Snowfall Over the Lake

Above Winged Serpent Lake.

A tall woman clad in silver-white armor appeared, riding atop a massive flying sword.

“Ji Ning!” the silver-armored woman called out directly.

Swoosh!

A gust of wind swept across Brightheart Island, and Ji Ning had already appeared in midair.

“And you are?” Ji Ning looked at the silver-armored woman.

“My master is your senior apprentice-sister, Nine Lotos. I have been ordered by my master to come and inform you,” the silver-armored woman said directly.

Ji Ning guessed that this had something to do with Nine Lotos.

“My master said that she is currently within her tribe and will be unable to leave for some time. She asks you to be patient,” the silver-armored woman said coolly and crisply. “My master also said that, taking advantage of this period of separation, she hopes that both she and you, Ji Ning, will think things over… whether your decision to choose each other as Dao-companions was perhaps too hasty.”

Ji Ning frowned.

Nine Lotos was trapped inside her tribe and couldn’t get out? And she wanted him to consider whether their choice of Dao-companions had been rushed?

What did that mean?

“The message has been delivered.” The silver-armored woman finished speaking, then mounted her flying sword and shot into the distance, disappearing at the edge of the sky.

Full of doubts, Ji Ning returned to Brightheart Island. Qiuye was silently waiting at the shore.

“What’s wrong, young master?” Qiuye asked, seeing Ji Ning’s troubled expression.

“That person just now was Senior Apprentice-Sister Nine Lotos’s servant,” Ji Ning said with a frown. “She came with a message from Nine Lotos, saying she can’t leave her tribe for a short time, and also telling me to calmly think over whether our decision to choose Dao-companions was too hasty. What does that mean? Since we’ve already decided to become Dao-companions, what does ‘hasty’ mean?”

Whether in his past life or this one, Ji Ning was truly a blank slate when it came to romantic feelings.

“Young master.” Qiuye quickly said, “I don’t think those words came from Nine Lotos. Nine Lotos treats you sincerely; she would never say something like that. It’s more likely that the Dongyan clan’s higher-ups secretly ordered that maidservant to add that line, to plant a seed of doubt in your heart. If you give up voluntarily, then they’ll have succeeded in breaking you two apart.”

“Right,” Ji Ning said, his eyes lighting up. “You’re probably right. It’s probably their scheme. The Dongyan clan really doesn’t want to see Nine Lotos and me together.”

Seeing Ji Ning’s fighting spirit reignite, Qiuye couldn’t help but smile.

As long as Ji Ning was happy, she was happy.

In the days without Nine Lotos, Ji Ning still lived at Winged Serpent Lake. He was certain that the message Nine Lotos had sent was the Dongyan clan’s meddling. So Ji Ning never doubted Nine Lotos’s feelings. On the contrary, he held a stubborn grudge, wanting to shock that dog-eyed, haughty Dongyan clan.

Thus, Ji Ning’s days at Winged Serpent Lake were very diligent.

He often studied sword techniques alone…

Occasionally he went to the local Yinglong Guard branch to take on missions, hunting down wanted criminals and great demons that were causing trouble…

Every two or three years, he would enter the Water Mansion and go to the Starseizing Hall to comprehend the Dao…

He also often lay in a small boat, drifting on Winged Serpent Lake—that was when his heart was most peaceful…

In the blink of an eye, nearly nine years had passed.

Having killed several powerful wanted criminals, Ji Ning’s reputation had grown considerably.

“New Year’s Eve,” Ji Ning said, standing on the veranda. Red lanterns hung along the corridor, their light reflecting off the heavy snow still falling in the dark night.

“Young master, the New Year’s banquet is ready,” Qiuye said, walking over.

Ji Ning looked at Qiuye beside him. Although nearly nine years had passed, she still looked exactly as she had back then. But due to her aptitude, despite the elixirs and medicines Ji Ning provided, she remained stuck at the Xiantian perfection level, unable to break through to Zifu. The main problem was a deficiency in her comprehension of the Dao. So Ji Ning often personally guided Qiuye.

With Ji Ning’s guidance, Qiuye had made considerable progress. Perhaps in a few more years, she too would have hope of entering the Zifu stage.

“As for Qingshi, his talent is far worse than Qiuye’s,” Ji Ning sighed inwardly. Qingshi was Chuncao’s younger brother. Ji Ning had sworn before Chuncao’s grave that he would teach him well, and he had done his utmost. Qingshi had barely managed to step into the Xiantian lifeform level, but his progress on the Dao was far too slow.

Knowing his own limitations, Qingshi had asked Ji Ning to take him to Anchan City—he had grown up at Winged Serpent Lake and had seen too little of the world. He longed to see the legendary Anchan City.

Taking advantage of a Yinglong Guard mission, Ji Ning sent Qingshi to Beishan Baiwei in Anchan City, asking Baiwei to look after him.

“Let’s go.” Ji Ning walked with Qiuye.

“Young master, the tribe has sent another twelve youths. Counting the batch from five years ago and the very first batch, twenty-eight tribe youths have come in total,” Qiuye said quietly. “I think the tribe is going too far. Young master, you need time to cultivate too. How can you find time to teach all those youths?”

Ji Ning smiled. “Those youths are still very weak. Your sword arts are now good enough. Just follow the teachings I’ve given you and guide them.”

“Me?” Qiuye was startled.

“Don’t underestimate yourself.” Ji Ning instructed. “When one of them breaks through to Xiantian, bring them to me. Now, let’s go eat together. Today is New Year’s Eve.”

New Year’s Eve—the happiest day of the year.

But within the Yan Mountains, the Kou clan, one of the original six major powers, had no smiles.

The new chieftain, Kou Huai, stroked the ancient walls, looking at every brick and tile, at the weeds in the courtyard.

“This is the home of my Kou clan,” Kou Huai said hoarsely, his hand caressing the wall, his eyes red.

Beside him, a young girl wept. “Father, let’s fight the Ji clan to the death! This is our root, the foundation of our tribe. They want to cut our roots—we’ll fight them. Even if both sides are crippled, so be it.”

“You don’t understand,” Kou Huai shook his head, looking up at the snow in the air. He only felt its coldness. “Fight the Ji clan? With what? Not to mention Ji Ning, the strongest of the Ji clan—just the two Wanxiang great demons under his command are already more than any power in the Yan Mountains can handle. Both of those great demons have godbeast bloodlines and are at Wanxiang perfection! Even ordinary Wanxiang perfection realpeople are weaker than them. And Ji Ning… he is the truly terrifying one.”

“Ji Ning.” The girl gritted her teeth. “I’ll make the Ji clan regret this.”

“Don’t even think about causing trouble for the Ji clan,” Kou Huai said. “Some of the most evil and terrifying cultivators and great demons roaming the Anchan Commandery have died at Ji Ning’s hands. Especially one evil cultivator named ‘Poison Crane Realperson,’ Jiu Qifan. That Poison Crane Realperson could fight a Primal Daoist and escape, yet he still died at Ji Ning’s hands. It won’t be long before Ji Ning becomes a Primal Daoist himself.”

“A clan with this kind of strength—occupying the entire Yan Mountains is nothing. Our Kou clan is so weak. If we don’t move, we’ll just be squeezed by the Ji clan until we’re destroyed. But if we move now, we can still survive and thrive elsewhere.”

“Besides!”

“The Ji clan has been merciful. They haven’t truly slaughtered us. At least they’re still letting us live here.” Kou Huai sighed in admiration.

Even though they were being forced to hand over their vassal token and give up the tribe’s foundation to the Ji clan, Kou Huai felt no hatred. When a clan produces a powerhouse, it will quickly take over a vast territory. The Ji clan had Ji Ning, the Whitewater Hound, and the Skygreen Serpent—they had sweeping strength.

But the Ji clan hadn’t swept through with violence. Instead, they used negotiation to make the other powers lower their heads one by one and choose to move. The Ji clan gave them enough buffer time—three years short, ten years long. But after ten years, they would have to leave the Yan Mountains.

“Tomorrow, tomorrow we leave,” Kou Huai said, stroking the wall. “Remember, child. When you are weak, you must lower your head. No one is to blame. If you must blame someone, blame yourselves for not being strong enough.”

The girl nodded. “I’m going to the Thousand Rivers Sect tomorrow. Father, I will work hard to make our Kou clan rise again.”

“Mm.” Kou Huai looked at his daughter, hope in his eyes.

She was his greatest pride.

But compared to that monstrous Ji Ning, she was far behind. If his daughter could become a Wanxiang Adept, the entire Kou clan would cheer.

New Year’s Eve, Ten Thousand Swords City.

Ji Jiuhuo had already stepped down. The current patriarch of the Ji clan was the younger Ji Liuzhen.

“The Kou clan and the Blackfire Cult will both leave their cities within three days,” Ji Liuzhen laughed. “Once they move out, the Ji clan’s territory will expand again.”

“They are all obedient and have not resisted,” Ji Jiuhuo said with a smile.

“The gap in strength is too great; they have no heart for resistance,” Granny Shadow said, also full of joy. “Liuzhen, after the Kou clan and Blackfire Cult move out and we occupy their cities, only the Grand Xia garrison and the Snowdragon Mountain Yan Mountain branch will be left in the entire Yan Mountains.”

Ji Liuzhen nodded.

The Grand Xia garrison was a given.

As for the Snowdragon Mountain Yan Mountain branch?

Although Dongzi Qi and the others had died that year, Snowdragon Mountain had quickly sent new Zifu disciples into the Yan Mountains, reestablishing the strength of their Yan Mountain branch.

“Behind the Yan Mountain branch is the Snowdragon Mountain sect. Although they don’t want to offend our Ji clan, they aren’t so afraid of us that they would hand over their territory,” Ji Liuzhen sighed. “It’s troublesome. If we really try to deal with the Snowdragon Mountain Yan Mountain branch, Snowdragon Mountain might dispatch some Wanxiang Adepts.”

Snowdragon Mountain didn’t want to offend the promising Ji Ning.

But they weren’t afraid of him either. They hadn’t expanded their territory in the Yan Mountains, but they were consolidating their existing land. They wouldn’t attack proactively, but if the Ji clan dared to invade, they wouldn’t show mercy.

“Once we invade, the Yan Mountain branch will counterattack immediately. The leader of the Snowdragon Mountain Yan Mountain branch, Realperson Xuke, has already said that if the Ji clan dares to make a move, they dare to kill,” Ji Liuzhen said. “Although after nearly nine years of digestion, the Ji clan’s strength in Xiantian lifeforms has greatly increased, going toe-to-toe with the Snowdragon Mountain Yan Mountain branch is really not worth it. Their foundation is deeper than ours. As for top powerhouses, behind them is Snowdragon Mountain, which has Primal Daoists.”

“No rush,” Ji Jiuhuo shook his head. “Let’s go ask Ji Ning about this.”

The Yan Mountain branch was a tough nut to crack.

It was the final obstacle for the Ji clan to occupy the entire Yan Mountains.

Third watch, finally finished!

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