Chapter 308: Strongmen Push

Rose-like wood grain grew on the red-lacquered window frame. Thin ice covered the white window paper, through which light diffused softly. The world outside, bathed in sunlight, was steeped in a chill. On the table, a light blue porcelain vase, its glaze pristine, held red plum blossoms that exuded a captivating, subtle fragrance. Lu Jiajia stood by the window, light refracting through the thin ice from various angles, illuminating her snow-white clothes and casting a blurry shadow on the floor.

The snow had not yet stopped, and icicles on the eaves occasionally dripped. She watched the occasional flakes drifting outside the window, silent.

Ning Changjiu rose from the bed, the warmth of his pillow still lingering. He reached out and touched it, then followed the shadow with his gaze. In his sight, a woman stood gracefully, her ivory-white neck luminous and dazzling. Her ethereal, cloud-like garments appeared as if they might melt into the light at any moment.

"Are you awake?" Lu Jiajia turned her head and asked faintly.

Ning Changjiu put on his clothes and looked into her eyes.

If those eyes were a polished mirror, the mundane world, once reflected within them, would surely invert as if seen through a prism.

Ning Changjiu stared blankly for a moment, his expression slowly clearing. He clutched his head and said weakly, "Lately, I've been poring over texts and documents, and my mind and body are utterly fatigued. So, I need to... sleep a bit longer."

Just as Ning Changjiu was about to lie down, a metallic clang rang out.

The water in the brush washer on the table rippled subtly.

Ning Changjiu's pupils constricted slightly.

A small silver sword hovered at his brow, its tip needle-sharp and brimming with murderous intent.

Ning Changjiu pressed himself against the wall, afraid to move.

"Jiajia... what's wrong this time?" Ning Changjiu asked.

"Last night's reckoning hasn't been settled yet," Lu Jiajia said coldly.

Ning Changjiu, oblivious to the danger, said, "Is Disciple Jiajia still not satisfied?"

"Impudent!" Lu Jiajia twirled her fingers within her sleeve, instantly activating her sword spirit. The wooden tables, porcelain bowls, lanterns, and ink brushes around them were instantly shrouded in frost-like sword energy. In Ning Changjiu's sight, the gentle light by the window abruptly dimmed, leaving only Lu Jiajia's figure sharply defined.

With a flicker of thought, Lu Jiajia sent countless small swords, manifestations of her sword intent, hurtling towards Ning Changjiu.

A continuous series of clinking sounds filled the air.

A moment later, those sword intents precisely pierced around the outline of his body.

Ning Changjiu's tone immediately softened, and he pleaded, "Master, please spare me."

Lu Jiajia took a deep breath and asked, "What do we do now?"

"What do you mean, 'what do we do'?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Lu Jiajia looked at him silently, her expression stern and imposing without needing to show anger.

"Am I supposed to silence my junior sister?" Ning Changjiu asked, helpless.

"Either way, you need to find a solution," Lu Jiajia said.

"Junior sister isn't a child anymore; she'll find out about these things eventually," Ning Changjiu said earnestly. "Jiajia, you don't need to bear any resentment over this... Junior sister is so well-behaved, she'll certainly pretend not to know."

"Self-deception," Lu Jiajia stated.

Every time she recalled what she had said last night, it felt like something she had uttered while drunk.

How could she have said such things?

And of all people, Xiaoling heard it...

"How did Xiaoling end up in your room?" Lu Jiajia asked coldly.

"Xiaoling's purpose in coming... was the same as Jiajia's," Ning Changjiu replied.

Lu Jiajia froze, her amber earlobes turning crimson. The cool detachment on her face vanished, replaced by utter disbelief. She stared at Ning Changjiu, her lips trembling slightly, her eyes flickering, as she incredulously exclaimed, "You... you actually thought of doing that to Xiaoling... she's your junior sister! You're worse than an animal!"

Lu Jiajia’s sharp, angry cry was like daggers. The red plum blossoms beside her instantly disintegrated into dust, leaving behind only bare, dark branches.

In a fit of rage, Lu Jiajia turned and stormed out, almost slamming the door behind her.

"Huh?" Ning Changjiu was also stunned. Feeling the sword intent vibrating around his body, he asked in confusion, "Xiaoling came to hide from Siming, so wasn't Jiajia here for the same reason?"

Instantly, all murderous intent in the room dissipated.

"..." Lu Jiajia stopped in her tracks, turned around, and looked at Ning Changjiu in silence.

Snow drifted in from the window.

Ning Changjiu felt a little nervous.

Lu Jiajia bit her lip, growing even more annoyed as she recalled her previous outburst. "Why didn't you make yourself clear?" she demanded.

"But I was very clear," Ning Changjiu replied, utterly innocent.

"Where were you clear? You clearly did it on purpose..." Lu Jiajia snorted coldly, her gaze even more resentful.

Ning Changjiu could bear it no longer. "It's clearly your own wild imagination!" he retorted.

"Didn't you deliberately mislead me, trying to shame and provoke me? You and Xueci are two peas in a pod! You clearly don't see me as your Master anymore." Lu Jiajia's words were harsh and laced with anger.

"Jiajia, honestly, think about it," Ning Changjiu pleaded. "Xiaoling is just a fox right now, so even if I... right?"

Lu Jiajia paused, then realized with a start that she had indeed misunderstood him.

But how could she concede? The art of an argument, after all, lies in the momentum of being unreasonable, doesn't it?

"What if it's a fox? What are you incapable of doing?" Lu Jiajia retorted icily. "If you had nothing to hide, why didn't you tell me Xiaoling was in the room as soon as I walked in? You clearly meant to tease me, and now you're trying to argue?"

"..." *Last night, you clearly didn't give me a chance to speak,* Ning Changjiu thought to himself. Indignantly, he blurted out, "I shouldn't have opened the door for you last night!"

"Oh?" Lu Jiajia's expression grew even colder. "If not for me, then for whom would you open the door? Or are you suggesting you wanted to spend the night alone with Xiaoling, and I, your Master, was merely disturbing you both?"

"When Jiajia is with Miss Siming, why do I see you so meek and obedient?" Ning Changjiu retorted. "You're too much of a bully, only picking on the weak!"

"You have the nerve to say that," Lu Jiajia countered, "dragging a tiger here and not knowing how to keep it in line."

"Miss Siming and I have known each other for a long time, but... didn't you lure her into the Luoshu?" Ning Changjiu asked.

"My relationship with Miss Siming was originally quite simple," Lu Jiajia stated. "Hasn't it become like this precisely because of you? All you do is flirt and cause trouble outside. And when you're not around, I simply cultivate in peace, strictly disciplining myself every day. Yet, in the end, you blame me?"

Ning Changjiu wanted to retort but couldn't find the words. He looked into Lu Jiajia's profound eyes, and suddenly, an idea struck him.

Of course, Lu Jiajia wasn't merely complaining.

He feigned shame, lowering his head slightly. After a brief pause, he asked, "Do both you and Xiaoling call Siming 'Bandit Sister'?"

Lu Jiajia hummed in acknowledgment. "I thought you were completely oblivious to what goes on around you," she said.

Ning Changjiu adopted a look of shared indignation. "After New Year's Eve, I'll be heading to the Heavenly Rankings. But before that, how can I possibly stand by and watch Jiajia be bullied? Tonight, on New Year's Eve, after we've seen the lanterns and fireworks on Clothes Street, your husband will help you regain your standing."

"Really?" Lu Jiajia asked.

"Of course," Ning Changjiu said calmly. "As the saying goes, 'Everyone pushes down a bandit!'"

Tonight was New Year's Eve.

Ning Xiaoling ran across the soft snow, feeling lonely as she watched the white flakes drift down from the sky.

Oh, great. If she went to Sister Siming, Sister Siming would bully her. If she went to Master Jiajia, Master would probably gag her. Senior Brother would surely side with Master and sell her out without a second thought... She couldn't go back either way.

Even with her closest people nearby, Ning Xiaoling gazed at the snow cliff and felt a desolate sense of having no one in the world.

Bored, she wandered to Misty Moon Lake.

Diting sat pompously on the ice, stroking its snow-white fur, resembling an old monk in meditation.

In front of it was an open ice hole. "Diting, what are you doing?" Ning Xiaoling asked curiously.

"Obviously, I'm catching fish!" Diting replied.

Ning Xiaoling frowned. "You're secretly eating fish? If Benefactress Sister finds out, you'll definitely be in big trouble."

The Fish King turned its head, its eyes a dark green, its body noticeably thinner. It sighed, "That woman and I merely have a minor disagreement, not a blood feud. She has no reason to keep harassing this cat. Besides... aren't you helping me draw her attention?"

"..." Ning Xiaoling looked at Diting. "Senior Brother said you used to be called the Fish King?"

"All in the past," the Fish King said nonchalantly.

Ning Xiaoling looked at the ice hole in front of it. "Were you called that because you were good at catching fish?" she asked.

The Fish King shook its head. "No, it's because I once guarded a fish pond, neither too big nor too small."

"Guarding a fish pond?" Ning Xiaoling repeated.

"Yes," the Fish King replied. "The fish in that pond—old ones, young ones, fierce ones, weak ones—I knew all their names. They were my friends."

"If they were your friends, then why did you eat fish all the time?" Ning Xiaoling asked.

The Fish King retorted confidently, "I eat fish, but I don't eat my friends. The former is instinct, the latter is morality. I am a cat with principles."

At that moment, Ning Xiaoling suddenly felt that Senior Brother's moral principles seemed even lower than a cat's...

Ning Xiaoling looked at the ice hole and asked again, "You've dug a hole but haven't even put out any bait. Can you really catch fish being so stingy?"

"Of course I can," the Fish King replied nonchalantly.

"Why?" Ning Xiaoling asked.

The Fish King said, "Look, Misty Moon Lake is frozen solid for a thousand li. The fish have no other way out; this is their inescapable sky. And I am the deity presiding here, opening a seemingly free aperture in their heavens. I don't need to promise anything or deceive them; they will naturally follow this path and flock here."

Ning Xiaoling remained half-convinced, half-doubtful.

However, observing Diting's supremely confident posture, one truly got the impression of a deity enthroned beyond the heavens, as if it were the absolute ruler of this icy lake.

As expected, the Fish King's prediction came true.

Before long, from the deep teal, jade-like water within the ice hole, silvery-white fish darted out from the depths, surging to the surface and leaping in the water, appearing quite joyful.

The Fish King watched them coldly and let out a sigh.

"You see, these are foolish fish," the Fish King sighed. "They find the comfortable lake bottom too oppressive. They mistake the light shining through the hole for hope, and following its guidance, they surge to the surface, rushing towards what they believe is freedom. But what then?"

The Fish King said sadly, "A fish's destiny is simply water; once they leave it, they become nothing. I am a deity; perhaps I cannot see the world beneath the ice lake, but I only need to offer them hope, and they will deliver their succulent flesh right to my grasp."

"In this process, they will even sing its praises, naming this path of light-chasing... cultivation!"

As the Fish King spoke, it extended its sharp claws, drawing them like blades from a sheath. It snatched a silver fish that had leaped from the water, then tossed it into a nearby fish basket, planning to take it home and roast it later.

"Do you understand?" The Fish King asked Ning Xiaoling.

Listening to Diting's words, Ning Xiaoling felt that she understood.

"This ice lake is a world..." Ning Xiaoling slowly began. "And a deity sits above this world? Cultivation... is just a lie?"

The Fish King smiled, its sharp claws glinting in the light as it scooped the silver fish into its basket. It proudly declared, "Precisely! For these little fish and shrimp, I am the supreme lord of the divine realm!"

*Plop.*

The Fish King's head suddenly took a hit, its body tilted, and it toppled onto the snow.

It touched its cheek, realizing it had been struck by a snowball.

"Who dares attack the supreme..." The Fish King looked to the side and saw a black dress swaying in the wind and snow.

It immediately fell silent, shielding its fish basket with its body.

Ning Xiaoling, too, shivered, clutching her tail.

Siming walked over to the Fish King, looked at the overflowing fish basket, and remarked, "Quite a fruitful harvest..."

"I was merely imparting wisdom to Xiaoling," the Fish King explained.

"Hm, very good," Siming nodded. "Now that the lesson is concluded, I'll be taking the props."

"..." The Fish King was furious but dared not utter a word. As the 'lord of the divine realm' of the ice lake, it had been effortlessly subdued by Siming with a simple gesture.

Siming smiled and departed, carrying the fish basket in her right hand and Xiaoling in her left.

The Fish King watched her retreating figure, thinking, *At least give me back my fish basket!*

Xiaoling, too, looked at the Fish King with a desolate expression.

The Fish King slowly cautioned, "This is what they mean by 'there's always a higher power'..."

When Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia set out, with a legitimate reason, to confront Siming, she seemed to have anticipated their arrival. She was no longer in the house, and Ning Xiaoling had vanished without a trace along with her.

"Are you protecting her, secretly tipping her off?" Lu Jiajia demanded.

"Do you have no trust in me at all?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Lu Jiajia snorted. "I used to trust you implicitly. You really need to reflect on how things have become like this."

Ning Changjiu sighed. He paused to reflect, and in his mind, he silently attributed the situation to Lu Jiajia's lack of understanding and her unreasonable behavior.

"It's alright," Ning Changjiu said. "We have the whole night. Siming likely hasn't gone far."

"Then where will you catch her?" Lu Jiajia asked.

"She left with Xiaoling, so she clearly hasn't gone far," Ning Changjiu said. "She must have gone to Clothes Street."

Lu Jiajia nodded thoughtfully.

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly. "We'll go see the lantern festival and fireworks, and catch the bandit while we're at it."

Lu Jiajia agreed.

As night gradually fell, Clothes Street became brilliantly lit, as bright as day.

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia entered the city unhindered, using their Ancient Spirit Sect identification tokens.

Along the street, rows of bright, colorful lanterns glowed in an orderly fashion, like fish scales. Their paper surfaces were painted with vibrant colors, and the ink seemed to contain a fluorescent powder, causing them to spin in the gentle breeze and shimmer in the candlelight.

Carriages and horses traveled down the center of the wide thoroughfare.

Ning Changjiu paused.

The swirling shadows of lanterns from passing carriages brushed across Lu Jiajia's elegant profile. The murmur of conversations among the crowds gently rose and fell around them, flowing with the city's splendor into the depths of the long night.

"It's been a long time since I've been to a place like this," Lu Jiajia remarked.

"The Immortal Palace of Colorful Dependents that day was far more beautiful than this," Ning Changjiu said.

"That's different," Lu Jiajia said. "The Immortal Palace of Colorful Dependents was beautiful, but we were constantly contemplating the meaning behind that beauty, our minds always on edge, with no leisure to simply appreciate it."

Ning Changjiu nodded gently and smiled. "Aren't we here to catch someone tonight too?"

"No need to rush," Lu Jiajia said. "After all, while a tiger might escape, a fox won't."

Ning Changjiu smiled and shook his head.

Both Lu Jiajia and Ning Changjiu were dressed in white, appearing out of place amidst the crowd adorned in mink coats, padded jackets, and thick cloaks. The glazed lanterns on the walls diligently cast their light upon them, as if to imprint the city's luxury onto their garments.

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia walked through the intertwining light and shadow, appearing less like immortals and more like transient visitors in the mortal world.

The river flowing through the city flowed quietly.

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia stood on the long bridge, gazing into the distance.

On the largest pleasure house in the distance, vibrant red ribbons cascaded down from its upturned eaves, their edges seemingly aflame. In front of the grand building, phoenixes, coiled dragons, sea beasts, and immortal Buddhas danced in unison. Delicate palanquins draped with colorful silks, like large, scaled fish, arrived one after another before the brightly lit edifice.

"Was New Year's Eve like this when you were a child?" Ning Changjiu asked casually.

Lu Jiajia gazed at the colorful night and the shimmering river, gently stroking the railing as she quietly pondered. She shook her head slightly. "I can't remember clearly. New Year's Eve seemed no different from any other day. I only recall it being very noisy outside, so noisy it was irritating and I couldn't sleep."

Listening to her words, Ning Changjiu gently took her hand.

"Jiajia, don't you like bustling places?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Lu Jiajia gently shook her head. "Not really."

"Why not?"

"Because on New Year's Eve, there are Nian beasts. If you don't scare them away, they'll eat children at night. I was very young then... so a bit of noise was always better than being eaten."

"It's a pity I didn't meet you, Jiajia, when I was younger."

"Hmph, you weren't even born when I was little. If you're looking for a childhood sweetheart, you could go to Zhao State sooner to find your fiancée."

"I wouldn't want to die young..."

"Oh, you're always speaking ill of people behind your backs. I wonder what you say about me in front of Junior Sister Xiang'er?"

"Only good things, of course."

"I don't believe you."

Hand in hand, they slowly walked across the stone bridge, their gazes casually surveying their surroundings. The towering street buildings buzzed with different aromas, their various colors adorning the night. The sound of the river faded in their ears as the shouts from under the eaves grew closer. Plumes of steam wafted out, battling the wind and snow, and the clinking of glasses shattered in the night.

In the distance, numerous large flying fish lanterns, shaped like kites, ascended with the wind. Many firefly lamps were tied to both ends of these large fish, their lights voraciously reflected in people's eyes, shifting and intertwining. The large lanterns connected end to end, forming a long bridge spanning the night.

"Only when I grew up did I realize that New Year's Eve is beautiful," Lu Jiajia said.

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly. "When beautiful scenery meets a beautiful person, it's only natural they feel an instant connection."

Lu Jiajia chuckled softly and, ignoring his compliment, strolled unhurriedly into a cosmetic shop they passed.

Ning Changjiu followed her.

"Is Jiajia, who never wears makeup, going to follow local customs now?" Ning Changjiu asked.

"I just find these porcelain bottles beautiful," Lu Jiajia said. "I don't actually like the cosmetics inside."

"Merchants here love customers like you, who buy the casket and return the pearls," Ning Changjiu remarked admiringly.

"I'm certainly not as shrewd as you," Lu Jiajia retorted. "You became my disciple, but you never offered a master-apprentice gift. Instead, I'm the one who's ended up providing for you."

"That's why I also like customers like Jiajia," Ning Changjiu replied.

"Stop calling me 'customer, customer'; it makes us sound like... well, that kind of relationship," Lu Jiajia said.

As Lu Jiajia spoke, she continued to make purchases.

Ultimately, Ning Changjiu was the one who paid, at least nominally.

The source of the silver, naturally, was the sect master's funds that he had embezzled when leaving the Imperial Sword Heavenly Sect...

"New Year's Eve here is also known as the Prayer Spring Festival," Ning Changjiu explained, sharing his knowledge of Clothes Street. "The city's most beautiful maiden will ascend to the Jade Terrace Pavilion to recite verses and offer sacrifices to Heaven. There are also grand events like poetry and lantern banquets. The young ladies from the Mu and Yu families are both very beautiful; I wonder which one will attend."

"Do you want to go see the most beautiful maiden?" Lu Jiajia asked.

Ning Changjiu looked at her intently. "Aren't I already looking?" he said seriously.

Lu Jiajia turned her face away and asked faintly, "Didn't you say we were going to catch the escaping Siming and Xiaoling? What, do you want to bend the rules and let them go free?"

"They're in the city," Ning Changjiu replied, "but Siming is cunning. We shouldn't alert them. Let's stroll around a bit more."

"How are you so sure they're here?" Lu Jiajia asked.

Ning Changjiu smiled but offered no reply.

The two continued their walk along the bustling street.

They shared a bowl of tangyuan at a street stall.

Others either congratulated each other or discussed the young masters and ladies from prominent families. What was most talked about, of course, were the events concerning Luoshu Tower and the Ancient Spirit Sect that day. These organizations, which people had viewed as divine abodes, had collapsed and fallen overnight, invariably stirring countless anxieties.

After finishing their tangyuan, Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia continued to stroll through the streets, chatting intermittently. Most of the time, they were laughing and talking, but occasionally, Ning Changjiu's teasing would bring about 'mortal danger' for himself.

Jestling and bantering along the way, the two unknowingly found themselves in the city center.

In the sky, numerous female cultivators of considerable spiritual attainment, clad in splendid robes, soared and danced.

In the grand, brightly lit building at the very center, important figures in magnificent attire moved in and out.

Ning Changjiu presented his wooden token to the doorkeeper, who immediately handed them masks and respectfully ushered them inside.

A token of the Ancient Spirit Sect's Sect Master level was truly an unimpeded pass on Clothes Street.

"Everyone who comes here must wear a mask," Ning Changjiu explained, handing Lu Jiajia one of the masks provided by the guard. They each put one on.

"What difference does it make if we wear masks," Lu Jiajia asked, "when our white clothes already make us stand out?"

"Whether Siming recognizes us or not isn't important," Ning Changjiu replied. "On the contrary, if she does recognize us, she might even actively seek a confrontation, betting that I won't recognize her."

Lu Jiajia conceded that this made sense.

They found a table and sat down. A female attendant immediately approached, handing them a menu. Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia ordered many dishes, and while they waited, exquisite delicacies were served one by one.

Inside the building, singing and dancing filled the air, colorful skirts swayed, and a diverse array of people moved about.

Everyone here was of high status, wearing various masks and engaging in widespread discussion. Masks were a symbol of status; only the servants and attendants showed their faces, as this allowed them to offer guests the most beautiful and sincere smiles on New Year's Eve.

"Does that look like Siming?" Lu Jiajia asked, pointing to a woman wearing a fox demon mask.

Ning Changjiu nodded. "A bit like her."

"Want to go check?"

"No."

"Then it's not her," Lu Jiajia deduced, looking in another direction. "That woman is wearing a very thick scarf; she must be trying to conceal Xiaoling."

"Jiajia's deduction makes sense," Ning Changjiu commented.

"Still not her?" Lu Jiajia frowned.

Ning Changjiu spread his hands. "How would I know?"

"What happened to 'everyone pushes down a bandit'?" Lu Jiajia retorted. "Now Xiaoling is with her, and you don't even care. Hmph, on New Year's Eve, to be abandoned by everyone—there's truly nothing more pitiful."

Ning Changjiu smiled reassuringly. "Let's finish our meal, then we can search slowly. The night is still young."

"You've almost made me full just from anger," Lu Jiajia said.

As they spoke, the female attendant approached elegantly with dishes, bending slightly to place them on the table in order, her movements meticulous.

Lu Jiajia's gaze continued to wander among the people in the hall.

*Clatter.*

Ning Changjiu suddenly reached out and seized the female attendant's wrist.

"Got you," Ning Changjiu said with a faint smile.