Chapter 327: Paper Kite

The boundless water of night slowly receded as dawn unfurled, drying it up bit by bit. Light streamed in from afar, diluting the starlight, and the neatly arranged roof tiles began to gleam. Looking out towards the light, one could see the silhouettes of trees clinging to the mountain peaks, their dark forms undulating, clearly outlined against the sky.

At dawn, as the world gently awakened, half of the human realm was bathed in light, while the other half remained steeped in shadow.

Dressed in white, Ning Changjiu walked to the window and looked out.

The moon in the sky had already faded, leaving only a faint, blurry silhouette.

Lu Jiajia opened her sleepy eyes and gazed at the young man's back, suddenly feeling a sense of loneliness.

She held the brocade quilt to her chest, its folds gracefully tracing the curve of her spine, her delicate collarbones visible beneath the slender, fragrant shoulders that supported her beautiful hair. As she watched the young man, a thought crossed her mind, and she tightened her grip on the quilt, her knuckles showing through the soft fabric.

“You woke up after only an hour of sleep?” Lu Jiajia asked softly, with a hint of displeasure.

Ning Changjiu turned gently, seeing Lu Jiajia’s fair hand pull back the bed curtains. Her bright eyes were fixed on him, and the lingering warmth of the night’s flame gave her hair and cheeks a hint of soft intimacy.

“Did I wake you?” Ning Changjiu asked apologetically.

Lu Jiajia smiled faintly. “Waking up to find your companion gone without a word… after it happens so many times, it’s hard to sleep soundly.”

She was subtly referring to Ning Changjiu’s departure for his three-year appointment while she was asleep, and his unannounced absence three months ago, which left her to wake up to a cold pillow, with only Siming’s smiling gaze fixed on her.

Ning Changjiu returned to the window, sat down, and held her hand. Softly, he said, “If I could, I would gladly sleep beside you for a thousand eternities. By then, the trees Xiao Ling planted would be old, but we would still be young.”

Lu Jiajia wasn’t quite accustomed to such words from him. She merely scoffed, “What ‘if’? Since I followed you, I haven’t had a moment of peace.”

Ning Changjiu chuckled. “Didn't you insist on taking me as your disciple because you wanted to repay a kindness? This is just the consequence of your own actions.”

Lu Jiajia felt a pang of annoyance, immediately recalling that rainy day. Then, still in the Longevity Realm, she had stumbled, half-dead, into that courtyard, like a wounded creature collapsing at a hunter’s door.

When she woke, her mask was off, and her clothes had been changed. She had no room to protest anything… Yes, that was the root of all evil.

Lu Jiajia scoffed, “Hmph, how could I have known then that there would be a disciple in this world who wanted to 'eat' his master all day long? Such malicious intent deserves to be eradicated!”

“Did Master not want to ‘eat’ her disciple back then?” Ning Changjiu asked.

“Not in the least,” Lu Jiajia stated emphatically.

Ning Changjiu replied, “Then why did Master wait by the abyss like a hunter by a tree?”

Lu Jiajia said blandly, “My secluded cultivation has nothing to do with you. Don’t flatter yourself.”

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly. “So, I misunderstood Master and defamed your innocence?”

If Lu Jiajia hadn’t still been undressed, she would have grabbed her sword and started swinging.

The two then engaged in a symbolic tussle by the bed for a while.

Outside, the sunlight grew stronger, and the flowers in the courtyard, having slept through the night, began to bloom in full splendor.

“Aren’t you going to check on Siming?” Lu Jiajia asked suddenly from the couch.

“Why would I look at her?” Ning Changjiu replied.

Lu Jiajia asked, “Then why did you wake up so early? Or should I have pretended to be asleep and not exposed you?”

“It’s just… I’m a bit worried,” Ning Changjiu said.

“Worried about what?” Lu Jiajia inquired.

Ning Changjiu thought for a moment, then answered truthfully, “I saw the Evil.”

Lu Jiajia was slightly startled. She wanted to ask where he had seen the Evil, but realizing that every word she spoke might be overheard by some unknowable entity, she refrained from probing further. Instead, she simply said, “In that case, it saves a lot of trouble. So… what’s next?”

Ning Changjiu replied, “Once Xiao Ling’s situation is settled, I’ll make a trip to Ten Thousand Demon City.”

“Leaving again?” Lu Jiajia asked.

Ning Changjiu nodded. “When faced with a predetermined outcome, one should always try to do something, shouldn’t they?”

Lu Jiajia said, “I’ll go with you then.”

Ning Changjiu replied, “Swords are not permitted in Ten Thousand Demon City.”

“Then I simply won’t bring my sword,” Lu Jiajia said.

Ning Changjiu replied, “Jiajia, you *are* a sword.”

Lu Jiajia pursed her lips. “Then what can be done?”

Ning Changjiu said, “Then you just shouldn’t bring yourself.”

Lu Jiajia’s gaze turned a little sharp. She sighed plaintively, “Ah, when will these days of always parting and seldom meeting finally end?”

Ning Changjiu looked up at the ceiling, as if gazing through it to the higher sky beyond.

“Perhaps when I see Master, I’ll know many answers,” Ning Changjiu said.

Lu Jiajia remained silent.

The light outside the window grew steadily brighter.

Counting from his rebirth, many years had passed in the blink of an eye. Recalling these past events now, they felt hazy, as if veiled in light mist, not to mention his previous life, which seemed as ephemeral as smoke and clouds.

“Do you know much about Ten Thousand Demon City?”

Inside the Nine Nether Hall, Siming looked at Ning Changjiu, her brows furrowed, and asked.

Since she hadn’t escaped yesterday, Siming had not left, intending to stay and be the final protector for Ning Xiao Ling, that little traitor.

Ning Changjiu shook his head gently. “As far as I know, Ten Thousand Demon City has been sealed off and isolated from the world for many years. Even the most powerful people in the Central Lands would only have a partial understanding of it.”

Siming said, “Ten Thousand Demon City… it’s considered the last sanctuary for demons under the protection of the Sage.”

“Do you know anything about Ten Thousand Demon City?” Ning Changjiu asked.

“No,” Siming replied. “That catastrophe happened five hundred years ago, and my kingdom fell seven hundred years ago. However… among the great demons who have survived to this day, there might be some I know.”

Ning Changjiu pondered, then tentatively asked, “How much longer can the Sage survive?”

“They could die at any moment,” Siming said. “A sovereign who has left their divine realm is like a fish stranded on a beach. Even someone as powerful as a Sage cannot withstand the erosion of time.”

Ning Changjiu said, “If the Sage dies and Ten Thousand Demon City loses its protection, won’t it be completely destroyed?”

One could imagine the immense disaster and chaos that would befall that colossal city, dominating the northeast, once it faced impending destruction.

“Indeed,” Siming said, seemingly casually, revealing a secret. “Five hundred years ago, both humans and demons tried to betray the Heavenly Dao and sought to overthrow it. But after their failure, the Heavenly Dao’s reckoning for the mortal realm differed. Its leniency toward humans far surpasses that toward demons.”

“Why?” Ning Changjiu asked.

Siming couldn’t answer. She simply said, “Figure it out yourself.”

Ning Changjiu knew this touched upon a sensitive secret and didn’t press further.

Inside the Nine Nether Hall, the two fell silent for a moment. Then, Ning Changjiu suddenly spoke. “Do you… recognize me?”

“I’d recognize you even if you turned to ash,” Siming said, slightly startled, looking at Ning Changjiu with suspicion. “Wait, why are you asking that? What wicked deed have you done now?”

Ning Changjiu let out a wry chuckle. “That’s not what I meant.”

In Broken Realm City, Siming had once spoken of his past life with nostalgic words. He had always remembered.

Siming lightly flicked her sleeve. “I’m not sure if you are him, but… if I truly recognize you, it’s not a good thing.”

“Why?” Ning Changjiu asked.

Siming replied, “Because if I can recognize you, it means that every year, at least three high-ranking beings can also recognize you.”

She was referring to the Lord, the Divine Official, and the Heavenly Sovereign of each year.

Ning Changjiu thought for a moment, then said, “Not necessarily.”

Siming frowned. “Why not?”

Ning Changjiu looked into her eyes and said earnestly, “Perhaps it’s because… you’ve seen me before.”

Siming seemed to recall something. A sudden flurry of snow seemed to sweep through her eyes, her silver hair stirred without a breeze, and her exquisite face abruptly turned cold, then just as quickly softened with emotion.

She extended a finger and immediately pressed it against Ning Changjiu’s lips.

Siming glanced out the window, and only after confirming there were no unusual cosmic movements did she cast a deep glance at Ning Changjiu, withdrew her finger, and said, “Loose lips sink ships.”

Ning Changjiu nodded gravely.

Siming had been about to sit down, but her posture froze midway. Slowly, she rose and stood still again, her expression unchanged. “When I first saw you in Broken Realm City, I never imagined I would actually end up cooperating with you.”

“Indeed,” Ning Changjiu replied. “At that time, I only wanted to kill you.”

“Heh, you didn’t just say you wanted to kill me back then,” Siming remarked, reminiscing about the past.

Ning Changjiu rubbed his forehead, curious. “What did I say then?”

“You said you wanted me to feel humiliation, pain, and despair day and night, to cast me down into the dust and make me wish for death,” Siming recounted, yet her tone was as light as a breeze.

“How do you remember that so clearly?” Ning Changjiu asked, suspicious.

Siming smiled faintly. “Your grand declaration was so resounding, it would be difficult to forget.”

Ning Changjiu thought for a moment, then chuckled, “Then I suppose I’ve always stayed true to my original aspiration.”

“Hmm?!”

Siming’s expression sharpened, and she was about to retort when Ning Xiao Ling hopped in, habitually leaping onto Siming’s shoulder. The little fox then proceeded to tickle her with her tail and knead her with her tiny paws. Siming’s originally fierce expression softened considerably. She shot a glare at Ning Xiao Ling and said, “Your senior brother can’t protect you forever.”

Ning Xiao Ling ingratiatingly replied, “If Senior Brother can’t protect me, don’t I still have Sister?”

Siming let the little fox continue to nuzzle her shoulder, feeling quite helpless. She wondered if she had become too kind; this was so unlike her original self.

“Xiao Ling, it’s been a hundred days,” Ning Changjiu said, looking at her carefree face, intending to instill some sense of urgency in her.

Ning Xiao Ling, however, looked even happier. “Only a hundred days, and the authority has almost been collected! There are still two hundred days left… Senior Brother and Sister are truly a match made in heaven!”

Silence fell in the hall for a moment.

Ning Xiao Ling’s single remark seemed to have offended both of them simultaneously.

Realizing her faux pas, she weakly explained, “I… I just meant that Senior Brother and Sister work together very well.”

“You little fox spirit,” Siming chided, then walked towards the door.

Ning Xiao Ling lay on Siming’s shoulder, watching the curves hidden by her flowing hair, silently thinking, *Don’t think Xiao Ling doesn’t know, aren’t you a big fox spirit now too?*

Of course, she only dared to think it; if she said it aloud, she wasn’t sure if her Senior Brother could protect her.

“Senior Brother,” Ning Xiao Ling called, waving to him. “Senior Brother, let’s go out and play together.”

Ning Changjiu smiled faintly, temporarily pushing aside the many distractions in his mind as he walked over to Siming.

Before long, Lu Jiajia emerged from the house, her sword at her side. She watched the two walking shoulder-to-shoulder, her expression hinting at resentment. Then, without a word, she walked between them, separating them.

Ning Xiao Ling, sensing the atmosphere, also opportunistically jumped onto her Master’s shoulder, beginning to massage her shoulders and pound her back.

The three walked across the long iron chain bridge spanning the cliff.

Beneath the long bridge, the surface of Moonveil Lake shimmered with scattered light.

The three chatted about mundane topics as they walked to the edge of Moonveil Lake.

By Moonveil Lake, the Fish King sat before a large vat. Inside, salted fish were piled high like a small mountain, their pungent, fishy smell sharp enough to sting the nose.

The Fish King wore an expression of utter despair.

Seeing Ning Changjiu return, its fish-like, lifeless eyes suddenly gleamed, and it looked at him as if begging for help.

“What’s going on here?” Ning Changjiu asked.

Siming replied, “It will gain its freedom once it finishes eating this mountain of fish.”

“Is this Phoenix Immortal County?!” Ning Changjiu exclaimed in shock. “Our Ancient Spirit Sect’s Great General Dizang eats this all day? What an indignity!”

Siming said blandly, “It’s simply because it usually haunts the lakeside, pretending to be a spirit and swindling the disciples out of their fish. Gaining without labor, deception, and trickery—it’s getting what it deserves.”

“But this punishment is a bit too much…” Ning Changjiu said, feeling a pang of pity.

The Fish King’s eyes brightened.

“Do you have an objection?” Siming asked.

Ning Changjiu looked at the Fish King, then back at the jar full of salted fish, and silently said, “Sect Master truly upholds clear rewards and punishments.”

The Fish King thought to itself, *I shouldn’t have placed my hopes on a beast like you, whose eyes only see women!*

“Meow-ooh,” the Fish King whimpered, protesting feebly.

The disciples were still cultivating in the wooden hall, and Moonveil Lake was exceptionally calm.

They followed the lake embankment, walking onward until, without realizing it, they had left the sect grounds.

The outskirts were adorned with flourishing flowers, like brocade, and the clothing street was a riot of colors, vibrant with prosperity.

Lu Jiajia was in a good mood today. Under the subtle encouragement of Ning Changjiu and Siming, she decided to shed her perpetually white robes and try some exquisite makeup.

“Does this look good?” Lu Jiajia asked, having chosen some vibrant, colorful makeup recommended by the women at the beauty parlor.

Ning Changjiu smiled sincerely. “Jiajia, you look good no matter what.”

“Senior Brother is lying!” Ning Xiao Ling, using her telepathy, mercilessly exposed him.

While Lu Jiajia went to change her makeup, Ning Changjiu and Siming waited outside, chatting with faint smiles.

“If I were you, knowing my time was short, I wouldn’t waste my leisure on shopping,” Siming scoffed.

Ning Changjiu replied, “Reuniting after a long separation, and taking a stroll with my wife, is one of life’s great joys. What would you understand?”

“You two truly have deep marital affection,” Siming said. “But if it were me you were accompanying, would you still be happy?”

Ning Changjiu straightened his face and offered a metaphor: “It would be no different from walking under a dark cloud on a clear day.”

Ning Xiao Ling wagged her tail, exposing him once more. “Senior Brother is clearly very happy inside!”

Once Lu Jiajia had changed her makeup, the three of them went for a walk along the lake embankment where they had first watched fireworks. It was early spring, and the willows swayed gracefully, their countless drooping branches sprouting tender yellow leaves, like the stamens of flowers.

“What’s that…?” Ning Xiao Ling looked up at the sky.

“A paper kite,” Siming said. “A… ridiculous toy for human children.”

Lu Jiajia added, “Paper kites were also used for sending messages in the past. It’s said they could convey human wishes to the heavens.”

“Shall we try it?” Ning Changjiu asked.

“Childish,” Siming said coldly.

Ning Changjiu looked at Ning Xiao Ling, who innocently protested, “Sister Siming and I aren’t connected telepathically, why are you looking at me?!”

“Fine,” Siming conceded. “I’ll reluctantly accompany you to see.”

Beyond the suburbs, the spring breeze swept the grasslands into undulating waves. From afar, the fragrance of blooming peach and plum trees or clusters of roses drifted on the air. Amidst the verdant grass, the spring stream whispered softly, its murmuring blending with the sound of the wind as it flowed onward.

Lu Jiajia paid for a paper kite, shaped like a fiery sparrow with ruffled edges. They each picked up a pen and wrote their names on it.

However, none of the three had any experience flying a kite.

So, these several peerless great cultivators observed the children’s technique from a distance for a while, nodding in turn, each gaining their own insights.

Ning Changjiu held the spool, while Lu Jiajia held the kite’s slender bamboo frame. The two ran across the grass, and Ning Changjiu unwound the string, attempting to send it aloft against the wind.

However, the kite barely flew before it wobbled and crashed to the ground. Siming stood nearby, arms crossed, and scoffed faintly.

“Care to try, Divine Official?” Ning Changjiu offered the spool, a little unconvinced.

“Since you ask me, I’ll give it a try,” Siming said, taking the cylindrical wooden spool of string. She and Lu Jiajia then tried to launch it on the grass.

After several attempts, the kite finally caught the wind and soared.

Siming sighed in relief and looked proudly at Ning Changjiu, as if expecting admiration and praise. But seeing Ning Changjiu also smiling at her, her bright mood dampened slightly. She felt as though she had been tricked again.

She didn't bother to look at him and instead continued to gaze up, watching her kite ascend high into the sky.

Siming stood expressionless for a moment, then finally, she smiled.

Her eyelashes and lips fluttered in the light, as radiant as spring itself.

As she smiled, Siming noticed Ning Changjiu, Lu Jiajia, and the little fox all watching her. She composed herself, tossed the string to Ning Changjiu, and put on an expression that clearly said, ‘I knew such a boring activity would quickly become tiresome.’

Ning Changjiu caught the string.

The kite soared higher and higher.

“How far can it fly?” Ning Xiao Ling asked.

Ning Changjiu replied, “That’s determined by the length of the string.”

Ning Xiao Ling then asked, “What if the string is long enough? Can it fly beyond the heavens?”

Siming said, “A paper kite can fly because the wind supports it, and the atmospheric layers near the Sea of Ruins have no wind. What’s more, even the true Vermilion Bird hasn’t attained complete freedom. How could a mere human toy speak of reaching the vast expanse of the heavens?”

“Sister, you really spoil the mood,” Lu Jiajia sighed.

Siming looked up at the bright sky, which seemed to open its arms to them, and said, “This is the truth.”

Ning Xiao Ling jumped onto the grass and dashed over to her Senior Brother, leaping onto his shoulder. Together, they watched the kite soar high.

Snap.

High above, a mighty gust of wind finally snapped the thin string.

The kite’s ruffled wings fluttered incessantly as it soared even higher.

Ning Changjiu looked at the string in his hand and smiled apologetically. “Shall I fly my sword to retrieve it?”

“No need,” Siming said. “Let it go, let it represent us and see the truth in a place farther away.”

Ning Xiao Ling nodded and once again voiced Ning Changjiu’s true thoughts: “Yeah, Senior Brother was just saying that, he didn’t really want to go chase it…”

Ning Changjiu sighed, wishing he could stuff a ball in his junior sister’s mouth.

Lu Jiajia watched the kite fly away, feeling a pang of heartache. After all… it was her money they had spent.

The kite flew farther and farther, until it vanished from sight.

The three finally averted their gaze and walked back together, enjoying the spring outing. This time, Ning Changjiu walked in the middle.

It was an ordinary spring day.

The next two weeks were exceptionally peaceful.

Aside from accompanying them on their excursions, Lu Jiajia continued her sword cultivation as usual.

The bottleneck of the Five Paths lay before the Grand Dao, and she could already perceive it. Yet, this barrier sometimes felt distant, sometimes near, like an elusive cloud. It was hard to discern whether what she saw was its full extent or merely the tip of an iceberg.

Lu Jiajia vaguely felt that this bottleneck, too, should be severed with a sword.

However, she had yet to find that particular sword.

Ning Changjiu never slackened in his cultivation. The battle with True Monarch White Crane had made his comprehension of the Dao Realm increasingly clear. He also felt that a certain aura lingered on his body.

That aura… was very much like Xiang’er’s.

Was it his longing that was too strong? Or was she, in some unseen way, protecting him?

Ning Changjiu couldn’t be sure.

Siming had also become much more restrained these days. Though she occasionally offered a sarcastic remark, she no longer dared to bully Lu Jiajia or Xiao Ling. Yet, Ning Changjiu still found small faults, seizing opportunities to punish her several times. These seemingly light punishments, in Lu Jiajia’s eyes, made the official lady of the house frown. She felt that Ning Changjiu might as well have written ‘malicious intent’ on his face.

Meanwhile, Ning Xiao Ling silently assimilated the authority. In the past two weeks, two more sects had successively arrived to return their portions of authority.

Ning Changjiu personally witnessed Ning Xiao Ling playing the part of a divine being behind the curtain, barely suppressing his laughter.

“The authority should be largely complete by now, shouldn’t it?”

After the visitors left, Siming, clad in her black divine robes, walked over to Ning Xiao Ling and mercilessly pulled the designated Underworld Monarch to her neck.

Ning Xiao Ling sensed for a moment, then said, “It seems… there’s still quite a bit missing.”

Ning Changjiu frowned. “How is that possible? Are there omissions?”

“No,” Siming said. “I’ve checked; there are only two more factions left.”

“How much is still missing?” Ning Changjiu asked.

Ning Xiao Ling thought for a moment, then gestured with her paw. “Roughly… this much.”

Ning Changjiu watched her earnest gestures, silent for a moment, then, through their telepathic connection, understood what she meant.

“How could there be such a significant gap?” Ning Changjiu asked, feeling uneasy. “The last two factions combined probably won’t be nearly enough.”

Siming asked, “Xiao Ling, can you sense the location of the missing authority?”

Ning Xiao Ling wasn’t entirely sure. “I’ll try!” she said.

“Alright,” Siming said. “I’ll also try to calculate it using Star Spirit Divination.”

Ning Changjiu narrowed his eyes, gazing north. He vaguely guessed the location of the remaining authority.

The next day, Ning Xiao Ling and Siming confirmed his suspicion.

Ten Thousand Demon City.

On the same day, in the enchanting Three Thousand Worlds, Zhao Xiang’er emerged from a mist-shrouded pavilion, dressed in a sweeping red gown adorned with golden phoenix patterns. The gown flowed like white clouds and a tranquil sea, and her gracefully beautiful figure was the most dazzling sight in all three thousand realms.

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded to her waist, crowned by the queen’s unique fiery coronet, which burned with an ethereal glow.

Shi Yu and Xue Yuan followed behind her, their heads bowed.

Today was the day of her trial, and the greatest opportunity for her to enter the Five Paths, prepared for her by the Vermilion Bird God.

Shi Yu looked at her pale cheeks, knowing that the power she had expended to save Ning Changjiu half a month ago had not yet fully recovered.

She sighed inwardly, unable to understand what her sister saw in him.

In the center of the Three Thousand Worlds, a colossal fiery wheel slowly emerged, like an open eye.

Shi Yu’s face showed worry, while Xue Yuan’s bore a hint of jealousy.

Zhao Xiang’er could discern their emotions, but she paid them no mind.

She walked into it.

She wasn’t certain if she would survive the trial, yet she felt no fear. Suddenly, she thought of Ning Changjiu.

She knew that above their heads, behind a glittering curtain, hung a colossal terror—something that transcended life itself, an existence they were destined to face together.

This unspoken destiny was an invisible thread, one that neither began with the Matchmaker nor ended with Meng Po. It was born from fate itself, and only eternal death could sever it.

Zhao Xiang’er’s figure was consumed by the firelight.

Unobservable.

Beneath the golden Buddha's canopy, amidst the lotus candle water, the Abbey Master sat quietly in her Daoist robes.

Before her was no water screen, but a paper kite shaped like a fiery sparrow.

The kite, with its bamboo ribbing, was slender and fragile.

The Abbey Master looked at the names on the kite, then slowly extended a finger, touched the water’s surface, and, dipping her finger, added another name to the kite’s silken surface.

It was her name.

“Is it time to meet again?”

As the Abbey Master spoke, ripples spread across the water’s surface.