Heaven’s Shadow

Chapter 158: The Midnight Return

The cry echoed through the quiet Feiyan Platform, naturally catching Lu Chen’s attention at the thatched hut. However, he had no intention of joining the commotion. Leaning against the doorframe with a wild fruit in hand, he took a bite, a faint smile playing on his lips as he watched from afar.

The three brothers from the Su family knew that there was an outsider on the platform, but given the urgency of their situation, they couldn’t worry about that. What mattered most was ensuring that Su Qingjun didn’t think their plight wasn’t dire or that their pleas weren’t sincere enough.

The stone door stood firm and unmoving, remaining closed for a while. The Su brothers seemed unsurprised, continuing to pound on the door and shout.

Lu Chen, chewing on the juicy fruit, glanced up at the sky. The sun was just rising; it was still early morning. He chuckled and muttered to himself, “Disturbing someone’s peaceful morning—how annoying.”

After half an hour of the Su brothers’ calls, the stone door finally rumbled open, and Su Qingjun emerged from the cave. Lu Chen looked at her from a distance. Su Qingjun was impeccably dressed, her hair meticulously styled, and her appearance was refined and beautiful, as if she had achieved a level of perfection that was truly impressive. However, beneath her calm demeanor, there seemed to be a faint, barely detectable undercurrent of irritation, like a hidden ripple beneath a still surface.

“Hmm…” Lu Chen smiled, curling his lips, and said, “Morning grumpiness, huh?”

“Big Sister Jun!” The Su brothers’ voices grew louder upon seeing her, their faces full of sorrow as if they’d experienced something heartbreaking. They seemed on the verge of tears.

Su Qingjun’s eyes swept over them, her face stiffening momentarily. However, she quickly composed herself, instinctively glancing towards the distant spiritual field. Lu Chen waved casually at her, as if greeting her warmly on this beautiful morning.

Su Qingjun’s expression darkened slightly as she frowned at the three men before her. “What’s going on?” she asked calmly.

Su Mo and the others immediately crowded around her, about to explain their grievances, when Su Qingjun suddenly interrupted them with a sharp command, “Keep your voices down. Don’t you feel embarrassed?”

The three brothers nodded in unison, casting a glance towards Lu Chen. Lu Chen smiled and turned to walk deeper into the spiritual field, no longer watching the scene. He still wore a slight smile, muttering to himself, “Trying to avoid suspicion, yet still not letting anyone into your cave?”

Meanwhile, the Su brothers, seeing Lu Chen leave, hurriedly gathered around Su Qingjun and began speaking all at once. As she listened, Su Qingjun’s face gradually grew more somber, her gaze colder. Twice, her arm twitched slightly as if she wanted to do something, but she restrained herself.

During the pauses in their conversation, her eyes occasionally drifted to the distant horizon. The white clouds beyond the platform were vast and radiant under the clear sky, a beautiful and dazzling sight.

Lu Chen worked in the spiritual field all morning and came out around noon. He drank heartily from a wooden bucket filled with clear mountain spring water. As he did, he noticed Su Qingjun standing on the field’s edge, silently watching him and the field. The other three young men from the Su family were nowhere to be seen.

Lu Chen smiled and asked, “They’ve left?”

Su Qingjun nodded, “Yes, they’ve gone.”

“Okay.” Lu Chen nodded and sat down on the edge of the field, not far from Su Qingjun. She looked at him and asked, “Any hawk fruit ripe today?”

“Not yet,” Lu Chen pointed to a nearby tree. “But a couple of fruits are turning red. If we’re lucky, they might ripen by the afternoon.”

Su Qingjun was silent for a moment, then calmly said, “Alright.” With that, she turned and walked back to her cave. Lu Chen didn’t say anything more or even glance back at her. In the cool, refreshing morning breeze, amidst the rustling trees, the two went their separate ways.

Throughout the entire encounter, Lu Chen never asked why the Su brothers had come, and Su Qingjun offered no explanation.

In the early afternoon, just before the Hour of the Monkey (around 3 PM), a hawk fruit ripened. Lu Chen, who had been patiently waiting by the field, immediately activated the Burning Heart Talisman. Soon after, the stone door rumbled open, and Su Qingjun arrived.

Unlike the previous morning, today Su Qingjun seemed more composed and less flustered. She spoke little, swiftly harvesting the ripe hawk fruit under Lu Chen’s guidance, consuming it, and then sitting down to meditate and harness its energy. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion, without the need for many words. This unexpected coldness felt somewhat awkward, but from another perspective, it seemed like an unexpected understanding had been reached.

After eating the hawk fruit, Su Qingjun stood up, seemingly ready to leave. Lu Chen also dusted himself off, looking like he was about to head back to the thatched hut. But then Su Qingjun suddenly asked, “Will there be any more ripe fruits today?”

“Hmm?” Lu Chen was momentarily taken aback. He glanced at the spiritual field and, after a moment of thought, said, “If the other fruits haven’t ripened by now, it’s unlikely they will today. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

“Oh,” Su Qingjun nodded, acknowledging his response. However, for some reason, she remained standing on the field’s edge, not leaving.

Sensing something, Lu Chen looked at her and frowned slightly, asking, “Is something bothering you?”

Su Qingjun was silent for a while before softly replying, “Just a bit of trouble.”

Lu Chen shook his head without saying anything.

Seeing his reaction, Su Qingjun bit her lip slightly and asked, “Do you think I’m pretty foolish?”

“Yeah,” Lu Chen replied straightforwardly.

“Hey!” Su Qingjun looked surprised at his bluntness, her cheeks flushing with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. “How can you say that?”

Lu Chen shrugged, “You asked, didn’t you? Did you want me to lie?”

Su Qingjun stared at him, initially looking angry, but then her expression softened into a hint of self-deprecation. With a sigh, she said, “I guess so. Lies do sound nicer.”

Lu Chen remained silent.

Su Qingjun looked down slightly, hesitating before finally speaking up, “I… might need to go down the mountain again.”

Lu Chen shook his head and continued to look at her without speaking.

For some reason, despite her higher cultivation level and status compared to the ordinary laborer Lu Chen, Su Qingjun felt inexplicably guilty talking to him. This feeling of being on the wrong side of things made her feel annoyed and a bit ashamed, mixed with a faint sense of guilt.

Why did she feel this strange mix of emotions? She couldn’t quite understand it herself. She looked at Lu Chen, hesitated, and then asked, “Could you help me out again?”

Lu Chen asked, “When will you be back?”

Su Qingjun immediately replied, “I’ll sneak down the mountain now. If everything goes smoothly, I should be back by tonight!” She emphasized the word “tonight,” then softly added, “From now, it’ll be dark in just over an hour. No one will come here at night, so it shouldn’t trouble you too much.”

“Alright, I’ll do my best,” Lu Chen nodded.

Su Qingjun looked at him deeply, as if wanting to say more, but ultimately, she just nodded and turned to leave.

“Hey,” Lu Chen suddenly called out.

Su Qingjun turned back, “What is it?”

“If you come back too late, there’ll be patrols due to the night curfew. Be careful not to get caught.”

Su Qingjun’s eyes sparkled, and after a moment, she smiled brightly. Her smile was like a spring breeze over a tranquil lake, like green willow branches swaying in the wind, like a blooming flower. It was a beautiful moment, brightening the scene around her. She nodded, still smiling, and said, “Okay, I will.”

### **

As Lu Chen had predicted, no hawk fruits ripened that afternoon, and fortunately, no other members of the Su family came to the Feiyan Platform. He had a quiet afternoon, and soon, night fell.

The wind howled louder than in previous nights, bringing a chill to the air. The silent Kunlun Mountains stood majestically in the darkness, like towering giants. Lu Chen sat in a shadowy spot on the platform, where he could see the distant mountain path. He was almost invisible, blending into the surrounding darkness.

Time passed quietly, and Lu Chen waited patiently. When he looked up at the night sky again, it was deep and dark; midnight had passed. Su Qingjun was still nowhere to be seen.

Lu Chen remained expressionless, continuing to sit in the darkness. An hour later, with still no sign of her, he frowned slightly and stood up, moving towards the mountain path. As he glanced down, hesitating, he suddenly saw a figure emerge from the deep darkness, rushing towards him. However, just a few feet away, the figure stumbled and fell to the ground.

Lu Chen was startled and quickly rushed over to catch her, realizing it was Su Qingjun. Her face was pale, but she was conscious. She looked at Lu Chen and tried to smile, but then her body trembled, and with a soft cry, she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, splattering it on Lu Chen’s face and chest. (To be continued.)