At that moment, there wasn’t much time for her to process the death in front of her. Shang Can took a deep breath, exhaled, and after repeating this three times, she resolutely drew her sword and rushed into the forest.
This time, she didn’t bother to conceal her presence. Soon, sounds of commotion echoed through the woods, but Shang Can remained undeterred, following the scent of demonic energy to where her instincts warned her something was terribly wrong.
To be honest, she had only planned to take a look initially.
If she could save someone, she would; if not, that was fine too. Shang Can felt that since she had heard about it, she ought to do her part. Besides, the city lord had saved the entire populace, so someone should lend a hand for him.
But Shang Can was fully aware that her cultivation, while respectable among her peers, was not enough to confront the demonic tide head-on. The things she said to Chu Ming were not meant to deceive him; her original intention was to look for opportunities to rescue someone while observing the movements of the demonic tide, with no intention of clashing directly.
Even now, as she charged into the unknown depths of the forest filled with countless demonic beasts, Shang Can clearly understood she was doing something foolish. The fact that she couldn’t gauge the city lord’s cultivation level indicated that he was certainly stronger than she was. If even the experienced elders had fallen victim to the demonic tide, recklessly rushing in was tantamount to seeking death.
But still.
The forest was filled with threatening growls mixed with laughter, and the sounds drew closer to Shang Can. The increasingly dense demonic energy made her spine stiffen, and as sweat dripped from her forehead, her black-and-white eyes shone brightly. She even laughed out loud.
The injuries the city lord sustained were enough to kill him on the spot, yet he held on just to wait for someone to come. He had deep concerns in his heart, but unfortunately, he couldn’t even finish his last words.
With a sweep of her long sword, Shang Can sliced through an attacking bee demon, splattering its foul blood all over herself.
Whether it was the city lord’s misfortune or Shang Can’s, the only person who rushed to his aid was a sixteen-year-old girl, and he had no strength left to wait for anyone else, leaving all his worries entrusted to her.
Suddenly, the grass beneath her feet stirred, attempting to ensnare her legs. Shang Can leaped into the air, drawing her sword. The grass ignited spontaneously, burning fiercely, and the air was filled with the anguished screams of the demons.
This concern was extremely dangerous. Shang Can didn’t even know if his daughter was still alive; this adventure might very well be futile. Yet it was the first time someone had entrusted her with something, and she silently promised to help him.
The strongest demonic energy loomed ahead, and Shang Can, disregarding the chills running down her spine and the multitude of demons pursuing her from behind, sprang into action.
As she broke through the dense foliage, she was confronted by a snow-white wolf demon. It bore no trace of any other color and turned its head to look at her when it heard the wind behind it. Its beastly face displayed a cold, disdainful, and sarcastic expression.
Before it could make a move, the overwhelming demonic energy nearly sent Shang Can flying. In its eyes, she had become a mere corpse, and the arrogant wolf demon did not leap forward but waited for her to fall so it could kill her.
Yet Shang Can still had the presence of mind to glance behind it.
There stood a girl, her left arm injured. She pressed her right hand against the wound and instinctively raised her eyes to look at Shang Can.
Those cold, clear eyes were supposed to be beautiful, but at that moment, they lacked luster, resembling an injured deer.
That was her first meeting with Yun Duan.
Shang Can seemed to catch a whiff of a sweet fragrance, and her heart, which had been thundering like thunder, unexpectedly calmed down. She gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, and after a breath, the sword suddenly vibrated with a long, resonant sound, emitting a white light that flickered as if stars were attached to her sword.
Her dark eyes reflected the shimmering light, and without hesitation, she swung her sword down towards the wolf demon, the force immense, as if she were cutting through the heavens.
At that time, Shang Can was still too young. The wolf demon was not among the strongest, but it could easily kill her, especially since she was protecting someone.
Aware of her disadvantage, she relied solely on her agility to stay alive beneath the wolf demon, barely having time to ask for the girl’s name. Instead, she hastily tore off her jade pendant, marked with her name as a sign of being a disciple of Qingyu, and stuffed it into the girl’s hand, urgently saying, “I’ll hold them off for a while. You take this jade pendant and run as far as you can. Someone will find you soon; don’t be afraid.”
Yun Duan was three years younger than Shang Can, yet she already displayed the features of a rare beauty, her exquisite brows and eyes captivating. If it weren’t for the redness on her otherwise fair skin due to her previous actions, she could almost be mistaken for a jade-carved doll. Her jet-black eyes stared at Shang Can without blinking, shaking her head vigorously.
Looking back now, it was almost laughable; she didn’t even know the girl’s name, and yet Shang Can was already prepared to die for her.
Fortunately, things did not develop to the worst extent. Wang Yue and Chu Ming arrived in time, rescuing both of them from the jaws of the wolf.
Shang Can, disheveled yet relieved, suddenly felt the girl behind her slump against her back.
It all happened so suddenly that Shang Can was startled. She quickly caught her, realizing that the girl was leaning against her, biting her lip and trembling as if enduring immense pain. Her previously pale face had grown even worse, her jade-like eyes now clouded with mist, and her damp black hair clung to her neck, making her appear fragile and helpless.
Wang Yue hurried over, carefully examining her before saying solemnly, “It seems the wolf demon’s claws were poisoned; we must treat it quickly.”
Shang Can couldn’t afford to delay, so she handed Yun Duan over to Wang Yue. She actually wanted to follow them, but there was still a mess to clean up, and she hadn’t completed her task of searching for medicine yet, so she needed to stay behind for a while. Wang Yue, seeing that Shang Can was relatively unscathed except for her disheveled appearance, felt slightly reassured. He left a few bottles of medicinal pills, gave some instructions, and then took Yun Duan away.
After Wang Yue left, Shang Can stood in place for a long time, stretching her neck to watch their departing figures. Chu Ming thought she looked like a mole and laughed as he patted her on the shoulder.
“Stop staring; they’re long gone.”
Shang Can silently glared at him, withdrawing her hands into her sleeves and heading back. Chu Ming quickly followed, refusing to let Shang Can out of his sight. He walked closely behind her, all the while fussing over her, from “You really are too reckless” to “Didn’t you say you were just going to take a look? How did you end up in a den of demons?”
Shang Can sighed in frustration, replying with half-hearted “mm-hm” and “yeah,” regretting her depleted strength after the battle and wishing she could run faster.
Finally, after they exited the forest, she turned and returned to the corpse of the city lord. The two of them, with solemn expressions, joined their hands in prayer, silently chanting a passage for his afterlife.
Shang Can bent down in silence and lifted the city lord. His body had already grown somewhat stiff, but thanks to her cultivation, it did not feel too heavy. Chu Ming glanced at her expression and retracted his hand that had been reaching to help.
The two returned to Yun City, making several trips back and forth with other disciples to retrieve the bodies outside the city. Those who were in a terrible state had to be buried on the spot, while they took back any items for identification. The family members of the deceased were all in tears, and the Qingyu disciples offered comfort, helping to bury the bodies outside the city.
“The demonic tide is a natural disaster,” Chu Ming sighed on the way back to Yun City. “As for the city lord’s family, many have perished, leaving only his daughter… what will become of her?”
“…” Shang Can remained silent for a moment, feeling a heaviness in her heart, and impulsively said, “If she wishes, she can stay in Qingyu.”
“Ah, that makes sense; I was thinking the same thing,” Chu Ming nodded in understanding, a thoughtful expression on his face. “She was injured earlier, and the blood flowing from her wound is indeed… rich in spiritual energy. I’ve never seen such a physique before; she must be a good candidate for cultivation.”
Shang Can, who had just brushed past the edge of life and death, hadn’t noticed this before. She frowned and said, “Is that so? I just felt there was a sweet fragrance about her that was quite pleasant.”
Chu Ming was momentarily dumbfounded, struggling to find the right words to ask, “Uh… why were you smelling her?”
“Stop thinking nonsense! I just accidentally caught a whiff of it while protecting her!”
Shang Can felt inexplicably embarrassed and angry. Fortunately, Chu Ming had known her for a long time and didn’t delve further into it. He smoothly changed the topic, asking, “So, if Yun Duan goes to Qingyu, which peak will she go to?”
“Which peak?” He asked casually, but Shang Can reacted strongly, looking at him with a ‘what are you talking about’ expression. “Of course, it’s my Yuheng Peak.”
“Isn’t that a bit too confident?” Chu Ming clicked his tongue. “Even though it was Senior Uncle Wangyue who brought her back, Senior Uncle Wangyue is still the youngest among the peak masters. Her standards are incredibly high; to this day, you’re the only true disciple she’s accepted. Yuheng Peak is the weakest in Qingyu, so if it comes down to competition, Senior Uncle Wangyue might not even win.”
What he said was actually quite reasonable. Although Wangyue wouldn’t explicitly tell Shang Can, she was likely over two hundred years old—a staggering age for ordinary people but still considered young among cultivators. She had only recently risen from being the chief disciple of Yuheng Peak, and if the previous peak master hadn’t perished in a conflict with the demons, it wouldn’t have been Wangyue’s turn to take over.
Wangyue was exceptionally talented, but her high standards for disciples were well-known; she demanded talent, appearance, and character all in one. Over the past decade, she had only accepted Shang Can as a disciple, allowing Shang Can to easily become the chief disciple.
While there were still outer disciples around, it wasn’t so bleak that only the two of them lived in the expansive Yuheng Peak. Still, it did create a sense of decline and weakness. Over the years, Wangyue had also considered taking on other disciples, but she frequently lost out as other peak masters intercepted her candidates.
“Of course, those old men will try to snatch her up,” Shang Can replied nonchalantly, dragging out her words lazily. “But if too many people want her, the initiative will be in Yun Duan’s hands, and that won’t have anything to do with them.”
Although she had only spent a few minutes with Yun Duan, she felt an inexplicable certainty that it was meant to be.
Chu Ming raised an eyebrow. “You’re that sure Yun Duan will choose Yuheng? If she genuinely wants to focus on her cultivation, the other side, with better resources and power, is clearly at an advantage—huh? Where’s your jade token? Did you drop it in the woods?”
He really had a knack for jumping from one topic to another. While Shang Can inwardly complained about Chu Ming, she casually reached for her waist, only to find it empty. Surprised, she recalled that she had given her jade token to Yun Duan for her protection and quickly responded, “I gave it to Yun Duan; I forgot to take it back just now.”
“Gave—what? You gave your personal jade token to someone else?” The rule-abiding Chu Ming’s eyes widened in disbelief as he trembled while pointing at her. “Shang Can, don’t tell me you were already without your jade token while fighting the wolf demon!”
Shang Can awkwardly turned her head away and admitted, “Yeah.”
“What a mess!” Chu Ming jumped up in alarm, panic washing over him. “That wolf demon is powerful. Even if you knew Senior Uncle Wangyue would come soon, you still can’t give away something that could save your life! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”
“…Since I’m entrusted with it, I have to ensure everything is handled properly.” Shang Can murmured, knowing she was in the wrong. “If I got hurt, there might still be a chance to save me, but she’s so small; nothing can happen to her.”
“You—”
“See, Yun Duan has the jade token with my name on it; she’s already one of us from Yuheng Peak.”
Shang Can, feeling justified despite the anger radiating from Chu Ming, smiled brightly at his flushed face.
Her eyes sparkled, reflecting the sunlight filtering through the clouds.
“Don’t get any ideas; she’ll only be my junior sister.”
Everything in front of her went dark, but her memories were in color. Shang Can smiled softly, exhaling a breath of frustration.
“What’s wrong?”
Yun Duan’s voice came from beside her, tinged with concern. “Are you feeling unwell? Your complexion doesn’t look too good.”
“It’s nothing.” Shang Can turned to her, displaying a reassuring smile. “I just remembered some past events and realized you haven’t changed much since back then.”
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