Heaven’s Shadow

Lao Ma was momentarily taken aback and said, “What kind of creature is this? Tell me more.”

Lu Chen then described the appearance of the three-eyed monster he had seen the previous night to Lao Ma, though he left out the details of the brief yet thrilling and dangerous battle.

After listening, Lao Ma frowned and thought for a while before shaking his head. “I’ve never heard of such a strange beast in this world before. Let me look into it for you.”

Lu Chen knew that besides being well-informed, Lao Ma had many connections. Over the years, Lu Chen had developed great trust in Lao Ma’s information network. He nodded, “Alright.”

Lao Ma pondered for a moment, then looked at Lu Chen with a puzzled expression. “It’s strange! A beast so savage would likely claim many lives. How could it appear in a place like Kunlun Mountain?”

Lu Chen nodded in agreement. “Indeed, I thought the same last night. It’s baffling. I’ve never heard anyone mention such a creature, nor was there any news about it before. Could it have appeared suddenly?”

Lao Ma’s expression darkened, and he lowered his voice. “Could it be that someone is targeting you…”

Lu Chen fell silent, then said, “Probably not. The only people who might hold a grudge against me are the Su family, but with Su Qingjun around, they wouldn’t dare act rashly. Besides, Su Tianhe personally visited Feiyan Terrace to reconcile with his daughter. They wouldn’t make any sudden moves at this critical moment.”

Lao Ma nodded slowly. “You have a point. Still, I feel like there’s some undercurrent in Kunlun Mountain lately. Be careful.”

Lu Chen nodded and then looked at Lao Ma. “What do you mean by ‘undercurrent’? Have you heard any rumors?”

Lao Ma hesitated for a moment, then said, “I did hear something. Apparently, some people, specifically in the Nascent Soul stage, are dissatisfied with the current leader, Immortal Xianyue.”

Lu Chen’s eyebrows raised, and his expression turned serious. “Is that true?”

Lao Ma nodded. “Most likely.”

Lu Chen didn’t press Lao Ma for the source of this information, understanding the boundaries from their long-standing friendship. He knew Lao Ma wouldn’t share such information unless he was confident in its accuracy.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Chen laughed quietly but kept his voice low. “To question the current leader, especially with Immortal Bai Chen overseeing everything, who among the Nascent Soul cultivators would be so bold? This doesn’t make sense. At that level, every one of them should be cunning and cautious.”

Lao Ma chuckled. “One would think so.”

Lu Chen looked at him, a spark in his eyes and a smile on his lips. “So, there’s something illogical here. In this world, logic only follows when there’s a solid foundation. But in Kunlun Mountain, to stand up to both Immortal Xianyue and Immortal Bai Chen, the Nascent Soul cultivators alone aren’t enough…”

Lao Ma remained silent, smiling.

Lu Chen shook his head and sighed. “Is Baldy getting restless?”

Lao Ma shrugged. “It’s not about impatience. With the Master mostly at the True Immortal Alliance and rarely in the sect, Immortal Bai Chen’s faction holds the majority. They need opportunities to assert their presence.”

Lu Chen nodded. “That explains it. No wonder the Nascent Soul cultivators dare to speak out; they have backing. Hmm… Is it the two from the Hundred Herbs Hall?”

Lao Ma said, “I’ve heard there are three or four of them, but the loudest voices are Realms Thousand Lamps and Mingzhu. They have a valid reason, involving the Hundred Herbs Hall.”

Lu Chen was puzzled. “What excuse are they using?”

Lao Ma smiled. “They claim it’s about the demonic sect that assassinated a Kunlun Sect handyman disciple. After many days of investigation, there has been no progress, so the Hundred Herbs Hall naturally has complaints. Even Immortal Xianyue can’t dismiss this.”

Lu Chen was silent for a moment. “Good tactic!”

※※※

That day, both Su Qingjun and Lu Chen left the mountain, leaving Feiyan Terrace quiet. The only signs of life were the closed cave dwelling and a lone wooden hut with a black dog inside.

Ah Tu seemed fully accustomed to life at Feiyan Terrace. Each day, it would patrol the terrace like a king surveying his domain, occasionally marking its territory in some corner or at the base of a tree.

At first, Ah Tu would sometimes relieve itself near the stone gate of the cave dwelling. However, after strong protests from Su Qingjun and a few scoldings from Lu Chen, Ah Tu learned to avoid that area. Still, when it looked toward the stone wall, its single eye sometimes showed a hint of regret.

Feiyan Terrace was a secluded place with few visitors. The mountain forest had no fierce beasts, but there were plenty of birds whose crisp, pleasant songs added an ethereal atmosphere to the area.

After making its rounds, Ah Tu lay down at the edge of the cliff, staring blankly at the sea of clouds in the distance.

In the past, Ah Tu didn’t spend its free time alone like this. It used to run out to play in the forest, climbing hills, crossing streams, and running freely. It even enjoyed visiting the peculiar Doghead Mountain, where it would see the giant green ox and various exotic beasts living there.

Those days seemed like only yesterday, filled with joy and energy for Ah Tu.

But now, things were different.

Ah Tu no longer visited the green ox or Doghead Mountain. It rarely ventured into the forest and even when it did, it never strayed far from Feiyan Terrace.

This change stemmed from a harrowing and brutal encounter where Ah Tu was severely injured, nearly losing its life. Since that dark night, Ah Tu had become deeply fearful and almost lost trust in everyone except Lu Chen, with Yi Xin perhaps being an exception.

It also stopped seeking out the other beasts in the forest. After recovering from its injuries and returning to Doghead Mountain, Ah Tu found that the other creatures’ attitudes had changed. The respect they once showed was gone, replaced by mockery, disdain, ridicule, and hostility.

Who would respect a mangy dog, scarred, with only one eye and a half tail?

As Ah Tu walked by, tigers roared at it, cranes pecked at its head, and monkeys hanging from branches tried to grab its half tail while shrieking with laughter. The other beasts watched coldly, indifferent to the black dog’s cries and even kicking it away if it stumbled in front of them.

In the wild, survival of the fittest is a stark reality, with no sympathy for the weak or wounded.

Ah Tu once looked up to the mountain peak where a giant figure lay, seemingly asleep, indifferent to these minor matters.

Eventually, Ah Tu left that place and never returned.

Since then, it had stayed closer to Lu Chen, even curling up beside him at night to feel safe enough to sleep.

On this mild sunny day, the sunlight bathed the sea of clouds and Ah Tu alike.

Ah Tu yawned lazily, resting its head on the ground, feeling a bit bored. It glanced at the mountain path leading down from Feiyan Terrace. There was no one on the path; Lu Chen wasn’t expected back for some time, and Ah Tu knew it.

Hearing a few more crisp bird calls from the forest, Ah Tu thought for a moment and then headed toward the back of the mountain. It seemed to have an inherent love for the forest, enjoying the feeling of being in it.

As it entered the forest behind Feiyan Terrace, Ah Tu felt its mood lift. The air was fresh, filled with the scent of old trees and vines. It wandered around, sniffing curiously, and its steps grew lighter.

The shifting light and shadows in the quiet forest made it seem like a paradise just for Ah Tu.

Suddenly, Ah Tu stopped and looked up with its one eye.

Near a large tree stood a stone, and beside the stone was a figure. Upon hearing the sound, the figure turned and smiled slightly at Ah Tu.

It was Bai Lian.

This mysterious, fairy-like girl had suddenly appeared in the forest behind Feiyan Terrace. At first glance, she seemed like a beautiful spirit of the green forest, but there was something subtly unsettling about her presence.

She smiled and waved at Ah Tu before turning back to peer over the stone, as if spying on something.

Ah Tu hesitated, instinctively wanting to retreat, but when Bai Lian waved again, it slowly approached her.

Bai Lian pointed behind the stone and whispered to Ah Tu, “Look.”

Nervous, Ah Tu cautiously peeked around the stone and saw a pearl pheasant about six feet away, pecking at the ground for food.

At that moment, a soft, tempting voice, like a devil’s whisper, reached Ah Tu’s ears.

“The flesh of that pheasant must be delicious…”

Ah Tu’s entire body tensed up. (To be continued.)