Kai, along with his spirit beast companions, continued their journey, this time with Lu Bu in tow. The boy’s presence added a new dynamic to the group, one that Kai was still adjusting to. It was clear that Lu Bu’s family was gone, and Kai, despite his own complicated history with the world of cultivators, hadn’t lost his humanity. He couldn’t bring himself to abandon the child to the wilds, no matter how inconvenient it might be to have a mortal—especially a child—tagging along. Still, the question of what to do with Lu Bu in the long term lingered in the back of Kai’s mind. Perhaps there was a city in Zan with an orphanage or a kind family willing to take him in. But that was a problem for later. For now, the priority was getting the boy to safety within Zan’s borders.

  The group’s pace was slower than Kai would have liked. A mortal, particularly a child, simply couldn’t match the speed or endurance of a cultivator or spirit beasts. Lu Bu did his best to keep up, but it was clear that the journey was taking a toll on him. Kai didn’t want to delay too much, especially after hearing about the Faceless Judges from Lu Bu. The slight possibility of those ruthless figures lurking nearby made Kai uneasy, and he was eager to put as much distance between them and the boy as possible. But pushing Lu Bu too hard wasn’t an option either. The child had already been through enough, and Kai wasn’t about to add to his burdens.

  To speed things up, Kai considered having Lu Bu ride one of the spirit beasts. However, even one of the friendler-looking among them—Ning, the quake buffalo—was large and intimidating to a child who had never been around such creatures before. Kai could have forced the issue, insisting that Lu Bu ride Ning, but he didn’t want to make the boy any more uncomfortable than he already was. Lu Bu had been through enough trauma, and Kai wasn’t willing to add to it by pressuring him into something he wasn’t ready for.

  Instead, Kai came up with a simpler solution. He crouched down in front of Lu Bu and gestured for the boy to climb onto his shoulders. “Here,” Kai said, his tone gentle but firm. “This’ll help us move faster, and you won’t have to worry about keeping up.”

  Lu Bu hesitated for a moment, his eyes wide with a mix of surprise and uncertainty. But after a brief pause, he nodded and clambered onto Kai’s shoulders, his small hands gripping tightly to Kai’s head for balance. Kai stood carefully, making sure the boy was secure before continuing on their way.

  The spirit beasts followed closely, their movements fluid and effortless as they navigated the terrain. Snow, the Ice Wolf, walked beside Kai, his icy gaze scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. Fenglei, the thunder eagle, soared overhead, his sharp eyes keeping watch from above. Ning, the quake buffalo, lumbered along at the rear, her massive frame a reassuring presence.

  As they traveled, Kai could feel the tension in Lu Bu’s grip gradually ease. The boy’s initial apprehension gave way to a sense of wonder as he took in the world from his new vantage point. For the first time in what was likely a long while, Lu Bu seemed to relax, his small frame swaying gently with Kai’s movements.

  The boy perched on Kai’s shoulders looked around with wide-eyed amazement at the vast variety of spirit beasts surrounding them. It was like traveling in the middle of a giant, living tapestry of creatures, each one more fantastical than the last. The herd—if it could even be called that—was a mesmerizing mix of species, from the sleek, shadow-dancing black fox that flickered in and out of sight to the radiant bird with feathers that glowed like embers. Lu Bu’s initial fear of the beasts was slowly being overtaken by a childlike wonder, his curiosity piqued by their otherworldly beauty and grace. Every so often, his small hands would loosen their grip on Kai’s head as he leaned slightly to get a better look at one of the creatures, his fear momentarily forgotten in the face of their awe-inspiring presence.

  As they traveled, Kai seized the opportunity to engage in some idle chatter. It had been a long time since he’d had the chance to talk with someone, and the monotony of the road had made him appreciate the simple pleasure of conversation. “Are you comfortable back there?” Kai asked, his voice steady as he navigated the uneven terrain with practiced ease.

  Lu Bu hesitated for a moment before answering, his voice soft but sincere. “Yes… um, you’re not getting tired carrying me, are you?”

  Kai chuckled lightly, adjusting his grip on the boy’s legs to ensure he was secure. “Not at all. You’re light as a feather compared to some of the things I’ve had to carry. Besides, this is nothing for a cultivator.”

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  Lu Bu seemed to relax a little at that, though his hands still gripped Kai’s shoulders tightly whenever the path grew particularly rough. “Do you… do you think I could be a cultivator?” he asked after a moment, his tone a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

  “Maybe,” Kai said, his tone deliberately elusive, as if he were holding back more than he was willing to share. The truth was far more complicated than Lu Bu could understand. Where they were heading, even if Lu Bu had any talent for cultivation, he wouldn’t be able to progress very far. The land of Zan was a spiritual wasteland, its ambient qi thin and almost non-existent, making it nearly impossible for anyone to reach the heights of true cultivation. But these were truths Kai wasn’t ready to explain to the boy.

  “Well, technically anyone can be a cultivator,” Kai continued, his voice softening as he turned his head to glance at Lu Bu, who was perched on his shoulders. “But not everyone can become a truly great cultivator. It takes more than just talent. It takes luck, resources, and an unyielding will to push through hardships most people can’t even imagine.”

  Lu Bu tilted his head, his young mind trying to grasp the weight of Kai’s words. “Are you one of those great cultivators?” he asked, his voice filled with innocent curiosity.

  Kai couldn’t help but laugh. “Ha! No way. I’m not lucky enough, nor am I motivated enough to work that hard. Becoming a great cultivator isn’t just about power—it’s about sacrifice, discipline, and a bit of madness. No, I’m not that impressive, at least not by the standards of true masters.”

  Lu Bu frowned, his small hands gripping Kai’s shoulders as he looked around. Behind them trailed a herd of spirit beasts. The creatures moved in unison, their eyes fixed on Kai as if awaiting his next command. To Lu Bu, it felt like a sight straight out of a legend.

  “But you command so many creatures,” Lu Bu said, his voice tinged with confusion. “Doesn’t that make you a great cultivator? You seem… amazing to me.”

  Kai shook his head, a faint smile playing on his lips. “The truly powerful cultivators—the ones who stand at the peak of existence—can split mountains with their bare hands, fly through the sky with nothing but their will, and live for thousands of years. Some even achieve immortality, transcending the limits of life and death. Compared to them, I’m just a wanderer with a few useful tricks.”

  Lu Bu fell silent, his young mind wrestling with the contradiction before him. He had always been taught that cultivators were prideful beings, their egos as vast as their power. Stories warned him to tread carefully around them, for they were easily offended and quick to punish those who dared to slight them. Yet here was Kai, a man who commanded what looked like an army of fantastical beasts, and yet he carried himself with none of the haughty arrogance Lu Bu had come to expect.

  Kai’s humility was disarming, almost unsettling in its sincerity. He didn’t strut or boast, didn’t demand respect or obedience. He simply was—calm, unassuming, and strangely approachable. It was nothing like the tales Lu Bu had grown up with, where cultivators soared through the skies on gleaming flying swords, their very presence radiating authority and dominance. Kai, by contrast, seemed almost ordinary, despite the herd of spirit beasts that followed him like loyal soldiers.

  Lu Bu couldn’t help but wonder why. If Kai had the power to command such creatures, why didn’t he project the same air of invincibility like the other cultivators he met? Why didn’t he demand reverence or fear? The boy’s gaze lingered on the spirit beasts, their forms shimmering with an otherworldly grace, and then back to Kai, who walked with the ease of a man who had nothing to prove.

  It was a mystery, one that Lu Bu couldn’t quite unravel. Kai wasn’t like the cultivators from the stories, and maybe, just maybe, that was a good thing.

  "There's something I've been meaning to ask you," Kai said, his voice carrying a note of genuine curiosity. "Your name - did your parents ever explain why they chose 'Lu Bu'? It's... an interesting name."

  Lu Bu shifted slightly, his small fingers tightening in the fabric of Kai's robe. "Oh, um... I'm not sure," he admitted. "Mom always said she liked how strong it sounded. That's all."

  Kai exhaled through his nose, unsatisfied but unwilling to press further. The name Lu Bu felt like it carried weight—and Kai couldn’t understand why. But this child was just a boy, an orphan in a barren land. Perhaps it was nothing more than coincidence.

  "Alright then," Kai finally said, shaking off his thoughts. "Hold on tight. We're going to move faster—Zan's still a ways off, and I'd rather not spend more nights in the wilds than we have to if we can help it."

  Before Lu Bu could respond, Kai surged forward, his strides lengthening into a ground-eating lope. The spirit beasts matched his pace effortlessly, their forms flowing like shadows across the landscape. The wind whipped past them, and Lu Bu instinctively clung tighter, his heart pounding with exhilaration as the world blurred around them.

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