Tianmen
Dawn crept over the eastern horizon.
The northern air bit, and a thin layer of snow began to cover the stone path leading to Tianmen Fortress—the legendary stronghold that five years ago had been the last point of defense for the Xiyang Kingdom.
To others, the place might only be a relic of war.
But to Lin Xuan, it was a living grave—a place where he lost everything, and also where he was reborn.
He walked in front, his steps steady but his eyes filled with the shadows of the past.
Behind him, Bai Suyin followed in silence, wearing a thick white robe. Each of her footsteps left a subtle trace in the snow.
"In the past," Lin Xuan said softly, "this land shook with the screams of men.
Now only silence remains, and the never-fading smell of iron."
Bai Suyin looked at his back, her tone gentle.
"Does Master... still remember that night?"
Lin Xuan did not stop walking. "Too clearly to forget."
He looked far ahead, toward the fortress walls that were starting to emerge from the mist.
"When the sky turned red... when the black dragon burst from my body... there was nothing left but death."
Bai Suyin bowed her head. "And from that death, a legend was born."
Lin Xuan glanced at her, then let out a small sigh. "A legend that the world does not even know."
They arrived at the outskirts of Old Tianmen Village, a village that stood at the foot of the fortress.
The village was still alive, but somber - most of its inhabitants were war veterans or their families who had lost everything.
As soon as Lin Xuan and Bai Suyin entered, suspicious gazes immediately focused on them.
An old man, his face covered in scars, approached from in front of a bamboo house.
He carried a wooden staff, his eyes sharp but gloomy.
"Outsiders again? Are you lost?"
His tone was rough, but not hostile.
"We are just passing through," Lin Xuan replied casually.
"I hear this place has many stories."
The old man chuckled briefly. "Stories?
Tianmen is full of stories... but not many dare to hear them."
"In that case," Lin Xuan smiled faintly, "I am one who dares."
That night, they stayed at the old man's house.
His name was Uncle Shen, a former Tianmen soldier who once served on the front lines.
During their simple dinner of vegetable soup and hard bread, Shen watched Lin Xuan for a long time, then spoke softly:
"You resemble someone I saw that night."
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Someone?"
"Yes," Shen answered, looking out the window. "The night all my friends died.
I saw a figure atop the fortress gate... wearing a red mask, with small horns.
He cut down the enemy like a shadow, and when the fire engulfed the battlefield, he vanished."
Shen fell silent, his eyes starting to water. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be alive today."
Bai Suyin looked at Lin Xuan discreetly, but the man remained calm.
He only stared at the fireplace without saying a word.
Shen sighed. "Unfortunately, the world doesn't know who he is. They say it was all just a fairy tale.
They gave the title of hero to General Hwang, but... Hwang himself least wanted to be called that."
Lin Xuan looked at him slowly. "Hwang... does he still come here often?"
Shen nodded. "A few times a year.
He usually sits in the ruins of the north gate, silent until morning.
He says he is waiting for the spirit of that man—the Red Demon Masked Man."
A faint smile appeared on Lin Xuan's face.
"I see..."
The next morning, mist hung low around the fortress gate.
Old stones were cracked here and there, and tattered war banners still fluttered weakly on broken poles.
Lin Xuan stood in the middle of the main field that was once a slaughterground.
He closed his eyes - and for the first time in five years, the sound of war came back to his ears.
Screams.
Explosions.
Blood.
A red sky.
And a roaring black dragon, swallowing the Han army in a single breath of fire.
"Tianmen..." he whispered.
"You still remember my blood."
Bai Suyin stood by his side. "Master, we are not alone."
From the direction of the north gate, heavy footsteps were slowly heard.
A sturdy man in black armor appeared, his military cloak glistening with the morning dew.
General Hwang.
His gaze was deep, firm, but there was an unmistakable sadness.
When he saw the two figures in the middle of the field, he stopped - their eyes met.
"Who are you?" his voice was heavy, authoritative.
Lin Xuan looked at him briefly, then gave a slight bow of respect.
"Just wanderers who came to remember the past, General Hwang."
Hwang approached, looking more closely at Lin Xuan's face.
"I don't know you... but somehow, your aura feels... familiar."
Lin Xuan smiled faintly. "Perhaps we met on the same night, just from different sides."
Hwang fell silent, his eyes narrowing.
"Your words are strange, but... there's something in your gaze.
As if you know what really happened in Tianmen."
Lin Xuan neither denied nor answered.
He only stared toward the fortress gate, the spot where the black dragon had once appeared.
Finally, Hwang spoke, his voice low,
"If you do know something, come to my camp tonight.
There are things I need to discuss - about the Han army, and... about the truth that is not recorded in history."
Lin Xuan nodded slowly. "Very well.
Perhaps it is time for some of that truth to come out of the shadows."
That night, the sky over Tianmen was a dark purple.
Inside a large tent with dim lights, two figures sat opposite each other - General Hwang and Lin Xuan.
Meanwhile, Bai Suyin guarded outside, watching the mist that began to settle again over the northern plains.
Between the two heroes who did not recognize each other, the conversation began.
About war, historical lies, and a new threat growing again behind the Han mist.
But Hwang did not know - that facing him now sat the man he had respected for the past five years...
the man the people called a myth, but who actually lived in flesh and blood:
The Red Demon Masked Man.
And this time, the legend had returned home.
Between them, a large wooden table with a wide-spread map of the north.
Red dots marked fortresses, logistics routes, and scout posts.
Hwang spoke first, his voice heavy but not suspicious.
"So," he said, looking at Lin Xuan, "you came from the capital... but you are not an official military envoy."
Lin Xuan looked at the map with a flat expression. "I came under direct orders from Emperor Qin."
"The Emperor?" Hwang's eyebrows rose. "But I did not receive a royal seal letter."
Lin Xuan took a small black jade from his robe sleeve and placed it on the table.
The symbol of the imperial silver dragon was clearly etched on its surface.
"Imperial Shadow," Hwang muttered, his eyes narrowing. "So the rumors are true. The Emperor does have a secret army outside the military hierarchy."
Lin Xuan looked at him without hesitation. "I am the First Shadow."
A long silence. The campfire crackled softly outside the tent.
Hwang looked at the man for a long time, before finally laughing briefly - not mockingly, but in awe.
"Oh, so you are that shadow hunter. I have heard many reports about you."
He leaned forward, his tone changing to warm but firm.
"You really did a very good job killing those officials."
Lin Xuan only raised a thin eyebrow, neither denying nor affirming.
"If it helps stabilize the court, then the task is complete."
Hwang nodded. "The court might see you as an executioner, but to me-"
He looked sharply at Lin Xuan. "You are like a nameless sword. Cutting down the darkness without caring who holds the hilt."
A faint smile appeared on Lin Xuan's lips. "I prefer to be called a shadow. A sword still needs light to be seen - I do not."
Hwang paused for a moment, looking at the young man in front of him with a deep gaze.
"First Shadow..." he said softly. "You know, when I saw you this afternoon, I felt... an aura that seemed the same as what the people of Tianmen talk about."
Lin Xuan did not react.
"Is that so?"
"Yes," Hwang replied. "Five years ago. On the night of hell at Tianmen.
They say, Someone stood atop the gate - masked in red, his body radiating a demonic aura, but who saved this fortress from destruction."
He shook his head slowly, his gaze empty, staring at the past.
"Every time I come back here, I always feel he is still alive. But the world calls him a myth."
Lin Xuan looked at him deeply. "So you believe the legend did it?"
"Yes," Hwang replied softly. "Because I know... I myself am not the real hero."
Silence fell again.
Then Lin Xuan spoke softly, almost a whisper.
"Sometimes, myths are only born from truths that must not be spoken."
Hwang looked up, staring into his eyes - and for a moment, time seemed to stop.
Two figures from different times stood in the same room:
one a bright hero,
the other a shadow hidden by history.
Lin Xuan finally leaned forward slightly, pointing to a spot on the map.
"The Han army is rebuilding its strength in the north. They are moving behind the old routes of the Tianluo mountains.
The Emperor sent me to ensure there are no infiltration movements here."
Hwang nodded. "We also received similar reports from scouts. But there is no concrete evidence yet.
However..." - he frowned - "one thing bothers me. Several villages around east Tianmen vanished without a trace. No signs of robbery, only dry blood."
"Demon spirits?" Lin Xuan asked.
"Perhaps. Or something more organized."
Lin Xuan looked at him deeply. "In that case, we will find out."
Hwang smiled widely, for the first time since the encounter.
"'We'? So the First Shadow wants to work with me?"
Lin Xuan stood up, looking at the map with his hands behind his back.
"As long as the goal is the same - protecting the Xiyang border - I don't care about rank or uniform."
Hwang nodded, then patted Lin Xuan's shoulder.
"Good. In that case, starting tomorrow we work together."
Lin Xuan looked at the hand on his shoulder, then looked back into the General's eyes.
"Make sure you don't regret it, General."
Hwang laughed softly. "If all soldiers were like you, I'd be willing to regret it every day."
The night grew late.
When Lin Xuan walked out of the tent, Bai Suyin was waiting for him outside, standing amidst the thin mist.
Her gaze was as usual - calm but sharp.
"How was General Hwang?" she asked.
Lin Xuan replied softly, looking up at the dark Tianmen sky.
"He is a good man. But too close to the light."
"And Master?" Suyin asked gently.
Lin Xuan smiled faintly, his face illuminated by the campfire light.
"I will remain in the shadows, as I should."
Then he walked away, tracing the frozen path at the foot of the fortress.
Bai Suyin followed him silently - two faint figures, walking amidst the mist of history that had not yet finished demanding blood.
The night mist swallowed the stone forest east of Tianmen.
The air was filled with the smell of iron and ash.
On the hill's peak, a red fire burned in a ritual circle, forming a blood symbol that pulsed softly like a living heart.
Han Zhe, a former Han officer, stood in the middle of it.
His body was tall and large, but his eyes were like two empty embers.
He stuck a rusty spear into the ground, blood dripping from its iron tip.
Under the shadow of the hill, two figures emerged from the mist - Lin Xuan and Bai Suyin.
Suyin stared sharply at the area. "The spiritual energy is distorted... as if the spirits are trapped within their own bodies."
Lin Xuan stepped forward silently, his robe swaying slowly. "Not trapped. Forced."
Han Zhe turned slowly, noticing them.
"Who are you?" his voice was heavy, full of tension. "You are not a soldier. But the aura coming from you... is different."
Lin Xuan did not answer. He just stood still, looking at the ritual circle with a cold gaze.
Han Zhe raised his spear. "Are you here to stop me? I only seek revenge. Five years ago, 50,000 Han troops died on this ground without warning!
They say... they were slaughtered by a red-eyed demon!"
The voice turned into a bitter laugh. "I didn't believe such a creature existed. So I created one myself! From their blood!"
He struck the ground with the spear.
The red symbol around him lit up - and screams echoed from beneath the earth.
Human shadows emerged from the mist: the spirits of Han soldiers, their bodies ruined, their faces empty.
Bai Suyin moved, but Lin Xuan raised his hand.
"Don't," he said softly, without turning his head.
His tone changed, low and trembling, causing the air to tense up.
Han Zhe looked at him sharply. "Who are you, stranger? Why is your voice like...?"
Lin Xuan lowered his robe hood.
His face was half covered by shadow, but as he stepped into the ritual light, a red mask appeared on his face - eyes glowing faintly, a demonic aura enveloping the ground.
Han Zhe froze. His body trembled, his breath caught in his throat.
"No... impossible...
You... you-"
The voice broke in fear.
"The Red Demon Masked Man!?"
Lin Xuan only looked at him without emotion.
"Funny. You sacrificed blood to summon a demon I killed... but instead summoned me."
Han Zhe roared, stabbing his spear into the ground.
An explosion of red energy launched toward Lin Xuan.
But a moment later, Lin Xuan had vanished.
A shadow flashed quickly, leaving only a dark line in the air.
One slash. Han Zhe's spear was split in two. Another - and blood gushed from his chest.
Han Zhe staggered back, his face pale.
"How... can... You... are not human..."
Lin Xuan looked at him flatly.
"I am human. I just wasn't afraid to become a demon to end a war."
One last slash.
Han Zhe's body fell, the ritual circle faded, and the Han spirits vanished into the air like dust.
A moment later, Bai Suyin knelt by Han Zhe's body and pulled something from inside the enemy's clothes - a black scroll with a fake silver dragon seal.
"There is something here, Master."
She handed it to Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan slowly opened the scroll.
Inside, ten names were recorded - names not unfamiliar to him:
Kang Wei, Yue San, Huo Liang, the Qiu brothers, Lan Yu... and Han Zhe himself.
But above the list, there was a small inscription in dark red ink:
"Ten Northern Shadows - New Han Plan."
Bai Suyin read quickly, her brow furrowed.
"Ten Northern Shadows... So all the fugitives we've been hunting-"
"-are not individuals," Lin Xuan cut in coldly.
"They are the remnants of the Han network. The ones who survived my massacre five years ago.
They didn't run away... they waited."
Suyin looked at him intently. "Waited for what?"
Lin Xuan slowly folded the scroll, tucking it into his robe.
"Waiting for the next war."
Silence for a moment.
Only the wind whistled through the dead trees.
Suyin walked behind Lin Xuan as they left the hill.
She looked at the man's back, then said softly,
"Master... if they want to revive the Han power, it means Tianmen will once again become a field of blood."
Lin Xuan stopped walking, looking far to the north, toward the peak of Tianluo covered in ice mist.
Under the moonlight, his eyes reflected a faint red color.
"If that happens," he said slowly,
"I will make sure the blood spilled this time belongs only to them."
The night wind blew cold ashes from the ritual circle behind them.
The moonlight fell upon the frozen ground - where ten names were faintly etched on the black scroll now hidden beneath Lin Xuan's robe.
And in the northern sky, the faint cry of a snow raven was heard - as if signaling that the old shadow of war had not truly left.
After a week in Tianmen, Lin Xuan received a report from the scout troops that in the northern pastures, several nomads had disappeared.
Among the reports, a worn piece of paper listed a silver dragon seal mark - identical to an old document belonging to the Ministry of Internal Affairs mentioning the name Mei Shu.
Shadow in the Frozen Pasture
The northern wind swept across the vast plains, carrying fine ice particles that spun like glass dust.
The sky above was gray - too calm, too silent.
The plain seemed frozen in one color: grayish-white, boundless.
In the middle of that frozen landscape, two figures walked slowly.
The one in front wore a red and black robe with silver accents, a black belt wrapped around his waist, and metal guards on his shoes that slowly rattled on the hard ground.
Every time the wind blew, the edge of his robe lifted, revealing a faint silver shimmer - like embers alive in the snow.
Behind him, Bai Suyin walked in her human form: long white hair, soft yellow eyes, a white coat layered with animal skin.
Her aura was cold, but there was something soft amidst the cold - like a mist protecting a secret.
They had been walking for three days since leaving Tianmen.
They stopped in front of a simple wooden post - a resting place for merchants and herders.
Its walls were covered with wanted papers aging under the cold wind.
But one paper was different from the others: it was black, not brown, and in its corner was stamped the imperial silver dragon emblem.
Lin Xuan reached for it, reading quickly.
Number 7 - Mei Shu, "The Northern Bounty Hunter"
Last known location: herder camp in Yulan valley.
Crime: serial murder of nomad families, trafficking blood and organs to the black market.
Reward: Alive 350 taels / Dead 175 taels.
Note: expert in poison traps and snow illusion. Avoid direct contact in open terrain.
Lin Xuan folded the paper neatly and tucked it into his red robe.
His gaze was calm, but his eyes reflected a cold shimmer.
"Poison and illusion expert..." he said softly. "Interesting."
Bai Suyin looked at him. "Does Master intend to fight her?"
Lin Xuan smiled faintly. "I intend to lure her out."
That afternoon, on the road between the two herder camps, a traveling merchant and his servant were seen passing by, leading two small horses and sacks of spices.
People looked at them without suspicion - both their faces were calm, unremarkable.
But beneath the merchant's cloak, red and silver glitter was hidden in the folds of the cloth.
Night fell quickly on the northern plains.
The sky was clear, but the air felt heavy, carrying the faint sound of a flute from a distance - soft, soothing, but inhuman.
Bai Suyin stopped. "Master... that sound."
Lin Xuan looked straight ahead, his face remaining flat.
"It's a poison illusion. She wants us to walk into the mist."
"Then what will Master do?"
Lin Xuan smiled slightly. "Wait. If she likes fishing, I want to know what kind of bait she uses."
Several hours passed, and the mist grew thicker.
A metallic scent and subtle poison were in the air.
From behind the mist, a white-masked woman appeared - wearing a long gray coat, her hair loose, and in her hand, a poisonous, thorny branch grew like a snake.
A soft but cold voice came from behind the mask.
"Two strangers came uninvited... one of them will die tonight."
Bai Suyin stepped forward, her yellow eyes lighting up slowly.
"In that case, I'll accompany him."
Lin Xuan smiled thinly, then sat on a rock, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I'll wait here."
The mist in Yulan valley became denser.
The air trembled slowly, and every gust of wind carried fine, pale green particles - like dust mixed with poison.
The evening sky had vanished, replaced by a blue glowing mist that pulsed subtly... like the breath of something alive.
Bai Suyin stepped forward.
Her yellow eyes glowed, piercing the mist. "Spiritual poison... a mix of Qingji snake venom and ordinary human poison," she whispered.
"Sly. But too noisy."
A soft laugh answered from behind the mist.
"A beautiful woman who recognizes my poison just by the smell? It seems I've found a new friend."
From behind the mist, Mei Shu slowly emerged.
Her face was hidden behind a plain white mask, but the smile in her voice was clear.
"But alas, not all who recognize poison can survive it."
She flicked her wrist - and from the ground, purple ice flowers quickly bloomed, releasing a thick mist that immediately encircled Bai Suyin.
Bai Suyin did not move.
She merely closed her eyes, and when the mist touched her skin, her body slowly changed: thin white scales appeared on her neck, reflecting a green light.
"Demon..." Mei Shu hissed softly. "Oh, so you are not fully human. Interesting."
Bai Suyin opened her eyes - now shining brightly like two torches in the frozen night.
"And you..." her voice was low, "...have lived too long with your own poison."
The mist exploded.
The sound of spiritual collision echoed like thunder in the valley.
Bai Suyin moved her hand, forming a white whirlwind that cut the poison mist in two.
But Mei Shu had already vanished - her voice moving from all directions.
"Here? Or there?"
"Which is the real poison, which is the illusion?"
From the air, dozens of Mei Shu's shadows appeared, each spreading different colored poisons - red, green, purple, and blue.
Bai Suyin looked at everything without panic.
She closed her eyes... then straightened her body.
A faint hiss was heard from her skin.
In an instant, dozens of small white snakes emerged from her body, darting quickly in all directions.
Poison met poison.
Illusion met reality.
The colored mist now spun wildly, forming a spiritual storm in the middle of the valley.
In the midst of it all, Lin Xuan merely sat still on the rock, his red-and-black robe slowly fluttering in the poisonous wind.
His eyes watched the battle below - calm, yet sharp like the eyes of a god judging the world.
"Poison mist illusion..." he muttered.
"...but she is too overconfident. Mei Shu built a web of illusion from poison, but she doesn't know who she is facing."
His eyes narrowed slightly - seeing the energy patterns swirling in the air.
"Bai Suyin is not a creature that can be confined."
Suddenly, a faint scream was heard from behind the mist.
Mei Shu jumped back - part of her mask cracked, revealing red eyes and skin that was starting to turn blue from her own reflected poison.
"Y-you... how did you-"
"Your poison won't work on demon blood," Bai Suyin replied flatly.
"And now, your poison returns to you."
Her hand moved slowly.
From the ground, the poison mist reversed direction - as if sucked in by an invisible force, then entered Mei Shu's own body.
The woman's body trembled violently.
Purple color spread across her skin.
She tried to resist, but the spiritual poison could no longer be controlled.
"No... I haven't lost-"
The voice was cut short by a long hiss.
In an instant, Mei Shu's body turned to ash and scattered with the wind.
The mist slowly disappeared.
Bai Suyin stood in the middle of the valley, her breathing steady, but the spiritual aura around her still trembled subtly.
From behind the last of the mist, Lin Xuan stepped out - his red-and-black robe slowly fluttering.
"You were a bit too fast this time," he said calmly.
Bai Suyin bowed slightly. "She was too weak."
Lin Xuan nodded, then looked at the ground where Mei Shu had vanished.
A small object glittered there - a piece of silver metal shaped like a seal, with faintly etched letters: Heishan.
He picked it up slowly.
"Zhao Ling..."
Bai Suyin looked at the seal, her eyes narrowing. "That name appears again."
Lin Xuan tucked the object into his robe and looked north.
The wind blew again - carrying small snow fragments from the distant mountains ahead.
"In that case," he said slowly, "we are heading to Heishan."
And behind them, the Yulan valley was silent again.
There was no more mist, no sound of a flute.
Only two sets of footprints remained on the frozen ground -
the tracks of a shadow and a demon, heading towards the next hunting ground.
* Heishan Temple
The northern sky was a deep gray when Lin Xuan and Bai Suyin finally arrived at the foot of Mount Heishan.
The air here was different - heavy, as if containing the ash of a thousand incenses that never faded.
Birds did not chirp, even the wind seemed reluctant to blow.
The path to the peak was only a stone staircase split by ancient roots.
Along the cliff, carvings of headless monk statues lined up, their eyes covered with moss.
All faced one spot up there - an old temple abandoned for centuries.
Bai Suyin looked up. "Heishan Temple... a place where human spirits are sealed with blood, not prayers."
Lin Xuan looked at the path without expression.
"And now the seal is leaking."
He pulled out the metal seal they had gotten from Mei Shu.
When the dim light touched its surface, the Heishan carving on it glowed softly - emitting a green shimmer.
From inside the metal came a faint echo... a subtle scream that was not from this world.
"He is here," Lin Xuan said softly.
"Zhao Ling."
They climbed the stone stairs slowly.
The higher they went, the colder the air became.
The shadows of the trees changed like black hands closing the sky.
Upon reaching the front of the temple, the smell of stale incense and blood wafted from the crack of the large, half-collapsed door.
Inside, hundreds of spirit lanterns hung in the air, each lantern containing a human face staring blankly out of the glass.
Bai Suyin whispered, "He... bound their souls."
Footsteps were heard from the altar at the end of the room.
From the darkness, a figure in a long black robe slowly emerged.
His head was bald, his face half-burned, and in his left hand, he held a black wooden staff topped with a skull.
Zhao Ling.
"Not many dare to tread this mountain," his voice was calm but echoed strangely.
"Two living souls... come to the place of the dead."
Lin Xuan stepped forward. "I did not come to die."
Zhao Ling smiled faintly. "You came to disturb their peace?"
He tapped his staff on the ground.
The lanterns above began to sway, and from each lantern came a spirit -
some were crying, some were screaming, and some just stared blankly with sightless faces.
"The spirits they call 'cursed' are just humans who do not want to be forgotten," Zhao Ling said.
"They call me a spirit controller, but I only give them form."
Bai Suyin took a step forward.
"You hold them in this world with blood. That is not compassion, but torment."
Zhao Ling looked at her sharply. "You speak of compassion, Demon?
Your own blood calls poison, yet you speak of sin?"
The air in the temple tensed.
The sound of the spirits' screams turned into long howls.
The lanterns began to burst one by one, and black mist poured out from within.
Lin Xuan drew his sword - a black blade with a silver reflection on its sharp side.
A faint red light danced along the edge of the sword.
"Talk to your spirits in hell," he said coldly.
But Zhao Ling raised his hand.
"If you kill me, they will all vanish.
These souls are tied to my life.
Are you ready to bear the burden of erasing them all?"
Bai Suyin turned to Lin Xuan.
"He is not lying. Their spirit energy is connected to him."
Lin Xuan stared at Zhao Ling silently.
The man stood amidst the mist and lanterns, like a mad priest who believed he was saving the world.
He did not see a demon there - only a man lost in his own intentions.
"So," Lin Xuan finally said, "you chose to hold them so they would not be forgotten. But they never asked you to."
Zhao Ling smiled bitterly. "They call out to me every night! I hear their screams!"
"What you hear," Lin Xuan replied softly, "are your own screams."
The voice pierced the silence like a cold needle.
For a moment, Zhao Ling fell silent - and that was the gap Bai Suyin needed.
She tapped the ground with her palm.
A white light spread like a circle of water, forming a large light seal on the temple floor.
"Now, Lin Xuan!"
Lin Xuan's sword moved quickly, leaving a red flash in the air.
Zhao Ling screamed, raising his staff, but the seal's energy had frozen his movement.
Lin Xuan's blade slashed through the air - hitting the staff, then his body.
Black and red light collided.
The spirits' voices shrieked, the lanterns burst one by one, then silence.
Zhao Ling knelt, black blood dripping from his mouth.
But before falling, he smiled.
"He... is waiting for you... in the north," he whispered weakly.
"Qi... Yan..."
His body crumbled into black dust, carried away by the cold wind from the temple crack.
All the confined spirits slowly faded, one by one disappearing while whispering softly - "Thank you..."
Silence.
The red light from Lin Xuan's sword slowly faded.
Bai Suyin stood beside him, her face pale.
"Hundreds of souls freed... but I can feel something.
One spirit is still waiting in the north. And it is not human."
Lin Xuan looked out the temple window.
In the distance, snow-covered mountains reflected the cold moonlight.
On its peak, a blue shimmer was faintly visible - like an eye peeking from behind the world.
"Qi Yan," he murmured.
"The last shadow."
He sheathed his sword.
"Come, Suyin. Our journey is not over."
Bai Suyin bowed respectfully. "As Master wills."
They both walked out of the now half-ruined temple.
The sky returned to gray.
Snow fell slowly, covering their footsteps heading north -
towards the ice cave where the last shadow waited.
The air in northern Tianmen was getting thin.
The sky was pale like frozen glass, and the wind blowing from the mountain carried a long sound - whether a rustle or a lament.
Three days of travel from Heishan brought Lin Xuan and Bai Suyin to the highest plains before entering the Han border.
There stood the Tianluo Ice Mountains, a natural fortress separating the two kingdoms.
And between its cliffs... a large cave, with frozen crystal walls, reflecting a bluish light.
The cave was known by one name among hunters:
"The Old Shadow's Cave."
Lin Xuan stood in front of its entrance, his red-and-black robe billowing in the wind.
The cold air condensed on his lips every time he breathed.
"This place... is not just cold," he said softly. "There is something alive inside."
Bai Suyin bowed, her spiritual aura slowly spreading.
"The spiritual energy is mixed - human and spirit. But... there is something familiar."
Lin Xuan looked towards the inside of the cave.
"Qi Yan," he murmured. "Former Head of the Imperial Shadow before Xu Heng."
Their steps echoed inside the cave.
The faint red light from Lin Xuan's sword reflected on the ice walls, forming the long shadows of two figures moving like spirits.
The deeper they went, the heavier the air became.
The sound of ice rustling turned into whispers.
"Shadow gives birth to shadow..."
"Who controls whom...?"
Bai Suyin turned quickly. "Master, did you hear that?"
Lin Xuan did not answer.
He just stepped deeper, his eyes sharp like a predatory animal.
And finally, in the middle of a large chamber inside the cave -
there was an ice stone throne, upon which sat an old man in a long black robe.
His face was thin, his hair white, but his black eyes were sharp like knives.
In his right hand, he held a short sword with a dragon carving on its hilt.
"So," his voice was heavy, echoing throughout the cave. "You finally came, First Shadow."
Lin Xuan stopped ten steps away, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Qi Yan," he said flatly. "You have lived too long."
The old man smiled faintly. "Not dying does not mean living.
I was just waiting for someone worthy enough to replace me."
Bai Suyin took half a step forward. "You betrayed the empire, sold Xiyang's secrets to Han.
What is 'waiting'? That is treason."
Qi Yan looked at her without anger. "You speak like a human, Demon.
But this world belongs to those who can see the darkness without being blinded."
He looked at Lin Xuan again. "Do you know why the Emperor created the Imperial Shadow?
To cut down the demons outside the court. But... over time, that demon grew within the court itself."
Lin Xuan looked at him sharply. "And you decided to become the new demon?"
Qi Yan smiled faintly. "I only teach them the same fear they once created."
He raised his sword - the blade reflected a cold blue light.
"The first shadow of the old generation... against the new shadow.
Let's see who is truly worthy of being called 'Imperial Shadow.'"
The air froze.
Two swords were raised almost simultaneously -
one red, one blue.
The first clash shattered the ice walls around them.
Waves of spiritual energy spread like a storm, reflecting red and blue light on the cave ceiling.
Bai Suyin retreated, forming a spiritual barrier, but the wind from the collision dragged her back several steps.
Lin Xuan and Qi Yan moved quickly -
slashes, thrusts, the repeated collision of swords like silent lightning.
Qi Yan smiled as he parried Lin Xuan's attack.
"Your speed... is perfect. But you are too human."
Lin Xuan replied coldly. "You are too proud of your shadow."
He rotated his body, his sword spinning a half-circle, cutting the air -
and at the same time, Qi Yan rotated his sword downwards, creating a vortex of frozen energy.
The clash made the ground tremble.
Ice cracks spread along the cave walls, creating a sound like a long shriek.
Qi Yan jumped back, his breathing heavy but his eyes still sharp.
"Now I understand why the Emperor calls you the First Shadow," he said.
"But, do you know who created the first shadow in this world?"
Lin Xuan did not answer.
Qi Yan raised his left hand.
A black aura spread from his body - and from the ice cracks, dozens of armed black spirits emerged, their faces empty, but moving with the discipline of soldiers.
"The Han army," Bai Suyin said softly, surprised. "They are... the cursed spirits of soldiers!"
Qi Yan smiled in satisfaction.
"I resurrected their spirits for a stronger empire.
Xiyang will fall, and Han will be born from its own shadow."
Lin Xuan drew his sword deeper, his eyes glowing red.
"Human spirits are not to be played with."
Qi Yan looked at him coldly. "And who decides that?
The Emperor? Or you, his executioner?"
Waves of spirits began to attack.
Lin Xuan slashed without hesitation - each cut leaving a red flash that pierced ice and spirit flesh.
Bai Suyin transformed into her original form, a giant white snake coiling around the cave, sweeping away the spirits with her cold aura.
In the midst of the chaos, Qi Yan advanced again - fast, faster than before.
His blue sword pierced the mist, aiming for Lin Xuan's heart.
But Lin Xuan did not retreat.
He crossed his swords, parrying, then twisted his body, retaliating with a diagonal slash.
Red and blue light met -
producing a dazzling white flash that swallowed the entire cave.
The two figures moved quickly - one like a frozen wind, the other like a flame refusing to die out.
The final collision threw both of them in opposite directions.
Qi Yan stood on an ice shard, looking at Lin Xuan with heavy breath but a proud gaze.
"You are strong... but not enough," he said, sticking his sword into the ground.
"A shadow cannot defy the shadow that gave birth to it."
Lin Xuan stood upright in the blizzard, his red robe shaking wildly in the wind.
His gaze was cold, calm, and no longer human.
"My true shadow," he said slowly, "was not created by anyone."
He clasped his hands in front of his chest - and the air in the cave changed instantly.
The formerly dark cave ceiling suddenly trembled.
From Lin Xuan's body, a pitch-black aura mixed with blood-red emerged, coiling around him like a storm.
A low voice echoed from the void.
"Mójiǎo zhī Yù..." (Realm of Demonic Confinement)
A red light ignited on the ground - forming a large circle with ancient patterns like giant horn carvings.
From behind Lin Xuan, something began to rise.
A tall shadow loomed, with a body of black mist and horns curving upward, with glowing red eyes.
The Horned Demon.
The aura was so heavy that spiritual cracks appeared in the air.
Bai Suyin, who was standing far behind, had to retreat several steps.
The air felt both frozen and burning at the same time.
Qi Yan looked at the scene with a tense face.
"That... what are you doing!?"
Lin Xuan slowly opened his eyes - his pupils now glowing fiery red.
"Qi Yan," he said with a flat but vibrating voice.
"Welcome to my domain."
He tapped the ground with his fingertip -
and instantly, the world around them collapsed.
The cave's frozen blue sky turned black.
The ground cracked into a chasm.
The ice mountain melted into a sea of blood.
They both now stood in the middle of an illusion world - the Jie Mo Jing (界魔境 - Realm of Demonic Confinement).
The sky was full of screaming black spirit shadows, and behind them, the Horned Demon stood tall, both its hands lifting the sky.
Qi Yan looked around, stunned. "What is this... an illusion world!?"
Lin Xuan stepped forward, each of his steps leaving a trail of black fire.
"A world I formed from the evil spirits I once killed. A world where sinful souls are tormented until they shatter."
Qi Yan swung his sword, trying to slash the air. But his blade went through emptiness - only producing a meaningless echoing sound.
"There is no escape," Lin Xuan said.
"Here, your time and your body belong to me."
Qi Yan screamed, releasing his blue spiritual energy - but immediately, thousands of black hands emerged from the ground, restraining his body.
Small red eyes opened all over the shadows, staring at him from all directions.
"NO...!" He tried to break free, but the harder he struggled, the deeper his body was pulled.
Di belakang Lin Xuan, Iblis Bertanduk menunduk perlahan, tangannya mengarah ke Qi Yan -
and from its body, black spiritual ropes shot out, piercing Qi Yan's chest and pulling his soul out of his body.
Screams echoed throughout the Jie Mo Jing.
The spirit shadows in the sky also screamed - not out of fear, but out of hunger.
They welcomed Qi Yan's soul like a pack of wolves welcomes blood.
Qi Yan's body began to crack like glass.
"YOU... WHAT ARE YOU!?" he shouted with a hoarse voice.
Lin Xuan looked at him calmly.
"A shadow that rejects God... and rejects Hell."
The Horned Demon's voice boomed behind him, deep and heavy like thunder.
"One who invokes the name of a demon, yet bows to none... that is Lin Xuan."
In an instant, Qi Yan's body exploded into fragments of black light, then vanished.
Only the remaining spiritual ash fell slowly, absorbed back into the domain's soil.
The Jie Mo Jing world began to collapse, returning to red light.
When everything faded, Lin Xuan stood again in the half-ruined ice cave.
Bai Suyin approached slowly, her eyes still fixed on the residual aura on Lin Xuan's body.
"Master... that technique..."
Lin Xuan sighed softly.
"That technique was created for demons. But apparently... humans are also worthy of being confined there."
Bai Suyin bowed deeply. "No one can defeat Master in this world."
Lin Xuan looked at his sword - its blade was now pitch black with a faint red line.
"There is still someone who can," he said slowly.
"The shadow of the past that is not completely dead."
He sheathed his sword and walked out of the cave.
The air outside was cold and pure.
The wind blew fine snow, forming a swirl around his steps.
"Qi Yan is finished," he said.
"But something much bigger has arisen behind Han."
Bai Suyin looked at him. "The spirit army?"
Lin Xuan looked north -
far behind the ice mountains, a greenish light was faintly visible, like thousands of spirit lanterns glowing behind the mist.
"Yes," he replied softly. "An army that doesn't stop marching, even in death."
He turned to look at Bai Suyin, with a faint but cold smile.
"We return to Tianmen."