In the Northern Region , the silver moon was like a hook, and the vast white snow swept across the vast territory.
The snow-capped mountains and deep forests were deserted, and there were no immortal towns or villages around. Occasionally, the cries of wolves and foxes could be heard in the mountains.
There was no bonfire in the hidden cave, only silver-white moonlight shining in from the entrance made some light.
Wearing a snow-white fleece coat, Ye Anping sat cross-legged on a straw mat with his eyes closed to condense his energy and recuperate. The fatigue on his face gradually dissipated as his injuries recovered.
Noticing that his breath had calmed down a lot, Pei Lianxue, who was guarding beside him, asked in a low voice, "Brother, where are we going next?"
Ye Anping slowly opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Yunluo and Li Longling, who were hugging their thighs, wrapped in blankets. He then looked at Feng Yu Die, who was hugging a roasted chicken. Finally, he looked at his sister with a helpless expression. "Sister, what did you and Yunluo have in mind when you came to the Northern Region ?"
Pei Lianxue lowered her head with a guilty look and answered in a small voice. "Collect... herbs..."
"What else?"
"Well..."
Xiao Yunluo hastily spoke up to help Pei Lianxue explain. "Anping, we came to collect medicinal herbs. Didn't Lianxue leave you a note?"
Ye Anping turned to look at her. "So, where are the medicinal herbs?"
"The herbs..." Xiao Yunluo shrank her neck and quickly turned to look at Feng Yu Die. "Second idiot, where are the medicinal herbs?"
"Huh?"
Feng Yu Die looked confused, then nodded in understanding and took out a few spiritual herbs from her storage bag that were emitting a faint blue light.
"Yes, yes, yes, I dug a lot! Enough for us to go back and hand in the task, what is this called... Snow Spirit Grass ."
They actually went to dig it out...
Ye Anping shook his head and raised his hand to knock Pei Lianxue's forehead, asking, "What else?"
Xiao Yunluo hurriedly replied, "Nothing else~ We really came here to dig out spiritual herbs. This Snow Spirit Grass is only available in the Northern Region . It is not available on the market even here in the Cold Country . Am I right, Lianxue?"
Ye Anping looked at Pei Lianxue again. "Well? Is that right? Sister..."
Pei Lianxue pursed her lips and glanced fearfully at her brother.
"Brother, I'm sorry..."
Seeing her apologize, Ye Anping was relieved and rubbed her little head lovingly. "Well... don't lie to me next time. After I completed the Core Formation lightning tribulation, I found that you had left for the Northern Region . I didn't even rest and immediately chased after you with Longling. I was afraid that you might encounter demonic cultivators."
Pei Lianxue lightly clutched her clothes. "I'm sorry..."
"Forget it. I also bear some responsibility for this." Ye Anping shook his head slightly. "I didn't expect you to remember the name 'Xiyue' so clearly and come looking for her."
"I was just afraid you won't want me after finding Xiyue."
"...Silly girl."
"Then, Brother, are you going to look for Xiyue later?"
"Haven't we already found her? Xu Xiyue, Xu Mulan's younger sister."
Pei Lianxue was stunned, and Xiao Yunluo also raised her eyebrows. They both thought it was just a coincidence of names.
Xiao Yunluo asked in disbelief, "Ah? Anping, isn't she only twelve years old? Lianxue said you talked about her when you were a child, but when you were a child..."
"It's hard to explain, but it's really her."
"Then... will you take her back to the Western Region ?"
"No need." Ye Anping shook his head. "I've been in the Northern Region for more than half a year, and I've figured out something. In the past, she and you, sister, were the two most important people to me. But now..."
Halfway through, his voice stopped abruptly.
Ye Anping felt that it was a bit corny to continue talking, so he just glanced at the girls around him again. But when he saw Feng Yu Die with her mouth full of grease, he lowered his head and sighed.
It was said cultivators should not abandon their original intentions.
His original intention was Xiyue. He intended to form a second or third-grade golden core after passing Wu You's death tribulation. Then, he would come to the Northern Region to find Xiyue and bring her back to the Hundred Lotus Sect so that they could run the sect together peacefully.
After hundreds of years, when he and Xiyue would reach the end of their lifespan, his sister would most likely have already become a Nascent Soul , maybe even a Deification cultivator, or she could take over the position of Hundred Lotus Matriarch, or go and establish a sect alone.
This was his initial plan.
But who could have imagined?
When he saved Feng Yu Die, his original intention was to correct the course of events.
However, in the process of correcting the course of events again and again, the world alignment shifted and went in a different direction.
As the saying goes, those who enter the game are confused, and those who watch from the sidelines see things clearly.
After this trip to the Northern Region , Ye Anping finally understood a simple and obvious truth.
---Ever since he took his sister to kill Wu You in Wuxi Town , this world was no longer the game world of " Heavenly Sword Fantasy ".
After that incident, Ye Anping, the Young Master of the Hundred Lotus Sect, was no longer a cannon fodder.
And since then, the original intention he had set was no longer suitable for him.
Ye Anping's gaze once again swept across Pei Lianxue, Xiao Yunluo, and Li Longling. At this moment, there was only one thought left in his mind:
---Protect them and keep the promises he made to them.
Xu Xiyue was his original intention in the past.
But now, his original intention was his sister and the others.
If, after the dissolution of the game, they were still destined to meet again...
If Xu Xiyue was willing, then he would keep his promise and take good care of her for the rest of her life.
If she wasn't willing, he would end that fate as closure for himself, who was once just a cannon fodder.
"That's good... That's good..."
Ye Anping seemed relieved, and his mood was unusually relaxed. "Rest well today. We'll continue our journey tomorrow morning and return to the Western Region as soon as possible. Winter in the Northern Region isn't easy."
...
The cold wind blew across thousands of miles, passing over the prominent peaks in the southwestern border of the Northern Region .
The Western Region , where spring was supposed to come, had cooled down a lot because of the cold wind blowing from the Northern Region .
The disciples of the Black Star Sect were now wrapped in thicker autumn clothes, and the spiritual plants on the mountains had also entered the maturity stage.
Heavenly Water Lake Courtyard in the bamboo forest on the Red Spring Peak --
Buzz buzz buzz...
A mosquito smelled delicious food and flapped its wings before landing on the white, smooth back of a girl lying on a summer mat and enjoying the sun with her upper body naked.
Just as it was about to pierce the girl's fair skin, a golden parrot descended from the sky and turned the mosquito into its dessert with a peck.
Lying on the mat and shaking her bare feet, Si Xuanji asked, "How long has that kid Ye been gone?"
Qiu Shuirou, who was massaging her back with fragrant dew, sighed helplessly and shooed the parrot away. "Young Miss, you have asked for the seventh time today, Young Master Ye has been away for a total of one hundred and seventy-three days since he was last at the Black Star Sect."
"Is that so..."
Si Xuanji was taken aback, but she didn't say anything else.
In fact, for someone like her who had lived for thousands of years, the concept of time had long ceased to exist. She hadn't looked at a calendar for at least several hundred years.
Sometimes in the spring, she would return to her cave and take a nap. When she naturally woke up and came out of the cave, the Black Star Sect was already covered in snow. Then, she would quickly close the door and go back to put on some more clothes.
To Si Xuanji, one hundred and seventy-three days was actually just a blink of an eye.
But why?
She had already blinked so many times, so why hadn't that kid Ye come back yet?
Never mind... let's sleep for a while longer.
Si Xuanji relaxed and closed her eyes to seal off her spiritual sense.
When she felt that it was about time, she opened her eyes and found that Qiu Shuirou had moved her back into the house. Judging from the reflection in the window, it was already night.
Si Xuanji was dazed for a moment, then quickly sat up and shouted. "Shuirou!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Qiu Shuirou came over from the bed next door in about five breaths. She bowed politely and asked, "What's the matter, Young Miss?"
"How long has the kid Ye been gone?"
"...One hundred and seventy-four days. You just asked me yesterday."
"How come only one day has passed..."
Si Xuanji frowned in displeasure. She really wanted to speed up time, but even a Void Returning cultivator like her could not interfere with the laws of heaven and earth.
She pouted, closed her eyes, and fell asleep again.
Qiu Shuirou stepped forward with a helpless look on her face and covered her with the quilt before quietly leaving the room.
By the time Si Xuanji opened her eyes again, it was already dawn outside.
Feeling that more than ten days should have passed, she hurriedly shouted out again. "Shuirou!!"
Tap-tap-tap---
Qiu Shuirou, who was pruning the saplings outside, quickly put down the scissors and rushed in, asking, "Young Miss, what do you need?"
"Ye..."
Qiu Shuirou was already answering. "One hundred and seventy-nine days."
"Eh? How come it's only been five days?"
Thump---
Si Xuanji bristled, showing some dissatisfaction on her face before she closed her eyes again and collapsed.
Qiu Shuirou seemed to want to say something, but in the end, she held back and silently retreated from the room again.
Coming out of the room, Qiu Shuirou couldn't help but sigh.
The Qiu family had been following Si Xuanji for more than two thousand years. To do their job well, each of the maids who came to serve her inherited a scroll.
This scroll was handed down by the first person in the Qiu family who served Si Xuanji since ancient times. Later, when her lifespan reached its end, she passed it on to the next person.
She was already the eleventh generation, and the scroll had now become a book with more than two thousand pages that could be used as a weapon.
It recorded Si Xuanji's preferences and hobbies at different times.
For example, Xuanji liked to eat mung bean cakes a thousand years ago, but after the owner of a mung bean cake shop in the Black Star Sect market passed away, she began to hate those cakes.
Therefore, Qiu Shuirou was quite conflicted now. She was conflicted about how to record Ye Anping...
There was no doubt that Ye Anping was an outstanding young cultivator.
But he only had the aptitude of two spiritual roots after all.
In the future, let alone entering the Void Returning stage, even the Deification stage would be quite difficult to obtain.
Perhaps while Si Xuanji had fallen asleep, Ye Anping had already died somewhere...
However, Ye Anping was Si Xuanji's favorite junior since ancient times, and he seemed to be the first person she slept with.
There had never been anyone who could make her miss them so much as Ye Anping...
"Should I just write it down briefly or write it down in detail? Sigh..."
Qiu Shuirou sighed softly and went back to continue pruning the trees in the courtyard. However, just before she arrived at the garden outside the cave and started working...
---"Disciple Lei Wanjun requires to see the Sect Matriarch for an important matter!!"
Hearing Elder Lei's voice coming from outside the cave, Qiu Shuirou was startled and frowned, then quickly looked toward the room where Si Xuanji was sleeping.
Lei Wanjun had only returned to the Black Star Sect two months ago. If he disturbed the Young Miss's sleep again, he would probably be sent to who knows where again.
Seeing that Si Xuanji was undisturbed in her room, she heaved a sigh of relief, quickly put down her scissors, and went outside.
Just as Lei Wanjun was about to yell again, Qiu Shuirou appeared in front of him and quickly raised her index finger in front of her lips.
"Shh-- Elder Lei, the Young Miss is sleeping. If there is anything, please write a jade slip and send it over. I'll wait for Young Miss to wake up and give it to her. Do you want to breed the Flood Dragons again?"
With a dark face, Lei Wanjun took a deep breath.
"Ah... I didn't want to come either, but Miss Qiu... the Empress of the Cold Country has already arrived at the Black Star Sect gates."
Qiu Shuirou was shocked. "What? Who?"
"Sun Juehu. She actually said that the Matriarch invited her to visit the Black Star Sect."
"Little Miss and her don't get along, how could she invite her? And you know what happened in the past, the moon that the Young Miss destroyed back then..."
"Of course I know, but... she is a Void Returning cultivator, and she is determined to see the Matriarch. How can we send her away? Mr. Qi has already gone there..."
Qiu Shuirou had a bad feeling. After a while, she nodded. "Elder Lei, you can leave now. I'll let the Matriarch know..."
Lei Wanjun cupped his hands. "Thank you."
Qiu Shuirou nodded and returned to the cave. She slowly pushed the bedroom door, walked to the bed, and squatted down, gently shaking Si Xuanji's shoulder.
"Young Miss... Young Miss..."
Si Xuanji's tightly shut eyes instantly opened, and a trace of joy flashed across her yin-yang eyes.
"Ye..."
"Nope... no."
The joy in Si Xuanji's eyes disappeared, and the corners of her mouth curved downward slightly. She stared fixedly at Qiu Shuirou's face like a teacher in a college who saw his students slacking off in class.
Qiu Shuirou was a little embarrassed and quickly explained. "Young Miss, Elder Sun has arrived at the Black Star Sect."
"Which Sun?"
" Cold Country 's Sun Juehu."
"Oh..."
Si Xuanji rolled her eyes and closed them immediately. Turning over, she put the quilt around her waist and waved. "Get out."
Qiu Shuirou wanted to cry but had no tears. She tried to advise. "Young Miss..."
"Where's Lei Wanjun? He's usually so loud. Won't his yelling scare her back?"
Qiu Shuirou didn't dare to reply and quickly took out a set of formal clothes from her storage bag. As if she was dressing a sleepy little girl, she let Si Xuanji lie on the bed and flipped her around to help her put on her clothes.
Now dressed in a purple robe, Si Xuanji looked at the ceiling with resentment. Taking a deep breath, she sat up, jumped off the bed, and then transformed into a purple spiritual light before zapping out the door.
When she landed barefoot on the jade bricks in front of the main hall of the Black Star Sect, Lei Wanjun and all the Elders above the Nascent Soul stage immediately cupped their hands and saluted. "Greetings, Immortal Matriarch!!"
Her yin-yang eyes swept over the crowd, and her childish voice carried some pressure.
"...Where is that old woman?"
Mr. Qi stepped forward. "She's already inside."
Si Xuanji nodded and raised her foot high.
Boom!!
The solid double iron door, nearly thirty feet high, of the main hall was thrown open by her kick.
Sun Juehu, who was sitting in the guest seat, heard the noise and turned around with a smile. "Sister Red Moon, you are here? Didn't you invite me before to visit the Western Region ? It just so happened that I was free, so I came over."
"Oh."
"Eh? Sister Red Moon, why are you so unhappy?" Sun Juehu took out a scroll from her sleeve. "Come and take a look, I brought you a gift. You'll definitely like it."