Jin Yu turned, his glare sharp and unamused. “I thought you’d finally changed when you didn’t talk the whole way here.”

  His voice dripped with disdain as he walked away and mounted his horse.

  Seer’s jaw dropped. “You—! You don’t appreciate the little things, do you? So ungrateful.” He scrambled onto his snow-white horse, reins snapping into his grip. “Hey! Where are you going? Aren’t you going to check it anymore?”

  Jin Yu ignored him, galloping out of the ruined village without a word.

  “Seriously?! I said I’d help check it!” Seer shouted after him, kicking his horse to catch up.

  They sped past the path they’d come from, through the large clearing scarred by the earlier destruction, until Jin Yu finally pulled the reins at the edge of the stream.

  Beside the water, a lone blue flower swayed gently, untouched by chaos.

  Seer dismounted the moment his eyes caught the faint shimmer in the air.

  “Finally!” he exclaimed, excitement returning to his voice. “The formation!”

  “Quickly, give me the map,” Seer beckoned, already crouching by the stream as he sifted through the scattered pebbles.

  Jin Yu dismounted and approached slowly. He pulled out the map and glanced at it, then looked at Seer who was busy collecting small, translucent stones. For a second, he hesitated, eyes narrowing in mild suspicion.

  Seer stood up with a handful of pebbles and noticed the look Jin Yu was giving him.

  “Tch.” He snorted and snatched the map from Jin Yu’s hand. “Ungrateful bastard.”

  He turned and marched a short distance away, holding the map like a stolen treasure. “Bastard,” he muttered under his breath as he tossed a pebble toward the edge of the stream. It hit the water and sank.

  “Bastard,” he repeated, a little louder, throwing another stone just beside the first.

  “Bastard,” he muttered again, tossing another pebble. The water rippled faintly where the stone landed. He stared at the spot for a few seconds, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. Then, without looking back, he bent down and threw a fourth pebble to the left. carefully. This one hovered for a moment before slowly sinking, its ripples faintly different, concentric and tighter.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Jin Yu, watching from a short distance, raised a brow. “You’re not just being petty, are you?”

  “None of your business.” Seer replied flatly, stepping to the other side of the stream.

  He tossed a fifth pebble, and this time, when it struck the water, a faint glimmer pulsed outward in a ripple of light.

  “There,” he whispered, straightening with a grin. “Four points. Right where they should be.”

  Then, without a word, he turned toward the blue flower growing alone beside the stream.

  “Wait—” Jin Yu stepped forward instinctively.

  But Seer had already crouched, wrapping his hand around the stem. “Thank you, little one,” he said quietly and plucked the flower from the earth.

  The moment it left the ground, its vibrant petals began to wilt, the glow fading like a dying ember.

  Seer didn’t hesitate. He brought out a small jade vial and pinched the flower between his fingers. A few concentrated drops of glowing blue essence fell into it, and he carefully placed one drop into each of the four spots where the formation stirred.

  Once the last drop of blue essence fell into the stream, the water surged slightly, rippling inwards toward the center, then stilled.

  Seer didn't wait. He gently placed the now-wilting flower back into its spot and poured a splash of shimmering spirit medicine over its roots. The earth drank it greedily, and before their eyes, the flower began to steady, its stem straightening again, though the glow had not yet returned.

  Jin Yu stepped forward, eyes narrowing as a faint breeze brushed his cheek.

  Then the air above the stream shimmered, light twisting like vapor drawn into form.

  A circular shape began to spin slowly into existence—a compass made entirely of Qi.

  It hovered above the water, glowing softly. The structure was elegant yet alien, its edges made of flowing script that seemed half-written in light, half-etched in time itself.

  Jin Yu’s eyes widened as the swirling light formed into a perfect ring , It glow softly, ethereal and graceful.

  It had four thin directional hands, each pointing in a different direction with a faint glow. The tips bore ancient and unfamiliar symbols.

  But to Jin Yu… not entirely unfamiliar.

  He stepped closer, studying the symbols in surprise. “Wait… these markings…”

  A thread of memory surfaced, those same runes, hidden faintly within the strokes of his map, disguised as contour lines or decorative brushwork.

  He was about to speak when Seer grinned like a thief unearthing treasure and tossed the map straight into the center of the compass.

  The moment paper touched Qi, the compass pulsed. A low hum echoed through the clearing as the hands began to rotate, faster and faster, the strange light flaring as they moved.

  The symbols on the pointer tips began to shift, one by one, flowing into different sets of runes, changing again and again, as though cycling through destinations, sifting through secrets.

  Then—click.

  The sound was sharp and clear.

  The four hands merged into one, aligning into a single direction. The Qi-compass now glowed with a vivid golden-blue light, its unified hand pointing unwaveringly toward the northern ridge.

  Seer clapped his hands gleefully.

  “And now… we found the way!” he announced with the flair of a stage magician, then gave a proud nod as if he'd just solved the mysteries of the heavens.

  Jin Yu stared at the hovering compass, his mind still half-lost in the symbols. A path had opened but what lay at its end?

  Still delighted, Seer moved closer and slumped his arm across Jin Yu's shoulders.

  "I deserve an award, right? Right?"

  Jin Yu glanced at his sparkling eyes, but said nothing.

  "Hahaha, have you finally seen how lucky you are to have me as a friend? You definitely can’t find anyone like me. In fact, let me tell you, I—"

  "Show me your face."

  The words cut through the air like a blade. Seer flinched, his cheerful tone halting mid-sentence.

  His smile stiffened.

  He blinked rapidly, trying to hide the sudden shift in his expression. Then, with an exaggerated huff, he tousled his pale hair and leaned harder on Jin Yu’s shoulder, as if nothing had happened.

  "If you don’t want to say thank you, just say so. No need to change the topic."

  Jin Yu’s gaze sharpened. "Who's changing the topic now?"

  Seer clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "Ugh, do you want to know where it goes or not?"

  "Spill the bean."

  "Huh? What bean?"