Two days passed in relative calm.
The Birch Leaf Merchant Clan no longer existed. Their ashes had fertilized the soil beneath the Fen clan's new foundation. Qing Luan had thrown herself wholly into training, cultivating, reading, memorizing, planning.
Steward Yun had taken to his new responsibilities with zeal. Elder Dugong had regained some strength. Ziyue had stabilized emotionally, feeling as if the heavens themselves had finally given her son a chance.
Everything was stable.
Stable enough that Han Yu finally felt the itch to move again.
He stood in the courtyard early in the morning, the sunlight spreading across the ground like a warm curtain. Qing Luan and the others were already assembled. Qing Luan stood at the front with her hands behind her back, looking much more like a young clan head than a thirteen year old girl.
Han Yu spoke plainly. "I will be leaving today."
