Volume One: Youthful Encounters in Subtle Times Chapter One Hundred Forty-Six: The Path of Death's Evasion, Part One

From the moment Shen Tang’s parents left, she found herself adrift and utterly lost. She had no plans for her future, no clear direction to follow. Tianmen Town was where she was born and raised, yet now it was the source of her pain. She did not want to linger there any longer; she longed to leave, to see the world beyond. But she didn’t know what she would do once she left, or where she might go.

After the sacrifice was over, Jiang Dafeng escorted her home. What followed was a spectacle witnessed by the entire town of Tianmen. The whole ordeal had indeed been triggered by the greed of outsiders, but it could not be denied that the intervention of the Daoist Lin had further fanned the flames.

Especially the final interrogation by the Sage Spirit, which laid everything bare for all to scrutinize.

Shen Tang naturally came to understand that her parents’ deaths were at least partially connected to Daoist Lin. Yet, on reflection, was this truly a misfortune for her parents?

Since learning the truth, she had sat silently in the empty main hall, her mind swirling with thoughts that flickered past one another ceaselessly. In the end, one idea settled firmly within her: her parents had known that Daoist Lin wished for their death, and he had told the Shen family all he could. So, regardless of the outcome, the final step was less a trap set by the Daoist than a choice made by her own father and mother.

Daoist Lin might have wronged the people of Tianmen Town, but as far as the Shen family was concerned, he had acted without guilt. Once she reached this understanding, the last remnants of resentment she harbored toward Daoist Lin vanished like mist.

Before Li Yu arrived, he had worried deeply whether Shen Tang would treat him the same after uncovering the full truth. His heart remained uneasy.

Fortunately, Shen Tang harbored no rejection toward his arrival. Though Li Yu could not fully grasp her emotional journey, it was clear she bore him no ill will.

The most telling sign was that Shen Tang still shed tears in his presence. He knew well that as they matured, she would only reveal such vulnerability before those she trusted and felt close to.

Li Yu understood why she cried—he himself had felt the same. Yet he no longer had anyone to whom he could reveal his own weakness. The weight of everything forced him to grow strong. From that day forward, he became Shen Tang’s steadfast support, her most powerful backup.

After her tears had dried, Li Yu fetched water to gently cleanse her face. With the last of her sorrow washed away, she asked softly, “When will we leave?”

Li Yu replied, “We must wait a little longer. The people of Tianmen Town won’t let us go so easily.”

He then inquired about her future plans—whether she wished to cultivate, what her ambitions might be—and took the opportunity to gather their belongings, sorting through what could be taken along.

While they busied themselves with these tasks, two groups emerged from the City Lord’s mansion and headed toward the Youyi Temple and Shen Tang’s home.

When one group arrived at Youyi Temple, they found the doors locked. They assumed that with Daoist Lin gone, any protective wards within would no longer be effective. They believed that someone as powerful as him must have left behind many treasures, perhaps even his own legacy. To obtain these would be a fortunate windfall.

With such thoughts, they attempted to break down the door by force. The result was predictably disastrous. No matter which direction they attacked from, a fierce backlash repelled them, scattering them in utter defeat.

Only then did they realize that even though the Daoist had transcended, their own strength was insufficient to simply enter Youyi Temple at will. Moreover, the door was locked from the outside, meaning Li Yu was not inside. Given where he could be now, it was likely he had retreated to another location altogether.