Shadow Love (Yu Jin Chang An)

In the dark cave, thick mud slowly flowed and gathered towards the bottom of the pit, its sluggish movement posing no immediate threat to the two figures still trapped there.

The suffocatingly viscous sound of its movement mirrored the near-frozen blood in Jin An's veins. He could hear each heartbeat pounding like a drum hammer against his ribs.

He kept pressing on her chest, channeling his inner energy in a desperate attempt to revive her body. Yet he didn't know if his efforts could truly save her. Hopeless yet stubborn, he clung to her faintest breath, repeating the motions over and over, refusing to give up.

Clear tears rolled down, washing clean streaks through the mud caking Li Shuang's face.

After what felt like an eternity of despair, he finally heard a faint cough.

Jin An's eyes instantly brightened as if witnessing the first light of dawn.

Li Shuang trembled in his arms, curling slightly as if in discomfort. Her cheek instinctively pressed against the burning skin of his chest, unconsciously seeking refuge in her rescuer.

This small movement made Jin An's nearly stilled heart suddenly race wildly.

His fingers shook. He dared not press her chest anymore, nor hold her too tightly, afraid any misplaced strength might cause her pain again. He even feared speaking, worried his voice might shatter her fragile state.

Li Shuang's breathing gradually steadied in his embrace before her eyes slowly opened. Seeing his reflection in her gaze filled Jin An with profound relief.

"You..." Her voice was hoarse. "Why..."

"I won't let anything happen to you." Jin An soothed her chest as his inner energy flowed gently into her body.

To Li Shuang, this healing energy felt like a strange warmth, thawing her frozen limbs while simultaneously stirring something deep within her heart. In that moment, she seemed to sense his emotions—his tension, sorrow, and grief.

He was grieving for her.

Collecting herself from initial shock, Li Shuang lightly raised her hand to cover his.

Jin An trembled slightly, wrapping his other arm around to cradle her against him. His chin brushed her forehead as he whispered, "You're alright now? You're really alright?" He needed her confirmation to erase the lingering fear in his heart.

For once, Li Shuang allowed herself to linger in another's warmth, savoring the security he provided.

He had saved her again.

From despair, from hopelessness, with miraculous determination—as if wielding the power to rewrite legends just to rescue her.

No one had ever made her feel... this safe, simply by being present.

Yet strangely, she didn't even know this man's full name or origins.

"I'll take you away." Sensing her pulse stabilizing, Jin An withdrew his energy, determined to carry her from this dark place. Scooping her horizontally into his arms, he leaped from the muddy pit toward the moonlight filtering in from outside.Just as they were passing through the crevice between the rocks, a figure suddenly appeared before them. He tapped his folded fan against his chin and said, "What a delightful show you've put on for me. But I can't simply let you walk away like this."

Behind him, Li Shuang could already see the scenery bathed in the bright moonlight outside. She was extremely familiar with this part of the northern frontier. She recognized this as the other side of the small forested hill. By all accounts, they should already be within Xirong territory, but since Xirong had no cities in this area and the Great Jin never set foot on Xirong soil, this place had remained desolate and unguarded for years.

The air around Jin An instantly turned hostile.

Sensing the murderous intent, the fan-wielding man laughed. "No need for misunderstandings. Let me introduce myself first. I am Wu Yin. This scheme of mine wasn't aimed at General Li at all." He opened his fan with a smile, his eyes narrowing amiably. "I was only targeting you, my little Gu person."

Li Shuang was taken aback. Gu person... what was that?

She looked up at the man holding her and noticed the bloodstains spreading across his chest were more vivid than usual, his crimson eyes more terrifying than if they'd been painted with blood.

"Get behind me," Jin An said as he set Li Shuang down. The moment her feet touched the ground, her legs gave way, and she nearly collapsed.

Jin An's focus wavered. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, she's fine, perfectly fine," Wu Yin interjected cheerfully. "She's just been poisoned by my witchcraft, that's all." He pointed at Li Shuang's arm with a smile. "I applied it earlier."

Jin An looked down and saw that Li Shuang's sleeve had been torn open at some point, revealing a cut on her arm. From the moment she had fallen into the mud pit, everything else had overshadowed this minor injury—so much so that neither Jin An nor even Li Shuang herself had noticed it.

Jin An gently covered the wound on Li Shuang's arm, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Wu Yin. "The antidote."

"I told you, I never intended to target General Li. I only needed her to deal with you—"

Before he could finish, Jin An shot forward like an arrow, his speed so fast that Li Shuang barely had time to react. She steadied herself against the rock wall and turned to see Jin An and Wu Yin locked in combat, their movements blurring in her increasingly hazy vision.

The sheer speed and force of their clash sent loose rocks tumbling down the slope. Li Shuang barely managed to dodge one before turning back to see Jin An pinning Wu Yin beneath him, his crimson eyes burning as he tightened his grip around Wu Yin's throat. "The antidote. I won't ask a third time."

Yet even under such a threat, Wu Yin laughed, his expression utterly unruffled. "If I die, General Li will have to accompany me to the grave."

A tremor passed through Jin An's eyes—clearly, the shadow of Li Shuang's earlier peril still lingered in his mind.

"It's simple. As I said, I don't intend to harm General Li. I only want you." Wu Yin raised a hand and brushed aside a strand of Jin An's hair that had fallen near his ear. "Come with me, and I'll give her the antidote."Jin An knew that the farther he stayed from Li Shuang, the more pain wracked his body. But at this moment, none of that could influence his decision anymore.

"Don't... trust him." Li Shuang, aware of the mysterious man's simple-minded nature, spoke with difficulty. "I'm fine... Kill him... The army medics can... treat..."

Li Shuang had never been one for mercy. Accustomed to decisive action, she knew this man who dared scheme against her and the Eastern Palace must not be spared. Eliminate the threat first—other matters could wait.

"General Li is truly ruthless." Wu Yin glanced at her. "Right now you're just weak, but soon your limbs will go numb. Then comes the agony of ten thousand ants gnawing your bones. Not long after, you'll die. Your physicians can't cure this poison."

The more indifferent his tone, the darker Jin An's expression grew.

"Kill him." Li Shuang remained unmoved.

Yet Jin An didn't strike. "I don't believe you."

Li Shuang frowned, wanting to stop him, but when she opened her mouth, she realized she didn't even know what name to call him...

"I told you, I won't harm her. General Li's life means nothing to me. Whether you believe me is up to you." Wu Yin turned his palm, revealing a small white porcelain vial. "This controls you. Swallow it, and I'll give General Li the antidote."

Before Li Shuang could utter "Don't," a sudden numbness seized her body, her throat muscles tightened, and excruciating pain spread through every limb.

Jin An snatched the vial from Wu Yin's hand and downed its contents. "The antidote."

Wu Yin smiled. "Good boy. No need to rush—here's General Li's antidote."

As he spoke, a white-robed woman descended gracefully, supporting the curled-up Li Shuang. She pinched Li Shuang's chin and fed her a pill. Immediately, Li Shuang's eyes closed as she fell unconscious.

Jin An's heart lurched. He wanted to go to her, but Wu Yin gripped his wrist. "You're mine now."

The words seemed to send worms burrowing into Jin An's brain, flooding his ears with Wu Yin's voice. It seized control of his body, preventing him from taking even a single step toward Li Shuang.

"Come home with me. Jade Silkworm." The voice commanded his limbs, and Jin An's consciousness faded beneath its waves.

Before his eyes shut, he caught one last glimpse of Li Shuang lying motionless on the ground—peaceful and steady, just as she looked in sleep.

Was she alright now?

As long as she was safe... nothing else mattered.

"Young Master." The white-robed woman approached Wu Yin. Simultaneously, four or five more women dropped from the cave ceiling, gathering around him. Some lifted Jin An, while others draped a snow-white mink pelt over Li Shuang for warmth.

"Thank you all for your efforts." Wu Yin stood, brushing off his robes. "Let's go. The Jade Silkworm has been reclaimed—it's time to return."

"But the Jade Silkworm has bonded with its master. Is it proper not to bring the host back?"Wu Yin glanced at Li Shuang and said, "It's only been a few days since you recognized her. No matter, we can just erase the Jade Silkworm's memories. Besides, taking our Jade Silkworm away is fine, but if we were to take the Great General of the Northern Frontier with us, getting past the border wouldn't be easy. I can't be bothered with the hassle on the way back." He stretched lazily, then turned to gaze through the gap at the distant sky where dawn was about to break. "This frozen wasteland of the Northern Frontier makes me long for the flowers of the south."