The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 32: The Mountain, The Bamboo Forest And The Maid

The Mountain, The Bamboo Forest And The Maid . . .

The Lunisolar Shadow, a mystical technique that veiled one's presence and rendered them utterly untraceable. Cha-Eun Xiao had come into possession of the sacred scroll containing the secrets of the Lunisolar Shadow after a fateful encounter in the Qing-Yun Realm. In this realm, he had crossed paths with a notorious one-footed robber, who had recently attained the elusive Grade of Daoyuan. The circumstances of their meeting had been nothing short of remarkable.

At the time, Cha-Eun Xiao himself had stood at the pinnacle of the Grade of Daoyuan. Despite his considerable prowess, it had taken him an entire month of relentless pursuit to track down the elusive thief. It was only due to the robber's eventual exhaustion that Cha-Eun Xiao managed to close the gap and capture him.

Upon seizing the scroll of the Lunisolar Shadow from the robber's lifeless form, Cha-Eun Xiao had an epiphany. This martial skill was nothing short of extraordinary in its capabilities. Its crowning glory lay in the ability to cloak oneself instantaneously and then escape at will. Such a miraculous skill offered an unparalleled level of security under any circumstance, and its energy consumption was astonishingly minimal, rendering it an incomparably potent asset.

However, mastery of the Lunisolar Shadow demanded extensive practice, and Cha-Eun Xiao had diligently honed his skills over time. Yet, despite the advantages it offered, Cha-Eun Xiao had never been compelled to utilize it—until now.

The Xiao Monarch's formidable might had obviated the need for concealment in his previous endeavors. He had never found himself in a situation that necessitated the use of this skill—until now.

For Cha-Eun Xiao, this marked the first occasion he had been driven to employ the Lunisolar Shadow.

He had doggedly pursued this mysterious individual, who displayed an uncanny vigilance and frequently altered course in response to unknown threats. Perhaps, the man had sensed something amiss. Indeed, he had changed direction no less than fifteen times during their pursuit.

As dawn's early light crept over the horizon, the man came to an abrupt halt, his gaze scanning his surroundings for a full fifteen minutes before resuming his journey with a sudden, unpredictable change of direction.

Cha-Eun Xiao found himself caught off guard.

The man's cultivation appeared to hover around the 6th rank of the Grade of Diyuan. While Cha-Eun Xiao's command of the Lunisolar Shadow was not yet perfected, he could still conceal himself to a satisfactory degree. However, this enigmatic figure possessed an exceptional spiritual sense that set him apart from ordinary cultivators.

Maintaining a cautious distance of about three hundred yards, Cha-Eun Xiao observed the man closely. Typically, he preferred to shadow individuals from a distance of a hundred yards, but his present strength compelled him to maintain a greater separation in order to elude detection. Despite this precaution, the man repeatedly attempted to shake off his unseen pursuer.

Only after Cha-Eun Xiao had increased the distance by another hundred yards did the man finally let down his guard.

It became apparent to Cha-Eun Xiao that this individual possessed a spiritual sense far superior to that of ordinary cultivators, which dictated his reluctance to draw any closer.

The man ultimately arrived at the base of a mountain, where he swiftly commenced his ascent. With nimble grace, he seemed to defy gravity itself, moving with an ethereal fluidity toward the summit. Cha-Eun Xiao was poised to follow when an unsettling intuition seized him, prompting an immediate retreat. Fear gripped him, and beads of perspiration formed on his brow.

In a heart-pounding revelation, Cha-Eun Xiao realized that the man had abruptly turned to check for pursuers just as he had securely alighted on the mountain's terrain.

And then, like a wraith in the night, the man executed a breathtaking transformation. He fractured into several ghostly silhouettes, each darting away in a different direction until they vanished from sight.

"His caution is truly astounding," Cha-Eun Xiao mused as he descended from a tree, moving with utmost care through the underbrush. He couldn't shake the inkling that he had stumbled upon the man's stronghold.

It was an educated guess, grounded in the man's escalating vigilance as he traversed this particular terrain. While he couldn't be certain of what lay beyond, Cha-Eun Xiao sensed an opportunity to gather valuable intelligence about the forces backing this mysterious figure.

Yet, the prospect was fraught with peril. The mountain ahead of him was no ordinary hill; it was barren, devoid of any vegetative cover. Anyone traversing its crest would undoubtedly be exposed.

With stealthy precision, Cha-Eun Xiao advanced, carefully peering over the mountaintop, then swiftly retreating. Before him stretched a dense bamboo forest, an ocean of slender green stalks.

In the context of the mountainous landscape, a bamboo forest might not seem unusual. However, its presence within the capital was far from ordinary. Cha-Eun Xiao surmised that this bamboo grove either fell under government protection, akin to the Royal Garden, or belonged to an individual or entity that even the government dared not cross.

Though he had only glimpsed the forest briefly, Cha-Eun Xiao had discerned an absence of structures within. The peculiar nature of this bamboo thicket puzzled him.

"This bamboo forest is undeniably peculiar," he contemplated, a rare sense of uncertainty creeping over him. It was a disconcerting notion to encounter something within the mortal realm that eluded his comprehension.

In a swift mental analysis, two words crystallized in Cha-Eun Xiao's mind—'Energy Arrays.' A disconcerting sense of danger seized him, prompting an immediate retreat.

With the swiftness of thought, he fled the scene, for he knew that danger lurked in the shadows, poised to strike. Moments after Cha-Eun Xiao's departure, nearly fifty individuals converged from various directions, intent on encircling their elusive prey.

Each of these newcomers stood on par with the man Cha-Eun Xiao had been tailing, and some might have even surpassed him in prowess. Every one of them dwarfed Cha-Eun Xiao's current strength, rendering him utterly outmatched.

If Cha-Eun Xiao had tarried a moment longer and fallen into their trap, he would have surely met his end, even if he possessed a thousand lives.

However, at least this time, Cha-Eun Xiao gleaned valuable insight. All the machinations, assaults, and disturbances he had endured seemed to emanate from this very place—the mountain and the bamboo forest.

Meanwhile, just prior to Cha-Eun Xiao's fateful encounter with the bamboo forest, the white-clad man reclined in a wheelchair, effortlessly pushed along by Wan-er. They strolled leisurely, seemingly unruffled by the events unfolding in the shadows.

Amid the shadowy forest, a cadre of enigmatic figures clad in black assembled around a lone man in pristine white attire. Their presence was a solemn, silent congregation.

The man in white, his eyes half-lidded in contemplation, broke the stillness with his inquiry, "Has Hei-Yi returned?"

One of the black-clad men responded deferentially, "No, sir. Given his strength, he should not encounter any mishaps in this locale."

"Nothing in this world is without risk," the man in white replied, drawing a deep breath. "Caution is always the wiser course."

His words hung in the air, lingering just moments before another masked figure, shrouded in black, arrived stealthily.

Before the masked man could utter a word, the man in white abruptly opened his eyes, directing a grave gaze to his left. "We have an intruder trailing you. Deal with it!"

The masked figure flushed crimson with embarrassment, humiliated by his oversight. The other onlookers regarded him with mouths agape.

Had he not realized the presence of a pursuer until his master brought it to his attention? His chagrin was palpable.

In fact, if not for his master's alertness, the intruder might have gone unnoticed entirely. The masked man felt a profound sense of shame.

Obeying their master's command, the black-clad men dispersed, intent on intercepting the intruder. However, when they reached the barren mountaintop, their surprise was evident.

They had placed unshakable trust in their master's judgment. If he declared the presence of a pursuer, it must be true. Yet, there was no trace of the interloper.

Their perplexity deepened. Where had he vanished to?

Suddenly, a slender figure appeared atop the mountaintop, accompanied by a delightful fragrance—it was Wan-Er.

Inhaling deeply, Wan-Er surveyed the surroundings before casting her gaze toward the direction in which Cha-Eun Xiao had fled. Her brows furrowed, and she murmured softly, "An expert."

Confusion clouded Hei-Yi's countenance as he asked, "What do you mean, young lady?"

Wan-Er's earlier relief gave way to renewed unease. "This individual lay in wait here, concealed and vigilant for an opportunity to strike."

She glanced down at the mountaintop's grass, which bore a sickly pallor. Along the direction she indicated, a few blades of grass appeared bent. The signs were subtle but discernible.

"Here. Notice the grass—only three blades are broken," she explained. "This individual possesses exceptional movement skills and cautious instincts. The three broken blades resulted from his panic upon detecting our presence. His swift departure speaks to his skill in hiding. The spot where I stood offered the best vantage point on this mountaintop, enabling him to observe us undetected from the three peaks. It implies attentiveness and experience. Barely any time had passed from Hei-Yi's departure to our master's realization of the intruder. Even if he had observed us, he could only have taken a cursory glance. We arrived promptly, yet found no one. This man must possess an acute spiritual sense, sensing the danger and departing after a single glance. He is resolute and unwavering. Most would linger to observe us further, as it is impossible to decipher our array with a single look. Yet, he departed decisively. This individual must possess remarkable resolve. If bitten by a venomous snake, he would amputate his own limb without hesitation. Furthermore, he emits a distinct natural aroma, suggestive of the Ablution of Muscles and Bones. Otherwise, such a scent would not cling to him. The three broken blades are not aligned, suggesting that one knee pressed on one, while his hands pressed on the others. His other knee remained bent, indicating his readiness to move. Otherwise, there would be four broken blades. By these three marks alone, we can infer that he is not very tall but possesses a substantial build, unless he employed disguise techniques to alter his appearance."

If Cha-Eun Xiao were privy to this astute analysis, he would have been awestruck. Wan-Er had discerned a wealth of information from the trifling evidence of three broken blades of grass.

Such a skill was exceedingly rare and challenging to cultivate.

Yet, Wan-Er, a mere maid to the man in white, possessed this remarkable acumen. It left one to ponder the capabilities of her master.