Nie Xueqing took my Xiaolian. Executing the Snow-Erasing Steps, she moved with a grace that was both gentle and unstoppable, brushing past Dahao’s hand, neck, and eyes. The tip of Dahao’s blade couldn't even graze a corner of her clothes before she breached his defenses and closed the distance. It looked as though he had merely been embraced by a delicate woman, yet he had already been struck three times.
These three moves occurred in the blink of an eye. I was utterly stunned, and the onlookers gasped in admiration, "What magnificent skill!"
Dahao wasn't angry. He sheepishly scratched his head with his free hand and said in a thick Jinzhou accent, "Boss, I know that one... it’s that 'Rain and Flowers' something or other..."
"Falling Petals Parting Rain," Nie Xueqing corrected. "This is the ultimate technique derived from the Wind-Hidden Sword. It consists of one move with two forms. The other is 'Falling Rain Parting Petals.' Watch closely."
As she spoke, she sparred with Dahao for several rounds. Once both were moving at full speed, she used the momentum of her leaps to naturally build velocity. Three sharp whistles cut through the air—*chi, chi, chi*. Again, she struck the hand, neck, and eyes, but the essence of the strikes was entirely different.
The crowd cheered and applauded, "The Chief has such style!"
Seeing my contemplative expression, Nie Xueqing suddenly tested me: "A-Zhi, which of these two forms do you think is harder to master?"
I thought for a moment and replied, "Flower petals are fragile and should naturally be beaten down by the rain. To instead deflect the rain and overcome the enemy, 'Falling Petals Parting Rain' embodies the intent of the weak prevailing over the strong, rising against the current. 'Falling Rain Parting Petals' seems natural and logical, but it actually requires one to mimic the free and spontaneous grace of the divine creator. It demands following the natural flow of all things—what some might call 'quietude and non-action.' In terms of spiritual realm, it is a level higher."
She burst into laughter. "Look at you, spinning such a long yarn! You're mostly right, but the truth is, both are hard to master! It depends on one's personality. For now, you shall start with Falling Petals Parting Rain."
I rolled my eyes at her. She was acting like some detached grandmaster, yet she had clearly demonstrated Falling Petals Parting Rain first during her own performance...
But Nie Xueqing was right about one thing: it took me a full year of practice before I even began to grasp the forms. Another half-year passed before I truly entered the zone. During these three years of tempering, my cultivation grew naturally, breaking through to the middle stage of the Cloud Swallowing Realm.
At the end of a scorching summer, the weather was as clear as the day I first ascended Tong Mountain to the Nie Manor, though a faint autumn chill had begun to drift through the air. One morning, as I was performing my usual exercises in the courtyard, Nie Xueqing emerged from her room. Just as I had seen that first day, she had stripped off her upper garments and tucked them into her waistband. Without needing a word, I knew she intended to spar. I lunged forward with a sword thrust.
I was no longer the foolish demon who would grow frantic and hack wildly when provoked. Nie Xueqing could no longer afford to simply dodge without parrying. Like me, she held a sword in her right hand and a dagger in her left. In an instant, we were locked in close-quarters combat.
It felt less like a sparring match and more like a duel to the death. Every move was fierce and perilous, often leaving the onlookers breathless with fear. In truth, we understood each other's methods and temperaments so well that we could strike with such precision. Furthermore, Nie Xueqing did not use her higher cultivation to suppress me; she matched her strength to my level. By the end, I had completely forgotten the surrounding crowd, forgotten time, forgotten heaven and earth, and forgotten myself.
With a soft *shirr*, the wooden slip in my left hand—acting as a dagger—brushed past Nie Xueqing’s temple. It struck a fiery red pomegranate flower, and the flame-like petals drifted down slowly. One petal landed on the tip of her shoe, looking like a vivid embroidered pattern on her plain black lotus-toed shoes.
An inexplicable emotion welled up in my heart. It felt as though all stagnation had been washed away, dissipating into nothingness. All that remained was an endless vastness and an indescribable, faint sorrow. So, this was Falling Rain Parting Petals.
Unconsciously, tears began to fall. The Way of Nature was originally this gentle and soothing, yet so lonely that it felt empty. If I felt such desolation from realizing just one move, how bleak must it be for the God who commands it all?
Nie Xueqing smiled. Just as she had done a thousand times before when I mastered a move or made progress, she said, "It is done."
She reached into her robe, pulled something out, and tossed it to me. I stroked the regained Hanguang Sword, unable to stop myself from pressing my tear-streaked face against its cold blade, giving it a gentle kiss.
"Girl," Nie Xueqing said, patting my back with a smile. "You’re wonderful. Never belittle yourself again. You are stronger than anyone."
My face flushed instantly, my whole body heating up from her uncharacteristic sentimentality. It took a long while before I looked up and smiled. "Sister Qing, thank you. These three years... I’ve had a great time!"
"Haha!" she laughed. "You've eaten enough of my food to bankrupt a manor. If I call for you in the future, you'd better come. Let's see each other often."
"Of course! Through mountains of blades or seas of fire, I'll be there at your word, Sister Qing!"
"Slick-tongued brat..."
That day, I bid farewell to the brothers and sisters I had grown close to, as well as the old gentlemen who had taught me the ways of business. I had to pry Xiao Yan’s clinging arms off me with great effort before returning to Old Dream Mountain that night.
It was rare to find Master still busy in her room in the middle of the night. The lamplight cast her restless, busy shadow against the window. I slipped inside soundlessly. I had only taken two steps when I heard her snort. "You've just learned a few sneaky tricks and already you're trying to scare your Master!"
I grinned and hopped onto her like a monkey, acting spoiled. "Why aren't you asleep yet, Master? Could you be counting money?"
She gave me a mock-serious side-eye, then suddenly broke into a radiant smile and slapped the table. "Exactly! We are now pulling in ten million a year. We have a grand estate and a massive business!"
I was surprised for a moment but quickly regained my composure to take her down a peg. "Master, don't get too full of yourself. If I told you the Nie family's annual income, it would scare you to death!"
"Hmph." She pinched my arm. "Has Nie Xueqing stolen my little undercover agent's heart? But don't worry! With a talent like A-Zhi, who is skilled in both the brush and the blade, our family's income reaching a hundred million is just around the corner!"
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "How am I a 'talent'..."
"Nay, nay." She conjured a feather fan and waved it like a mountain hermit. "This Master hereby appoints Su Yuzhi as the new manager of 'Into the Dream,' with Du Chuilun as her assistant. You are to depart for Pingjing immediately to take over the shop! So let it be written!"
I dutifully bowed as if receiving an imperial edict, then looked up and complained, "My butt hasn't even warmed my seat at home yet, and you're already kicking me out!"
She whacked my head with the fan. "What crude language! Speak with more elegance!"
I giggled, and the two of us shared a warm moment of banter. That night, she let me sleep in the Falling Dream Pavilion—a privilege I had rarely enjoyed since taking human form. I dove onto Master’s fragrant, soft bed with a silly grin and curled up in her arms for a long, deep sleep.
When I woke the next morning, Master was still asleep. Seventh Brother, ever the honest soul, came to call for me, urging me to pack my bags so we could depart after lunch. Everyone on the mountain was naturally reluctant to see me go. Aunt Dong and Zhu Yixin stuffed a mountain of food and supplies for the road into my bags. Even the two Fox sisters, Feng, had learned to give parting gifts—though I knew it was only so they could demand double in return when I came back...
Times had changed. Now, it was my younger brother following behind me, relying on my judgment and care. As we traveled north, the breath of autumn grew stronger. Seventh Brother even knew to pick a few sprigs of fresh, sweet osmanthus for me along the way, pinning a few blossoms to his own lapel for a touch of elegance. During my three years of training with the Nie family, the green youth of fourteen had grown into a tall, sturdy young man with a steady manner. Master was clearly intent on grooming him, wanting me to teach him the business methods I had learned from the Nie family while we ran the shop in the capital.
Speaking of which, over the past few years, Eldest Senior Brother had spent most of his time in the capital, managing our shop "Into the Dream" in the East Market. A small plaque hung on the doorpost: "Rare Treasures and Medicinal Herbs from North and South." Lu Lingfeng was there with him; her passion for the arts of the underworld had apparently not waned. Lately, she was obsessed with giving "makeovers" to ghosts... which meant using illusions and paintings to help hideously disfigured ghosts change their appearance. It sounded like a noble and merciful endeavor. Fifth Sister had always loved making money, so she would head north for a few months during the busy seasons to help out.
Countless times, I had felt the urge to ask Eldest Senior Brother: since our shop was separated from the Yingzhao Temple outpost by only a single wall, had he heard any news of Wei Qingming? Did he ever have to see her for official or business reasons? But every time the words reached my lips, I held them back. I would write them down, only to crumple the letter and throw it away.
In the first two years, Lu Kaifeng saw that I was too deeply immersed in my sorrow to move on, so he never mentioned her name. It was only after I returned from Hanzhou, tempered and hardened by my travels, that he began to tentatively share fragments of news. But none of it was certain, as he hadn't seen her in person either. Some said she remained in the capital helping Eunuch Feng with major cases; others said she had gone to other provinces or even foreign lands. The most ridiculous rumor claimed that, using her status as Feng Zhen’s godson, she frequented the forbidden inner courts and had become the male favorite of some princess... Lu Kaifeng had watched my face cautiously as he told me that, but I only smiled and said, "That won't happen." What a joke—a "male favorite" requires being a male first... unless the princess's tastes were truly that specific. Then again, it wasn't entirely impossible...
In truth, I still cared. For a time, I even had strange dreams that would make me blush to describe. But the concern would pass. Firstly, there was no point in worrying about someone half a world away whom I couldn't see. Secondly... she was the one who had been rejected, after all. It was only natural for her to find love elsewhere. I had no right to feel bitter.
During these years, I had visited the capital with Nie Xueqing. Once happened to be Wen Shu’s wedding, which was rushed through during a gap in Xiao Xuelin’s military rotation. The young General Xiao had already risen to a mid-level officer, commanding his own troops. The First Madam handled everything, generously providing a residence in the capital as a dowry. On the wedding day, the gates were thrown open, and I went in to enjoy a cup of celebratory wine. Wen Gan was exactly the same as ever, though she felt a bit lonely now that her sisters were married. I sent her several rare, eccentric ancient texts in Wen Qi’s name. Hua Moli hadn't been in the capital much these past few years, traveling the world with her uncles. She must have encountered many old friends from the Yushan Troupe scattered across the land.
We entered the city through the eastern Zhaoyang Gate. The sky was overcast, and the drizzling autumn rain painted the vegetation with a dismal hue. As we crossed Fan Bridge toward the East Market, I couldn't help but remember the time Wei Qingming had held me while galloping through the night. I gave a self-mocking, bitter smile. Truly, "Only the moment of parting remains unforgettable, as evening mist and autumn rain drift over Fan Bridge."
Eldest Senior Brother was standing beneath the bridge, clad in an oil-paper raincoat, waiting for us with a smile.
Because half of the storefront had been arrogantly seized by Lord Wei, "Into the Dream" had to use some clever spatial magic on the first floor to disguise the cramped quarters. The second floor, however, could not be hidden. It had been partitioned into two tiny bedrooms—one for each of the Lu siblings. Seventh Brother and I would have to stay at the Xixi Inn for a few days. Seventh Brother seemed quite happy about it. Once we were settled, I gave him a playful wink and told him he could wander the inn as he pleased; he could even call for a beautiful courtesan to keep him company, and his sister would foot the bill. The comment turned the six-foot-tall youth's face bright red with embarrassment.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 泯雪步 | Snow-Erasing Steps | A movement/footwork technique. |
| 落花分雨 | Falling Petals Parting Rain | A martial technique form. |
| 落雨分花 | Falling Rain Parting Petals | A martial technique form. |
| 郭乐贤 (大好) | Guo Lexian (Dahao) | A subordinate of Nie Xueqing. |
| 晋州 | Jinzhou | A geographical location/province. |
| 吞云境 | Cloud Swallowing Realm | A stage of cultivation. |
| 故梦山 | Old Dream Mountain | The protagonist's home sect location. |
| 落梦阁 | Falling Dream Pavilion | A building on Old Dream Mountain. |
| 苏玉卮 | Su Yuzhi | The protagonist's full name. |
| 杜垂纶 | Du Chuilun | Seventh Brother's full name. |
| 入梦来 | Into the Dream | The name of the shop. |
| 平京 | Pingjing | The capital city. |
| 熙熙楼 | Xixi Inn | An establishment in the capital. |
| 樊桥 | Fan Bridge | A bridge in the capital. |
| 朝阳门 | Zhaoyang Gate | A city gate in the capital. |
