Chapter 123: Winter's End and the Drunken Spring Breeze

The heavens and earth were like a pure black bowl, inverted over the city.

Darkness was like an uncrossable sea, and a chilling wind, like ocean tides, swept across the land and sky. The sin and beauty of death, like the blooming Mandarava flowers by the Yellow Springs River, after reaching their peak enchanting splendor, returned to the night.

To the west of the city, the colossal sword-fire still blazed with towering waves of flame. The red umbrella's canopy was mostly scorched away, revealing hundreds of intricate ribs.

Zhao Xiang'er tilted her head back, the sword tip already pierced an inch into her glabella. Blood-red liquid trickled down the slope of her forehead, flowed past her beautiful, snow-lotus-like face, and pooled at the corners of her lips. She gently pursed her lips, and their color resembled the petals of late spring flowers.

Behind Lady Bai, in the endless darkness, a golden light appeared.

That light originated north of Linhe City and descended south, its trajectory resembling a river flowing through the city.

In the boundless darkness, the slender golden light appeared even more dazzling. Its edges undulated, like molten gold, flowing across the dome of the sky like a celestial river of lava.

And along the edge of that golden light, countless fine cracks began to burst through the darkness and spread outwards. They were light, and as fast as light. In the blink of an eye, the entire edge of the world seemed like an eggshell ready to shatter at a touch.

Lady Bai's consciousness was almost entirely extinguished at this moment, but even so, she still felt the light behind her. That light scorched her back, and her indestructible bone armor became like soft, easily melting snow, quickly softening in the light and dripping down as liquid. The liquid then evaporated into hissing white vapor in the air. Large masses of white vapor surged into the sword-fire, like clouds ablaze in the evening sky.

Zhao Xiang'er's vision blurred. She vaguely saw countless golden birds flying across the sky; wherever they passed, all darkness was devoured, though their cawing cries were irritating.

The inky tide had receded. Ning Changjiu stood on the far bank of the Yellow Springs. Behind him, a crimson full sun hung, and he stood in its center. His dark hair fanned out, his brows exuding heroism. The light of the crimson sun outlined his chiseled facial features, and in his pupils, dazzling golden light shone like an emissary from the scorching sun. The youthful innocence of a sixteen-year-old had vanished from his brows; he now resembled a statue of a young man standing in a divine realm.

Perched on his shoulder was a three-legged crow with slender, bamboo-like legs. The edges of its golden-yellow wings vibrated with subtle electricity and fire. Against the crimson sun, it was a silhouette of pure black, perched at the very center of the crimson sun with Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu kept his eyes open, looking up at the night sky. The darkness was receding as beams of light from outside surged in, like colossal swords, tearing open this world along with the golden light on the night sky.

Countless golden crows swept across the shattered city. They swarmed Lady Bai's body like ants. Amidst the clamorous cries, the pressure from the red umbrella gradually vanished.

Lady Bai felt her body breaking apart. She suddenly remembered four monkey-faced figures with pointed mouths and sunken cheeks: one honest and simple, one portly, one with a fierce face, and one showing compassion.

Sixty-four years ago, she had been beaten by these four apes, her hundred-zhang divine bones shattered into piles.

Today, she felt as if she had returned to sixty-four years ago.

Her eroded consciousness slowly returned, but she no longer had the strength to resist.

Amidst the golden flock of crows, Lady Bai made her final resistance. She transformed into all sorts of things: at times like wild grass, at times like a white horse, at times like a mountain demon, finally transforming into an old woman and a young girl.

But no matter how she changed, with the Golden Crows watching her intently, how could she escape?

Ning Changjiu didn't move; the Golden Crows had already annihilated all of Lady Bai's clones.

Lady Bai was now a skeletal wreck, no longer discernible as human. Her bones continued to burn, and decaying divinity spread fine cracks across her skeleton. Her hollow eyes stared at Ning Changjiu, her voice so hoarse it was almost unintelligible: "You will die too... My authority is karma... You've been tainted... Sooner or later, you'll encounter that wild monkey and be beaten to death by him. Even if you miraculously survive, the true Lord of the Underworld won't let you off..."

Her words were somewhat incoherent. Ning Changjiu listened in silence, then said, "The Lord of the Underworld died long ago."

Lady Bai shook her head with difficulty: "The Lord of the Underworld isn't dead... He has been watching everything from some corner of the world. One day, he will bring eternal polar night and devour this world. You... you can't stop him. No one can stop him..."

Ning Changjiu didn't reply. He knew Lady Bai was truly insane, and further questions would be meaningless.

The Golden Crow on his shoulder fluttered its wings back and forth. Lady Bai, already on the verge of collapse, disintegrated amidst faint screams.

The sword-fire faded.

Her bones fell to the ground, most turning to ash. Only a few sections of her core bones fell, still emitting a soft, luminous glow.

The oppressive force on the umbrella's canopy completely dissipated.

Zhao Xiang'er swayed, and the umbrella in her hand tilted down. She lifted her head as the light from outside broke through the city, which had been shrouded in eternal night for an entire month, and fell upon her exquisite face. The blood on her glabella was like cinnabar.

In her slowly clearing eyes, she saw Ning Changjiu's approaching figure. The crimson sun behind him was not at all dazzling, emitting a gentle light that gradually enveloped her. Her nose twitched as she couldn't help but recall the eight years she spent sitting under the banyan tree, watching the sunset, when the light had also enveloped her in the same way, painting her dirty white dress with a blush-like color.

A faint glimmer of tears appeared in her eyes.

Ning Changjiu walked up to her, knelt on one knee, and met her gaze. Zhao Xiang'er looked at his well-defined, god-like face under the crimson sun. She lowered her eyelids slightly, looked at his snow-white long robe, and whispered, "How disgusting..."

The golden glow in Ning Changjiu's eyes gradually faded. The crimson sun behind him also gradually turned black, then vanished.

The Golden Crow on his neck gently flapped its wings, scattering fragmented golden light onto Ning Xiaoling and Zhao Xiang'er, gradually covering their bodies.

After the golden light faded from Ning Changjiu's eyes, an overwhelming weariness surged through his body. He leaned forward, his fingers touching Zhao Xiang'er's glabella, wiping away the bloodstains for her.

Zhao Xiang'er wanted to dodge, but she couldn't muster an ounce of strength. She glared at Ning Changjiu, wanting to utter threats, but Ning Changjiu, whether intentionally or not, leaned forward as if drained of strength, and his body collided with hers, as if in an embrace.

Ning Changjiu's hand rested on her somewhat bony, delicate back, truly embracing her.

Zhao Xiang'er furrowed her brow, her blood-red lips trembling slightly. She was mildly displeased: "Let... let go of me."

Even as she said this, her head gently rested on his shoulder. Her long hair cascaded down her neck and into his clothes, like the soft, fragrant tickle of a maiden's breath.

The long night was finally over. The long-awaited light fell upon this disaster-stricken city, and many blue tiles, still covered with snow, shimmered crystal-clear in the sunlight.

It was late winter, and the air was still filled with a lingering chill, as if the final snow was about to fall at any moment.

A golden crow flew into Ning Changjiu's memories, and so, all the canvases of his memories now featured a Golden Crow.

In his past cultivation, not long after entering the Daoist temple, he entered the Profound Realm and manifested his innate spirit, the Golden Crow. He often summoned the Golden Crow to perch on his shoulder: on the lotus seat in the temple, by the fence of the life-release pond, on cliffs where cloud seas churned, and in the ancient streets of Dahe Town.

Now, with time reversed, in this world, his sixteen-year-old self had not yet manifested an innate spirit. Therefore, for this world, prior to today, his innate spirit was non-existent, and thus, he could not possibly remember something that "did not exist."

But now, he had finally broken through the threshold of the Profound Realm. The spiritual veins in his body, once like war ruins, under the Golden Crow's nurturing, became intricate and precise, glowing with a faint, thread-like golden light.

The Golden Crow stepped out of myth, becoming a real entity in this world, and so, the blanks in his memory naturally filled themselves in.

He remembered many, many things.

As memories extended into their depths, on countless scenes, this golden bird perched on Ning Changjiu's shoulder, like a seal marking the end of a scroll.

At the end of the memory, his master's hand reached into his flesh, forcibly pulling out the Golden Crow. Its size was several times larger than the current young crow, but between those slender, glowing fingers, it had no power to resist. It continuously shrieked and struggled, the golden light on its feathers gradually fading.

His master then used that luminous, jade-like branch to strike down, severing the last lingering connection between the Golden Crow and his body.

The Golden Crow's mournful cry lingered over Dahe Town, as the flood beneath the white moon swallowed all light.

He tremblingly opened his eyes. Three slender, bamboo-like legs stood on his shoulder. The still-small Golden Crow turned its dark, glistening eyes, observing him. The golden color on its feathers was so new, like an eternal flame. It looked at Ning Changjiu with a hint of curiosity in its eyes, while Ning Changjiu's gaze held the weight of time.

It was like old friends meeting unexpectedly, yet not recognizing each other.

Beside Zhao Xiang'er, the dark and enormous Nine Feathers folded its wings, curiously staring at the Golden Crow on Ning Changjiu's shoulder.

The nascent Golden Crow had an innate urge to tear apart all things dark. It flapped its wings, chirped twice at Nine Feathers, then, with its slender legs pushing off, it charged forward with a brilliant golden light.

Ning Changjiu had no time to stop it. He saw the light from the Golden Crow's wings completely absorbed by Nine Feathers. Nine Feathers puffed out its chest, flapped its massive wings, and knocked the still-young Golden Crow back onto Ning Changjiu's shoulder.

The Golden Crow swayed dizzily twice before regaining its balance, and looked at its master with a hint of shame.

Ning Changjiu sighed, thinking how majestic this innate spirit had been when tearing open the eternal night, yet when it met Nine Feathers, it seemed to have met its nemesis, so disappointing.

"Mhm..." Zhao Xiang'er's long eyelashes trembled. Half-conscious, her arms trembled slightly, reaching forward as if to grasp something.

Ning Changjiu looked at the exquisite face so close to him and couldn't help but lean gently closer. The scent of blood on her gradually faded, replaced by a faint, elusive fragrance in his breath.

He involuntarily recalled the scenes of Zhao Xiang'er pinning him to the ground and beating him severely over the past month. His hand involuntarily traced upwards along her delicate back, glided over her swan-like neck, and his fingers sank into her flowing dark hair. He found the red hair tie and untied it, and her somewhat high ponytail cascaded down, spilling like a waterfall onto her slender back. Ning Changjiu half-embraced her, gently lowering her to the ground.

Zhao Xiang'er lay on her back on the ground. Her men's attire was stained with blood and somewhat damaged. The top part of her clothes was tight, creating strained creases. She seemed to realize something, her eyelids twitching continuously as she tried to open them.

Ning Changjiu originally wanted to get a little revenge on her, but looking down at her long, trembling eyelashes and slightly upturned lips, he felt a sense of dizziness. His body descended as softly as a cloud, gently biting her lower lip and slowly caressing it.

Zhao Xiang'er wasn't sure if she was awake or dreaming. She felt herself on an endless wilderness, gentle light from above bathing her white dress. A gentle wind swept across the tall wilderness, blowing the wild grass into waves like fields of wheat.

Dandelions in the distance were lifted by the wind. They drifted past her side, some clinging to her sleeves, some landing on her neck, some on her lips. She felt a slight tickle and unconsciously pursed her lips, holding the cotton-like dandelion between them.

She felt her body completely relaxed. The gusts of wind carried boundless tenderness, making her want to simply lie down in the wilderness and sleep for countless days and nights.

Ning Changjiu also felt somewhat intoxicated. Days of immense exhaustion weighed on him. The long-unseen sunlight fell, making him reluctant to open his eyes. He instinctively held the fragrant, soft body in his arms, gently clinging to it, enveloped by a sensation both soft and firm.

Unconsciously, Zhao Xiang'er also reached out and wrapped her arms around him. Her fingers brushed against his white robe, and Ning Changjiu's previously tense body also relaxed. The hands that had once delivered countless heavy blows to his body were now so cool and gentle, as if they could melt away his scars.

At this moment, they were in the center of the deep pit, with Lady Bai's bones still piled nearby. Ning Changjiu knew he should try his best to stay awake, first go to a safe place, and help Zhao Xiang'er and his junior sister heal their injuries, just like a month ago.

But the fragrant softness in his arms made him unwilling to get up. His thoughts in his mind gradually diluted and faded away as his hand slowly slid down from the girl's neck.

In a daze, he seemed to be in a continuous expanse of rolling hills and wilderness. He walked through the wilderness, where the slopes, neither steep nor gentle, held an exquisite, divinely crafted beauty. He glided over the upward curves, slowly descending. Soon after, a narrow mountain path appeared before him, its two sides curving slightly inward, like the slender waist of a maiden.

He continued forward. Suddenly, a stretch of hills arched into view. The hills looked as if they had just been watered by spring rain; the soil was so soft, as if with every jump, he would be gently bounced back by the soft grass.

He jumped and tumbled many times in that manner before discovering a slender canyon subtly splitting through the center of the hills. Hidden springs seemed to lurk within the deep canyon. He hallucinated the sound of springs in his ears, and his steps followed the edge of the fissure, slowly moving forward. He seemed to be walking precariously along a cliff face, constantly on the verge of falling in.

Safely crossing the deep canyon, further ahead lay a flat mountain path. The path was so straight and slender, and he walked very, very lightly, as if afraid that even a little force would leave shallow footprints.

Halfway along the path, Ning Changjiu, half-asleep and half-awake, looked up and suddenly saw a girl standing at the other end, watching him.

It was Zhao Xiang'er.

Their dreams seemed to have converged.

After a brief moment of surprise, they slowly walked towards each other, gently closing the distance. The wind that swept past their cheeks carried the fragrance of green grass, and the drifting clouds in the sky slowly descended, enveloping them.

Night quietly descended, and their hazy consciousness also slowly sank.

Zhao Xiang'er and Ning Changjiu's eyelids twitched simultaneously. They slowly opened their eyes, and their vision quickly encompassed each other, close at hand. They didn't know how much time had passed; they only felt that their surroundings were very dim.

Was it already night?

As they thought this, they slightly lifted their heads, but found that the surrounding darkness wasn't right—it was Nine Feathers, which had spread its wide wings to shield them.

Zhao Xiang'er's delicate brows slightly raised. Only then did she realize they were half-embracing, half-cradling each other. Her back felt a little itchy, and it seemed something was pressing on her thigh. She pursed her lips tightly, emitting a faint murderous aura.

Ning Changjiu felt the murderous aura and was startled awake. He found his hand was, at some point, resting on her slender, firm-as-bamboo-shoot thigh. He recalled his recent dream, where the mountains, ravines, and hills undulated like waves, leaving him somewhat entranced and dizzy. He looked at the girl before him and saw that her face, originally as pale as gold leaf, now bore a touch of warm color, like a freshly peeled lychee. Her red lips were also somewhat moist; the cupid's bow on her thin, upturned lips glowed faintly, and through the slight parting of her dark-red lips, her neatly arranged, pearl-like teeth could vaguely be seen.

"You... what happened to us?" Zhao Xiang'er asked softly.

Neither of them knew why they were lying together in such an intimate, half-embracing posture. Their faces seemed very close in the darkness, but the darkness created by Nine Feathers made it difficult to see each other clearly.

Ning Changjiu whispered, "Lady Bai is dead..."

Zhao Xiang'er's face felt hot, and she said unhappily, "I know that. I... I wasn't asking about that."

Ning Changjiu was powerless to answer her question. He shook his head and said, "I don't know either. I just passed out..."

Zhao Xiang'er had previously used all her strength to block Lady Bai's falling sword. The spiritual energy stored in her Qi Sea felt almost evaporated. At this moment, her entire body ached, and she couldn't muster any strength. She merely moved her dark-red lips slightly and said, "Let go."

Ning Changjiu's condition was somewhat better than hers. Although he had expended enormous mental effort when confronting the sword together, the feedback after entering the Profound Realm had restored some of his spirit and strength. But he still shook his head and said, "I have no strength."

Zhao Xiang'er took a deep breath and tried to shift her body back a little. She said, "What's with that Golden Crow?"

Ning Changjiu whispered, "I told you, this city lacks a sun. I always felt I was that sun."

This was the most crucial part of the plan. Ning Changjiu said his innate spirit could pierce through the long night, and for some reason, Zhao Xiang'er also believed this mysterious claim.

So, in one particular plan, the idea was to find a way to place Zhao Xiang'er and Lady Bai on the same side of the city, causing Fengdu to lose balance. Then Ning Changjiu would stand on the other end. In this way, to maintain balance, Fengdu would infuse its primordial power into his body. That power might be enough to help him break open his body's shackles and summon the scorching sun deep within his heart.

Due to its uncertainty, this plan was originally placed quite low on the list. But amidst the changing circumstances, it became the only remaining option. And he truly conjured a sun, transforming the long night into a new day.

Zhao Xiang'er said softly, "You are amazing."

Ning Changjiu said, "As are you, Your Highness."

Zhao Xiang'er listened to his praise, then remained silent for a moment. She whispered, "Let go... I haven't returned to court for a month. They're bound to send people to Linhe City to look for me. They couldn't get in before, but the city gates must be open now... Don't let them see us."

Ning Changjiu said, "It's fine. Nine Feathers is protecting us, no one can see. Besides, at the birthday banquet that day, they all knew you were my..."

"Shut up!" Zhao Xiang'er sharply snapped. She thought to herself that there was clearly nothing going on between them, but with Nine Feathers shielding them now, it ironically gave off a "trying to cover up something" vibe. She struggled a bit and said, "If you don't let go, once I'm healed, I'll beat you until you beg for mercy on your knees."

While Ning Changjiu's Golden Crow was indeed powerful, he himself was only at the Profound Realm. After their spiritual energy recovered, he would naturally not be her match. But now Zhao Xiang'er had exhausted her spiritual energy, and under Nine Feathers' protection, she was slightly curled up. Her weak words, laced with a hint of fierceness, only made her seem all the more vulnerable at this moment.

"Miss Zhao still dares to bring that up at a time like this? You are quite out of touch with current affairs." Ning Changjiu chuckled softly and leaned in closer, looking at the outline of her cheek in the darkness, meeting her gaze.

Zhao Xiang'er lightly bit her silver teeth. She truly felt a lack of confidence at the moment, but her inner pride wouldn't allow her to yield. Dressed in men's clothes, she exuded even more of a man's sternness and boldness. She said, "If you dare to speak another word, I'll break your legs and throw you onto Lady Bai's chair. From now on, you can buy a cage for your Golden Crow and start your retirement in Zhao State by playing with birds."

Ning Changjiu praised, "Your Highness is truly a heroine among women."

A moment later, Zhao Xiang'er bit her lower lip and angrily said, "Where are you touching?"

The indignation in her heart made Zhao Xiang'er unwilling to tolerate it any longer. She mustered her strength and punched Ning Changjiu's chest. Ning Changjiu let out a pained grunt and grabbed her fist. Then the two began to tussle under Nine Feathers' concealment. Occasionally, crisp sounds mingled with Zhao Xiang'er's indignant grunts.

"Mhm... Ning Changjiu, you, how dare you..."

"Hmph..."

The two tussled for a while before finally making concessions to each other and calling a temporary truce. One was sprawled, the other lay on their back, both having used up the last of their strength.

When Nine Feathers finally drew back its wings and light fell upon them, Zhao Xiang'er and Ning Changjiu both wished they could dig a hole and crawl into it together.

Ning Xiaoling sat diagonally to the side, staring blankly at them. The young girl held the Golden Crow in her arms; it was the Golden Crow that had just healed her injuries, allowing her to awaken quickly. At this moment, the Golden Crow was hopping and moving between her fingers and arms, very affectionately.

Ning Xiaoling stroked the Golden Crow's feathers while recalling the crisp sounds from earlier, remembering some strange things and flushing crimson. It was just a little strange, because Sister Xiang'er and Senior Brother's clothes were completely intact...

Ning Xiaoling's gaze was nothing compared to what came next. What truly shamed them was that, outside the large pit, many people had gathered at some point. Many of them were dressed in official robes, mostly officials anxiously searching for the Empress, who had previously been blocked outside Fengdu and unable to enter.

They were currently kneeling at the edge of the deep pit, heads bowed, indicating that they had seen nothing and heard nothing.

Zhao Xiang'er trembled with rage, wishing she could summon five tall warhorses to tear this damned young man into six pieces. Ning Changjiu, too, covered his forehead. His gaze slipped through the gaps in his fingers, and he saw a figure standing conspicuously among the kneeling crowd. He widened his eyes slightly, seeing flowing robes in the wind and a sword-robe as white as snow in the sunlight. That cold, aloof aura was like the eternal snow on a mountaintop. The figure, carrying a sword, walked past the crowd and approached him.

Ning Changjiu tilted his head and pretended to faint.