Jin Shu shielded his eyes from the midday sun as the port city of Fa Hou came into view. Even from dowhe bustling crowds at the harbor were unmistakable. As the ship drew closer, the faint hum of voices reached him, blending with the cries of vendors hawking their wares. The port, it seemed, doubled as a fish market.

  “Fish!” Yin’er’s little pink witched, sniffing the air with determination.

  Jin Shu felt her legs tense on his shoulder, ready t at any moment.

  “Yin’er, stay,” he anded firmly, well aware that she’d dart off to chase the st if given the ce. For the past three days, fish had ed her every thought—and appetite—f the basis of all her meals.

  The irony wasn’t lost on him. Yin’er adored fish but despised water, or more specifically, gettiheir test csh over this quirk was still fresh in his mind—she had resisted fiercely wheried to bathe her after the bloodied battle, her fur sticky with gore.

  Around them, the remaining sailors moved with quiet determination, preparing the ship to dock. Their practiced ease was occasionally interrupted by sidelong g the bloodstained deck—a stark reminder of their lost rades.

  As the ship he port, the captain barked orders, his voice cutting through the murmurs of the crew. With a slight jerk, the vessel came to a halt, and the sailors sprang bato motion, seg the lines and readying to disembark.

  Jin Shu turned aered the , his steps eg in the bloodstained hallway. He was looking for Sun Li and Fan Biyu, but his thoughts drifted to the earlier battle.

  His ons, though powerful by this world’s standards, weren’t invincible. If Huai Jiahou had been serious during their fight, Jin Shu would likely be dead.

  He had once believed that his modern knowledge and superior firepower could bridge any gap in cultivation levels. That illusion had been shattered.

  “I need more power,” he muttered, the words barely audible but heavy with resolve. A s realizatioled in his mind—he had been wrong about many things. Chief among them was the ion that he could avoid killing.

  He had argued with Nano about this before, stubbornly ging to his belief that he could turn away from bloodshed. But now, he had to admit Nano was right. While he still rejected the idea that he enjoyed killing, he could no longer deny that it art of him, ingrained deeply by his experiences.

  In this world, ruled by the w of the jungle, survival demarength—and ofteh.

  Nano, I need your help, he said internally.

  “What do you require assistah?”

  You mentioned runes earlier. I don’t have the time to learn how to create them on my own. I need you to help me design ruo increase my fighting power. you do that?

  Previously, his pride had kept him from accepting Nano’s assistance. He had insisted on relying solely on himself, refusiernal solutions. But now, he uood the truth: his greatest advantages in this world were external.

  “We assist. What kind of runes would you like to ize?”

  For starters… How about ohat boosts my speed?

  “We create such a rune,” Nano replied, “but we reend mastering your use of qi first. Strengthening your body and refining your as will provide a more solid foundation for the enhas you seek.”

  Could you say that in a way I uand?

  “You're not using your cultivation the way it’s meant to be used,” Nano’s meical voice carried a faint note of exasperation. “If you el the qi in your body into your as, that qi will enhahem.”

  “Oh…” Jin Shu froze mid-step, the realization hitting him. It seemed so obvious now, yet it had never occurred to him before.

  Yiilted her head from his shoulder, giving him a curious look, but Jin Shu’s thoughts were interrupted as the door at the end of the hallened.

  Sun Li and Fan Biyu emerged, their ughter eg in the narrow space.

  “What are you two ughing about?” Jin Shu asked, his curiosity piqued.

  The two exged a gheir ughter bubbling up again. Biyu held a small orb in her hand, but as soon as Jin Shu’s eyes fell on it, she quickly tucked it into her sleeve.

  He frowned, w what the orb was, but before he could ask, Biyu spoke first. “Is it time to disembark?”

  “Uh-huh,” Jin Shu replied with a nod, letting his unanswered question linger for now.

  ***

  “Fish! Fish! Fish!” Yin’er ted enthusiastically as they desded the gangway onto the docks.

  The pu aroma of fish filled the air, wafting from the bustling fish market at the far end of the port. Yin’er squirmed in Jin Shu’s arms, clearly desperate to fly toward the st, but he held her firmly, fully prepared for her antics.

  When they reached the market, Jin Shu purchased a few fresh fish. He handed oo Yin’er, who gleefully devoured it, and stored the rest in his ste spaow that he k could preserve living things, he wondered if it would keep the fish fresh as well.

  Turning to Biyu, he asked, “How much further is it from here?”

  “Not far. If we leave now, we make it just before sundown,” she replied.

  Sun Li, standing nearby, gnced betweewo of them. “What are you talking about? Where are you going?”

  “Just a little trip,” Jin Shu answered vaguely, waving a hand dismissively.

  “ I e?” she asked hopefully, grabbing his hand.

  His left eye twitched at the sudden tact, and a shiver ran up his arm. His instincts, honed by past traumas, screamed at him to push her away, but he took a deep breath and reined himself in.

  “You ot,” he said gently, carefully prying her hands off. “Don’t you have something to do here?”

  Sun Li lowered her gaze, kig a small stone on the ground. “I do…”

  “By the way, why are you here?” Biyu asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Sun Li looked back up. “I have to pick up an envoy from the Jing Empire.”

  “Just you?” Jin Shu asked, his curiosity piqued.

  “Well, it was supposed to be me and Huai Jiahou…”

  “Ah, right.” Jin Shu nodded. “But even so, why would Uncle send just the two of you to escort an envoy from the south?”

  “Um…” Sun Li hesitated, motioning for him to lean closer.

  Jin Shu narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “This isn’t arick, is it?”

  She shook her head quickly. “No, no! It’s just… I ’t say it too loudly. It’s a secret.”

  Still unvinced, Jin Shu nudged Biyu forward. “You listen to her.”

  Biyu blinked in surprise as his hand pushed her forward. She turned back to gre at him sharply, but Jin Shu remained resolute, his expression unreadable.

  Inside, Jin Shu was frantically shaking his head. Nope! Not falling for that trick again!

  Biyu shook her head with a wry smile but still leaned down to listen to Sun Li. They whispered bad forth for a few moments.

  “So, what is it?” Jin Shu asked when they finally pulled apart.

  Biyu shrugged casually. “I ’t tell you. It’s a secret.”

  “Wha—”

  Their giggles cut him off. Even Yin’er joined in, though it was obvious she had no idea what she was ughing about.

  When they finally finished ughing at his expense, Biyu stepped clazing up at him from behind her veil. “Lean down,” she said softly.

  Relutly, Jin Shu leaned over, bringing his ear close to her face.

  “They aren’t really an envoy. Rather, they’re a traitor from the Demonic Cult,” she whispered.

  A shiver ran down Jin Shu’s spi her voice. It reminded him of those ASMR videos he used to hate. But her voice? He could probably listen to it for hours.

  “What did you say? I… I couldn’t hear,” he lied, feigning fusion.

  Biyu leaned in even closer, her breath brushing his ear. “I said, she’s here for a traitor from the Demonic Cult.”

  Jin Shu frowned, running a hand through his hair. Why did I even ask?

  “Alright, good luck with that. We’ve got to leave now,” he said, turning to walk away, only to feel a tug on the back of his clothes.

  “No,” Biyu said firmly, her voice calm but resolute. “I’m staying with Sun Li. So good luck finding the pce without me.”

  Jin Shu rubbed his face with a hand. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath.

  “Fine,” he relented with a sigh, “but only until she meets with them and we make sure they aren’t a threat.”

  “Yay!” Sun Li cheered, g her hands as she bounced iement.

  Jin Shu rubbed his temples, feeling a headache brewing. Why do I always get dragged into these things? He g Biyu, who stood posed and calm, as though none of this chaos phased her. Her eyes met his briefly, and though she said nothing, the slight curve of her eyes behind her veil told him she kly what she was doing.

  He exhaled heavily. “Let’s just get this over with,” he muttered, adjusting Yin’er in his arms as she gnawed on the remains of her fish.

  One problem after ahat’s life here, I guess.