One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

The mornings in the Tianshan Mountains are crisp and quiet.

Nie Lingfeng stood outside the cave, taking one last look at the snow-covered land that had been his companion for three months. In the distance, Bogda Peak glowed with a faint golden light in the morning glow, the clouds on the mountainside drifted like a light veil, and the frost in the pine forest shimmered with tiny sparkles in the sunlight.

Three months.

For ninety days straight, he hardly left the valley. Every day he faced ice, snow, rocks, hot springs, and endless training. Those days were truly arduous, but the rewards were immense.

He looked down at his hands.

These hands were still the same hands. The skin was still the same, the lines were still the same, but Nie Lingfeng knew that they were no longer the same. In his palms flowed the "Three-Part Returning to Origin Qi," which was a fusion of five attributes; in his mind, the artistic conception of "Wind God Movement" was contained; deep within his heart, the Demon Heart Crossing had been completed, and those once restless demonic natures had now been completely transformed into his own, becoming a part of his power.

He took a deep breath, the cold air filling his lungs and bringing a sharp, refreshing sensation.

"It's time to go down the mountain."

He turned and walked back into the cave.

Chen Duo had already packed her things. Her luggage was simple—a few changes of clothes, the panda plush toy, and a small blanket. At this moment, she was sitting on the stone bed, carefully stuffing the plush toy into her backpack, her movements very gentle, as if afraid of hurting it.

"Is it done?" Nie Lingfeng asked.

"Okay." Chen Duo looked up at him. "We can go now."

The two took one last look at the cave where they had lived for three months. The hot spring was still bubbling, the warm jade was still emitting a soft blue light, and the colorful ice crystals on the ice walls were still shimmering. Everything was just as it had been when they arrived, as if they had never existed.

But both of them knew that they were no longer the same.

We left the valley and began our journey home.

The path down the mountain was much easier than the way up. The snow was still deep, but both of them had made significant progress. Nie Lingfeng moved through the snow without leaving a trace, his figure as swift as the wind, each step light and airy, as if gliding across the snow. Chen Duo followed behind him, her movements also becoming much more agile. Occasionally, she would break through the ice, but she could quickly recover, no longer stumbling and falling like she had on the way up.

Around noon, the two finally emerged from the Tianshan Mountains and arrived at a small town at the foot of the mountains.

The town is small, with only one main street lined with low bungalows and a few small buildings. There are few pedestrians on the street, and occasionally a few tractors drive by with a "putt-putt-putt" sound, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Nie Lingfeng found a small restaurant and ordered two bowls of beef noodles.

The noodles are hand-pulled, chewy and springy; the soup is made from beef bones, rich and flavorful; topped with several large chunks of tender stewed beef, sprinkled with scallions and cilantro, it looks incredibly appetizing.

Chen Duo ate in small bites, quickly but obediently. She would occasionally glance up at Nie Lingfeng before lowering her head to continue eating, like a kitten guarding its food.

Nie Lingfeng couldn't help but laugh when he saw her.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

Chen Duo nodded, but didn't slow down.

After dinner, the two went to the town's guesthouse, booked a room, took a hot shower, and changed into clean clothes—the clothes were bought from the town's only clothing store; the quality was so-so, but at least they were clean.

The next morning, the two boarded a long-distance bus to Urumqi.

The car bumped along the Gobi Desert for more than ten hours, finally arriving in Urumqi at dusk. Then we changed to a train, and after another day and night, we finally arrived in Beijing.

Beijing West Railway Station is bustling with people and filled with noise and chaos.

Nie Lingfeng pulled Chen Duo through the crowded exit passage and arrived at the station square. November in Beijing was already cold, but compared to the icy snow of the Tianshan Mountains, it felt like springtime.

Chen Duo looked up at the surrounding skyscrapers, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. She hadn't been to Beijing often, and each time she did, she was struck by how much the city had changed.

"Let's go, let's go to headquarters first," Nie Lingfeng said.

The two took a taxi and headed straight to the headquarters of Nadutong in Chaoyang District.

The headquarters building remained unchanged—an ordinary office building with a "Nadutong Express" sign hanging on it, and several trucks bearing the logo parked in front. Staff members in blue overalls hurried to and fro, but no one gave them a second glance.

Nie Lingfeng walked into the building with familiarity and took the elevator to the fifteenth floor.

Chairman Zhao's office was at the end of the corridor, the door was half open, and the sound of keyboard typing could be heard from inside.

Nie Lingfeng knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Pushing open the door, I saw Chairman Zhao sitting behind his desk, typing something on the computer screen. He was wearing a dark gray shirt with the cuffs rolled up, revealing his lean forearms. Seeing Nie Lingfeng enter, he looked up, his gaze falling on the two of them.

In that instant, Nie Lingfeng felt an invisible gaze sweep over him, from head to toe, inside and out. The feeling was like being X-rayed, or being scrutinized in the sunlight. He knew that Chairman Zhao was using some kind of secret method to probe his condition.

Chairman Zhao's gaze lingered on Nie Lingfeng for a few seconds, then shifted to Chen Duo, pausing for another moment. Finally, he looked away, a faint but genuine smile appearing on his face.

"Not bad, it's starting to look promising."

He stood up, walked around the desk, and stood in front of Nie Lingfeng, patting him on the shoulder. The pats were quite forceful, carrying the recognition and encouragement of an elder to a younger person.

"The three-month retreat was worthwhile."

Nie Lingfeng smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Chairman Zhao."

"Alright, don't be so polite." Chairman Zhao waved his hand, returned to his desk and sat down. "Go to North China and find Xu San and Xu Si. They've been talking about you for ages. Especially that kid Xu Si, he calls every few days to ask if you're back yet, it's giving me a headache."

He paused, opened a drawer, took out a file folder, and placed it on the table.

"By the way, process the recent 'Dawn' missions. I've sent the data to your phone; take a look yourself. This folder contains paper backups; take it with you and review them on the go."

Nie Lingfeng took the file bag, but before opening it, he asked, "Chairman Zhao, how difficult are these tasks?"

"Some are simple, some are complicated." Chairman Zhao leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "Most of it is investigation, evidence gathering, and surveillance—things you can handle. But there's one..."

He paused, his expression becoming somewhat complicated.

"It's up to you whether you accept that mission. If you do, it could cause big trouble. If you don't, I won't force you."

Nie Lingfeng's heart skipped a beat. For Chairman Zhao to utter the words "big trouble," this task was definitely not simple.

"I'll go back and look into it," he said.

"Okay," Chairman Zhao nodded. "Is there anything else?"

"That's all."

"Go ahead then." Chairman Zhao waved his hand. "I'll call Xu San and Xu Si later to let them know. You can go there yourself."

"Yes."

Nie Lingfeng pulled Chen Duo away from the office.

As soon as they left the headquarters building, Nie Lingfeng grabbed Chen Duo and rushed into the nearest shopping mall.

After three months of seclusion, my clothes were practically rags. My black windbreaker was worn through at the cuffs, stained all over, and had several burn holes from sparks. The sweater underneath was pilling and deformed, hanging loosely on my body. My pants were in even worse shape; the knees were worn white, and the hem was ripped, with a loose thread trailing behind.

Chen Duo's clothes weren't in much better shape. Her white down jacket was covered in mud and oil stains, and the frayed edge of the hood was knotted and messy. Her jeans were faded from washing, and the knees were almost completely worn through.

The two of them, walking through the mall in this manner, attracted many strange looks. Some covered their noses and walked around them, some pointed and whispered among themselves, and others secretly took pictures with their phones.

Nie Lingfeng didn't care.

He pulled Chen Duo along, heading straight for the men's clothing section. He randomly picked a store and pointed to a dark gray down jacket: "Get me a size L." Then he pointed to a black sweater: "This one, size M." Finally, he pointed to a pair of dark blue jeans: "This one, size 31."

The shop assistant, a young woman, hesitated as she looked at the unshaven man with hair as messy as a bird's nest. "Sir," she said, "would you... like to try it on first?"

"No need, just wrap it up." Nie Lingfeng took out his bank card. "Also, do you have razors in your shop?"

"The razor is next door..."

"Okay, thank you."

I bought new clothes, then went next door to buy a razor, shampoo, and shower gel, and then found a hair salon.

The barbershop wasn't big, but it was clean and bright. The barber was a woman in her forties; she was skilled and very friendly.

"Young man, what kind of haircut would you like?" she asked as she draped a hair-cutting cape over Nie Lingfeng's shoulders.

Nie Lingfeng looked at himself in the mirror. The face in the mirror was covered in stubble, his hair was messy and tangled, his eyes were sunken, and his cheekbones were prominent, making him look like a refugee.

"Just cut it short," he said. "And shave your beard while you're at it."

"Okay!"

The older woman moved swiftly, the scissors flashing as strands of hair fell away. Then she took out a razor, applied shaving foam, and quickly shaved her stubble clean.

When Nie Lingfeng came out of the barbershop again, he had transformed back into the clean-cut, gray-haired young man.

The person in the mirror had neat, clean hair, a lean but energetic face, eyes that shone like stars, and a faint smile on their lips. They were wearing a newly bought down jacket and jeans, looking completely refreshed.

But the biggest change wasn't in appearance, but in temperament.

That something that emanates from within—steadfast as a mountain, yet ethereal as the wind. Standing there, seemingly quiet, yet giving the impression that one might be moved by the wind at any moment; seemingly ordinary, yet compelling one to look more closely.

Chen Duo also changed into new clothes at the women's clothing store next door.

She wore a light blue down jacket, a very pale blue, like the clear sky over the Tianshan Mountains. Underneath, she wore a soft, white turtleneck sweater that looked incredibly warm. She paired it with slim-fit jeans and white sneakers—simple and clean.

Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, secured with a bow hair clip, revealing her smooth forehead and fair neck.

She was still holding the panda plush toy in her arms, standing quietly at the shop entrance, waiting for Nie Lingfeng.

Sunlight streamed through the mall's skylight, bathing her in a soft glow. She looked as refreshing as a snow lotus from the Tianshan Mountains, pure and untouched by any dust.

Nie Lingfeng walked up to her, looked her up and down, and smiled.

"nice."

Chen Duo blinked and whispered, "You too."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"Let's go to Tianjin and have hot pot!" Nie Lingfeng waved his hand, pulled her out of the mall, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the station.