Chapter 239: Clouds of Suspicion! The Fair-Skinned, Beautiful Young Lady! Haunting!

Sure enough, Li Yanchu’s attention was caught.

Meng Hai went on, “The Shaman Sect has great influence beyond the Pass, but it’s shrouded in mystery. No one knows the location of their main temple, though some have heard of the sect’s sorcerers. There’s Grand Magus Bantu, who likes to drink from human skulls and eat human hearts raw. And the old man Hak, who prefers to drink the fresh blood of virgins. This business could very well be the work of the Shaman Sect!”

Meng Hai’s face was full of worry.

Master Qi’s expression was also grim, as the Shaman Sect’s name alone was enough to conjure thoughts of cruelty and evil. If this really was their doing, caravans beyond the Pass might be facing total ruin.

Liu Lin spoke slowly, “The Shaman Sect is a major religion beyond the Pass, revered by many tribes. They shouldn’t have any reason to go on such a mad killing spree.”

Meng Hai asked, “Mr. Liu, are you saying this has nothing to do with them?”

In response, Liu Lin shook his head. “It’s too early to draw conclusions. Even if it does involve them, there must be some hidden reason behind it, and that would be the real root of the trouble.”

Meng Hai clearly trusted Liu Lin and asked, “Mr. Liu, what do you think we should do?”

Liu Lin smiled. “I’ve got no real skills. How could I be the one to give rash opinions on something this important?”

Hearing this, Master Qi said, “Don’t be so modest, Mr. Liu. Everyone knows you’re sharper than a beast when it comes to sensing danger. Tell us what you think.”

Then, Meng Hai added: “That’s right. Everyone here is one of our own.”

Liu Lin said slowly, “The way I see it, someone’s looking for something.”

At this time, Meng Hai’s face grew solemn. “Looking for something? What?”

Liu Lin sighed, “If they weren’t searching for something, why target passing caravans? If they just wanted to kill, wouldn’t it be easier to wipe out some small barbarian tribe? Merchants might be carrying hidden experts like Daoist Master Li, wouldn’t that risk everything going wrong?”

For a man with thick brows and big eyes, Mr. Liu’s thoughts ran deep... Li Yanchu gave him a glance.

Liu Lin’s words left both Meng Hai and Master Qi silent.

Li Yanchu was also thinking,

Could this be connected to the Heavenly Palace of Myriad Phenomena?

He voiced his thought, and Master Qi looked startled. “The Heavenly Palace of Myriad Phenomena? Isn’t that the legendary place said to hold the secret of immortality? I always thought it was just a myth.”

Meng Hai pondered for a moment and asked, “Daoist Master Li, are you suggesting the killers are looking for clues to the Celestial Palace?”

Li Yanchu nodded. “Exactly. Mr. Liu has already laid it out in detail, and I’ve nothing more to add. But I believe, if they really were searching for the Celestial Palace, they wouldn’t slaughter caravans indiscriminately... Unless...”

Mr. Liu cut in, “They know someone is carrying what they’re after beyond the Pass.”

Li Yanchu said, “Precisely. Which means, as someone leaving the Pass for the first time, my own suspicion would be quite high.”

Meng Hai was taken aback, then smiled. “Daoist Master Li, you jest. You’re here to cause trouble for the Shaman Sect, why would they be hunting you?”

Liu Lin nodded in agreement. “That’s right. With Daoist Master Li’s martial prowess, if they really wanted to deal with you, they’d have to send an even stronger sorcerer.”

Li Yanchu’s single strike that wiped out the poisonous insect tide had utterly won them over.

Beyond the Pass, things were far more complicated than Li Yanchu had imagined.

However, he had already made up his mind. Since the Shaman Sect was so active beyond the Pass, he would find a chance to capture one of them. That way, it would be easier to gather information about Hongtu’s whereabouts.

After all, even if he found the Shaman Sect’s main temple, it wouldn’t help much. If they were truly searching for the Heavenly Palace of Myriad Phenomena, they would have to travel out toward Mount Hengduan.

***

The master of Han Fortress was named Han Jinfu. In his youth, he had been a fierce man; his blood and qi were as strong as a wolf or tiger, and his hands could split stone.

But age had worn away his vitality, and with the comfortable life in Han Fortress, the lord had gradually turned into a sort of local tyrant, a man who loved pleasure and devoted himself to studying methods of prolonging life.

He once had two sons, but both died young. Only his daughter survived, and she had grown into a gentle, graceful beauty.

Miss Han was not only the pride of Han Fortress; even across the whole land beyond the Pass, she was considered an exceptional beauty.

Her skin was fair, her features soft, and she didn’t look like the daughter of a fortress lord in these harsh northern lands at all. Rather, she seemed more like a delicate lady from the river towns of Jiangnan.

Yet her temperament was forthright, with the openness of a woman from the frontier. This unique blend of qualities made Miss Han deeply admired by wandering heroes and traveling merchants alike.

Every year, suitors lined up to the point of wearing down the fortress gates, but she had never married, leaving men’s hearts itching in frustration. Her name was just as beautiful, Han Zhilan[1].

A name that didn’t match the cold, barren frontier, but instead carried the fragrance of southern elegance.

Whoosh

!

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The cold wind howled.

Beyond the Pass at night, the temperature dropped sharply, especially this far from Tianhai Pass, where the difference between day and night was even greater.

Han Zhilan’s room was tastefully furnished, with a zither, chessboard, calligraphy, and paintings, as well as a sharp, treasured sword. The temperature inside was pleasant, with not a trace of cold wind leaking through the cracks. With the wealth of Han Fortress, her living conditions were naturally superb.

As Han Zhilan lay in bed, her breathing was quick and shallow, and her brows were furrowed, as if she was trapped in a terrifying nightmare. Her expression was one of fear; her delicate face was full of panic.

Creak

! The tightly shut window was suddenly blown open by a crack, revealing the pitch-black, bottomless night outside.

Whoosh!

The biting cold wind poured in through the gap, making the gauze curtains of her bed rustle violently and sway under the gusts. Shadows in the room flickered and shifted, changing form again and again.

Drip! Drip!

It was as if the sound of water had appeared in the room. The sound slowly drew closer to Han Zhilan’s bed. Closer... and closer...

The temperature in the room kept dropping.

Whoosh

!

Han Zhilan suddenly awoke, gasping for breath. Her face was pale as death, and her eyes were wide and unfocused.

She looked around in fright, finding the room empty, and finally let out a sigh of relief. But that suffocating sense of dread still lingered.

She had just had a nightmare. She had dreamed of a white figure standing right in front of her, and its face was deathly pale with blood-tears streaming from its eyes.

Drip!

Drip!

They fell to the ground again and again.

It was a woman with disheveled hair. In her hand, she held a little girl, whose face was just as pale, and from whose eyes the same blood-tears seeped. The glaring crimson kept dripping down endlessly.

Han Zhilan’s heart was still pounding. Thankfully... it was only a dream!

At that moment, the maid outside, having heard the noise, rushed straight in.

“Miss, are you all right!?” a middle-aged maid asked in concern.

The young lady of Han Fortress was always attended by maids who were skilled swordswomen serving as her personal protectors.

Han Zhilan shook her head. “I’m fine. I just had a nightmare. It was far too frightening, and it startled me awake.”

1. The surname 韩 is a common surname in China, while the given name 芷兰 combines two graceful botanical images. 芷 is an aromatic herb symbolizing purity and refinement, and 兰 is the orchid, long regarded in Chinese culture as a symbol of nobility, integrity, and delicate beauty.

To me, the name paints the image of someone gentle yet resilient, cultured yet unassuming, like the quiet fragrance of orchids lingering in the breeze. ☜