Chapter 3: From Father's Doubts

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"Hey, wake up, don't fall asleep!" Seeing the sand leopard's eyes almost closing, he patted its prominent shoulder. "I didn't come hunting alone; my personal guards must be searching the mountain for me. We have a good chance of getting out of this alive!"

The leopard demon's eyelids twitched but didn't open. It was simply too tired.

"Who exactly attacked you?" He Lingchuan hadn't originally intended to ask, as he had only just entered this world and didn't know a single living person. But he had to find a topic, didn't he? He couldn't afford to fall asleep now.

"The leader was an old man, with white hair and a white beard, and powerful magic. I heard my subordinates call, call him..." The leopard demon mumbled, "Call him..."

The voice was too faint for He Lingchuan to hear clearly. "Call him what?"

The leopard fell silent.

He Lingchuan called it a few times, but it didn't respond, only lay there with its eyes closed. He noticed that the small blades of grass in front of the leopard's nose were perfectly still, no longer swaying.

The young man pushed the sand leopard, but it didn't react. This time, it was truly dead.

He Lingchuan let out a long sigh. He was the only living person left at the bottom of the ravine.

He used all his strength to inch backward, moving to the edge of the crevice, and reached in. Grass, dirt, insects, and a broken leopard's tooth. He tapped the broken tooth on the ground; blood oozed out, but there was nothing inside it. It was empty.

Didn't the leopard demon say there was something inside this tooth? Where was it? A dying creature's words are supposed to be true. He Lingchuan felt this wasn't the time to think clearly, as his mind was growing hazy again, his limbs heavy, and the world was so quiet he could only hear his own breathing becoming slower and louder. The life-sustaining pill's effects seemed to have worn off. If he fell asleep like this, he probably wouldn't wake up again.

Suddenly, his palm became icy cold, chilling him to the bone and jolting him back to his senses. Opening his palm, he discovered the source of the cold was unmistakably that smooth, round divine bone. He had originally intended to throw it away to avoid future trouble. But its intense cold was perfect for keeping him awake now; otherwise, he feared he would fall unconscious at any moment. So, he'd keep it for now. He threw the fragments of the original jade pendant into the nearby stream.

While his mind was still clear, He Lingchuan quickly took out the remaining medicine, eating what he could and reapplying what could be used topically. Now, aside from the wound on his back, which he couldn't reach, the bleeding from his other injuries had largely stopped. He grabbed a few blades of grass and ate the dew drops on them to quench his thirst, all the while repeatedly encouraging himself that there was hope if he persevered. As for the memories in his mind, the more he reviewed them, the more he found this world to be colorful and diverse. There were mortals and demons—which he had already witnessed—and not only human kingdoms but also demon realms. It was said that a very long time ago, gods and immortals also walked the earth, and people today could occasionally find traces they left behind. Heh, he wanted to live and experience it all!

He didn't know how long he managed to hold on, only that the sun was setting in the west, and less and less light reached the bottom of the ravine. His surroundings grew darker little by little, and a centipede crawled across his face. Faintly, he seemed to hear human voices from above the cliff, like shouts. He Lingchuan was overjoyed and cried out, "I'm at the bottom of the valley, I'm down here!" Having been injured for so long, his voice was far from its usual loudness, and he didn't know if anyone had heard him. He didn't care and kept shouting until his throat was hoarse.

He waited for a long time again, and in his hazy state, a series of hurried footsteps sounded nearby. Soon, someone next to him shouted, "We found him! The young master is here!" Someone in the distance responded. Then came even more noisy footsteps and human voices. He was Governor He's eldest son, so "young master" must refer to him, right? He was saved. He Lingchuan let out a long breath and, relieved, fainted.

Two days later, Blackwater City, He Residence.

He Chunhua, the Governor of Thousand Pines Commandery, had just returned home and immediately went to his eldest son's bedroom. Besides a few servants, there was also a plump old man with a round face, round nose, and round belly. He was over fifty years old, with a full head of black hair that contained no silver strands.

"Grand Shaman Zhaomandu." Seeing He Lingchuan still unconscious, He Chunhua greeted the old man, "How is my son today?"

"He's past the danger period; there's no threat to his life," Grand Shaman Zhaomandu nodded. "He might wake up tomorrow or the day after."

"Excellent, excellent! Thanks to the Grand Shaman's superb medical skills!" He Chunhua asked the servant woman nearby, "Where is my wife?"

"Madam has a headache tonight and has already gone to sleep."

He Chunhua hummed in acknowledgment.

The Grand Shaman continued, "It's strange that a leopard demon from the distant Western Mountains would come to Blackwater City and injure someone, especially the Governor's son. Could it be that foreign powers are causing trouble again? Our nation's strength is weak, internal problems are constant, and border residents fear another invasion."

"I have already sent someone to question the Western Mountain Leopard King, and we will have a reply soon." He Chunhua waved his hand, dismissing all the servants. "If it's about foreign threats, Red Cliff Road will be closed in just over two months, making it impossible for anyone to cross. They probably wouldn't choose this time." Watching his eldest son's complexion gradually improve, he hesitated several times, wanting to speak but holding back.

The Grand Shaman grew impatient. "Governor, please speak your mind."

"After three days of rescue, we finally saved his life. Alas, I just feel that my son's fall down the cliff this time was rather strange," He Chunhua said slowly. "I had someone examine him; this boy is a lucky general, whose fate is accustomed to turning misfortune into blessing, and he rarely encounters severe danger. This inexplicable attack, which nearly cost him his life, truly exceeds my expectations."

"There's no such thing as truly predetermined fate. I see his survival from such a disaster as potentially bringing future fortune, which isn't an unusual fate," the Grand Shaman snorted. "However, divination through aura reading is not my specialty. Governor, you should seek out an expert from the east."

He Chunhua quickly waved his hand. "But when it comes to expelling evil spirits, banishing malevolent entities, and summoning souls, the Grand Shaman is unparalleled."

The shamans from the west and the mages from the east, though sharing a common origin, each possessed distinct supernatural abilities and looked down upon each other.

The Grand Shaman was startled. "You suspect...?"

"He lay at the bottom of the cliff for a long time, and then it got dark. You know that deep mountains and dense forests are full of malevolent entities. Could it be that when he entered the mountains, he was already...?"

Hearing this, Grand Shaman Zhaomandu waved his hand in front of He Lingchuan's face, then leaned in to sniff him, and finally shook his head. "I see your son's spirit is quite normal."

"Grand Shaman!" He Chunhua's expression slightly darkened. "This is a serious matter; I want to confirm it myself." After all, he was the top military and political leader of the region; his stern expression carried official authority.

"Very well," the Grand Shaman took two steps outside and looked at the sky. "Go prepare some things for me; we need to do it before the sun sets." The materials he requested were neither rare nor expensive, and the He residence prepared them without much effort.

The following items were requested:* Fabric cut from He Lingchuan's old clothes, specifically from the area near the chest or back.* Newly gathered cicada molts from this summer, completely intact, without any damage.* A rooster that had just reached one year of age.* A jar of water collected without touching the ground.

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