Ethan Brooks circulated his energy around Caleb's body and discovered that all the meridians in his body that reached the dantian were as thin as silk and extremely fragile. If he were to directly use the Yang Jue true qi to dispel the cold in his dantian, even if it cured him, the yinwei and yinqiao meridians and all the bones and meridians would be damaged, turning him into a cripple who could never exert strength again. Only by cultivating the Yang Jue himself, storing yang energy in the dantian, and then letting his own yin and yang true qi balance each other, could he relieve some of the pain from the cold and burning. Thinking of this, Ethan Brooks couldn't help but sigh deeply: "Gengsu mastered the first level of the Yin Jue in just a few months, far surpassing us. But heaven is jealous of Caleb's talent, giving him extraordinary gifts but not letting him use them. Even if one day water and fire are balanced, he will still be as weak as a child. Heaven is truly hateful."

Adam Carter's mind was in turmoil. Ever since his beloved wife passed away, most of his thoughts had been devoted to his young son. It was rare that the boy was so intelligent and sensible from a young age, making Adam Carter love him even more. Who could have expected such a calamity to befall them? He could only resent the heavens for treating father and son so harshly. In the days that followed, Ethan Brooks taught Caleb Carter the Yang Jue. But as soon as Caleb Carter's dantian began to generate yang fire, the cold in his dantian surged, overwhelming him, and he immediately fainted. The cold invaded his dantian, extinguishing the yang fire at once. After several attempts, the yang fire never took hold, while the cold only grew fiercer. Seeing his son trembling all over, covered in bruises, Adam Carter himself grew more haggard by the day. After much hesitation, he finally made up his mind. "There is no choice but to go to Youji. Even if I must take my own life in front of the sect gate to beg forgiveness, I must ask the old master to save Gengsu one more time."

"There is no time to lose. Brian, set out as soon as possible. I will immediately use the Jing Shen Yang Jue's Great Circulation to store the true fire of the Yang Jue in Caleb's body, ensuring he is safe for a month. I will write a letter for you to take to Elder Biehe. If he is willing to save my godson, I will send troops to restrain the ghost cavalry of Qingzhou for ten years, preventing them from threatening the north."

Adam Carter was deeply grateful, knowing words could not express his thanks, so he said no more and turned to prepare for departure. Not knowing what awaited him on this journey, he turned away, tears streaming down his face.

Chapter One: Snow in Bayang

In just two days, Adam Carter and his son arrived at the southern bank of the Ba River at dusk. Once across the Ba River, they would be within the boundaries of Bayang in Qingzhou Prefecture. In less than a day, they would reach the foot of Little Green Mountain, where they could join the official road of Qingzhou. From there, they could travel a hundred li a day, and in eight days, they would pass through Qingzhou Prefecture and reach the borders of Youji Prefecture.

The heavy clouds would not disperse, and several weeping willows on the riverbank lashed their bare branches in the wind. The grass by the bank, battered by wind or trampled by people and animals, was already in utter disarray. The river surged like angry mountains, and waterfowl were startled up from the surface from time to time. Adam Carter sighed and continued to drive the carriage forward.

Inside the carriage, Caleb Carter heard his father's long sigh. He lifted the curtain, took the wine jug, and sat beside his father, looking around.

"Father, you don't need to worry about Gengsu's illness. Didn't you always teach Gengsu that life and death are small matters?"

Hearing this, Adam Carter felt even more sorrowful. Although Caleb had Ethan Brooks's help to suppress the cold, he still needed to drink wine constantly to ease the chill in his chest and abdomen. The father drove the carriage, the son drank wine—he thought to himself that such a strange pair of father and son was rare in the world, and he was momentarily dazed. Suddenly, he was alarmed: if he remained so despondent, Gengsu might be affected. The cloud of worry on Adam Carter's brow vanished, and he said loudly, "I'm just worried we won't find a place to stay after crossing the bridge. The two of us may have to spend the night admiring the snow."

"In past years, the first snow always came after the coldest days, but this year it's come more than a month early. If Uncle Logan were here, he'd surely say it's a sign of strange omens and that disaster is near." The last sentence, Caleb Carter said in a low voice, imitating Logan Cooper's tone, making Adam Carter smile. But in the next moment, his expression turned solemn and he said bitterly, "The world is divided into countless counties and states, warlords fighting for a patch of land, raising armies wherever they point, rivers of blood and bones stretching for miles. There is no greater disaster than this, and it has plagued the world for decades, yet no one can end it—how can it be 'not long'? The Hulan nomads roam the Central Plains, pillaging for a thousand li, and no one can stop them. This calamity has lasted for more than two hundred years—how can it be 'not long'?" As he spoke, Adam Carter saw a group of people approaching in the distance and fell silent.

Caleb Carter noticed his father had stopped speaking and followed his gaze. Over a hundred people in ragged clothes were stumbling toward them, their faces full of fear. He thought, "They must be refugees." He blurted out, "Refugees."

But then he felt something was off.

Adam Carter was also suspicious. When the group drew near, he stopped one and asked, "Brother, why are you all hurrying along like this?" The man, already like a startled bird, trembled uncontrollably when someone blocked his way, staring blankly at Adam Carter, unable to utter a word.

Someone pushed through the crowd, exclaiming in surprise, "Brian, I never thought I'd meet an old friend on this road of flight—haha, heaven has not treated Michael badly!" With that, he laughed heartily and embraced Brian. This was the renowned scholar of Yongning, Michael Bolton. Nearly fifty, with three long whiskers, dressed in blue, carrying a stringed instrument on his back—even in the dust of flight, his otherworldly bearing was unmistakable. Behind him, a delicate young girl clung to his sleeve, her bright eyes fixed on the wine jug in Caleb Carter's hand. Caleb Carter saw that the girl was still childish, looking two or three years younger than himself, dressed in white, with a green bamboo flute slanting from her waist. He hid the wine jug behind him and gave her a mischievous smile. The girl smiled back, showing shallow dimples. Michael pulled the girl in front of him and said, "This is my young daughter, Grace. Come, Grace, greet your Uncle Carter and your brother Gengsu."