Chapter 39: The Road Back to Azure Cloud and a Bandit’s Ambush

Lin Yue walked at the front of the group, the jade box tucked securely in his coat, his eyes scanning the hills for any sign of danger. The prisoner—who’d asked to be called “Wen” now, a small step toward reclaiming his identity—walked beside him, pointing out hidden paths and warning of areas known for bandits.

“The hills ahead—they’re called the Thief’s Reach,” Wen said, nodding toward a cluster of rocky outcrops in the distance. “Bandits hide there, waiting for travelers. They don’t usually attack groups with cultivators, but they’ve gotten bolder since the Shadow Sect fell—no one’s been patrolling the roads like they used to.”

Lin Yue nodded, his hand drifting to the hilt of his sword. The four fragments in the jade box pulsed faintly, a quiet warning. “We’ll be ready. Elder Mu, Xiao Wei—take the rear. Father, Ling—stay close. Wen, stick with me—you know these hills, tell us where they’re most likely to attack.”

They continued forward, the hills growing steeper as they entered the Thief’s Reach. The rocks loomed above them, casting long shadows in the afternoon sun, and the only sounds were the crunch of gravel under their boots and the distant chirp of birds. Lin Yue kept his focus on the fragments, letting their energy flow into his dragon qi—slow, steady—so he could sense any nearby presence.

It was Wen who spotted them first. “There,” he whispered, pointing to a gap between two large rocks. “I see movement. At least five of ’em.”

Lin Yue closed his eyes, extending his dragon qi outward like a net. He felt them—five bandits, their qi weak but sharp with greed, hiding in the rocks above, their bows drawn. “They’re going to shoot first,” he said, opening his eyes. “Wen, get down. Everyone else—form a circle. I’ll put up a shield.”

He pulled the jade box from his coat, opening it slightly to let the fragments’ light glow. He wove his dragon qi around their energy, then extended it outward—this time, not just a thin shield, but a dome that covered the entire group, blue-red light shimmering like a bubble.

The first arrow hit the shield a moment later, bouncing off with a soft ping and clattering to the ground. The bandits roared, charging down the hillside, their swords drawn, their faces twisted with rage.

“Stay in the shield!” Lin Yue shouted, his focus tight on maintaining the dome. The fragments pulsed, feeding the shield’s energy, but he could feel his dragon qi draining—slowly, but surely. Maintaining a group shield was harder than he’d expected, especially with five bandits slamming into it.

Elder Mu and Lin Yue’s father attacked first, their swords slicing through the air as they stepped out of the shield’s protection. Elder Mu’s blade hit a bandit’s shoulder, sending him sprawling, while Lin Yue’s father disarmed another, his sword pressed to the man’s throat.

Xiao Wei and Ling joined them, Xiao Wei’s sword moving in quick, precise strikes, Ling’s dagger glowing with healing qi to block any incoming attacks. Wen stayed behind Lin Yue, his hands clenched into fists, watching for any bandits who tried to circle around.

A bandit broke through the fray, charging straight for Lin Yue—his sword aimed at the jade box, which was still glowing in Lin Yue’s hand. “That’s the treasure!” he shouted. “Get the box!”

Lin Yue didn’t move. He let the shield drop for a split second, then summoned a thin blade of dragon qi—sharp, fast—and sliced the bandit’s sword arm. The man screamed, dropping his weapon, and Lin Yue kicked him to the ground, his foot pressing against the bandit’s chest.

“Stay down,” he said, his voice cold.

The last bandit surrendered a moment later, dropping his sword and falling to his knees. Elder Mu tied him up with rope, while Lin Yue’s father checked the other bandits—two dead, two wounded, one unconscious.

Lin Yue closed the jade box, his breath heavy. His dragon qi was drained, but not empty—thanks to the fragments’ energy, which had kept the shield stable long enough for the others to fight. “We should move on,” he said, wiping sweat from his brow. “More bandits might come. We don’t want to be here when they do.”

They left the bandits tied to a rock, their weapons hidden in the bushes (a mercy—Lin Yue didn’t want to kill them, just stop them), and continued south. The sun began to set as they walked, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, and by nightfall, they reached a small village where they could camp.

That night, as the others slept, Lin Yue sat by the fire, the jade box open in his hand. He practiced weaving his dragon qi around the four fragments, trying to strengthen the bond between them—slow, steady, like braiding four threads into one. The fragments pulsed, their light brightening as his dragon qi wrapped around them, and he felt a faint warmth spread through his chest. Progress. Small, but real.

Wen sat down beside him, holding a cup of hot tea. “You’re getting better at that,” he said, nodding at the fragments. “When we first met, you could barely hold a shield. Now you’re protecting the whole group.”

Lin Yue smiled, taking the cup. “Practice. And the fragments help. They’re not just pieces of the Dark Dragon—they’re a part of something bigger. A way to stop it.”

Wen nodded, staring into the fire. “I still think about Mei. Every night. What if we don’t find her? What if… what if she’s already gone?”

Lin Yue placed a hand on Wen’s shoulder. “We’ll find her. I promise. After we get the fifth fragment, we’ll search every village in the Southern Mountains. Every town. We won’t stop until we find her.”

Wen nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Thank you. For not giving up on me. For not seeing me as just a monster.”

The next morning, they continued south, the road growing familiar as they neared Azure Cloud. The mountains rose in the distance, their peaks covered in a thin layer of snow, and the sound of the sect’s bells echoed through the valley as they approached.

Xiao Yu was waiting for them at the main gate, her face bright with relief. She ran toward Lin Yue, throwing her arms around him. “You’re back! We’ve been worried—we hadn’t heard from you in weeks.”

Lin Yue hugged her back, his heart warm. “We’re okay. We got the fourth fragment. And we have a lead on the fifth— it’s in the Dark Dragon’s tomb, in the Southern Mountains.”

Xiao Yu pulled back, her eyes wide. “The Dark Dragon’s tomb? No one’s ever found that. Are you sure?”

Lin Yue held up the jade box, letting the fragments glow. “The fragments told me. They have memories—of the tomb, of where it’s hidden. We need to get maps from the library, gather supplies. Then we’ll head south.”

They walked into the sect, the disciples cheering as they passed—word of their victory over the Bone Eaters had spread, thanks to the messengers Elder Mu had sent ahead. Elder Mu went to meet with the other sect leaders, while Lin Yue’s father and Xiao Wei went to the armory to check their weapons. Ling took Wen to the infirmary to get a new coat (his old one was tattered from the journey), leaving Lin Yue and Xiao Yu alone.

“We missed you,” Xiao Yu said, walking beside him. “The alliance is holding, but the other sects are getting restless. They want to know when we’ll stop the Dark Dragon for good. When we’ll be safe.”

Lin Yue nodded, his eyes fixed on the library ahead. “Soon. The fifth fragment is the last one. Once we have it, we can neutralize the Dark Dragon’s soul—for good. Then we’ll be safe.”

They reached the library, a tall, stone building with shelves lined with ancient scrolls. The librarian—an old man with a long white beard—greeted them, his eyes widening when he saw the jade box in Lin Yue’s hand.

“You have the fragments,” he said, his voice soft. “The four of them. I never thought I’d see the day.”

Lin Yue nodded. “We need maps of the Southern Mountains. Detailed ones—especially of the Whispering Gorge. And any scrolls about the Dark Dragon’s tomb. Anything that can help us.”

The librarian led them to a back room, where he pulled out a large map of the Southern Mountains—marked with rivers, gorges, and even a small note about “crystal caves” near the Whispering Gorge. He also handed Lin Yue a scroll, its pages yellowed with age.

“This is the only scroll that mentions the Dark Dragon’s tomb,” he said. “It says the tomb is guarded by a ‘crystal guardian’—a beast made of the same crystals that line the cave. It feeds on dark qi, but it’s vulnerable to pure qi. To dragon qi.”

Lin Yue took the scroll, rolling it up and tucking it into his coat. “Thank you. This will help.”

He and Xiao Yu left the library, the map and scroll in hand. The sun was setting, casting warm light over the sect, and the disciples were gathering in the training ground for evening practice. Lin Yue looked out at them—their faces young, their eyes full of hope—and felt a surge of determination.

They were close. So close. The fifth fragment. The Dark Dragon’s tomb. The final fight.

He held the jade box tighter, feeling the fragments pulse in time with his dragon qi. Slow. Steady. Strong.

That’s how they’d come this far. That’s how they’d win the final fight.

And soon—very soon—it would all be over.