Chapter 394: Summer Night Lake Breeze

The light in the room seemed absorbed by the dry grass and wooden walls, and a heavy darkness pressed down from under the crisscrossing beams.

Shao Xiaoli stood at the doorway, her words like mist and wind frozen into ice crystals. She gazed at the figure by the window, initially perplexed, as white-robed immortals were not uncommon. But soon, the lotus-like figure slowly turned around. Shao Xiaoli saw her serene, gentle, and beautiful face and her perfectly fitted attire, instantly confirming her identity.

It was undoubtedly Lu Jiajia.

This thought, like a lightning bolt, illuminated her mind, and Shao Xiaoli was instantly filled with a guilty conscience. She had offended the madam the moment they met; what would her future days be like?

She was in a dilemma, her mind racing with unease, trying to smooth things over with words.

Ning Changjiu looked at Lu Jiajia's long-unseen face. Though ashamed and awkward about his earlier words, his heart felt warm to see Jiajia safe and sound.

However, an interrogation was definitely unavoidable.

The moon had not yet risen above the treetops. Lu Jiajia’s white-clad figure by the window resembled the moon quietly entering a courtyard. Compared to before, her demeanor was even more dignified. The sharp edge that once characterized her had, after entering the Fifth Path, softened into an elegant grace, like a sword with its sharpness sheathed in moonlight.

She looked at Ning Changjiu and Shao Xiaoli, smiling gently. This beautiful smile, in their eyes, was nothing short of a biting wind blade. They felt the summer temperature plummet, and the room instantly turned into an ice cellar.

“Sister Jiajia, you’re finally here! We’ve been waiting for you for ages. The food is ready. You catch up with Boss first, and I’ll go get another set of bowls and chopsticks.” Shao Xiaoli made a swift decision, intending to retreat from the battlefield and leave Ning Changjiu to face it alone.

“Wait,” Lu Jiajia called out, her voice clear and cool.

Shao Xiaoli was forced to stop, smiling somewhat stiffly at Lu Jiajia as she feigned ignorance. “Sister, do you have any instructions? Like dietary restrictions, or whether you prefer sweet or spicy, just tell me.”

Lu Jiajia looked at her and asked gently, “You must be Miss Shao Xiaoli, correct?”

Shao Xiaoli nodded, saying, “I am honored that Sister Lu remembers me. Xiaoli is truly humbled.”

Lu Jiajia smiled faintly and asked, “You recognized me at a glance?”

Shao Xiaoli’s words were firm: “Sister Lu’s demeanor is extraordinary, unparalleled in the world. It would be hard to mistake you.”

Lu Jiajia glanced at the wardrobe. “You also like wearing my clothes?”

“No, Sister, you misunderstood.” Shao Xiaoli lowered her head, pretending to wipe away tears. “Xiaoli’s family was poor since childhood, and after Broken Realm City was destroyed, I didn’t bring out many clothes. I happened to see a few in the cottage, and not knowing they were yours, I borrowed them for now.”

Lu Jiajia maintained her smile. “Wasn’t Xiaoli a queen in Broken Realm City?”

Shao Xiaoli felt that Lu Jiajia’s discerning eyes could see through everything. She bravely said, “Xiaoli is a wise ruler who is diligent and frugal!”

A wise ruler…

Lu Jiajia hummed in acknowledgment and didn’t press her further, turning her gaze to Ning Changjiu.

“Should I not have come?” Lu Jiajia’s smile faded slightly as she asked faintly.

Ning Changjiu chuckled, “Of course not. Jiajia, you’ve come at just the right time.”

“Oh?” Lu Jiajia’s elegant brows furrowed sharply, like blades.

Ning Changjiu realized his words were ill-chosen and quickly remedied, “After returning to Nanzhou, seeing the familiar sights and customs, I couldn’t help but recall the memories Jiajia and I made here. Back when the Nine Infants appeared, we traveled north from the Heavenly Sword Sect, facing life and death, parting in such a sorry state. Now, if I could revisit this place with Jiajia, what a fortunate thing that would be…”

Lu Jiajia was touched by his words, but she was no longer the young girl she once was. Understanding Ning Changjiu well, she calmly said, “Is that so? I thought I was disturbing you two.”

“How could you be disturbing us…” Ning Changjiu said, glancing at Shao Xiaoli, hoping she would say something to help.

Shao Xiaoli remained silent.

“Really?” Lu Jiajia asked softly. “By the way, what was that box you mentioned earlier? And what mistake did Xiaoli make that you needed to discipline her?”

The box…

Shao Xiaoli and Ning Changjiu both froze, utterly exposed.

Shao Xiaoli immediately said, “The food seems to be burning! Xiaoli will go check it!”

With that, Shao Xiaoli swiftly turned and left.

Lu Jiajia watched the scene and couldn't help but smile.

Only the two of them remained in the room.

Ning Changjiu couldn't withstand Jiajia's persistent gaze. He forced himself to remain calm, took out the jewelry box, pulled out a few secret manuals, and said, “It’s this box. We were discussing practicing secret manuals overnight. Xiaoli doesn’t really like cultivation, so I said I was disciplining her…”

Lu Jiajia took the manuals, glanced through them, and said, “A man and a woman alone in a room, discussing secret manuals overnight?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Ning Changjiu said.

Lu Jiajia rolled up the manuals and tapped Ning Changjiu’s head. “These don’t look like the secret techniques of the Joyful Union Sect to me.”

Ning Changjiu stood aside, his body shielding another box, his smile stiff.

“Alright, stop pretending. Ever since the fanged Snow Porcelain, I stopped believing there was anything innocent between you and Shao Xiaoli.” Lu Jiajia put the North Sea Divine Sword back into its sheath, pulling his ear. “You’re always doing bad things behind my back, and I always catch you red-handed? Ning Changjiu, are you competent or incompetent?”

Ning Changjiu felt remorse. Although he knew these were entanglements from a past life, beyond his control, he ultimately felt he had let Jiajia down.

Ning Changjiu handed a wooden sword sheath to Lu Jiajia, respectfully opening his hands. “These are all karmic debts accumulated over several lifetimes. No matter what I do, there will always be someone I let down. It is my fault for causing Jiajia sorrow and disappointment. Please punish me severely to vent your anger.”

Lu Jiajia twisted Ning Changjiu’s ear hard. “Sister Xueci already told me about Xiaoli. The connections from a past life are indeed difficult to resolve… Besides, if I were too narrow-minded, you probably would have driven me to my grave by now.”

Ning Changjiu was prepared to endure any scolding or ridicule.

Lu Jiajia picked up the sword sheath and said softly, “Alright, our reunion wasn’t easy, so there’s no need to dwell on romantic trivialities. Master has given many important instructions that cannot be delayed.”

Ning Changjiu immediately asked, “What did Master instruct?”

“We’ll talk about it at dinner,” Lu Jiajia said, lightly patting his shoulder with the sword sheath. “Alright, stop hiding it. Let me see what’s in the box.”

Ning Changjiu stubbornly refused.

Lu Jiajia said, “Don’t worry, I’m not a teenage girl anymore. I understand these things.”

Ning Changjiu hesitated.

Lu Jiajia’s expression turned cold. She directly used force to snatch the box, and Ning Changjiu dared not forcefully resist.

It wasn’t very heavy… Lu Jiajia held the box with one hand and slowly opened it with the other, her gaze falling inside.

The door opened again at that moment.

“Alright, the food is served! Boss and Madam Boss, please come eat—” Shao Xiaoli’s smile froze once more.

Lu Jiajia gazed at the box, her body still as a statue. Ning Changjiu closed his eyes, unable to face her.

The room fell silent once more.

After a long while, Lu Jiajia closed the box and set it aside. Her fair face was slightly flushed, but her voice was cool and composed: “You two, you really are…”

“Let’s go eat first…” Shao Xiaoli said pitifully.

At the dining table, the red-dressed girl who looked like a queen sat beside Lu Jiajia, constantly showing concern and even serving her food.

Lu Jiajia looked at the pear, lotus root, and glutinous rice soup in the middle and asked, “Is this ‘Xiaoli’s Mixed Glutinous Rice Sword Immortal’?”

Shao Xiaoli said confidently, “Yes, Boss said Sister Lu is as elegant as a lotus, so I used the lotus to symbolize her.”

Lu Jiajia took a bite, and her expression softened considerably.

“Xiaoli’s cooking is truly excellent,” Lu Jiajia said sincerely, feeling it was at least on par with twenty-four and a half Xiang'er's level.

“As long as Sister likes it,” Shao Xiaoli replied obediently.

Lu Jiajia said, “Alright, there’s no need to be so formal. I’m not some man-eating monster.”

Shao Xiaoli smiled constrainedly.

Ning Changjiu asked with concern, “How is Xiaoling now?”

Lu Jiajia replied, “Xiaoling is well. The former ruler of the Underworld Kingdom has died, and she has taken control of the Underworld Divine Kingdom, becoming the new Underworld Ruler. However, she is also trapped within the Divine Kingdom and cannot leave for now.”

Hearing the title “Underworld Ruler,” Shao Xiaoli, who considered herself a “wise ruler,” thought, “Truly a worthy opponent for the Great Dao.”

Reassured that Xiaoling was safe, Ning Changjiu felt more at ease and remarked, “The young girls have all grown up.”

Lu Jiajia chuckled, “But whenever she’s with us, she always acts like a little girl who never grows up.”

Ning Changjiu had not eaten much that day. He asked anxiously, “By the way, what exactly did Master instruct?”

Lu Jiajia first briefly described the principle behind activating the Twelve Divine Kingdoms. She then said, “Master mainly spoke of three matters. First, on November 15th this year, there might be a lunar eclipse phenomenon, commonly known as ‘Heavenly Dog Swallows the Moon.’ Master uses the moon to power the Yuanfu Kingdom. If the Heavenly Dog swallows the moon, the Yuanfu Kingdom will temporarily lose its power. At that time, if Baizang desperately tries to escape, it will be very difficult to stop him. Furthermore, the Dark Lord might summon other kingdom rulers at any moment… In short, defeating Baizang is just the beginning; many more troubles lie ahead.”

Ning Changjiu nodded, his expression grave. He had originally thought the two years after Baizang would be peaceful, but he hadn't anticipated a variable like the Heavenly Dog Swallows the Moon.

The Sword Saint was still in the human realm, potentially gaining the Dark Lord's power at any moment, posing an internal threat. The Dark Lord resided beyond the heavens, capable of igniting the stars of the Divine Lords at any time, posing an external threat. The current situation was far more severe than they had initially realized.

Ning Changjiu asked, “So what should we do?”

Lu Jiajia replied, “Master gave two instructions: first, for you to repay your karmic debts in Nanzhou and sever your earthly ties; second, to restore the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom and reclaim your throne.”

Listening from the side, Shao Xiaoli suddenly said admiringly, “Boss is truly amazing.”

“What is it?” Lu Jiajia asked.

Ning Changjiu smiled, “That’s exactly what I’ve been doing these past few days. Regarding repaying karmic debts and building the Divine Kingdom, I also had a sense of it myself.”

Lu Jiajia smiled faintly. “So you already knew all this. It seems I made this trip for nothing.”

Ning Changjiu said, “How could that be? Jiajia, coming all this way to tell me these things is the greatest reassurance I could ask for.”

“Alright, stop flattering me,” Lu Jiajia said. “In any case, time is of the essence and cannot be delayed. Tonight, think carefully about all the wrongdoings you committed in previous years, and starting tomorrow, repay each one.”

“All these years…” Ning Changjiu closed his eyes, thinking seriously.

Lu Jiajia said with a hint of sarcasm, “Surely you don’t claim to have a clear conscience, do you?”

Ning Changjiu chuckled self-deprecatingly. “In those years, I had just awakened. Although I intended to avoid the world, I always felt a kind of ethereal, dreamlike void, so I intentionally left behind some minor and not-so-minor karmic ties.”

Lu Jiajia recalled, “The biggest karmic tie was that rainy day when I stumbled into your small courtyard, right?”

Back then, she was a young female sword immortal completely devoted to the sword, with a clear Dao Heart. Although removing her clothes for healing was unavoidable, and she had tried to comfort herself, it still caused quite a stir in her heart.

Ning Changjiu said earnestly, “Jiajia isn’t a karmic tie; she’s a destined encounter.”

“Hmm, you are also my destined encounter…” Lu Jiajia said softly.

Shao Xiaoli listened from the side, feeling as though she was the one who should leave. She quietly ate her meal, feeling that even the dishes she had carefully cooked no longer tasted as good.

Lu Jiajia looked at Shao Xiaoli and asked, “How have you and my husband been getting along lately, Xiaoli?”

Shao Xiaoli was startled, feeling that the madam’s words held a hidden meaning. She immediately said, “Boss and I are innocent, believe me… believe me… if you don’t believe me, Xiaoli doesn’t know what else to do.”

Her voice trailed off.

Lu Jiajia pointed her chopsticks at the leeks, yams, spinach, and the freshly picked mulberries on the table, asking, “Then why is the table full of these kinds of dishes?”

Shao Xiaoli innocently asked, “Are these dishes… problematic?”

Lu Jiajia thought for a moment and said blandly, “No, no problem at all.”

After finally finishing their meal, the three felt much more relaxed and amicable. Shao Xiaoli suggested a walk by the lake, and the other two agreed.

In the summer night, three figures strolled by the lake, watching the green duckweed spread across the water, each lost in their own thoughts.

“Jiajia was waiting for me right here back then,” Ning Changjiu said, pausing slightly and pointing at the lush grass on the ground. “There used to be a small flying array there too.”

Lu Jiajia showed a wistful expression.

“Indeed,” she said. “Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, the abyss that once struck terror into hearts has now become a picturesque lake?”

“Yes, I imagine the Southern Wilderness won’t be desolate anymore.”

The two walked by the lake, reminiscing about the moments they had shared there.

They had parted ways here and reunited here. They had sparred with finger-swords, and together they had embraced with knees tucked, gazing at the moon. They had also practiced Daoist techniques, both solo and in pairs. Forging swords and tempering their bodies, they were oblivious to the passage of time.

Those were the purest and happiest days. Though not long ago and still vivid in memory, revisiting the place and seeing the shimmering lake under the moonlight always brought a feeling of having passed through another lifetime.

Shao Xiaoli listened quietly, her head bowed, her heart filled with envy.

“I’ve already been to Lotus Field Town today; the entanglements have been severed,” Ning Changjiu said. “Tomorrow, let’s return to the Heavenly Sword Sect together.”

“Do you owe anything to the sect?” Lu Jiajia asked.

Ning Changjiu replied, “I’m not sure what counts as owing. I once tricked Nancheng out of his jade token and exchanged it for many elixirs to aid my cultivation, but I gave him the core insights of sword body cultivation in return. I also intentionally teased Lerou, which led to her being punished, though she had provoked me first…”

Shao Xiaoli clicked her tongue in amazement. “Boss, that’s just like you!”

Lu Jiajia also chuckled, “So, you were behind all those things?”

Ning Changjiu gave a self-deprecating smile. “But those two were more like transactions and playful mischief. If we’re talking about a true debt, among the Four Peaks, the one I owe the most to is Yan Zhou.”

Yan Zhou was the Martial Uncle-Grandmaster who oversaw the scripture pavilion back then.

Back then, when he visited the library every day as an outer disciple, Yan Zhou not only turned a blind eye but also deliberately engaged him in conversation, intending to grant him an opportunity. Later, he even secretly learned the Heavenly Oracle Sword Sutra while Yan Zhou slept. Afterward, when the Four Peaks faced calamity, Yan Zhou attained enlightenment in an instant, found the Sword Sutra, broke out of the peak, and single-handedly turned the tide with his dying strength, finally entrusting the Sword Sutra to him.

Lu Jiajia knew these details and asked, “Martial Uncle Yan Zhou imprisoned himself in the scripture pavilion his entire life. After Yan Feng’s death, he had no remaining relatives.”

One wishes to repay kindness, but the person is no longer there, leaving only regret.

Ning Changjiu sighed, “That’s often how things are in life; some things cannot be forced.”

Lu Jiajia said, “But if karmic ties aren’t cleanly severed, the Golden Body might not be pure.”

Ning Changjiu smiled, comforting her, “There is no true perfection in this world, nor any perfectly pure True Immortal. Before I ascended to divinity, I was human, and after ascending, I will still be a human fighting against darkness.”

Shao Xiaoli looked at him, her eyes full of amusement.

Lu Jiajia asked, “Are we still going back to Heaven Cavern Peak?”

“Let’s go back and take a look,” Ning Changjiu said. “But let’s not delay too long; I need to make a trip to the Imperial City of Zhao as soon as possible.”

Lu Jiajia asked, puzzled, “What for? Why go to the Imperial City of Zhao?”

Ning Changjiu replied, “I still owe an old Daoist a copper coin.”

The lake breeze was peaceful, and ripples spread across the water. The three chatted by the lake for a while, then the conversation turned to the Sword Saint.

The Sword Saint had sailed into the Northern Nether and was no longer appearing in the world. The Administrator and many other experts had gone searching for him by riding their swords, but the situation was probably not optimistic. With the Sword Saint's ability, if he intended to hide, he would be almost impossible to kill.

“After I finish repaying my karmic debts, I’ll first go to Southern Nether,” Ning Changjiu suddenly said.

“Southern Nether?” Lu Jiajia’s expression shifted slightly. “You and the Mist Dwelling Master wouldn’t possibly…”

Ning Changjiu immediately denied, “My past life wasn’t that unrestrained… I found some clues in the ruins of the Bone Pagoda, suggesting that something might be hidden in Southern Nether, possibly related to the ancient Candle Dragon.”

Lu Jiajia said, “But in myths, the Candle Dragon was supposedly devoured by many ancient dragons after its death.”

“I’m not sure what it is,” Ning Changjiu said, but his intuition grew stronger and stronger.

Lu Jiajia didn’t ask further. She gazed at the dazzling stars filling the sky. Although she found them beautiful, now that she knew many of the world’s secrets, she understood that even this starry sky might not be real, as people couldn’t observe the positions of the twelve Divine Lord stars from the ground.

Shao Xiaoli walked alongside them, unable to interject into their conversation.

After circling the lake, the three returned to the familiar wooden thatched hall.

There was only one sleeping couch in the hall.

Shao Xiaoli immediately said, “Boss, you sleep with Sister Jiajia tonight. I’ll… I’ll just lay out a mat outside.”

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia both objected.

So, after some discussion, the three of them all got onto the bed.

Of course, they were simply resting and sleeping. Because the couch was too small, they didn’t feel much happiness, only a bit of a squeeze.

Ning Changjiu had been unconscious for several days, so he didn’t have much need for sleep at the moment. Squeezed in the middle, unable to move, he could only lie on his back staring at the ceiling, his mind beginning to conceptualize the construction of the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom.

To build a complete Divine Kingdom, one must first establish its mythological logic, narrating its origins step by step.

What would be the origin of the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom? And where should the key nodes be placed?

Ning Changjiu meticulously sorted through what he had seen in the dust of time, formulating the nodes of the mythology. These nodes were all divine pillars and could not have major flaws, otherwise, like Madam Bai’s Fengdu Divine Kingdom, it would collapse under the gaze of those who had grasped or experienced history.

Madam Bai was transformed from a divine bone of Yuanfu. She had believed Yuanfu died in a divine war five hundred years ago, but it was actually seven hundred years ago. This error destroyed Fengdu.

A world as vast as the Golden Crow Divine Kingdom had no external ties for balance. His next task was to make the Divine Kingdom self-sustaining and operational, becoming a qualified world.

He needed to create places for the birth of spirits, such as the Fetal Spirit Mother Well. He also had to build an environment suitable for living beings to grow and cultivate, grant them special cultivation methods and beliefs, and re-condense the scattered starlight in the sky into a sun. Within that sun, he would construct a Sun Temple, and then, in accordance with heavenly will, ascend to the divine throne, bestowing titles upon divine officials and heavenly monarchs.

This series of tasks would likely be difficult to complete in four months.

Ning Changjiu was deeply worried.

This was truly the third "Nation Hunt" plan. If it failed, they might be doomed forever.

Their current warmth was merely a brief reward from fate after his exertions in the Central Land. The gears of darkness continued to turn, never ceasing.

In the early morning, Shao Xiaoli and Lu Jiajia successively awoke. Ning Changjiu finally extricated himself from the crowded bed and let out a sigh of relief.

Lu Jiajia went to the lake to regulate her breathing, meditate, and practice sword arts.

Shao Xiaoli and Ning Changjiu remained in the room for the time being.

“Boss,” Shao Xiaoli called him.

“Hmm?”

“After last night, I’ve understood some things,” Shao Xiaoli said earnestly. “Although I admire Boss, neither my experiences nor my feelings can compare to those of the other sisters. I shouldn’t force myself upon you based on past life connections or a young girl’s capriciousness.”

Ning Changjiu also lowered his head, saying apologetically, “I was also wrong. Yesterday, I shouldn’t have rashly agreed due to personal emotions and so-called fate. That was unfair to you. Fortunately, Jiajia returned in time, otherwise, I would have wronged you in two lifetimes.”

“Huh?” Shao Xiaoli was startled. “Did Boss do anything to wrong me in his past life?”

“You don’t know?”

“No! Tell me quickly!”

“Hmm… I’ll tell you later.”

“Hmph, Boss truly isn’t a good person. I’m going to tell Sister Jiajia! The world is big, but Sister Jiajia is the greatest!” Shao Xiaoli had found her backing.

Ning Changjiu, feeling helpless, said, “I’ll tell you when I’ve recovered all my memories. Right now, I only have a partial understanding, so there might be errors or omissions.”

Shao Xiaoli was half-convinced, half-doubtful. “Then you owe me a story, and you’re not allowed to leave me alone again in the future.”

Ning Changjiu smiled and agreed, making a promise.

The two secretly linked pinky fingers.

Lu Jiajia’s faint cough came from outside the window, and they immediately let go.

“Is it thrilling to secretly flirt behind my back?” Lu Jiajia asked blandly.

Ning Changjiu explained, “No, we just made a promise.”

Lu Jiajia asked, “What promise?”

Shao Xiaoli immediately said, “A promise, of course, cannot be known by a third person!”

Lu Jiajia didn’t bother with their secretiveness anymore. “Alright, let’s not delay any further. Let’s go back to the Four Peaks first, then head to the Imperial City of Zhao together.”

The three stood up, left the village, crossed the Red River, and headed towards the Heavenly Sword Sect.

After a year, they finally returned to the peaks.