A Journey in the Shadow of Power

Guazhou

Heavy rain soaked the city gate that night. A young man in a black robe stood in front of an old tavern, wiping blood from his hands.

"Three merchants missing in a week," he muttered softly. "But why do they always end up in the hands of 'those who shall not be named'..."

Mu Qingye, the name he now used, stepped into the tavern. The owner, an old woman with watchful eyes, immediately recognized him.

"Young Master Mu, the rain tonight brings ill omens. You must be careful."

Mu Qingye nodded briefly. "Any news from the courier from Shuyi?"

"None. In fact, the last courier never returned."

His heart clenched.

---

On the other side, deep in Qingyuan village, isolated by forests and rivers, a teenage girl was pounding herbal medicine under the dim light of an oil lamp.

Su Lianyue, daughter of the physician Su Qianru, was known as a gifted healer despite only being eighteen.

Lightning flashed in the distance. A dog barked. Then a commotion sounded from outside the cottage.

"Who's out there?!" Lianyue exclaimed, opening the door.

A man lay unconscious on the muddy ground. His clothes were torn, and his body was covered in blood.

Su Lianyue carried the man into her house. She began to prepare some herbal remedies to treat his wounds.

The man's wounds healed, but the energy within his soul was erratic, as if a powerful martial artist had caused it.

"Mother, even if he regains consciousness, his power will be crippled," Su Lianyue said.

"Lianyue, not everything in this world is eternal, even the power that man possesses."

Su Qianru knew who was responsible for the man's severe injuries, for there were only two people with such similar power.

A few hours later...

The man opened his eyes, his face pale. Su Lianyue helped him sit up.

"How do you feel?" Su Lianyue asked softly.

The man was speechless, captivated by the beauty of the woman before him, but his reverie was broken when Su Lianyue's mother entered.

"I-I feel better. Where is this?"

"Sir, you are in Qingyuan village," Su Lianyue said with a small smile, pouring him a glass of tea.

"What?" he exclaimed in surprise. How could he be here?

"I, I must go home," the man said quickly. His mission would not be completed if he just stayed here.

Su Lianyue fell silent for a moment. She felt bad speaking now, but it was difficult to hide.

"Sir, your soul essence is not normal. So, your power will not be as it usually is," she said softly, startling the man.

The man massaged his forehead, remembering the night he was severely injured.

"Who are you?!"

From behind a black robe and hood, the man laughed contentedly. "Zhao Mingxuan, you are not strong enough to know who I am."

Zhao Mingxuan was silent. The man knew his name. He saw an emblem on the man's robe.

It was an image similar to the intruder who had entered his residence, making his family accused of illegal trade.

"You're the mastermind behind all this?!" Zhao Mingxuan screamed. He drew his sword and rushed towards the man.

A fight broke out between the two. The man was unarmed, yet managed to send Zhao Mingxuan sprawling to the ground.

Zhao Mingxuan didn't have much strength. He couldn't stand. His whole body felt shattered.

Moments later, the man in the black robe approached, unleashing a technique that resembled water in the shape of a palm print.

The technique slammed into Zhao Mingxuan's body, rendering him unconscious. After that, the man in the black robe disappeared.

A moment later, Zhao Mingxuan regained consciousness, his body weak. He walked aimlessly.

•••

"Sir," Su Lianyue called, seeing the man before her remain silent.

"Young Master, don't worry. You can normalize your soul essence in a few days. You can train in the bamboo forest," Su Qianru said.

"Thank you, I owe you both a debt of gratitude," he said.

"Where are you from?" Su Qianru asked.

"I am Zhao Mingxuan from Yongki."

"Young Master from Yongki, your father is the city guard of Yongki, isn't he?"

"You know my father?"

Su Qianru smiled, just nodding slightly. She gave Zhao Mingxuan three medicinal pills.

"Take this once a day before training," Su Qianru said.

"Alright, I will train now."

Su Lianyue helped escort Zhao Mingxuan to the bamboo forest behind her house.

"Madam, please, there's a commotion in the market!" a villager came to find Su Qianru.

"How can that be? Who caused this disturbance?"

"A demon! It's sucking the souls of the villagers. Many are injured. We were helped by a young martial artist; otherwise, many villagers would have died."

Su Qianru immediately grabbed her medicine box and walked out of her house.

Soon after Su Qianru arrived, several villagers were indeed severely injured. She immediately treated them one by one.

After she finished, she immediately greeted the young martial artist who had helped them.

"Sir, thank you," Qianru and the other villagers said.

"No problem, does chaos often happen here?" he asked.

"No, only these past few days. Originally, life in Qingyuan village was peaceful."

The martial artist walked slowly, observing the situation.

"Sir, please stay here for a few days to rest," they all said.

The man was silent. He looked around him; small children and even elderly people were severely injured. However, he also had a very important mission to complete.

After a moment of thought, he finally agreed to stay for a few days.

"Yes, we have a martial artist now!" shouted their village chief.

The man gave a stiff smile, bowing slightly before looking at all the villagers. "Don't call me a martial artist. I am Mu Qingye from Guazhou."

An old man approached him, carrying a bottle of milk. "This is from my livestock. Take it as a thank you for saving my grandchild."

The old man knelt in gratitude, and Mu Qingye immediately helped him stand.

"We all stand on the same ground here. There's no way I could just stand by and watch the villagers get hurt," he said softly.