Where the wind lead us

Shen Yue's POV I sat on my bed, staring at the only candle in my room. Its small flame flickered whenever the cold wind slipped through the cracks in the window. It was the only source of warmth I had. My light blue robe was too thin to protect me from the cold, but I had grown used to it. After being locked inside these four walls for so long, I could no longer tell whether it was day or night without looking outside. The familiar scent of crushed herbs filled the room, masking a faint, bitter smell. I lowered my gaze to my hands. How many lives had these hands taken? I had stopped counting a long time ago. Some faces had faded from my memory, but others remained as clear as the day I had seen them. Sometimes, I wondered whether I regretted what I had done or simply wished I could escape the consequences. Perhaps there was no difference anymore. A knock interrupted my thoughts. I looked towards the door. Who would come looking for me at this hour? I rose from the bed and walked over. After a brief hesitation, I opened the door. A man in his thirties stood outside. His expression was as composed as ever. Zimo, the Grandmaster's assistant. "Junior Yue, the Grandmaster has summoned you." I stared at him for a moment, searching his face for some hint of what awaited me. He offered none. "Now?" "Yes." I glanced back at my room before stepping outside and closing the door behind me. The corridor was dimly lit by a few candles. I followed Zimo in silence, pulling my robe tighter around myself. Had I made another mistake? No. I had completed every mission assigned to me. I had followed every order, even when I hated the person giving it. Then what did the Grandmaster want? Another mission? I let out a quiet breath. For almost four years, I had worked for Ying Lou. Four years of obeying orders, risking my life, and waiting for the day I could finally leave this place with my sister. That day had never come. Perhaps it never would. We stopped before the main hall. A tall figure stood in the middle of the room, his back facing us. His long white hair fell over his dark robes, and his hands rested behind him. He didn't turn when I entered. "Shen Yue." His voice was neither loud nor hurried, yet it made me straighten instinctively. I walked forward and knelt. "Greetings, Grandmaster." Silence followed. I kept my head lowered. The cold floor pressed against my knees, but I didn't dare move. The Grandmaster had never been a man who wasted words. When he summoned someone, there was always a reason. I only hoped that this time, I hadn't become the reason. "Get up." I rose slowly. "Shen Yue, you've served Ying Lou for almost four years." "Yes, Grandmaster." "You've completed many missions. Your abilities are sufficient, and your record speaks for itself." I waited for him to continue. "I've decided to let you and your sister leave once you complete one final mission." For a moment, I thought I had misheard him. Leave? My sister and I? I had imagined those words countless times. In some of those dreams, we walked through a crowded market. In others, we lived in a quiet town where no one knew our names. I had imagined freedom so often that I had stopped believing it could become real. Yet now, standing before the man who had kept us here for years, I found myself unable to respond. "Grandmaster," I said carefully, "what is the mission?" "Bring me the Obsidian Codex." "The Obsidian Codex?" "It's a ledger. You don't need to know what it contains." I pressed my lips together. A ledger important enough for the Grandmaster to send me personally, yet not important enough for me to know its contents. Something was wrong. But I couldn't afford to question him. Not when my sister's freedom was finally within reach. "Where can I find it?" "Dengzhou." He gestured towards a wooden box beside him. Zimo stepped forward, picked it up, and handed it to me. I opened the lid and found a folded map inside. Unfolding it, I studied the markings. Several roads had been drawn across the paper, but one location had been marked in red. Wuyin Mountain. The Grandmaster pointed towards it. "A contest is held there every year. Participants gather to collect rare herbs, and the person who gathers the most receives a reward." I looked up from the map. "And the ledger?" "The Obsidian Codex is hidden somewhere on that mountain. Only a few people know of its existence." "Then why hold a contest there?" "That is not your concern." His answer silenced me. I lowered my eyes to the map again. Wuyin Mountain was unfamiliar to me, and I knew little about Dengzhou beyond the stories I had heard from my mother. Finding a hidden ledger in a mountain crowded with people would hardly be an easy task. But I had completed difficult missions before. I could do this one, too. "Grandmaster, am I going alone?" He turned his head slightly. "Are you afraid you cannot complete the mission?" "No." "Then why ask?" I tightened my grip on the map. "I only wanted to know whether anyone would accompany me." "Do you need someone to hold your hand?" "I can do it," I replied. "Good." He finally turned to face me. His expression gave nothing away. "You will travel as a lady of Ying Lou. Outsiders know this place for its beauties, fine wine, and good food. Only our people know what lies beneath that reputation." "I understand." "You will leave tomorrow morning. Do not return without the ledger." I bowed. "Yes, Grandmaster." With that, I left the hall. The corridor seemed colder on the way back. I should have been happy. After all these years, I had finally been given a chance to leave Ying Lou with my sister. I should have been thinking about where we would go, what we would eat, and whether we could finally live without looking over our shoulders. Instead, one question kept returning to my mind. Why now? The Grandmaster had never offered us freedom before. He knew how much I wanted to leave, yet he had kept us here for almost four years. What had changed? By the time I returned to my room, the candle had burned lower. I placed the map on the wooden table and lay down on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow, I would leave for Dengzhou. I had never visited the city, but my mother used to tell me stories about it. She said it was one of the busiest cities in Great Da Yu, filled with merchants, travellers, and tea houses where people gathered to exchange news. The Lin family was its most prominent household. They were famous for crafting weapons for the Great Da Yu army, and their influence extended far beyond the city. My mother had travelled across the kingdom when she was younger. Whenever she told me about those journeys, her eyes would brighten as she recalled the places she had seen. She especially loved Yunxi. Beautiful waterfalls, endless bamboo forests, and quiet paths untouched by the noise of the world. She used to say that it was the perfect place for someone who wanted to live a peaceful life. I had always wanted to see it for myself. Sometimes, I wondered what it would be like to live somewhere like that. Somewhere I could wake up without waiting for an order, walk outside without asking permission, and spend an entire day doing nothing at all. A life where my sister and I belonged to ourselves. I closed my eyes. Perhaps, if I completed this mission, I could finally have that life. But the Grandmaster's words continued to trouble me. One final mission. He had made it sound so simple. Find the ledger, bring it back, and leave. Yet I couldn't shake the feeling that he was withholding something important. What did the Obsidian Codex contain? Why was it hidden on Wuyin Mountain? And why had the Grandmaster chosen me? I turned onto my side and pulled the thin blanket over myself. Whatever the answers were, I would find them in Dengzhou. For now, I needed sleep. I had a long journey ahead of me, and I couldn't afford to arrive exhausted. Just as I was beginning to drift off, a knock sounded at the door. I opened my eyes. Another visitor? I sat up and stared at the closed door. "Who is it?" No answer came. I waited a moment before getting out of bed. The knock came again. This time, it was quieter. I walked towards the door, my uneasiness growing with every step. Then a familiar voice came from the other side. "Junior Yue, it's me. Open the door." Zimo. I frowned. Had the Grandmaster forgotten to tell me something? I reached for the handle and opened the door. Zimo stood in the corridor, holding a small wooden box. His expression was more serious than before. "The Grandmaster has one more thing for you." I looked at the box, then at him. "What is it?" He glanced towards the empty corridor before lowering his voice. "Something you'll need if you want to return alive from Wuyin Mountain."