For days, Qin Yun had travelled alongside the young man. Their destination: an isolated oasis far from the main tribe ruling this desolate landscape. They travelled along the dunes on the backs of giant sandworms, anchors plunged deep into their sides, prompting them to keep rising to the surface. This was the ancestral method of the Sand People, used for generations in an effort to tame this hostile land.

  Now, they stood just a single day away from their destination, hiding from the abrasive winds by one of the few mass of stones remaining, slowly being ground away by the violent winds.

  "We'll rest here today," the young man said, taking a small sip of water from a gourd attached to his side.

  Yet, Qin Yun noticed a slight dejected look as the man felt the liquid moisten his dry lips. The man shook the gourd slightly, yet Qin Yun clearly heard but a small amount of liquid slush inside. It seemed almost empty.

  On the other hand, Qin Yun had no such troubles. From the black box emerged a hot cup of tea; plumes of water vapour rose from the surface only to disappear into the arid air. Qin Yun slowly sipped on it as he watched the man before him look slightly bewildered by his extravagance.

  “Do you care for one?” Qin Yun asked, bringing another cup as if from thin air, but the man remained silent, frowning.

  Still, Qin Yun could see the struggle in his eyes. It almost felt like a predator eyeing his prey. Were it not for their current cooperative relationship, Qin Yun held no doubt the man would have already pounced on him. This was just how precious water was for those travelling between oases.

  “Suit yourself,” Qin Yun shrugged as the second cup disappeared. “Where are we going exactly?”

  They now stood within a small cavern safely hidden on a massive stone slab. Such stone formations were few and far between, yet they served as magnificent shelters against desert predators, especially those from below.

  Qin Yun stood seated, his back against the stone, as he observed the night sky largely visible through the cave's opening. The familiar stars and the three moons that were once high above were nowhere to be seen. The sky was a curtain of blackness, devoid of all light.

  How peculiar... Do they only appear under the watchful eye of the Heavenly Dao? What could this all mean?

  The young man sat by his side yet remained distant. Although he had exclaimed his volition in conforming to Qin Yun's will, an air of distrust remained between the two. Eons of warfare between two opposing races couldn't be erased that easily. Still, this suited Qin Yun just fine, as he, too, couldn't believe things could change that easily.

  “Our destination is to the south: an isolated tribe that was once friends with mine," the young man said solemnly. "If your intentions are to buy some time for your people, then we will need allies of our own. As far as I know, this tribe would be the only one willing to lend you their aid."

  Qin Yun felt slightly surprised yet showed none of it. He hadn't told the man what he intended, yet the young man could infer as much. The young Outsider seemed to possess a wealth of knowledge, unbefitting his young age.

  I guess they would need to mature swiftly to survive this harsh environment.

  “Would they be willing to betray their own?" Qin Yun replied skeptically. "What would push them to do so?"

  The young man sighed as his gaze rose up to the darkened sky. Qin Yun glanced at him, only to find a slight hint of melancholy in his eyes, which couldn't help but leave him pensive.

  How much suffering must one experience for one to possess that look? I guess the demise of his tribe weighs heavily on his heart...

  “They used to be related to the previous ruling tribe...” the young man began, only to be interrupted.

  "Let me guess. In a bid for power, the previous ruling tribe was ousted by the current one. And, as a deterrent, all those related to that tribe were mercilessly cut down to the last men—probably women and children, too. Being distantly related but fearing retaliation for overzealousness, but also not to reduce the population even more, the tribe we seek has been exiled to the edge of your territory, awaiting to die a slow death or be used as cannon fodder against the Mainland. How close am I?"

  The young man's eyes were wide open as he stared at Qin Yun, mouth slightly agape. He stood silent, barely able to process what he had just heard, yet Qin Yun only returned him a slight smile, which couldn't help but make him frown.

  "You speak as if you have witnessed it all," the young man finally said, suspicion in his tone. "How would you know all this? This incident is taboo and rarely told by our elders. Even I hadn't heard of it until Lady Nalia told me herself when we were young."

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “People are people,” Qin Yun said dismissively. “No matter their origins, culture or religion, their essence remains the same. Every sentient being seeks to profit, even on the backs of innumerable corpses. They always seek to better their positions. History is built on bloodshed, after all..."

  “I didn’t expect Avaads to be so cynical,” the young man said after a moment of silence. “Isn’t the Mainland supposed to be a Paradise where water flows endlessly and strife is nonexistent?”

  “Did your elders feed you that?” Qin Yun asked, laughing slightly. “I guess they need something to fight for, a prize for you to willingly give up your lives. Otherwise, what would be the point?”

  “Are you saying they are lying?”

  The young man's expression became grim, almost furious. Qin Yun could feel the tension in the air. It was nearly palpable, yet none of it was aimed toward him. He only looked at the young man with a slight smile. Somehow, he couldn't help but envy the exuberance of youth.

  “They aren't," Qin Yun replied. "Compared to this place, the Mainland may as well be considered Paradise. However, this doesn't mean it is without conflict. As long as people exist, different values will clash, and conflict will arise. Fortunately, the Heavenly Dao prevents the worst from happening."

  “Are you satisfied living in a cage?” the young man asked with a deep frown.

  "We all live in cages, whether of our own designs or of others. Some are satisfied living this way, while others spend their entire lives trying to escape it. Still, the vast majority do not even realize that their world is a cage, nor where the boundary exists. In that case, can it still be called a cage?"

  “Isn’t that just sophistry? A cage remains a cage, whether one realizes it or not. It can be nothing else.”

  “It’s a matter of perspective. To an outside observer, the cage seems real, its bounds defined. But, for someone on the inside, how does one tell where your freedoms become restricted if this is all you have ever known? The mind can only build upon what it has observed. Only rarely does one break the bounds of one's cognition."

  The young man remained silent, ruminating on the ideas he had been introduced to. Still, Qin Yun was surprised by his flexibility of thought.

  Most people wouldn't be able to exchange ideas with those they deem enemies... Is this a result of this harsh land that they won't hesitate to use anything that may increase their odds of survival?

  Somehow, Qin Yun grew quite fond of this young man, yet a chasm remained between the two—one that would remain as long as the war continued. Qin Yun held no delusion that he could end this war, nor would he try to.

  However, he saw some signs of hope. Resentment didn't seem as entrenched as he first thought. This war seemed to be more about benefits than ideology. In that case, an agreement could be reached if both sides were to compromise.

  Is that too idealistic of me?

  Qin Yun couldn't help but smile, shaking his head, yet the young man didn't notice the change, too absorbed in his thoughts. Still, Qin Yun had other questions that needed answers.

  “Even with all that, would they turn against their own people? Surely, you must know, this will likely mean their deaths. Are you truly fine with that?"

  Qin Yun’s words brought the man out of his reverie, yet his gaze remained firm, filled with conviction.

  “As long as you possess Nalia's emblem, you are her representative. While I can't promise you anything, they will at least hear you out. Whether or not you can convince them will be up to you. But I can tell you this: resentment against the current main clan runs deep within the tribe. If you give them sufficient reasons to, they won't hesitate to raise their blades."

  These people aren't so different from us. As expected, people remain people, no matter their origins.

  Qin Yun's smile widened slightly, yet something gnawed at his mind. While he didn't care much about these people's lives or deaths, he simply didn't find much of a reason why they should do as he wished.

  Given time, he could probably organize a rebellion strong enough to shake the foundation of the Main Clan's reign. After all, it had been done before; why couldn't it be done again? The sand people's tribes were hardly a monolith unless it came to invading the Mainland.

  However, what he lacked was precisely time. He had a destination to reach and could hardly afford to postpone it forever. Somehow, his wife's seldom lonely expression flashed in his mind, prompting him to chuckle slightly.

  Indeed, he had to hurry. There were many things requiring his attention. Still, this endeavour was, at least, worth a try. He didn’t have much to lose. Qin Yun looked to the side, his gaze fixed on the young man.

  If this meeting goes well and I can start the process, I may have to leave it in his hands.

  “Even if I possess her emblem, would they be willing to meet with a Mainlander—an Avaad?”

  “That's what worries me..." the young man sighed. "Unlike the current Main Tribe, the previous one were traditionalists to the core, as were those that followed them. While I doubt they would be outright hostile, convincing them may prove impossible, even more so considering your origins."

  Qin Yun thought momentarily, but then an idea came to mind. While his qi was slowly being drained away, and almost none remained, it was still enough for his current uses.

  His qi flowed through his meridians, infusing it all into his flesh. The young man looked in horror, almost as if he were in the presence of a demon, as Qin Yun's facial features began to shift, looking nothing like his previous appearance.

  In fact, his skin began to darken until it resembled the young man before him, becoming a deep bronze. His long black hair also shifted, becoming a bright silver. He then used a slight hint of sword intent on his fingers to cut it much shorter. After all, he had yet to see a single Outsider with hair as long as his.

  He also removed his mechanical arm, leaving only the stump behind. As for his clothes, he brought out a much less luxurious set from his storage, only to break it further, adding a few gashes, tears, and blood and dirt stains.

  In less than a few moments, Qin Yun had transformed from a neat and tidy Mainlander to a downtrodden Outsider who had barely escaped the battle at the Frontier with his life, only to be rescued by the young man before him.

  "How?" the man asked, taken aback, yet Qin Yun merely smiled.

  “This way, they’ll have no choice but to hear me out—the man who emerged alive from the Avaad’s fortress, carrying a message from their beloved seer,” Qin Yun said with a devious smile.