From yesterday until now, Henry Walker's heart has been trembling without pause. He now sits quietly in his room, the sound of waves on the Jinshui River reaching his ears, bringing to mind the impression from half a year ago at the Jiangjin ferry, where he saw spray splashing against the rocks on the shore and flocks of birds scattering like arrows. At that time, he could not clearly track all the birds, but now he understands it in his heart. Each trajectory seems straight, yet subtly shifts with the wind. Henry Walker feels a sense of enlightenment, realizing that after days of studying the spiraling dan energy within Caleb Carter, he has finally gained something, allowing him to make a breakthrough in martial arts today. His confidence surges, and he rises abruptly, striding out of the thatched hut.

Caleb Carter understands that their separation is imminent, so he stifles his sobs, wipes away his tears with his sleeve, and looks at Henry Walker's broad back with his swollen, red eyes.

At this moment, there is no more hesitation. He turns over on the ground and calls out loudly, "Father."

Henry Walker's whole body trembles violently, but he does not turn back. He calls out, "Very good," and with no more attachments in his heart, he leaps away in haste. In an instant, his figure disappears on the horizon like a wisp of smoke. Only his lingering voice remains in the air: "Remember, my son, your meridians are not yet stable—under no circumstances should you fight with others."

Caleb Carter hurriedly turns and runs up to the middle of Fengling Peak, climbing onto a huge rock jutting from the mountainside, his gaze fixed on the Governor's Mansion.

Dusk deepens layer by layer, as if spreading from the Jinshui River, flooding up from the foot of the mountain, gradually covering all things in the world. On both banks of the Jinshui, ten thousand lights rise from homes, and the pleasure boats and singing barges on the river hang red and green lanterns. In contrast, the lights of the Governor's Mansion are much dimmer, flickering faintly in the night.

Everything is eerily quiet, and Caleb Carter's heart tightens again and again. At the foot of Bayang City, when disaster struck suddenly, everyone was caught off guard. Caleb Carter was only concerned with escaping and had no time to think. Though he was heartbroken afterward, the matter was already done, and he gradually found comfort. It was never like now, quietly waiting for a loved one to resolutely face death. For the past ten years, Henry Walker has used killing to dilute the hatred in his heart. If that hatred were finally avenged, the remorse accumulated from his killings would tear his heart apart.

The strange silence is suddenly pierced by a sharp screech, startling Caleb Carter. Two shadows, one blue and one yellow, rise in the Governor's Mansion, at first darting like startled foxes and rabbits, weaving and leaping like swimming dragons. Caleb Carter knows the blue-green shadow is Henry Walker, having seen him practice his breathing at night, when a sudden surge of blue light would appear at the moment of success. The pale yellow shadow must be John Bolton. Henry Walker had explained the various dan energy techniques to Caleb Carter in detail, so he knows that John Bolton practices the Primordial Innate Dan Breath technique, which follows the earth element of the five elements, and those who master it emit a yellow aura when circulating their energy.

Voices rise in the courtyard of the Governor's Mansion, the lights blaze brighter, and the shadows become even clearer, seeming to leap atop the flames, drawing strange traces in the night. Caleb knows the two are using their dan breath to the utmost. At this moment, the blue and yellow shadows gradually merge, their speed increasing, like wild geese leaving fleeting marks in the snow, and Caleb Carter can no longer distinguish them. When they become a mass of clear light, Caleb Carter's heart is tense to the extreme, knowing the outcome will be decided at any moment. Sweat soaks his back, but he does not notice the mountain wind on his body.

Suddenly, a burst of white light explodes from the mass of shadows, and Jiangjin City is as if plunged into daylight. Caleb Carter's eyes are dazzled, and then he hears a sharp, clear, and lingering screech, like a dragon's roar rising endlessly. When Caleb Carter regains his sight, only the lanterns remain in the Governor's Mansion courtyard, but now dark clouds gather overhead, and faint flashes of lightning appear and vanish. Other than that, there is no sound at all. This is the sign of a master dispersing their dan breath after reaching great success.

Caleb Carter waits quietly for a while. The city bell rings, and someone loudly announces everywhere, "Curfew now in effect! All people, return to your homes!" Immediately, countless squads of soldiers with torches pour into the city from the east gate, quickly taking control of every street and alley, forbidding anyone to pass. The Governor's Mansion remains as silent as before, its lanterns glowing red, shadows flickering. What has truly happened is unknown.

The city is in a frenzy of arrests, and Caleb Carter guesses: his foster father must have succeeded and escaped, rather than committing suicide as he had feared. Only now does he feel the mountain chill seep into his body, making him shiver. He resolves to go into the city tomorrow to find out what happened, then turns and returns to the thatched hut.

On the way, Caleb Carter can't help but hope: perhaps his foster father has already returned to the hut. Thinking that maybe tomorrow, or even tonight, his foster father will take him to flee far away, he can't suppress the excitement rising from his heart. But when he finds the hut empty, he is left dejected. After a moment, he thinks: the city is tightly guarded now, so his foster father can't escape for the time being—maybe he'll be back soon. I should get my things ready, so we can leave as soon as he returns. So he busies himself, but after finishing, still sees no sign of Henry Walker, and finds other reasons to comfort himself.

By late night, Caleb Carter is utterly exhausted and falls into a drowsy sleep. However, nightmares come one after another. When he wakes, he is drenched in sweat. After calming himself a little, he lies down again, but soon the nightmares return, soaking his bedding. Caleb Carter props himself up, gazes at the bright moon hanging on the window beam, and listens intently to the sounds of the city, where the commotion of soldiers and horses continues. He still cannot calm down, so he opens his bundle, finds a spring coat, and sneaks toward the city.

When he nears the city gate, he discovers the walled city is tightly closed. Torches flicker on the gate tower, shadows move behind the battlements, halberds stand in dense rows, and everything is silent as if facing a great enemy. Clearly, this is an extraordinary time, and the excuse he had prepared about a family member falling ill and needing to enter the city for a doctor would not work. Unwilling to return, Caleb Carter finds a grassy slope, lies down fully clothed, and falls asleep.