Chapter Five: Letting Go

Shen Chang’an’s intentions had changed; he no longer wished to slay these ghostly soldiers, but rather capture the mastermind behind them. Thus, he paid little heed to the spirits themselves. After brushing his Jade Dragon Amulet, his “God of the Nose” sense awakened; Shen Chang’an inhaled softly and immediately detected a faint, elusive scent lingering in the air.

The Jade Dragon Amulet, famed for its “God of the Nose” gift, rendered him exquisitely sensitive to all odors. These spirits were intricately bound to their controller, making it inevitable that they carried traces of that person’s scent.

Following this elusive aroma, Shen Chang’an pursued along the path from which the spirits had attacked. After circling two or three times, he successfully locked onto the target’s scent.

He then pressed forward along this trail, hunting his quarry. Sensing Shen Chang’an’s approach, the person quickly altered direction, intent on escape. Yet Shen Chang’an had fixed the scent with unwavering precision—flight would not be so easily attained.

His steps were light and swift; his mastery over movement was so refined that unless the opponent possessed some technique for vanishing, escape was impossible. Indeed, within minutes, Shen Chang’an glimpsed a tall, slender figure racing ahead. When the man turned and saw him, he didn’t hesitate—he broke into a sprint.

Shen Chang’an scoffed coldly, his thoughts stirred; stones around him lifted into the air and, with a crackling sound, were hurled directly at his foe.

The man was clearly startled. Had it been one or two stones, he might have evaded them, but such a barrage left no room for escape.

Though Shen Chang’an had but a single thought, he could lift a whole handful of stones and fling them one by one. His magic was deep and robust; he unleashed them all in rapid succession, with barely a moment’s gap—stones scattered simultaneously like a volley.

Each stone could effortlessly pierce three or four centimeters of wooden board, and the man was too slow to dodge; several struck him, punching bloody holes through his body.

Shen Chang’an soon caught up, his gaze icy as he shouted, “Who are you?”

The man, seeing Shen Chang’an approach, managed a cold smile and replied, “I am a military sorcerer with the Great Qian’s Southern Garrison. If you wish to kill me, then do it! Demon or heretic, I am ready!”

Shen Chang’an hesitated, surprised. He had assumed these people laid a trap, luring him here on purpose, but now it seemed this was mere coincidence.

A thought flickered through his mind—though Li Qingqing knew he was alive, she could not possibly know when he had returned. In this world, no one knew Daoist Ling Xiao had come back.

So, it truly was a misunderstanding?

“A military sorcerer of Great Qian—since you serve your country, why resort to such deadly magic?”

The man sneered, “What nonsense! I kill enemies on the battlefield. If I don’t use this magic, should I bless them with prayers instead?”

Shen Chang’an was taken aback, realizing his assumptions were entirely different from the man’s reality. He’d thought the sorcerer used dark arts to murder, but hadn’t considered that such techniques were employed in warfare.

If it were about devouring lives or cultivating evil arts, Shen Chang’an would slay him regardless of any misunderstanding. But if it was merely battle, then the question of right or wrong hardly applied.

“Who were those people? Why were you chasing them?”

The sorcerer smiled, “Oh, so you wish to protect those criminals?”

“Criminals?” Shen Chang’an frowned, finding the term strange.

The sorcerer replied coldly, “That group harbored enemy soldiers—discovered by our Southern Garrison. I followed them here to eliminate them.”

Hearing this, Shen Chang’an was rendered speechless. In war, harboring the enemy was a grave offense; no wonder the sorcerer pursued them so relentlessly.

“Go on,” Shen Chang’an said, shaking his head as he put away his alloy staff.

The man paused, surprised. He had prepared himself for death, yet hadn’t expected Shen Chang’an to let him go.

“Daoist, what is your name?” he asked.

Shen Chang’an glanced at him and answered coolly, “Ling Xiaozi.”

“Very well, Daoist Ling Xiao! Today you gave me, Ma Suiyi, a chance at life. If ever our roles are reversed, I will repay you in kind!”

“We shall see,” Shen Chang’an replied, waving his hand dismissively, his interest waning.

He felt he was becoming overly anxious—every minor incident unsettled him.

Without delay, the man rose and departed.

Shen Chang’an sighed softly and turned back. Having spared the military sorcerer Ma Suiyi, he knew the group behind would surely have perished at Ma Suiyi’s hands.

No need to see for himself—Ma Suiyi, even when captured, had not forgotten his duty, relentlessly commanding ghost soldiers in pursuit.

Though these people had died in battle, Shen Chang’an’s doubts lingered; the fact remained that he hadn’t saved their lives. Given this, he decided that collecting their bodies and guiding their souls was the right thing to do.

It took little effort for Shen Chang’an to reach the riverside, intent on discovering where those people had fallen.

But as he stepped onto the riverbank, his feet halted abruptly, eyes widening with fury—his gaze burned hot with anger.

Reflected in those fire-like eyes was the image of a massive bear demon, devouring a human thigh.

“Damn you!” Shen Chang’an cursed, raising his staff and abandoning all pretense of grace. He lunged like a raging storm.

Boom—

His staff swept through the air with a terrifying crack; Shen Chang’an unleashed his full strength, not holding back, and struck the bear demon squarely in the chest.

Bang!

The force, powerful enough to shatter stone, landed on the demon’s chest, leaving only an imprint, unable to penetrate further.

The bear demon’s defenses were astonishingly strong.

Yet Shen Chang’an’s attack was not without effect—hit by the blow, the demon’s expression changed, it staggered back several steps, blood trickling from its mouth.

But the wound was not fatal; instead, it stirred the beast’s ferocity.

“Where did this Daoist come from, daring to ambush your grandpa Bear? You court death!” it roared, swinging a mighty paw at Shen Chang’an. The savage force whipped up fierce winds; Shen Chang’an could clearly sense that this bear monster’s strength was not less than his own.

He could not take the blow head-on—he lacked the bear’s formidable defenses. If struck with equal force, he would surely die.