When Liu Xing activated his invisibility and disappeared from the Qing clan, everyone assumed he had returned to his people at his base. But that wasn't true. While the Qing clan members scrambled to evacuate the patriarch, the Second Master, the Grand Elder, and the injured, he sat by a small fountain near the Qing clan's estate. From there, he could hear their commotion and sense their fear.

After sitting for half an hour observing the fountain, the night descended further, making the world darker and colder. He got up and began walking. He was alone on the sidewalk. Several light poles with gems that shone with a soft blue light illuminated the streets, but the houses emitted a warm yellow light akin to sunlight. He could hear murmurs and whispers from within, all of them either fearing what they would see in the morning or trying to reassure themselves. Some mothers even tried to get their children to sleep, but while it was dark and cold, the night had just begun, and many kids were not yet sleepy.

"But the atmosphere feels like it's already midnight," Liu Xing muttered, his steps slow and deliberate. His eyes scanned his surroundings, though he didn't focus on anything in particular. He just wanted to distract his mind from the image of that old man drenched in blood.

As he walked, he reflected on what he had done. All in all, he had handled the situation logically and properly according to his plan. He had defeated the Qing clan with no loss of life to boot. Though many people were injured, they could, in theory, recover. If the Qing clan decided that some people would get less healing because of limited resources, and those people died because of that lack, then in that situation, he would admit that he had killed them. However, as of tonight, the number of Qing clan members he had killed was still zero.

Liu Xing soon arrived in front of the market. At night, while some street lights illuminated the area, not a single soul could be seen. Only their empty stands remained. Seeing this, Liu Xing sincerely hoped that the plan he had executed would bring results that aligned with his vision. All he had done tonight was to deter everyone from messing with him. He was sure that if he took a step into Water Tower City tomorrow, people would give him a wide berth. If he demanded something, they would procure it for him. Similarly, if he went to the Jin clan and demanded information about the Heaven Severing Pill, they would easily fold.

It was as he intended, though not without a price. Part of it was a pang of guilt deep in the corner of his heart, but the higher price was his anonymity. Tomorrow, the news about him will spread. At first, it would only spread within this island; however, soon, it would also spread to the entire Wild Tide Region, which meant the Mirror Tide Empire and the Nether Lotus Sect would know his whereabouts. From this moment on, getting the Heaven Severing Pill was a race against time. If he dallied too long, he would eventually be surrounded by his enemies. He had a thought to make his move on the Jin clan tonight. However, while that wasn't a bad idea, he intended to wait a bit. He wanted the fear and the example he had made tonight to simmer and settle within the inhabitants of this city, so they would know the news about him attacking the Qing clan and crippling their grand elder was true. Hence, he needed to maintain stability. He couldn't move too late, nor too fast.

Soon, he decided to change his course. Instead of following the sidewalk, he jumped onto a nearby roof, walked across it, and leaped to the next building. From this height, he could see the Qing clan estate, and he steered far away from it. He looked around and found a building that looked like a bank, then a city library, then the governor's office, circling back to the academy and even passing the Jin clan estate. The Jin clan did not reside in the middle of the city. Instead, it was to the north of the island, and even from their front gate, he could smell the aroma of the sea. He turned and headed back to his base.

In just a few moments, he arrived at the edge of the small nearby forest. Here, he inhaled deeply, enjoying the freshness of the night. The bugs were singing, an owl hooted, he could hear the scattered howl of wolves, and he could also hear the sound of a nearby river. Water Tower City was dead silent, but this forest was not. The irony of it drew a small laugh from him. It wasn't funny, but the situation needed a happy thought and a small smile. He had done what he had done. He was happy with the outcome. By all accounts, there was nothing more to think about.

"Yes," Liu Xing nodded, "all is good."

Soon, he returned to the grassy field where his people resided. A bonfire was lit, and people were chatting while each held a bowl of steaming soup. When he revealed himself, Tide Walker nudged its nose against him, which elicited a happy smile. After that, he was greeted warmly. Fang Ruxue gave him a bowl of soup, some gave him grilled fish, some gave him candy, and many more. The chatter then suddenly turned into a group sing-along, and Fang Ruxue asked to borrow his flute.

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As she sang, he wondered why no one had asked about what he did to the Qing clan. The one who shed light on the mystery was Qing Yuan.

He said, "It's your face. You look sad."

The song was beautiful, though he noticed that some of Fang Ruxue's words were blurred together. Her wounds had already healed, but it seemed there were still wounds in her mouth. At that, Liu Xing promised himself he would look for a way to regrow her teeth. There were talismans that could regrow limbs; surely, there was a talisman or pill that could regrow mortal teeth.

After the song was over, they chatted about little things, like what hair products they used. A woman had shiny nails, and many people wondered how she did it. Tide Walker begged him for food, so he threw it balls of qi. This time, he threw them rapidly into the air, and Tide Walker deftly ate all of them, smiling the whole time. At one point, he thought that Tide Walker was a little bigger than before and wondered how big it could grow. Surely, there was a limit, but then again, Tide Walker was a spear that had turned into a shark, so anything was possible.

At one point, the group ran out of water for drinking and cooking, so Liu Xing grabbed a wooden barrel, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and said that he would fill it up. Some of the women's eyes softened, their expressions turning sad, but Su Nian just gave him a thumbs-up and said that the water near a giant tree was the best. And so, he walked slowly, balancing a barrel on his right shoulder.

As he walked, he allowed his mind to wander. His thoughts drifted to the Heaven Severing Pill, to the darkness, to the Purple Moon Sect elder who had tried to kill him, to the mark inside his consciousness, to the gun, to his friends from another life, and many more. These thoughts came and went so fast they made his eyes blurry. However, as he touched the part of his face near his eye, he realized there were tears.

He stopped walking, looked at the tear on his index finger reflecting the moonlight, and inhaled deeply. "Why am I crying?"

It was really, really weird. He had killed many, many people. His hands were soaked with blood. However, he knew for a fact that he didn't kill people willy-nilly. All the people he had killed were killers themselves, ones that would have killed him without hesitation. If these tears were the result of how he had dealt with the Qing clan, it was very strange, considering he hadn't even killed anyone. He had merely crippled an old man. An old man who was dying, whom he had helped advance and regain his power, only to reduce him to a condition worse than before. His life would be full of suffering.

Liu Xing straightened his back and began walking again. He cycled qi around his ears, enhancing his hearing to pick up the sound of the river, and then followed the soft rush of water. Soon, he arrived. The river was not too wide, and its surface glowed, as if it were ethereal water. He looked up, observed the shining moon in the sky, then shrugged and submerged the wooden barrel. He didn't see a huge tree, so he would have to apologize to Su Nian.

In an instant, the water barrel was filled, and he just needed to lift it and return to the camp. However, he decided to thrust the wooden barrel deeper into the water, to the point that his hand was submerged to his wrist. The cool sensation of the water gave him a nice jolt, but it also felt comfortable, as if his right hand were being massaged.

Soon, he heard the rustling of grass, but he didn't lift the wooden barrel out of the water, not even turning his head to see who was coming. After all, his face was not presentable, and he tried as hard as he could to school his features.

When his face was presentable, he looked to his right and saw a blind old man. He wore a thick black robe, with the area around his chest and neck covered with fur. He didn't wear a hat; instead, his long white hair was tied into a ponytail. The old man took off his shoes, sat to his side, and submerged both of his feet into the water.

Seeing this, Liu Xing lifted the wooden barrel out of the water, put it on his left side, and followed the old man's example. When both of his bare feet were submerged in the water, he nodded. It was comfortable.

"What are you doing here?" Liu Xing asked.

"The reason I am here is to give a pointer to a troubled young man." He turned his head. Even though his eyes were blind and his eyelids were closed, it felt as if the old man could see his soul. "What are you feeling right now, Liu Xing?"

Liu Xing licked his lips. He tried to formulate an answer but struggled to do so. After all, he didn't actually know what he was feeling right now. There were too many things swirling in his mind, and he felt overwhelmed. It was as if his brain were sluggish, and his heart felt... uncomfortable, yet he couldn't pinpoint where exactly that discomfort came from.

After a while, he decided on an answer. "I think I'm tired."

When he let out those words, he felt as if they were the truest words in the world. It had been non-stop action since the start of the race. Some of the fights were easy, some were hard. Some exciting, some dreadful. Right now, though, after acknowledging that he was tired, it was as if a heavy burden was suddenly placed on his shoulders. His back bent a little, and his eyes felt heavy.

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