Chapter 445: Heavy Snow

Chapter 446: Boundary Marker

The long sword cut through the wind and snow, traveling west, leaving the roaring Luo River behind.

From the sword's high vantage point, the world appeared like a black-and-white sandbox, with winding outlines of mountains and rivers, and human cities emerging like sinews from the mud.

Reconstruction had begun for the eighty-one cities of Middle-earth. Monks from the major sects, led by the Sword Pavilion, were responsible for clearing the ruins, moving mountains, filling cracks, and clearing open spaces. Younger monks, under the guidance of elder craftsmen, then transported materials and constructed buildings.

Meanwhile, the true top-tier cultivators had begun their seclusion. Most of them had accepted the changes and were prepared to inscribe the Heavenly Tablets once the world reverted to its true form.

After this year, the entire human realm should be on a new path.

Ning Changjiu gazed down at the mountains and rivers from a distance, feeling the subtle dryness of the void's flowing wind on his cheeks.

"What was your fourth senior sister like in her previous life?"

Inside the Golden Crow Divine Realm, Lu Jiajia recalled the young woman who carried the weapon case and, unable to suppress her curiosity, asked.

Ning Changjiu briefly recalled that his fourth senior sister had spent most of her previous life eradicating demons down the mountain, so he hadn't seen much of her.

"Fourth senior sister in her previous life... was probably much the same," he replied.

Lu Jiajia nodded gently, deep in thought.

Siming let out a surprised "Oh?" and immediately asked, "Then how did you end up like this, after living two lives yourself?"

"..." Ning Changjiu was speechless.

As for his life in this existence compared to his previous one... he personally believed he hadn't changed, but he doubted anyone would believe him if he said so.

Lu Jiajia also nodded, saying, "It's said he even rejected Xiang'er's marriage proposal in his previous life."

Siming's smile was teasing. "I didn't realize he was so unyielding in his past life. Or was it merely stubborn pride, and he spent the next twelve years regretting it?"

Ning Changjiu recalled his previous life: after rejecting the betrothal, he had indeed imagined, during his long cultivation journey, what kind of story might have unfolded if he had accepted it.

Those past imaginings had now, surprisingly, become reality.

Ning Changjiu's expression was composed. "Life is inherently beautiful because of its infinite possibilities," he said. "Precisely because I was content with a mundane existence and quietly appreciated the beauty of cultivation in my previous life, I now have more time to do other things and experience the world's other beauties."

"That's just sophistry."

"You're quite a glib talker!"

Lu Jiajia and Siming retorted in unison.

The long sword continued its westward journey through the air.

Ning Changjiu listened to Siming and Lu Jiajia's idle chatter, his hands tucked into his sleeves, feeling quite helpless. He mused that with two women, both like hidden beauties of the Golden Crow, he was already struggling; when he met Zhao Xiang'er later, would he truly be able to leave the Western Kingdom unharmed?

Ahead, the snowflakes in the vast sky thinned. After the sword crossed the Northern Kingdom's territory, the wildly swirling snow vanished, leaving only dryness and a pervasive chill in the air.

Lu Jiajia gazed into the distance from within the Golden Crow Divine Realm, where everything remote appeared vividly clear in the divine realm's water mirror.

"At Lonely Cloud City, I heard Zhao Xiang'er say she often uses a water mirror to look down upon the human realm," Siming said with a faint smile. "Perhaps our every move is under her observation."

Lu Jiajia frowned. "Is Xiang'er... really that bored?"

Siming asked, "Jiajia, are you afraid?"

Lu Jiajia replied, "What do I have to fear?"

Siming said mysteriously, "Don't you two enjoy playing those master-disciple games when you close your doors? Wouldn't it be embarrassing if such private matters were seen by others?"

Lu Jiajia's clear eyes flickered. After a moment of surprise, she sternly asked, "How did you know that?!"

Siming lightly covered her lips, a blush rising. "I guessed it, of course... You didn't actually think I'd be eavesdropping, did you? I'm not that bored!"

Lu Jiajia's ears turned crimson. She reached up to cover them, pouting in annoyance. "When we reach the Western Kingdom, don't ask me to plead on your behalf when Xiang'er thrashes you."

Siming said with confidence, "Don't worry, I accidentally overheard something in a dream that day. The Western Kingdom has a boundary marker, and beyond it lies the jurisdiction of the Three Thousand Worlds. Unless Zhao Xiang'er explicitly makes a sworn oath of peaceful coexistence with me, I will absolutely not step in rashly."

Lu Jiajia asked, "But can't Xiang'er come out herself?"

Siming said calmly, "Although Zhao Xiang'er's cultivation is impressive, without the Three Thousand Worlds to rely on, how could she be my match? That's right, outside the boundary marker, I can provoke her. The little girl might just come out impulsively, and then I'll give her a thorough lesson, to see if she dares to act so arrogant in front of me again."

As Siming spoke, a faint smile played between her brows, like a slender moon rising over a jade bridge amidst green waves. She was fully prepared, determined to personally reclaim the dignity lost at Lonely Cloud City.

Lu Jiajia said, "We're all family; why must it be like this?"

"Hmph," Siming scoffed. "Jiajia, you know that the kind are often bullied. Especially Zhao Xiang'er; someone like her is too domineering and proud. If we don't establish our authority now, you might not even have a place to stand in this Golden Crow Divine Realm later."

"Is it that serious...?" Lu Jiajia looked at Siming's solemn expression and gently said, "Xueci, you must be overthinking. Xiang'er is a very good girl; she wouldn't be like that."

Siming's delicate fingers lightly tapped the armrest of her chair, and she said earnestly, "In any case, it's better to be prepared."

Lu Jiajia said uncertainly, "But I can't help but feel that the more confident Sister Xueci gets, the more likely she is to fail."

Siming's divine countenance subtly chilled. She weighed the thought in her mind and found it to be true.

She said no more, slowly rising. Her tender feet, like jade petals of the first snow, traversed the glass-mirror-like floor of the hall. She approached the mirror, her divine robe fluttering, her figure like snow silently falling in the night.

As they neared the Western Kingdom, Siming began to comb her already silky, lightly colored long hair.

She adjusted her clothes and makeup, a blend of dignified and alluring beauty on her. The last time, at Lonely Cloud City, she had wept profusely, believing Ning Changjiu had died by Ke Wenzhou's sword. Now, facing Zhao Xiang'er again, she was thoroughly prepared.

Ning Changjiu observed Siming, who alternated between meticulously primping and restless fidgeting. "I'm the one going to see my fiancée," he remarked, "so why are you taking this more seriously than I am?"

Siming replied, "Of course, one must be serious when meeting one's own sister."

The sword arrived at the Western Kingdom.

After visiting renowned Middle-earth landmarks like the Fourth Floor, the Heavenly Ranking, and the Sword Pavilion, Ning Changjiu finally arrived here.

This was his first time seeing the Western Kingdom.

Legend held that in the west lay a Spirit Mountain, where exotic flowers bloomed in competition and lush green grass thrived. Here, the Buddha plucked flowers of immortality, Bodhisattvas sprinkled immortal dew, hundreds of schools delivered sermons, and ten thousand immortals expounded on the Dharma, forming a self-contained paradise.

However, the Western Kingdom before them didn't appear significantly different from other parts of Middle-earth. The Spirit Mountain was perhaps merely a fairytale from a distant past.

The Golden Crow flashed, and Lu Jiajia and Siming appeared beside Ning Changjiu.

They stood beneath a tall phoenix tree, gazing together into the distance.

It was precisely dusk. Gazing westward, the crimson sun hung poised to descend, and vast stretches of fiery clouds dyed the twilight sky red, like a whale scaled with flames.

"Legend has it that in primordial times, when the sun first rose, it did so incredibly slowly," Siming began. "Civilization was born in the East, where the sun ascended, and then people followed the sun's path on pilgrimages, spreading the fire of civilization from east to west across the entire land by the time of the first sunset."

Siming slowly began, recounting one of the creation myths recorded in ancient texts.

Lu Jiajia looked at the kingdom bathed in the setting sun. "Middle-earth was almost turned upside down by conflict, yet the Western Kingdom is remarkably quiet."

Ning Changjiu said, "With Xiang'er presiding here, even the God-Lord would find it difficult to cause trouble."

Siming said coldly, "We've traveled thousands of miles, and Zhao Xiang'er doesn't even come out to greet us. She has no manners."

Ning Changjiu said, "Xiang'er might still be cultivating, and we arrived unannounced, without sending a letter beforehand."

Siming grew even more displeased. "Hmph, you were tolerable before, but now that we're here, are you just going to side with her?"

Lu Jiajia gently said, "Husband and Xiang'er are meeting after a long separation, so let's not nitpick every little thing."

Siming clasped Lu Jiajia's hand and said seriously, "One must never be soft-hearted when dealing with a rival in love."

"Then what about us...?"

"We're sisters, that's different."

"Oh."

Ning Changjiu sighed, thinking that Jiajia had indeed been corrupted by her.

The evening glow stretched their shadows long.

Under the leafless phoenix tree, the three walked towards the Western Kingdom.

In the secluded Three Thousand Worlds, Zhao Xiang'er sat among the clouds, watching them approach from afar.

Today, she wasn't wearing her luxurious and beautiful phoenix gown. Instead, she wore the black and gold embroidered dragon robe from her time in the Zhao Imperial City. The robe was perfectly tailored, and amidst the ethereal layered clouds, the young woman's increasingly prominent figure was clearly revealed, breathtakingly beautiful.

She waited quietly.

As they walked along a mountain path covered in fallen leaves, Siming suddenly stopped.

There was a stone monument before her.

"Is this the boundary marker?" Lu Jiajia also noticed.

Siming shook her head gently. "No, this monument is newly erected," she said.

Ning Changjiu saw Siming's annoyed expression and looked over as well, discovering words inscribed on the monument:

"White snow does not cross Wutong Pass."

Ning Changjiu looked at the phoenix tree forest they had just traversed. "This must be the Wutong Pass mentioned on the monument," he said. "Beyond this phoenix tree forest should be the true territory of the Western Kingdom."

Lu Jiajia saw Siming's tightly furrowed brows and asked, "What's wrong, Sister Xueci?"

Siming said earnestly, "This monument must have been erected specifically for me."

Lu Jiajia said, "Don't overthink it. The inscription likely means it rarely snows in the Western Kingdom, hence 'white snow does not cross Wutong Pass'."

Siming shook her head. "No, this monument is too new... Hmph, by the look of the inscription, it means I'm not welcome inside?"

Ning Changjiu stood silently to the side, watching Siming ponder the inscription, engaged in a silent battle of wits with an unseen adversary.

Siming looked around, her divine sense spreading out, and found another monument several miles ahead.

That was the true boundary marker.

"White snow does not cross Wutong Pass?" Siming walked past the first monument and said darkly, "I'll simply cross this monument and see what Zhao Xiang'er can do about it."

Lu Jiajia and Ning Changjiu exchanged a helpless smile, following beside her.

Of course, Siming wasn't foolish. She knew the previous monument had been intentionally placed for her, designed to provoke her into impulsively entering the Three Thousand Worlds' territory. If she had indeed rushed in, she would have been like a fish on the chopping block.

Thus, Siming stopped just outside the true boundary marker.

This boundary marker bore only the words "Western Kingdom," but the stone tablet had endured wind, cold, frost, and snow, appearing unspeakably ancient, like a block of iron corroded by rust.

Siming raised her head, smiled faintly at the sky, and said, "Little sister Xiang'er, aren't you going to come out and greet us?"

As Siming's clear and captivating words hung in the air, a wisp of spiritual energy gently drifted down from above.

Ning Changjiu looked ahead.

Beneath the crimson sun, on the withered, yellow-brown earth, a beautiful young woman with black hair and a black dress, adorned with magnificent dragon patterns, quietly appeared. Across the twilight haze of the setting sun, she met their gaze, a faint smile curving on her glazed red lips.

Ning Changjiu looked over, and soon, the Western Kingdom and the setting sun receded from his vision, leaving only Zhao Xiang'er's peerless silhouette, imbued with both a maiden's softness and an empress's majesty.

Zhao Xiang'er slowly approached with her back to the setting sun. Her dark robe fluttered in the breeze, and her fine, soft hair caught the glow of the sunset, like a mirror reflecting autumn light.

Whether intentional or not, her attire was quite similar to Siming's.

Zhao Xiang'er cast a glance at Ning Changjiu, then, after a faint smile, her gaze settled on Siming.

"At Lonely Cloud City, wasn't Miss Xueci calling me 'Elder Sister' so intimately?" Zhao Xiang'er looked at Siming, a pretty smile playing on her lips, but her tone abruptly turned stern. "What? Has little sister Xueci's wings grown strong?"

Siming looked at the young woman, who was slightly shorter than herself. Her divine-like beauty was indeed breathtaking and heart-stopping, and Siming was slightly awed by her aura. Yet, having prepared secretly for this entire journey, how could she possibly back down now?

"At Lonely Cloud City, I saw you had come from thousands of miles away, so I merely afforded you some deference," Siming said calmly, her hands clasped behind her back. "Times have changed. I won't be intimidated by you."

"Is that so?" Zhao Xiang'er glanced at Ning Changjiu. "Where did you acquire this concubine? She's so ill-mannered."

Ning Changjiu pretended not to hear; he had no intention of getting involved in this particular conflict.

Siming said coolly, "Rules? Miss Zhao, are you implying you need to teach me manners?"

Zhao Xiang'er smiled faintly. "I often see Ning Changjiu punishing you, so I thought you'd truly learned your lesson. It seems I still have to teach you."

Siming's eyes narrowed, instantly becoming sharp. "You were indeed spying!"

Zhao Xiang'er said, "This Princess has always been open and honorable. It's you who's been sneaking around behind their backs. That cross torture rack is still hidden under the floor of the Ancient Spirit Sect's quiet room, isn't it?"

Lu Jiajia was startled. "What cross torture rack?"

Siming's icy gaze hardened. "Your lips are so thin, and your words are indeed as cutting as they look, you girl."

Zhao Xiang'er retorted, "What are you going to do about it?"

Lu Jiajia tried to mediate, "Alright, we were classmates for three years in the dream. Let's not let minor issues sour our relationship."

But they weren't listening.

Zhao Xiang'er said, "Indeed, for three years in the dream, you couldn't defeat me and often had to seek Jiajia's protection."

Siming argued, "That was because you had the slave mark on you; you had an unfair advantage. Otherwise, how could a little girl like you ever be my opponent?"

"Is that so?" Zhao Xiang'er said, "It truly is accurate that the weak always find excuses for their failures."

The autumn wind rustled, and the setting sun glowed crimson. They stood confronting each other across the boundary marker.

Siming said proudly, "The former Great God Xihe, now the Lord of the Western Kingdom—can you only rely on your sharp tongue?"

Zhao Xiang'er said lightly, "How about you enter the Western Kingdom, and I'll treat you to wine and tea? Afterward, we can have a match on this wasteland. The loser bows their head and can no longer call herself 'Elder Sister.' What do you say?"

On Siming's divine countenance, the cold sneer intensified. "Hmph, Zhao Xiang'er, do you take me for a fool? Beyond this boundary marker lies the territory of the Three Thousand Worlds; won't everything then be entirely up to you?"

Zhao Xiang'er was slightly surprised. "How did you know?" she asked.

Siming explained, "Earlier in the dream, when you invited Ning Changjiu to the Western Kingdom, you mentioned this. What, did you let it slip?"

Zhao Xiang'er lightly covered her lips, seemingly reproaching herself. Her brows slightly knitted, and her demeanor became a touch fierce. "So, what do you want?" she asked.

Siming declared, "Leave the Three Thousand Worlds and fight me fairly!"

Zhao Xiang'er looked at the boundary marker and shook her head. "No, you come in!"

Siming's snowy feet stepped onto the boundary marker. "No," she retorted, "if you're so capable, you come out!"

Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia wanted to try and dissuade them again, but Siming waved her hand. "This is our private affair; no interference allowed!"

Zhao Xiang'er said, "Lord God Official, do you not even have the courage to enter the Western Kingdom?"

Siming scoffed, "Heh, Ning Changjiu said you were exceptionally intelligent, yet this is the clumsy provocation you resort to? Alas, Xiang'er, I truly overestimated you before."

Zhao Xiang'er said softly, "I, on the other hand, have never overestimated you."

"You!" Siming lightly bit her red lips, frost and snow swirling in her pupils. "How about this: we compete with this as the boundary. If I win, I won't bully you, but you must respect me as your elder from now on, and have the distinctive color of my long hair removed."

Zhao Xiang'er looked at her hair. "Why remove its color? Isn't your hair quite beautiful as it is?"

"Silence!" Siming retorted angrily. "You've truly done nothing but bad things in both your past and present lives!"

Zhao Xiang'er laughed. "Alright, how do you wish to compete?"

Siming took out a copper coin. "Like this," she said, "we'll toss this coin back and forth. If it's heads, I'll strike, and you'll endure it. If it's tails, I'll strike, and you'll endure it. Whoever can no longer endure it must beg for mercy and concede. How does that sound?"

Zhao Xiang'er subtly nodded her head. "Then it shall be as you say," she agreed.

Siming tossed the copper coin into the air.

Zhao Xiang'er's gaze fixed on the coin. She watched its shimmering patterns in the setting sun, unblinking, as if worried Siming might cheat.

The coin reached its apex, then began to descend after a moment of stillness imperceptible to the naked eye.

At that crucial turning point, the very moment Zhao Xiang'er was fully concentrated, Siming suddenly reached out, seized the young woman's arm, and with a soft gasp from Xiang'er, yanked her across the boundary line.

Siming's other hand swiftly snatched the coin back into her grasp.

"You..." Zhao Xiang'er looked back at the boundary marker. It had been too sudden; she hadn't even had time to invoke her Pure Yang authority.

The young woman's expression was indignant. "You dared to trick me!"

Siming smiled faintly. "All's fair in war, Xiang'er. This is the first lesson your Elder Sister is giving you."

Siming looked triumphantly at Ning Changjiu and Lu Jiajia. "This is something I learned from the Six-Eared Macaque: people are most vulnerable when their attention is most concentrated. What do you think of that?"

Ning Changjiu wasn't sure whether to praise her or not.

Zhao Xiang'er struggled with her wrist, pursing her lips and letting out a soft hum. "You... you let go of me!"

Siming looked down at her condescendingly. "Hmm? Miss Xiang'er was so arrogant just now; how did you lose your composure so quickly? Let me see if the noble Sun Goddess, the Lord of the Western Kingdom, will cry when she gets a spanking."

"You wouldn't dare!" Zhao Xiang'er glared fiercely at her.

Siming had waited for this moment for a long time; what was there to fear? She directly sat on the boundary marker, seized Zhao Xiang'er's wrist, pulled her sharply, and with a backhand, pressed the young woman in the black dragon robe onto her lap. The young woman's soft, youthful figure was incomparably beautiful. Siming savored this unparalleled sight, then raised her palm high and brought it down forcefully.

She had clearly pinned the other's hands behind her back, yet the strike miraculously missed its target.

Zhao Xiang'er's body transformed into a burst of flames, quickly dissipating, and then reformed into her maidenly appearance right before Siming.

She watched Siming with a serene smile. "I didn't expect little sister Xueci to actually dare," she said.

"How did you...?" Siming was puzzled; she had clearly used her temporal authority to bind her opponent.

Siming instinctively tried to rise, only to find her body was immobilized.

What bound her was not a spell, but an entire world.

Zhao Xiang'er smiled faintly. "In the dream, I deliberately raised my voice to tell you about the boundary marker. I didn't expect you to actually fall for it."

"What?" Siming frowned. The boundary marker she was sitting on was incredibly ancient; it was clearly the Western Kingdom's actual boundary marker...

Zhao Xiang'er explained, "This isn't the original location of this monument. The white snow monument you saw earlier was the real one. I moved the Western Kingdom's boundary marker several miles, relocating it here. As for that other monument... since the boundary marker was moved, there would definitely be a hole left. I was afraid you'd notice if I deliberately filled it in, so I replaced it with a new monument."

Zhao Xiang'er smiled sweetly. "If you had been more careful, you should have noticed the clues. It's a pity you were so focused on the content of the boundary marker, weren't you? That's how vulnerable people are when they're concentrated. This is also the first lesson your Elder Sister is giving you."

Siming watched Zhao Xiang'er approach, utterly unable to move.

How...

Siming looked toward Ning Changjiu. "Husband, save me!"

Her words were cut short as a fiery phoenix streaked past. Without waiting for Ning Changjiu or Lu Jiajia to offer any opinions, the two divine maidens vanished from the wasteland.

At the same time, the sun set over the Western Kingdom, and in the deep blue sky, stars began to twinkle.

Lu Jiajia looked at them in astonishment. "This... if it were me, and I were their enemy, I probably wouldn't survive past tomorrow."

Ning Changjiu sighed and smiled. "Jiajia, be good, don't learn from them."

Lu Jiajia looked at the Western Kingdom, now enveloped in night. "So, what do we do now...?"

"What else can we do?" Ning Changjiu said, pointing upwards to where the Three Thousand Worlds hovered. "Your Sister Xueci has been taken; shouldn't we go rescue her?"

"I... I just..."

Siming stood in the center of the Three Thousand Worlds, looking at the back of the woman in the dragon robe, her composure having completely plummeted.

Zhao Xiang'er, now in the lead, smiled at her. "Hmm? Now that it's just us sisters, feel free to say whatever private thoughts you have."

Siming steadied herself, determined to be unyielding just this once. "Hmph, what needed to be said, I already said it outside the boundary marker!"

"Is that so?"

Zhao Xiang'er asked faintly.

She walked towards Siming.

Soon, Siming's unyielding spirit faltered, and her pleas for mercy echoed through the beautiful, illusory world.

"Sister Xiang'er... I, I was just joking with you."

"Stop hitting me! Xue'er knows her mistake, she won't dare again..."

"Ah! Don't pull... my tail..."

"I! I have evidence of Ning Changjiu speaking ill of you behind your back! Allow me to present it to Sister Zhao to atone for my misdeeds."

Siming suddenly cried out loudly.

Zhao Xiang'er's delicate brows slightly arched. She smiled. "Does this even need evidence? Fine, show it to me."