Shadow Love (Yu Jin Chang An)

"General, shall we proceed?" Luo Teng asked.

Li Shuang's expression was grave. "Cover your mouths and noses. Let's go in and investigate."

At her command, the men covered their faces with cloth. Luo Teng led the way, torch in hand, carefully illuminating the entrance before descending step by step.

The staircase was deeper than expected, extending about twenty feet underground. There was no light except for Luo Teng's torch, and the further they descended, the stronger the stench of decay became. Fortunately, as seasoned soldiers, they were accustomed to such odors.

Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs and entered a chamber roughly thirty feet long and ten feet wide. The sight before them was horrifying. The chamber was enclosed by iron bars, forming a prison cell. The cell door had been broken open, the bars bent as if rammed by some wild beast. Inside, dried blood stained the ground, while scattered bones—some still rotting, others reduced to skeletal fragments—littered the space.

At a glance, it was impossible to tell how many people had perished here.

As Li Shuang and the others stepped into the cell, Luo Teng moved forward, but she pulled him back. "Wait. There's movement inside." No sooner had she spoken than a pair of eerie green eyes flashed in the darkness beyond the torchlight, followed by the low growls of wolves.

The torchlight revealed a pack of wild wolves gnawing at the corpses near the prison bars. The gruesome scene nearly made Luo Teng retch.

Li Shuang glanced at the wolves, identifying the largest as the alpha. With a swift kick, she sent a small stone flying, striking the alpha squarely on the nose. The wolf yelped in pain and fled through a hole on the other side of the cell, the rest of the pack following in quick succession.

"Damn it..." Luo Teng gagged. "How can those mangy mutts stomach this stench? Eating that filth..."

Assuming the cell was now empty, they relaxed—until a sudden gust of foul-smelling wind rushed toward Li Shuang as she took the torch and moved toward the center. A guard behind her shouted, "General, watch out!" as his sword hissed from its sheath.

Li Shuang barely managed to block the figure lunging at her with the torch.

The attacker was a woman, her face obscured by tangled black hair, her clothes ragged, yet her strength was unnaturally immense. "The scent... ah... I smell him..." Her voice was that of an old woman. Before Li Shuang could react, the torch was knocked from her grasp, sent flying until it clattered against the iron bars and rolled across the floor.

Luckily, the torch didn't extinguish, casting flickering light onto the old woman's face from the side.

Behind the disheveled hair was a deeply wrinkled face, smeared with blood and showing signs of decay on her cheeks and neck. Yet, despite her grotesque appearance, her tattered garments were adorned with exquisite jewels.

Who was this woman? How had she gone unnoticed when they entered? Was her martial prowess truly so formidable?

As Li Shuang pondered, the old woman suddenly struck again, reaching for her throat. Li Shuang dodged just in time.

The torchlight dimmed as the flames dwindled, plunging the cell deeper into darkness.Li Shuang's vision was obstructed, her movements slowed, yet the old woman remained completely unaffected. Li Shuang knew she couldn't defeat this crone in the underground chamber... Before this thought could fully form, a broadsword suddenly slashed diagonally, piercing straight into the old woman's side. As the blade withdrew, the woman's movements froze.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Shuang kicked the old woman away and shouted, "Up!" leading the group up the stairs.

Emerging into daylight and free from the suffocating stench, they barely had time to catch their breath when the old woman burst out behind them. Ignoring everyone else, she fixed her gaze on Li Shuang and lunged for her throat, only to be barely blocked by two guards. The woman's eyes were entirely clouded with black, like a beast's:

"Where is he?" she demanded. "Hand him over! Give him to me!" The wound Luo Teng's blade had left on her side didn't bleed at all, a sight so eerie it sent chills down their spines.

"What kind of demon is this?" Luo Teng growled. "Took a full swing from my blade and still won't stay down!"

Li Shuang had no idea what this creature was either. As they stood locked in stalemate, the old woman suddenly paused. The two guards swung their swords, striking her shoulders from both sides—yet the razor-sharp blades might as well have hit steel, failing to leave even a scratch.

The woman's nose twitched slightly. "I smell it..."

With that, she stopped fighting and darted away, sprinting toward the woods.

Li Shuang's eyes narrowed. "After her!"

They gave chase using qinggong, but still lagged far behind. By the time they broke free of the trees, a horse's whinny rang out. Li Shuang looked ahead—the old woman had stolen their military horses tied outside the woods and was galloping away... straight toward the direction of Changfeng Camp!

Without delay, Li Shuang ordered one guard to stay behind while she and the other three mounted their horses in pursuit.

Riding hard, they reached the outskirts of Changfeng Camp. From dozens of yards away, Li Shuang could already hear the chaotic shouts coming from within.

The old woman—wounded yet unkillable, unnaturally strong and skilled—must have stormed in, causing no small panic. What was she after? Li Shuang pondered carefully. Could it be... Jin An?

She charged through the camp gates without slowing, heading straight for the guards' tents. As she neared, sure enough, soldiers had surrounded the ragged, terrifying crone with swords drawn.

The woman's nose kept twitching. "Where are you? Where are you?" she muttered, while the soldiers shifted positions to match her turning.

"General!" A voice called from behind. Li Shuang turned to see Qin Lan catching up. "General, this woman just barged in—"

"I know," Li Shuang cut in. "Where's Jin An?"

Qin Lan hesitated. "He should be in camp..." Before he could finish, the old woman suddenly grinned. "I found you." She moved, and the surrounding soldiers immediately closed in, blades and spears thrusting toward her. Some struck true, others merely glanced off, yet none of the wounds seemed to affect her. Instead, the attacks blocking her path only enraged her further.Her muddled eyes sharpened as she raised her hand, sweeping aside all the spears and swords thrust toward her. With a loud shout, she flung a dozen soldiers away, sending them crashing into the camp, filling the air with cries of pain and chaos.

Without pausing, she tore through the entrance of the elite guards' tent and stepped inside.

Just as the flap was ripped open, a child stood right at the doorway. The old woman stared at him, grinning eerily. "I've found you."

Jin An looked back at her, his usually indifferent expression now tinged with confusion.

The old woman reached out to grab Jin An by the neck. He stood frozen as her fingers closed around his throat, until Li Shuang suddenly called out, "Jin An!" The child seemed to snap out of his daze, turning to glance at Li Shuang. The fog in his bewildered eyes cleared instantly, as if swept away by a strong wind.

The old woman tightened her grip, intent on crushing Jin An's neck, but he twisted free with a backflip, delivering a powerful kick to her chest in the process. Staggering back three steps, her eyes flashed with fury as she lunged forward again. "You're mine. I'll take you with me even in death..." With that, she clawed at Jin An's face. He barely dodged, but her nails still left a gash on his cheek.

Every move the old woman made was lethal, clearly aiming to kill Jin An. He fought back defensively, their clash so intense that it soon tore the elite guards' tent apart.

Their battle was now exposed to everyone.

Even Li Ting, who had been much more obedient these past few days, couldn't resist his curiosity and peeked outside. The sight left him utterly stunned. "My little master... is incredible..."

It wasn't just him—every soldier stood gaping. Several generals had known the child Li Shuang brought back was no ordinary boy, but none had imagined a mere child of a few years could move with such agility and possess such profound inner strength. At this rate, aside from Li Shuang, few present could match him in holding their own against the old woman.

Luo Teng had dismounted and stood beside Li Shuang, watching Jin An before rubbing his neck. "Damn... that brat might actually be able to kill me..."

Li Shuang remained composed, simply ordering, "Bring me my bow."

A soldier immediately fetched it and handed it to her. Li Shuang drew the bowstring, aiming directly at the old woman. While the others were mesmerized by the terrifying duel between the child and the old woman, Li Shuang had been observing from the start. No matter where others struck the old woman, she showed no pain—even when Luo Teng's massive blade pierced her side, she merely paused briefly. But when Jin An kicked her squarely in the chest, she staggered back three steps.

Her heart must be her weakness.

Mounted on her horse, Li Shuang steadied her breath, the bowstring taut. She waited for the right moment. Finally, as the old woman and Jin An clashed mid-air, her back turned, Li Shuang released the arrow. It shot through the air, embedding itself deep into the old woman's back.The arrow's trajectory was aimed to pierce straight through the old woman's heart from her back. Yet while Li Shuang's arrow did strike true to the woman's back, it merely lodged itself between two bones, failing to reach her heart.

This act enraged the crone. Suddenly, the floating old woman twisted her head around, her dark, murky eyes locking onto Li Shuang with terrifying focus. Her arm contorted at an impossible angle to wrench the arrow from her back, then hurled it viciously toward Jin An. Jin An leaped backward onto a tent roof to evade the projectile, but the old woman didn't pursue him further.

"You stole what's mine," she slurred, then twisted midair and dove downward like a striking hawk.

Qin Lan and Luo Teng reacted instantly, positioning themselves protectively before Li Shuang. "Protect the general!" they shouted.

Before their words could even reach the others' ears, the old woman moved with such speed she seemed to vanish. When she reappeared, Li Shuang had already been dragged from her saddle. The crone's single hand clamped around her throat, slamming her ruthlessly against the ground.

All attention fixed on Li Shuang's plight, so no one noticed Jin An still standing atop the tent roof. Witnessing this scene, his pupils contracted violently. The mark upon his chest flared violently, spreading across his neck, crawling up his face until it reached the corners of his eyes—then his entire gaze burned crimson.