A Shadow’s Agony and a Brother’s Deception

The night was an endless piece of black satin, spread out wantonly on the vast earth.

There was complete silence all around, all sounds were still.

A lithe, shadowy figure moved with agile grace, their footsteps light and imperceptible, weaving effortlessly through the veil of night, leaving not a trace.

Not far off, a dilapidated dwelling stood forlornly amidst the desolate wilderness.

Its walls, a mosaic of crumbling bricks and stones, teetered precariously, weathered by the relentless erosion of time.

Within the deep shadows beside the structure, a slender figure was curled up.

The woman clutched her agonizing abdomen with both hands, her moth-like eyebrows furrowed tightly, resembling two tormented, intertwined spirit snakes.

With considerable effort, she retrieved an ancient-looking medicinal bottle from her bosom, shook out an unknown pill, and swallowed it with an upturned head.

Closing her eyes moments later, the tension in her brow eased slightly.

“Hiss, it hurts so much!”

The woman’s voice, youthful and tender, was laced with both pain and profound weakness.

“That brute truly struck with vicious cruelty. Had Senior Brother not intervened in time, I fear I would have already…”

She murmured to herself, a lingering tremor of fear in her voice.

After a brief respite, the woman slowly rose.

Her frame was delicate, and the dark robes of the Shadow Sect clung tightly to her frail body, accentuating her pitiable vulnerability.

She was none other than Wen Qianyue, a cultivator of the Shadow Sect, recently recruited by Yao Guang.

During her very first mission, she had displayed an exceptionally high level of proficiency.

Her courage and intelligence had distinctly set her apart from previous newcomers.

It was precisely this aptitude that led Lin Xingjian to invite her on this particular mission.

“Little Junior Sister, are you alright?”

Suddenly, Lin Xingjian’s voice drifted gently from behind her, causing Wen Qianyue to tremble violently and instinctively prepare a counter-attack.

She spun around swiftly, her right hand already gripping a sharp dagger.

Only upon recognizing Lin Xingjian did she let out a long breath of relief.

“Senior Brother!”

She chided him playfully.

“Why would you deliberately try to scare me?”

“And when did you appear behind me? Why didn’t I sense you at all?”

Wen Qianyue regarded Lin Xingjian with curiosity.

“Haha, that’s merely a testament to Senior Brother’s advanced skills. You, my dear, still need much more tempering. The path of cultivation ahead is long indeed.”

Lin Xingjian chuckled, reaching out unreservedly to gently stroke his Little Junior Sister’s smooth, dark hair.

His hand was broad and warm, conveying a brotherly concern that Wen Qianyue felt deeply.

Wen Qianyue closed her eyes in enjoyment, a sweet smile gracing her lips as the corners of her mouth curved upwards.

Immediately after, she pouted and asked, “Senior Brother, did we finally avenge Senior Sister Li this time?”

She blinked her large eyes, which were brimming with anticipation.

“Naturally, Junior Sister.”

Lin Xingjian’s expression turned stern, a flash of ruthlessness glinting in his eyes.

“To dare offend my Shadow Sect—this is their just reward.”

“By the way, how are your injuries? Are you feeling better?”

Lin Xingjian inquired with concern.

“I’m fine, Senior Brother, it’s just a minor injury.”

Wen Qianyue declared proudly, even bouncing a few times in front of Lin Xingjian to prove her point.

“That’s good then. This time, Senior Brother was here to protect you, but from now on, you must not be so reckless, understand?”

Lin Xingjian’s tone grew serious as he looked at Wen Qianyue.

“Cultivators of the Demonic Path are utterly ruthless. Once they gain the upper hand, they will never give you a single chance, not until your very last breath.”

Lin Xingjian was acutely aware of the Demonic Path’s dangers, and his original intention was to temper Wen Qianyue through this experience.

Yet, to his surprise, Wen Qianyue proved to be overly ambitious, insisting on attempting to single-handedly defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Lin Xingjian did not stop her, instead watching silently from the side.

Opportunities for cultivators to challenge those of a higher realm were rare, but for Shadow Sect cultivators, such feats were commonplace.

The distinction between Shadow Sect cultivators and the Sacred Sons and Daughters of other sects lay in the fact that Shadow Sect cultivators were merely ordinary geniuses.

They possessed no special talents or superior physiques.

Instead, they honed their most basic abilities day after day, refining them until they became extraordinary and perfected, relying on assassination techniques to overcome powerful target cultivators.

According to Yao Guang, during its most glorious era, the Shadow Sect once dispatched merely three Golden Core cultivators to annihilate a sect that boasted over a hundred Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation disciples, several Golden Core elders, and two Nascent Soul sect leaders.

That single battle had sent shockwaves throughout the entire cultivation world.

The swords of the Xuantian Dao Sect had always been renowned for their sharpness.

This was a truth acknowledged by many in the cultivation world.

It was also one of the reasons why the Xuantian Dao Sect could firmly establish itself as a major sect in the Southern Frontier.

“Senior Brother, before I left just now, I heard some strange movements, and even sounds of fighting. Is that Li Tianliang really that formidable?”

“Furthermore… I wonder if I misheard, but I also heard a woman’s voice.”

Lin Xingjian flinched.

A flicker of almost imperceptible panic crossed his face, and he quickly averted his gaze, his eyes darting away.

“Oh, Little Junior Sister, you must have misheard. The people in that area were completely cleared out by us. How could there still be a woman?”

“Li Tianliang was also easily subdued by me.”

“Rest assured, rest assured!”

Lin Xingjian said with a laugh.