Over the cold peaks of a group of mediocre hills, the tender warmth of the sun had begun to fall upon the land, prompting the rise of all manner of creatures in the wild to stir and wake. Out on a lonesome river without a name, an old rickety ship drifted quietly as it basked in the warm rays of a brand new day.

Today marked the first day of Laude's journey out into the world and the beginning of his quest to return home. If he could manage to unravel the mystery behind the Great Questions that the Heavens had charged upon him.

What virtue is there in a starless sky?

Without Us to light your way, will you be able to traverse the darkness that awaits you?

Laude had spent many a sleepless night ruminating the nature of these two questions ever since he heard that voice whisper them in his ears that fateful day. In search of context, he had pilfered every source of knowledge in White Dew Society but had arrived no closer to a definitive answer than when he first heard the questions.

He had learned much about the history and culture of the world of cultivation, but he understood that it was only but a fragment of the whole truth about a world he had not yet even begun to personally explore.

As a scholar, he also knew better than to trust everything he had learned during his time at White Dew Society — all texts possessed some form of bias. As long as it was written by a pair of human hands, every text was bound to have some kind of falsehood, omission of facts, or bias whether intentional or not.

Over the course of his research, Laude discovered a surprising number of inconsistencies present in White Dew Society's scholarly texts and historical records concerning a specific time period.

A monumental incident occurred roughly five hundred years ago that caused an indescribable change across the world of cultivation and... it resulted in what Laude could only describe as the single most extensive cover-up attempt in recorded history. Records were destroyed, falsified, or completely rewritten in such a widespread manner that it proved impossible to determine what truly happened back then.

If written texts were no good, then the next best option would be to ask individuals who were alive at the time for their recollection. Of course, there was still the possibility that Laude could be lied to, or that someone's memories of that time period could be flawed since they only witnessed a small part of what happened during that era, but it would be better than nothing.

The with that idea was that no one seemed to want to speak about that topic. As much as he tried, Laude had been unable to get any of the Head Elders or even other elders in White Dew Society to talk about that elusive era. It became clear to him that knowledge of that time period was a taboo subject and that some type of great danger loomed over those who dared to so much as utter a word about it...

Laude comprehended then that his journey would pit him against powers great enough to suppress history and stifle even the noblest of souls into submission. It was safe to say that his enemies had unimaginable influence and strength, to the point that Laude felt a chill run down his spine whenever he thought about the fate that awaited him if he was ever caught by them. There would be no escape.

And if they ever discovered his identity? The thought of what would happen to his family, to his little village? That single thought was enough to keep him awake most nights...

As Laude stepped out of his cabin, he adjusted his fickle veil in annoyance and cursed the fact that he would have to wear it for the remainder of his journey, but he tolerated it nonetheless. He could not lower his guard now that he was beyond the comforting safety of White Dew Society.

He would have to adopt a new name too, though, this was not really a problem since it was an ancient tradition for cultivators to adopt a courtesy name separate from the given name they received at birth. This was done to establish an easy way to identify where a cultivator might hail from without needing to blunder around with excessive questions.

There were a multitude of specific quirks that dictated how a cultivator's courtesy name was created depending on the Society, but the primary rules put forth in ancient times were used by all Societies regardless of their status, size, or influence.

One's first name was decided by oneself, fashioned whatever in the style they seemed fit, though most created names based on their professions, talents, or personal memories that they thought defined them.

But when it came to the last name, it was custom to take on a part of an elder's name, typically of the elder they received the most guidance from, as a form of deference and as means of establishing a proper genealogy within a Society.

If one was not a member of a Society, then a stray cultivator would instead use one of the four seasons to create their last name instead, which is what Laude would have to do in his case.

Laude felt a bit of admiration for parents everywhere because he couldn't come up with a name. A bit of dread formed in Laude's heart; if it was this difficult to make up a fake name, he feared the day when he became a father...

His inane thoughts were soon disturbed when he heard the sound of knocking at his door before Belladonna stepped into his room and sweetly said, "Oh, hey, you're actually awake. And here I thought I'd have the opportunity to wake you up myself. What a pity."

As lovely as that prospect sounded on paper, the cooking pan in her left hand and the wooden ladle in the other betrayed the tender image that Laude had in his mind. As always, all of the best things in life were too good to ever be true.

Laude scoffed and replied, "How the hell have you tolerated wearing this irritating rag over your face for so many years? It's barely been fifteen minutes, and I've had to readjust this damn thing twice. Maybe I should just wear a mask instead and save myself the trouble..."

Belladonna sighed and helped Laude properly adjust his veil, but not without teasing him a bit for needing his help. It was a sad day when a grown man couldn't even put on a piece of clothing without help. Not that Belladonna minded Laude's incompetence; all of this just gave her more fuel to use for whenever she felt like Laude needed to be put in his place...

She really is a black-bellied spider at heart. She's always looking to get the upper hand, thought Laude, frowning.

He was sure that one day she'd get her hands on some real dirt and blackmail him into doing something annoying for her. That was the type of woman she was — always on the prow for dirty little secrets and knowledge that would end up benefiting her in the long run.

It was the mindset of a scavenger, a vulture that circled the bleached bones of the unfortunate for sustenance.

Laude wondered if all cultivators were like her, and then the realization dawned on him that he was no different. He was also searching for answers too. The only thing that would distinguish their respective destinies would be what they would be willing to do to acquire the answers they sought.

Unbeknownst to Laude, a path had already opened up, one that would allow him to return to his former life within the span of a single day.

All he needed to do was bump into a certain individual not too far away, and make a simple deal that would cost him absolutely nothing. That was all he had to do.

The entire world dangled on a single thread that could break at any point. Although redemption was possible, it did not mean that it was guaranteed to happen. A mild breeze or gentle tug was all that it would take to send Oseo down into the abyss...

After exchanging some “pleasantries” the two of them made their way to a dingy mess hall that reeked of something dead… or something that was about to be dead.

What greeted Laude and Belladonna was the sight of Vateria lingering over a boiling pot with a ladle in her hand and an unknown vial in the other hand.

When Laude plodded over and peered into Vateria’s pot, he found a bubbling concoction dyed a deep shade of crimson. As it frothed vigorously, the head of a dead animal floated up and stared at Laude dead in the eyes for a brief moment and scared him before it sank into the wretched lake of boiling blood.

Laude’s eyes watered in distress and he eeked out, “And what, pray tell, is this supposed to be? Are you creating some sort of demonic poison? Have you always been a practitioner of the Demonic Path?”

Vateria snorted and said, “If I wanted to make poison, I would have made something odorless and colorless and fed it to you long ago. This is a warding brew — there are many methods to track down a target based on smell alone. Numerous cultivators have hunting beasts that can track prey for miles on end with just the slightest whiff of a target’s scent. We need to take every precaution we can.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” said Laude, backing away from the ghastly witch’s pot. “I almost thought that this was a tragic attempt by you to make breakfast. I’m glad I was wrong because if it was, I would have actually pitied you. Ah, and I would have questioned how Shorea made it this far without dying of dysentery.”

Although Laude understood that nothing good would come of antagonizing Vateria, he couldn’t stop himself from doing it. He couldn’t stand her uptight personality and the slight contempt in her eyes for people that weren’t cultivators.

She was in many ways a mirror into the distant past. Her demeanor was reminiscent of blueblood cultivators who subtly ruled the world in days of yore. Too busy sniffing their own disgusting farts, complimenting each other for bettering the lives of hapless, ignorant mortals whilst looking down on them from their ivory towers and holy temples.

It reminded Laude too much of the corruption he had witnessed in Alora, the royal capital of the Janusphere Empire. The more he thought of that foul city and all he had experienced there, the more his blood boiled.

The further he got from that detestable pit of debauchery, the happier he’d become. Even so, he knew that he would have to return to that city one day and…

Laude’s train of thought abruptly cut off when he felt the touch of a large hand on his shoulder. Shorea patted him on the shoulder and said, “Morning, brother Laude. Feeling energetic? I could use your help out on the deck. How good are you at fishing?”

“Are you kidding me?” said Laude with a perplexed expression. “I spent the better part of my childhood playing in the forest next to my village. Hunting, fishing, gathering wild berries, climbing up trees, and collecting insects…”

Whenever Laude used to feel melancholy, bored or irritated with other people, he would always retreat into the trees and escape reality for an afternoon. When it got really hot in the summer, he’d go skinny dipping in a secret spot he had found years ago while mindlessly exploring.

“Well, that’s good to know. Given our current situation, we should try to minimize the number of times we visit towns or cities. Having someone with your skillset definitely will help us stay off the grid for longer periods than I initially expected,” said Shorea, nodding.

Though it was unlikely in small villages, Shorea could not discount the very distinct possibility that larger towns and cities might already have spies monitoring the movement of cultivators and strangers in the Janusphere Empire — anything and anyone that might lead them to Laude’s whereabouts.

It was for this reason that the group had unanimously agreed on a route that would take them through as few settlements as possible. The overwhelming bulk of their journey out of the Janusphere Empire would be through the dense wilderness of the northern territories that had gone mostly untouched since the founding of the empire.

Silence filled the gap between Laude and Shorea before the older sibling broke the ice and said, "You know that Vateria's got a sharp tongue, but she doesn't really mean what she says most of the time. She's got a bad defensive habit from our days on the streets... It's hard for her to open up to, well, anybody aside from myself and Grandpa Alnus."

Laude glanced at his empty basket and Shorea's growing basket of fish with a small frown before he replied, "Nah, her words have never bugged me. I know what real verbal abuse is like. It's pretty cute how easy it is to tease her compared to Bella. That girl never gives me so much as an inch of satisfaction..."

Shorea raised an eyebrow and said, "By the way, there's something I've been meaning to ask. Are you and Belladonna... you know? Dao Companions? Ahh, don't feel obligated to answer if I've asked something too personal."

Unbeknownst to Laude, many a disciple had wondered about the relationship between him and Belladonna, one of the Society's prized flowers. Given the amount of time that they spent together, and the frequency that they were spotted in each other's company, it had only been a matter before rumors had begun to pop up about them.

Not that Laude ever noticed such inane rumors with his head buried in a mountain of books most of the time. Belladonna, on the other hand, probably caught wind of those rumors but no one at the time had the gall to ask her whether they were true or not...

Laude broke into a fit of laughter as he clutched his stomach in pain. He wiped the tears from his eyes and said, "Me? And that witch?! Please, senior brother, you must be jesting. I cannot even begin to fathom a wretched life bonded to that... vexing, slippery woman."

"Is that right? Well, I've known Belladonna for twelve years now since she first arrived at our Society, and I've never seen her laugh so much as in the last two years," said Shorea, shrugging his shoulders before he concentrated on fishing.

In less than a minute, Shorea caught another trout while Laude stared at his pitiful basket again and pondered over what he said...

After breakfast, the company gathered around an enchanted map that depicted a shifting world filled with all manner of locations. In a small pocket of land in the southwestern corner of the continent of Geltor, the Janusphere Empire seemed like a paltry joke in comparison to its neighbors.

Compared to the old empires of Geltor that had been around even before the Golden Era of Cultivation over five hundred years ago, the Janusphere Empire was pretty much a newborn, having been founded no more than two hundred years ago. To put it plainly, there were still living cultivators that had witnessed its founding. The same could not be so easily said about the other nations that were a part of the Old World.

The largest and most powerful of all the nations that represented the Old World was undoubtedly Great Koshara, the original birthplace of Western Cultivation, which was founded upon the movement of the celestial Heavens above. Even now during the Spiritual Qi Crisis, Great Koshara was the most important pillar for all cultivators, no matter their origin. Through the use of a gigantic immortal array that extended through the entire country, it had managed to preserve the most Spiritual Qi anywhere in the continent of Geltor. Great Koshara possessed the most profound cultivation legacies, the most powerful organizations that were still active, and still remained the cultural heart of the cultivation world.

All cultivators were beholden to pilgrimage to the ancient behemoth at least once in their lives to seek guidance from the withered sages that resided there. In the end, Laude would not be an exemption to that rule either...

But before he could reach Great Koshara, he would have to pass through Ledona or Maaldar, who were much akin to older siblings to the Janusphere Empire. They were several hundred years older than the Janusphere Empire and were known as the "Broken Halves," on account that they were once unified under a single flag. Nowadays, the twin countries existed in a state of cold war as they kept a wary eye on their borders for any sign of possible enemy movement, whether real or imagined.

Even though Laude and the group had decided to cross through Ledona to Great Koshara, it meant nothing if they were caught before they even slipped out of Janusphere.

For now, they were heading north as quickly as they could manage. In an hour or so, they expected to arrive at the first destination of their long journey, a small fishing town called Wadewood, where they would try to enlist the help of a local acquaintance that the Shorea siblings knew to further mask the party's trail...