Chapter 233: Negotiation with Xianger

Chapter 234: At Sunrise, Meeting You

Ning Changjiu paused, looking at the girl beside him.

Zhao Xiang'er stood with her arms half-raised, her expression cool. Her white dress swayed like a delicate flower, making her appear reluctant.

"Alright," Ning Changjiu replied softly. He turned his back to her, recalling the time he had carried her before, and then bent his knees, lowering his body.

Zhao Xiang'er walked over and slowly pressed herself against his back. Her jade-like arms, smooth as lotus roots, wrapped around his shoulders, meeting in front, while her slender, toned legs climbed little by little around his waist. Because of her white dress, her legs clasped tightly behind his waist, making the fabric taut and beautifully accentuating the curve of her hips and waist.

Ning Changjiu felt the familiar softness against his back, followed by a sharp, small, rounded chin resting near him. He reached out, his hand resting on her smooth thigh, and gently lifted her slightly, bringing their bodies closer.

Zhao Xiang'er glanced at the back of his collar, noticing that his injuries inside had mostly healed. The new skin was fair and tender, like a girl's.

Zhao Xiang'er was displeased. "He deliberately didn't heal his wounds before, just to show off to me, I bet," she thought, wishing she could reach out and clamp his neck like a pair of pincers.

Ning Changjiu sensed her murderous intent and asked with a smile, "What's wrong, Xiang'er?"

Zhao Xiang'er replied blandly, "Carry me for a bit. I want to sleep."

Ning Changjiu questioned, "Didn't you just have two naps?"

Zhao Xiang'er said, "If I'm asleep, I won't see you, and then I won't be annoyed."

With that, she rested her face against Ning Changjiu's hair and closed her eyes.

Ning Changjiu chuckled, "Then won't you have to sleep for the rest of your life?"

Zhao Xiang'er said, "Don't disturb me."

Ning Changjiu carried her along the riverside, following the path he had walked years ago, strolling aimlessly forward.

After Ning Changjiu had left, Han Xiaosu poked her head out from the sandy water, watching their receding figures. "Is that the Miss Xiang'er Sister Xiaoling spoke of?" she murmured. "She's so beautiful."

With Zhao Xiang'er's arrival in Linhe City, the city itself seemed to respond, as if all its former somberness slowly began to recover its vitality.

The stagnant energy at the bottom of the sandy river gradually dispersed, making it feel brand new. Han Xiaosu felt a sense of relief, her agile form darting through the river like a small fish.

Linhe City was quite desolate.

Ning Changjiu walked slowly with her on his back. The girl was light, so he wasn't tired at all. Even though Zhao Xiang'er had slightly altered her appearance, Ning Changjiu still received many envious glances along the way.

As they walked through the city, they even saw statues of them.

They had saved this city years ago, and the city had never forgotten.

"What do you want to eat?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Zhao Xiang'er remained silent, her body rising and falling evenly, as if she had truly fallen asleep again.

Ning Changjiu continued to himself, "I heard there are a few old shops in Linhe City, run by survivors of the great calamity back then. We could go visit them for some good fortune."

Zhao Xiang'er's face was serene, and she still said nothing.

Ning Changjiu smiled and quietly turned into an empty street.

After a brief silence, Zhao Xiang'er angrily spoke, "Keep your hands to yourself!"

Ning Changjiu said, "But wasn't little Xiang'er asleep?"

Zhao Xiang'er was silent for a moment, then said, "Put me down."

Zhao Xiang'er lightly landed. She adjusted her snow-white skirt, her beautiful brows furrowed. "Is this how you carried me before?"

"Are you shy?"

"But we're outside."

"It's just the two of us anyway."

"What if someone else sees us?"

With her acupoints sealed, Zhao Xiang'er couldn't extend her spiritual perception, which naturally made her feel less secure.

Ning Changjiu ruffled her hair and said, "Don't worry, I'll hide you well."

Zhao Xiang'er retorted, annoyed, "Don't touch my head! Do you think I'm your junior sister?"

Ning Changjiu chuckled, "If you're not happy, you can always resist."

Zhao Xiang'er wondered what kind of twisted pleasure this was. She pouted, slowing her steps slightly. "Your junior sister came to see me before she left."

Ning Changjiu asked, "What did she say?"

Zhao Xiang'er replied, "She didn't say much, but your junior sister's demeanor has become increasingly refined."

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly, "My junior sister has always been exceptionally talented."

Zhao Xiang'er said, "Yes, Xiaoling is a good girl, but encountering a brother like you, with a human face and a beast's heart, I'm afraid she might..."

The girl trailed off, stopping herself from saying more.

Ning Changjiu narrowed his eyes. "Go on, Xiang'er."

Zhao Xiang'er detested this feeling of powerlessness. She sighed. "I'm not you. How would I know what scandalous things you'll do next?"

Ning Changjiu asked, "What do you consider scandalous?"

Zhao Xiang'er said, "Like brother and sister, or master and disciple relationships."

"Really?" Ning Changjiu put his hands into his sleeves. "Is Xiang'er implying something with that remark?"

Zhao Xiang'er's lips curled slightly. "Don't pretend you don't understand with me."

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly.

Zhao Xiang'er walked through the quiet alley, slowly saying, "You seem to like this kind of thing... I don't know how a good girl like Xiaoling Jiajia ended up with you."

Ning Changjiu asked, "What about you?"

Zhao Xiang'er said, "I'm being held captive. If you're so capable, unseal my acupoints."

Ning Changjiu said, "I don't release tigers back into the mountains."

"Shameless."

"I'm already being very gentle."

"I'm hungry."

"I'll treat you to a meal."

"But you're still using my money!"

"You said it yourself, I'm a bandit."

"Shameless..."

Ning Changjiu held Zhao Xiang'er's small hand, and together they walked through the alley toward the restaurant.

After ordering, Ning Changjiu put down his chopsticks and watched Zhao Xiang'er eat. After a while, with her cheeks slightly puffed, she looked up at him and asked, "Why aren't you eating?"

"I always feel like I'm raising a cat," Ning Changjiu said.

Zhao Xiang'er shot him a glare. "The ones who raise cats in the palace are eunuchs."

Only then did Ning Changjiu begin to eat.

After eating their fill, Ning Changjiu and Zhao Xiang'er went out together and explored Linhe City inside and out. They looked at the newly built houses, reminiscing about past events.

"That was Ning Qinshui's courtyard back then. You beat me there for a whole month," Ning Changjiu said with a smile, pointing to a brand new villa.

Zhao Xiang'er asked, puzzled, "How can you speak of such an embarrassing thing with a hint of pride?"

Ning Changjiu chuckled and ruffled her head. "The worse I was beaten back then, the more satisfying it is now, right, Miss Xiang'er?"

Zhao Xiang'er had nowhere to hide and was forced to endure the head ruffling. Hearing Ning Changjiu's words, she also found the courtyard displeasing. She turned her head and said, "Let's go. I don't like it here."

Ning Changjiu asked, "Where next?"

"White City."

"White City is not somewhere we can go."

"Why can't we go?" Zhao Xiang'er asked, though she knew the answer.

On the Nine Spirits Platform that day, when she lit the signal fire on the high platform and White City didn't respond, she knew someone was playing tricks. Now, the identity of that trickster was clear: Ning Changjiu must have assigned Lu Jiajia to do it.

That Lu Jiajia is truly too much, actually letting her beloved disciple come to find me. She should have chained him to her side...

Ning Changjiu said, "If you really want to go, we can go."

"Never mind," Zhao Xiang'er changed her mind again. "Let's go look outside the city."

Ning Changjiu stopped, and Zhao Xiang'er naturally climbed onto his back.

Zhao Kingdom was remote and wild, with many undeveloped valleys and mountains outside its cities. In the depths of autumn, all the trees were bare, except for the maples that blazed red like fire, appearing from afar like a bridal veil draped over the mountains.

Ning Changjiu brought Zhao Xiang'er to a secluded pool.

Zhao Xiang'er stood by the pool, removing her embroidered shoes and holding them in her hand. Her snow-white, jade-like feet dipped into the slightly cool autumn water. Her soft, pink feet gently stirred the water, creating ripples that broke the reflection of the red maple leaves in the pond.

Ning Changjiu sat beside her. Behind them stood enormous trees, their leaves falling. Ning Changjiu made gestures with his finger, and sword energy swept out like a carving pen. Every falling leaf was precisely cut by the sword energy into the character "Xiang," and these characters quietly floated on the water, drifting with the current.

Zhao Xiang'er looked at the characters, some neatly formed, others elegant and flowing. "A minor trick," she said.

Ning Changjiu chuckled, "Xiang'er, why don't you show off a bit too?"

Zhao Xiang'er's face was expressionless. She bent down, gently extended her hand, and picked up one of the carved red maple leaves from the water. She placed it on her lap and examined it closely.

Ning Changjiu commented, "Looking at this character a lot, it actually resembles the 'double happiness' character (囍)."

"This is the character my mother gave me," Zhao Xiang'er said wistfully. "It has been with me for nineteen years, and now I can finally do it justice."

Ning Changjiu said softly, "Zhao, who loses her land... it is indeed a profound character. But for your mother, gains and losses in the human world might just be a flick of her hand."

Zhao Xiang'er nodded. "The disasters and chaos in Zhao Kingdom back then, even Jin Kingdom's supposed 'revelation,' were likely all arranged by my mother herself. Although I rarely saw her, I could sense that she was indifferent to the world, even to me."

Ning Changjiu asked, "Why did she make so many moves involving you?"

Zhao Xiang'er gently shook her head. "How would I know?"

Ning Changjiu smiled casually, not pressing the matter. He teased, "Then perhaps from now on, you should be called 'Rang'er'."

Zhao Xiang'er glared at him. "'Rang'er' sounds awful. Lu Jiajia is married now, why don't you make her change the 'Jia' (嫁) character in her name?"

Ning Changjiu said, "I wasn't referring to 'soil' (壤), but a different character."

With that, he dipped his finger in water and wrote the character on a nearby stone.

Zhao Xiang'er looked at it for a moment. Of course, she understood the implication. Her fists clenched, and she furiously exclaimed, "Are you trying to die?!"

With that, she shoved Ning Changjiu into the pond.

With a splash, Ning Changjiu hit the water, truly falling in.

Zhao Xiang'er was slightly stunned. She watched Ning Changjiu's head emerge from the water and asked, "Why didn't you dodge?"

Ning Changjiu said, "I couldn't disappoint Miss Rang'er's intentions."

"You... how dare you call me that again!" Zhao Xiang'er was furious.

But before she could fully unleash her anger, her soft jade foot suddenly tightened. She looked down and saw her sole caught in Ning Changjiu's grasp.

"Let go!" Zhao Xiang'er rubbed her leg fiercely, trying to break free.

She was like a little plum blossom deer drinking by the pond, suddenly bitten by a large fish that burst out of the water, unable to struggle free.

Ning Changjiu hooked his finger and gently tickled Zhao Xiang'er's tender pink sole. The girl's toes curled tight, her pearly teeth gritted, and with a slight tremor, she suddenly gasped "Ah!" Then, with a splash, the girl in the white dress was pulled into the pond as well.

Zhao Xiang'er was an excellent swimmer, but at this moment, she was no match for Ning Changjiu. They splashed water at each other, fought hand-to-hand, and Zhao Xiang'er was disadvantaged everywhere. Finally, under Ning Changjiu's coercion, she was forced to surrender before she could return to shore.

Zhao Xiang'er's body was drenched, her thin white dress clinging perfectly to her figure. Ning Changjiu was momentarily stunned. Her previous white dresses had been looser, but now he truly realized how exceptionally graceful and proud this young girl had grown.

Zhao Xiang'er opened her red umbrella, covering herself. "Don't look!" she commanded.

Ning Changjiu took out his sword and asked, "Shall I dry you with my sword's fire?"

Zhao Xiang'er said, "Why are you, the culprit, pretending to be so kind?"

But the autumn water was too cold, clinging to her skin uncomfortably. When Ning Changjiu offered the warm sword, Zhao Xiang'er remained silent, half-reluctantly accepting the offer.

After drying her clothes, Zhao Xiang'er's expression softened slightly. She looked at her white dress and said, "You got my clothes dirty."

Ning Changjiu recalled, "Isn't there a Cloud Garment City in Zhao Kingdom?"

Zhao Xiang'er nodded. "Yes, most of the clothes for Zhao Kingdom's officials and nobles are made in Cloud Garment City. They have the best silks and fabrics there. The 'Thousand Pleat Fragrance' was the best dress from Cloud Garment City last year."

Ning Changjiu asked, "Do you have enough money?"

Zhao Xiang'er said, "Why should we spend my money the entire time?"

Ning Changjiu pondered for a moment. "How about we perform by the bridge to earn money..."

Zhao Xiang'er took a deep breath. "It's enough."

This was certainly not meek submission or swallowing insults, but rather forbearance, enduring hardship for a future goal... This villain wouldn't be arrogant for long.

Zhao Xiang'er walked behind him, recalling her embarrassing plight in the pond earlier, where she was teased into begging for mercy, and fiercely made a mental note of it.

Cloud Garment City was extremely prosperous; the phrase "everywhere rich silks" couldn't even begin to describe it.

The young man in white and the girl in a white dress, walking among it all, seemed a bit shabby by comparison.

Ning Changjiu took Zhao Xiang'er to browse many shops.

After browsing for a while, Zhao Xiang'er didn't buy a dress. Instead, she bought a set of men's clothes. Dressed in menswear with her hair tied up, she looked like a handsome, elegant young master, radiating a compelling heroic aura.

She looked at the brightly colored clothes in the shops and said blandly, "What's so good about these gaudy colors? Only black and white clothing truly aligns with the great truth of the world."

Ning Changjiu agreed, "Young Master Zhao speaks wisely."

Zhao Xiang'er casually turned her head, indeed possessing a certain aristocratic air.

Soon, Zhao Xiang'er's casual gaze at the clothes stopped.

"Young master, this is our shop's treasure..." The shopkeeper, noticing their distinguished bearing, had already come over to introduce it.

What Zhao Xiang'er was looking at was a large red wedding dress. It featured a phoenix coronet and embroidered shoulder cape, with gold embroidery on a red satin base, and bright pearl and jade adornments. The red color was pure and grand, instantly signaling its value. The first glance through the display window felt like a raging fire rushing into her pupils, dimming the distinct black and white of the girl's eyes slightly.

The shopkeeper told her the story and origin of the dress, mentioning that it was rumored to be connected to the Vermilion Bird deity.

Zhao Xiang'er wasn't fantasizing about marriage; she recognized this attire—its style was remarkably similar to what her mother had worn years ago.

Mother... was this also part of your plan?

She had to admit that seeing this wedding dress by chance, she did feel an urge to try it on. But a wedding dress is usually worn only once in a lifetime.

"Yes, this is the one."

Meanwhile, Ning Changjiu had already settled on the price with the shopkeeper.

"I don't want it!" Zhao Xiang'er suddenly exclaimed, flatly refusing.

She disliked the feeling of every step being calculated by someone else, even if that person was her mother.

The shopkeeper was slightly stunned, only then realizing that this handsome young master was clearly a woman disguised as a man.

After Zhao Xiang'er spoke, she turned and left. Ning Changjiu sighed, apologized, and quickly followed her.

"What's wrong?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Zhao Xiang'er was silent for a moment. "I want to be alone," she said.

The sky gradually darkened.

In the inn, Zhao Xiang'er stood alone by the window, watching twilight deepen.

Ning Changjiu brought a bowl of tangyuan and came to her side, feeding them to her spoon by spoon.

"Are you in a bad mood?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Zhao Xiang'er ate the tangyuan, and her mood improved slightly.

The sun sank into the west, and everything hidden there seemed to dim as well.

"Let's go to bed early tonight," Zhao Xiang'er suddenly said.

"Why?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Zhao Xiang'er said, "Tomorrow, I'll take you to Falling God Peak to watch the sunrise."

Ning Changjiu didn't understand why.

Zhao Xiang'er had already spread out the bedding and lay down on the bed.

Ning Changjiu lay down beside her.

This time, the girl not only didn't resist but gently embraced him. Ning Changjiu looked at her serene face, his hand lightly touching her slightly upturned upper lip. His fingers gently brushed her soft lips. The girl's brows furrowed slightly, and she bit his finger.

This time, it was Ning Changjiu's turn to beg for mercy.

Time slowed.

Early in the morning, before dawn, Zhao Xiang'er got up early and dragged Ning Changjiu along to climb the mountain.

The late autumn weather was very cold, and it was even more biting when flying on the sword.

Ning Changjiu wrapped her in a large cloak, holding the petite girl in his arms.

"What's so special about a sunrise?" Ning Changjiu asked, puzzled.

"You're so unromantic..." Zhao Xiang'er said. "You'll understand when the time comes."

Falling God Peak stood alone among the mountains of Zhao Kingdom, its height even rivalling the four immortal peaks of the Imperial Sword Heaven Sect.

After traversing the difficult mountain path, the two finally reached the peak.

Zhao Xiang'er sat on a stone, huddled, hugging her knees, wrapped in the large cloak, gazing intently at the distant darkness.

Ning Changjiu stood behind her, gently gathered her long hair, and, using a comb carved from wood, ran it through her dark, water-like tresses, smoothly straightening the girl's slightly disheveled hair.

For hundreds of miles around, they were the only pair watching the sunrise.

"It's coming," Zhao Xiang'er suddenly said.

Ning Changjiu released her hair, gently sat down beside her, and followed the girl's gaze toward the distance.

The sky's color grew lighter, like flowing egg white. The bright stars gradually faded, receding into the background. The faint, pale blue of the horizon was empty, as if it could be pierced with a touch. And in the blink of an eye, a red fire ignited in the sky without warning. At the same time, the morning wind, like an infinitely vast tide, gently flowed across the land, and the falling leaves rustled in the wind, like countless worshiping devotees.

The flames were like a sharp sword cleaving heaven and earth.

They couldn't distinguish whether what greeted them was wind or light.

The Golden Crow within them, as if summoned, re-formed and cheered with delight.

Ning Changjiu had seen many sunrises, even the very first one before history began.

While sunrises were beautiful, they had been the same for thousands of years. But today was his first time watching a sunrise with Zhao Xiang'er, and so the scenery seemed to have transformed. Everything that flickered in his vision became an unceasing silhouette.

But he couldn't wait for the sun to fully rise.

Zhao Xiang'er had slowly stood up.

"What's wrong?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Zhao Xiang'er said blandly, "Draw your sword."

"Hm?"

Amidst his confusion, Zhao Xiang'er's large cloak rustled to the ground, and the snow-white, right-collared dress underneath slowly drifted down like a cloud.

The enormous fireball in the distance had just begun to show its face, its myriad rays of light not yet having torn through the night sky. In the rustling wind, Ning Changjiu witnessed the most dazzling beauty he had ever seen in his life.

There was no other body in the world so exquisitely beautiful. Her graceful figure was as lithe and ethereal as a wisp of smoke. On her flawless, radiant jade body, every curve floated with the purest light. That white light, fragmented by her ink-dark hair in the wind, intertwined with faint shadows, shifting across her delicate face like makeup. Falling God Peak, solitary for millions of years, seemed to welcome its deity; she too was a goddess of the Luo River.

At this moment, beauty no longer seemed a description of features or physique, but rather a breathtaking, inherent symbol of her being.

Ning Changjiu was lost in thought for a long time, then slowly stood up.

He was captivated by her beauty, but even more so by the splendor depicted upon that exquisite form—her body was emblazoned with a burning, tattoo-like scroll of the Vermilion Bird.

The moment the cloak fell, Ning Changjiu had glimpsed this fiery, sprawling tattoo, but it was only a part. Only now, with every thread of clothing removed, did Ning Changjiu finally see the full extent of this divine Vermilion Bird pattern.

The intricate divine scroll-like drawing almost covered her entire body. The delicate lines of the vermilion-inked divine scroll were so fine that even the faint downy edges of feathers were distinctly visible.

On her snow-white body, every line seemed like flowing sacred fire. The divine scroll it formed was like a living Vermilion Bird coiled on the girl's pristine form, embodying every conceivable intricacy, as if it were an entire divine kingdom.

At this moment, with the girl's movement of drawing her sword from her umbrella, the mythical Vermilion Bird also seemed to come alive as her body stretched.

Only then did Ning Changjiu understand that her Nine Feathers had fully awakened, and thus her seventy-two sealed acupoints had naturally broken open.

As for when this had happened, he did not know.

In the morning sun, Ning Changjiu drew his sword.

His white robes appeared unrestrained as the morning wind swept through them.

The sun slowly ascended, bearing the weight of the entire world, struggling inch by inch from the horizon, striving to climb upward. Golden pillars of light pierced through the clouds, and the soft clouds were ignited into a fiery red. It was a golden ocean burning with fire, as if countless brilliant stars were hidden within its depths.

It rose little by little, gradually revealing its full body, then accelerated, crossing the plain and cresting the mountain, hanging suspended in the sky. Then, it slowly shed its original red hue, becoming pristine white.

The battle on Falling God Peak consumed only the time it took for a sunrise.

Zhao Xiang'er put her large cloak back on.

The Vermilion Bird tattoo on her body had vanished, and her skin returned to its fair state.

Her sword retracted into the red umbrella.

Ning Changjiu's iron sword broke again and fell to the ground.

He held the broken half of his sword, kneeling on the ground, his hair disheveled, an indescribable weariness on his face.

In this short time, he had exhausted everything he had learned in his life, even using the celestial phenomenon of the sunrise to summon the Golden Crow and unleash a sword strike that surpassed his final move in the Vermilion Bird world.

But he still lost to Zhao Xiang'er's sword.

"Why?" Ning Changjiu didn't understand why she had become so strong.

Zhao Xiang'er calmly said, "When I saw that wedding dress yesterday, the Nine Feathers awakened. My divine nature also became more complete... Besides, if I hadn't wanted to suppress you with my world back then, I could have directly summoned the Nine Feathers as my sword, and you wouldn't have stood a chance."

Ning Changjiu sat on the ground, running his fingers through his hair, looking up slightly at the girl's once again indifferent face, and gave a self-deprecating smile.

He also knew full well that if Zhao Xiang'er hadn't wanted to ensure victory by forming her own world and then been ambushed by him and dragged into the Ten-Eyed Kingdom, he would indeed have had difficulty defeating her. And what she displayed today was a trump card she had never revealed before.

That was a tattoo unique to the Vermilion Bird divine lineage.

He had seen a similar tattoo on Siming before, where the intricate silver-white patterns seemed almost to burst out of her black robe.

How could a mortal's sword contend with a deity?

Ning Changjiu gave a bitter smile. "So now I'm the prisoner?"

Zhao Xiang'er said, "Your awareness isn't low either."

Ning Changjiu, holding onto a faint hope, sighed and asked, "So, this marriage..."

Zhao Xiang'er gently shook her head. "Are you still harboring fantasies?"

Ning Changjiu remained silent.

Zhao Xiang'er looked at him blandly, her expression growing increasingly faint, like the sky at sunrise.

Just as Ning Changjiu was losing hope, the girl suddenly spoke, "I'm going down the mountain now."

"Hm."

Ning Changjiu knew he couldn't stop her.