White Phantom – Chapter 25: Shadows of the Past

An Evening of Struggle

The frigid wind swept through the mountains, carrying the whispers of lost souls. Bai Shen sat quietly with his back against a crumbling shrine, his sword resting nearby. His body was sore from relentless training, but that pain paled in comparison to his inner turmoil.

Once more, he found himself dreaming of Mei Lin.

In these dreams, she appeared bathed in moonlight, her warm smile reaching across the shadows. Her voice was soft, like a tune forever etched in his memory.

"Bai Shen… why do you continue to fight?"

He reached out to her, but, as always, she dissipated like mist on the breeze.

His heart ached at the thought. He had vowed to seek revenge against the Shadow Sect, but the further he ventured down this path, the more he felt himself fading. How much of the man Mei Lin once cherished remained within him?

He jolted awake to the crackling of the fire.

"You were talking in your sleep," a voice remarked.

Bai Shen's keen instincts immediately recognized her—the enigmatic warrior who had taught him the ways of the void. She sat across from him, observing the flames flicker in the night.

"What did I say?" he murmured, keeping his voice low.

She assessed him for a moment. "A name. Mei Lin."

Bai Shen's jaw tightened at the mention.

She didn't pry any further. Instead, she tossed a small pouch toward him. Bai Shen caught it easily.

"Medicine," she informed him. "For your wounds. You're overexerting yourself."

He scoffed. "Pain is an effective teacher."

"Perhaps," she acknowledged. "But even the strongest weapon will break if it's pushed too far."

He fell silent, tightening his grip around the pouch.

After a moment of watching him, she rose. "Rest. Your true battle begins tomorrow."

Then, like a shadow, she melted away, leaving Bai Shen alone with his memories.

**The Phantom's Emergence**

At dawn, Bai Shen descended from the mountains, feeling markedly different—sharper, colder, more elegant. He had embraced the void, and it had transformed him.

As he entered the nearest town, people turned to look. Travelers, merchants, even warriors from far-off sects sensed something distinct about him.

It wasn't fear or admiration.

It was the unmistakable, quiet presence of a predator.

Bai Shen brushed past them. His mission was clear—he needed to gather intel on the Shadow Sect's activities.

The town buzzed with murmurs. Murim factions were on the move. Alliances were shifting. Something was brewing in the underbelly of society, and Bai Shen was determined to uncover it.

However, as he made his way through the streets, an unexpected obstacle appeared.

A woman stepped into his path.

She was young, clad in dark blue robes, her long black hair pulled into a high ponytail. A sword hung at her side, though she didn't unsheathe it.

Her eyes locked onto his—sharp and calculating.

"Bai Shen," she said.

He tensed. Very few knew his name.

"Who are you?" he retorted, his tone icy as the wind.

The woman grinned. "Someone who's been searching for you."

He instinctively reached for his sheath. "State your intent."

She closed the distance. "You're after the Shadow Sect, aren't you?"

Bai Shen narrowed his gaze. "And what of it?"

She exhaled, as if confirming something. "Then our paths align."

Silence filled the space between them. Bai Shen was not one to trust easily, especially strangers offering assistance.

"Why?" he asked at last.

Her expression darkened. "Because they took something from me as well."

For the first time in ages, Bai Shen recognized familiar anguish in someone else's eyes.

Pain.

Vengeance.

A glimpse of a past that would not fade.

Bai Shen held his silence for a long moment before responding.

"Then prove it."

She smirked. "Gladly."

Thus, the Phantom had gained an ally. For the moment.

**A Phantom's Determination**

That night, Bai Shen sat by the river, honing his blade while the woman, who introduced herself as Xiao Lan, observed from a distance.

"You never take a break, do you?" she asked.

He chose not to respond.

She sighed. "Let me ask you something, Bai Shen."