The Valen settlement felt like a different world.
There were no regular streets like in Kael. Instead, the paths curved to follow the contours of the land, sometimes widening into small squares where people gathered, sometimes narrowing into alleys between houses built in different styles.
Li Yuan observed as he followed Mira through the settlement. A woman with dark skin and brightly colored clothes sat in front of her house, weaving a basket with a technique that clearly originated from a distant place. Beside her, a man with blond hair and blue eyes—traits that Li Yuan recognized from a northern race—was mending his roof with a material that looked like compacted straw.
Children ran around freely, their skin of various colors, their clothes a mix of different styles. They spoke in a language that sounded like a blend of several dialects, taking a word from one language and a structure from another.
This is what Kael calls chaos, Li Yuan mused as he walked. But there is a rhythm here, too. It's just a different rhythm—not written in rigid rules, but growing organically from need and adaptation.
Mira led him to a larger building near the center of the settlement—a structure that looked like a warehouse that had been modified into a meeting space. Its walls were made of a mix of wood and stone, and the roof was high with good ventilation.
"This is our meeting house," Mira explained as she opened the door. "We use it for council meetings, for celebrations, and sometimes to house passing merchants."
Inside, several people were already gathered—it seemed the news of a traveler from Kael had spread quickly. They looked at Li Yuan with a mix of suspicion and curiosity.
Mira gestured for Li Yuan to sit on one of the wooden benches, then she sat across from him. A few other council members took places around them, forming an informal but clearly attentive semi-circle.
"So," Mira began in a direct tone, "you said you spoke with Daran. I'm sure he told you how we are immoral water thieves?"
As Mira spoke, Li Yuan heard through his Wenjing Realm the intention behind the words—not hot anger, but deep weariness. The weariness of being constantly accused, of having to defend against charges she knew were untrue.
"He told me that Kael is suffering from a drought," Li Yuan replied carefully, "and that they believe Valen is somehow getting more water than they should."
"Of course we get more," one of the men beside Mira spoke up—a man around thirty with a handsome face and an easy smile. "Because we are not foolish. We built an efficient irrigation system. We use every drop wisely."
His name, Li Yuan would later learn, was Karim. And as he spoke, there was something in his intention that made Li Yuan pay attention.
His words sounded supportive of Valen. But through his Wenjing Realm, Li Yuan heard a slightly... off-key tone. Like an instrument that was not completely in tune. Words that said "we," but an intention that whispered "I."
Li Yuan did not react. He just listened, observed.
"Karim is right," Mira continued. "We are not stealing water. We are just using it more intelligently than Kael, who is too rigid to adapt new methods."
"I understand," Li Yuan said in a neutral tone. "But before I hear more, I would like to share what I found today."
He told them about his journey upriver. About the landslide he found, about how most of the water was now seeping into the ground before it could reach downstream. About the stone structure at the fork that had been there for a long time—not something recently built.
As he spoke, he observed the reactions of the people around him.
Mira looked surprised, but also relieved. Through her Wenjing Realm, Li Yuan heard her intention: So that's why. It wasn't because we were stealing, but because of a natural landslide. This could explain everything.
The other council members showed similar reactions—relief, understanding, even a little hope that maybe this conflict could be resolved.
But Karim...
Karim smiled and nodded at the right moments, saying the right things: "This is good news. It means we can explain to Kael that we are innocent."
But through his Wenjing Realm, Li Yuan heard something different. An intention that was out of tune with the words. Not relief, but... disappointment? Dissatisfaction?
Interesting, Li Yuan mused in his heart, not letting his observation show on his face. Why would someone be disappointed to hear that a conflict could be resolved? Unless... he doesn't want a resolution.
"Of course," Karim continued in a thoughtful tone, "the problem is whether Kael will trust the words of a foreign traveler? They are very suspicious people. Very closed off."
When he said this, there was something in the way he emphasized the words "suspicious" and "closed off"—a subtle way of planting the seeds of animosity, making Kael sound irrational, impossible to work with.
"They are bound to be suspicious," one of the older women on the council said in a tired voice. "But if we can show them the evidence, if we can get them to come to the landslide and see for themselves—"
"Assuming they don't attack us on the way," Karim interrupted with a smile that looked friendly but words that sowed fear. "We shouldn't forget that tensions are already very high. Daran may be an honorable leader, but there are people in Kael who are more... radical."
Mira looked at Karim with a slightly uncomfortable expression. Through her Wenjing Realm, Li Yuan heard the Valen leader's intention: doubt about Karim's words, but not enough evidence to challenge him openly.
"We won't know until we try," Mira finally said firmly. "Li Yuan, are you willing to carry a message to Daran? To invite him—or his representative—to come see the landslide together with some of us?"
Li Yuan nodded. "I am willing. But before I go, I would like to ask: what was Valen's relationship with Kael like before this drought? Was there trade? Marriages between the communities?"
This question seemed to surprise some of them.
"There was," the old woman said in a nostalgic tone. "Before the drought, there was occasional trade. We exchanged our crafts for their agricultural products. And yes, there were a few marriages—not many, but enough to maintain peace."
"Including Daran's son," Karim added in a light tone—too light. "Kai, his name is. He married a woman from our community about five years ago. A big scandal in Kael, of course. Daran almost lost his position because of it."
When Karim said this, Li Yuan heard through his Wenjing Realm a hidden intention: not just to share information, but to plant the seed of an idea. The idea that Daran was weak, that he was compromised by his family ties, that he might not be trusted to lead firmly.
"Are Kai and his wife still in Valen?" Li Yuan asked.
"Yes," Mira replied. "They live on the edge of the settlement. Kai works as a carpenter. Mara—his wife—is a skilled weaver."
"Perhaps they could help," Li Yuan suggested. "As a bridge between the two communities. They have loyalty to both."
Mira seemed to consider this. But Karim—quickly, with a friendly smile—spoke first.
"An interesting idea, but I fear it would make the situation worse. Kai is already seen as a traitor by many in Kael. If he were to appear as a spokesperson, it might make them more suspicious, not more open."
His words made sense. They were logical. But through his Wenjing Realm, Li Yuan heard a different intention: a desire to keep Kai and Mara isolated, to prevent a bridge that could repair relations.
He doesn't want reconciliation, Li Yuan concluded with quiet certainty. He wants conflict. But why?
He didn't ask aloud. He didn't challenge. He simply observed, listened, letting the understanding form slowly like dew condensing in the morning.
After the meeting ended, Mira walked with Li Yuan to the edge of the settlement.
"You will return to Kael tomorrow?" she asked.
"Yes," Li Yuan answered. "I will carry your message to Daran. And I will suggest that a few people from each community meet at the landslide to see the evidence together."
Mira nodded, but her face looked worried. Through her Wenjing Realm, Li Yuan heard the doubt in her intention.
"You have doubts?" he asked gently.
Mira stopped walking and looked at him with tired eyes.
"I want to believe that this can be resolved peacefully," she said in a low voice. "But I have been a leader long enough to know that not everyone wants peace. Some people... they profit from conflict."
"Like Karim?" Li Yuan asked in a neutral tone.
Mira looked surprised, then her face hardened.
"You noticed," she said—not a question, but a statement.
"I heard," Li Yuan corrected gently. "There is a difference between what a person says and what they mean. And sometimes that difference is more important than the words themselves."
Mira was silent for a moment, seemingly considering whether it was safe to speak frankly.
"Karim is a popular council member," she finally said cautiously. "He is handsome, articulate, and people like him. But I... I am not always sure of his motivations."
"You think he wants your position?" Li Yuan asked directly but without accusation.
Mira looked at him with sharp eyes. "You are a good observer for a traveler."
"I have walked long enough," Li Yuan replied simply, "to recognize certain patterns. Ambition is not an evil thing in itself. But ambition that uses the suffering of others as a ladder... that is different."
Mira nodded slowly.
"I have no evidence," she said in a tone that was almost like a confession. "Just... a feeling. The way he always seems to be in the right place when tensions rise. The way his words always sound supportive but somehow make the situation feel worse than it was before."
"Your feelings may be more accurate than you think," Li Yuan said calmly. "But now is not the time to confront him. The priority now is to prevent a larger conflict."
"And if Karim tries to incite that conflict?" Mira asked in a tense tone.
"Then he will reveal his true face," Li Yuan answered with a simplicity that carried a deeper weight. "And when that happens, the people will see for themselves who he really is. The truth has a way of revealing itself, if we give it enough time and space."
Mira looked at him with an expression that was a mix of hope and doubt.
"You speak like a philosopher," she said—the same thing Daran had said, but with a different tone. Not skepticism, but cautious appreciation.
"I am just a traveler," Li Yuan replied with a gentle smile. "Who has seen enough to know that patience is often stronger than hasty action."
Li Yuan spent that night in the Valen meeting house—a room that was more lively than the one in Kael, with sounds from outside coming through the open window, with the aroma of different cuisines mixing in the night air.
He sat in the darkness, contemplating what he had learned.
Two very different communities, coexisting with a fragile peace. And now a drought—a natural disaster that can't be blamed on anyone—has made that peace begin to crack.
But there is something else. Someone who sees an opportunity in this crisis. Someone who wants to rise by using the fear and anger of others as a ladder.
Karim.
Or maybe not just Karim. Maybe there is someone like him in Kael, too—someone who is dissatisfied with Daran's leadership, who sees conflict as an opportunity to seize power.
Li Yuan closed his eyes, not to sleep but to organize his thoughts.
I could expose Karim now, he mused. I could tell Mira what I heard through my Wenjing Realm—the double intention behind his sweet words. But that is not the way of Daojing.
Daojing is about understanding, not forced intervention. About letting the truth reveal itself, not forcing it out before its time.
If I expose Karim now, without evidence that others can see, I will only create a greater division. Some will believe me, some will defend Karim. And the situation will become more chaotic, not clearer.
No. I must let this unfold. Let Karim show himself. And in the meantime, I will focus on what I can do—helping Kael and Valen see that their real enemy is not each other, but the drought itself.
And perhaps, if they can work together to solve the real problem, they will be strong enough to deal with the manipulator among them when the time comes.
He opened his eyes and looked at the night sky through the open window. The stars shone with a quiet light, unaffected by the human drama below.
Patience, he reminded himself. Water does not rush the stone with violence. It just flows, consistently, letting time do its work. And in the end, even the hardest rock will be eroded.
I will be like the water. Patient. Consistent. Letting the truth flow to the lowest places, to where it is most needed.
Somewhere in the settlement, someone was singing—a song in a language Li Yuan did not recognize, but the melody carried sadness and hope mixed in a strange harmony.
And Li Yuan sat in the darkness, listening, waiting, preparing for whatever tomorrow would bring.
Because tomorrow, he would return to Kael.
And there, he knew, the real challenge would begin.