One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

The blade was icy cold, pressed against the carotid artery, and I could feel the blood flowing beneath my skin and... trembling.

Wang Feng froze, not daring to move.

He could smell a faint scent of blood on the blade—his own blood, splattered there during the fight. He could feel the sharpness of the blade—with just a slight movement of Nie Lingfeng's wrist, his head would be severed from his neck.

"In the next life," Nie Lingfeng said slowly, looking into his terrified eyes, his voice as calm as stating a fact, "Remember... don't mess with the people you shouldn't. And don't... become the kind of person you used to hate the most."

Wang Feng opened his mouth, wanting to say something—to beg for mercy, to threaten, to curse…

But Nie Lingfeng didn't give him a chance.

With a slight movement of the wrist.

A flash of light.

It's so fast you can't even see the trajectory.

Wang Feng felt a chill on his neck, and then his vision began to spin, turn upside down, and blur...

He saw his own body, still standing there, blood gushing from his neck like a small fountain. He saw Nie Lingfeng sheathe his sword, turn, and walk towards the old locust tree by the roadside. He saw Chen Duo under the tree, holding a panda plush toy, standing quietly…

Then, darkness swallowed everything.

"thump."

The headless corpse fell to the ground.

Blood gushed from the severed neck, quickly spreading across the bluestone slab, mixing with Wang Ai's blood, the blood of the Wang family members, and the blood of the clan elders... until they were indistinguishable from one another.

Wang Feng is dead.

The Wang family's last hope, Wang Ai's proudest "creation," the "monster" that absorbed the blood sacrifice power of the entire Wang family village... is dead.

Nie Lingfeng sheathed his sword, not even glancing at the corpse on the ground.

He turned around and looked in the direction of the ancestral hall.

There were a few clan elders who had miraculously survived there—not the ones who participated in the siege, but the older ones, hiding deep within the ancestral hall, who were not even affected by Wang Ai's blood sacrifice.

They sat slumped at the entrance of the ancestral hall, their faces ashen, their eyes vacant, like soulless shells.

As Nie Lingfeng approached, they did not resist, beg for mercy, or even show any expression.

They just stared blankly, as if awaiting final judgment.

Nie Lingfeng walked up to them and stopped.

He did not make a move.

I just watched them quietly for a few seconds.

Then, he took out his phone and sent Xu Si a text message:

"The Wang family is finished."

Four words: simple, direct, and without any embellishment.

After sending the message, he put away his phone, turned around, and walked to the old locust tree by the roadside.

Chen Duo was still standing there, holding the panda plushie, her emerald green eyes quietly looking at him, her gaze clear and calm, without fear or disgust, only... a very faint, almost imperceptible... concern.

"Let's go," Nie Lingfeng said, his voice soft, somewhat tired, but calm.

"Mm." Chen Duo nodded, hugged the doll, walked to his side, and naturally reached out to hold his hand.

Her hands were cold, but she was holding them tightly.

Nie Lingfeng looked down at her and smiled.

The smile was faint, but genuine and warm.

He gripped her hand, turned, and left.

The two walked side by side along the bluestone path they had come from, step by step, toward the edge of the village.

Behind them lay corpses strewn across the ground, a blood-stained archway, and the once-prosperous Wangjia Village, a place that had stood for centuries, now crumbled to pieces, leaving only ruins and desperate cries of despair.

The night was deep, and the starlight was dim.

The moon finally peeked out from behind the clouds, casting its cool light on the bluestone path, on the faces of those who died with their eyes wide open, and on the slowly flowing pools of blood.

The wind blew from the mountains, carrying the coolness of the night, and also... an overwhelming, pungent smell of blood.

In the distance, the faint sound of sirens could be heard—it was the company's field personnel arranged by Xu Si, coming to clean up the mess, to take over the scene, to... to bring the Wang family chapter to a final close.

Nie Lingfeng did not turn around.

He held Chen Duo's hand as they walked in the night, along the mountain path, on... the road leading to an unknown tomorrow.

Dawn will always come.

But for some people, they will never see it again.

The bloody storm that night in Wangjia Village seemed like a distant and vague nightmare three days later.

Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo settled down in a small county town 200 kilometers away from Wangjia Village. They rented a clean and tidy guesthouse with a private courtyard and several old locust trees. On sunny days, they could sit on the stone benches under the trees, drink tea, and daydream.

Chen Duo seemed to really like this place. Every morning she would get up on time and change into her light green dress—though it was a little faded from washing, it was still neat. She would take a small watering can and water the flowers and plants in the yard, her movements slow and careful, as if performing some kind of solemn ritual. After watering, she would sit on the stone bench, hugging her panda plushie, and watch Nie Lingfeng practice his martial arts in the yard.

These past few days, Nie Lingfeng hasn't practiced any of the more violent martial arts. He's only been practicing the "Wuqiu Yijue" (a martial arts technique), standing meditation, breathing, and feeling the power of heaven and earth. Occasionally, he'll practice a few basic punches and kicks, moving as slowly as an old man practicing Tai Chi in a park.

"If you train like this, will you be able to fight?" Chen Duo finally couldn't help but ask one day.

Nie Lingfeng finished his practice, exhaled a breath of stale air, and smiled: "Fighting is not the goal. The ultimate goal of martial arts is to avoid fighting."

Chen Duo nodded as if she understood, but didn't ask any more questions.

On the evening of the fourth day, Nie Lingfeng called Xu Si.

The phone rang several times before being answered. Xu Si's somewhat tired voice came from the other end: "Xiao Feng? How are you? Got some rest?"

"Not bad." Nie Lingfeng leaned back in the lounge chair in the courtyard, watching the sunset on the horizon. "Has the Wang family situation been... cleaned up?"

"Yes, the company has taken over. Those who are alive will be rescued or investigated as needed. As for the dead... they will be dealt with according to the rules." Xu Si paused, then added, "Don't worry, the company will 'properly handle' those branches and affiliated forces outside the Wang family. No one will cause you and Chen Duo any more trouble."

"That's good." Nie Lingfeng nodded. "Fourth Brother, thank you."

"No need to thank me, it's nothing." Xu Si smiled, but there was a hint of forcedness in his smile. "Um... Xiao Feng, there's something I need your help with."

Nie Lingfeng raised an eyebrow: "I just finished a fight, Fourth Brother, can't you let me rest for a couple of days?"

"What rest? Young people need to be active." Xu Si's tone became lighter. "Besides, this isn't some kind of fighting mission, just think of it as... a vacation."

"A trip?" Nie Lingfeng chuckled. "When did the company become so generous?"

"I've always been very generous, haven't I!" Xu Siyi said sternly. "It's like this, there have been some 'abnormal reactions' recently over in the Tianshan Mountains. The local branch reported that several villagers who went into the mountains to collect herbs have gone missing. When they were found, they were delirious and kept muttering 'There are immortals in the snow mountains.' The brothers in the branch went to investigate but didn't find anything unusual, but the 'qi' field in that area is indeed a bit chaotic. The higher-ups think... something might be about to emerge."

"What is it?" Nie Lingfeng frowned.

"I don't know. It could be an ancient relic, a rare treasure, or... something that shouldn't have awakened." Xu Si lowered his voice. "The company needs someone to go and take a look, figure out what's going on. If there's nothing serious, it's best to 'handle' it and prevent any trouble."

Nie Lingfeng remained silent.

Tianshan... doesn't seem to have any particularly important plot points in the world of "Under One Person". But since Xu Si said so, it must be something serious.

"Am I going alone?" he asked.

"You can bring Chen Duo," Xu Si said. "The scenery there is nice. Consider it a trip for the young lady to relax. The company will cover all expenses, including food, lodging, and transportation. How about that? Pretty generous, right?"

Nie Lingfeng laughed: "Alright, seeing how sincere you are. But Fourth Brother, let me make this clear: if there's anything really troublesome, I might not be able to help."

"Don't worry, if there's any serious trouble, the company will send people to help." Xu Si paused, then suddenly asked, "By the way, have you been in contact with Chu Lan and Bao Bao lately?"

Nie Lingfeng's heart skipped a beat. Xu Si's tone was a bit strange.

"No, what's wrong?"

"No...it's nothing." Xu Si chuckled. "They've been a bit busy lately, and I haven't seen them for several days. Alright, I have to go now, I have things to do here. Once you get to Tianshan, contact the local branch, and they'll meet you."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, Nie Lingfeng lay on the recliner, watching the sky gradually darken, pondering to himself.

Xu Si's last question was clearly a test. Had Chu Lan and Bao Bao... gotten into trouble? Or was it that their current location made it inconvenient to discuss?

According to the original storyline, Zhang Chulan should have already gone to the Tang Sect or was preparing to go to the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley by this time. However, Nie Lingfeng couldn't quite remember the exact timeline.

"Never mind," he shook his head, "I'll go and see them when I get back from Tianshan."

"Nie Lingfeng".

Chen Duo's voice came from the side. Nie Lingfeng turned his head and saw her standing under the eaves, holding a clean apple in her hand, which she handed over.

"Eat," she said.

Nie Lingfeng took it, took a bite, and found it very sweet.

"Are we leaving again?" Chen Duo asked, sitting down on the stone bench next to him.

"Hmm, let's go to a new place," Nie Lingfeng said. "Tianshan, ever heard of it?"

Chen Duo shook her head.

"It's a very beautiful place." Nie Lingfeng looked into the distance with a distant gaze. "There are snow-capped mountains that never melt, crystal-clear lakes, wildflowers covering the mountains, and... a legendary secret realm where immortals live."

Chen Duo listened quietly, a hint of curiosity flashing in her emerald eyes.

"Do gods... really exist?"

"I don't know," Nie Lingfeng smiled. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But it's never a bad thing to go and see."

Chen Duo nodded and didn't ask any more questions. She looked down at her hands; the black line on her palm had faded to almost invisible. For the past three months, Nie Lingfeng had given her a drop of blood each month to help suppress the stubborn residual poison deep in her heart and lungs. Now, she could hardly feel the presence of the Gu poison anymore, as if... she had truly become an ordinary person.

"Nie Lingfeng," she suddenly spoke, her voice very soft, "thank you."

Nie Lingfeng was taken aback: "Thank me for what?"

"Thank you... for showing me the world." Chen Duo looked up at him, her eyes clear. "Before, I didn't know the world was so big and so beautiful. There's milk tea, ice cream, movies, pretty clothes, and... the Tianshan Mountains."

She paused, then said very seriously, "I like it very much."

Seeing her serious expression, Nie Lingfeng's heart softened, and he reached out to ruffle her hair.

"