I had spent seventeen years within the Ye Clan's mountain-guarded sanctuary, watched by the protective gazes of elders and siblings, indulged and scolded in equal measure. But now, with the system awakened and the quiet certainty that my destiny had shifted, a restlessness had begun to stir within me. Not the naive yearning of a youth wanting to see the world, but a quiet, urgent pull to go out—to find the one who would walk beside me, to plant the roots of the legacy my system demanded.
Of course, I wasn't foolish enough to believe the clan would let me wander off into danger. The world outside was vast, treacherous, and watched by eyes far more ruthless than even my aunt Tianying's sharpest glare. I needed a foothold—a place connected to our influence, yet far enough that I could act with some freedom. The answer was obvious: Clear Sky City.
Technically, it belonged to the outside world, a sprawling immortal city of trade and cultivation. But in truth, over seventy percent of it was owned by the Clear Sky Ye Clan. It sat just outside our clan lands like a favored hound, tamed and watched over by our elders and trade houses. If I wanted to convince them, this was the place to start. Safe. Profitable. Familiar. Still… outside.
I brought the matter up during breakfast, subtly, as I passed sweet candied lotus root to Changjian. "The city's Spring Auction is coming soon, isn't it?"
He raised a brow, sharp eyes gleaming. "You've never cared for auctions."
Changrui, sitting cross-legged across from me, grinned over his steaming bowl of eight-treasure porridge. "He's not going for the auction, Jian. He's going to look for girls."
I rolled my eyes. "Not just that." Then, more seriously, "I can't stay here forever. If I don't start walking now, I'll always be a boy behind walls."
Changming arrived a moment later, still dressed in his snow-white robes with the scent of incense clinging to him. He didn't speak right away, only poured himself a cup of spiritual tea and sat in the peach blossom light.
"Clear Sky is still dangerous," he said finally. "Even if it bows to our clan's trade pavilions. But it's the softest step you could take." He handed me a small jade token engraved with a flowing formation—his personal defense charm. "If you must go, take this."
From that moment on, it was settled.
My mother, Mu Lianhua, was the hardest to convince. She stood in the alchemy hall's herb garden, pruning fiery red star grass with hands that had healed hundreds.
"I won't stop you," she said, lips pressed tight. "But you're still my child. I can't help but see you as the little boy who ran naked through the pill smoke trying to fly."
"I'm not that boy anymore," I replied gently.
She sighed, then opened her pouch. "Fine. Here's a bottle of my Three Flame Wound-Sealing Pills, and a few of your favorites. Eat properly. And write."
When word spread, the rest of the family quietly added their offerings.
Changrui handed me a talisman scroll. "Explosive Seal. Throw it and run."
Changjian, more reserved, gave me a short blade. "It's not fancy, but it's spirit-forged. Won't break easy."
Even the Trade Elder, my third-uncle, gave me a list of merchant houses in Clear Sky. "Ye boys don't beg. You need spirit stones, you earn them."
Only one remained: my grandfather.
Ye Xuefeng, Supreme Elder of the clan, sat in the family pavilion watching the koi pond swirl in silence.
"You want to leave the mountain."
"Yes, grandfather."
He looked at me, long and slow, then sipped his wine. "You're too young."
"I'll be eighteen in a few months."
He snorted. "Good. Go. Get your hands dirty. Chase, fail, grow. But don't die. If you do, I'll resurrect you and beat you myself."
I bowed deeply. "Yes, Grandfather."
The next morning, before dawn, the clan gathered silently at the courtyard gate. My aunt Tianying stood with arms crossed, flanked by my mother and elder brothers. Changming smiled faintly. Changrui slapped my back. Changjian offered a rare nod.
The gates opened to a road kissed by morning dew.
I looked back once, then ahead. My feet moved.
Behind me, the Ye Clan stood like a mountain.
Before me, the rising sun split the sky in gold.
I walked toward it.
And thus began the first step away from home.
—End of Chapter 4—