A Man in the Snow: Starting with a Sword Challenge to the Northern Liang Prince's Palace

The town is not much different from the outside world; it's just that the people here rarely leave the barrier.

As Ye Yun approached the market entrance, a sweet aroma wafted over – the scent of freshly baked osmanthus cake. Following the fragrance, he saw a pretty young girl standing in front of a pastry shop, tiptoeing and peering inside.

The girl was about fifteen years old, wearing a bright red dress, with two braids, and her eyes crinkled when she smiled; she was very pretty.

She stared at the freshly steamed osmanthus cakes in the shop, her eyes shining like two little lanterns, her lips slightly pursed, looking like she was craving something.

Ye Yun glanced at it, then looked away and continued walking forward.

After walking a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

wrong.

He frowned slightly and looked at the girl again.

Upon seeing this, his heart skipped a beat. Within the girl's body lay an extremely powerful aura, vast as the sea, yet restrained and profound, like a sleeping ancient deity. She possessed a special divinity, and he had witnessed this power before.

In the long river of time, on that tall man.

Could this woman be...?

Vulcan.

Reincarnation.

Ruan Xiu!

Ye Yun recognized the aura.

When he was at the Sword Qi Great Wall, Dong Bude told him about the past of ancient gods.

Those gods who once ruled the heavens and earth perished in the ancient war, but a few were reincarnated and reborn as humans. These reincarnated beings possess the essence of the gods within them, and once awakened, they become the most powerful beings in the world.

The gluttonous girl in front of you is the reincarnation of the God of Fire.

Ruan Xiu.

A complex mix of emotions welled up in Ye Yun's heart.

The girl who would fall in love with Chen Ping'an in the future and make any sacrifice for him was standing in front of the pastry shop, staring longingly at the basket of osmanthus cakes, like a greedy little cat.

"Young lady, would you like to buy osmanthus cake?" the shopkeeper asked with a smile.

Ruan Xiu nodded, then shook her head, and said somewhat shyly, "Let me see."

The proprietress smiled and said, "It's free to look, go ahead and take a look."

Ruan Xiu stood there watching intently, her mouth practically watering.

I guess they don't have enough money left.

Seeing this scene, Ye Yun suddenly found it a little funny. She was Ruan Qiong's daughter, after all. Was she so embarrassed about eating a pastry?

He walked over and said to the proprietress, "Two packs of osmanthus cake, please."

The proprietress quickly packed two packages and handed them to him. Ye Yun took them, then turned and handed one package to Ruan Xiu.

"I'll treat you to something."

Ruan Xiu was stunned for a moment, then looked up at him.

It was a delicate face, with gentle eyebrows and eyes as clear as a mountain stream.

She looked at Ye Yun, then at the packet of osmanthus cakes, and waved her hand somewhat hastily: "Oh, no need."

Ye Yun smiled and said, "My surname is Ye. I just moved to the east end of town, so we'll be neighbors from now on."

Ruan Xiu shook her head again, took a step back, and turned away in refusal.

Ye Yun was taken aback, then smiled.

That's really interesting. I guess she doesn't know that she's the reincarnation of the God of Fire, or what kind of power is hidden within her.

It's likely that Ruan Qiong instilled this kind of thinking in his daughter from a young age in order to protect her.

Ye Yun smiled and said, "You try it for me and see if this osmanthus cake is good. I just arrived in town and don't know which pastry shop is good."

Ruan Xiu tilted her head and thought for a moment, then finally nodded: "Then I'll try a piece."

Ye Yun handed her the paper package.

Ruan Xiu carefully opened the package, picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, and took a bite out of it.

She knew that this was the only place in the whole town that made delicious osmanthus cake.

"tasty!"

She blurted it out, then, feeling a little embarrassed, covered her mouth and mumbled something.

"You can buy more."

Ye Yun simply shoved the whole bag into her hands: "Then it's all yours."

Ruan Xiu held the bag of osmanthus cakes, somewhat at a loss. She wanted to refuse, but the aroma of the cakes wafted into her nose, making it impossible for her to say no.

The little girl said earnestly, "My dad said that you have to pay back what you owe."

Ye Yun nodded and said, "Okay, you can bring me food next time."

Ruan Xiu held the osmanthus cake, her eyes crinkling with laughter, like a little squirrel who had just received a treasure.

She nodded to Ye Yun, turned and ran, but after a few steps she turned back and shouted, "My name is Ruan Xiu! I live at the blacksmith shop in the north!"

Ye Yun waved his hand and watched her run away.

Then he looked down at the other bag of osmanthus cakes in his hand, shook his head, picked up a piece, and put it in his mouth.

The taste is indeed very good.

No wonder Chen Ping'an bought the entire shop for Ruan Xiu.

Ye Yun stood still and finished the entire bag of osmanthus cake.

The sweetness melts on the tip of the tongue, but it cannot dispel the bitterness in the heart.

He turned and walked back.

After walking a few steps, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw Ruan Xiu running back, standing in front of him, panting.

"Brother Ye," she said, panting, "I...I forgot to say thank you!"

Looking at her, Ye Yun felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

"You're welcome."

Ruan Xiu nodded, then, remembering something, took out a small cloth bag from her bosom and handed it to him, saying, "These are some glutinous rice cakes I made. They're not as delicious as osmanthus cakes, but... but they're still sweet. Here, have a taste!"

Done.

She ran away again.

This time she really ran away; her braid swung behind her as she quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Ye Yun looked down at the cloth bag.

The cloth bag was roughly sewn with crooked stitches, but it was very clean and had a faint smell of rice.

He opened it, and inside were four pieces of glutinous rice cake, white and sticky, coated with a little powdered sugar.

Ye Yun picked up a piece and put it in her mouth.

It's different from osmanthus cake, but just as delicious.

He stood there and slowly finished eating the four pieces of glutinous rice cake.

Then he smiled. Now they had established a rapport. Ye Yun wasn't being deliberate; he just let things take their course. Once you have the strength, you can build a relationship with anyone.

He continued walking back to the dilapidated little house at the east end of town.

As he passed by Mud Bottle Alley, he glanced into the alley as usual. Chen Ping'an wasn't there; he'd probably gone to the dragon kiln. Only that dilapidated little house stood there quietly, with a few bundles of firewood piled up at the door.

Ye Yun withdrew his gaze and continued walking.

We walked up to the hut.

He pushed open the door, went inside, and sat down by the window.

The sunlight outside the window was bright, shining on the newly grown weeds in the yard, making them lush and vibrant with life.

He habitually sat on the rooftop, drinking and looking at the whole town.

He sensed the terrain and landscape, and knew where the opportunities lay, but he dared not take them yet.

Once the Lizhu Cave Heaven is truly shattered and Qi Jingchun is no longer a saint here, he can go and take it directly.

As for Ruan Qiong, if possible, he could learn his unique sword-forging method.

Although his crimson sword was upgraded to a spirit weapon, it lacked a true sword spirit.

Perhaps this time, he can choose one of the five dragon veins to become his sword spirit.