Volume One: The Dragon Rises from the Wilderness Chapter Twenty: The Shadow of the Flood Dragon

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Morning was yet to break.

Yu Ye had awakened early, washing his face with the cool water from the stream and rinsing his mouth before settling cross-legged on his mat, attempting to practice breath control as he had been taught.

A faint mist hung within the cave, swirling and shifting with the mountain breeze. Alone in this place, one could almost feel themselves drifting away, carefree and lost in thought.

But after just half an hour, his legs ached and his breath came in short gasps; drowsiness crept over him.

With a sigh, Yu Ye opened his eyes, stretched his legs, arched his back, and let out a long yawn.

According to Gu Yu, breath control was nothing more than breathing—something anyone could do. Yet who would have imagined cultivation could be so dull and tedious!

He rose to his feet, picked up a bamboo staff, and gave it a few experimental swings. The staff sliced through the air with a satisfying "whoosh."

Yes, swordplay was certainly more interesting! Each swing invigorated him, filling him with energy.

Just then, there was a bang at the stone door.

"Gu Yu, come see how my Xuanhuang Swordplay is coming along…"

Yu Ye called out as he practiced, glancing over his shoulder. Mid-sentence, he stopped, embarrassment flooding his face.

A veiled woman stood quietly two yards away, holding a bamboo box.

It was Bai Zhi. Perhaps she had shown her face before, for now there was no need for concealment. She set down the box, lifted the cloth from her face, and asked with a hint of curiosity, "Are you practicing the Xuanhuang Swordplay?"

Yu Ye nodded sheepishly, unable to hide his anxiety.

Gu Yu had warned him repeatedly: secretly learning swordplay or Daoist arts was a grave taboo. He had only meant to mimic a few moves in secret, yet was discovered at once. And after seven days of Gu Yu's company, why had Bai Zhi appeared instead? If she decided to pursue the matter, what then?

Still, she truly was beautiful—like a flower, delicate and lovely.

Bai Zhi regarded the boy she had not seen for seven days. His hair was wild, a bamboo staff in his hand, and his face full of guilt. After a moment, she asked gently, "The Xuanhuang Swordplay—how many forms does it have?"

Yu Ye blinked, confused. "How many forms?"

"You hold the sword in your right hand, the sword seal in your left. Why then do you clench your left hand into a fist?"

"What is a sword seal?"

A glimmer of amusement flashed in Bai Zhi's eyes, a faint smile gracing her cheek.

Yu Ye, still bewildered, suddenly felt as if the world had brightened. Perhaps it was the dawn light streaming into the cave, dazzling and radiant; or perhaps it was as if a flower had bloomed, luminous and captivating.

But Bai Zhi asked no more, instead stating her purpose directly—

"Gu Yu has business in the village. I've brought you the herbs and elixirs for your recovery in his stead."

With that, she turned to leave. But looking back, she smiled and added, "Do not mention the Jiao Pill within you to anyone, lest you bring disaster upon yourself—remember this! If you truly wish to learn swordplay, you may as well seek admission to Xuanhuang Mountain. Someday, I shall ask my master if she will accept another disciple."

The cave was silent once more, save for Yu Ye.

He gazed out at the light beyond the cave, as if lost in the splendor of the world, his eyes bright with longing. It was a long, long while before he blinked and, unable to help himself, broke into a foolish grin.

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Bai Zhi had not been angry, nor did she reproach him in any way. She had seen through his lack of swordsmanship and kindly offered her guidance. Not only that—she even intended to persuade her master to accept him as a disciple.

To become a Daoist disciple, a cultivator on the path?

Would Bai Zhi then become his senior sister?

Unimaginable!

To have such a beautiful senior sister was no small fortune. Her intelligence, her insight, her talents—all were worthy of admiration and envy.

And if he truly joined Xuanhuang Mountain, would he not become fellow disciples with Chen Qi as well? Hmph! Once he had mastered the arts, he would have the means to settle accounts with him.

Yu Ye tossed aside the bamboo staff, clasped his hands behind his back, a smile blooming on his face, his eyes sparkling with hope.

These days had been easy, joyful, and fulfilling. He no longer went hungry, no longer lived in fear; instead, he had company to play with, and someone to tend his wounds. Such happiness could scarcely be found even in dreams. In time, if he became a master of the Dao, what then? The future was bright indeed.

The thought filled Yu Ye with excitement. He sat cross-legged before the bamboo box Bai Zhi had left, pulled out two wild ginseng roots, and chewed them hungrily. Amid the bitterness, he tasted a hint of sweetness. He grabbed a piece of rhizome and stuffed it in his mouth, when a woman's sigh drifted to his ears—

"Alas, your days are numbered."

"Hmm, so long as I live, all is well!"

"Silly boy, you'll be the death of me…"

"Ah—!"

Yu Ye jumped, dropping the rhizome.

He had paid the sigh no mind at first, lost in his daydreams. Who would have thought that the thought he had just formed—without voicing it—would be noticed and answered?

Especially since that sigh, those words, though long gone, were all too familiar.

Yu Ye glanced about in alarm.

At that moment, sunlight poured through the cave entrance, chasing away the night's chill and morning mist, bathing the entire grotto in gold.

It dawned on Yu Ye, and he called out urgently, "Who are you?"

That familiar voice—he had heard it before in the cave at Lingjiao Valley. The string of calamities that followed were all connected to this speaker. The voice, once faint and weak, was now clear and pleasant. But what misfortune would she bring this time?

He heard her complain, "Oh, why does it matter who I am? You've been deceived…"

"Hmph, nonsense! I'm not a fool—how could I be tricked?"

His mind flashed to his past hardships, and anger flared as he demanded, "I know you are a woman. You made me swallow the Jiao Pill and poisoned me, implicating my village and costing over thirty lives. Where are you hiding? What are your intentions?"

"I…"

The voice hesitated, tinged with grievance.

"My intentions? Even I don't know. Had you not swallowed the Jiao Pill, you would not have survived. If I had not used the pill's power to save you, do you think you could have escaped that man's poison sword? As for your kin, their deaths were never my wish. Your hatred belongs with the murderer, not me."

Yu Ye was at a loss for words.

What she said was reasonable—he could not refute her. Even without the Jiao Pill, Chen Qi would not have spared him. Was it truly her secret aid that let him escape Chen Qi's blade? Was the Jiao Pill's poison not fatal? How then had it saved him?

"The Jiao Pill is indeed poisonous—medicine always has its dangers. Even so, why do people covet it? Even cultivators find its power hard to master. By that logic, isn't it as much a deadly poison as a miracle drug?"

"You say my days are numbered—what do you mean by that? I feel perfectly fine. Who is really deceiving me?"

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"Your present situation is just as mine was years ago. Things may seem peaceful now, but you don't know the disaster looming ahead. As for who has deceived you, you should already know in your heart."

"Where are you hiding? Why are you like a shadow—your voice heard but your form unseen?"

"How dense you are! I'm inside the Jiao Pill within your body. Nothing you do escapes me. And of course, not your foolish, naive little thoughts, either."

"Ah—!"

Yu Ye gasped, clutching his stomach in disbelief. "A worm…?"

If she resided within him, knowing his every move, wasn't she just like a worm in his belly?

The voice snapped with irritation, "Nonsense! You're the worm here. I am but a wisp of soul trapped in the Jiao Pill…"

"A ghost?"

"Hmph, I am human—merely stripped of my body, left with only soul and spirit, imprisoned in the Jiao Pill. I never intended to meddle in your fate, but here you are, following in my footsteps, utterly clueless. Fortunately, with the elixirs you've swallowed, I have regained some strength. Since fate has bound us, who else can help you if not me?"

As the long-unheard voice sounded again, Yu Ye was stunned, even indignant. Though his anger soon faded, suspicion lingered. Yet, learning that she was a soul confined within the Jiao Pill—even if it seemed impossible—he found himself half believing it.

Only a soul could be trapped inside such a pill. Only a soul could be unseen, untouchable, yet know all things. The old folk in his village had spoken of ghosts much the same way.

But she insisted she was no ghost—simply a person who had lost her body, left with only soul and spirit.

Yu Ye shook his head, his mind reeling.

To think, within his body dwelled a soul—a woman's soul, at that. Did that mean, from this day forth, he would have no privacy at all? And she, trapped in the pill, was beyond his reach. Her words left him even more at a loss.

After a moment's silence, Yu Ye asked softly, "What is your name?"

"You called me a shadow, so call me Jiao Shadow."

Jiao Shadow?

That was surely not her true name.

"I don't know who harmed you, or how I have followed in your footsteps. Did you suffer some terrible fate? Will you tell me?"

"Heh, clever boy!"

Jiao Shadow's tone was mischievous, like a spirited girl. She saw through his thoughts and said, "The Jiao Pill you swallowed was crafted by a master—the power within is extraordinary, enough to help a cultivator forge a golden core. As for its making, there's no need to elaborate. But think—wouldn't such a wondrous pill drive Daoists to madness? Chen Qi already knows you swallowed the pill, and still hunts you—do you really think it's just to silence you? Now Bai Zhi keeps you confined, catering to your likes, bringing rare herbs and elixirs, and even promises to recruit you as a disciple. Do you truly believe she is so selfless?"

"Bai Zhi… she wouldn't go that far."

"Oh? Are you so sure?"

"Even if Chen Qi and Bai Zhi mean me harm, they still can't get the Jiao Pill now, can they?"

"You swallowed it, but it hasn't disappeared. If it had, how would I be here?"

"Well… If I join Xuanhuang Mountain, learn the Daoist arts, and become strong, I need not fear Chen Qi."

Yu Ye's reasoning was feeble, and his expression grew troubled.

He heard Jiao Shadow say, "Right or wrong, let us not debate. If you wish to cultivate, why not seek my guidance?"

"You know the Xuanhuang Swordplay as well?"

"Hmph! Such mundane swordplay is beneath notice. I possess the Seven Killing Sword Qi, peerless beneath the heavens…"