Unparalleled medical and martial arts skills, saving the CEO's fiancée at the start.

Before dawn, Ye Chen and Jiang Ruoxi descended the mountain.

Aygul originally wanted to go with them, but Ye Chen left her in the valley to take care of Mei Changjin.

Su Qinghan also needed to stay in Medicine King Valley to prevent Wen Jiuhong's men from sneaking up.

Ye Chen led the dusty old motorcycle out of the backyard, wiped it clean, filled it with oil, and rode it for half a lap before letting Jiang Ruoxi sit on it.

Jiang Ruoxi didn't stand on ceremony. She folded down the hem of her trench coat, climbed onto the back seat, and gently placed her hand on Ye Chen's waist.

This was the first time Jiang Ruoxi had ever ridden a convertible motorcycle, and it felt completely different.

The mountain wind rushed past my ears, cold and crisp, turning all the dew along the way into mist.

Shen Shanhe lived in a small town called Qingqiaopu, downstream from Wuyidu.

The town was extremely small, with one side bordering the river and the other side nestled against several small, bun-shaped hills.

At the entrance of the town, there is a local earth god temple. In front of the temple are two old camphor trees with canopies so dense that they can cover half of the temple.

Ye Chen parked the car outside the town and walked in side by side with Jiang Ruoxi.

The stone-paved road was narrow and clean, and most of the houses along the street had their doors closed. Only a few elderly people sat in front of their doors shelling soybeans in the morning light.

Jiang Ruoxi walked very slowly. She said that this place was very similar to a scene her mother had described in her memory, as if a story she had heard as a child had suddenly come to life.

At the easternmost end of the town, there is an old house with blue tiles and a half-blackened plaque hanging above the door, the characters of which are blurred.

Ye Chen stood at the door for a moment, then raised his hand to knock.

The door was a bit rotten, like an old antique; from the outside, it looked like a broken, incomplete door frame.

After a while, dragging footsteps came from inside, the door opened a crack, and an elderly man with gray hair peeked out from behind it.

His face was tanned dark and red from the wind and sun, with deep-set eyes and a straight nose, like an old knife that had been used for a long time but hadn't rusted yet.

He looked at Ye Chen, then at Jiang Ruoxi, and finally fixed his gaze on the Kuzhao Sword wrapped in cloth behind Ye Chen.

The old man said "Oh," opened the door, and turned to walk back: "Come in. If you want tea, pour yourself some. There's well water in the kitchen; you can wash your face if you want."

The house was small and the furnishings were very old, but it was kept tidy, which showed that the owner was an extremely particular person.

There are two memorial tablets in the main room. They have no names written on them, but each is carved with a plum blossom and a small sword.

Ye Chen knew at a glance that the sword belonged to Ji's father.

Jiang Ruoxi also saw the plum blossom, her nose tingled, and she turned her face away.

Shen Shanhe brought out three bowls from the kitchen, poured in coarse tea, and drank half a bowl himself first.

He sat on the small bamboo chair by the door, raised his eyelids to look at Ye Chen: "You are Ye Chen, Su Qinghan's disciple."

Ye Chen nodded: "Yes, Uncle Shen."

Shen Shanhe waved his hand: "Don't call me Uncle, call me Old Ghost. That's what your father called me when he was alive, you're used to it."

Ye Chen didn't take the form of address too seriously.

He told Shen Shanhe about the important matters concerning Mei Changjin, Wen Jiuhong and the Five Shadows, as well as the recent activities of the Blackwater Headquarters.

Shen Shanhe listened patiently, his rough hands wrapped around his knees, his eyelids half-closed, as if he were listening to an old, yellowed story.

After Ye Chen finished speaking, he slowly said, "You said Wen Jiuhong used you as bait, but that's not entirely true. He was also looking for a path, a path your father didn't finish walking back then. You thought your father died in the Dragon Heart Cave, but actually he came out of the cave. He went to find someone, a person whose surname wasn't Wen or Wei, but the one who was truly in charge of the Blackwater Headquarters, called Elder Jiu. The Blackwater Headquarters was never under Wen Jiuhong's control; he was just an outsider who was pushed up to take the fall for you."

Ye Chen and Jiang Ruoxi exchanged a glance, their expressions both shocked.

Shen Shanhe paused for a moment, then continued, "Your martial uncle Su Youdao didn't go to the main headquarters back then, not because he didn't want to, but because he knew your father had already gone. Your father left me a message saying that if Elder Jiu is still alive, the Black Water will not dissipate. To deal with the Black Water, you must first eliminate Elder Jiu, otherwise killing ten Wen Jiuhongs will be useless. Your father went to Wuyi Ferry with the Kuzhao Sword back then and never returned. The sword later ended up in your hands. I can't tell you all the details of this arrangement. You only need to know one thing: the waters behind Wen Jiuhong are very deep. You can't cross them alone. You have to find the Five Shadows. He owes your father a head."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ruoxi couldn't help but ask, "Old Ghost, who exactly is Wu Ying working for? How can we find him?"

Shen Shanhe did not answer the question directly, but instead pointed to an extremely old ink painting on the west wall.

The painting depicts half a river, a boat on the river, and a person in the boat.

The figure is tiny, draped in a straw raincoat, as if about to paddle into the deeper fog. A caption on the corner reads, "Half a lifetime as a shadow, a promise fulfilled."

Ye Chen seemed to understand but not quite, and wanted to ask again, but Shen Shanhe had already stood up, walked into the inner room, and brought out a dusty wooden box.

Inside the box were an extremely old compass and a scroll of parchment.

He said, "This is something your father asked me to keep. Now that you're here, it's time to give it to you. Take it to the old ferry temple north of Wuyi Ferry. The temple is still there, but the god is gone. Your father gave the last message to Elder Jiu there. When you get to the temple, put the compass under the shrine and light three white candles facing the center of the river. If someone comes, you will see the five shadows. If no one comes, come back, which means the time has not yet come."

Ye Chen took the wooden box and found it extremely heavy.

Ye Chen opened his mouth, wanting to ask a few more questions.

Shen Shanhe waved his hand as if shooing away a mosquito: "Ye Chen, don't ask anymore. That's all I know. I've kept track of your father's affairs for twenty years, and I'm tired of it. Now that you're here, I can finally relax."

Seeing his reaction, Ye Chen stopped pressuring him, stood up, and bowed deeply to Shen Shanhe.

Jiang Ruoxi also bowed very solemnly.

Shen Shanhe ignored Ye Chen and the others, and just stepped aside. When Ye Chen reached the door, he suddenly said from behind, "Kid, your sword is faster than my knife, but remember, not every fight should be fought with a sword, especially when you're with a woman."

Ye Chen didn't turn around, he just smiled and tightened his grip on Jiang Ruoxi's hand.

When the two left Qingqiaopu, the sun was already setting.

Jiang Ruoxi sat in the back seat, resting her face against Ye Chen's back, and said softly, "I feel that your father has always been there, just paving the way for you little by little in his own way."

Ye Chen rode the bike very steadily, the wind brushing past his ears, carrying her voice softly and far away.

"Um!"

Ye Chen replied once and then fell silent. He knew there were many things he didn't yet have answers to.

Ahead is the old ferry temple to the north of Wuyi Ferry.

The sky darkened again, as if trying to press all the old stories onto the river's surface.

But Ye Chen felt more at ease than when he arrived.

He wasn't afraid that those people were hiding their true intentions.

He was afraid he wouldn't even be able to find his way.

But now, there is a road.

Then just keep going.