The scarred man from the tavern never spoke Lin Yan's name again.
Word spread through Yanque Hollow like wildfire, but no one dared mention it to the pair dressed in black. They weren't just cultivators anymore—they were walking warnings.
Mei Qingxue and Lin Yan had only stayed the night, yet the mark they left would linger in whispers long after they were gone.
---
As they moved east, the world began to change.
Gone were the frozen cliffs and isolation. In their place rose towns wrapped in colorful banners, merchant caravans dragged by spirit beasts, and disciples bearing sect robes filled the roads.
This was **cultivation territory**—the veins of the Thousand Desires Sect's influence, where power was currency, and reputation was law.
Lin Yan kept his hood drawn.
It wasn't fear—it was strategy.
He had seen what happened to those who drew attention before they were ready. And he was still sharpening his blade.
---
One night, they stopped at a crossroads inn near the town of **Long Petal Gate**, where gossip traveled faster than wind.
Lin Yan sat in the corner while Mei Qingxue bought supplies.
That's when he heard it.
> "Another furnace went rogue."
>
> "No way. The Cauldron Hall's leash is too tight."
>
> "They say he burned an elder alive. Gold flame. Said he was reborn."
>
> "Tch. Just rumors. No one survives Cauldron Hall."
Lin Yan looked up slowly. The men speaking were young cultivators—outer disciples of a minor sect, laughing over wine, their blades dulled by peace.
But one name made his blood chill.
> "You hear about Elder Shi Lanyue? One of the top inner elders. She's the one leading the retrieval."
Shi Lanyue.
A name etched in his soul.
One of the women who had drained him—not just physically, but spiritually. Her cruelty was refined, elegant. She smiled while breaking him.
And now she was hunting him.
---
That night, Lin Yan stood atop the inn's roof, staring at the stars.
Mei Qingxue joined him, silent as always.
"They've released her," he said, voice low.
"I heard."
"She's stronger than Jian Lu. Smarter. She won't come alone."
Mei Qingxue was quiet for a moment. Then she asked:
"Do you want to keep running?"
He didn't answer right away.
Then: "No."
She nodded. "Good. Then you'll need help."
Lin Yan turned to her. "Help?"
"She's not the only enemy you'll face. But there are others like you. Broken things. Forgotten souls. You're not the only furnace that lived."
His eyes widened.
"There are more?"
Mei Qingxue stepped into the shadows.
"You'll find one in a ruined shrine east of Long Petal Gate," she said. "She doesn't trust anyone. But if you can earn her loyalty... you won't be alone in the fire anymore."