Nie Li was moving.
Fast.
A fist flew past his face.
Another strike came from the side.
He twisted, barely avoiding it—then felt a sharp pressure behind him.
Behind—!
Before he could react—
A blur.
Crack.
A heavy impact landed squarely on the attacker's jaw.
The man flew backward and crashed into the ground.
Everything froze.
Shen Yue.
His six men.
Nie Li.
The gathering crowd.
All eyes locked onto the newcomer.
The figure stood calmly in front of Nie Li, wearing a kitsune mask. Dark attire. Silent presence.
Shen Yue's heart sank.
That mask…
A fox mask.
His pupils shrank.
ANBU.
The special operations squad of the Uchiha Family.
The same Uchiha who served as the bannermen of the Uzumaki Family—
the shadows that never left their master's side.
Everyone in Glory City knew the rumors.
This squad wasn't dispatched for politics.
They weren't used for patrols.
They weren't sent to settle petty disputes.
They existed for one purpose only.
To protect the Uzumaki heir.
Karma Uzumaki's personal guards…
Shen Yue's throat went dry.
"What—what is the ANBU doing here?!" Shen Yue demanded, voice shaking despite himself.
The masked figure turned his head slightly.
"That," he said coldly,
"is none of your business."
He took a step forward.
"What you have done today," he continued,
"will have consequences."
Shen Yue felt it then.
The pressure.
Hidden presences.
Surrounding rooftops.
Shadows watching.
His face turned pale.
"…Withdraw!" Shen Yue hissed.
Without another word, he turned and fled.
His men followed immediately, fear overriding pride.
The street fell silent.
Nie Li exhaled deeply.
"…That was close."
He turned to the masked figure and bowed slightly.
"Thank you."
The figure replied calmly,
"It is not me you should thank."
Nie Li blinked.
"…Karma," he murmured.
As if summoned by name—
Footsteps approached.
Karma arrived first, hands in his pockets.
Beside him were Ye Ziyun and Xiao Ning'er, both clearly anxious.
Ye Ziyun rushed forward.
"Nie Li! Are you hurt?!"
"I'm fine," Nie Li said quickly. "Really. Thanks to Karma."
Karma glanced at him over once, eyes sharp—then nodded.
He turned to the masked figure.
"Assign two people," he said casually.
"Stay with him."
The figure bowed instantly.
"As you command."
And vanished.
Nie Li frowned.
"That's not necessary—"
"It is," Karma interrupted calmly.
"The Sacred Family is getting bold."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"They need to be reminded where they stand."
Ye Ziyun clenched her fists.
She looked at Nie Li, clearly still upset.
"Hmph."
"I told you to be careful," she said, then turned away.
Xiao Ning'er paused beside Nie Li.
"…Be careful," she said softly.
She glanced at Karma, nodded politely.
"…Bye."
Then she followed Ye Ziyun.
Karma watched them go, then sighed.
He looked at Nie Li.
"Try not to get murdered while I'm gone, yeah?"
Nie Li smiled awkwardly.
"…I'll do my best."
Karma waved a hand and turned, walking after Ye Ziyun.
The street slowly returned to noise.
There were still four days left before their departure.
After returning the money to Xiao Ning'er, Nie Li went back to the library and resumed cultivating as usual. Those days passed in a calm but focused rhythm—cultivating, resting, and training without pause.
Every night, Nie Li and others consumed Soul Gathering Pills and Spirit Nurturing Pills, then soaked in hot baths infused with Purple Mist Herb. Warm steam filled the room as their soul energy slowly thickened and stabilized.
During the day, physical training became relentless.
They ran until their legs trembled, lifted weights until their arms went numb, and sparred until their clothes were soaked through. Lu Piao complained loudly at every opportunity, Du Zhe pushed on in silence, and Nie Li maintained a steady pace, never falling behind.
And throughout all of it—
Karma was there.
He never joined the training.
Instead, he sat on rooftops, leaned against trees, or sprawled lazily on stone steps, watching them with mild interest like someone enjoying street entertainment.
Sometimes, he clapped slowly.
"Wow," Karma said once, resting his chin on his hand. "That was almost impressive."
Lu Piao nearly tripped mid-run.
"Almost?! You try running with this thing on!" he shouted, pointing at the weighted vest crushing his shoulders.
Karma tilted his head. "Why? I'm comfortable right here."
Other times, he interfered directly.
Just as Nie Li was about to finish a set, a small stone flicked out of nowhere and struck his ankle.
Nie Li stumbled. "…?"
From the shade, Karma waved cheerfully.
"Careful. Tripping during training is dangerous."
Nie Li gritted his teeth.
"That was you."
"What?" Karma replied innocently. "I'm just concerned."
Lu Piao suffered the most.
At one point, while Lu Piao was panting on the ground after running laps, Karma crouched beside him and casually poked his forehead.
"Still alive?" Karma asked.
"Go away…" Lu Piao groaned.
Karma nodded thoughtfully.
"So alive, but barely. Got it."
Then, without warning, he tossed a water gourd onto Lu Piao's face.
"HYAAAH—!" Lu Piao screamed, flailing upright. "YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!"
Karma stood up, hands behind his head, grinning.
"Hey, hydration is important."
Even Du Zhe wasn't spared.
While Du Zhe practiced controlled breathing, Karma suddenly leaned close and whispered,
"You're breathing wrong."
Du Zhe's breath hitched immediately.
"…I am?" he asked seriously.
Karma walked away without answering.
Nie Li watched all of this with a blank expression.
"…You're enjoying this way too much," Nie Li said at one point.
Karma glanced at him.
"Of course. Watching you struggle builds character."
Despite the teasing, Karma never left.
When they trained too hard, he casually tossed food at them.
When they pushed past their limits, he quietly told them to stop.
When Lu Piao nearly collapsed, Karma flicked a finger—and Lu Piao suddenly felt lighter, his breathing easing just enough to continue.
He joked.
He pranked.
He annoyed them endlessly.
But he watched everything.
And when night came, while the others slept exhausted, Karma sat alone on the rooftops, staring at the sky, expression calm and unreadable.
Two days passed quickly.
Karma stopped at the Orchid Institute Library before leaving.
The place was quiet. Xiao Ning'er sat reading by the window, sunlight brushing her hair.
"…Found you," Karma said softly.
She looked up, surprised.
"K-Karma?"
He walked over, resting a hand on the table.
"I'm heading out for a few days," he said. "With Chen Linjian's group."
Ning'er paused.
"…I see."
Karma noticed the slight drop in her voice.
He scratched his cheek, then added, a little more seriously,
"I'll be fine. But while I'm gone—don't push yourself too hard."
She blinked. "Ah… okay."
He hesitated, then spoke again.
"If anyone troubles you," he said calmly,
"Even if it's someone from your clan. Tell them they're messing with Karma Uzumaki"
Ning'er's eyes widened.
"…You mean it?"
Karma nodded.
"I do. I won't like it if you get hurt while I'm away."
Her cheeks flushed as she lowered her head.
"…Thank you."
He smiled lightly.
"Train well. I'll check your progress when I'm back."
With that, he turned and left.
Ning'er watched him go, fingers curling over her book.
Only after he disappeared did she whisper,
"…Come back safely."
The library was silent again—
but she felt warmer than before.
Before the Day of Departure.
The City Lord's Mansion stood tall beneath the evening sky, its white walls glowing faintly under rows of spirit lamps. Guards lined the entrance, straight-backed and alert.
The moment Karma stepped into view—
"…Lord Uzumaki!"
Guards bowed without thinking, and no one stopped him as he headed straight toward Ye Ziyun's room.
The window was open.
Ye Ziyun stood near it, arranging scrolls on her desk.
"Karma?" she said, turning around in surprise. "You're here?"
Karma leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.
"Yeah. Just came to tell you something."
She tilted her head. "Hm?"
"I'll be gone for a few days," he said simply. "Going out with some people. Ruins. Stuff like that."
Ziyun blinked once.
Then smiled.
"Oh," she said brightly. "That's fine. I'm coming too."
"…What?"
Karma stared at her.
"…Wait," he said slowly. "No. You're not."
Ziyun folded her arms. "Yes, I am."
Karma straightened immediately.
"Absolutely not," he said. "It's dangerous. There are demon beasts, unstable ruins, idiots with weapons—"
"And you," she added calmly.
"That's not helping my argument," Karma shot back.
She shrugged. "I've decided."
Karma ran a hand through his hair.
"No, listen. This isn't some picnic. You can't just—"
"I already did" Ziyun replied.
Karma paused. "…Did what?"
She smiled sweetly.
"I got permission."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"…You what?"
"Father approved," she said. "He gave me permission to go."
Karma's jaw dropped.
"…Is your old man gone crazy?" he blurted out.
Ziyun's smile faltered for just a moment.
Then she stepped forward and gave Karma a shove on the shoulder.
"Hey," she said, pouting slightly.
"That was rude."
Karma stumbled half a step back, more surprised than hurt.
"Oi—what was that for?"
Ziyun crossed her arms, tilting her head.
"That's for calling my father crazy."
Karma blinked.
"…That was a shove?"
She nodded seriously.
"A very polite one."
Then her expression sharpened just a little—not angry, just firm.
"Don't insult my father," she said. "Even jokingly."
Karma raised both hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright. I take it back. Completely sane. Very wise. City Lord of the Year."
Ziyun huffed, clearly satisfied.
"But still," Karma muttered, rubbing the back of his neck,
"How did he even agree to let you go? It's dangerous out there. There are demon beasts, hidden traps, unknown enemies—!"
Ziyun's lips curved upward again—this time into a smug smile.
"Because," she said calmly,
"I told him you'd be with me."
Karma froze.
"…Ah."
"…I see."
"…So that's how it is."
Ziyun smiled, completely unapologetic.
"He trusts you."
Karma stared at the ceiling, then dragged his palm down his face in a long, defeated facepalm.
"…Great," he muttered. "I've become a walking safety guarantee."
She tilted her head. "You don't like it?"
He sighed deeply.
"I don't like being used as a shield."
She smiled wider.
"Too bad."
Karma glanced at her, then chuckled helplessly.
"Tch. You really planned this, didn't you?"
Ziyun said nothing.
Her smile said everything.
Karma sighed again, this time resigned.
"…Fine. But you stay close to me. No running off. No stubborn heroics."
She nodded immediately. "Deal."
He pointed at her.
"And if anything happens, I'm blaming you."
She laughed lightly.
"And if anything happens to me, I'm blaming you."
Karma shook his head, already regretting everything.
"…This trip is going to be a pain."
Ziyun watched him with a small smile.
For some reason, knowing Karma would be there made the danger feel a little less frightening.
And Karma?
He had the strange feeling that this journey was already far more troublesome than he had planned.