Cangchuan was colder than Fengchun Town, with year-round harsh winters. Under the grey sky stretched endless snow-capped mountains dotted with wooden and stone watchtowers. The houses were scattered, with flat roofs and narrow windows. The window paper was decorated with colorful animal totems, and silver four-cornered bells hung beneath the eaves.
Xing Shuishui looked away, using her fire to melt the snow on her shoulders before patting them. “Such a cold place, yet there are still poison masters here.”
Usually poison insects grew in rainy valleys.
If poisons could thrive in such cold regions, they must be extraordinary ones.
This worried her.
He Liansheng said: “The most extreme and harsh regions produce the most unique arts. Mirror arts originated from Cangchuan.”
At the mention of mirror arts, she had a question: Why did Guan Wushan know mirror arts? Xing Shuishui touched her chin, surely Du Dizhu couldn’t have taught him.
They hadn’t even found a place to stay when they already drew attention, with people discussing around them.
“How are they wearing spring clothes in this cold? Aren’t they afraid of freezing? They must be from outside Cangchuan!”
“The one on the left is a cultivator, the right one is a spirit—wait! How can a human and spirit walk together? Am I seeing things?”
He Liansheng had cultivation powers and Xing Shuishui had fire protection, so naturally they weren’t afraid of the cold. The problem was that Cangchuan locals all wore red-brown thick fox fur-collared robes. Only they wore thin clothes—one in pink like spring peach blossoms, one in white like snow.
As if afraid people wouldn’t recognize them from Lingshan’s wanted posters.
“Many outsiders have been coming to Cangchuan lately. I heard Lingshan is coming too, something about catching traitors. What traitors? Lingshan has traitors?”
“The He family’s young master betrayed his path for love, haven’t you read the stories?! They say he went to catch the woman who betrayed him, but fell for her again at first sight. Lingshan is furious!”
“I think I saw the wanted poster. Can’t remember what they look like. I’ll check again later.”
Xing Shuishui glanced at He Liansheng, surprised their whereabouts were already exposed. Given the situation, she pulled He Liansheng into a clothing shop to change into local robes.
It was her first time wearing such complex clothing. Her agate beads accidentally caught on He Liansheng’s belt. She frowned as she tried to untangle them but couldn’t. Her small hands were already pale from the cold.
The young man caught her hands, his dark eyes watching her.
“Shuishui, if you keep pulling, it’ll come undone.”
Suddenly hearing him call her “Shuishui,” the fur on Xing Shuishui’s ears stood up and she nearly jumped. She shyly looked away.
She had said it casually, yet he really called her that!
He Liansheng untangled the agate beads caught above. Xing Shuishui asked: “Do you regret it?”
He Liansheng looked at her: “Regret what?”
She said seriously: “Betraying your path.”
Xing Shuishui fidgeted with the agate beads, looking down: “Didn’t you hear them? Lingshan has a warrant for you. You can’t go back to Lingshan, and you can’t return to the He family now. You can only be a fugitive with me.”
He Liansheng picked up the Taoyuan sword, smirking: “I’m used to being the righteous leader. Being a fugitive occasionally isn’t bad. Du Dizhu has been on wanted posters for over a thousand years. When has Lingshan ever been able to do anything about him?”
This person was truly foolish, giving up being a righteous leader to become a fugitive.
Sighing, Xing Shuishui also picked up Qitong. Well then, let’s be “fugitives” together.
After changing clothes and going outside, it was still very cold.
The wind and snow were like knives, with few people around. Most locals stayed indoors.
Xing Shuishui finally found some elderly people and asked about Cangchuan’s poison masters. She heard this story: There used to be a family of hereditary poison masters in Cangchuan.
This family had the surname Duanmu and lived in the snowy mountains. Outsiders rarely saw them. Only when the ice and snow melted would they come down to the market to buy rare poisons for their craft. Children in Cangchuan were warned from young to stay away from them. But something unknown happened a hundred years ago. Heavy snow sealed the mountain, and people never saw traces of the Duanmu family again. They faded from people’s memories.
Thinking of what she saw in the floating spirit mirror.
Xing Shuishui said: “In He Tangzhou’s memories, I saw this poison was left by his mother. Could his mother be connected to the Duanmu family?”
He Liansheng spoke: “Whether there’s a connection or not, Jing Wushuang’s original surname was Duanmu.”
Xing Shuishui was surprised. In her past life she had only focused on Du Dizhu, rarely paying attention to his master.
She asked curiously: “But why later…”
She smelled milk. Xing Shuishui turned her head to see a tea shop next door. A pot of salty milk tea was brewing, the fragrant smell drifting over. She immediately pulled He Liansheng inside. While ordering a cup of salty milk tea, she also ordered some milk chews, sprinkled with fried rice and mixed it for a while as she listened to He Liansheng speak.
“Jing Wushuang was originally called Duanmu Wushuang, meaning peerless under heaven. Great expectations were placed on him from childhood. His parents wanted him to practice poison arts and become a legendary poison master, but he didn’t want to be a poison master. He only wanted to create his own unique art to prove himself. So he left home for several years. During this time, he specialized in mirror arts and called himself Jing Wushuang.”
Xing Shuishui knew what happened after.
At first, no one took Jing Wushuang or his mirror arts seriously, until he killed Shangguan Zhuyao and became famous overnight. Everyone called him the master of mirror arts. Although he only took Du Dizhu as his disciple, who knows how Guan Wushan learned mirror arts.
Xing Shuishui looked toward the snowy mountains.
Poison insects, Jing Wushuang, Du Dizhu…
All the mysteries seemed hidden there.
Seeing it was getting dark, they decided to climb the mountain tomorrow.
The path was covered in snow, making it hard to see. Thanks to He Liansheng they didn’t get lost.
Unable to find an inn, kind locals took them in for the night.
After eating flatbread, Xing Shuishui lay by the kang bed. An oil lamp by the window lit up the deep blue night sky.
She put her hand on her forehead, staring into space while the young man sat beside her, using spirit fire to heat butter tea for her.
Xing Shuishui sat up and asked what she had been wanting to know: “He Liansheng, have you been to these snowy mountains before? You seem very familiar with Cangchuan.”
He Liansheng looked out the window: “I’ve been here before.”
“What for?”
“Looking for you.”
He Liansheng said casually: “Not just Cangchuan. I also went to Luodan, Qingzhou, Eastern Sea, Qingqiu, Three Immortal Islands, Vermillion Bird Water Pavilion, Xuantian City, Ji City.”
Many were places Xing Shuishui had never heard of.
She asked puzzled: “Just to look for me?”
He Liansheng looked at her and nodded.
Xing Shuishui was stunned.
After a while, she crawled over, suddenly cupping the young man’s face with both hands and smiled: “Do you know about the sun-gilded mountains?”
He Liansheng stared at her eyes, asking: “What’s that?”
Xing Shuishui’s black eyes were brighter than the room’s oil lamp, the most beautiful he had ever seen. The young man couldn’t look away for a long time as he listened to her laugh and say.
“When the sun rises, sunlight shines on the snowy mountain peaks, turning them golden. We call it sun-gilded mountains. There’s a saying in my hometown that those who see the sun-gilded mountains will be lucky for a whole year. If we resolve my sister’s matter smoothly, we can stay in Cangchuan for a few more days! He Liansheng… I feel like you’ve been quite unlucky since meeting me… being deceived, getting stabbed, nearly dying. If we’re fortunate enough to see the sun-gilded mountains, you should become luckier.”
He Liansheng suddenly grabbed her arm, leaning forward with a smile: “No need for sun-gilded mountains. My hometown has a saying too—’encountering water brings prosperity.’”
He deliberately emphasized the last four words.
They were suddenly very close.
Xing Shuishui’s pupils widened slightly.
Someone must have been jealous of their happiness. Before she could say to let go, an unwelcome guest arrived outside. The house owner was confused and about to open the door when there was a buzzing sound as the Taoyuan sword suddenly flew out and blocked the door bolt.
He Liansheng turned his head, killing intent clear in his eyes.
“Xue Jiuling, get out here. Lightning couldn’t kill you and you possessed another body to be reborn? I wasn’t in good condition recently so I hadn’t gone to Separation Fire Manor to find you, but you delivered yourself? You dare come to Cangchuan? You think you can come and go as you please? Aren’t you here to avenge your sister? I killed your sister! Come out and continue fighting.”
The person outside was particularly arrogant.
Who else but Du Dizhu?
Memories from hundreds of years ago slowly returned. Xing Shuishui gripped Qitong. Even if she had sought revenge on the wrong person in her past life, Du Dizhu was no good person. She didn’t expect him to show up at this critical moment.
Got beaten up?
Seems he hadn’t had enough.
She said to He Liansheng: “Just an insignificant person. I have experience fighting him. Let me handle it.”
The Taoyuan sword flew back to the young man’s hand.
Du Dizhu finally kicked open the door, his voice cold: “You little girl, you’re really still alive. Haven’t seen you in a hundred years, your skills have truly improved. You came and immediately threw Lingshan into chaos.”
The man wore black clothes with bandages around his arm. His eyes were like dead water. His long hair was unbound, falling to his waist. As he lifted his chin slightly, the recently repaired dragon bone knife at his waist released its pressure.
Xing Shuishui still had the mood to tease him: “Lingshan killed your master and I threw them into chaos—aren’t you happy? Oh, you don’t seem very happy lately. I heard you were beaten up. Not surprising, since your Wuxiang Mountain has the most enemies in the cultivation world. What’s wrong? Wounds not healed but you came looking for me?”
Du Dizhu pointed at He Liansheng behind Xing Shuishui: “Isn’t it because your damn lover came causing me trouble?”
He smiled without humor: “Xue Jiuling, I say if you really have the ability then fight another round. Don’t let your damn lover come. The proud disciple of Lingshan’s leader hanging around with you, a spirit, all day—have you no shame?”
Xing Shuishui clearly hadn’t reacted. What trouble? Had He Liansheng caused him trouble before? Or—was He Liansheng the one who beat up Du Dizhu?
She suddenly turned to look at He Liansheng.
The reason Separation Fire Manor hadn’t been troubled by Du Dizhu these five years was thanks to someone causing him trouble first.
The young man raised his sword at Du Dizhu, mocking: “I already spared your life, yet you come seeking death?”
It really was He Liansheng who did it.
Xing Shuishui looked at him for a long time, quickly understanding. In their five years apart, He Liansheng seemed to have done many things. Every day after their reunion, they seemed to be slowly discovering more.
She made a fist with one hand, slowly pressing it against her chest, finding her heart beating fast.
Du Dizhu had no good expression for He Liansheng: “Get lost. I don’t want to fight you. Lingshan people should be left for Lingshan dogs to bite each other.”
He turned to look at Xing Shuishui: “Xue Jiuling, I’m asking you—fight or not?”
Xing Shuishui came back to her senses: “No fight. I have important matters. If you want to fight, go to Lingshan and find Shangguan Houyue.”
Du Dizhu sneered: “Don’t mention that poisonous woman. What important matters could you have? Coming to Cangchuan isn’t just to have a death match with me?”
Xing Shuishui said impolitely: “Don’t flatter yourself. What I do in Cangchuan has nothing to do with you. Hurry back to your Wuxiang Mountain. I already know who killed my sister back then, it has nothing to do with you for now. It’s only because that person also knows mirror arts that I mistook him for you.”
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