The sight of countless makeshift tents, clustered haphazardly across the open fields, spoke of desperation and upheaval. He needed to get a better understanding of the situation—why the camp had formed and what news the refugees might have about the ongoing conflict. Information was as vital to his survival as food or water, and this camp seemed the best place to start gathering it.

  As he approached, the murmur of voices and the occasional cry of children grew louder. The air was thick with the mingling scents of unwashed bodies, hastily cooked meals, and damp earth. Kai kept his head low, blending in with the flow of displaced people trudging to and from the encampment. His simple brown hanfu helped him pass as a common traveler, a face among many, rather than a cultivator who might attract unwanted attention.

  The camp was alive with activity despite the underlying air of despair. Men and women worked to patch up tents, cook over small fires, and barter meager supplies. Children darted through the chaos, some laughing, others clutching to elders with wide, frightened eyes. It was clear that this was more than just a temporary stop for these people—they had fled their homes with no plans of returning anytime soon.

  Kai moved carefully through the camp, keeping his ears open for useful scraps of information. Conversations buzzed around him, snippets of fear and uncertainty reaching his ears.

  "...saw the fires all the way from the next valley. They burned everything..."

  "...they say the sects are clashing near the Blackthorn Pass. We’re caught in the middle of it all..."

  "...heard the Tortoise Sect is conscripting anyone fit to help fight. I pray they don’t look our way..."

  Kai’s stomach churned at the last comment. If the Emerald Tortoise Sect was indeed forcing refugees into their ranks, it would only complicate matters for him. He couldn’t risk drawing attention, especially not from cultivators on high alert. He needed to learn more, but he also couldn’t linger too long.

  Spying a weathered man sitting near a small fire with a cup of steaming broth, Kai decided to approach. The man’s face was lined with age and exhaustion, but his calm demeanor stood out amidst the chaos. Perhaps he could offer insight without too many questions.

  “Excuse me,” Kai said, keeping his tone polite and humble. “Do you know what’s been happening here? I’ve been on the road and only just arrived.”

  The man looked up, studying Kai for a moment before gesturing to the ground beside him. “Sit,” he said simply. “It’s a long story.”

  Kai sat, prepared to listen.

  “Name’s Jiahao,” the man said, his voice gruff but not unkind. “I’m from Mudanzuishan village. What about you, lad? What’s your name, and where are you from?”

  Kai hesitated, careful to keep his expression neutral. “My name is Jun,” he replied smoothly, crafting his falsehood with practiced ease. “I’m from Haebaek village.”

  Jiahao raised an eyebrow, his expression turning pensive. “Haebaek, huh? That’s quite a ways from here, and dangerously close to the Ember Sword Sect’s main grounds. Your village must’ve taken a bad hit, considering everything that’s been happening.”

  Kai nodded solemnly, lowering his gaze. “Yeah…” he murmured, the lie mingling uncomfortably with genuine sorrow. Haebaek had been a peaceful place, and now it was likely no more than ashes and blood.

  “The demonic cultivators came,” Kai continued, his voice subdued but steady. “They slaughtered everyone. I barely managed to escape into the woods. I thought I could find help in the next village, but it was destroyed too. Every village I passed on my way here was the same—burned, abandoned, or worse.”

  Jiahao sighed deeply, shaking his head. “Damn those demons,” he muttered, his hand clenching into a fist. “They don’t just kill; they destroy everything, like they’re trying to erase us entirely.”

  Kai leaned forward slightly, his expression troubled but focused. “I’ve been traveling on foot for over a month now,” he added, weaving more of his truth into the tale. “Just trying to survive. This is the first place I’ve come across that isn’t completely in ruins.”

  Jiahao’s eyes softened, the older man’s anger giving way to pity. “You’ve been through hell, Jun,” he said. “But you’ve made it this far. That counts for something. The fact you’re still alive means there’s still hope, even if it’s hard to see right now.”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “I still don’t understand what’s going on,” Kai said, keeping his voice calm despite the rising tension in his chest. “Do you have any idea what’s happening?”

  Jiahao glanced around, lowering his voice as though the camp itself might be listening. “Apparently, the demonic cultivators have launched an offensive against the Righteous Alliance. It’s bad—real bad. Word is, they managed to kill the entire leadership of the Ember Sword Sect.”

  Kai’s expression remained carefully neutral, but his heart skipped a beat. “The entire leadership?” he asked with genuine disbelief.

  “Yeah,” Jiahao confirmed with a grim nod. “The leader, Long Bo, and almost all the elders. They’re saying the Ember Sword Sect is basically gone now.”

  Kai’s eyes narrowed. “How could that happen? What exactly took them out?”

  “It was some kind of massive explosion,” Jiahao explained, his tone uneasy. “That’s what I’ve heard, anyway. Whatever it was, it wiped out the sect’s leadership in one go. Hard to imagine, right?”

  Kai nodded slowly, his thoughts racing. This is so much worse than I thought. He had suspected that Long Bo might be dead, but the idea that all the elders were gone as well was staggering.

  If that explosion really happened... Kai’s mind replayed the moment he fled the Ember Sword Sect, the burning grounds and the strange absence of the Jade King Seal from his body. He realized with chilling clarity how narrowly he might have escaped his own death.

  If the attack happened just a few hours earlier while I was in the middle of that trial, he mused, I could have been caught in that explosion too.

  The scale of the devastation must have been immense. To eliminate someone like Long Bo and most of the elders in one strike was unfathomable. Kai could only imagine the sheer destructive force it would have taken—something beyond even the demonic cultivators’ usual tactics.

  “Whatever it was,” Jiahao continued, shaking his head, “it’s left the region in chaos. With no leadership, the Ember Sword Sect fell apart like a house made of straw. Now the Emerald Tortoise Sect is trying to hold things together, but who knows how long that’ll last?”

  “Why aren’t you confident about the Emerald Tortoise Sect?” Kai asked, raising an eyebrow. “They’re much stronger than the Ember Sword Sect ever was. Surely they’ll get everything under control and repel the demonic cultivators.”

  Jiahao hesitated, then sighed. “It’s not that simple. I’ve heard it’s not just this region under attack. The Emerald Tortoise Sect’s own territory is being invaded as well. They’re stretched thin trying to defend both their lands and ours. That’s why there’s been talk of recruiting mortals to bolster their numbers.”

  Kai blinked, feigning surprise. “Recruiting mortals? You’re serious?”

  “Yeah, can you believe it?” Jiahao scoffed, shaking his head. “What do they expect us to do against cultivators? It’s madness.”

  Kai remained silent, mulling over the implications. Jiahao was right—mortals stood no real chance against cultivators. Even if they managed to teach some mortals to reach the first stage of Qi-Gathering, it wouldn’t be enough. Against trained demonic cultivators, those recruits would be slaughtered.

  Kai’s thoughts turned to the deeper reason behind this move. He knew how sects typically operated. They recruited individuals with strong spiritual roots because advancing one’s cultivation required immense resources, and the quality of one’s spiritual roots determined how efficiently those resources could be used. Most mortals weren’t worth the investment, so mass recruitment was unheard of in normal times.

  If the Emerald Tortoise Sect was truly drafting mortals en masse, it could only mean one thing—they were resorting to human wave tactics. The idea turned Kai’s stomach. In such a strategy, hordes of mortals would be sent against a single powerful demonic cultivator, hoping sheer numbers could wear them down and eventually overwhelm them.

  That’s horrifying, Kai thought grimly. The loss of life would be staggering. Mortals would be sent to their deaths, little more than fodder to delay or weaken an enemy. It was a desperate and cruel tactic, one that spoke volumes about the dire situation the Emerald Tortoise Sect found itself in.

  “This... doesn’t sit right with me,” Kai said carefully, masking his disdain. “If they’re really recruiting mortals, things must be worse than I thought.”

  “You’re telling me,” Jiahao replied bitterly. “They can claim it’s to protect the ‘righteous way’ all they want, but it feels more like they’re using us as disposable tools. Not much better than a demonic cultivator.”

  Kai nodded slowly, his mind racing. If the Emerald Tortoise Sect is this desperate, it’s only a matter of time before the chaos spreads even further. I need to get out of here before I get caught up in their plans—or worse.

  Kai leaned closer to Jiahao, lowering his voice to avoid drawing attention. “My friend, do you know of anyone who has a boat traveling south, perchance?”

  Jiahao raised an eyebrow and let out a bitter chuckle. “I wouldn’t bother. You’re not going to find any safety heading south.”

  Kai frowned, his hopes faltering. “Why’s that?”

  “Because the demonic cultivators are attacking everywhere,” Jiahao said grimly, his tone laden with frustration. “It’s not just this region. All the territories of the Righteous Alliance are under siege. There’s nowhere safe anymore.” He paused, lowering his voice even further. “They’re calling it another Great Righteous-Demonic War.”