Darkness

Got it. Here's Chapter 20 with a lo

The moon hung high in the sky as Li Yuan sat in his dimly lit room, the jade slip still resting in his palm. His mind churned with thoughts about Qin Xue and the warning she had given him. There were hidden forces within the Four Seasons Sect, powerful enough to either manipulate or eliminate those they deemed dangerous.

And he had already attracted their attention.

Taking a deep breath, Li Yuan pressed the jade slip against his forehead and closed his eyes, allowing his spiritual sense to fully dive into the contents.

The moment he did, a wave of ancient knowledge surged into his mind.

"Shadow Serpent Steps."

The technique was unlike anything he had learned before. Most movement techniques relied on pure speed or agility, but this one was built on deception, misdirection, and an almost unnatural fluidity. It imitated the slithering of a serpent, allowing the user to shift unpredictably, weaving between attacks like a shadow in the night.

Li Yuan's breath quickened.

With a technique like this, he wouldn't just be fast—he would be untouchable.

Excitement filled him, but he quickly suppressed it. There was no guarantee this was truly a gift. He had to consider the possibility that Qin Xue had given him something with hidden risks.

Still, he needed power.

He closed his eyes and began to circulate his Yuan Qi. The world around him blurred as his consciousness fully entered a trance, visualizing the movements outlined in the jade slip.

His body started to move instinctively. He stepped forward, his body twisting slightly, his foot gliding across the wooden floor like a shadow flickering in candlelight. He barely made a sound.

Again.

This time, he moved faster, but instead of stepping forward in a straight line, his body shifted at an unpredictable angle. It was as if his form had flickered, appearing half a step away from where he had originally been.

Sweat formed on his brow. This was harder than it looked. It wasn't just about speed but about control, adjusting every step with precise energy manipulation.

He practiced for hours, pushing his body to its limits. The first hints of dawn began creeping through the window, but Li Yuan paid no mind. He was too focused, too absorbed.

By the time he finally stopped, his entire body was drenched in sweat, but his movements had already become noticeably smoother. He was far from mastering the technique, but he could already feel the difference.

This… this could change everything.

A loud knock on the door shattered his concentration.

Li Yuan tensed.

No one ever knocked on his door this early.

He quickly wiped the sweat from his face, straightened his robes, and walked over. Slowly, he opened the door.

Standing outside was a familiar figure.

"Elder Han?"

The old man's expression was grim. His usually calm eyes held a rare trace of urgency.

"Li Yuan, come with me. Now."

Li Yuan didn't hesitate. If Elder Han was personally summoning him, something serious had happened.

He followed the elder through the sect's winding paths. The sun had barely risen, and most disciples were still asleep. The only sounds were the occasional chirping of birds and the distant murmurs of running water from the sect's many streams.

But something felt off.

There was an unusual tension in the air, an oppressive weight that pressed down on Li Yuan's chest. It was subtle, almost unnoticeable, but he had been through enough strange situations to recognize when something wasn't right.

As they approached one of the sect's side halls, Li Yuan noticed a group of senior disciples standing outside, whispering in hushed voices. When they saw Elder Han approaching, they quickly stepped aside.

Li Yuan followed the elder into the hall. The moment he stepped inside, a faint metallic scent hit his nose.

Blood.

His gaze swept across the room.

At the center, lying on the ground, was a corpse.

The body belonged to an outer sect disciple—his face twisted in pain, his hands clutching his chest. His robes were soaked in blood, and his entire body was unnaturally pale, as if the life had been drained from him rather than simply lost through injury.

Li Yuan's stomach tightened.

"This is…"

"A murder," Elder Han said, his voice low. "And not just any murder. This is the third case this month."

Li Yuan turned to him sharply. "Third?"

Elder Han nodded. "Each time, the victim was an outer sect disciple. Each time, the body was left in a secluded area, drained of blood."

Li Yuan felt a chill creep down his spine.

Drained of blood?

That wasn't just murder. That was something else entirely.

"Why are you showing me this?" he asked cautiously.

Elder Han studied him for a long moment before speaking. "Because I believe you're already involved, whether you realize it or not."

Li Yuan's fingers twitched. "You think I had something to do with this?"

"No," Elder Han said firmly. "But someone does."

Li Yuan's mind raced. Who would try to frame him? And why?

"Look at his forehead," Elder Han said.

Li Yuan turned back to the corpse. His eyes widened.

A faint mark had been burned into the disciple's skin—shaped like a sword.

A red sword.

Li Yuan's blood turned cold. That was the same mark that had appeared on his own forehead after his encounter with the blood pond.

"This symbol appeared on the bodies of all three victims," Elder Han continued. "The elders believe it to be the mark of some unknown cultivation technique, perhaps one that involves blood arts."

Blood arts…

A forbidden path of cultivation, one that involved harvesting the blood essence of others to strengthen oneself.

Li Yuan took a step back. "And you think… I might be connected to this?"

Elder Han sighed. "Not directly. But the timing is too coincidental."

Li Yuan clenched his fists. Someone was trying to drag him into this mess. Someone who knew about his connection to the blood pond.

But who?

And why?

"I brought you here to warn you," Elder Han said. "If this continues, the sect elders will start looking for a culprit. And if they find out about your recent… changes, you may become their prime suspect."

Li Yuan exhaled slowly.

"So what do I do?"

"Find out who's really behind this before they come for you," Elder Han said.

Li Yuan nodded. He had no choice. If someone was trying to frame him, he wouldn't just sit back and wait for them to succeed.

As he turned to leave, Elder Han spoke again.

"One more thing, Li Yuan."

He looked back.

"Be careful who you trust."

---

That night, Li Yuan lay in his room, staring at the ceiling. His mind was filled with questions.

Who was killing the disciples? What did the red sword mark mean?

And most importantly—why was he being dragged into this?

He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. There was no point in panicking. He needed to approach this logically.

Just as he was about to drift into meditation, a cold breeze swept through the room.

Li Yuan's eyes snapped open.

His window was open.

He hadn't opened it.

A shadow flickered in the corner of the room.

Before he could react, a soft, cold voice whispered in his ear.

"You should stop looking for answers, Li Yuan."

His blood ran cold.

Someone was here.

And then, in the next instant—

Darkness.