Chapter 183: Abandoned City

The window was blown open by the wind, and the bamboo blind let in the cold air from outside the city. A faint whisper of wind swirled briefly in the room before quietly dissipating.

Ning Changjiu turned his head, looking towards the faint light beyond the bamboo blind.

Shao Xiaoli was wrapped in a thick quilt, her body huddled in the corner. Her face, buried in her messy hair, resembled a frightened young animal.

After speaking, she too fell silent. She wasn't even sure if what she had recounted was a real experience or merely a nightmare.

She only felt very cold, as if she were in the snow, and even the thick cotton quilt seemed unable to warm her.

“Why didn't you tell me these things before?” Ning Changjiu’s words brought her thoughts back.

“I…” Shao Xiaoli shook her head slightly, saying, “I couldn’t remember anything before. I… maybe it was just me talking in my sleep.”

Ning Changjiu continued, “Who was it that bought your time?”

“He’s a monster!” Shao Xiaoli immediately replied.

“Hmm?” Ning Changjiu thought, *Aren’t all those outside the city monsters?*

Shao Xiaoli said, “I’ve seen him twice. Once, he was a very handsome man—well, second only to you, boss. The other time, he was a monster!”

“What kind of monster?” Ning Changjiu asked.

Shao Xiaoli closed her eyes, seemingly in pain, as if the mere thought of it gave her a terrible headache.

“The monster… it looked like a puppet, with viscous white threads wrapped inside its body. Most importantly… it had no face!” Shao Xiaoli suddenly opened her eyes and exclaimed, “He had no face; his face was drawn on!”

Ning Changjiu couldn't recall any similar records in his mind.

He continued to ask, “What did you gain by selling your time?”

“To live…” Shao Xiaoli replied.

“How much time did you sell?” Ning Changjiu asked.

Shao Xiaoli recalled, “Everyone’s time has a different price. Mine was quite valuable, but even so, I still sold nearly thirty years of it…”

“Thirty years?” Ning Changjiu asked. “But if he hadn’t helped you, you might have already died, and you wouldn't have had those subsequent hundred years in your original life. So what exactly did he buy from you?”

Shao Xiaoli explained softly, “I asked him that question too. He told me… as long as there’s a possibility for me to live, my future time is valuable! And he’s the one who helps me find that sliver of possibility.”

“Sounds like a swindler,” Ning Changjiu remarked.

Shao Xiaoli nodded. “I thought so too at first. But looking back now, right after I returned to the city, there was an incident at the brothel where someone possessed went on a killing spree. I saved Su Yanshu and became good friends with her. I initially thought that was fate giving me a chance to live, but then I met you, boss…”

Ning Changjiu caught a word from her speech: 'fate'.

Fate is the infinite possibility between birth and death. An old Taoist sage, who had achieved enlightenment and ascended, once said that a day is divided into twelve *shichen* (two-hour periods), and infants born in the same year, on the same day, and within the same *shichen* period, tend to have similar life trajectories.

Furthermore, their geographic location, *feng shui*, and many other factors can be integrated to construct a more complete astrological model for predicting destiny.

The models used by common people today are simplified versions. The true astrological model can only be accurately operated and calculated by Grand Cultivators of the Fifth Path or higher, who possess the ability of 'heavenly computation.' The elements involved in that model are incredibly complex and multifaceted, and the results they yield are often astonishingly precise.

His Second Senior Brother had told him this back then.

He had no interest in astrology.

He didn't believe in fate, but he was also afraid. What if fate truly existed?

If everything were predetermined, how despairing that would be…

Ning Changjiu roughly understood that the monster living in the snow valley might possess some authority over fate.

As for how he altered Shao Xiaoli's fate, Ning Changjiu had a few general theories. It's possible he directly changed the outcome of her destiny to her dying three years later, with fate itself filling in the remaining 'causes.' Alternatively, he might have found a glimmer of hope within Shao Xiaoli's fate, then extracted those low-probability events originally hidden in the cracks of destiny and systematically embedded them onto the right path, forming a lifeline for her main destiny.

But what would a deity with dominion over fate want with buying time?

Seeing his prolonged silence, Shao Xiaoli thought he didn't believe her and quickly said, “Boss, I really didn’t lie to you. If you don’t believe me, I’ll die in three years and prove it…”

“…No need, I believe you.” Ning Changjiu looked into her eyes and sighed, “What else did it tell you?”

“He also said, he also said… ah!” Shao Xiaoli suddenly cried out in pain. She buried her head in the quilt, shaking it vigorously, and struggled to say, “It feels like… ice shards in my head.”

Ning Changjiu quickly reached out, touched her glabella, and brought her extremely chaotic consciousness into stillness, restoring order.

Shao Xiaoli’s eyebrows twitched twice, then her body swayed and fell onto the bed.

With a soft thud, she collapsed face down on the bed, the quilt spreading out to cover her fair body.

Ning Changjiu tucked the lower edge of the quilt around her, covering her cold feet. Through the cotton quilt, his fingers pressed against the center of her back, introducing a wisp of pure spiritual energy to warm her internal organs, preventing the lingering chill from further erosion.

The Golden Crow flew out again, landing on his shoulder. He touched its wings; they were icy cold.

Ning Changjiu sighed, neatly folded her clothes that had been scattered on the floor, placed them at the head of the bed, and then moved a chair to sit beside the bed, guarding her through the night.

He gazed at the boundless night, wondering what secrets lay hidden within this city and the wilderness outside.

In the morning, Shao Xiaoli woke up as usual. She rubbed her eyes, unable to recall when she had fallen asleep, only that her head ached slightly.

She turned her head and found herself lying face down. Then, she noticed Ning Changjiu, dressed in white, sitting asleep beside the bed.

“Boss…” Shao Xiaoli whispered, then felt a touch of regret.

Fortunately, Ning Changjiu didn't seem to have woken up.

She quickly burrowed herself completely under the quilt, checked her body, then lifted a corner of the quilt and secretly reached for the clothes at the head of the bed, pulling them one by one into the quilt and struggling to put them on.

Ning Changjiu, feigning sleep, felt he understood the young girl's personality less and less.

“Boss, boss.” After dressing, Shao Xiaoli called out twice more.

Ning Changjiu pretended to slowly awaken, glanced at her, and said, “You’re awake?”

Shao Xiaoli was wearing loose clothes, her hair disheveled, and her plain face looked somewhat childish.

“Boss, why were you sleeping here?” Shao Xiaoli asked.

Ning Changjiu also asked, “Don’t you remember what happened last night?”

“Last night?!” Shao Xiaoli was startled, a surprised expression appearing on her face, which quickly turned crimson. Her fingers intertwined tightly, her arms bent in front of her, and her slender waist slightly twisted as she awkwardly asked, “Last night… what happened last night? Did we…?”

Clutching the cotton quilt, she cautiously looked up, her gaze fixed on Ning Changjiu’s handsome profile, her mind filled with wild thoughts.

*Looks like she doesn’t remember…* Ning Changjiu thought silently. *Is this the secret of heaven that cannot be revealed? If he hadn’t intervened last night to force her into a deep sleep, Shao Xiaoli might have already gone insane and died.*

Clearly, Shao Xiaoli didn't realize she had narrowly escaped death. She merely blinked at Ning Changjiu, her hands clasped in front of her, pressing against her chest, subtly twisting. Her slender legs were tucked beneath her in an eight-figure posture, trying to appear alluring.

Ning Changjiu turned his head and gave her a faint look, finding her somewhat resembling a little duck.

Shao Xiaoli looked at his expression, wondering why her boss was so indifferent. Could it be…? She recalled some of the knowledge Sister Su Yanshu had shared with her, and her heart began to beat faster.

Ning Changjiu silently stood up and turned to leave.

Seeing her boss’s coldness, Shao Xiaoli immediately realized she had misjudged him. Her boss was such an upright and noble person; how could he possibly make advances towards her? It must be…

“Boss, last night, did I… did I try to seduce you?” Shao Xiaoli asked tentatively, then continued to speak to herself, “I’m seventeen this year, and many people liked me before and came to my mother to propose marriage, but I’ve always kept myself pure… Now that I’ve seen you, I…”

“Shut up! Go make breakfast.” Ning Changjiu interrupted.

“Oh.” Shao Xiaoli’s words trailed off, and she softly assented.

After breakfast, Shao Xiaoli suddenly remembered the wilderness expedition. She counted on her fingers, thinking, *If I haven’t miscalculated, it seems to be today! Oh… what time was it again?*

Ning Changjiu looked at her bewildered expression, as if knowing her thoughts, and said, “Noon.”

“Oh…” Shao Xiaoli replied, then anxiously asked, “If we go out like this, won’t we be exposed?”

“Don’t worry,” Ning Changjiu said, “I won’t make things difficult for you.”

Shao Xiaoli paused, then secretly rejoiced, knowing that his implication was that he would follow her lead outside.

The thought of her usually haughty boss being submissive to her outside filled Shao Xiaoli with anticipation for this wilderness expedition.

On this day, Ning Changjiu saw the King of the Severed Realm City for the first time.

In the central square of the royal city, the people of Xingyuan stood somewhat disorderly.

They wore either armor or magic robes, carried weapons, and each was accompanied by a semi-spiritual being—these were all spirits bound by contract. Ning Changjiu also followed behind Shao Xiaoli, his gaze fixed straight ahead, his expression indifferent, appearing himself like a soulless spiritual entity.

Soon after, the King emerged from the deep royal palace.

In Severed Realm City, the King and the Prime Minister never possessed their own names; their authority derived from these two inherited titles. Thus, the King’s descendants never had fixed surnames; children chose their own from a stone tablet.

Shao Xiaoli’s surname, Shao, was one she had personally chosen.

Ning Changjiu looked towards the King on the stone steps.

He wore an imperial yellow and black robe, embroidered with strange-looking dragon-pythons. On his head was an ancient crown, with strings of beads hanging down like a curtain.

His dragon robe was very similar to the one worn by the headless divine statue carved into the stone wall at the end of the Abyss Passage that day.

The King’s appearance was unremarkable, but as he slowly walked out, he exuded an aura of majesty and power.

Ning Changjiu, however, was not thinking about these things.

He remembered the malevolent spirit from last night.

The dragon robe on that malevolent spirit also looked like this.

A chill ran down his spine.

Could it be that the monster deep within the ghost prison was the previous King? That King, having endured who knows what, was corrupted into this form, becoming an ugly and evil ghost, and was then kept imprisoned deep underground until death.

The King stood on the metal platform and delivered an impassioned speech, then personally handed a small bronze sword to each person.

This small bronze sword could absorb the blood of monsters; with each absorption, the sword's color would deepen, serving as a means to determine who killed the most monsters.

After the bronze swords were distributed, the Prime Minister bestowed a blessing upon each person, offering protection for their journey.

All of this proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Shao Xiaoli, having left in a hurry, didn't have time to do her makeup or comb her hair, so she occasionally used her fingers as a comb, running them down through her hair.

Wilderness expeditions were conducted many times a year. Most of these did not involve venturing into truly new territories but rather clearing and cultivating existing land to grow what little grain they could.

The extreme daily temperature fluctuations here made it difficult for many plants to survive. Therefore, exploring unknown paths and feeding the entire city were the most crucial matters for Severed Realm City.

After everything was completed, Shao Xiaoli and Ning Changjiu headed out of the city.

The Xingyuan group consisted of just over thirty people in total. They couldn't be organized like an army because everyone's spirits varied wildly in size and form: some were gigantic toads carrying maidens, others were carnivorous plant-like creatures with multiple mouths opening and closing erratically and vines writhing about, and some were even split in half but remained determined, holding long swords in their hands…

Shao Xiaoli's gaze slowly swept across her surroundings, feigning a casual look, but still concluded that her own boss was the most handsome.

“Shao Xiaoli.” Someone suddenly called her name.

Shao Xiaoli turned and saw a stranger. She coldly asked, “What is it?”

Behind the man floated an eye shrouded in black mist, its blinking perfectly synchronized with his own.

“This is your spirit?” The man looked at the young man beside her, a playful smile on his face.

“Hmm?” Shao Xiaoli glared at him coldly and said, “Do you have a problem with that?”

The man looked at the girl’s icy face and chuckled, “It doesn’t look like you found a spirit; it looks like you found a pretty boy.”

Others who heard this chuckled softly.

Shao Xiaoli not only ignored them but secretly delighted in their remarks.

These royal experts were mostly veterans of many wilderness expeditions. They didn't consider the monsters outside the city to be formidable opponents; each outing felt merely like an exercise to hone their swordsmanship. Thus, they chatted and joked with each other along the way.

Outside the main gate from the royal city to the outer city lay a specially constructed wide street. The largely emaciated common folk stood on both sides of the road, watching from a distance as they walked out of the city, cheers rising and falling.

Shao Xiaoli felt their gazes, and the long-accumulated shadow of her self-doubt slowly dissipated. She slowed her steps and leaned intimately towards Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu, however, was completely oblivious to her overture, also slowing his pace to maintain distance from her.

Beneath the towering city walls, the great gates stood open. This majestic city was like a beast cage; centuries ago, beasts roamed outside while humans were confined within. But now, the humans themselves were the true formidable beasts, capable of roaring through forests, gradually expanding their territory outward until they encountered a new continent and led all their people out of this barren city.

Beyond the royal city lay a vast expanse of desolate valleys and deep mountains, largely a deep iron-blue color. The rugged, jagged rocks twisted sharply, pointing directly towards the sky, and faintly, the figures of strange birds could be seen circling among them.

A path, worn by human footsteps, was buried among knee-high wild grasses, leading into the distance. Along this path, several small but solidly built fortresses were visible in the distance, each topped with a beacon tower.

“This is outside the city?” The Spirit of the Sword Scripture, looking through Ning Changjiu’s eyes, saw rows of towering, knife-like peaks and giant cliffs. These mountains were all incredibly high; any one of them, if placed outside, would be considered a famous peak. Yet, looking out, the entire world was desolate, with not a trace of life visible.

“This place is somewhat peculiar,” Ning Changjiu said.

“What’s peculiar about it?” the Spirit of the Sword Scripture asked.

Inside the broken sword, Blood Feather Lord clamored, “I’ve seen many famous mountains and great rivers! Let me out; let me discern this.”

Ning Changjiu made no extra movements; he simply communicated mentally, “Help me remember the patterns in the rock fractures of those cliffs.”

The Spirit of the Sword Scripture didn’t know what he was thinking, but merely assented.

Once the entire group arrived in the open world outside, they spread out like birds with open wings, dispersing to both sides.

Although the area outside the city appeared desolate and lifeless, it was largely peaceful. After walking for a long time, they saw no trace of monsters.

But this peace was ultimately an illusion; soon after, the bubble was abruptly burst. As they approached a certain cliff face, Shao Xiaoli slowed her steps. She stared at the cliff, her skin breaking out in goosebumps.

On that sheer cliff, countless creatures like those seen in the ghost prison clung densely. They resembled mutated humans, with tails and four claws that seemed to possess great adhesive power, sticking motionless to the high precipice, like nests of geckos.

Even though Shao Xiaoli had previously accompanied expeditions out of the city and had personally killed many monsters, every time she encountered such a sight, her scalp still tingled.

“Ning Changjiu.” Shao Xiaoli turned back coldly, lowering her voice with conviction, calling him by his full name.

Ning Changjiu frowned, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable, but still calmly responded.

The thirty-odd cultivators, armed with swords and blades, led by Kui Yuan, suddenly burst forth like fireworks, transforming into streaks of light that shot towards the lurking demonic creatures. Crisp sounds of bones breaking echoed, like sickles cutting through straw.

Outside the royal palace, everyone had dispersed.

The King returned to his deep palace.

Many palace lanterns were placed within the hall, but currently, none of them were lit, making the royal hall appear particularly bleak and desolate.

This royal hall was built against a majestic high mountain, which loomed like a wave, as if ready to engulf the palace at any moment.

The King calmly walked deeper into the hall; his throne was located at its furthest end.

Unlike thrones in the outside world, this one was not gilded with gold, inlaid with silver, or studded with jade, showcasing ultimate luxury. This throne was simply carved from a single piece of black jade. It was somewhat long, looking more like a smooth, serene jade couch.

It wasn't that the King disliked luxury, but rather that the true owner of this chair did not.

The Diviner sat upon the throne, her dark skirt softly covering her exquisitely graceful body. Silver-white hair cascaded down the curves of her figure, and her entire being seemed to meld into the black jade.

The King, who should have been the most arrogant and unyielding ruler of Severed Realm City, actually knelt before her.

“You don’t actually need to kneel to me,” the Diviner said softly, her eyes slightly open.

The King devoutly replied, “Diviner, you are a deity descended from heaven, the very tomorrow of Severed Realm City. I must kneel.”

The Diviner’s cherry-petal lips slightly pursed. She leaned back against the chair, one hand propping up her jade-like cheek, her loose sleeve falling away to reveal a segment of her flawlessly white arm.

She smiled faintly and said gently, “Rest assured, as long as you obey me, you won’t fall into depravity and become a demon like the previous ruler.”

The King thought of the utterly grotesque monster deep within the ghost prison, and knelt down even more devoutly.

The Diviner lightly raised her pale wrist, her fingers like petals floating on water. She said, “If you still have any doubts, you may ask me anytime.”

The King rose at her gesture and said, “No doubts.”

The Diviner chuckled softly, her beautiful eyes narrowing, and asked, “Are there truly no doubts, or do you simply dare not have any?”

The King bowed slightly and said, “I only wish that one day my people can leave this city.”

The Diviner’s voice was faint as she said, “Do you know that what we truly need to leave is not this city?”

The King raised his head slightly and said, “I do not know. I beg Diviner to reveal the heavenly secret.”

The Diviner looked at the pitch-black ceiling of the hall, as if she could see the night sky beyond it, and continued, “Do you know why we cannot see the stars in the sky?”

The sun, moon, and stars existed only in recorded texts; no one in the city had ever seen them.

“I do not know,” the King replied, awaiting an answer.

The Diviner slowly said, “Because they have long departed from you… You are orphans abandoned by time. No matter how long you keep vigil here, you will never find the source of everything.”

“The Divine Maiden… abandoned us?” the King asked, his voice trembling.

The Diviner smiled faintly, a hint of mockery in her gentle words: “That Divine Maiden has long since left. I am your new god. I will break the curse on this city and lead everyone out to see the legendary sun, moon, and stars.”

“Diviner, what exactly do you seek?” The King wondered what in this barren city could possibly satisfy her.

Originally, Diviner was an ancient position in the royal city, similar to a shamaness, responsible for divination and predicting fortune. Years ago, the previous Diviner suddenly died, and immediately after, this impossibly beautiful woman arrived in the city, directly taking over the position of Diviner and residing in the palace ever since.

The King was originally the strongest person in the city, yet he was easily defeated by the Diviner.

After such defeats repeated many times, he finally, as King, submitted to her.

Yet, even now, he hardly dared to face this woman directly. Every time he saw her exquisitely beautiful face, a burning desire would ignite within him, and he would fantasize about how wonderful it would be if she were not a divine being of supreme cultivation, but rather an ordinary royal woman whom he could take into his chambers and possess at will…

These thoughts were a wicked flame, utterly impossible to hide from the Diviner’s gaze. Yet, she paid them no mind, her eyes quietly observing the amorous fantasies within that wicked flame, a faint, gentle smile always playing on her lips.

She had never considered romantic love; it held no meaning for her, for a true divine offspring must be pure and unblemished.

Mythological beings were always perfectly flawless, just like herself.

She looked at the prostrate King and stated her answer: “I wish to return to my divine kingdom.”

Fast-paced text: Above the Divine Kingdom - Chapter List