Volume One: The Wild Child Chapter Twelve: Spring Winds Return to the Northern Lands

"Everyone is leaving a letter for their families. Why are you two just standing there, lost in thought?" Yu Baili asked, his brows furrowed in curiosity. He could not understand how children raised in the comfort of their homes could reach this age without feeling a sense of attachment.

Lin Changtian placed a hand on Kuisheng’s shoulder and smiled wryly for a long while. "You may not know, but our luck has always been poor. Kuisheng and I grew up together without parental care, relying solely on each other, step by step, to make it to today. You needn’t pity us; even without awakening to this matter, we can still hold our heads high—after all, we both managed to attend university."

Yu Baili gazed at Lin Changtian, his eyes sharp, lost in thought.

...

Unconsciously, some time had already passed in flight.

Traveling by harnessing the energy of heaven, the sights seen inspired a grandeur in the chest unlike anything before. One could feel the pulse of the world, hear the wind brushing past, leaving lingering echoes. There were mountains and rivers, sky and sun and moon—all at once. How could earthbound ants ever witness such wonders?

It was as if a voice rose from within, whispering such thoughts.

Of course, unlike the others whose faces were full of enjoyment, Lin Changtian was haunted by a lingering sense of grievance. It had two meanings: first, he complained that Yu Baili could have let them walk on the wind, but insisted on carrying him aloft instead; second, he truly hadn’t figured out how to explain his earlier exaggerations to the others once they arrived in the Northern Territory. He’d painted it as a paradise, giving the impression that following Brother Lin meant a life of bliss. But upon arrival, it turned out Brother Lin had brought them to the grassroots for construction.

Yu Baili seemed to know exactly what Lin Changtian was thinking. As the others basked in the joy of flight, he spoke leisurely, "I have a few questions for everyone. The Northern Territory was once the borderland, destroyed by enemy invaders and left in ruins. So I’m curious—Lin Changtian’s clumsy lies surely couldn’t have fooled you. What, then, are your reasons for going to the Northern Territory?"

Lin Xiaoxi clung to Chen Ziliang, unwilling to let go. Fatty and Xu Yong wore indifferent expressions, clearly just following Lin Changtian. That left only Chen Ziliang’s attitude unclear. As everyone looked at him, Chen Ziliang stared straight at Yu Baili and said, "Why am I going to the Northern Territory? They might not know, but surely you do?" Lin Xiaoxi’s beautiful eyes widened, her face full of grief—how could all these people be competing with her for a man? Lin Changtian, Fatty, and Xu Yong looked on gossiping, whispering words like 'masochist' and 'dominant-submissive.'

Listening to their increasingly outrageous discussion, Yu Baili finally lost his masterful composure, glaring fiercely at Chen Ziliang. "I don’t know. Today, you’d better explain it to me properly!"

Chen Ziliang looked confusedly at Yu Baili and the others, whose expressions varied, and said, "Of course it’s to become stronger and defeat you. What else?"

Everyone fell silent.

Yu Baili’s face regained its masterful composure. Hands behind his back, he gazed at the sky and continued, "Actually, the Northern Territory is a broad designation. The border defenders and the outcast clans are but one faction. Aside from them, there are bandits that no one has controlled for years, natives, and some boundary keepers who fled there. The situation is complex and difficult to manage."

Xu Yong was puzzled. "There are still bandits in this era? With modern technology and military force, haven't they been suppressed already?"

"The Northern Territory is different from your civilized world. It is perennially harsh and cold, with rules closer to ancient times, always a 'no man’s land.' Because it’s isolated, at best the technology there reaches the level of automatic firearms. So the natives and bandits are tough, often possessing some abilities. Moreover, the Northern Territory lacks resources worth a technological civilization waging a campaign for. There’s no need to send troops."

"Hmm? What’s that up ahead?"

Noticing the checkpoint that had somehow been built ahead, Yu Baili frowned. With the soldiers’ alert weapons, Yu Baili was forced to bring the group down to the ground. The officer from the checkpoint stepped out, bowed to Yu Baili, and said slowly, "Halt. There’s no road here for you. Turn back."

Yu Baili’s face betrayed no emotion, only calm. "The border and its approaches have always been unguarded, for they belong to no faction. Now, with the Northern Territory destroyed, the business of reinforcing the frontlines goes ignored, but stationing troops at checkpoints and vying for territory is pursued with vigor."

The officer looked at Yu Baili with indifference, saying nothing, while the soldiers behind him raised their guns, aiming at the group. Seeing this, Chen Ziliang and Xu Yong stepped forward, but Yu Baili stopped them. This hawk of the Northern Territory smiled at the defensive force, scrutinizing them for a long while before saying to the officer, "You see, the Northern Territory is my home. Those of the Northern Territory belong here. Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"The regulations cannot be changed. I have no patience left for you. Leave quickly!" The officer’s face was impatient, unwilling to waste more words with Yu Baili.

Suddenly, the five behind Yu Baili desperately turned and ran—not because the officer’s threats were terrifying, but because they saw that the hawk’s blade had silently left its sheath.

Yu Baili had said they would reach the Northern Territory before nightfall, and he had not exaggerated. The hawk’s blade pierced the clouds, lighting up the darkening sky in an instant, banishing all fatigue. The border post standing at the gate, in the blink of an eye, was swept away by the wind; technology and smoke became one, all reduced to ruins.

"More souls have fallen under the blade," Yu Baili murmured, his expression unreadable. He stood alone by the ruins, quietly whispering to himself, as if recalling the day when the Northern Territory blazed with war and the soldiers outside the pass who should have come to aid remained bright-lit in their barracks. As if remembering the bitter cold of the Northern Territory, while the boundary keepers in the heartland reveled night after night. Who, then, caused the fall of the Northern border? Unknown assailants, or the boundary keepers of the heartland, or perhaps each soul enjoying peace behind?

"The Northern Territory fell by its own hand," Yu Baili muttered to himself. Then, with blade slung at his side, he strode into the checkpoint, graceful and unrestrained.

A solitary swordsman—none more lonely in this world.

The others hurried after Yu Baili, afraid of losing their way in this land without masters. As they pressed forward, they came to a broad and deep forest. According to Yu Baili, once they passed through this forest, they would have reached the Northern Territory.

Though the woods were dark, no evil lurked there, and the group proceeded smoothly. Unconsciously, they were about to see the light ahead. Fatty was the most excited, for he was exhausted and longed for a good sleep. Seeing the exit close, he used all his strength to run ahead—then stared blankly at the vast world before him.

The Northern Territory, even at the height of summer, was still covered in swirling snow, bitterly cold. At the entrance stood a stone monument, inscribed: Land of Immortal Qi, Blessings of the Mortal World.