding forest.

The birds fell silent.

The insects stopped chirping.

Even the horses lowered their heads as they passed.

Only after the riders disappeared into the distance did Gu Ming slowly release the breath he had been holding.

"We were fortunate."

Lin Yue looked at him.

"Who were they?"

Gu Ming hesitated.

Then he answered quietly.

"The Azure Cloud Sect."

Ye Chen frowned.

"You know them?"

Gu Ming gave a bitter smile.

"In these lands..."

He looked toward the trail where the riders had vanished.

"Everyone knows them."

"They protect this region?"

The smile disappeared from Gu Ming's face.

"They rule it."

The distinction was subtle.

Yet Ye Chen immediately understood the difference.

Protectors served the people.

Rulers expected the people to serve them.

As silence returned to the cave, Ye Chen's thoughts became increasingly troubled.

First the bandits.

Now a powerful sect.

The attack on Green Willow Village was beginning to feel less like random misfortune.

His father's words echoed within his mind.

"Strength matters because there may come a day when the people you love can survive only if you are strong enough to protect them."

He slowly clenched his fists.

For the first time...

The desire to become stronger did not arise from revenge.

It arose from helplessness.

Never again...

He silently vowed.

Never again would he stand powerless while those precious to him suffered before his eyes.

Outside the cave, the evening wind carried the distant sound of a temple bell from somewhere beyond the mountains.

Its solemn chime faded into the gathering darkness.

Unseen by the three travelers, one of the Azure Cloud Sect riders had quietly reined in his horse atop a distant ridge.

He looked back toward the forest where they had hidden.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"So..."

he murmured.

"There really were survivors."

Without another glance, he turned his horse and disappeared into the falling night.