Volume Two: Snow on the Qin River Chapter One: Snow Clouds

More than a month had passed since the Battle of Yanbei, and Wuyang had bid farewell to its mild winter, entering the early days of spring.

Feng Qi had not yet felt the breath of early spring before he was forced back into the biting cold. Although he had read ten thousand books, he had, after all, not traveled ten thousand miles. He had once known only the endless yellow sands; he had never imagined that there could be snow drifting for a thousand miles.

In Qinchuan, all four seasons were winter.

It was still the dead of night when he was tossed into Qinchuan by the Divine Emperor, but now the sky was growing faintly bright. Distant, rosy clouds appeared in the far east, though one could not guess when the blazing sun might rise. Snowflakes danced in the morning light like drifting cotton. Further off, one could see five towering black shadows, resembling the fingers of a giant hand.

Those were the Five Peaks of Xueyun.

Feng Qi gazed at the shadows from afar and remarked with emotion, "Books say that Qinchuan is a land of a thousand miles of frozen ice and drifting snow. I didn't quite believe it at the time, thinking that the cycle of seasons is the most fundamental law of nature. Since Qinchuan is neither on the ice plains of the far north nor a high-altitude plateau above the clouds like the Heavenly Mountains, how could such a spectacle exist?"

He paused, then sighed, "Now I believe it. The world is truly vast, and there is no wonder it does not contain."

He looked at the five black shadows in the distance, his expression complex. He wondered how things were in Yanbei. Although his grandfather had long been away from the battlefield, it seemed his strategic mind remained; if he could break through Honghuai, the chances of reclaiming Yanbei were high.

But the Feng family no longer had a successor ready to stand up and take the mantle of the Prince of Yanbei. Putting aside his own lack of interest, he was now in Xueyun and would naturally not return to Yanbei to become a target for everyone. Although Yang cherished Yanbei, he was, after all, a disciple of the Temple Master. Moreover, with his keen intellect, he would surely grasp the implications of such a shocking reversal, and given his character, he would never again sacrifice his life for the Divine Dynasty.

Admittedly, Feng Muyun had instilled a great deal of loyalty in both brothers, and both he and Feng Yang considered themselves loyal, but that did not mean they would abandon their conscience for the sake of that loyalty. He had never been a man of blind obedience; even when the Divine Emperor had feigned suspicion of Yanbei, he had found ways to convey Yanbei’s intentions through the Fourth Prince—let alone now. As for Feng Yang, he would surely be even clearer-headed than he was. Although it was never explicitly stated, the implication in Feng Yang’s words and actions was clear: he loved his country, but he was not loyal to the monarch.

As he pondered these things, the continuous black shadows had transformed into towering glaciers, and it was clear they were almost there.

Feng Qi wrinkled his nose, as if catching a cold, and looked at the small buildings clustered around the peaks outside the main mountains, saying, "This is the Outer Mountain."

He looked again at the five ice peaks soaring into the clouds, counting from left to right: "The Five Peaks of Xueyun—the first, Taxue; the second, Fenglei; the third, Qianren; the fourth, Wuhen; and the fifth, Zhuyue. The pool in the center, which is larger than the West Lake, is the Sword-Sinking Pool. By the shore, there should be a two-story cottage called the Sword Pavilion. Does the Sword Pavilion have a secret passage leading to the Sword Prison?"

A massive pressure descended, and Feng Qi felt a sudden sense of weightlessness. When he regained his focus, a pure white snow eagle had appeared before him. Standing on the eagle was a man who looked quite wretched. It was his master, Xue Wuji.

Feng Qi looked at his master but said nothing.

Xue Wuji was silent for a moment before saying, "I truly did not know about this matter."

He did not know, but someone in the Xueyun Sect surely did, otherwise there would have been no need for his silence. Feng Qi understood this, offered a faint smile to Xue Wuji, and said, "Greetings, Master." Regardless of anything else, at least his master had appeared at Yufeng Pass, Tongguan, and Yanyun.

Xue Wuji looked at Feng Qi and nodded with satisfaction. "Come, Master will take you inside."

Feng Qi looked around and asked, "Master, what happens next? Surely I don't have to pass the Sword-Testing Assembly to enter the Five Peaks of Xueyun?"

Xue Wuji thought for a moment. "That is up to you. But you are the top of the 'Fengliu' ranking in the outside world; passing the test should be no problem."

Feng Qi sighed. "Then forget it. I can't be bothered with the trouble, and the Sword-Testing Assembly is full of children. It wouldn't be right for me to go and bully them."

Xue Wuji thought to himself that he was also just a child, but he did not deny the last part—for someone at the Hunyuan Upper Realm to participate in the Sword-Testing Assembly would indeed be bullying. The so-called Sword-Testing Assembly was a grand event held every three years for Outer Mountain disciples to enter the Five Peaks. Generally, the participants were young disciples who had just condensed their Essence Mansions.

Xue Wuji waved his hand and said to the snow eagle, "You may go."

The snow eagle’s eyes revealed an incredibly human-like expression. It let out a cry, beat its wings, and soared into the sky, disappearing into the wind and snow in the blink of an eye.

...

With Xue Wuji present, no lowly deacon dared to come and verify their identities. However, the number of Outer Mountain disciples gathering to watch grew, and the whispered gossip that occasionally reached his ears made Feng Qi feel a bit uncomfortable, yet somewhat nostalgic. The last time he had been discussed this way was in Yanyun, when the people of Yanbei loved to chatter around him—though, of course, they kept their distance. The content was no different from these people, mostly consisting of remarks about how good-looking he was. Feng Qi did not understand; in his view, while the world was increasingly obsessed with beauty, how could even this place in Xueyun not be free from such vulgarity?

Half an hour later, Xue Wuji led him out of the Outer Mountain. Between the Outer Mountain and the Inner Mountain lay a road paved with ice, radiating a bone-chilling cold. Feng Qi stepped on it and finally realized the source of the chill.

*So, it is the sword of Xueyun,* he thought silently.

Xue Wuji shook his head. He hadn't warned him earlier because he wanted to see to what extent Feng Qi could handle it and whether he would be injured by the sword intent embedded in the ice road. It seemed he had worried for nothing.

"Let's go," he said, patting Feng Qi on the shoulder.

Following the ice path upward, they soon reached an ice gate. The gate was simple, with nothing but the characters "Xueyun" carved upon it. Beneath the gate sat an ice table with brushes, inkstones, and paper, and behind it, a middle-aged man in a sword robe was dozing off.

Xue Wuji frowned, stepped forward, and rapped on the table.

The middle-aged man woke up, his drowsiness vanishing instantly upon seeing Xue Wuji. He hurriedly rose and bowed, "Greetings, Ancestor of the Dharma Sword!"

Xue Wuji said, "The sect has entrusted you to guard this place and register disciples with outstanding talent... is this how you register them?"

The middle-aged man pulled a bitter face, aggrieved, "Ancestor, it is not that I am neglecting my duties; it is just that these Outer Mountain disciples are too disappointing. I have been guarding here for three days, and not a single person has been able to walk halfway across the ice path! That is why..."

"You say no one has been able to walk halfway across the ice path?" Xue Wuji interrupted him, stepping aside to point at Feng Qi. "And how do you explain this?"

The middle-aged man was startled. He stared at Feng Qi, then hesitated, "Ancestor, this person... why is he here?"

Xue Wuji snorted, "What business is that of yours?"

The man said, "The sect does not recruit disciples from noble families... this is against the rules."

Xue Wuji bristled, "If you are so well-versed in the rules, why don't you take over as the Dharma Sword?"

The man was terrified and quickly insisted he dared not. Xue Wuji waved his hand, "Enough nonsense! Register him quickly! I need to take him into the peaks."

After the registration, they entered the true Xueyun Sect. It was indeed worthy of its name; the ice and snow outside had no effect on the birdsong and fragrant flowers within. Several small mountains were connected by dozens of paths, which snaked outward and disappeared behind other peaks. Feng Qi took a deep breath, thinking that the concentration of vital energy here was at least ten times richer than in the outside world. No wonder the sect never occupied a place on the Fengliu ranking; comparing those who cultivated in such an environment to those outside was truly unfair.

Xue Wuji suddenly frowned and said to Feng Qi, "Find any senior brother to take you to the Dao Platform. I have something to attend to, and I will come find you when I am finished."

With that, his figure vanished instantly.

Feng Qi shrugged, thinking that his master hadn't told the other peak masters about taking him as a disciple yet. He rubbed his chin, recalling the detailed descriptions of Xueyun he had read in unofficial histories, and set off toward Wuhen Peak.

...

Taxue Peak, Asking-the-Dao Hall.

Xue Qianzhang looked at Xue Wuji. "Brother, you have crossed the line."

Xue Wuji snorted, "Please call me 'Brother' only when it is just the two of us. Otherwise, why should I come just because you told me to?"

Xue Qianzhang sighed helplessly, "Brother, this is against the rules."

Xue Wuji said, "The Sword Law has not yet accused me of breaking the rules; you are quite diligent."

The sound of wind and thunder suddenly erupted in the hall, followed immediately by the voice of Yuan Yulong: "Junior Brother Dharma Sword, this is indeed against the rules."

Xue Wuji raised an eyebrow and glanced at Xue Qianzhang.

Xue Qianzhang spread his hands. "It was impossible not to tell him. He is the Sword Law, after all!"

Yuan Yulong strode into the hall, staring at Xue Wuji. "Are you going to ask that Feng Qi to leave, or shall I?"

Xue Wuji frowned. "We are all fellow disciples; must you be so ruthless?"

Yuan Yulong replied coldly, "The Law is the Law; there can be no leniency!"

Xue Wuji laughed in anger. "Does the Master of Fenglei Peak wish to fight me?"

Xue Wuji had not been present when the Sword Law led the disciples to Wuyang, and he had been severely wounded when Yuan Yulong later reinforced Yanbei, so he was naturally unaware that the Sword Law before him had already attained the Dao.

Yuan Yulong did not intend to explain. He said in a deep voice, "A fight is not out of the question, but regardless of the outcome, Feng Qi must leave!"

Watching the tense standoff, Xue Qianzhang felt a headache. "Enough! We have all lived for hundreds of years; why are you still so competitive?" He looked at Xue Wuji. "Brother, what is your reason for taking Feng Qi as a disciple? His identity is sensitive. The Divine Emperor dared to let him come here precisely because he was certain we would not accept him."

Xue Wuji ignored Xue Qianzhang and stared fiercely at Yuan Yulong. "I want Feng Qi to participate in the Centennial Plan."

There was a two-second silence in the hall.

Yuan Yulong spoke coldly, "And he is worthy?"

Xue Wuji retorted, "Or do you think *you* are worthy?"

Xue Qianzhang sighed. "Brother, you know the threshold for the Centennial Plan is the Heart-Meeting Realm."

Xue Wuji raised an eyebrow, mocking slightly, "Is there a big difference between Heart-Meeting and Hunyuan? Within a hundred years, if you want to create a powerhouse capable of rivaling the Demon Lord, it shouldn't be about the current realm, but talent! Some people are trapped in the Heart-Meeting Realm their whole lives, while others reach the Dao and become masters before the age of thirty..."

Yuan Yulong said, "He is sixteen and still at the peak of Hunyuan; that in itself says enough. Zhou Zihan of Qianren Peak is younger than him and has already reached the peak of Hunyuan."

Xue Wuji said earnestly, "First, the talent of a sixteen-year-old at the Hunyuan Upper Realm is not low. Second, Feng Qi has not only been cultivating for these sixteen years; he has also been studying. Finally, someone who mastered the Wuhen Sword Intent in only three months... is that not high talent?"

*Wuhen Sword Intent?* Xue Qianzhang frowned.

Yuan Yulong’s expression changed, and he raged, "This is preposterous! You are a Peak Master and an enforcer of the law; how dare you break the rules to this extent?"

Xue Wuji did not care about Yuan Yulong’s emotions and simply said, "He has received my sword intent, so he is my disciple. I will never allow you to dispose of him at will!"

He and Yuan Yulong glared at each other, neither willing to yield.

Xue Qianzhang remained silent for a moment before saying, "The Inter-Peak Sword Debate is coming up soon, right?"

Yuan Yulong added, "Seven days from now."

Xue Qianzhang suggested, "In that case, let Feng Qi enter the competition. If he can win the top spot in the Hunyuan Realm during the Inter-Peak Sword Debate, then making an exception once would be acceptable."

Yuan Yulong thought for a moment and agreed to the proposal. If Feng Qi had only just arrived at Xueyun and could still win the top spot under these circumstances, it would prove his talent was indeed terrifying. If that day came, granting him a spot in the Centennial Plan would not be unacceptable.

Xue Wuji sneered and agreed. As for these pampered greenhouse flowers of Xueyun, they wanted to compete with the Heir of Yanyun?

A pipe dream!