Chapter 25: The Ancient Blade and a Sudden Alliance

The night deepened, and though the city lights glittered with a deceptive prosperity, unseen dangers lurked in its shadowed, nameless corners.

Xia Zhiquiu and Bai Hao had, at this very moment, arrived at a sparsely populated stretch of road along the river. The flickering streetlights cast an intermittent glow, and the whistling wind painted an eerie picture.

Gazing at Bai Hao beside her, she inquired with a hint of confusion.

“How do you know the Shadow Eater will appear here?”

Bai Hao offered no direct answer, merely stating with an air of confidence.

“Auntie Xia, just wait and see; you’ll understand soon enough. Besides, you don’t have any leads yourself, do you?”

Xia Zhiquiu found herself momentarily speechless. He was right; ever since she had allowed the Shadow Eater to escape that day, she had been utterly clueless about its whereabouts.

A soft snort escaped her lips as the thought crossed her mind.

“I’ll trust you this once. But if you dare to trick me, I’ll…”

Xia Zhiquiu trailed off, unable to complete her threat, for she realized she was utterly powerless against this young man, who was more than a decade her junior.

Witnessing her dilemma, Bai Hao’s lips curved into a subtle smile. Within his mind, he was already calculating how to devour the mature, enchanting woman standing before him.

Time ticked by, second after agonizing second. Just as Xia Zhiquiu’s patience began to wane, a figure emerged from the distance: a delicate, clear-eyed young woman, appearing to be around eighteen years old.

Her expression was visibly flustered, as if she greatly feared this path, yet she pressed onward, her teeth gritted in determination.

Xia Zhiquiu watched with a flicker of confusion, but Bai Hao, unable to resist, quirked an eyebrow and let out a soft “Tsk, tsk.”

“I never would have imagined that a small place like Ningcheng would harbor so many individuals with such potential.”

Xia Zhiquiu froze, startled by his words, struggling to comprehend the meaning behind the young man’s statement.

Just as she was about to open her mouth and inquire, the young woman in the distance suddenly let out a piercing scream!

Xia Zhiquiu immediately spun around to look, only to discover the young woman’s shadow beginning to contort — it was the Shadow Eater!

At this sight, Xia Zhiquiu could no longer remain still; an immediate urge to rise and charge forward seized her.

Yet, just as she made her move, another figure, even swifter than herself, streaked directly towards the young woman.

The newcomer was a young man, roughly the same age as the girl. He brandished an eerie long blade, fixing his gaze upon the Shadow Eater that was attempting to steal her shadow.

No, perhaps ‘blade’ wasn’t quite accurate, for the rune-covered long weapon clearly lacked a sharpened edge; it was wielded entirely as a bludgeon!

Xia Zhiquiu had initially assumed the young man’s attack would prove as futile against the Shadow Eater as her own had been that day.

To her astonishment, however, after he brought the ‘blade’ down upon the Shadow Eater, a sharp shriek echoed through the air, confirming that the creature had indeed been wounded!

Turning her head, Xia Zhiquiu looked at Bai Hao, her confusion evident as she spoke.

“What’s happening? Didn’t you say that Shadow Eaters and us exist in entirely different dimensions?”

Bai Hao’s gaze rested indifferently on the long blade in the young man’s hand. A fleeting crimson glint flared in his eyes before receding, taking a moment to return to their usual state.

This unusual flicker did not escape Xia Zhiquiu’s notice, and her heart gave an involuntary jolt.

“That blade is quite unique. Not only can it inflict harm upon malevolent entities, but it can also transcend dimensional boundaries, much like the Manifestation Lamp.”

This was something Bai Hao hadn’t anticipated; he never imagined such an ancient artifact would still exist in this era.

Xia Zhiquiu, upon hearing his explanation, was also taken aback.

“Does that mean I won’t need to intervene?”

Bai Hao shook his head, gesturing towards the distance.

“If Auntie Xia doesn’t act soon, the Shadow Eater will escape.”

Xia Zhiquiu raised her gaze. Although the young man, relying on his peculiar long blade, could indeed injure the Shadow Eater, the creature was far from foolish; it was already plotting its escape.

After all, the Shadow Eater had always relied on its dimensional advantage in combat; its inherent strength was not particularly formidable.

Without further hesitation, Xia Zhiquiu swiftly drew her Soul Hook and charged forward.

As Bai Hao watched the fleeing Shadow Eater, his palm subtly twitched. The creature, which had been moments from escaping, suddenly froze, as if struck by a paralyzing spell, rigid for a crucial instant.

Seizing this opportune moment, Xia Zhiquiu flung her Soul Hook directly at the Shadow Eater!

In a flash, a chain of ethereal, dark light extended from the Soul Hook’s tip, anchoring itself to a central point within a ten-square-meter radius.

No matter how fiercely the Shadow Eater struggled, it found itself utterly trapped within that confined space!

The young man was momentarily stunned by the sudden appearance of the beautiful woman, but seeing the Shadow Eater ensnared, he didn’t hesitate. He immediately raised his long blade and swung it forcefully at the creature.

Xia Zhiquiu watched from the sidelines, utterly dumbfounded. ‘Are all children these days so violent?’ she mused.

Yet, the thought of Xia Wei quickly brought her back to focus. She drew out her Manifestation Lamp, ready to finally put an end to this Shadow Eater.

With a final, unwilling shriek from the Shadow Eater, its dark, amorphous mass began to dissipate, transforming into a wisp of black smoke that vanished into the air.

Concurrently, a shadowy figure of a young girl was released. She cast a grateful glance at Xia Zhiquiu before soaring away, heading towards the direction of her home.

Xia Zhiquiu let out a profound sigh of relief, for she was certain that the shadowy figure had been her daughter’s lost shadow.

“Thank you for what just happened.”

By this point, the young man had already helped the young woman to her feet. The two then approached Xia Zhiquiu, and the young man spoke.

Xia Zhiquiu waved a dismissive hand, responding truthfully.

“I was also trying to save my daughter, so I had to eliminate this Shadow Eater.”

“However, it seems you two already knew the Shadow Eater would appear. You planned to eradicate it; why was that?”

The young man and woman exchanged a glance, their voices tinged with sorrow and indignation as they replied.

“It’s all because of this entity! It devoured our parents’ shadows, leading to their tragic deaths. And it seems particularly interested in my sister, constantly trying to consume her shadow…

That’s why my sister and I swore to personally kill this malevolent entity!”

Xia Zhiquiu fell silent upon hearing their story. Indeed, since the resurgence of these malevolent entities, countless families had been torn apart.

“Judging by your strength just now, are you an Ability User?”

It was a moment later that Xia Zhiquiu finally turned to the young man and inquired.

The young man paused, startled by the question, then scratched his head as he responded.

“I suppose so? After my sister and I returned to our ancestral home last time and retrieved this ancient blade, which has been passed down for generations, I noticed my strength growing day by day.”

Xia Zhiquiu nodded, understanding. The awakening of an Ability User always required a catalyst; for her, it had been the necklace, and for this young man, it was clearly the ancient blade.

“I believe the authorities will find you soon. When they do, would you be willing to contribute your strength to eliminating these malevolent entities?”

The young man nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

“Of course. Moreover, I want to grow stronger so I can protect my sister.”

For now, she was all he had left.

Hearing her brother’s reply, the young woman was deeply moved, yet a profound worry simultaneously clouded her expression. Though her lips parted, she ultimately remained silent.

In that moment, she yearned to become an Ability User herself, to fight alongside her brother.

As the three conversed, Bai Hao finally rejoined Xia Zhiquiu. He observed the young man across from them, an inexplicable flicker of displeasure stirring within his heart.

Yet, this fleeting emotion quickly vanished, before Bai Hao even had a chance to properly acknowledge it. Such was the price of being a malevolent entity.