Shadow Love (Yu Jin Chang An)

After the Pure Snow Festival, the entire Deer City seemed to suddenly become desolate. The number of pedestrians on the streets sharply decreased, and a night of heavy snow had blanketed both the city and its outskirts in a vast, cold whiteness.

Following the mysterious attack on the Crown Prince, the Deer City garrison and the Changfeng Battalion were plunged into tension, adding to the already solemn atmosphere of this border town.

Every soldier in the northern frontier knew of the prowess of that mysterious black-armored figure. If he truly intended to kill the Crown Prince, even with guards present, it would likely be impossible to stop him.

The city garrison enforced strict security measures, with the Crown Prince now accompanied by ten personal guards whenever he ventured out.

The city magistrate, a timid man, was terrified of any mishap befalling the Crown Prince in the northern frontier. Aware of the mysterious man's unusual feelings for Li Shuang, he made daily trips to the military camp, pleading with her to accompany the Crown Prince at the magistrate's residence. He practically wished Li Shuang could stay by the Crown Prince's side day and night, serving as his living talisman.

Initially, Li Shuang was somewhat concerned as well. When the magistrate came begging, she obliged. But after a few days, she noticed that the mysterious black-armored man showed no signs of activity. She had also stationed people to keep an eye on Jin An in the camp, who had been unusually well-behaved these days—training with the soldiers during the day and curling up in bed at night, not seeking her out. It was the quietest period since his return.

Li Shuang mused that perhaps her protective stance toward Sima Yang that night had wounded the overly simple-hearted mysterious man... hurt him?

She had even quietly left the camp one evening, seeking solace in a secluded pavilion in the city, but the mysterious man no longer appeared by her side as he once had, seizing every opportunity to do so.

Sitting in the pavilion until midnight, Li Shuang felt an indescribable loneliness creep into her heart.

Would that person... never appear by her side again?

He was the type to hold fast to his convictions. If he had resolved to cut ties with her that day, then there might truly be no chance of meeting again. After all... it had always been the black-armored man who sought her out. To this day, she knew nothing of his origins or whereabouts, leaving her no means to find him.

She touched her slightly cold and chapped lips, letting out a soft sigh. The warmth from her body dissipated into the night air as white mist. Taking a deep breath, Li Shuang felt the night growing increasingly colder.

The next day, the city magistrate came as usual to beg Li Shuang to accompany the Crown Prince. This time, she declined, citing pressing military duties. The magistrate left disappointed, and the Crown Prince did not send anyone to invite her either. Li Shuang was content with her newfound freedom.

She had no desire for further entanglement with Sima Yang.

She knew Sima Yang harbored feelings for her. They had met in their youth and spent much time together. Unlike most noblewomen confined to the inner chambers, Li Shuang rode horses, shot arrows, studied military strategy and law, and trained in martial arts—just like the sons of dukes and princes. As the adopted daughter of the Grand General, her tutors were nearly the same as Sima Yang's. The time she spent with him might only have been slightly less than that of his two study companions. Over such a long period, Li Shuang had naturally looked up to Sima Yang—but that was all it could ever be, nothing more.

Sima Yang had his own Crown Princess, and though his household was not overly crowded with concubines, rumors said he had added two or three in recent years.Since childhood, she had learned the art of war from her father, all for the sake of stepping out of the narrow backyard of the general's residence one day, away from the tedious and petty squabbles between the concubines. She didn’t want to finally gain the freedom to soar the skies and sail the seas, only to fall into another deep pit because of marriage.

Moreover, Sima Yang was the current crown prince. After the emperor’s passing, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would ascend the throne. In the future, the struggles behind him would only be bloodier, darker, and filthier than the battlefield.

Three years ago, Li Shuang already knew what she wanted. She also knew what the inevitable outcome would be if she stayed in the capital any longer. The crown prince had feelings for her—how delightful that sounded. Because she was the adopted daughter of the general, she was destined to unite with the prince for the sake of combining imperial and military power.

The position of principal consort would never go to an adopted daughter, but she would surely have a place as a secondary consort. If she bore the prince’s children in the future, her prospects would be immeasurable.

Her father might not rejoice for her, but the vast interest groups behind the general’s residence would certainly be overjoyed.

Li Shuang disliked being a pawn. She wanted to control her own destiny, to be the one moving the pieces.

At that time, Li Shuang saw the situation clearly, but Sima Yang also saw through her. Three years ago, after Sima Yang married his principal consort, Li Shuang began to consider leaving. Sima Yang knew what Li Shuang feared, but he wouldn’t allow her to be afraid, nor would he let her go. So, Sima Yang proposed to the empress that he marry Li Shuang.

The empress was naturally pleased and agreed. That very night, she intended to discuss it with the emperor.

Fortunately, Sima Yang’s younger brother overheard the news at the empress’s palace and rushed excitedly to tell Li Shuang, who was handling affairs in the palace at the time. Shocked, Li Shuang hurried back to the general’s residence and begged her father to immediately petition the emperor. Coincidentally, there was a military situation in the northern frontier at the time, and Li Shuang pleaded to be sent to the front. With her father’s request, the emperor finally granted her permission.

The decision for Li Shuang to head north to Lucheng was soon announced throughout the palace. She wasn’t the first female general to go to battle in the dynasty, but she was the one whose appointment was settled the fastest. After the empress learned of the emperor’s decree, the matter of Sima Yang’s request was shelved.

On the day Li Shuang departed for the northern frontier, Sima Yang came to see her off. Li Shuang still remembered how Sima Yang had asked her with a somber expression, "Am I truly so unbearable? You’d rather flee to the bitter cold of the north than stay by my side?"

Li Shuang knelt and pressed her forehead deeply to the ground. "Your Highness exaggerates. Li Shuang is utterly terrified."

It was the first time she had responded to Sima Yang in such a manner, doing everything she could to distance herself from him. Sima Yang was silent for a long time before finally ordering her to rise in a low voice. When she stood, it was also the first time she saw Sima Yang look at her with disappointment and sorrow.

"I thought... you would understand me, that you would be willing to stand by my side forever..."

Li Shuang shut out his whispered words from her heart. She knew she could stay by his side forever, accompany him always, and regard him as her only one. But Sima Yang’s life was destined not to be spent solely by her side, not to accompany her always, nor to regard her as his only one.

He would have a harem of three thousand and the weight of imperial power. And she—she had places in her heart she longed to reach.

After that, Li Shuang never returned to the capital.She thought three years had passed, and Sima Yang must have had children by now, so this unsettling affection could finally fade away. Never did she expect that Sima Yang would volunteer to come to this bitterly cold northern frontier he had once described, nor that he would tell her he hadn’t come for the bond between ruler and subject.

This unsettled Li Shuang. From the day she learned of Sima Yang’s arrival, she had secretly resolved that unless it was a matter of life and death, she would stay far away from him! Absolutely! Yet who could have guessed that such a critical matter would arise so quickly…

Li Shuang sighed. Truly, new peach blossoms collide with old ones, and the blossoms rot.

After Li Shuang stopped going to the city guard’s office, the Crown Prince, aside from his daily routine of inspecting the military camp and city walls, did not disturb her further.

Just as Li Shuang began to settle down, thinking this winter would finally bring some peace, a soldier suddenly reported movement in the woods dozens of miles beyond the former Changfeng Camp’s grounds.

The news caught Li Shuang’s attention.

"What kind of movement?"

"Though those woods are far from Deer City, on clear days we can still see them from a distance. Recently, soldiers have noticed a significant decrease in trees—clearly cut down by human hands."

Cutting trees? Li Shuang stroked her chin in thought. "Have they seen anyone transporting the logs, or building something on-site? Or perhaps smoke from fires?"

"No. The missing trees seem to have vanished into thin air. No signs of transport, no construction, and no fires."

"Send scouts to investigate."

"Yes, General."

The soldier withdrew. Li Shuang recalled that those woods were where they had found Jin An. She, Luo Teng, and a few soldiers had investigated before and discovered an underground stone chamber filled with disorderly burials. The old woman suspected of "rising from death" to attack Changfeng Camp had also emerged from that chamber.

Now there was movement in those woods again?

Was it people… or perhaps other "beings" from that underground chamber? And if they weren’t transporting the wood, building, or burning it—what were they doing with it?

Li Shuang dispatched scouts multiple times, at different hours, day and night. Yet no one was ever seen felling trees in those woods. Still, the trees continued to disappear. After a few days, the thinning forest even revealed bare hills in the distance—yet still, no people were spotted.

The Changfeng Camp soldiers didn’t dwell on it, but rumors began spreading among Deer City’s garrison: ghosts were haunting the lands beyond the city.

After the Snow Festival, life had grown dull, and within days, the collective imagination had spun over a dozen ghost stories about the vanishing woods.

The frigid wilderness, paired with these tales, sent chills down everyone’s spines. At first, Li Shuang dismissed the nonsense, but the rumors grew wilder, even threatening to shake the army’s morale. Some claimed the ghosts of the Western Rong warriors slain by the black-masked stranger were restless and seeking vengeance.

A subdued fear began to creep through the camp.

Furious, Li Shuang tracked down the first person to spread the rumor and had them severely punished with dozens of lashes.Yet, what was even more unexpected was that the next day, the soldier who had been beaten was found dead in the snow outside the city.

Overnight, the heavy snowfall had nearly buried him, leaving only a hand exposed. When he was dug out, his breath had long ceased, his heart hollowed out and taken. The empty cavity of his chest was a horrifying sight, and his face bore an expression of sheer terror, as if he had witnessed something unspeakably dreadful.

The incident sent further tremors through the military camp, and rumors spread like wildfire, even reaching the homes of Deer City’s civilians. Every household hurriedly plastered their doors with talismans and charms. In just one night, the once-peaceful Deer City became covered in mystical symbols, taking on an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.

Li Shuang knew well that military morale must not falter. While she was discussing countermeasures with her officers, a messenger from the city guard’s office arrived, summoning her to meet the Crown Prince.

Qin Lan observed Li Shuang’s expression and volunteered, “General, you are currently occupied with military affairs and may not have time to spare. This humble general will boldly take your place and attend the Crown Prince in your stead, to receive and relay his commands.”

Li Shuang was more than happy to agree, nodding repeatedly. “Excellent, excellent.”

Seeing her reaction, Qin Lan lowered his head slightly, the corners of his lips curling into a faint, silent smile. He was willing to shield her from anything that might trouble her.

“This subordinate will accompany the messenger to the city guard’s office first,” Qin Lan said, taking his leave. Just as he was about to step out, Li Shuang called after him, “Qin Lan.”

He turned back.

Li Shuang hesitated before adding, “If the Crown Prince’s matter proves difficult to handle, send someone to summon me.”

Qin Lan’s gaze softened—she was worried the Crown Prince might give him a hard time. Suppressing the emotions in his eyes, he simply clasped his fists and replied, “Understood.”

Qin Lan did not stay long at the city guard’s office. Sima Yang did not question why Li Shuang had not come in person. Instead, he brought up the recent rumors in Deer City about supernatural disturbances. Far from assigning blame, he proposed a solution.

When Qin Lan reported back, Li Shuang instinctively furrowed her brows at Sima Yang’s proposed method, yet she had no choice but to comply. “What did the Crown Prince say?”

Qin Lan paused before answering, “The Crown Prince wishes for the General to accompany him with a contingent of personal guards to patrol the desolate forest. He intends to personally quell the rumors.”

Li Shuang fell silent. The common folk were superstitious; reasoning with them was futile. The quickest way to dispel the rumors was indeed to fight superstition with superstition. If she and Sima Yang made an appearance there and then spread word that the Crown Prince’s imperial aura had vanquished the evil spirits, it would be the most efficient solution.

Moreover, they could personally lead a team to investigate. Scouts were, after all, just scouts—their martial skills and movements could not compare to those of their own trusted guards or themselves. It was inevitable that some clues might have been missed.

Sima Yang had proposed a sound plan. The only difficulty was that it required her to accompany him.

“Very well, let’s proceed with this,” Li Shuang said after a moment’s consideration, finally nodding. At the very least, both of them would be accompanied by their own guards. “Qin Lan, make the necessary arrangements. The personal guard unit will set out with me tomorrow. Ensure the Crown Prince’s side is also fully prepared. The primary mission of this expedition is to protect the Crown Prince.”

Qin Lan bowed his head. “Understood.”

At noon the next day, Li Shuang donned her silver armor, hefted her eight-sided heavy sword, and led twelve personal guards to wait for Sima Yang before the city walls. When Sima Yang arrived, he too was clad in iron military attire. Standing side by side with Li Shuang, they appeared a perfect match in the eyes of onlookers.Most of the camp had come to pay their respects to the Crown Prince.

Coincidentally, Lu Xin had come to visit Ji Ran today. Her gaze had been fixed on Ji Ran, but now the midday sun reflected off the snow, drawing her attention instead to Li Shuang and Sima Yang.

"Wow," Lu Xin couldn't help but murmur softly. "The general and His Highness make such a perfect pair." She shook the small hand she was holding. "Jin An, don't you think so?"

Beside her, amidst the circle of surrounding adults, only the tiny figure of Jin An stood within.

His cold eyes watched Li Shuang and Sima Yang from afar, noting how their movements as they mounted their horses were nearly identical. He remained silent, merely pulling his hand free from Lu Xin's grasp. "I told you not to touch me," he said. Turning his back on everyone, he no longer looked at Li Shuang or Sima Yang and walked back into the camp.

Behind him, the soldiers' mighty cheers echoed across the sky as they saw Li Shuang and Sima Yang off through the city gates. Jin An walked to the entrance of the personal guards' camp, which was empty—not a soul in sight. He lay down on his bed, staring up at the tent ceiling.

Not a word escaped him, not even a flicker of emotion in his eyes.

He had been like this for days now, though it seemed no one had noticed—not even Li Shuang had come to ask after him. She liked that Crown Prince. So nothing else would hold her attention anymore.

More than once, Jin An had wondered if Li Shuang felt the same way when she saw the Crown Prince as he did when he saw her—as if everything else in the world lost its color, leaving only her glowing, drawing all his thoughts and focus toward her, making him throw himself at her like a moth to a flame, heedless of the consequences.

No one knew that in these past few days when Li Shuang hadn't spared him a glance, this moth had exerted more effort than it would take to plunge into fire just to restrain his urge to approach her—and endured pain more agonizing than being burned alive.

She didn't like him. She didn't need him. These two realizations played over and over in his mind like a curse, chilling all the fervor in his blood.

And it wasn't just an illusion that made him feel cold—it was real.

The flame pattern on his chest was cooling, its colors fading. Even at night, when he transformed into an adult, if he didn't burrow under the covers, the frigid winds of the northern frontier would freeze his limbs stiff—a sensation he had never experienced before.

From the day he escaped that mountain forest, from the moment he met Li Shuang, his heart had always been filled with burning passion. Even when exposed to icy winds and blizzards, he had never felt the slightest chill.

But now...

"General Luo! General Luo!" A panicked shout suddenly rang out from outside. Jin An recognized the voice—it was Wan Changshan, one of Li Shuang's personal guards.

Why... was his voice here? Weren't all the personal guards supposed to have gone out with Li Shuang...?

Jin An turned his head and realized the tent was already pitch black. Had he really been lying here for so long... long enough for night to fall? Why had he been completely unaware of the passage of time...?

"General Luo!"

"The general and the Crown Prince were ambushed! They've disappeared!"

Jin An's hollow pupils slowly contracted upon hearing these words. In one swift motion, he flipped over and sat bolt upright.

The blood in his chest, which had seemed frozen, surged violently through his body with the pounding of his heart.He stepped barefoot on the ground, feeling no chill from the earth beneath him. In a flash, he darted out of the personal guards' camp and halfway down the path, abruptly seized Wan Changshan by the collar.

"What did you say?"

Wan Changshan stared in shock at the figure before him.

Reflected in his dark pupils, illuminated by the campfires outside, was Jin An's current form—now an adult, his eyes crimson, flame-like patterns creeping from his chest to the corners of his eyes. He still wore the child-sized military uniform, now torn at the seams by his bulging muscles, hanging off him like tattered rags.

Wan Changshan gaped at him. "You... who are you?"

"Who are you?" Luo Teng, hearing the commotion outside, rushed over from his own camp, his broadsword pointed at Jin An as he frowned and asked, "Black-armored man?" But Jin An paid him no mind, gripping Wan Changshan's collar as he demanded word by word:

"Where is Li Shuang?"

At the mention of this, Wan Changshan immediately forgot about the man before him and turned to Luo Teng. "General Luo! We need reinforcements! The general and the crown prince have disappeared into an underground stone chamber in those woods!"

An underground stone chamber...

Jin An released Wan Changshan. For some reason, his mind was suddenly flooded with chaotic images—someone cutting into his heart to drain his blood, his own agonized screams as he struggled in pain, insects crawling into his body, scenes of bloody slaughter and frenzied flight.

A splitting headache struck him, but none of that mattered to Jin An. The only thing that mattered was that he knew... he knew where that underground chamber was!

He knew where Li Shuang was.

He had to save her.

Even if she loved someone else, even if she would draw her blade against him to protect another, even if she would never marry him in this lifetime, never stay with him, never even want to see him again... he would still save her!

With all his strength, at the cost of his life, throwing everything aside—he would save her.

This was his duty, his instinct, his one and only unshakable resolve.