Shadow Love (Yu Jin Chang An)

This utterly irrelevant response successfully stunned Li Shuang, making her forget her own question and even startling her so much that she couldn't maintain her fierce expression. "You... what did you say?"

The Jade Faced Rakshasa rarely felt flustered, but now he did.

"Marry me."

The Black-Faced Man repeated it calmly, as if he didn’t realize how terrifying his words were.

"Absurd!"

Li Shuang finally snapped out of her daze and scolded him, releasing his collar as if it burned her.

"Absurd?" He continued staring at her with that same earnestness. "Why absurd? I know that marriage means entrusting yourself to another person, staying with them until death parts you." His crimson eyes held nothing but her reflection. "You can entrust yourself to me. I will protect you, and I want to stay with you—until death, without parting."

These grand vows of love sounded as ordinary as discussing daily necessities when spoken by him. Yet for some reason, hearing him recite these passionate words so calmly before her, Li Shuang felt something beyond exasperated amusement—

Moved?

Was he an idiot? Only someone simple-minded or outright insane would say such things to a person they’d only met twice.

Or... was there some scheme behind this?

"Enough of this nonsense," Li Shuang said coldly, cutting him off. "Tell me, how do you know these things? Speak honestly, or else—"

"Or else... you’ll arrest me and interrogate me?" He looked at her, his expression utterly innocent, even a little wounded, as if silently asking why she was always so harsh with him.

For the first time, Li Shuang felt her hands tremble slightly while dealing with someone who might be a "spy."

"You don’t want to marry me?" The Black-Faced Man leaned slightly closer.

That small distance created immense pressure. She instinctively retreated a step, forcing her expression to remain stern. "Marriage is decided by parents and matchmakers, not me. Besides, your identity is unclear, your origins a mystery, and you’ve yet to show your true face—yet you dare speak of marriage with me? Don’t come so close."

She couldn’t take it anymore and pushed him away.

He obediently stepped back, but his hand lingered where her fingers had brushed his shoulder. Though the touch had been fleeting, it was as if her warmth remained. His gaze softened, warm and fragmented, as if he truly harbored boundless affection for her.

Last time... when they had rescued Li Ting and escaped that underground cavern together, hadn’t he looked at her the same way?

That tender gaze made Li Shuang doubt herself again—had she somehow lost some memories? Had she truly left a lover behind in the northern frontier?

"If I show you my face, will you marry me?" he asked.

Every word this man spoke to her sounded so natural and sincere that even statements she would normally reject without hesitation left her momentarily speechless.

"You—"

"General?"Outside the grove, Qin Lan's questioning voice suddenly rang out. Li Shuang turned her head to look, and in that instant, a gust of wind brushed past her. When she turned back, the black-armored man who had been standing beside her moments ago had vanished without a trace.

Li Shuang was astonished. This man's movements were incredibly swift. In terms of lightness skills, the gap between her and him was more than just a little.

When Qin Lan outside the grove received no response, his voice grew slightly more urgent: "General?"

Li Shuang steadied her emotions. "I'm here."

Hearing her reply, Qin Lan relaxed. "Is the general alright?"

"Yes," Li Shuang responded as she followed Qin Lan's voice, weaving through several trees until she saw him standing with his back to her. It seemed he hadn't dared to turn around to avoid impropriety.

Yes, this was how a proper man should behave!

Li Shuang roughly tied up her damp hair, coiling it atop her head, and asked Qin Lan, "Why have you come?"

"The guards said the general went out at night without an escort. I guessed you must have come here, but when you didn't return after a long wait, I grew concerned. So I hurried over. Just now, I thought I heard voices in the grove but wasn't sure if I should approach, so I called out instead."

"Yes," Li Shuang acknowledged. "There was a scoundrel who came to disturb me."

Qin Lan stiffened and turned his head. Seeing Li Shuang's damp hair coiled up and water droplets trickling down her neck into her collar, he averted his gaze again. "Is the general unharmed?"

"It's nothing serious," Li Shuang said as she walked past Qin Lan to retrieve her horse. Suddenly remembering something, she turned back to ask, "Earlier, I sent someone to investigate—did they find out which tribe beyond the frontier has a custom of tattooing flame patterns on their chests?"

"We've checked. There doesn't seem to be any such tribe beyond the frontier." Qin Lan paused, as if recalling something. "The scoundrel the general mentioned just now—could it be that black-masked man from last time?"

Li Shuang was taken aback, surprised that Qin Lan had guessed so quickly. "Yes, it was him. But he moved too fast and got away."

Qin Lan frowned slightly. "Young Master mentioned that the man was injured while rescuing him. Yet in just a few days, he's recovered so completely?"

At this reminder, Li Shuang realized that when she saw him earlier, she hadn't noticed any wounds on him. But she distinctly remembered that day in the pit trap when she went to "rescue" him—he had grabbed the blades embedded in the walls with his bare hands, his palms slashed by the edges countless times, and his back pierced deeply by the swords.

Yet today, his movements showed no sign of injury—no sluggishness at all. Even his palms... bore no trace of healing scars.

For an ordinary person, his wounds... had healed far too quickly.

Li Shuang stroked her chin in thought. A man with extraordinary martial skills, a peculiar physique, and a mysterious identity, who also seemed to know her every move... The only connection she could imagine between him and her life was Jin An.

They shared the same flame tattoos. Perhaps they were from the same tribe or sect. There must be some link between them—maybe Jin An was exchanging information about the Changfeng Battalion with him, or rather... information about her.

Li Shuang mounted her horse. "Is Jin An still in the personal guard camp?"

Qin Lan hesitated. "When I left, the guards said he had already gone to sleep."Li Shuang tugged at the reins. "Mm, we'll investigate when we return. Bring him to my camp tomorrow for questioning."

Understanding her suspicions, Qin Lan responded in a low voice before riding back to camp alongside her.

By the time they returned to the military camp, it was deep into the night. Most of the soldiers were already asleep. As Li Shuang passed by the personal guard barracks, she paused briefly at the entrance. The sentry at the door immediately straightened up and saluted her with a sharp demeanor.

Li Shuang asked softly, "Are they all asleep inside?"

"Yes, aside from those on duty, everyone is resting."

She nodded. The personal guard barracks housed her most trusted soldiers, who were also the strongest in the entire Changfeng Battalion. If they were guarding someone inside, it would be impossible for that person to slip away unnoticed. Even though Jin An had displayed strength beyond his peers that day, judging by his skills, his lightness technique wasn’t advanced enough for such a feat.

But... if it were the man from tonight...

Li Shuang’s expression darkened slightly. He truly might have been capable of leaving without alerting anyone inside, perhaps slipping away during a guard’s momentary lapse.

However, if Li Shuang’s deduction was correct, the black-armored man wouldn’t have taken Jin An away from the Changfeng Battalion if he wanted him to gather intelligence. Instead, he would have Jin An embed himself deeper within the camp to obtain more information.

After some consideration, Li Shuang decided to return to her tent and rest.

But just as she lifted the tent flap and was about to step inside, the sentry on the watchtower suddenly cried out in alarm. The warning bell rang out sharply: "Western Rong troops! It’s the Western Rong army! A large force has crossed the border! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The military alert came without warning, leaving no time for preparation. The previously quiet Changfeng Battalion erupted into chaos as soldiers scrambled awake at the sound of the alarm.

Li Shuang’s expression hardened instantly. Without a moment’s delay, she turned and shouted, "Full alert! Mobilize the troops!"

She looked into the distance—sparse signal fires had ignited across the desolate frontier, soon spreading across the wilderness. The thunderous sound of hooves seemed poised to shatter the vast northern lands.

As winter approached, the very thing she had feared most had finally come to pass.