Starting with The Eagle Shooting Heroes: I gain a year's worth of skill every day.

At midnight, undercurrents surged beneath the surface of Chang'an City.

The Bad Guys, the most secretive sword of Damocles hanging over the Tang Dynasty, have finally been drawn.

Unlike the Imperial Guards, they didn't seal off streets and create panic. Their actions were silent, like a drop of ink blending into the night.

Three figures wearing bronze demon masks appeared in Chang Le Fang, in front of the Yang family's mansion, which had been reduced to ruins.

The leader had a silver vertical stripe between his eyebrows on his mask, signifying his higher status within the organization. He ignored the charred beams and bloodstains, instead crouching down and picking up a pinch of scorched earth with his fingers.

"This is no ordinary fire; it contains the energy of Geng metal." His voice, filtered through the mask, became muffled and distorted.

Another rogue took out a compass-like magical artifact from his robes. The pointer didn't point to any direction, but instead spun wildly, emitting a soft "buzzing" sound.

"The energy here is completely disordered, as if it has been thoroughly cleansed by some kind of... force that does not belong to this world."

The vice-commander with the silver-patterned mask stood up and walked to a section of broken wall. There was a huge, irregular hole in the wall, its edges smooth as a mirror, as if it had been instantly melted through by some kind of high temperature.

He stretched out his fingers, gloved with black iron, and gently touched the smooth cut surface.

"I've checked the case files. That night, a demon broke into the Yang family's house. But no demonic aura was left at the scene, only this."

He pointed to the hole, his voice tinged with seriousness.

"Furthermore, according to the survivors, they heard words such as 'mission failed' and 'annihilation'."

"Elimination?" another member of the gang repeated, his tone filled with confusion. "What kind of slang is that? There's never been such a term in the underworld."

The silver-patterned deputy commander remained silent.

The commander's order was to investigate "demons, ghosts, and evil spirits," and to investigate the Yang family of Hongnong.

They found it.

But they also discovered something even more chilling.

These traces and these words completely exceeded all the knowledge accumulated by the Bad Guys over hundreds of years. Neither Taoist talismans, Buddhist golden light, nor Western Region demonic arts could have created such a scene.

This is a completely new system of power, fraught with ominous implications.

"The commander's judgment is correct," the silver-patterned deputy commander said in a low voice. "The appearance of that Taoist priest named Shen Mo was not accidental. He was very likely... caught up in the mess in Chang'an while hunting these 'things'."

"So now we..."

"Seale all clues and classify them as 'Top Secret' File No. 1," ordered Deputy Commander Yinwen. "Also, send a team to Xinghua Ward. The commander said that the starting point of everything is the Yang family woman who was rescued. Finding her is equivalent to finding the eye of the storm."

He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the darkness, looking towards the direction of Xinghua Ward.

"Remember, observe, do not touch, do not disturb. What we need to see is not Himself, but why He came."

"Here you go!"

The three figures disappeared back into the darkness, as if they had never existed.

---

Xinghuafang, a small courtyard.

The candles inside the room were still lit.

Yang Yuhuan was able to sit up, wearing Shen Mo's outer robe. Her originally pale face had regained a rosy hue due to the effects of the medicine.

She didn't speak, but just quietly looked at Shen Mo.

In just one night, she experienced a dramatic change that she could never have imagined in her entire life.

And at the heart of all this is the man standing before us.

He startled the Imperial Guards away, but now he simply sat quietly here, tucking her in and pouring her a glass of warm water.

This made her feel inexplicably at ease.

"Taoist Master..."

Finally, Yang Yuhuan broke the silence. Her voice was still hoarse, but it carried a desperate courage.

"You scared away the Imperial Guards; they definitely won't let you off the hook. Chang'an... has become the most dangerous place."

Shen Mo turned his gaze from the window to her face, remaining silent and waiting for her to continue.

"You said before that you would send me away from Chang'an at dawn." Yang Yuhuan's hands gripped the hem of her dress tightly, her knuckles white. "Where were you going to send me?"

"A place where no one can find you," Shen Mo replied calmly.

Yang Yuhuan's eyes instantly reddened.

She shook her head violently, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm not leaving!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was unusually firm.

Shen Mo frowned slightly.

Why?

"Master, Yu Huan lost her father at a young age and lived under the roof of others, witnessing the coldness and indifference of the world. My uncle treated me like merchandise, giving me away at will. In this world, I have no more attachments." She raised her head, looking at Shen Mo with teary eyes, her eyes, like autumn water, filled with undisguised love and dependence.

"It was you who pulled me back from hell."

"It was you who made Yu Huan realize that there really are people in this world who would protect another person without asking for anything in return."

She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and said, word by word:

"Master, are you... leaving soon?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo fell silent.

He looked at her, her face streaked with tears, which reminded him of his sister in his past life, who lay in a hospital bed and looked at him with the same eyes.

No, it's not the same.

The younger sister's eyes held a lingering affection.

Yang Yuhuan's eyes, however, seemed to be grasping at the last straw.

"Yes." Shen Mo finally nodded.

This world is, in the end, just a stop on his journey.

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Yang Yuhuan swayed slightly, but the light in her eyes did not dim; instead, it burned even more intensely.

"Then take me with you!"

She struggled to get off the bed and, disregarding her weakness, knelt down in front of Shen Mo.

"Daoist Master, Yu Huan has nowhere to go and no relatives to rely on. Although Chang'an is a large city, there is no place for me to stay. If you leave, they... and those who are looking for you, will not let me go."

"I'll go with you, anywhere. To the ends of the earth, to the deepest mountains and ancient forests, I'll go. I can do your laundry and cook for you, grind ink for you and serve you tea. I... I don't want to be alone anymore."

She tilted her head back, tears mingling with the dust, her beautiful face now streaked with tears.

Shen Mo's heart was deeply touched.

He is not heartless.

He reached out to help her up, but his fingertips stopped just before touching her shoulder.

Can I take her with me?

An idea flashed through his mind.

Returning to the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes?

he does not know.

Time travel was beyond his control, and the mysterious mirror had never offered any clues in this regard. If he couldn't, keeping her by his side in this turbulent Tang Dynasty would only put her in greater danger.

He could disregard the emperor, the court officials, and even the ownership of the empire.

But he couldn't ignore her safety.

It's almost an instinct.

【trouble.】

Shen Mo sighed inwardly.

He was good at killing.

But he knew absolutely nothing about dealing with this kind of thing...

Looking at Yang Yuhuan kneeling on the ground, her body trembling slightly from weakness and excitement.

For the first time, Shen Mo felt a sense of unease.

During this standoff, Shen Mo's eyes suddenly sharpened.

He suddenly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the courtyard wall and shooting into the dark depths of the market.

There, several extremely subtle presences were quietly approaching.

Their movements were light and their coordination was excellent. They were slowly encircling the inconspicuous little courtyard from different directions.

One of the auras stopped atop a pavilion a hundred meters away, its gaze icy and fixed firmly on the spot.

Shen Mo's gaze sharpened slightly.

The enemy still came...

Moreover, it happened much faster than he had anticipated.