1. A Rain of Blood on the Road Home
Three days had passed since Shen Qingyuan left Red Leaf Valley.
The roads of Bashu were rugged, and streams murmured through the mountains. Alone, he walked the courier route toward Hanzhong, the Soul-Severing Blade on his back, and a red cloak from the valley billowing in the breeze.
At dusk, he arrived at a small town called "Qinghuai Town" to rest. At its entrance stood an ancient locust tree with gnarled branches. Beneath it, a stone stele bore the inscription:
"Soars the wild goose for a thousand miles, righteousness above all."
Shen Qingyuan paused, frowning. Something was amiss—the town had no smoke rising, no chickens or dogs to be heard.
He stepped inside and was stunned by the sight:
Corpses littered the streets, houses, and wells. Men, women, children—slain. Blood had dried to dark red. In the center, the "Flying Swan Escort Agency" stood open, flames still smoldering.
Leaping inside, Shen found blood-written words scrawled on the hall wall:
"Bloodshadow Tower — the Blade of Vengeance arrives."
Beside it, a black "Blood Fang Nail" was embedded in the wall—a symbol of the long-vanished demonic sect, the Bloodshadow Tower.
"Bloodshadow Tower... Wasn't it annihilated two decades ago by the Heaven's Mechanism Tower and allied sects?"
His brows furrowed as dread settled in.
A faint sob echoed from behind the hall. He followed the sound and pushed open a half-closed door to find a little girl curled in the corner, clutching a blood-stained letter, tears soaking her clothes.
"Little one, are you from the Flying Swan Escort Agency?"
Terrified, she shrank back but finally nodded. "I'm… the foster daughter of Escort Master Shen. My name… is Xiaoyu."
Shen Qingyuan froze. "Your father's name?"
"Shen Ruofan," she said through sobs.
He was shaken. His own father, Shen Zhongren, once had a sworn brother by that name—Shen Ruofan, heir to the Escort Agency.
"And your relation to him?"
"He said… I was the daughter of his sworn brother. My parents died young, so he raised me here..."
Shen Qingyuan's heart trembled—this girl was his cousin!
He carefully unrolled the blood-stained letter. The writing was shaky, the blood still faintly wet:
"The Soul-Severing Blade has resurfaced—chaos returns. The Bloodshadow Tower emerges again, willing to massacre for the soul weapon. If I fall, let Qingyuan see this—go to Dragon Abyss Cavern, retrieve the missing scroll. Do not let it fall into enemy hands…"
Signed: Shen Ruofan.
2. Dragon Abyss Cavern
Shen Qingyuan settled Xiaoyu in a mountain temple near Qinghuai, entrusting her to an old monk and leaving pills and silver for her care.
The next morning, he set off for the Dragon Abyss Cavern.
Located deep in the northwestern mountains of Hanzhong, legend held the cavern was where the Soul-Severing Blade was first forged and later used as a hideout for remnants of the Shadow Sect. It was shrouded in mist, rife with venomous creatures.
Following the map drawn in blood by Shen Ruofan, he reached the cavern at dawn on the fifth day.
Two stone beasts stood at the entrance, weathered by time. Below them were etched eight characters:
"Soul and shadow united, return to one."
The ground bore battle scars—clearly, there had been a fierce clash.
He took a deep breath and stepped inside.
A frigid, ghostly chill struck him. The cavern walls bore murals of blade techniques and Shadow Sect secrets.
A hundred paces in, he saw a stone altar with a bronze scroll emitting an ancient aura.
As he approached, a figure emerged from the shadows like a ghost.
"Hmph, it is you."
The speaker was cloaked entirely in black, face hidden by a bronze mask, voice raspy.
"Who are you?"
"The Soul-Stealer of Bloodshadow Tower."
He raised both hands, fingers adorned with bone rings. A low incantation followed, and ghostly wails echoed through the air.
Shen Qingyuan felt his spirit waver and quickly activated his Soul Breathing Technique. The two fragments of the Soul-Severing Blade within him began to fuse, glowing with purple light. With one strike, he shattered the spectral sound.
The Soul-Stealer roared, brandishing a black bone whip that swept up a cloud of deathly mist.
Shen counterattacked with Hidden Edge Technique. His blade aura struck silently, piercing the enemy's weak point with Soul Severing: Cold Shock.
The figure paused—then crumbled into smoke.
"A clone?"
Without lingering, Shen grabbed the scroll and retreated swiftly from the cavern.
3. The Scroll of Seven Slaughters
Back at the mountain temple, he combined the scroll with his Soul-Severing Blade techniques and discovered it was the First Style of the Seven Slaughter Blade Canon—Soul Shatter.
This move shattered souls with intent, slaying with spirit. Mastery would allow him to strike within three paces, sealing an enemy's soul channels and breaking their will.
He entered seclusion for seven days. On the eighth dawn, he finally mastered the Soul Shatter move.
Suddenly, Xiaoyu ran in, breathless: "Brother! A young lady is here to see you!"
He stepped out and found a graceful woman in green, standing beneath a tree. Her eyes were sharp as stars—it was the mysterious woman he had once met outside Red Leaf Valley.
"So, you're still alive," she said coldly.
Shen cupped his hands. "Who are you?"
"Mu Qingyao. I am the last blood of the Shadow Sect."
He was startled. "You've come for the Soul-Severing Blade?"
"No," she replied, turning away. "I came to warn you. You killed a Soul-Stealer clone—Bloodshadow Tower won't let that go."
She hesitated. "If you insist on facing this alone… you won't survive."
Shen replied softly, "If not me, someone else will bear this fate—and more innocents will die, like those in the Escort Agency."
Mu Qingyao was silent for a long while. "Three days from now—on Mount Emei, the 'Hundred Herbs Gathering.' All sects will convene to discuss the Bloodshadow Tower. Go… or don't."
She began to walk away, then paused. "Your mother… may still be alive."
Shen's eyes widened. "You know where she is?"
Mu didn't reply—only left a whisper behind:
"See you at the Gathering."
She vanished into the forest like mist.
4. Gathering of Herbs
Three days later, Shen Qingyuan traveled with Xiaoyu to Mount Emei, carrying the two blade segments and the bronze scroll.
The Hundred Herbs Hall lay halfway up the mountain, lush with greenery. All the great sects were present—Heaven's Mechanism Tower, Heavenly Capital Sword Sect, Kunlun, Shaolin, Xuan Yin Palace, and the Five Poison Sect.
As Shen entered, eyes turned toward him. The glint of the Soul-Severing Blade brought suspicion, especially from Heaven's Mechanism Tower.
Only Bai Jingyi stood silently in a corner, calm and composed.
At the main seat, an old man spoke—it was Yao Sage Liu Jimin, master of Hundred Herbs Hall.
"We gather here to discuss the re-emergence of Bloodshadow Tower and the slaughter at Flying Swan Escort."
Some demanded immediate retaliation. Others doubted the threat was real.
Suddenly, a man scoffed and stood.
"If not for the Soul-Severing Blade's return, would they have resurfaced?"
He was Yue Mingfeng, Kunlun's sword heir. His gaze was sharp.
"This man harbors the cursed blade. He is the source of chaos. We should cripple his cultivation."
Tension filled the air.
Bai Jingyi said coldly, "The blade may be deadly, but not all wielders bring disaster. Did Kunlun not once covet the blade too?"
Shen stepped forward. "Though I bear the weapon, I've never harmed the innocent. If not for the Escort's blood-letter, I would not be involved."
He tossed the bronze scroll before them.
"Bloodshadow Tower murdered a thousand for this. If you remain blind, the next victims may be you."
Silence fell.
Finally, Liu Jimin spoke. "What Shen says is true. Hundred Herbs Hall will aid you in uncovering the Bloodshadow Tower."
Yue Mingfeng snorted but said no more.
5. Midnight Massacre
That night, Hundred Herbs Hall came under secret attack.
A squad of masked assassins crept in. Blade flashes—guards fell without a sound.
Hearing the noise, Shen rushed out and met an attacker. He parried—and released his mastered Soul Shatter strike. A purple shadow burst forth—the enemy died bleeding from every orifice.
Battle erupted. Lanterns blazed. Mu Qingyao fought too, her sword flowing like fog beside Shen.
In the chaos, Shen spotted a tall figure wearing the same mask as the Soul-Stealer—but with greater power.
"Bloodshadow Tower Master—Night Howl Soul!"
The man laughed. "With two blade pieces in hand, only one more remains—to remake the divine weapon."
They clashed, blade against shadow, for thirty rounds.
Sensing the tide turning, Night Howl Soul vanished into a black mist.
Though the Hall held, the cost was steep. The Ten Thousand Flower Needle Manual was stolen, enraging all.
Gazing into the night, Shen thought:
"Two blade fragments are mine… but where lies the third?"
End of Chapter Five.