"Where exactly is the point where the disappearances began?"

"About four hundred meters from there, past the second-to-last rest town. It's an old forest passage, part of the ancient route before the current roads."

"It used to be safe, and it was also the fastest route. But now… no one dares to go through it."

"But it's the fastest, and it's the one we must take."

"And the caravan's cargo?" Kyrian asked in a neutral tone.

"Trade goods. Rare herbs, minerals, northern fabrics. In large quantities for the event that will take place in Gylp. But nothing particularly special."

"At least nothing worth causing such a stir among cultivators or bandits for an attack, an invisible attack like that. That's what bothers me."

Kyrian remained still for a few seconds. Finally, he spoke calmly.

"If there's something making the caravans disappear without leaving any trace, then they aren't simple bandits."

Lao Shen nodded slowly.

"I believe that too."

Yanyu looked between the two of them, feeling the air grow heavier.

"Even so, the mission is an escort, right? Not an investigation."

Kyrian turned his gaze to her with a rare half-smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"But it's curious, isn't it? Besides, missions rarely go according to plan."

Lao Shen let out a light but genuine laugh.

"I hope this one does. The Shen Company has a reputation to uphold."

Kyrian nodded, asking,

"All right. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow, at sunrise," Lao Shen replied.

"The caravan is already being prepared and is almost ready in the eastern courtyard. We have ten cargo wagons and thirty regular escorts. You two will travel at the front as representatives of the sect."

"If that's fine, I'll have you both stay at the company's inn tonight, and tomorrow we depart."

"It's decided, then." Kyrian nodded.

Lao Shen stood, adjusting his sleeves.

"I'll personally take you to the lodging. I'll have dinner prepared. I doubt it will compare to the meals of your sect, but I hope it pleases you nonetheless."

As they left the office, the movement of the company resumed its flow. Porters crossed the corridors carrying heavy crates. Messengers went back and forth with scrolls.

And the sound of coins and sealed contracts echoed faintly from afar.

Outside, the sun was already high in the sky.

The inn was only two streets away. Simple, yet spacious, with clean corridors and wide windows that let in the light.

Lao Shen stopped before the main room and handed them two keys.

"Make yourselves comfortable, dinner will be served in the hall within two hours."

When the man left, Yanyu sighed and leaned against the corridor wall.

"He really did seem tense."

"No wonder," Kyrian replied.

"Losing caravans means losing months of work. If it's something that destroys or makes entire groups vanish without a trace, then… there's more to it."

"You think it's a strong cultivator? Or a beast?" Yanyu asked.

"I can't say… but something tells me it's not." He said, looking away, letting the subject die there.

That night, dinner was simple but pleasant. Rice, cooked vegetables, grilled beast meat, and a light wine.

Lao Shen dined with them for a few minutes, exchanging few words.

After dinner, Yanyu went to her room to rest. But Kyrian remained for a while on the inn's balcony.

From that height, he could see the city lights coming alive one by one. The distant sound of taverns, merchants' laughter, the chime of bells from a local temple.

All of it formed a stark contrast to the silence atop the sect.

For a moment, he simply observed. The wind brushed through his hair and brought with it the city's scent, smoke, food, and the ordinary life of many.

"Disappearances without a trace…" he murmured. His eyes narrowed.

There was something about it that bothered him, the same feeling he had when he first saw this mission on the task hall board.

But for now, he would set that thought aside.

Kyrian stayed on the balcony until the moon rose high, its silver light bathing Yuntal's rooftops.

The restlessness inside him somehow refused to fade. Disappearances without a trace. And… he felt something truly strange, as if something was calling him.

He finally withdrew to his room.

Dawn came quickly. The first ray of sunlight had barely touched the rooftops when Kyrian and Yanyu, already dressed and ready, joined the commotion in the eastern courtyard of the Shen Company.

It was an impressive scene. Ten sturdy wagons, each pulled by a pair of spiritual oxen with thick hides and large horns, lined up in formation.

The cargo was covered by thick tarps, tightly fastened. Thirty guards, dressed in reinforced leather armor and carrying a mix of spears and short swords, were already standing watch.

They were professionals, used to this kind of work, their eyes scanning the surroundings cautiously. Yet even so, there was a palpable tension in the air.

The tales of the vanished caravans weighed on them.

Lao Shen, dressed in travel attire, practical but still made from fine fabric, walked toward them.

His face looked more tired, but his posture remained firm and determined.

"Young Kyrian, Miss Yanyu," he greeted with a nod.

"Everything is ready. As agreed, you two will stay at the vanguard. Your horses are prepared."

Kyrian's and Yanyu's horned horses looked even more majestic among the beasts of burden.

Mounting them, the two took their positions at the head of the long line of wagons.

With a shout from Lao Shen and the crack of a whip, the caravan began to move.

The heavy wheels creaked against the stone, and the oxen let out low grunts as they began their journey.

They left Yuntal behind, the city gates closing, severing their link to safety.

…

The first three days of travel were uneasily peaceful. The road was well maintained.

Flanked by open fields and gentle hills. They passed by small villages and trading posts. The only wildlife they encountered were birds and small beasts.

Yanyu trained with her sword during their stops, the movements Kyrian had taught her were becoming more natural.

Kyrian, on the other hand, spent most of his time silent, his senses, and vision fully expanded. His eyes, though not using any Qi, constantly scanned the road ahead, the distant trees, and everything within his field of sight.

It was on the third day that the environment began to change. The road started to ascend gently toward a small mountain range.

The air grew colder, and the wind carried a sharper whistle.

The open passage gave way to a dense pine forest, whose branches intertwined above the road, blocking part of the sunlight.

It was the old forest passage, the place of the disappearances.

The moment they arrived, Kyrian immediately felt something different.

As if he were about to encounter whatever had been calling to him all along, that sensation growing stronger and stronger within him.

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