Heaven’s Shadow

Mugen Shinjin rolled his eyes and said, “What’s not appropriate? I’m her master, concerned about her and wanting to check in. What’s there to fuss about?”

Lu Chen responded seriously, “Senior, although your rank and cultivation are far superior, the fact is, a young unmarried woman lives in there. If you suddenly barged in and… well, you never know.”

He didn’t finish his sentence, instead giving Mugen Shinjin a meaningful look.

Mugen Shinjin snapped, “And what exactly might happen? Speak clearly.”

Lu Chen said, “If you went in and saw something you shouldn’t, it would be disrespectful. Senior Sister Su lives alone in the cave, and it’s normal for her to dress simply in her daily life. But if you saw her like that, it wouldn’t be good for either of you, would it?”

Mugen Shinjin was furious, “You brat, how dare you speak to me like this?”

Lu Chen coughed and said, “Senior, we both understand reason. Although your cultivation surpasses mine, the fact remains. Also, don’t forget, that rascal Su Tong said some rather offensive things earlier. While we know better than to believe such nonsense, if you were to go in now… it could be hard to explain later.”

Mugen Shinjin was startled, instinctively taking a step back. “You’re right…”

Lu Chen spread his hands, “Exactly.”

The more Mugen Shinjin thought about it, the more sense it made. He nodded repeatedly, “You’re absolutely right. I nearly made a big mistake.” He then looked at Lu Chen with a mix of approval and joy in his eyes, “You’re quite something, kid. You have the guts to stand up to me and reason things out. Admirable.”

Lu Chen inwardly scoffed, thinking, “Who wants this nonsense praise? If I could leave, I’d be long gone.” Outwardly, he forced a laugh and stepped back, hoping Mugen Shinjin would take the hint and leave.

However, while Mugen Shinjin seemed to have dropped the idea of entering the cave, he showed no intention of leaving Feiyan Terrace. Instead, he frowned thoughtfully, as if something had just occurred to him.

Seeing Mugen Shinjin’s expression, Lu Chen felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Dealing with such a cunning Yuanying master was nothing like dealing with the Su family’s lesser disciples; it was exhausting and nerve-wracking.

As expected, after a moment, Mugen Shinjin turned to Lu Chen and said, “Something’s not right.”

Lu Chen sighed, “What’s not right?”

Mugen Shinjin said, “You’ve been knocking on the stone door for a while, and Qingjun hasn’t come out. That’s fine for everyday situations, but what if the hawk fruit suddenly ripens and she can’t hear you calling? What then?”

Lu Chen had no answer.

Mugen Shinjin eyed him suspiciously, “With Qingjun’s intelligence, she wouldn’t overlook this. She must have given you something to communicate with her at any time, right?”

Lu Chen met Mugen Shinjin’s gaze. They stared at each other for a moment before Lu Chen slapped his forehead, exclaiming, “Ah, my memory! Senior Sister Su did give me a ‘Burning Heart Talisman,’ but I’ve never used it before and completely forgot about it.”

“Forgot?” Mugen Shinjin looked at him with a knowing smirk.

Lu Chen nodded solemnly, “Forgot.”

He pulled out a yellow stone talisman from his robes and handed it to Mugen Shinjin.

Mugen Shinjin took the yellow stone talisman, examined it, and weighed it in his hand. Instead of using it immediately, he looked up at Lu Chen again, suddenly smiling, “It’s a good thing you have poor natural talent and only one pillar on your Five Elements Divine Plate, making you just a servant disciple. Otherwise, with your cleverness and cunning, if you had the talent of four or five pillars and had been properly nurtured from a young age, I can’t imagine who could rival you in this world.”

Lu Chen chuckled, “Senior, you’re too kind.”

***

Mugen Shinjin snorted and said no more. Holding the yellow stone talisman between two fingers, he gently manipulated it. Without any apparent spellcasting, a small flame suddenly ignited on the talisman, flickering brightly. However, the flame soon dimmed and went out.

Mugen Shinjin glanced at Lu Chen, who remarked, “It seems the Burning Heart Talisman is still working fine. That’s good.”

Mugen Shinjin clicked his tongue, “I’m starting to think you’re hiding something from me, kid.”

Lu Chen shook his head firmly, “No, nothing at all.”

Mugen Shinjin snorted but didn’t pursue the matter. The two of them stood in front of the stone door for a while, but there was still no sign of it opening.

Mugen Shinjin’s expression grew darker as he turned to look at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen stared intently at the stone door, as if it held the most fascinating and enchanting thing in the world, ignoring everything happening around him. Mugen Shinjin’s face darkened, and he said, “What’s going on here? If you don’t explain yourself, I’ll…”

Before he could finish, a sudden gust of wind accompanied by a sharp whistling sound came from above, from the dense, ancient forest on the high mountainside. Both Lu Chen and Mugen Shinjin looked up to see a graceful figure leaping out from the forest, drawing an elegant arc in the air before lightly landing on the ground. It was Su Qingjun, beautiful beyond words, her bright eyes sparkling.

A fragrant breeze carried the scent of flowers, and a few droplets of dew, like those lingering on the wings of birds flying freely through the forest, still clung to the red feathers on her shoulders. As the sunlight poured down, it refracted into a dreamy rainbow.

“What’s going on? Has the hawk fruit ripened?” Su Qingjun asked Lu Chen as soon as she landed. “Quick, take me there, we mustn’t delay.”

After saying this, she seemed to notice Mugen Shinjin standing nearby. With a slightly apologetic tone, she said, “Master, you’re here too. But please wait; if the hawk fruit has ripened, I need to consume it first before I can greet you properly.”

Mugen Shinjin opened his mouth but said nothing, while Lu Chen stood by, not moving an inch, as if he hadn’t heard anything.

Su Qingjun took a couple of steps forward, then turned back in confusion to look at Lu Chen. “Lu Chen, what’s going on? Didn’t you say you’d only use the Burning Heart Talisman if the hawk fruit ripened? Why aren’t we leaving?”

Lu Chen remained silent, only looking at Mugen Shinjin.

Mugen Shinjin, feeling awkward, coughed and said, “Uh… Qingjun, the hawk fruit hasn’t ripened yet.”

Su Qingjun froze for a moment, then her face flushed with anger. She turned angrily to Lu Chen, “Hey, Lu Chen, what are you doing? Do you think this is a game? How dare you play a trick on me? Do you believe I won’t…”

Lu Chen clenched his teeth, looking frustrated, but remained silent, staring at Mugen Shinjin.

Mugen Shinjin’s face reddened, and he quickly stepped in to stop Su Qingjun, smiling wryly, “Ah, ah, Qingjun, calm down. Don’t scold Little Lu; it’s not his fault.”

Su Qingjun huffed in displeasure, glaring at Lu Chen. “How is it not his fault? I specifically entrusted the Burning Heart Talisman to him and told him only to use it when the hawk fruit ripens. And now this? It’s infuriating!”

Mugen Shinjin chuckled awkwardly, “Well, actually, it was I who used the Burning Heart Talisman…”

Su Qingjun blinked, then looked at Mugen Shinjin in surprise and confusion. “Master, why did you use the Burning Heart Talisman? And the hawk fruit hasn’t ripened yet.”

Mugen Shinjin, unusually indulgent with his stunning and talented disciple, explained with a smile, “I came to check on you, but the stone door wouldn’t open no matter how much I knocked. So, I pressured Lu Chen to get you, and he handed me the talisman…”

“Master!” Su Qingjun stomped her foot, her expression saying more than words ever could.

Mugen Shinjin rolled his eyes and then asked, “By the way, why weren’t you in your cave this early in the morning? Where were you?”

Su Qingjun huffed again, “I was at the mountain top practicing my swordsmanship. Didn’t you teach me that the morning sunlight’s vital energy helps balance the stillness of the dark moon?”

Mugen Shinjin nodded repeatedly, “Exactly, that’s correct.” He then laughed, “Actually, I came here this morning to remind you to practice diligently and not slack off, even though we’re waiting for the hawk fruit to ripen.”

Standing nearby, Lu Chen couldn’t help but admire Mugen Shinjin’s ability to lie so smoothly. He thought to himself, “This old man is really something, being so shamelessly smooth.”

Su Qingjun gave her master a skeptical look, clearly not buying his story.

Mugen Shinjin coughed and glared at Su Qingjun, “You insolent girl! I’m here to kindly remind you, and you’re acting disrespectful in front of outsiders!”

Su Qingjun huffed again, turning to stand aside. Lu Chen quickly said, “Uh, you two take your time talking. I’ll go to the spiritual field and plant some trees.”

With that, he quickly walked away, finally breathing a sigh of relief. He thought to himself, “Earning these two thousand spirit stones isn’t easy…”

As he reached the spiritual field, a thought suddenly struck him, and he grumbled irritably, “That old man, he promised me a reward and now he’s pretending to forget about it!” (To be continued.)