Ning Yuzhu’s courtyard housed a spacious kitchen, its glass storage cabinets overflowing with various ingredients. Jiang Huai offered his assistance. Ning Yuzhu’s culinary skills were exquisite, and her expression always seemed serene and indifferent. Jiang Huai, out of curiosity, asked, “When the Divine Emperor is in seclusion, what do you usually do when you’re alone on the mountain, Senior Disciple Sister Ning?”
“Cook, practice sword, and sleep,” Ning Yuzhu replied calmly.
“I see…”
As Jiang Huai added firewood to the stove, he softly inquired, “Senior Disciple Sister Ning, how did you come to be a disciple of Master?”
Ning Yuzhu hesitated for a moment before answering, “I was originally the second daughter of the Ning family in the Moon Soul Domain. Later, our family’s secret treasure was coveted, and we were almost wiped out. I fled and wandered. I encountered Master, who took me in as a disciple and taught me how to cultivate. Once my cultivation was sufficient, I reclaimed the family’s secret treasure and have since served faithfully by Master’s side.”
Jiang Huai nodded gently. The atmosphere grew quiet for a moment, leaving him unsure of what to say next. The kitchen gradually filled with the aroma of cooking. Ning Yuzhu meticulously handled each ingredient, while Jiang Huai watched her prepare the dishes, placing the finished meals into a heat-retaining food container. Once everything was ready, she took them to the courtyard to call Jiang Zhi, who was cultivating the Divine Soul path, for lunch.
After lunch, Jiang Zhi returned to her cultivation. She was particularly engrossed in a certain secret technique, studying it diligently. Jiang Huai tidied up the dishes and hesitated before curiously asking, “Senior Disciple Sister Ning, do you have time to take me for a walk around White Dew Mountain?”
“Yes,” Ning Yuzhu nodded slightly.
White Dew Mountain was much larger than Jiang Huai had imagined.
Light snow continued to fall today. Ning Yuzhu introduced Jiang Huai to everything on White Dew Mountain. The mountain was home to many trees that bore various spirit fruits. Even the Infinite Chaos Dao Fruit was merely one of many spirit fruit trees, albeit a relatively large one, and didn’t seem to be a particularly rare item on White Dew Mountain.
Jiang Huai and Ning Yuzhu walked around for a long time. The scenery on White Dew Mountain was splendid, and there were many amusing spirit beasts with their endearing appearances. However, Jiang Huai faintly sensed an indescribable loneliness.
With such a vast, desolate mountain, only two people resided there. It felt a bit lonely no matter how he thought about it. The wind and snow gradually intensified, and Jiang Huai began to shiver. Ning Yuzhu turned her head to glance at him, then suddenly reached out and gently took his hand.
Jiang Huai was startled. Her palm was delicate and boneless, radiating a faint warmth.
“Your cultivation level is too low; you’re greatly affected by the worldly rules here. If you’re cold, just hold my hand,” Ning Yuzhu said softly.
A faint stream of warmth seemed to emanate from her palm, flowing into Jiang Huai’s body and dispelling some of the chill. Jiang Huai, however, felt a slight tremor of apprehension. He always felt something was odd but couldn’t quite pinpoint it.
Didn’t Senior Disciple Sister have too little sense of boundary? No… perhaps it was more that Senior Disciple Sister was being too good to him?
The two arrived at a large lake on White Dew Mountain. Ning Yuzhu said softly, “Master often used to fish here. Master raised many spirit fish from the Three Realms and One Domain in this pond.”
Hearing her say this, Jiang Huai suddenly felt a desire to fish.
“May I fish here then?”
Ning Yuzhu hesitated for a moment and nodded gently, “Yes.”
She led Jiang Huai to the pond. The pond’s surface rippled with extremely faint ripples due to the falling snow. She retrieved a fishing rod that looked like jade and bamboo for Jiang Huai, even tidying the fishing line for him, baiting the hook, and handing it to him. She then sat beside him. At this moment, she no longer held his hand but leaned her body closer. As their bodies drew nearer, Jiang Huai clearly felt a warmth from her body transferring to him.
At this point, Jiang Huai felt a little awkward. He wasn’t sure if he should ask if Senior Disciple Sister was leaning too close. He subtly turned his head to glance at Ning Yuzhu, only to find her calmly gazing at the lake surface, lost in thought.
In the past, when Master fished, she would quietly accompany her. Master spoke little, and perhaps because she had been by Master’s side for so long, she also spoke very little. Whenever Master caught a spirit fish and her lips curved into a smile, she would also feel a sense of joy.
Ning Yuzhu was warm, so much so that Jiang Huai’s body instinctively moved a little closer to her. In the next instant, he hastily moved away again. This slight movement of approach and retreat made Ning Yuzhu come back to her senses. She turned her head to look at Jiang Huai, whose face was now etched with a hint of embarrassment.
“It’s alright if you move closer to me,” Ning Yuzhu replied calmly. “I don’t mind.”
Now Jiang Huai was at a loss, until Ning Yuzhu proactively leaned closer, her shoulder against his, dispelling the cold around him. Jiang Huai’s heart began to pound, and he even dared not look into Ning Yuzhu’s eyes.
Damn it.
“You come from the lower realm. I’ve never heard anything about you; I’m a bit curious. Can you tell me about it?” Ning Yuzhu asked softly.
“Of course.”
When it came to storytelling, this was Jiang Huai’s forte. He began telling Ning Yuzhu about his past. The story was endless. Ning Yuzhu listened quietly until the sky darkened. Only then did Jiang Huai snap back to reality, “Senior Disciple Sister Ning, do you want to keep listening?”
Only then did Ning Yuzhu come back to her senses, realizing it was late.
Listening to Jiang Huai’s story had greatly satisfied her curiosity. She really wanted to know what made this man beside her so special that he held such an important position in her Master’s heart. During the storytelling, Jiang Huai caught a large spirit fish. Ning Yuzhu said softly, “It’s time to make dinner. If you’d like, you can continue telling me tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Jiang Huai nodded lightly. Carrying the spirit fish, he walked back together with Ning Yuzhu. On the way back to the mountain, Ning Yuzhu gently took Jiang Huai’s hand again, which made Jiang Huai’s walk a little awkward.
Jiang Huai returned to the kitchen with her. Ning Yuzhu began to cook, while Jiang Huai prepared to clean the fish. He intended to use Ning Yuzhu’s kitchen to make his specialty, pickled fish. Ning Yuzhu had no objections and quietly stood aside, waiting for him to finish before taking it to the courtyard together.
“Your cooking skills are also very good,” Ning Yuzhu commented. Jiang Huai immediately replied, “Not as good as Senior Disciple Sister Ning’s.”
“I’ve been studying for a thousand years and have made countless mistakes using the best ingredients and seasonings,” Ning Yuzhu shook her head slightly.
Master had changed the worldly rules of White Dew Mountain, which was why she had studied cooking so diligently, hoping to serve Master well. Whenever she saw Master show a hint of joy because of the food she made, she would secretly be happy for a long time in her heart.
Master always said she shouldn’t be like this; she was a person, not an object. Ever since she successfully avenged her clansmen, she seemed to have lost her own emotions, focusing solely on being Master’s proxy, handling all her trivial matters.
At night, as he was leaving, Ning Yuzhu suddenly asked him, “Are you going fishing again tomorrow afternoon?”
“Sure.”
“Good,” Ning Yuzhu nodded gently and then left the courtyard.
Meanwhile, Jiang Zhi, who had just finished eating, suspiciously leaned closer to Jiang Huai and sniffed him. Jiang Huai looked at her, confused, “What are you doing?”
“Sniffing you to see if you have a woman’s scent on you. I knew you little bastard wouldn’t be good for more than two days. If you see a beautiful woman and don’t try to charm her, it’s not like you.”
Jiang Huai’s face darkened. “Don’t slander me.”
“Sigh… I knew I alone couldn’t satisfy you… Sigh, if you’re going to charm someone, at least there’ll be another sister to help me share the burden…” Jiang Zhi’s sarcasm was unconcealed. Jiang Huai reached out and pinched her face. “Nothing of the sort happened.”
“Then did she seduce you?”
“No, I just wanted to understand White Dew Mountain and learn more about the Divine Emperor from Senior Disciple Sister Ning. Speaking of which, what’s your impression of the Divine Emperor?”
“I told you before, crazy, scheming, and having problems with her head. Maybe anyone who cultivates for thousands of years goes mad,” Jiang Zhi shrugged. “But she definitely won’t harm you, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“I always feel like you all have many things you’re hiding from me.”
“A little, but the truth is very close to you. No need to rush,” Jiang Zhi winked at him, then tilted her head. “Tonight… don’t use that string of beads to bully me again.”
Jiang Huai’s eyes twitched slightly.
He hadn’t used that prop last night, yet Jiang Zhi suddenly brought it up.
He understood this was reverse psychology.
Later, when he took it out with a cold expression, Jiang Zhi would act as if she was wronged and struggling, eventually tearfully submitting. This woman was quite the actress.
The next day, the wind and snow subsided, and the sunlight was warm.
Ning Yuzhu still delivered breakfast in the morning. For lunch, Jiang Huai went to the kitchen with her. They divided their tasks clearly, each making four dishes. After lunch, Jiang Huai and Ning Yuzhu went to the lakeside again.
Jiang Huai had originally invited Jiang Zhi to join them. He had fallen into a self-proving trap and particularly wanted to prove to Jiang Zhi that he truly had no ulterior motives. However, Jiang Zhi was too lazy to come and just wanted to sleep in her room. Thus, Jiang Huai and Ning Yuzhu sat by the lake again, gazing at the shimmering lake surface, and continued telling his story.
Ning Yuzhu listened attentively. It was only after Jiang Huai finished his story that Ning Yuzhu nodded thoughtfully, “I understand.”
“Understand what?”
“I know why I was influenced by you when our souls merged before. You indulge your desires too much and can’t control them.”
Jiang Huai’s eyes twitched slightly, then he asked cautiously, “Senior Disciple Sister Ning won’t despise me because of this, will she?”
Ning Yuzhu shook her head slightly. “No. It was just a little instinctively uncomfortable for me when our souls merged. It’s not your fault; you don’t need to worry about it.”
“Master never said that cultivation should be free of desires. On the contrary, Master believes that if one reaches the end of cultivation and eradicates human desires, they will only turn into demons and malevolent spirits. That’s why she set up these worldly rules on White Dew Mountain.”
“In the Ancestral Dao Origin Realm, many cultivators still uphold Master’s philosophy, incorporating the human emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, and desire as part of their cultivation. When your cultivation reaches the Divine Body realm, I will take you and Jiang Zhi to tour the main city of the Ancestral Dao Origin Realm.”
“Tour?”
“Coincidentally, the main city will be hosting the Lantern Festival Gala, which is held every twenty years.”
“What is that?”
“Master started holding it many years ago, inviting beautiful women from all over to compete in music and dance. The city’s cultivators will then judge and vote. Those who rank high will receive pills bestowed by Master. It will be very lively then.”
“Master’s pills are hard to come by in the world, so women from the Three Realms and One Domain will come to participate. There aren’t too many requirements either; as long as their appearance is acceptable and their bodies are flawless, Master will occasionally bestow some treasures if she’s in a good mood.”
Jiang Huai’s eyes twitched slightly. How did he remember Jiang Zhi clearly stating that the Divine Emperor was a woman and she also had this preference?
Ning Yuzhu suddenly thought of something and took out a painting album from her hand, giving it to Jiang Huai. “This is the painting of the Lantern Festival Fairies from the previous session in the Ancestral Dao Origin Realm.”
Jiang Huai opened the album and found that the scroll depicted a succession of beautiful fairies with alluring figures and exquisite appearances. The artist’s skill was remarkable, almost as if they had captured the essence of these fairies on paper.
“This is…”
“The women who ranked in the top twenty in the previous Lantern Festival Gala are all on this scroll. Master had me draw it myself.”
Jiang Huai curiously flipped through it, all the way to the last page. He was first stunned, then looked up at Ning Yuzhu again. Ning Yuzhu was sitting there calmly. Jiang Huai confirmed it again; the last page was Ning Yuzhu.
“Senior Disciple Sister Ning also participated?”
“Yes,” Ning Yuzhu nodded slightly.
She had thought that because Master liked it, she had practiced music and dance diligently, carefully studied cooking, and was proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She could even play all sorts of decadent and alluring tunes. In order to learn dance, she, as Yuzhu Fairy, had even condescended to seek advice from other women. Yet, to this day, she had failed to fathom Master’s intentions, not knowing what Master truly liked.
Even though Master was very enthusiastic about hosting the Lantern Festival, she had never kept any beautiful fairies to favor. But it seemed logical; after all, how could any fairy’s beauty compare to Master’s?
Jiang Huai suddenly found it rather interesting. He imagined the scene would indeed be exceptionally lively and fun. All the beautiful women in the world gathered to compete in dance—just thinking about it made him excited.
Given that Ning Yuzhu had stood out among so many fairies, her dancing skills must have been exceptionally refined. Jiang Huai’s curiosity at this moment was like a kitten’s claws scratching him. Ning Yuzhu’s gaze shifted from the lake surface to his face. After a moment, she softly said, “This Lantern Festival Gala will be even livelier than usual.”
“Why?” Jiang Huai asked, confused.
“Master had instructed long ago that for this Lantern Festival Gala, the Grand Princesses of the Star Soul Domain and the Moon Soul Domain must both attend. Also, from the Corrupted Domain… Senior Disciple Sister, who resides in that domain, might also participate in this event.”
“Didn’t Senior Disciple Sister have a feud with Master and defect?”
“Master is willing to spare her. Otherwise, at the beginning of her defection, Master could have made her vanish with a mere thought. Over the years, Master has not held her accountable. However, I don’t know the specifics of what happened back then. I don’t know if she will come in person this time or send her disciple. It seems she has something to ask of Master, and I don’t know if she will show up.”
“Then will Senior Disciple Sister Ning also participate this time?” Jiang Huai asked curiously.
“No,” Ning Yuzhu shook her head slightly. In an instant, she turned her head again, her dark pupils calmly gazing at his cheek. “Do you want to see me dance?”
“I want… I don’t want… No, no, no… I want… I don’t want… No… I want.” Jiang Huai suddenly felt awkward, unsure how to answer. With her clear, autumn-water-like eyes fixed on him, he felt an unspeakable shame. After several seconds, he slowly replied, “Alright, I am a little curious… I want to broaden my horizons.”
Ning Yuzhu withdrew her gaze and calmly said, “If you want to see, come to my courtyard at night. I often dance in the courtyard at night.”
“Tonight, tonight?” Jiang Huai couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of Ning Yuzhu’s words.
Ning Yuzhu first slightly hesitated, then gently bit her lip and nodded, “Then tonight.”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant…?”
“Then what do you mean?” Ning Yuzhu looked back at him. Jiang Huai found that he couldn’t explain even with a mouth at this moment. He finally lowered his head in annoyance and began a stiff topic change. “No, isn’t Master in seclusion? She’s not participating in this Lantern Festival, so why is she requiring the princesses of two domains to attend?”
“Master’s divine sense covers the entire Ancestral Dao Origin Realm. On the day of the Lantern Festival, she will descend with a wisp of her soul to observe everything. However, with your cultivation level, you won’t be able to sense Master’s presence or communicate with her.”
“I see,” Jiang Huai nodded slightly, then moved his gaze back to the lake before him.
