The next morning.

  The sun rising between the mountains was shining like a piece of golden jewelry.

  The previous night, Varsha had prepared a medicine from the brown healing herb and gave it to Anvi to drink.

  After drinking the medicine, Anvi experienced a great change. The large wound on her hand began to heal rapidly, and all the smaller injuries on her body vanished completely.

  Now she was able to rise from bed and walk.

  Earlier, due to her wounded condition, she could not even move, but now she could walk and even run properly.

  On top of the hill, behind his house, Sharv had lit a fire.

  To anyone who saw, it might have seemed as if he had done it to keep warm from the cold.

  But no, Sharv had ignited this fire for another reason.

  And that reason was...To burn and forever destroy the book

  “The Wall Between Spirit and Man.”

  Sharv had finished reading the book, and now he burned with hatred for it.

  Because, according to Vijay’s memory, this book was the very one around which Vijay had lost his life.

  This meant the book carried immense significance, and perhaps it was the only one of its kind left in the world.

  And Sharv did not want such a precious, knowledge-filled book to ever fall into the hands of another.

  ‘…Truly a rare book. Well, its purpose here is over now.’

  Sharv calmly watched the book as it burned in the fire.

  When he had first found it, he had taken care of it dearly. But now, after it had served its purpose, he threw it away.

  “When a thing has served its purpose… it is right to destroy it. This is the law of nature. Even humans remain together only because they have some use for each other. When they need one another…But the moment that need ends, the very same thing becomes a burden. Thus, it is better to destroy what is of no use, so that it cannot trouble you in the future.”

  Vijay was listening to these words, and he could not help but wonder, how could this boy, only eighteen years old, speak such words?

  ‘… Truly, a very strange and frightening boy he is.’

  Vijay then turned his gaze back toward the burning book.

  And in that moment, he remembered the conversation he and Sharv had had back when Sharv had captured him, when Vijay’s will had been bound into Sharv’s consciousness:

  ‘I-I am willing to become your servant. I will obey all your commands. But on two conditions.’

  At those words, Sharv had asked:

  “What conditions?”

  ‘...I want to see… I want to see my children once. Just once.’

  “Alright and the second one?”

  “...Th-that book you found near the Shivling, please destroy it! You may read it fully if you wish, but please destroy it afterwards! Beyond that, I have no demands.”

  At first, Sharv had said nothing.

  He had only thought for a while, then tightened his grip around Vijay’s throat and said,

  “Do you take me for a fool?... If I fulfill both your requests, you will gain peace in your Spirit form, and then you will merge with that so-called Brahman. If that happens too soon, then what use will you be to me as my servant?”

  Vijay’s breath grew unsteady under Sharv’s tightening grip.

  Yet still, he managed to speak:

  “N-no… I-I swear to you… Even if I depart, I will leave you all of my… Death Prana and Lunar Energy. Please, just grant me this wish…’

  Sharv paused, thinking. Death Energy and Lunar Energy.

  At that time, Sharv possessed no internal energy of his own no prana. Vijay had perceived this and made his offer based on it.

  But what Sharv said next startled him.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “...No, I do not trust you.”

  “…”

  “...Who knows your true intent? For all I know, you may try to destroy me.”

  Sharv’s doubt was not unfounded. Indeed, Vijay could very well attempt such a thing.

  Yet, the words that followed from Vijay’s mouth made Sharv’s eyebrows rise.

  “But… if you truly want me to become your complete servant, then you must give me the assurance that you will fulfill atleast my wishes. That is a rule in the world of Spirits. Without that assurance, you can never bind me fully as your servant.”

  Sharv was uncertain what to do. He did not know the exact method of binding a Spirit to his will, as he had not read that chapter yet.

  He had been about to read it when this entire incident had happened. Sharv thought for a while. At this time, he desperately needed a Spirit.

  He could not rely solely on his own strength—he had realized that clearly in the battle with the wolves.

  He needed a companion more than anything.

  But who would ever join him? Moreover, he himself was not inclined to trust anyone deeply.

  Yet, if a Spirit became his servant, helping him without condition, like a loyal dog, then what could be better than that?

  Finally, Sharv opened his mouth:

  “...Very well. I will fulfill your wishes or conditions. But, for now, I shall only grant the latter one, the destruction of the book. Not the first. For I still cannot fully trust you.”

  At first, Vijay could not fully believe it. But in the end, he had no choice but to accept.

  After all, the arrangement was mutually beneficial. Sharv would be his master, and he his servant and his second wish would be fulfilled.

  Letting go of that old conversation, Vijay returned to the present.

  The fire had burned out, and the book had turned to ashes. He lifted his head and looked toward the sky as he thought,

  ‘It's finally destroyed...’

  “Alright, this work is done now.”

  But for now, he had something else to focus on.

  ‘White Frost Bandits…’

  He had to find out about them, and about that mysterious spear martial artist who had killed his uncle.

  He have to find out more about the spear martial artists from those bandits, and if they are way more involved then...

  He should just kill them all.

  Meanwhile, at another place, Varsha was preparing to leave.

  Her wounds had healed, so she too was ready to go. But along with her, she was carrying two rare herbs she had taken from Sharv in exchange for her medical knowledge.

  She was a martial artist, and only due to her circumstances had she become a physician.

  That was why she didn’t hesitate to give Sharv her knowledge in return.

  She had told him almost everything she knew. After all, for two rare herbs, that much was enough.

  “Besides, he doesn’t even have internal energy.”

  That was another reason she had so easily shared her knowledge.

  Most of the techniques required internal energy to perform, and since Sharv had none, what harm was there?

  At first, Varsha couldn’t understand, what could he possibly do without internal energy?

  But then again, why should she care?

  All that mattered to her were the herbs, and they were already in her hands.

  “It’s time to leave now.”

  Saying this, she stepped out of the house. Outside, she saw Sharv and Anvi talking.

  But then, Sharv suddenly struck Anvi on the forehead with his fist, sending her a couple of steps back.

  She managed to steady herself and stood firm.

  Seeing this, Varsha’s eyes went wide. Anvi had only just recovered, and now her own cousin brother was hitting her like that?

  “What kind of brother is this? To raise his hand against his own sister?”

  Varsha kept watching them talk. After some time, they came closer.

  Anvi thanked her one last time, while Sharv just stood silently, saying and doing nothing.

  At his behavior, Anvi let out a long sigh and then asked Varsha,

  “So… where are you planning to go now?”

  “Me? Our old home is a little far from here, so I’ll be going back there.”

  “I see… I too am leaving, back to my real home. And my brother is going in search of his uncle’s killer.”

  “Ok, Oh—Wait? What? You mean the two of you are going your separate ways now?”

  “...Yes”

  Varsha was taken aback.

  Just a few days ago Sharv had gone out of his way to find a physician for his sister, and now that she was healed, they were going different paths?

  Did Sharv not care for his cousin sister?

  Varsha wanted to say something about this, but couldn’t bring herself to. She simply kept watching as Anvi took her father’s ashes and left.

  Now only Sharv and Varsha were left. Along with Vijay, whom Varsha couldn’t see.

  Sharv asked Varsha,

  “That day, the White Frost Bandits were after you, right? Do you know where they might be?”

  “…But why do you want to know about them?”

  “Nothing much, just that they might know who killed my uncle. So I need to meet them.”

  “I don’t know where their hideout is, but… you might find them near the nearby road which leads to the main Silk Route road. Their work is robbery, after all. But… will you be able to deal with them all alone?”

  “Maybe if I try?”

  “Don’t you want anyone’s help?”

  “Not at all.”

  Saying this, Sharv began to walk away. Varsha shook her head in anger, ran after him, and said,

  “Wait, I’m coming too. I also have my own score to settle. I’ll cut some of them down myself.”

  ***

  Through the forests and over the ridges, Sharv and Varsha were running. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering across the ground.

  They ran swiftly toward the nearby road which lead to the main Silk Road.

  Varsha’s wounds had healed, and she was running almost as fast as Sharv.

  Earlier, when she was injured, Sharv hadn’t been able to sense it, but now he could clearly feel how strong this girl was, very strong.

  But, Varsha on the other hand couldn’t understand why Sharv had let his sister go just like that.

  “Why did you let your sister leave? I mean, I understand she’s learnt martial arts… and I don’t mean to say women are weak, but still, you fought those bandits and brought me here for her, even found those herbs for her. Then in the end, how could you so easily let her go?”

  At first Sharv said nothing.

  Then he glanced sideways at Varsha and asked,

  “You were with her for half a day, right? Didn't you notice nothing about her?”

  Varsha couldn’t understand what he meant. Her face was full of confusion. Seeing this, Sharv finally said it aloud:

  “That gi… sigh!... she’s like a venomous snake. You don’t need to know more than that. All that mattered to me was saving her life ‘at that time.’ And I did that. Now, whether she lives, dies, or whatever happens to her, I’m not responsible. So I don’t care, she's not even my real sister anyways, just a normal cousin.”

  Varsha stayed silent for a while, then finally said,

  “What?… What exactly are you trying to say? I don’t understand…”

  Sharv said nothing more. He already knew his sister’s nature, so there was no need to explain.

  Varsha’s head was beginning to ache from all this. In the end, she decided to push it out of her mind.

  ‘These two siblings really are driving me crazy now…’