Walking along the old traveler's path, Ling Ye and Bai Da crossed one hill after another. At times, the path led them around winding rivers; at others, they had to detour past a small lake. Yet despite these changes in terrain, they never truly left the path itself.
Their journey was uneventful.
They saw the world pass by, open land, distant hills, quiet waters, but little else of note. From time to time, they encountered other travelers. These meetings were brief and distant, usually nothing more than a passing glance or a polite nod.
Sometimes, not even that, but still, even such small encounters brought them a sense of relief. After all, they had just come from the Great Forest, a place filled with bloodthirsty beasts and lurking predators, where a single moment of carelessness could mean injury or death.
Compared to that, this is peace. Safe and comfortable, with both Ling Ye and Bai Da felt it clearly. So they walked on.
Hours passed, and according to Bai Da, they were now only a short distance away from the nearest village, the one he had mentioned several times along the way. They were close, very close, but as Ling Ye lifted his head, he saw the sky beginning to darken.
The moon is rising.
"Sigh…" He let out a quiet breath and came to a stop, eyes moved across the surroundings, carefully searching for a suitable place to rest for the night.
Seeing him stop, Bai Da halted as well. He glanced at the sky, noticing the fading light, and quickly understood Ling Ye's intention.
A faint smile appeared on his face and without saying a word, he waited for Ling Ye to decide and he looked ahead, then to his left, then to his right. Taking in his surroundings fully, his expression remained unchanged, but the conclusion is clear.
There is nothing, no trees, no cover and with no cover, there can't be a shelter.
Only an endless stretch of open grassland, dotted here and there with small flowers swaying in the evening breeze, but there is no good place to rest and with that, the decision came easily.
"Let's keep moving," Ling Ye said calmly. "There's nowhere suitable to rest here. Maybe we'll find something better ahead. And if not… we'll just sleep on the ground."
Bai Da nodded without hesitation and with renewed resolve, he continued forward, but even as they walked on, nothing changed.
The landscape remained the same: endless grass, stretching into the distance. Only far on the horizon could they see the faint outlines of mountains, but they were far too distant to reach before nightfall.
Resting near them is impossible and eventually, the two of them gave up on finding anything better. Instead, they searched for the best spot they could find and it didn't take long.
Among the grass, they came across an area scattered with stones, some large enough to sit on, others flat enough to lie upon.
It isn't ideal, but it is enough. After choosing a relatively comfortable stone, Ling Ye sat down and reached for his water pouch and food rations. He ate slowly, conserving both food and water with careful discipline.
Seeing this, Bai Da did the same, but unlike Ling Ye, Bai Da had already consumed more than he should have during the journey. Now, with less water remaining, he had no choice but to be more careful.
For once, even he held back.
The sun soon sank completely below the horizon, and night took its place. As darkness spread across the land, the moon slowly rose into the sky. A colder wind began to sweep across the open field, stronger than before, brushing against their bodies and carrying a quiet chill with it.
At first glance, the night seemed deep and vast, but unlike the Great Forest, it was not suffocating.
There were no towering trees to block the sky, no shadows swallowing the world whole. Instead, the open land allowed the moonlight and countless stars to shine freely, illuminating everything in a soft, pale glow.
Ling Ye and Bai Da could see clearly, not perfectly, but enough for them, as after what they had endured in the Great forest, this night felt almost bright. Compared to that oppressive darkness, this was closer to daylight than night, because of that, they did not fear it.
Finishing his meal, Ling Ye carefully packed away his remaining rations, securing them tightly within his daopao. Once done, there was little left for him to do but wait for morning.
Training is out of the question, both he and Bai Da were exhausted.
Their bodies ached, their legs heavy from hours of walking. The only reason they could continue at all was because they had slowed their pace. If they had tried to move at full speed, they would have collapsed long ago, forced to rest again and again.
As for the small notebook, though curiosity lingered in his mind, Ling Ye chose to ignore it. He is a very patient person. Whatever secrets it held could wait until they reached a proper place, an inn, perhaps, somewhere safe, somewhere with light.
Somewhere comfortable and the thought of it stirred something in him.
A warm resting bed.
For a brief moment, he imagined it, lying down, wrapped in comfort, free from dirt, blood, and exhaustion. The mere thought almost made him feel the warmth already. Then, he stopped himself and a faint chuckle escaped his lips and even now, he was thinking of such things.
"Hehe…" Ling Ye's soft chuckle was filled with quiet amusement.
Even his mind had grown tired from the long journey. To think that he now had the leisure to entertain such trivial thoughts, it felt almost foolish.
In the end, he blamed it on Bai Da. Spending so much time with him, listening to his endless chatter about strange traditions, bizarre encounters, and the many places he had wandered, had slowly influenced him.
From odd customs in distant villages to tales of getting lost in unfamiliar lands, Ling Ye now knew far more about Bai Da's travels than he ever intended.
At first, it had been exhausting. Annoying, even, but now, in the silence of the night, Ling Ye had to admit, It had made the journey bearable. Without those constant conversations, the long stretches of travel would have been nothing but empty silence and in that silence, he might have slowly lost himself to boredom.
Letting out a quiet breath, Ling Ye rubbed his temples and rolled his neck, easing the lingering tension. He stretched his arms and back, loosening his stiff body before settling more comfortably onto the stone.
Though its surface is cold, it is steady and slowly, he lay down on his back, both hands resting over the sheath of his dagger. His gaze lifted toward the sky, watching as more stars revealed themselves, one by one, scattered across the vast darkness.
Time passed quietly with the stars grew brighter and with them, Ling Ye felt his fatigue deepen.
"…Bai Da, are you asleep already?" His voice is calm, almost absent minded and Bai Da, who had been lying nearby, also watching the sky in silence, turned his head toward him.
"Yes, Village Head Ye, I'm still awake," he replied cheerfully. "Still full of energy. Are you enjoying the view too?"
Ling Ye didn't answer the question. Instead, his eyes remained on the sky as he spoke, "I'm going to sleep. Wake me when you get tired, and we'll switch. We'll take turns until dawn, then continue on to the village."
His tone is steady, practical and Bai Da didn't seem bothered by being ignored. By now, he is already used to it and simply chuckled to himself, his gaze drifting back to the stars above.
"Alright. Good night, Village Head Ye." With that, Ling Ye gave one last glance at the star filled sky before closing his eyes and soon he fell asleep.
Time passed quietly.
The night stretched on as Bai Da kept watch. When fatigue finally caught up to him, he woke Ling Ye, and the two switched roles. Then, after some time, Ling Ye woke Bai Da again. Back and forth, they rotated through the night.
Until finally, as Ling Ye lay on his back during his turn, staring up at the sky, he noticed something change. The darkness began to fade and the first light of dawn appeared, with the night had been uneventful.
With no danger, or disturbances, only the cold wind that swept across the open land, biting at their skin and making the long hours harder to endure, but aside from that, nothing happened.
Slowly, Ling Ye sat up and rose from the stone. Without wasting time, he walked over to Bai Da, who was still asleep. Bai Da lay curled slightly, using his sword sheath as a pillow, arms wrapped tightly around it as if it were something precious.
Ling Ye reached out and tapped his shoulder lightly. "The sun is rising. We're leaving."
Bai Da stirred, blinking sleepily. He nodded without much thought, letting out a long yawn as he stretched his arms and rolled his neck, trying to shake off the drowsiness.
Meanwhile, Ling Ye had already stepped onto the old traveler's path. While waiting, he took the chance to drink a small sip from his water pouch and eat a bit of his remaining rations, careful, as always, not to waste anything.
By the time Bai Da joined him, he looked far more awake. Energy returned quickly, and a faint smile spread across his face. Soon enough, he was even laughing again, his voice echoing lightly across the open field.
And so, they continued walking. Step by step, the world brightened around them as the sun rose higher into the sky. Then, in the distance, they finallly saw it.
A faint outline of a small village and at first, it was nothing more than a shadow on the horizon, but with every step forward, it became clearer. They had finally arrived.