313 Wanderer's Freedom

[POV: Jue Bu]

The Great Migration stretched into years, its rhythm marked by the steady cycle of soaring vessels arriving, unloading their passengers, and vanishing into the horizon. For two long years, the tide of refugees flowed until the citizens of Northshire found themselves scattered across a new land, their feet planted in soil that had never known their ancestors. The settlement carved into the wilderness was crude at first, hastily built huts and tents pitched along uneven ground, but necessity forced efficiency, and efficiency gave way to permanence.

Jue Bu often prowled the outskirts, cutting down bandits and beasts with the same impatience that marked his words. "Vermin," he would mutter, flicking blood from his blade, "whether in cities or the wilds, it makes no difference." Yuen Fu, gentler in temperament, focused on teaching. He drilled the militia that grew from volunteers such as boys with more courage than training, and fathers who had lost everything but still clung to hope. Under his guidance, they learned to stand in formation, to channel their qi, and to cultivate enough to swing a sword without fear.

Ye Yong and her Night Blades worked on building a budding intelligence network. She recruited quietly among the refugees, singling out sharp eyes and steady hands, weaving them into her web. Reports came in daily of caravans and movements in nearby lands.

Sometimes, when the night was quiet, Jue Bu would leave the settlement and seek out Lu Gao. The man sat in seclusion, Hell Soul flickering faintly around him like a shadow caught in eternal flame. They rarely exchanged many words, but there was comfort in knowing Lu Gao was nearby. Then, one day, he wasn't.

When Jue Bu confronted Ye Yong, she only crossed her arms. "Don't worry yourself. According to our line with the Great Guard, Lu Gao succeeded. He's inside."

"Inside?" Jue Bu repeated, voice edged with disbelief. "Hah~! I am going to miss that fool… But I guessed, if it works, it works."

Life continued. The settlement expanded, bolstered by steady supplies from New Willow. Sometimes, engineers arrived with the shipments, unfurling scrolls of blueprints and walking the perimeter with measuring rods. Foundations of stone replaced wooden palisades. Watchtowers rose from packed earth. Roads were carved, irrigation canals dug. Bit by bit, the crude village reshaped into something more, a fortress in the making. The people began to call it the Northern Stronghold, a bastion where Northshire's survivors could plant new roots.

Not everyone wanted to leave. Some citizens, tired of being shuffled from one horizon to another, petitioned to stay behind. They were granted their wish, settling permanently under the protection of the new walls. And so the Stronghold was not just a waypoint but a home, where new lives could begin.

One evening, as crimson light bled across the sky, Jue Bu stood on a ridge and watched the Stronghold breathe with life. Fires flickered. Children laughed. Men and women worked tirelessly to shape something lasting out of ruin. He exhaled, running a hand through his hair.

"This is as far as I go," he muttered. "Time to fulfill my end of things."

He descended the slope and made his way through the bustling streets until he reached the manor at the heart of the Stronghold. Yuen Fu was there, leaning against the balcony rail, the wind tugging at his robes as he overlooked the land he had helped shape. His wives were nowhere in sight for once, leaving him alone in rare stillness.

Jue Bu stepped onto the balcony, his boots heavy against the wood. "Fu," he said, his tone uncharacteristically even. "I'm leaving."

"What?" asked the confused Yuen Fu. "Are you serious, right now?"

"Very serious."

Jue Bu never thought the day would come when he had to follow the orders of Da Wei or David or whatever name the madman decided to wear like another one of his masks.

"What are you talking about!?" snapped Yuen Fu. "I'm leaving! I need to get back to New Willow, because that's where I belong… Ya hear me? The Guardians are waiting for me!"

Jue Bu blinked at him, unimpressed. "Calm down… What's the problem?"

"The problem?" Yuen Fu nearly shouted, his voice cracking. He threw his arms wide. "It's driving me crazy… My wives are driving me crazy! When they all gave birth a year ago, I thought it was hell. When they made me name their children, demanding my affection, I felt trapped! They think I'm some king or prince and that their children will be competing to become my heir!"

Jue Bu stared at him for a long moment, then dragged a hand down his face. This idiot. Of all the problems in the world, this was what weighed on him?

"Ever heard the term a man must have a firm hand?" Jue Bu said, his voice dry.

"No…" Yuen Fu admitted.

"Then why didn't you control your dick?" Jue Bu shot back. "What, your pullout game that weak?"

The words slipped out too naturally, almost echoing the strange cadence Da Wei always fell into. Jue Bu stopped short, faked a cough, and tried to reel himself back. He'd been trying so hard not to adopt the man's habits, those odd turns of phrase, that irreverent tone, but it was like Da Wei's mannerisms were a contagion. The more time Jue Bu spent around Da Wei's people, the harder it became to stop.

He cleared his throat and tried again. "I admire you being so virile—"

"We only did it once," Yuen Fu blurted, looking genuinely distressed. "And I was coerced into it… Those monsters…"

By we, Yuen Fu of course meant the harem of women thrusted on his way.

Jue Bu groaned. "I don't mean to be rude, and I understand how evil demons can be with their malicious manipulation, but this is still the consequence of your action. You could've just left them alone, you know? Give them… what was it called? Child support? Yeah, give them money and be done with it. But no, you just had to pamper them. Ugh…" He slapped his own forehead. "Why am I even doing this? I am not Da Wei, so don't seek any wisdom from me! I mean, I'm Jue Bu! Even in my undead state as just a skull, I was the last thing anyone should ask for advice about this kind of thing!"

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He pointed a finger at Yuen Fu, his tone rising. "I admit, I'm a misunderstood person, alright? Imagine, people keep blaming me for my perverseness, but do they ever stop to think I might just feel lonely? It's not like I touched them. I just looked."

Yuen Fu's head tilted. His brow furrowed. "When did this become about you?"

"That's the problem!" Jue Bu shot back, baring his teeth in a grin that was all frustration and mockery. "You don't even know this is about you. You think it's about me? No! Stop trying to be a good person! Even Da Wei isn't that 'good' a person. Stop accommodating your wives!"

"B-But…"

"I am leaving, and you can't stop me! Da Wei's orders!"

"I don't believe you!"

"Talk to the Night Blades and they will tell you."

"..."

"What?"

"Damn it!"

So, Jue Bu left the young man.

The Northern Stronghold was alive with light. Lanterns danced in the night sky as music echoed across its wooden streets. The Day of Healing had taken root, brought over from New Willow, now celebrated by mortals and cultivators alike. Healers from across the frontier tended to the sick and weary, while children ran about with sweets in hand. The air was heavy with incense, food smoke, and laughter.

And yet, Jue Bu walked away from it all.

The laughter stung more than he cared to admit. He had no place in such warmth. Not anymore. Not ever.

The lake's waters reflected the moon, still and silver, disturbed only by the ripples of the small floating boat that waited for him. And waiting alongside it, cloaked in the shadow of the reeds, were Ye Yong and two Night Blades.

"So nice of you to prepare something like this for me…" Jue Bu said with a grin as he stopped before them. His gaze flicked to the craft, curious. "Does it have warp?"

"Yes," Ye Yong replied crisply, arms folded. "I had an engineer from New Willow improve it. Reinforced hull, adaptable to the desert's harsher elements. It can even draw power from the sun as an alternate energy source."

Jue Bu whistled low. "Fancy toy." He sprang lightly into the boat, his qi pulsing through its frame. The vessel answered him, levitating a few inches above the water, steady and responsive.

"And the other things I requested?" he asked.

Ye Yong tossed him a storage ring. "All there."

Jue Bu caught it, pressed his qi inside, and scanned the contents. Spirit stones in neat stacks, maps and records detailing the Great Desert, costumes of every sort from wandering scholar to desert thief. His lips curled into a satisfied smile. He transferred everything into his pocket dimension and flicked the empty ring back to Ye Yong.

The Captain did not flinch when it landed in her hand. Instead, she gestured to the women behind her. "The Night Blades besides me are willing to accompany you on your journey for the sake of the cause. Both are at Fifth Realm and capable of substitution techniques. You are free to use them as you like."

Jue Bu's eyes widened at the pair. Both were strikingly beautiful, clad in the signature dark garb of the Night Blades, masks pulled just low enough to reveal delicate lips. His grin turned sly.

"Doesn't the Great Guard frown on this kind of practice?" Jue Bu teased, his voice dropping into mock-seriousness. "Aha~! This is a test, isn't it? You really think of me as so low?"

Ye Yong's eyes narrowed. "No. This is my decision as captain. These women volunteered willingly for this mission. There are things the Great Guard might frown upon, but I believe he would understand. It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission." Her tone sharpened as she stepped closer. "If you ask me, I don't trust you one bit. You use violence to get what you want, and you never hesitate to do things that smear the Great Guard's reputation. I haven't forgotten what you did in the False Earth, touching women left and right, stomping on the dignity of the one we serve."

Her words hit hard, though Jue Bu's smirk didn't falter.

In his defense, he had needed those acts back in the False Earth. Dual cultivation was the only way to fix the body Da Wei had recklessly burned through, to raise his realm before everything collapsed. He would be lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed it, but still, it had been a necessity, not pure indulgence.

Now? Now he was different. Or so he told himself.

Yes, he still flipped the occasional robe, let his eyes linger, tossed out lewd quips like candy to break the silence. But his hands… his hands had restraint. He didn't touch without consent. He didn't prey. Never.

He leaned back on the boat's edge, moonlight gleaming across his crooked smile.

"I might be lecherous to my bones," Jue Bu said at last, his voice low but clear, "but I'm a gentleman at heart."

Ye Yong's huff carried more weight than words as the two Night Blades silently approached the boat. Before they could climb aboard, however, Jue Bu raised both hands, shaking his head vigorously.

"Nope, nope, nope…" His grin widened as he wagged a finger. "The two of you aren't coming with me. It might compromise the vessel's speed. And I understand your scheme, little Ye Yong… you want me monitored, don't you? Hah~!" His laughter rang across the lake, arrogant and playful at once. "The orders I received came directly from Da Wei, through his disciple Lu Gao! My authority is higher than yours right now!"

Ye Yong's jaw tightened, teeth grinding hard enough that Jue Bu thought he could almost hear it.

Satisfied with his declaration, he activated his Immortal Art: Reversal of Heaven and Earth, his form shifting gracefully. His youthful features twisted and aged, black hair turning to silver, skin furrowing with lines of wisdom and wear. In moments, he stood as a venerable old man, back slightly bent yet eyes sharp as steel. His regal purple robes shimmered away into the inferior but refined attire of a wandering scholar.

From within his sleeve, he produced a pipa. With casual confidence, he strummed its strings, letting crystalline notes ripple across the waters. The melody was gentle but haunting, proof that his fingers had not forgotten the arts of charm and disguise.

"I still got it!" Jue Bu declared proudly, tapping his foot to the rhythm of his own playing.

But Ye Yong was not finished. She folded her arms and, in a tone laced with venomous sweetness, remarked, "They are virgins."

Jue Bu froze mid-strum.

The two Night Blades immediately shifted their postures, striking poses that dripped with allure, one brushing her hair back as moonlight kissed her pale neck, the other tilting her head and lowering her mask just enough to reveal full, tempting lips. Their eyes gleamed like predators disguised as prey.

For a heartbeat, Jue Bu's mind faltered. His mouth went dry. His heart thumped with the rhythm of a war drum.

Then he snapped his eyes shut, slapped his cheeks lightly, and broke into laughter. "You almost had me! But no… ahem… I know I have to work hard to earn your trust, Ye Yong, but when I say we are on the same team, I mean it."

Ye Yong studied him for a long moment, her expression difficult to read. Finally, she sighed. "I see. Then I guess I have no choice but to trust you."

"Good," Jue Bu said with a wink, his scholar's mask shifting back into his usual roguish grin. "That's the smartest thing you've said tonight."

With a flourish of his sleeve, he settled on the boat's seat. His qi flared, and the vessel hummed in response, rising higher into the night sky. The waters beneath rippled violently as the craft ascended, glowing with runic light.

Jue Bu's laughter echoed over the lake as he pressed his qi further, sending the vessel soaring into the clouds. At last, the warp engines ignited, and the small floating boat streaked forward in a blur, vanishing into the fabric of space itself.

"Hahahaha~!" his voice carried into the void, shameless and proud. "Fine ladies of the Promised Dunes, wait for me!"

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