Chapter 28: The Valley That Watches
The wind finally moved again.
Leaves rustled above the treetops as if the forest had been holding its breath and only now remembered how to exhale. Ashen stood still beneath the fading moonlight, eyes fixed on the empty space where the ghost had disappeared. His heartbeat was steady—too steady for what he just faced.
He inhaled slowly.
That thing…
It wasn't gone.
Only silent.
Ashen turned away and began walking deeper into the valley. The pond, the looping forest, the silence—they were all behind him now.
But the air still felt heavy, like unseen eyes watched every step.
He didn't release Qi. He didn't rush. Every movement was careful, measured, silent.
This wasn't a place to be reckless.
---
The Forest Changes
After several minutes, the trees grew taller and darker. Their branches twisted into shapes that blocked most of the moonlight. The ground sloped downward, forming a natural path deeper into the valley.
The scent changed, too—less of normal soil and more of damp stone and cold water.
Ashen slowed.
There were markings on the tree roots—old cuts, footprints, broken branches, faint traces of people passing through. Not one group—many.
Rogue cultivators.
He crouched and touched the ground. The soil was compressed in different directions, suggesting conflict and movement.
They were searching for something.
Or someone.
The Divine Doctor.
Ashen rose silently and continued forward—only to stop a second later.
He wasn't alone anymore.
---
Voices in the Dark
Up ahead, faint voices echoed between the trees. Low. Careful. Whispering.
Ashen stepped behind a moss-covered boulder and listened.
> "We found another trail. The Qi residue matches the herb pouch the Divine Doctor used."
> "Don't get excited. Last time was a dead end."
> "Then we keep looking. Someone saw a shadow by the inner spring. If he's alive, he's nearby."
Ashen closed his eyes briefly.
He had heard similar words days ago. False hope. Rumors. Desperation. Rogues would chase anything if it promised profit.
But this time, the air felt different—not just greed… something darker.
Ashen waited for the voices to move further before stepping out. Their footsteps faded into the distance.
He continued following the path they came from—not toward them, but deeper where they avoided.
If they were chasing clues, he would search the places they overlooked.
---
The Land Feels Alive
After half an hour, the trees thinned. What lay ahead wasn't forest—it was stone.
A wide gorge cut through the valley, like the earth had split open long ago. Mist rose from below, thick and pale, drifting upward like cold breath.
Ashen stopped at the edge and looked down.
The mist wasn't natural.
It moved too slowly, too deliberately—coiling like fingers reaching upward.
The valley wasn't just a place.
It was watching.
Ashen narrowed his eyes. "Again…"
Just like earlier. Just like the ghost.
The world reacted to him.
---
Descent
He stepped onto a narrow stone path descending into the gorge. Each step dropped deeper—not just physically, but into colder, heavier air.
The mist brushed his legs. His skin prickled. His senses sharpened.
Something was down here.
Not a beast.
Not a person.
Something dormant.
The further he went, the more twisted the path became—sharp turns, sudden drops, stone wet like ice. The mist grew thicker until he could only see a few steps ahead.
Then he heard it.
A faint whisper.
Not a voice—just breath, shifting in the fog.
Ashen stopped.
The mist behind him shifted, forming circles. The path behind him was gone—only white fog remained.
He couldn't turn back now.
---
The First Threat
A faint clinking sound echoed from above—metal tapping metal.
Ashen looked up.
Three silhouettes stood on the rocky cliff above him—rogue cultivators. They held spears and short blades, eyes scanning through the mist.
One pointed downward.
> "Someone's below. He triggered the fog."
Another hissed.
> "Idiot. The valley reacts to people like that. He'll lead us straight to something valuable."
The leader grinned.
> "Good. We'll let him walk first."
Ashen didn't move. He didn't reveal himself. He simply listened.
They weren't here for the Divine Doctor.
They were here for power.
And Ashen… carried a trail of it behind him like blood.
He shifted his stance, preparing in case they attacked.
But the rogues didn't jump down.
They followed from above, using height and shadow to stalk him.
Ashen continued descending, aware of them but unbothered. If they attacked, he would finish it quickly.
He didn't want bloodshed. But he also didn't run from it.
---
The Valley Reacts (Supernatural Shift)
Halfway down the gorge, Ashen felt something change.
The fog stopped moving.
Not slowed.
Stopped.
Frozen in place like it was waiting.
He exhaled softly. "This again."
The air turned colder. His vision blurred. For a moment, the stone path beneath him cracked—not physically, but like a reflection breaking.
He blinked.
The path ahead was gone.
In its place was a mirror-like surface of white mist, flat and still like water.
Ashen stepped cautiously.
No sound.
No ripple.
The mist held him as if it were solid.
Then the world around him shifted—trees bending, path straightening. The gorge twisted until it looked like the pond from before.
But this time he wasn't at its edge.
He was standing on the water.
Ashen looked down.
His reflection stared back at him.
But it wasn't still. It moved before he did—breathing slowly, calm eyes sharpening.
Ashen stayed silent.
The reflection smiled softly.
Not mocking.
Understanding.
That made it worse.
---
Emergence of the Shadow
The reflection stepped upward, rising from the water without breaking its surface. It formed a solid shape—mist turning to muscle, moonlight turning to outline, aura gathering like storm clouds.
It stood fully in front of him.
No face.
Only presence.
Ashen's voice was quiet. "Again."
The figure tilted its head. "Did you think it was over?"
Ashen's gaze hardened.
"What do you want now?"
The reflection didn't move.
> "Nothing. For now, I only watch."
The mist behind it trembled.
> "But every choice you make feeds me."
The rogue cultivators watching from above suddenly gasped—finally seeing the apparition. One of them whispered sharply:
> "That's not a ghost—that's a manifestation! If we capture it—"
The fog surged upward, swallowing their voices.
Ashen didn't look at them.
His focus stayed on the figure.
"You said you will replace me."
The ghost's form stabilized further—edges sharpening, height matching Ashen perfectly.
It answered with a calm voice that echoed across the gorge.
> "Not today."
The ground cracked.
> "But the day you embrace power…"
The sky darkened unnaturally, moonlight swallowed by mist.
> "I will become real."
The reflection leaned closer.
> "And when I become real…"
Its voice shifted—cold, emotionless.
> "…the world will learn your true name."
Ashen stared back, unshaken.
"And what name is that?"
The shadow stepped backward, sinking into the mist like a figure returning to sleep.
Its whisper lingered, clear, sharp, inevitable:
> "Shadow of the Supreme."
Then the mist collapsed—world snapping back to the stone gorge.
The reflection vanished.
Ashen was alone again.
---
Rogue Cultivators Arrive
But above him—rustling, quick footsteps, metal drawn.
The cultivators finally jumped down.
One pointed at Ashen, eyes wide with greed.
> "You! Summoner! You can control it—help us capture that spirit!"
Ashen didn't answer.
Another charged at him, weapon raised.
> "Hand it over!"
Ashen exhaled softly.
"I don't have patience for this."
He stepped forward.
Not to fight—
To leave.
The first rogue lunged.
Ashen disappeared from his sight.
A heartbeat later, the man was on the ground, gasping, clutching his throat—his weapon cracked beside him.
Ashen stood a few steps further down the path, back turned.
"Do not follow me."
His voice wasn't loud.
But the cultivators froze.
Not in fear of his power—
But because behind Ashen…
the mist took a shape again.
Not full.
Not real.
Just a silhouette watching.
Waiting.
The rogues stepped back.
Ashen walked deeper into the valley.
They did not follow.