Heaven’s Shadow

The night wind blew coldly, the chill of the evening seemingly penetrating to the bone.

Outside the door, in the shadows, a small dark figure was curled up there. At the sound of the door opening, it seemed to tremble slightly, then slowly raised its head to look at Lu Chen standing in the doorway.

The night was deep and boundless, making the entire world appear as if it were engulfed in darkness.

Except for a faint green glow within that shadow.

It was Ah Tu’s, one of its eyes.

※※※

Lu Chen stood quietly at the door. For a moment, when his gaze met that faintly green eye, he subconsciously held his breath.

He had thought he was already accustomed to darkness, having blended into the shadows in countless dark nights; he had thought he had seen enough blood, hatred, betrayal, and cruelty; he had thought his heart had long turned to stone, impervious to vulnerability, emotion, sadness, and the pain they bring.

He was wrong.

He slowly squatted down, his entire body tensing up bit by bit, as if only by doing so could he control himself.

In front of him, there was a strong smell of blood. His peripheral vision caught sight of the surroundings; on the dark road he had come from, there was a faint, intermittent trail of blood.

It was the mark left by a painful body dragged across the hard, rough ground.

Ah Tu lay in front of him, awake but unusually silent for some reason.

Lu Chen silently reached out to touch its body. His hand felt something wet and sticky, causing his hand to stiffen momentarily before he slowly withdrew it and held it up before his eyes.

In the dim light, blood trickled down from between his fingers, like the sinister smile of a demon in the darkness.

“Snap!”

A faint sound, a spark of light flickered in Lu Chen’s hand, illuminating the area in front of him and Ah Tu in the darkness.

It was as if time had suddenly twisted on this night, bringing him back to the day they first met in the chaotic land, overlapping with the pitiful shadow of the little black dog before him.

Ah Tu looked miserable, its body covered with at least dozens of cuts, flesh and blood exposed, making it hard to find a single intact piece of skin; its tail was only half left, with the other half missing; its hind legs were completely limp on the ground, with large areas of bone exposed, while its front legs, though intact, were also bloody. It seemed to have crawled back relying solely on these front legs.

Its ear was missing a piece, and its head had several terrible wounds as if it had been slashed directly, and a deep cut slashed across its left eye, leaving an empty, blood-oozing socket.

The faint green pupil reflected the firelight, the only and last remaining eye.

Between Lu Chen’s clenched teeth, a low, faint sound gradually emerged.

After a moment, he dropped the firestarter in his hand. The light extinguished instantly, darkness surged, and he reached out in the dark to gently lift Ah Tu.

Blood flowed down, staining his lapel, the no longer warm blood slowly dripping onto his skin.

He held it tightly against his chest.

As if hearing his familiar heartbeat, Ah Tu lifted its head slightly, its faint green eyes showing a hint of comfort, shining like gems in the night, masking all its pain.

It struggled to lift its body and lightly licked Lu Chen’s face. Then, its body went limp, sinking into the darkness.

※※※

The night was long, like a sorrowful life seemingly without end.

The night wind howled incessantly, sweeping through the majestic mountains, stirring the clouds in the sky, but never dispersing the dense fog deep within Kunlun Mountain.

Several flashes of lightning streaked through the clouds like wild silver serpents, followed by rolling thunder.

Four towering, floating peaks stood like giant sentinels in the night, guarding the forbidden mist-shrouded land deep within Kunlun.

On a snowy peak, at the summit surrounded by blizzards, an old, emaciated man stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the darkness below. His bright eyes, in stark contrast to his withered appearance, seemed to penetrate the darkness, reaching the depths of the fog.

Not far behind him, Bai Lian stood quietly.

In the cold, deep night, for some reason, the formidable True Lord Bai Chen was not accompanied by his two famed disciples but by this young girl who was just over ten years old.

Yet, Bai Lian stood there with a cold, indifferent expression, showing no emotion except for the respect she held for the True Lord Bai Chen before her.

For such a young girl, this was rather unusual.

After a long while, True Lord Bai Chen turned to look at Bai Lian. His gaze fell on the white mink fur she wore, and he smiled slightly, asking, “Are you cold?”

“Not cold,” Bai Lian replied calmly.

True Lord Bai Chen nodded, his eyes showing a hint of gratification, even a touch of sighing, saying, “Child, your natural talent is truly remarkable. You’ve only been practicing the ‘Wind and Snow Sutra’ for a short time, and though you haven’t mastered it yet, you’ve already made some progress, gaining some resistance to the cold wind and snow.”

Bai Lian shook her head, saying, “Disciple still has a long way to go. Without this treasured white mink fur coat, I fear I wouldn’t be able to stand here for so long.”

True Lord Bai Chen smiled, saying, “Even so, that’s already very good. Ordinary people can’t even stay on this Winter Peak.”

Bai Lian bowed her head deeply, saying, “All thanks to Master’s teachings.”

True Lord Bai Chen turned to gaze into the deep, dark night and at the towering peaks in the distance. His eyes lingered on one of them for a long time before he suddenly asked, “Do you know what’s on that mountain?”

Bai Lian followed his gaze and, after a moment of thought, said, “That should be the Summer Peak, the secluded place of cultivation for our sect’s other Nascent Soul True Lord, Master Tianlan.”

“Yes.” True Lord Bai Chen’s eyes flickered slightly as he looked at the shadow of the tall peak. After a moment, he suddenly smiled and said, “Lian’er, your talent is exceptional. As long as you stay on the right path, your future is undoubtedly bright. I am old, my vitality is waning, and I don’t know how long I can guide you. In the future, if you meet your Master Tianlan, you must always show respect and never be impolite.”

Bai Lian nodded, saying, “Disciple understands.” After a brief pause, she couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Master, since coming to the mountain, I haven’t seen Master Tianlan. What kind of person is he?”

“Him…” A light flickered in True Lord Bai Chen’s eyes as he gazed at the abyss-like darkness below. After a long pause, he suddenly said, “My junior brother, Tianlan, is a person of extraordinary talent and great ambition, the likes of which I have never seen in my life.”

Bai Lian was surprised by her master’s high praise for her junior uncle and then showed a look of admiration, thinking that someone who could receive such a high evaluation from a Nascent Soul True Lord must be an incredibly talented person.

“However,” True Lord Bai Chen smiled, looking at Bai Lian with a gentle expression, “when you grow up, you should understand one thing.”

“What is it, Master?”

“No one is perfect.”

Bai Lian glanced at True Lord Bai Chen and asked, “You mean…”

True Lord Bai Chen smiled faintly, gently stroking her head, and said, “When you grow up, I will tell you a secret, alright?”

“Alright.”

True Lord Bai Chen smiled and then walked away from the cliff.

Bai Lian glanced at the darkness below the cliff and then followed him.

※※※

Soft light illuminated the ancient tree hollow, with a faint green aura clinging to the tree walls, quietly observing below.

Lu Chen brought the dying Ah Tu here and carefully placed it on the ground by the puddle.

Ah Tu was severely injured, its entire body in a miserable state, even worse than when it was in the chaotic Valley of Demon Flowers.

Lu Chen frowned deeply as he looked at it, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. He reached into the water, which was clear and transparent, no longer possessing the miraculous green vitality it once had.

That miraculous aura had been used up. Now, the puddle only held the strange black fire deep within the water.

Lu Chen stood by the puddle in silence for a long time, seemingly considering every possible way, but there was no miracle cure to save Ah Tu.

Its injuries were too severe.

For a moment, he raised his head and glanced around. This ancient tree hollow was full of life, the tree walls mottled, with two faintly visible peculiar doors. Apart from that, it was like an isolated, wondrous place.

Lu Chen lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and looked at the fallen Ah Tu by his feet. After a moment, he seemed to make a decision and let out a long breath.

He turned his hand, and the sharp black short sword appeared in his hand. From the side, his expression was as stern as a cold rock, even his pupils devoid of emotion.

Without hesitation, he stabbed the sword into his own wrist.

Blood spurted out, dripping from his wrist.

Expressionless, he dipped a finger into the blood, stared at it for a moment, and then pressed it forward.

(To be continued.)

…