Chapter 179: 司命

After Shao Xiaoli pestered him for several hours, Ning Changjiu finally threatened to run away from home. The girl immediately stopped her incessant pleading and said, "Boss, you can't leave. I'll go... I'll go!"

Even after sending Shao Xiaoli to bed, Ning Changjiu found no peace.

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture and Blood Feather Lord began discussing the day's events.

"That person named Canxiang, does he have a high status?"

"But he doesn't seem very strong; he couldn't even defeat Master Ning."

"What do you mean 'even'? Isn't our Changjiu powerful?"

"Bah! You're just a tattered book; stop being so obnoxious!"

"But honestly, the cultivation levels of the people in this city don't seem very high. That 'North Sea Divine Sword' technique sounds formidable, but I've only glanced at it, and it's ancient, from a thousand years ago. It just luckily survived the great catastrophe five hundred years ago and has been passed down until now."

"Aren't you even older than them?"

"Can I be compared to them? I'm timeless; they're merely millennium-old relics!"

"Shut up!" Ning Changjiu finally snapped.

Ning Changjiu recalled the day's events and Shao Xiaoli's words, forming a mental image. He then mused, "This place must have avoided the disaster five hundred years ago. And all the cultivation methods here, according to her, were passed down by the Goddess. What could have been the Goddess's intention in doing so?"

"Fortune," the Spirit of the Sword Scripture stated, voicing Ning Changjiu's own thoughts.

Ning Changjiu nodded. "She doesn't want this city to possess complete fortune. In established sects and noble families, cultivators complement each other's progress because they are intertwined; sometimes, one person's rapid advancement can even elevate an entire peak's cultivation. But in this city, everyone pursues their own path..."

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture remarked, "This city is indeed peculiar, but at least we've escaped the desert. We initially feared something sinister lay beneath the abyss, but seeing a city and people, even if it's a bit rundown, brings a sense of relief."

Ning Changjiu gazed at the ancient chair he sat on, feeling the same sentiment as he recalled the brutal combat in the desert. Every grain of sand there must have been formed from the bodies of those who perished, and each step he took might have traversed the lifespan of a once-feared demon king.

The Abyss of Time, it seemed, was a place for nurturing a dark power. Once activated, the undead would revive, and those who managed to climb out would be deemed worthy to see the light of day again, becoming weapons for the royal family.

"Are we underground now?" Blood Feather Lord inquired.

"Perhaps."

Logically, beneath the abyss would be an underground world.

"This isn't my domain," Blood Feather Lord sighed with an air of mock world-weariness.

Ning Changjiu said coolly, "Don't worry, I'll find you a new place to stay in a couple of days."

Blood Feather Lord exclaimed, "Didn't your wife say she'd return my original body after I killed a hundred evil spirits? You... you can't go back on your word!"

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture scoffed, "Wife? Weren't you steadfastly supporting Zhao Xiang'er?"

"This... well, desperate times call for desperate measures," Blood Feather Lord stammered, his face flushing.

Ning Changjiu looked at the decaying sword at his waist and said, "Very well, I'll take you out to hunt evil spirits tonight."

With that, Ning Changjiu stood and walked out into the night.

He also wished to thoroughly observe the city, hoping to find any clues leading to the outside world.

However, the people of Divided City had spent seven or eight centuries without finding an exit, casting an undeniable shadow over his thoughts.

There were no stars in the sky, and a gentle breeze drifted through the dark night. Tree branches rustled over the courtyard, and faint footsteps seemed to echo from a distance.

He pushed open the door and stepped out of the small courtyard.

On either side of the main gate, red lanterns cast a glow upon him. These lanterns, crafted from a dense weave of bamboo strips, emitted a bright light but no warmth, just like those in Linhe City.

Along this path, red lanterns hung on both sides, making the stone-paved street resemble a stream flowing through a sea of red blossoms.

According to Shao Xiaoli, this area contained over sixty households, all inhabited by descendants of the royal family.

Since each royal birth diluted their divine blood, unlike the commoners, royal procreation was more strictly managed, with a strong emphasis on matching lineage.

The royal palace was situated further east, as legend claimed it was the place where the true sun rose.

Ning Changjiu traversed the long street and continued outward.

Divided City was split into two distinct areas: the royal district, protected by its own wall, and the outer city, which also had a wall of comparable height. Over the years, as monsters outside the city became increasingly formidable, many defenses and fortifications had fallen into disrepair, appearing somewhat dilapidated.

Within the royal city, patrols were sparse, with only a small squad moving through the streets. Even in the dead of night, the city gates remained ajar. Several carts laden with goods were being brought in, pulled not by oxen or horses, but by gigantic, beetle-like creatures. These creatures had pale golden carapaces and antennae resembling those of longhorn beetles.

Ning Changjiu activated his Concealment Art, silently merging with the crowd and evading their detection, before slipping outside the city walls.

As soon as he exited the royal city, a subtle coolness enveloped him.

The residential buildings were closely packed, and the stone paving the ground was not as smoothly polished as that in the royal city. One could distinctly feel the unevenness underfoot while walking.

A river flowed through the city, fed by a continuous supply of subterranean springs.

Ning Changjiu walked calmly along the street.

"If I hadn't known beforehand, I wouldn't believe this is an underground world," Blood Feather Lord mused. "Its city planning is quite similar to that of many human dynasties."

Ning Changjiu replied, "Of course, it can't be a mere underground world. This might have been a city within a divine realm that collapsed into the depths, taking the city with it."

"A divine realm?" Blood Feather Lord asked, confused. "Isn't that something only supreme divine masters can possess?"

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture scoffed, "If you were a great deity and cultivated your power to an unparalleled level, wouldn't you want to forge your own world, free from the divine master's control?"

Blood Feather Lord, who yearned for freedom, immediately responded, "Of course. It's just..."

"It's just that the divine master who created this city seems to be dead now. The entire world is the territory of the Divine Master. If you were the chief deity and watched a piece of your domain being carved out, wouldn't you immediately want to destroy it?" Blood Feather Lord worried. "It's better to be a good bird who abides by the rules."

Ning Changjiu moved swiftly through the night.

The commoners' district had few lanterns, leaving most of it in darkness. Only a few homes showed faint lights, and on many rooftops, young disciples meditated and practiced cultivation, seemingly absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

Ning Changjiu reached the outer edge of the city wall. He gazed up at the towering structure, which bore numerous old and ravaged marks, as if it had been breached many times. Figures draped in straw cloaks patrolled its top, swords at their waists and crude firearms in their hands.

The majestic city wall separated two worlds.

Ning Changjiu possessed the ability to depart by sword, but he refrained from rash actions. The outside world remained largely unknown, and moving in the dead of night carried significant risks.

"This dilapidated city doesn't seem to have anything special," Blood Feather Lord observed. "Given the Headless God's abilities, if this is all he created, it would truly be laughable."

Ning Changjiu murmured to himself, "But if the Headless God is the deity of this place, then who is the Goddess Shao Xiaoli mentioned?"

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture said, "You are stronger than anyone in this city. They can't venture further, but you can. Perhaps once you reach the outside, everything will be resolved."

Ning Changjiu said, "Canxiang and the others should be wary of my presence."

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture confidently stated, "There should be no one in this city who has reached the Purple Court realm. You need not worry."

Ning Changjiu nodded, grasping its meaning.

In Divided City, it wasn't a lack of exceptionally talented cultivators, but rather the absence of the conditions necessary to nurture Purple Court realm practitioners. Spiritual energy was scarce, the entire city lacked complete fortune, and most crucially, in this isolated place, it seemed impossible to summon heavenly lightning.

The debate has always been: does one first enter the Purple Court realm, thereby attracting the Inner Demon Tribulation and heavenly lightning, or do these tribulations arrive first, with the Purple Court realm only truly achieved after overcoming them? At the very moment you enter a tribulation, are you considered a Purple Court cultivator, or merely long-lived?

This has been a matter of debate since ancient times.

If it's the latter, then no one in Divided City will ever reach the Purple Court realm, because this place truly exists in isolation and cannot attract heavenly lightning.

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture sighed deeply. "The flow of time in the Abyss of Time is different from here. We don't know how much time has passed; it might already be a century later when we emerge."

Blood Feather Lord also grew melancholic. "Do you think His Highness will wait a hundred years for our Master Ning?"

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture replied, "I don't know about your Highness, but Lu Jiajia certainly will. However, in a hundred years, Lu Jiajia will surely have reached the Five Paths. If she were to descend into the abyss then... sigh."

Ning Changjiu listened to their words, a hidden worry stirring within him, but he knew further thought was fruitless.

He walked through the city for a while longer, noting that many impoverished households displayed odd-looking stone beasts at their doorways. Beyond that, nothing else stood out as particularly unusual.

Ning Changjiu turned and headed back towards the royal city.

Soon, their beautiful dream of invincibility in the world shattered.

As he passed an alley, a flash of white light caught Ning Changjiu's eye.

The moment the white light appeared, and before Ning Changjiu's foot had even entered the alley, his Dao heart hummed. The alarm in his mind spurred his hand to act; he immediately drew his broken sword, silently thrusting it into the darkness. His killing intent, manifesting before the physical strike, condensed at the sword's tip as he slashed towards the source of the danger.

A crisp clang briefly echoed in the night.

The sword Ning Changjiu thrust forward seemed to encounter an obstruction, preventing it from penetrating deeper. He leaned into the sword, and his free hand formed a palm, striking forward. Within his palm, his five fingers shifted ceaselessly, executing both the sword techniques of the Heavenly Sect and the true arts of the Daoist Gate.

Their palms collided in mid-air with impeccable, almost coincidental, timing.

The opponent's palm strike exuded an impregnable force, like a city wall that had stood unyielding for millennia. Ning Changjiu's body was jolted back a step, and his spiritual consciousness fractured, leaving his mind momentarily blank. He immediately pressed a finger to his brow, mending the flaw left in his Dao heart.

In that brief opening, the opponent's hand pressed forward relentlessly.

He felt no blade's sharpness, so he couldn't immediately discern the nature of his opponent's technique.

Ning Changjiu's broken sword was seized by his opponent. With the spiritual energy at its tip dispelled, the sword momentarily lost its power, causing Ning Changjiu, still holding it, to lean slightly forward.

The adversary in the darkness, who had initially intended to disarm him bare-handed, suddenly uttered a soft exclamation.

At that moment, the killing intent of the sword in Ning Changjiu's hand vanished without a trace. It was no longer a sword but a wisp of wind drifting through a hall, completely disarming.

This was a move from the latter half of the Heavenly Oracle Sword Scripture.

With a sharp snap, a burst of red light, like suddenly ignited flames, momentarily illuminated the night.

Blood Feather Lord's shriek erupted. Flapping its wings, it was forced out of the broken sword, then beat its wings at the enemy who had ruined its abode, spewing forth sword feathers and bursts of flame.

As the sword's gleam neared the opponent, it was dispersed by an invisible wind.

Blood Feather Lord shrieked, backing away, desperately searching for anything to preserve its fragile divine soul.

A fatal crack appeared in the Dao realm of Ning Changjiu's "sure-kill" sword after it was blocked. His Dao realm quickly crumbled, his wrist trembled, and iron filings flew from the decaying sword before it disintegrated under the clash of their spiritual energies.

Ning Changjiu confirmed that his opponent was a master, many times more powerful than Canxiang.

Could it be the King himself, here to eliminate him?

But strangely, he detected no killing intent from his opponent.

These thoughts flashed through his mind, but Ning Changjiu's sword movements didn't slow. Sword flames flared, illuminating a corner of the opponent's black robe, revealing strands of incredibly fine silver hair fluttering in the darkness.

For some reason, in his vision, every strand of silver hair seemed to move in slow motion.

Then, Ning Changjiu realized his own sword-drawing speed had also decelerated.

Time felt deliberately stretched.

Yet his opponent's speed remained perfectly normal.

Ning Changjiu watched helplessly as the opponent disarmed him. If they wished to kill him at that moment, it would be effortless.

Ning Changjiu couldn't understand why the laws of time within the Abyss of Time hadn't affected him, yet this person's temporal prison, crafted from the very fabric of time, was able to restrict his movements.

However, despite having the clear advantage, the opponent did not choose to thrust the sword into his chest.

From beneath the opponent's black robe, an incredibly pale hand emerged. It was exceedingly slender and beautiful, each bone resembling an exquisite, delicate work of art, standing in stark contrast to the decaying broken sword.

Ning Changjiu watched as she held the sword and gently pushed it.

The sword returned to its scabbard.

The person's fingers delicately touched the edge of the black robe, gently rubbing the slightly damaged hem where it had been singed by sword fire. She softly removed her outer black robe, revealing a face like that of a young maiden, with flowing silver hair that cast a soft, ethereal glow.

The corners of her mouth curved subtly, her lips forming a soft, gentle smile.

With a light gesture of her finger in the air, the temporal prison that held Ning Changjiu was effortlessly dissolved.

Ning Changjiu stared at the silver-haired woman in the black robe.

Her eyes were perfectly clear and transparent, tinted with a jade-like hue, yet more ethereal and dreamlike. The luminous halo within their whites brought to mind a moon that did not exist in this world.

"Who are you?" Ning Changjiu asked, his gaze fixed on her eyes as his hand instinctively rested on the iron tree branch at his waist.

The woman looked at him, her smile gentle. Every one of her movements seemed a half-beat slower, yet flowed with a natural grace, like a lingering breeze.

The woman opened her other hand, revealing a prismatic, ruler-like white artifact resting in her fair, delicate palm.

She spoke softly, "This is a token from the Star Spirit Hall. I have come at my master's command. Should you have leisure someday, you may use this item to visit the Star Spirit Hall; my master wishes to see you."

Ning Changjiu hesitated before taking the white, finely polished stone artifact.

"Who is your master? Why didn't he come himself?" Ning Changjiu asked.

The woman straightened her slightly disheveled robe. "My master has no name," she said, "only referred to as Siming."

Ning Changjiu hesitated for a moment, yet still couldn't help asking, "How does your master's cultivation compare to yours?"

The woman smiled faintly. "How can a firefly compete with the bright moon?"

With that, she lowered her gaze, curtsied, and then gracefully turned. Her dark robe merged into the night, and in an instant, she vanished. The deadly killing intent that had permeated the air dissipated, leaving only numerous sword marks on two walls, silent witnesses to the battle that had just transpired.

Blood Feather Lord, like a drenched hen, squatted on a lantern post, wings crossed, its divine soul trembling incessantly in the darkness. "Master Ning, help me!" Blood Feather Lord wailed.

Ning Changjiu drew out the Immortal Sword Minglan, now even shorter after breaking another piece, and said, "Just bear with it for now."

Blood Feather Lord, with a bitter expression, crawled back into the sword.

Ning Changjiu was still shaken by the recent events. Why did that mysterious woman suddenly appear? Was it to show goodwill, or merely to put him in his place?

Ning Changjiu turned the elongated white jade object in his hand, unable to discern its purpose.

Until he found a way to break free of her spatial prison, he would certainly not risk traveling to the Star Spirit Hall.

Ning Changjiu sighed, "There's always someone stronger. It seems this city holds other masters."

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture said coldly, "The law of time is far more profound and rare than that of space. The fact that she can apply this law with such mastery, as a mere attendant, makes one wonder how powerful her master must be."

Ning Changjiu said, "In short, it's not something we can contend with at present."

He looked at the broken sword in his hand, feeling a pang of pity. If this weren't Lu Jiajia's personal sword, he might have discarded it long ago.

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture continued to ponder the woman's earlier display, saying, "This city must contain scattered remnants of a god's authority, or perhaps that woman isn't merely of royal descent, but a direct descendant of a deity!"

Ning Changjiu had his own theories, which he kept to himself. Instead, he turned his spiritual perception inward, examining his Purple Court.

The Golden Crow had largely reformed, though it remained in a deep slumber. Its once faded feathers were slowly regaining their dark golden luster, but this process is gradual, and it was uncertain when it would fully awaken.

Ning Changjiu collected his thoughts and returned to the royal city.

Upon returning to the courtyard, Ning Changjiu heard a clattering sound from inside. Reaching the doorway, he found the previously tidy room in complete disarray: chairs overturned, table drapes pulled back, and fruits from the bowl scattered across the floor.

From inside the room, Shao Xiaoli's extremely anxious voice rang out.

"Boss, where did you go...?"

"Waaah, come out, don't scare me! If you leave, I'll be thrown into ghost prison."

"Boss, are you hiding from me? I don't want yesterday's proposal; just come out, and I'll agree to anything you ask..."

The girl's tears streamed down her face in distress.

Ning Changjiu reached the doorway and found her on the floor, having pulled a box out from under the bed, wiping away tears as she peered inside.

Ning Changjiu gently tapped on the doorframe.

Shao Xiaoli's expression tightened, and she slowly turned to see the white figure standing in the doorway. She was ecstatic, but her exhausted body seemed to lose all strength, collapsing weakly onto the floor, her slender legs splayed outwards, her skirt covering them. She looked at Ning Changjiu and said, "Boss, where did you go? I searched high and low, but I couldn't find you..."

"..." Ning Changjiu, who had thought she was fast asleep, was surprised she woke so quickly. He calmly stated, "My name is Ning Changjiu. Changjiu, as in 'long-lasting,' 'enduring.' Please call me by my name from now on."

Shao Xiaoli's tear-wiping hand paused. She rubbed her face, then, looking flattered, said, "Okay, Boss!"

Ning Changjiu nodded. "Remember to tidy up the room," he said.

"Yes, Boss!" The girl sprang up with alacrity.

Ning Changjiu sighed, increasingly missing the days with Zhao Xiang'er and Lu Jiajia by his side.

He even wondered if the slowness of his sword today was due to being held back by the three simpletons around him.

Ning Changjiu walked towards his own room.

Shao Xiaoli suddenly raised her hand and eagerly declared, "Boss, I want to sleep with you!"

"Hm?" Ning Changjiu was startled, secretly marveling at the local simplicity.

Shao Xiaoli, her small face creased with tears, frowned and said, "What if you disappear again...?"

Ning Changjiu said, "I prefer to sleep alone."

Shao Xiaoli patted her own face, thinking she wasn't without some charm. She could only sigh in admiration, "Boss truly possesses admirable integrity!"

Ning Changjiu replied flatly, "It's alright."

"Bah!"

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture and Blood Feather Lord exclaimed in unison.

If those two women had asked such a question, the answer would surely have been entirely different.

After Ning Changjiu returned to his room, Shao Xiaoli began tidying the house. She neatly returned the scattered items to their places. Once the room was orderly, she smiled contentedly, then wrapped herself in a quilt and settled down to sleep on the floor in front of Ning Changjiu's door. Her sleep was already light, ensuring she would wake at her boss's slightest movement.

In the morning, Shao Xiaoli awoke to find herself back in her bed.

"This..."

Shao Xiaoli clutched the quilt, and realizing something, quickly scrambled up, grabbing a bundle of items. She then leaped out of bed and hurried outside, her eyes darting around until they landed on the young man sitting in the courtyard. Only then did she relax.

She quietly approached Ning Changjiu from behind, gently massaging his shoulders and back. "Boss," she said shyly, "I remember sleeping on the floor last night. Did you...?"

"You sleepwalked back yourself," Ning Changjiu replied blandly, his eyes still closed, cutting her off.

"Oh..." Shao Xiaoli responded weakly, then her eyes lit up again. "Boss," she said, "you're a spirit from the Abyss of Time and new to this place. As a native royal of Divided City, let me show you around! There are many spirits like you here, but don't worry, none are as handsome as you. And... something big is going to happen in the city these next few days; it's going to be very lively!"

"Something big?" Ning Changjiu vaguely felt this might be connected to last night's assassination.

Shao Xiaoli smiled mysteriously. While putting on the dress and socks she had hastily worn out of the room earlier, she said, "You'll know when I take you to see it!"

Ning Changjiu opened his eyes only after Shao Xiaoli was fully dressed.

He also wanted to learn more about the city, so he did not refuse.

Eventually, Shao Xiaoli led him to a lavishly decorated tall building outside the royal city. "This is the Art House," she explained. "According to ancient texts, it's like, well... a riverside pavilion or a courtesan's dwelling? Anyway, it's prettier than the imperial palace, and there are many beautiful women inside."

Ning Changjiu thought to himself that naturally, every city must have a brothel. He helplessly asked, "Is this the 'big event' you mentioned?"

Seeing his unamused expression, Shao Xiaoli immediately shook her head and got straight to the point. "No! This Art House has a peerless beauty named Su Yanshu. Recently, a royal swordsman named Xing Yuan declared he would not only redeem her but also marry her."

Ning Changjiu felt no particular emotion, only a growing sense that there was nothing new under the sun, and that this city must have existed in the human world at some point in the past.

So, Shao Xiaoli took him to explore the Art House.

This was something Ning Xiaoling had once wanted to do but never got around to.

By chance today, Ning Changjiu had the opportunity to see the woman Shao Xiaoli had praised so effusively. She sat delicately behind a beaded curtain, holding a slender red-lacquered zither. Her picturesque face was adorned with suitable makeup and vibrant floral decals. Her shoulders were slightly drawn in, as if shy, instilling a desire to pity and protect her.

Ning Changjiu's gaze remained consistently placid, as if observing an exquisite vase from an imperial kiln.

He didn't know her background, but he was certain she wasn't Divided City's most beautiful woman.

The most beautiful woman in Divided City—he might have already met her last night.