Heaven’s Shadow

That day was supposed to be an ordinary, uneventful day in Kunwu City.

Bustling, prosperous, with a steady stream of people and thriving commerce. Cultivators were in high spirits, and ordinary people lived their lives peacefully.

The great families in the city were the same, enjoying the cool shade beneath their grand trees, leisurely passing their days in contentment.

How many years had it been? It had always been this way.

No one had thought of changing it; no one was willing to change it.

The Su family, a grand family in Kunwu City, was no exception, until that quiet afternoon when a piercing and soul-shaking screech suddenly shattered the tranquility of this deep mansion, tearing everything apart.

“Boom!”

It was a deafening roar!

Like thunder crashing down on a clear day, the sound reverberated through the mansion, making everyone stunned and turn around. The hall shook, and the ground quivered, as if a tiger’s roar had burst through the forest, sending an invisible yet immensely powerful wave sweeping in all directions.

It was a black wooden table, plain and simple, without any ornate carvings, only deep and heavy. It flew up.

A table flew up.

The table had no consciousness, but if it did, it would never have imagined such a grand and shocking fate in its ordinary life.

It flew up, emitting a deafening screech, and then shot through the air.

Wherever the flying table went, it was unstoppable, smashing everything in its path. Trees fell, walls crumbled. It was like a tiger descending the mountain or a divine dragon entering the sea, wild and unrestrained, with fierce determination, moving forward without hesitation.

Amid the roaring sound, dust flew everywhere. The Su residence was in chaos, with screams and cries erupting instantly, and everyone looked on in horror, unsure of what had happened.

Only that table flew alone and proudly, passing over the crowd, beyond their gaze, toppling trees, and breaking through high walls!

It was a flying table!

Soaring into the sky, it roared as it came, creating a path of devastation. The dust seemed to form a giant earth dragon, charging forward with unstoppable force. It blasted through pavilions and courtyards, creating a direct path to the small courtyard, and with a deafening crash, a large hole was made in Su Mo’s courtyard, followed by cracks and strange noises. Moments later, with a thunderous roar, an entire wall collapsed.

Dust billowed, rising high into the air.

Everyone was stunned, staring at the scene. Amidst the dust, a faint breeze blew, and a figure slowly emerged from the heavy smoke.

With a long sword on her back, her appearance was cold and aloof.

A lonely and proud woman, walking through the dust, entered the place.

※※※

The air was filled with the smell of blood.

Su Qingjun’s gaze moved past the shocked crowd and fell upon Lu Chen, lying on the ground.

The man seemed to have lost a lot of blood, with many wounds on his body. The wounds appeared deep and severe, with some showing not only flesh and blood but even white, exposed bones—ghastly and horrifying.

Yet, for some reason, despite such severe injuries, the man did not seem to be unconscious.

He seemed still very clear-headed, enduring the unbearable pain without losing his consciousness. Or perhaps, he had long been accustomed to such pain…

As he lay in the pool of blood and looked up, his eyes met Su Qingjun’s in midair.

He looked at her as she approached.

He lay there in the blood.

His face at that moment did not seem to show much pain.

He even managed to smile at her amidst the blood.

That blood-stained smile was striking and moving, like a sword piercing the chest, like fire burning the soul!

Su Qingjun held her breath, her body trembling slightly. She gritted her teeth, trying to regain control, but her gaze fell upon the horrifying and twisted torture instruments scattered around the man.

Those sharp, cruel, twisted, and bloodied blades.

Like thunder crashing above, like a beast of rage hidden deep within the heart, a surge of hot blood surged to her heart, leaving her momentarily blank.

She slightly parted her lips, as if she wanted to say something, but for some reason, she couldn’t utter a single word.

She just stared blankly at the man lying in the blood, clenched her teeth, and a tear rolled down from the corner of her eye.

Then she reached out, like a young child, and wiped the sparkling tear from her cheek with the back of her hand.

※※※

“Hey, sister, Jun’er, why are you here?” 

A voice called from the front. Su Mo, sitting in a reclining chair in front of a small building, straightened up and smiled at Su Qingjun. “What’s with all this fuss? Are you trying to tear down our house? But it’s okay. We have plenty of money, so you can demolish as much as you want. We can always rebuild.”

Su Qingjun glanced at Su Mo without saying a word, then stepped forward toward Lu Chen.

Su Mo’s smile faltered for a moment as he exchanged glances with Su Qian and Su Wen, who stood beside him. Su Qian cleared his throat and subtly signaled to the attendants standing below.

Moments later, someone came forward to meet Su Qingjun, forcing a smile. “Miss, you see, these are the people Young Master Mo wanted. You…”

Before he could finish, a sudden scream erupted from the attendant. Su Qingjun had grabbed him by the chest and, like tossing a stone, hurled him away.

The onlookers watched in shock as the man arced through the air, crossing most of the courtyard, before crashing against the wall on the opposite side with a loud thud. He left a clear human imprint on the wall, then fell to the ground, bleeding from his nose and mouth, and lay motionless, seemingly unconscious.

In the small courtyard, there was instant silence.

After a moment, an angry and agitated voice rang out. It was Su Mo, shouting, “What are you doing? Are you showing off to me? Don’t forget, we’re siblings, real siblings. Is it not enough that you’ve harmed me for this outsider? Now you come to attack me? Come on, if you have the guts, just kill me!”

He roared in fury like a wild beast. Su Qingjun coldly watched him from in front of the small building, her gaze as frosty as snow. Suddenly, she raised her hand, and amidst the chaos in the courtyard, a clear, dragon-like roar rang out.

A sword’s radiance, like autumn water, cut through the dust. A beam of light, as clear as water, illuminated her unparalleled beauty and reflected in her bright, clear eyes, emitting a dazzling brilliance.

Her long sword emerged from its sheath with a burst.

Sword shadows filled the sky, and an extraordinary phenomenon appeared. In the clear daytime sky, a full moon suddenly revealed itself, cold, lonely, and unattainable. The moonlight, like water, fell to earth, shining upon the sword’s light.

The blade reflected the moonlight.

The moonlight transformed into serenity, and all things in the world held their breath, as only that one beam of light descended from the endless heavens, cutting through with a serene grace.

This was the Moonlight Slash.

In that moment, the brilliance seemed to drain the years of the world, silent and tranquil, like countless celestial cycles of day and night, accompanied by a sigh from the other side.

The sword light fell, dazzling, then paused, and finally vanished.

Like smoke dispersed without a trace.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The three Su brothers in front of the small building were momentarily at a loss, glancing at each other. After confirming that they were unharmed, Su Mo finally sighed in relief. Just as he was about to speak, a sudden “crackling” noise came from behind, and the three turned around in alarm.

On the luxurious small building, numerous cracks suddenly appeared, cruelly and coldly shattering all its splendid beauty, tearing apart all the brick walls and eaves. Moments later, with a deafening crash, the entire building collapsed instantly.

Dust billowed into the air.

People screamed in panic, and the Su brothers stumbled and scrambled out, shouting. Others rushed to help, and the small courtyard erupted into chaos.

※※※

Amid the chaos, the ancient-looking long sword had quietly returned to its sheath.

Su Qingjun no longer paid attention to the commotion. She walked through the dust to Lu Chen’s side, and, as she had done back at Feiyan Terrace, she gently crouched beside him.

She looked into his eyes, at the blood he was losing, and at the smile on his face that shouldn’t have been there but was still present.

She suddenly felt that the previous sword strike seemed to cut into her own heart as well.

She had thousands of words she wanted to say, but in the end, her lips trembled a few times before she softly asked:

“Does it hurt?”

“It hurts,” Lu Chen nodded and smiled.

Su Qingjun lowered her head, a tear fell onto the dust on the ground, dampening a small patch of earth.

“At your age, why are you crying?” Lu Chen said to her. “And it’s not your fault. I’m fine. I’m not going to die.”

Su Qingjun tried to smile, but tears kept flowing more. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and forced a smile, saying:

“Why are you pretending to be strong? I heard your screams from outside.”

Lu Chen said, “I wasn’t going to scream, but then I saw a golden light streaking across the sky. I thought, probably only you, a Golden Core cultivator, would come. So I yelled loudly to see if you would come to save me.”

Su Qingjun nodded. “You’re very smart.”

Lu Chen replied, “Of course.”

Su Qingjun stared at him for a while, then extended her arms to embrace him, holding him close. She softly said in a voice only Lu Chen could hear:

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

“It’s okay,” Lu Chen said.