Chapter 56: Arranging the Fortuitous Encounter
Although he had indeed stayed by Shen Yanzhou’s side at first with the intent of keeping watch, after spending so much time together, feelings inevitably developed.
He still remembered the first time he saw that young boy—how the youth had smiled shyly and purely, calling him “Grandpa Mo”...
He had never married in his lifetime, had no children nor descendants, and had served in the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion since his youth.
In a sense, he truly regarded that boy as his own grandson.
“Hehe, you old thing, why are you still lingering in this area after an entire night? I thought you had already entered the mountain.”
Suddenly, a cold and mocking voice interrupted Elder Mo’s recollection. He turned abruptly and saw two figures approaching swiftly through the thick forest behind him.
“Liu Hu, Wang Kuang, it’s you two.”
Elder Mo’s face changed; he hadn’t expected the other enshrined retainers of the Prince’s Mansion to chase after him.
He certainly didn’t believe they were kindhearted enough to follow him into the mountain to rescue Shen Yanzhou.
“You’re already so old—stop struggling pointlessly. Be content to fulfill your assigned duties.”
“Instead of enjoying your twilight years in peace, you’d rather ruin the Prince’s grand plan.”
While the two men sneered, they quickly closed in on Elder Mo.
Both were in the Sixth-Rank, Sea-Cleaving Realm, in the prime of their years, their blood energy vigorous and confident they could take down this old man with ease.
Elder Mo barked harshly, “As enshrined members of the Prince’s Mansion, instead of entering the mountain to save the heir, you dare to act deceitfully—do you even deserve the stipends you take?”
“Hehe, what are you pretending for now? Don’t you know that wastrel is nothing but a stand-in impostor?”
The two men laughed coldly again and again.
Elder Mo’s hand reached for the weapon on his back. “Nonsense! In my heart, the heir will forever be the heir. No one can replace him.”
“So stubborn…”
“In that case, since you’re so loyal—go down and accompany him, then.”
They spoke no more. Having come with killing intent, they didn’t wish to waste time.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
But just as the two drew their weapons and prepared to strike, a sharp sound split the air—like an arrow cutting through the heavens. It carried a terrifying force, stirring up dust and pebbles as it came rolling like a storm, enough to chill the soul.
“Who’s ambushing us—!”
Both men were strong, experienced fighters.
They reacted instantly, their weapons sweeping backward in circular arcs to block whatever projectile was coming.
However, they had gravely underestimated the terrifying power behind that sound. It wasn’t an arrow at all—it was a single, verdant leaf.
That leaf, like a blade plucked from the air, pierced the void.
With a faint puff, it shattered their weapons effortlessly before continuing forward without losing momentum—directly piercing through their bodies.
A wet splurt—they didn’t even have time to scream.
In midair, two clouds of blood mist burst open, mingling with shards of bone and fragments of their weapons that slowly drifted down.
Elder Mo stood frozen, staring at the green leaf falling among the blood mist, unable to recover his senses for a long time.
Then, he quickly turned toward the direction from which the leaf had flown—but there was only the faint stir of a breeze, no sign of any figure.
“Such terrifying yet effortless power… Killing two in the Sixth-Rank from who knows how far away—”
“Just who could have acted to aid me?”
Elder Mo remained silent, then slowly bowed deeply toward that direction.
He couldn’t tell whether it was his imagination or something else, but the once constant roars and cries of nearby beasts gradually faded into the distance, until they were barely audible.
High upon the dense treetops, Shen Yanzhou stood silently, his hands loosely clasped behind him, while the Soul-devouring Flood Serpent stood respectfully by his side.
“Let’s go.”
He withdrew his gaze, gave a faint shake of his head, and headed deeper into the mountain range.
Next, he had to think about arranging his return to the capital.
——
“Miss Wu Ruyue, we should split up and flee. These beasts seem to be coming after me…”
Deep within the belly of Hidden Moon Mountain, Zhou Yang, clutching his arm and wearing shattered inner armor, looked pale as his true energy surged chaotically within him.
He fled with all his might, while four or five demonic beasts pursued him closely behind.
From what he could tell, any one of those beasts could easily kill a Sixth-Rank martial artist.
He had no idea why, but no matter how he and his companions split up, the beasts always seemed to chase after him—as if they had locked onto him specifically.
“I don’t even have any treasure on me…”
Zhou Yang was utterly bewildered. Why weren’t they chasing anyone else—why only him?
“I think you’d better not follow me.”
“These beasts are after me, not you.”
Wu Ruyue’s face was pale as she bit her lip. She wasn’t in great condition herself—her armor was torn and blood-stained. If not for her solid foundation and unbroken flow of inner qi, she wouldn’t have been able to run this far.
She thought this Zhou Yang was like a stubborn piece of taffy.
From the moment the beasts went berserk, he had insisted on following her. Anyone could see that the beasts were targeting her, and yet he’d still refused to part ways.
It was as if he had only one track in his mind…
“Then wouldn’t you be in greater danger, Miss Ruyue? No, I must stay with you—to protect you.” Zhou Yang hesitated for a moment but quickly clenched his teeth again.
He recalled all those biographical tales he’d read—in them, hadn’t the hero and heroine always formed bonds after surviving life-and-death ordeals together?
“Get lost.”
Wu Ruyue finally lost her patience. She was far stronger than Zhou Yang—why would she need his protection?
Before the words had even fully left her mouth, she swung her red-tasseled spear and struck Zhou Yang squarely, sending him flying like a sandbag into a nearby thicket of thorn bushes.
“Then… please be careful, Miss Ruyue.”
Zhou Yang, tough-skinned as he was, only grunted from the blow before scrambling to his feet and ducking into the thorns.
Watching the beasts chase after Wu Ruyue instead, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Miss Wu would rather draw the beasts’ attention herself than burden him.
What a good woman she was.
But soon, his brow furrowed again. If he simply left like this, would Miss Wu think he was too cowardly and unmanly?
……
“Why are these demonic beasts chasing me?”
Wu Ruyue’s brows were also tightly furrowed.
She couldn’t understand it either—neither the Bureau of Immortal Inspection nor the Chilin Guards were being pursued, yet the beasts had fixed solely upon her.
Was there something special about her body?
Since childhood… other than that one peculiar encounter—
“Could it be because of that reason?”
True qi surged within Wu Ruyue’s body as she performed her movement technique, gliding swiftly as though flying over grass. Yet the demonic beasts behind her refused to relent.
The dense forest receded rapidly, and the distant sound of rushing waterfalls echoed, revealing that she had come to a sheer cliff.
“This is bad… a dead end…”
Hearing the thunderous crash of the waterfall and seeing the mist-shrouded abyss ahead, Wu Ruyue instantly knew how deep the precipice was. If she were to fall, her body would be smashed to pieces.
Although she was of the Sixth Rank, she couldn’t remain suspended midair without a point of leverage. If a Daoist adept were present, they could have used a Wind Talisman to fly away.
“Roar…”
As the demonic beasts closed in, their foul stench pressing upon her like a dark cloud, Wu Ruyue clenched her silver-white teeth and finally chose to leap into the air.
Rather than be devoured by beasts, she would gamble on that single thread of survival.
“This woman is really reckless…”
Watching Wu Ruyue’s figure plunge straight down the cliff, Shen Yanzhou who had followed her all the way here arched his brow slightly.
Though all of this had been arranged by him a deliberate “fortunate encounter” staged for Wu Ruyue.
He truly hadn’t expected her to jump without a moment’s hesitation.
“She shouldn’t die from the fall, right? I picked this cliff on purpose it’s actually not that high.”
After a brief thought, Shen Yanzhou followed as well.
The Soul-devouring Flood Serpent transformed into a black gale, wrapping around him as he plunged down the cliff.
Whoosh—
Wind howled past Wu Ruyue’s ears.
The icy river below surged wildly, spraying fine droplets that struck her face.
Even with protective qi surrounding her body, she couldn’t withstand the impact for long. Her body kept crashing into jagged rocks along the cliff wall, tearing her robes and inner armor.
Having already spent all her strength and qi in the chase, the pain overwhelmed her. Her vision dimmed, and her eyes slowly closed.
Yet the heavy crash she expected never came.
Instead of hitting the river or sharp stones, she felt herself land into a broad, warm embrace.
“Miss Wu, are you all right?”
A gentle and somewhat familiar voice sounded.
“???”
Wu Ruyue wanted to open her eyes, but her eyelids were far too heavy.
Exhaustion swept through her like a tide, dragging her into unconsciousness.
……
When Wu Ruyue opened her eyes again, she found herself in what looked like an underground cavern.
All around her hung colorful stalactites that dripped steadily.
Through a crack above, she could see that the sky outside had already darkened.
She lay upon a massive slab of bluish stone, her whole body aching as if her bones had shattered.
Draped over her was a white brocade robe embroidered with a qilin pattern, carrying a faintly refreshing, woody fragrance.
That scent was familiar—she had caught it before losing consciousness.
“Where… is this place?”
Wu Ruyue forced herself upright, grimacing at the sharp pain in her bones. Her face paled slightly.
A campfire burned nearby, its faint warmth illuminating scattered dry branches and leaves—but no other figure was in sight.
“This robe… it’s his. Did Young Master Shen save me?”
“How could he be at the bottom of the cliff…”
Grasping the robe around her shoulders, Wu Ruyue lowered her gaze, her thoughts in turmoil.
She still remembered everything before fainting clearly.
She hadn’t fallen onto the rocks—someone had caught her steadily.
Everyone was searching for the missing Shen Yanzhou.
The Bureau of Immortal Inspection and the Chilin Guards all believed he had perished.
Yet he was here, hiding beneath the cliff.
Her mind churned. She tried to remove the robe and stand up, but suddenly her fair face flushed bright red.
Hastily, she clutched the robe back over herself, her ears burning.
Only then did she notice several pieces of cleaned, broken soft armor laid beside the fire.
Her own robe hung drying nearby—washed, yet still torn in many places from the branches and thorns during her escape and the rocks during her fall.
“So it was Young Master Shen who… cleaned and changed my armor and clothes?”
As Wu Ruyue’s thoughts ran wild—
Footsteps echoed from the cave’s entrance.
She looked up to see Shen Yanzhou, having removed his outer garment, walking in with an armful of wild fruits wrapped in leaves.
“Miss Wu, you’re awake?”
Shen Yanzhou seemed slightly surprised, but soon smiled warmly as he approached.
Wu Ruyue instinctively clutched the robe tighter around herself and replied softly, “Mm.”
“Good. I looked around but didn’t find any healing herbs nearby, and I’ve already used up my pills. I checked your condition—you’ve only sustained external injuries and some bone damage. Your inner qi is depleted, but with rest, you’ll recover.”
Shen Yanzhou placed the washed wild fruits beside her and sat down on a stone next to the fire.
Wu Ruyue nodded slightly. She knew her own condition—nothing fatal. Once she returned to the imperial capital, a few medicines would suffice.
Just as she was about to ask why Shen Yanzhou was here, his voice sounded again:
“By the way, Miss Wu, why did you jump off such a high cliff? If I hadn’t heard the noise and come out to check, your injuries would’ve been far worse.”
“……”
Wu Ruyue was silent for a few moments.
Did he think she wanted to jump? She had no choice!
“The demonic beasts on Hidden Moon Mountain went mad and wouldn’t stop chasing me. I reached a dead end and had no other option but to leap.” She gave a brief explanation.
“There have been several incidents of beast rampages lately, but the causes all seem different.” Shen Yanzhou nodded thoughtfully.
“Miss Wu, are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
He looked at her again, puzzled.
Wu Ruyue’s slender fingers tightened around the robe’s edge and collar. Always modest, she was unused to being so near a young man, and her whole body felt tense and uneasy.
Especially now—clad only in an inner garment beneath the robe. Her skin, pale as lotus roots, glowed faintly in the firelight. Her shoulders were slightly bruised, yet still soft and fair.
Hearing his question, Wu Ruyue felt her composure crumble further. Her voice trembled as she shook her head lightly. “N-no… I’m fine…”
Shen Yanzhou froze briefly, then seemed to realize something. Smiling faintly, he said, “Ah, Miss Wu just woke up—perhaps you’re… a bit pressed for convenience. I’ll give you some privacy.”
He rose, turning toward the cave’s exit.
Wu Ruyue’s face flared crimson, and she blurted hastily, “N-no! That’s not it!”
Unless one was a Daoist cultivator who had transcended mortal needs, everyone had such urges—yet she felt that Shen Yanzhou had said it deliberately.