Heaven’s Shadow

Lu Chen and Su Qingjun were both startled. They exchanged a glance and then came to a halt.

The Kunlun disciple who had led them here was also surprised and quickly ran over to support He Yi, exclaiming, “Senior Brother, Senior Brother, what’s wrong?”

He Yi waved his hand to indicate that it was nothing serious and then noticed Su Qingjun and Lu Chen behind him, giving them a nod.

Seeing that He Yi seemed to be in relatively normal condition and not in any major trouble, Su Qingjun and Lu Chen approached him.

Su Qingjun examined He Yi and frowned, “Senior Brother He, have you encountered something? Why do you look so unwell?”

He Yi forced a bitter smile and was about to respond when several people seemed to sense something and turned their heads towards the black courtyard of the Righteous Tomb.

A whirlwind of dust and debris suddenly erupted from the courtyard, twisting in the air like a dirt dragon. The wind howled fiercely, and the sharp sound of the wind was audible even from a distance, with strong spiritual energy surging nearby.

Lu Chen’s expression shifted slightly, and Su Qingjun, standing beside him, also looked shocked. “Is someone fighting inside?”

Before she could finish speaking, the wind suddenly intensified tenfold and surged towards the gate.

In an instant, sand and stones were flying everywhere. Su Qingjun’s face changed as she reached out to grab Lu Chen’s arm, intending to pull him back. To her surprise, she found Lu Chen already several feet away, having sprinted ahead. No wonder she hadn’t been able to catch him.

Su Qingjun snorted, somewhat annoyed and embarrassed, and glared at Lu Chen. She then followed him while muttering under her breath, “Not very skilled, but you run fast!”

Lu Chen, with his sharp ears, caught this comment and smiled as he replied, “What can I do? In this world, it’s tough to get by. I don’t have the innate talent and skills that you geniuses have, and just one person is enough to trouble us servants. So, while I can’t slack off in my cultivation, I must never neglect the skill of escaping.”

“You talk too much,” Su Qingjun said with a smile before scolding him.

On the other side, He Yi watched their exchange and expressions thoughtfully, though he did not show much reaction.

After a while, the wind gradually subsided. The dirt dragon in the air seemed to be affected by a powerful force, twisting more severely before suddenly breaking apart and falling to the ground.

Then, the wind stopped.

A figure emerged from the black courtyard, and it was Dongfang Tao.

Darkness swirled behind him, and another thin, withered figure could be faintly seen behind him—the Corpse Watcher. However, it was clear that he had little interest in those outside the Righteous Tomb.

With Dongfang Tao’s appearance, it was evident that the previous battle had involved Dongfang Tao and the Corpse Watcher. This realization surprised both Lu Chen and Su Qingjun.

Dongfang Tao had recently broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, making him a powerful figure in the Kunlun Sect. But even more surprising was the Corpse Watcher. Despite his ugly, emaciated appearance, like a lonely old man or a decrepit figure, he had proven to be a formidable opponent, holding his own against a Nascent Soul cultivator.

The reasons behind their conflict and its sudden cessation were beyond Lu Chen and Su Qingjun’s understanding.

Dongfang Tao spoke to the Corpse Watcher, looking quite angry. The Corpse Watcher responded in a sinister and cryptic manner, which only seemed to further infuriate Dongfang Tao.

Nevertheless, Dongfang Tao eventually restrained his anger and left the dark mountain peak.

—

As Dongfang Tao departed, He Yi, Su Qingjun, and Lu Chen all bowed to him. Dongfang Tao paid little attention to the young juniors, only nodding slightly to He Yi in acknowledgment.

Watching Dongfang Tao leave, Lu Chen and Su Qingjun finally approached the threshold of the courtyard. He Yi, having moved ahead of them, entered the courtyard first and addressed the Corpse Watcher, “Senior, you see…”

“Mind your own business and don’t worry about me,” the Corpse Watcher said coldly before turning and walking back into the darkness, appearing unchanged from usual.

He Yi sighed in relief and then turned to chat casually with Su Qingjun. Lu Chen stood by, seemingly unnoticed.

—

“Senior Brother He, you summoned us here—what exactly is the matter?” After some insincere pleasantries, Su Qingjun asked He Yi.

He Yi waved his hand dismissively and said, “It’s nothing major. It’s just that the death of He Changsheng was quite tragic, and some higher-ups in the sect were displeased, so they ordered a thorough investigation.” He paused and smiled in a manner that seemed both modest and a bit troubled, making it hard for others to discern his true thoughts. “Since both of you were present in the Liuxiang Garden that day during the argument…”

Lu Chen and Su Qingjun’s expressions suddenly darkened. Su Qingjun, with a serious face, said to He Yi, “Senior Brother He, calling us here without evidence seems a bit excessive, doesn’t it?”

He Yi’s expression remained unchanged as he said calmly, “If you have any objections, you can directly appeal to the Sect Leader Xianyue. Once an order comes down, I will naturally cease.”

Such an order was unattainable, and Su Qingjun was well aware of this. She took a deep breath and said, “If that’s the case, please proceed with your questions. But before that, I would like to see my useless brother. May I?”

“That might be a bit inconvenient,” He Yi directly refused. He then respectfully said to Su Qingjun, “Junior Sister Su, you needn’t worry too much. We still have some questions for people other than Young Master Su to see if they are involved with the Demon Cult.”

Su Qingjun snorted, saying, “So, you’re suspecting us, aren’t you?”

“Not at all,” He Yi smiled and said, “Even if I have suspicions, it wouldn’t be about you. However, what needs to be done must be done. Given the current state of the cultivation world, with many Demon Cult spies, it’s truly hard to guard against them. I apologize for any inconvenience caused.”

Following this, He Yi wasted no more time and began questioning them. At one point, he separated them and asked only a few questions, but some were difficult to answer, particularly the crucial question about where they had been the night He Changsheng died.

Three people from the Su family had been detained. Su Wen and Su Qian, who explained their whereabouts that night, were released. However, Su Mo, who was evasive about his whereabouts, was detained.

He Yi seemed to be true to his word and didn’t make things difficult for Su Qingjun. However, he showed a different side with Lu Chen.

He began to press Lu Chen about his whereabouts that night and if anyone could vouch for him.

Lu Chen thought about it and realized that he always lived alone and could neither vouch for anyone else nor himself. He Yi immediately turned unfriendly and announced to Su Qingjun that he would temporarily keep Lu Chen for further questioning.

Su Qingjun argued vehemently and was unwilling to leave Lu Chen behind. However, He Yi refused to release him, saying that while Lu Chen wouldn’t be harmed, he really needed to be questioned.

Despite the ongoing questioning, Su Mo had not been fully interrogated yet and was still detained. Lu Chen was naturally unwilling to stay behind, but seeing He Yi’s firm attitude, he signaled to Su Qingjun to remain calm.

With the guidance of her master, Wood Original Real Person, Su Qingjun understood the extensive and profound background of this matter, which naturally made her a bit more apprehensive. Lu Chen, on the other hand, had been away for years and didn’t care much about it.

Lu Chen’s real reason for agreeing to stay was his curiosity about the Righteous Tomb—particularly about the mysterious Corpse Watcher and the dead.

He Yi’s choice to question them in this eerie Righteous Tomb made Lu Chen wonder if there were other underlying motives.

Lu Chen was suddenly very eager to see the condition of the person who had been detained for so long.

—

As the situation concluded, only one person left among the two who had come together. This scene made Su Qingjun feel uneasy, and her gaze towards He Yi became particularly unfriendly.

He Yi smiled wryly, offered no further explanations, and sent Su Qingjun away.

If possible, He Yi would have preferred to keep Su Qingjun as well. But doing so would likely provoke the Iron Guard and enrage the Su family, potentially causing chaos that He Yi, Sect Leader Xianyue, and his master, Xu Kong Real Person, wanted to avoid.

Lu Chen was taken to a dark room.

In this eerie place, even the rooms appeared particularly terrifying due to the location’s specific use. According to He Yi, Lu Chen should rest for the night and they would talk more tomorrow.

Lu Chen did not argue and silently accepted He Yi’s words. As he tried to discern and explore his surroundings in the dark room, he suddenly heard a weak, painful, and fearful voice from a corner.

“Help me, help me… help me…”

Lu Chen immediately stopped and turned towards the source of the voice.

After a moment, he walked a few steps toward the corner and found a figure huddled in the darkness. He crouched down, sighed, and said, “Young Master Su, hello.”

(To be continued…)