It was late into the night by the time they emerged from the state banquet. Sated with food and wine, Cold Jing and Cold Qingqing boarded their carriage to return to the manor. Having indulged in a few cups of wine, Cold Jing felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him and closed his eyes for a nap. Cold Qingqing gently draped a blanket over him.
The "ugly little snake" slept soundly, his breathing steady as he used Cold Qingqing’s lap as a pillow. After an indeterminate amount of time, the driver—the White Mink—suddenly burst into the carriage, shaking Cold Jing awake. "Young Master! Wake up! Something’s wrong!"
Cold Jing lifted his head. The White Mink desperately tugged at his sleeve, gesturing for him to look outside. The scenery beyond the carriage was swallowed by a wall of dense, white fog.
It was still night, but a fog this thick was highly unusual. Cold Qingqing reached a hand out the window, only to find that he couldn't even see his own fingers. The mist was unnervingly heavy.
"Have we run into a monster?" the White Mink asked cautiously.
Cold Jing replied, "Perhaps. But the spiritual energy in the vicinity is being masked by this fog; I can't sense anything."
The three of them moved to the front of the carriage. Cold Jing took the reins, slowly inching the vehicle forward through the gloom. After traveling for some time, they seemed to reach a wide intersection. Suddenly, the horses reared up, neighing in a frantic panic. The trio looked up and saw a massive shadow moving within the thick shroud of mist.
"It’s a monster fallen from the Heavens!" The White Mink shrieked, covering its mouth and trembling behind Cold Jing.
Cold Jing’s expression turned solemn. Purple lightning began to coalesce in his palm. Though it appeared to be merely a sphere of brilliant light, the energy contained within was equivalent to thousands of heavenly thunders—a violent discharge capable of incinerating everything within a hundred-mile radius. This was merely a fraction of the power Cold Jing had gathered to test the waters.
The giant shadow approached with heavy, thudding footsteps accompanied by low growls. Cold Jing turned his palm upward; the orb of lightning flickered and pulsed with increasing intensity, as if it were straining to break free. However, the ever-composed Cold Jing did not strike immediately. Under the weight of his sheer presence, even the horses had collapsed in weakness. Cold Jing’s overbearing draconic aura and the destructive lightning in his hand caused the White Mink’s fur to stand on end. It had to grip the carriage railing tightly just to keep from being flattened—it truly felt as though it were in danger of being crushed by the pressure.
The shadow drew closer and closer, finally looming directly before them.
At the critical moment, suddenly—!
"Little Jing!" Cold Qingqing cried out.
"I know." Cold Jing remained steady, refraining from releasing the lightning. Instead, he allowed the sphere of light to slowly dim until it vanished into nothingness.
This was because the true form of the shadow was not some monster from the Heavens, but...
A black bear.
To be precise, a teary-eyed black bear.
It pressed its paws together in a prayer-like gesture, whimpering for a moment before its tears finally burst forth like a broken dam. "Brother Snake!"
"Oh, it’s Old Bear..." Cold Qingqing patted his own head. Wasn't this their old neighbor from the Blue Sea Billowing Wave Valley—the black bear spirit who often sought him out for a drink?
***
After a brief conversation, they learned that the black bear was currently unable to assume a human form. No matter how hard he tried, he simply looked like a bear wearing human clothes. Consequently, he had to use the fog as a cover to sneak into the city to find food and supplies.
Life after leaving the paradise of the Blue Sea Billowing Wave Valley had not been easy. The outside spirits were extremely xenophobic, and the "country bumpkin" spirits from the Valley were bullied wherever they went.
Upon hearing this, Cold Qingqing’s sense of justice flared. He declared angrily, "Leave this to me! I shall rebuild a home for all our neighbors!"
Cold Jing let out a cold snort. Cold Qingqing immediately scolded him, "What are you snorting for? Isn't it our duty as members of the Blue Sea Billowing Wave Valley to seek welfare for everyone? How did I raise you? Do you have no sense of loyalty? How can you be the Martial Arts Alliance Leader if you're this selfish?"
He rattled on and on, leaving the black bear in a state of shock: *Cold Qingqing has really made it big out here! He actually dares to lecture Cold Jing!*
And so, Cold Jing’s princely manor gained a new addition—a "large plaything" allegedly presented as tribute from a foreign land: a clothed black bear that knew how to drink wine and sigh.
***
Su Luo, who was supposed to be mending the Heavens, had disappeared to who-knows-where.
Cold Jing and Cold Qingqing returned to their aimless, muddled daily lives.
Almost every day, Prince Ling would visit the manor, attempting to persuade Cold Jing to leave the Lu Kingdom. He tried heart-to-heart talks, emotional appeals, and earnest advice, exhausting every possible method until it reached a point of near-pathology. For instance, a few days prior, the Prince—who had been driven somewhat neurotic by Cold Jing—actually brought a guqin and played for Cold Jing all day, claiming he hoped the power of music would reform him.
Naturally, for the father and son duo who were more indifferent than a stone ox, this had absolutely no effect.
According to gossip from the maidservants present at the time, the haggard Prince Ling eventually slammed his hands down on the zither and cried out miserably, "I will give myself to you! Just please, leave this place!"
But Prince Cold Jing merely replied with cold indifference, "I am not interested in men."
Following a heated discussion among the servants, a consensus was reached: there was a "scandalous affair" between the two Princes! The Queen was being pushed out of the picture!
After a month of circulation, these rumors had spread throughout the imperial court and the common folk. The only ones kept in the dark were the three people involved—Cold Jing, the Queen, and the Prince.
In the eyes of all the bored onlookers, a legendary, world-shaking, and heart-wrenching saga of resentment and romance was about to begin.
However, the disheartened Prince Ling never sought Cold Jing out specifically after that. His occasional, habitual attempts at persuasion eventually ended with him simply sitting down to eat noodles with the Cold father and son.
Cold Jing possessed a constitution that was naturally immune to scandals.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 碧海苍涛谷 | Blue Sea Billowing Wave Valley | The original home of the protagonists and the spirits. |
| 老熊 | Old Bear | A black bear spirit and former neighbor. |
| 武林盟主 | Martial Arts Alliance Leader | Cold Jing's title in the human martial world. |
| 净王爷 | Prince Jing | Cold Jing's royal title in the Lu Kingdom. |
| 凌王爷 | Prince Ling | The Lu Kingdom prince trying to get them to leave. |
| 补天 | Mending the Heavens | The task Su Luo is currently undertaking. |
| 奸情 | Scandalous affair | Used here to describe the rumored illicit romance. |
