Chapter Sixty-Seven: Only Yu Shang Deserves Trust

“Lanwu, untie it,” Yushang said softly with a gentle smile. It seemed that even his gentleness could be quite formidable—he had so easily passed this first trial and, in the process, won over this little creature’s heart.

“But Yushang, what if it takes the chance to escape while we’re off guard? Wouldn’t all that effort have been wasted?” Lanwu replied uneasily. After all, this little thing was a difficult one to deal with. Should it get away now, capturing it again would be no easy task.

“Don’t worry, I trust it won’t break its word. You won’t let me down, will you?” Yushang bent down, speaking softly into the black hawk’s ear. The creature nodded earnestly, assuring him it wouldn’t run. Normally, Yushang would suspect this was a ploy to win his trust so it could escape when they let their guard down. But for some reason, this time he simply couldn’t doubt it. He felt the affection this little being showed him was genuine, not feigned. As for where this newfound confidence arose from, even he couldn’t say.

“Sigh… fine.” With that, Lanwu gestured toward the fire whip binding the shadow, and it obediently returned to her hand. To the unknowing, the whip seemed almost alive, a spiritual artifact of flesh and blood. Perhaps this was the fabled bond between master and artifact—their hearts attuned, needing no summoning of inner energy to communicate.

Relieved at the whip’s removal, the shadow creature twisted and swayed, its delight unmistakable. After stretching itself out, it looked up at Yushang, lost in thought, then slowly walked to his side, took his hand, and led him forward.

Yushang had expected to feel nothing when touched by the shadow, but he realized his assumption was wrong. Its hand was icy, like ancient frozen jade slumbering at the bottom of a pool for millennia, utterly devoid of warmth. The chill crept from his fingers to his heart. He thought he would instinctively pull away, but to his surprise, he did not. Instead, he felt the shadow needed his warmth, and a sudden tenderness for this little being welled up in him. Beneath its mischievous, cunning exterior, he sensed a heart longing for warmth.

The shadow led Yushang to a wall, then reluctantly released his hand. The cold withdrew abruptly, leaving Yushang oddly unsettled, as if something essential had been taken away. The shadow then pressed its hand to the wall, puffed its cheeks, and blew a gust of wind. In the wake of a violent storm and trembling earth, a secret passage appeared. The shadow tugged at Yushang’s sleeve and pointed to the entrance, signaling him to enter. Yushang smiled at it and stepped forward, but was stopped by the others before he could enter.

“Think twice, Yushang! What if that’s not the path to the second floor, but rather a gateway to a world inside the wall? You’d be walking right into its trap!” Yu Xiaoran cried out, eyeing the strange shadow for any sign of reaction. The creature, however, ignored him completely, as if it hadn’t heard a thing. But Yu Xiaoran was certain it understood every word they said—it simply chose to pay heed only to Yushang. He was disappointed not to have caught any flaw in its behavior.

“I can’t quite trust this oddity either,” Lan Bingxian said warily, “It’s so sly—who knows what tricks it’s capable of? Earlier, it was arrogant, looking down on everyone. Now it acts utterly submissive to you, Yushang. Don’t you find this change a little suspicious?” Indeed, a sudden change of heart was unconvincing; everyone knows that habits die hard, so their doubts were understandable.

“We don’t know if the guardian of this treasury is good or evil,” Xun Mishuang finally spoke after a long silence. “But I believe the feelings it shows Yushang are genuine. I don’t think it means to harm him or any of us—it merely wishes to keep us from reaching the heart of the treasury, not to take our lives.” She, too, had observed the creature for some time. At first, she thought it was merely lulling them into dropping their guard so they’d fall into its trap, but now she wasn’t so sure. She prided herself on not trusting easily, yet she could not summon any suspicion toward its feelings for Yushang.

“I feel the same,” Meng Youyuan chimed in. “Its trust, dependence, and admiration for Yushang are clear—it treats him almost like an elder brother. I can’t believe it would harm him or his friends.” To her, the creature’s earlier hostility was merely a matter of duty, and now that things had changed, it had no reason to continue the hostility. Besides, she recognized the look in its eyes—one she once had herself, a blend of awe, surrender, and unwavering devotion.

“I haven’t sensed such feelings. I simply never trusted it from the start,” Lanwu said coolly, always one to speak her mind without reservation. While her bluntness might sometimes hurt, it was also a rare honesty born of genuine concern.

“I’m half convinced, half skeptical,” Yan Xuesu added. “But for everyone’s safety, we should remain cautious.”

“Since everyone’s shared their thoughts, I can’t be the exception,” Yin Boxuan said. “To be honest, charging ahead based solely on this creature’s word does seem rather rash.” Even he, whom Yushang had expected to be on his side, voiced his reservations. Clearly, the group was uneasy about the enigmatic shadow.

After a moment’s silence, Yushang spoke gravely, “Now that everyone’s expressed their view, may I have a word? Let’s set aside where the passage leads for a moment. I just want to ask: do we have any path left but this one? Our situation is no longer about safety—we simply have no choice but to press on. Besides, I trust this little one will not harm me. Am I right?” He turned to the shadow, who nodded firmly. Though Yushang couldn’t see its expression, he sensed its satisfaction and relief.

“I agree with Yushang,” Leng Huaiyi said with a smile. “Whatever hardships or dangers lie ahead, we have no choice but to grit our teeth and go forward. We can’t just tear down this room and forge a new path, can we?” He understood everyone’s worries as well as Yushang’s trust, but in the end, they had to face it together.

“Well, that’s settled then,” Xiao Yin declared. “Since we have to go, why worry? With cultivators as powerful as us, the little fish and shrimp won’t trouble us. Besides, you have me, the renowned hidden master, to protect you! March forward without fear!” His boisterous words drew laughter from the group, easing the tension in the air. Even the shadow creature reacted, scoffing disdainfully.

“We’ve wasted enough time,” Yushang urged as he strode forward, noting with amusement that the shadow followed his every step, almost like his own shadow. When he was about to step inside, he spun around and the shadow, following closely, bumped straight into him.

Yushang said softly, “Why do you follow me so persistently? Do you want to be my spirit pet forever?” The shadow nodded vigorously, confirming his words. Everyone was taken aback—what they thought was a jest turned out to be the little creature’s earnest desire. Weren’t such mysterious beings known to be nearly impossible to tame, let alone willing to accept a master of their own accord? Why was it so devoted to Yushang after a single encounter?

Seeing the shadow’s seriousness, Yushang felt a bit embarrassed. “I’ve always been one who likes solitude. Too many companions make me uneasy. Besides, I already have Xiao Yin—I don’t need another pet.” In truth, he never really considered Xiao Yin a spirit pet; he was still a little annoyed by Xiao Yin’s earlier teasing and took the opportunity to put her in her place.

“You brat! What nonsense! How could I lower myself to be your spirit pet? Are you itching for a beating again? Want to fight three hundred rounds?” Xiao Yin fumed. If Lanwu hadn’t held her back, she would’ve pounced on Yushang then and there. Though she had once signed a contract—almost like selling herself—while recuperating inside Yushang’s body, she had once been the renowned Scarlet Serpent Spirit. If word got out, it would be mortifying. Clearly, Yushang was doing this on purpose, knowing she hated people bringing it up—especially in front of everyone. She was determined to teach him a lesson.

“You see how temperamental she is? One is enough for me—I don’t want another. There are plenty of strong people in this world more suitable to be your master. Believe me, you’ll find someone better.” Ignoring Xiao Yin’s tantrum, Yushang placed his hands on the shadow’s shoulders and spoke earnestly. He couldn’t explain it; having such a powerful being as a follower would be a boon, yet he simply couldn’t accept it. Was it just that he felt the creature didn’t suit him, or was there another reason?

The shadow, disappointed, nodded and stepped back, signaling it would do as he wished and stop following him. Yushang smiled, patted its head, and stepped into the secret passage. The others followed suit.