Heaven’s Shadow

Chapter 181: Yearning for Freedom

The back side of the nameless mountain peak was always shrouded in darkness, even during the day. As Lu Chen stepped into this shadowy realm, he felt the temperature drop sharply. A chilling wind blew from ahead, as if the hands of sinister spirits were caressing his flesh.

Lu Chen was not greatly surprised by this; it was just one of the common phenomena found in gloomy places. It might be frightening to ordinary mortals and possibly troublesome to average cultivators due to its rarity, but for him, it was a familiar sight.

He seemed naturally adept at blending into the darkness, moving through the shadows as if he were a fish in water, silently advancing without leaving any trace.

Soon, Lu Chen saw the black residence.

The black gate was open, and he could vaguely see He Yi standing in the courtyard. Lu Chen, hidden in the darkness, observed for a while and then glanced at the plaque above the gate that read “Yi Tomb.”

He frowned slightly.

He could roughly guess the meaning of these characters, though he had not expected such a thing, which seemed more fitting for the secular world, to exist within Kunlun Sect. Scanning the surroundings, filled with ghostly chill and swirling darkness, Lu Chen quickly determined that the core of this shadowy place was likely in that courtyard.

A tomb of righteousness, as the name suggests, was a place for the deceased, a location that ordinary people would avoid. Even for someone like Lu Chen, who frequently moved through darkness, it would be rare to enter such a place.

No one liked this place, or rather, no living being would enjoy such a ghostly environment. Thus, dark lands have historically been regarded as a kind of desperate territory.

If there were no unexpected circumstances, Lu Chen already had a probable answer in mind. He stood silently in the dark corner, contemplating whether He Changsheng’s corpse was placed here after death.

As he pondered, a chilling aura suddenly drifted out of the courtyard. It was like a hidden venomous snake suddenly flicking its tongue or an awakened evil spirit opening its eyes. A gaunt figure emerged from the darkness, silently appearing behind He Yi, standing before the black gate.

The cold wind grew fierce.

The icy gaze swept through the darkness.

It glanced towards the shadowy corner.

The cold wind swept in, lifting a few withered leaves, as if a storm was raging in the darkness. But after a moment, only a few dead leaves danced in the air and slowly fell to the ground.

The shadowy corner was empty, as if nothing had ever existed there besides darkness.

The figure of the corpse-watcher, with a cold and indifferent gaze, seemed to show a hint of subtle surprise when faced with the empty, desolate darkness.

At this moment, another figure approached and stood not far behind him—it was He Yi.

He Yi also looked outside but saw nothing, so he frowned and asked the corpse-watcher, “Senior, what’s wrong?”

The corpse-watcher did not answer immediately. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, “Did you come alone to see me?”

He Yi nodded, “Yes.”

The corpse-watcher merely responded with an “Mm” and did not say anything further. He turned and walked back into the dark courtyard. The black gate closed slowly behind him as if moving on its own, sealing away all the darkness and secrets once more.

The darkness outside the residence was as quiet as the deep sea. After an unknown amount of time, from a place not far from the earlier corner, a subtle tremor began to occur on the ground. Gradually, a shadow re-emerged from the darkness.

It was Lu Chen.

His face now looked somewhat stern, and as he looked towards the courtyard again, his gaze was completely different from before.

※※※

Ah Tu lay on the ground, looking at Bai Lian with a mixture of caution. The girl, with a celestial beauty, now had a faint smile. Her white, crystalline fingers gently brushed through Ah Tu’s black fur.

White, crystalline fragments like delicate snowflakes floated and dispersed from her fingertips, contrasting sharply with Ah Tu’s glossy black fur.

In the pale, icy glow, faint wisps of breath lightly touched Ah Tu’s skin, some bouncing back, while others seeped in.

Gradually, Bai Lian’s smile faded, replaced by a look of confusion, as if she had discovered something extremely strange and unexpected.

After a while, Bai Lian stopped her gentle brushing. The snowflake-like fragments of white powder also vanished.

Ah Tu lifted its head and glanced at her. Seeing that Bai Lian didn’t seem to show any signs of discomfort, it slowly moved forward and cautiously got up.

Bai Lian observed Ah Tu’s movements but did not seem inclined to stop it. Her bright and clear eyes reflected the image of the black dog, but her gaze seemed to look further beyond.

“This is not the Blood Feast Technique…” Bai Lian murmured, looking at Ah Tu as if she had seen something unbelievable. “But there are indeed traces of the Blood Feast within this dog. What exactly is going on?”

“Could it be that there is another technique, related to the Blood Feast but even more powerful, existing in this world?”

“If that is true, then the lives of hundreds of thousands lost by the southern barbarians over the millennia would indeed be a colossal joke.”

Bai Lian suddenly stood up. For some reason, a slight flush of excitement appeared on her beautiful face as she stared at Ah Tu.

Ah Tu, feeling inexplicably fearful, took a step back.

“Lu Chen…” Bai Lian said with a soft, somewhat elusive laugh. “How interesting, how interesting. Lu Chen, who exactly are you?”

※※※

Lu Chen returned to Feiyan Terrace before dusk. Ah Tu had delayed a bit, as Lu Chen had to whistle for a while before Ah Tu came running back from the mountains.

On the way back, Ah Tu seemed somewhat subdued, but aside from that, there was nothing unusual—no injuries or pain. Lu Chen was still preoccupied with the strange figure in the dark Yi Tomb, so he didn’t pay much attention to Ah Tu.

However, as they walked up the mountain path to Feiyan Terrace, both Lu Chen and Ah Tu seemed to have adjusted their moods during the journey. Ah Tu began to run around happily, and Lu Chen, from a distance, saw a figure leisurely strolling on Feiyan Terrace in the approaching twilight.

For some reason, seeing that calm figure made Lu Chen feel much better. He smiled and waved to Su Qingjun from afar, calling out to her.

Su Qingjun heard his voice, looked back, and also showed a smile.

As dusk fell, the golden sunlight spread across the vast white sea of clouds, turning the clouds in sight into a beautiful golden hue. The black dog happily frolicked on Feiyan Terrace, and the shadows of the two figures on the flat ground by the cliff were long.

“You’re back?” Su Qingjun said to Lu Chen. “You were really gone the whole day.”

Lu Chen smiled and said, “Yes. The journey there and back wasn’t short, and I also spent some time running around the city buying things. It took a bit longer, but I made it back just in time.”

Su Qingjun glanced at the bag in his hand with curiosity and asked, “What is it? You’re being all mysterious.”

Lu Chen chuckled, motioned for Su Qingjun to sit by some rocks, and then pulled out a paper-wrapped item from the bag, handing it to her.

Su Qingjun took it, feeling a slight warmth in her hand. She looked at Lu Chen, who smiled but did not speak, only gesturing for her to open the paper.

Su Qingjun peeled away the wrapping, revealing small, black, round balls emitting a peculiar meaty aroma.

Her face showed surprise as she looked at Lu Chen and asked, “What is this?”

“Grilled loach,” Lu Chen replied with a smile. “Try it; it tastes really good.”

Su Qingjun hesitated and frowned slightly, “This… can it really be eaten?”

“Of course,” Lu Chen said. “Even though it looks black, it’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with very delicious meat. When I was a kid, I used to crave this, but I didn’t have money to buy it. I would drool just looking at it.”

Su Qingjun was doubtful and remarked, “Loach is a coarse creature, born in filthy water streams with no spiritual energy. Eating it has no benefit for cultivation. Why should we eat it?”

“Just for the taste,” Lu Chen shrugged, looking at Su Qingjun with a gentle and slightly amused expression. “Not everything needs to be useful for cultivation. Isn’t it good enough to just enjoy what you like?”

“…Is that so?” Su Qingjun seemed a bit puzzled but also oddly moved.

“Want to try? It’s a treat that only ordinary people and the poor can enjoy,” Lu Chen said with a strange glint in his eyes before smiling, “Eat what you want and live how you want. Isn’t that the best way?”

Su Qingjun smiled, looked at him, and suddenly asked, “So what kind of life do you want to live?”

“Of course, I want to live freely without being controlled by others. I really do!” Lu Chen laughed heartily.