Heaven’s Shadow

On Kunlun Mountain’s San Zhang Peak.

This is a towering peak in the Kunlun Mountains, and while the name sounds unusual, the peak itself is certainly not just three zhang high. A height of three zhang would be considered a mound.

The name “San Zhang Peak” comes from several stories, but the most widely known one is that at the peak, there is a spring gushing forth, with mist rising. When sunlight hits it, a three-zhang rainbow appears on the peak, hence the name “San Zhang.”

In the middle of San Zhang Peak, there was a spiritual cave residence. The cave door was tightly closed, with a layer of fallen leaves at the entrance and dust everywhere, indicating it had been sealed for some time. However, on this day, many people stood around the cave entrance from a distance, including two women, one old and one young, who were Golden Core cultivators Yan Luo and Yi Xin.

Meanwhile, within the cave, there was an occasional strange howling sound, like a dragon’s roar or a tiger’s growl. The sounds alternated between intense and subdued, as if some profound principle was resonating with the heavens and earth, making one feel as though a giant beast was about to awaken from a deep slumber.

An inexplicable yet immense power seemed to be hidden within the peak, like a butterfly about to break out of its cocoon, slowly flapping its wings and emitting a faint roar.

Yi Xin’s face was full of worry. Her eyes were fixed on the closed stone door of the cave, and she gripped Yan Luo’s hand tightly, her breathing becoming labored from anxiety.

Although Yan Luo appeared relatively calm, there was a hint of deep-seated anxiety in her eyes.

After waiting outside the cave for a full hour, there was no further unusual sign from within. Instead, the dragon roars and tiger growls gradually subsided.

Most of the people on San Zhang Peak showed expressions of disappointment, and some had already begun to leave. Yi Xin, standing at the front, looked pale, her hands and feet cold.

Yan Luo seemed to sense something, sighed lightly, and gently embraced Yi Xin, saying softly, “It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t worry.”

Yi Xin’s eyes were misty, her expression sad, and her voice was choked with emotion as she said, “Master’s uncle, why, why hasn’t Master come out yet?”

Yan Luo shook her head and said gently, “Silly child, the Nascent Soul stage is a great life-and-death trial. It’s not so easy to pass. Don’t be too anxious.”

Yi Xin bit her lip and asked, “But you clearly said that the dragon and tiger sounds are a sign of breaking through.”

Yan Luo nodded and said, “That’s true, and the dragon and tiger sounds are indeed a good omen.”

Yi Xin gave a bitter smile and asked, “But why does it sound for seven days, with periods of silence and noise?”

Yan Luo slowly shook her head and said, “During the Nascent Soul stage breakthrough, there are countless illusions and signs. Each person’s breakthrough is different, with varying techniques, cultivation levels, and states of mind, leading to subtle differences in signs that outsiders cannot explain.” She gently stroked Yi Xin’s smooth black hair and said softly, “Be patient. We can only wait and hope that your Master will have good fortune.”

Yi Xin nodded blankly, but her anxiety remained, her bright eyes still fixed on the cave.

Yan Luo sighed internally, glanced around, and saw that after the dragon and tiger sounds grew faint, most of the onlookers had dispersed, leaving only a few people still standing at a distance, watching.

Suddenly, her gaze paused slightly as she noticed a young man standing under an old pine tree in the distance—it was He Yi.

Yan Luo furrowed her brow slightly, clearly surprised that He Yi had come here. He Yi soon noticed Yan Luo’s gaze, glanced over, and gave her a slight smile, his expression showing a hint of politeness, clearly indicating no ill intentions.

Yan Luo hesitated for a moment and then nodded slightly in return.

After all, He Yi was a talented disciple with a bright future. The recent incident, in essence, had not much to do with him, and Yan Luo herself did not hold any deep grudge against He Yi.

She wondered why he was guarding the entrance to Dongfang Tao’s cave. What was he up to?

Yan Luo slowly turned her head and looked at the cave. The dragon and tiger sounds gradually faded until they were no longer audible.

—

In Kunwu City, at the Black Hill Pavilion.

The clattering and crackling sounds filled the courtyard as Lao Ma stared in shock at the plates of side dishes he had brought, such as fried peanuts, pickled radishes, and salted duck eggs, all of which Lu Chen had thrown into the trash bin. He exclaimed in astonishment, “What are you doing?”

Lu Chen looked at the fat man with disdain, his eyes filled with the condescending superiority of a nouveau riche. He then calmly took out plate after plate of exquisite mountain and sea delicacies from his bag, covering the small dining table between them, even layering several plates on top of each other.

Lao Ma’s mouth hung open in shock. Drooling, he exclaimed, “What the hell are you doing? Have you turned from a spy into a bandit? How many restaurants in Kunwu City did you rob to get all this?”

“Rob? Nonsense!” Lu Chen said arrogantly. “I bought all of this myself.”

Lao Ma stared at him as if he had seen a ghost, stammering, “Y-you bought it?”

Lu Chen snorted disdainfully, clearly uninterested in answering the fat man’s foolish question. He reached over, grabbed Lao Ma’s wine jug, and tossed it aside.

“Ah!” Lao Ma cried out in distress, “That was fine wine I saved, one spiritual stone per jug…”

“Boom!”

A muffled sound abruptly cut off Lao Ma’s lament. Lu Chen proudly placed a jug of aged wine in front of Lao Ma, giving him a sidelong glance. “Fifty spiritual stones per jug of Huadiao wine. Which one do you want?”

Lao Ma stared in stunned disbelief, his eyes widening, before shouting, “Forget the old wine, I want Huadiao!”

—

“Good wine, good wine!” Lao Ma took a big gulp with relish, making smacking noises. He eagerly reached for a leg of some mystical bird-like beast from the mountain and sea delicacies piled high on the table, chewing with satisfaction, his face showing complete contentment.

Lu Chen looked more refined, sitting opposite Lao Ma, drinking wine and eating with chopsticks. He smiled and said, “How about that? Am I generous enough? Remember all the benefits.”

“Good brother, dog friend!” Lao Ma gave a thumbs-up while holding the bird leg and gesturing.

Lu Chen was furious and scolded, “Damn you! I bought all this good food and drink for you, and you call me a dog?”

Lao Ma was startled, hastily swallowing the large piece of meat in his mouth. He laughed awkwardly and said, “My mistake, my mistake. You must have heard wrong. What I meant was, you’re a great friend!” He gave Lu Chen a thumbs-up and said seriously, “In the whole world, I think you’re the best friend. Good brother!”

“That’s more like it,” Lu Chen grumbled, glaring at him before taking a sip of his wine.

Lao Ma looked at him with a smile and cautiously asked, “So, Lu Chen, you’ve suddenly become so wealthy. What happened?”

Lu Chen snorted, “I earned it with my own ability.”

Lao Ma raised an eyebrow and said, “Tell me about it. Damn it! There’s such a good thing on Kunlun Mountain? I should have gone there myself.”

Lu Chen waved his hand dismissively and briefly recounted his recent experiences with Su Qingjun.

Lao Ma’s eyes grew wider and wider as he listened, and his gaze became increasingly strange.

When Lu Chen finished speaking, Lao Ma frowned and said, “I’m starting to think that the way you’re making money sounds a bit like living off a woman!”

“Bullshit!” Lu Chen was enraged and kicked out, shouting, “Damn fat man, spit out everything you just ate!”

“No, no, no!” Lao Ma laughed heartily, dodging away. “This money is so good, so good, all earned by your cleverness and wit.”

Lu Chen cursed a few more times before sitting back down. Lao Ma laughed and sat next to him, pondering for a moment before asking in a serious tone, “So, you and Su Qingjun have been on the same mountain for over twenty days. What do you think? Do you still suspect her?”

Lu Chen was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head and said, “I don’t think she’s very suspicious now.”

Lao Ma squinted slightly and asked, “Oh, you’re so sure?”

Lu Chen picked up his wine bowl, not drinking but gently swirling the clear, slightly yellow liquid in his palm. He said softly, “Su Qingjun appears almost perfect on the surface—highly talented, well-born, diligent in cultivation, and remarkable in her practice. But after spending time with her, you quickly notice a significant flaw in her character.” He smiled and added, “If the demon sect were to place their entire fate in the hands of such a person, we wouldn’t have much to fear. We can just sit here and wait; I don’t think the demon sect has many days left.”

Lao Ma nodded, “That makes sense.”

Lu Chen stared at the wine bowl in his hand, watching the transparent, slightly yellow liquid gently swirl. After a while, he suddenly asked, “Lao Ma, do you think I am… a ruthless villain?”

Lao Ma was taken aback and frowned, “Why do you say that?”

Lu Chen’s lips curled slightly, his gaze dropping and flickering. After a moment, he said, “When I discovered Su Qingjun’s flaw, in that instant, I suddenly thought of seven or eight ways to manipulate her friends and family, to secretly plot against and even kill her, or even drive her insane…”

The courtyard fell into a profound silence, as if even a needle dropping to the ground could be heard.

He slowly raised his head, looked at Lao Ma, and said quietly, “I haven’t thought through all the details, but it was almost instinctive. In an instant… I had the urge to harm her.”