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

The night before leaving Lizhu Cave.

Ye Yun was not asleep; instead, he went to the covered bridge.

Just quietly watch the scholar talking to himself.

He lived in the small town for almost a year.

A year ago, he crossed the barrier and entered this secluded town.

Ye Yun knew that Qi Jingchun naturally knew he was nearby, but he did not disturb him.

Ye Yun could guess what he wanted to do: persuade Jian Ma to acknowledge Chen Anping as her master.

Chen Ping'an is now his junior brother in the lineage of the Sage of Literature.

Ye Yun drank alone, quietly watching everything unfold.

This pot of wine was brewed when he left the Sword Qi Great Wall. It was made with water from the old well in the backyard, glutinous rice that he grew himself, and the words he couldn't say out loud.

After a long while, feeling bored, he walked alone into the town streets.

The town was very quiet.

Most of the visiting cultivators had already left, and the local people were packing up their belongings to move away. The streets were deserted, with only moonlight and wind.

Occasionally, a few barks of dogs could be heard from afar, but they were quickly swallowed up by the night.

Ye Yun walked along the long street, past the entrance to Mud Bottle Alley, past the pharmacy. The pharmacy door was closed, and there were no lights inside; Old Man Yang was probably already asleep.

He didn't stop and continued walking forward.

He stopped when he reached the entrance of the academy.

The academy gates were open.

I didn't expect Qi Jingchun to be back.

Qi Jingchun sat at the stone table in the courtyard, holding a book in her hand and flipping through it.

An oil lamp sat on the table, its dim light illuminating his thin face. He wore a faded blue robe, exactly the same as when they first met.

Ye Yun stood at the door without saying a word.

Qi Jingchun seemed to sense something, looked up, saw Ye Yun at the door, and smiled slightly.

"Ye Yun, why didn't you see me on the covered bridge just now?" His voice was calm, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

Ye Yun went in and sat down opposite him.

He placed the wine pot on the table and pushed it in front of Qi Jingchun.

"Mr. Qi, let me invite you for a drink."

Qi Jingchun looked down at the pot of wine, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.

He didn't refuse. He picked up the wine pot, uncorked it, poured himself a glass, and poured Ye Yun a glass as well.

The aroma of wine permeated the night.

"Forget your worries." Qi Jingchun murmured these two words, picked up his wine cup, and took a sip. He closed his eyes, savored it for a moment, then opened them and smiled, "Good wine, even better than the last one."

Ye Yun picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

It is indeed a fine wine.

It was smooth and mellow on the palate, with a sweet and indescribable fragrance. But he knew that the reason this wine was better than the last one was not because he had brewed it better.

This is the last pot.

The two drank in silence.

The academy was quiet; there was no sound of reading or children playing.

Those children who used to study here have long been taken away by their parents, and most of them are going to study at the cliffside academy.

Moonlight filtered through the locust tree leaves, casting dappled shadows on the stone table. The candle flames flickered gently in the wind, stretching the shadows of the two people long.

"Ye Yun," Qi Jingchun suddenly spoke.

Ye Yun looked up at him.

Qi Jingchun gazed at the distant town, his eyes deep and thoughtful. The moonlight shone on his face, revealing the weariness between his brows and the tranquility in his eyes.

Do you think this world is worth living?

Ye Yun was stunned.

He hadn't expected Qi Jingchun to ask that question.

This scholar, who spent his entire life reading books and guarded a small town for sixty years, was also a person who could establish a school of thought and become an ancestor. He asked whether this life was worthwhile.

Ye Yun thought for a moment and said softly, "With her, it's worth it. Without her, I don't know."

Qi Jingchun turned to look at him, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

Then he laughed.

Most people would say it's not worth it, and then silently endure it.

Ye Yun did not respond.

Qi Jingchun picked up her wine glass, took a sip, and looked up at the moon overhead.

"I've read many books that talked about a world of great harmony and how everyone could be like a dragon. Later I realized that those were all ideals, but in the end I found that I was disappointed with this world."

"There are too many disappointments in this world. Some are born rich, some are born poor; some are exceptionally gifted, some are dull-witted. Some live long lives, some live short lives. But none of that matters."

Ye Yun looked at him, a feeling she couldn't quite describe welling up inside her.

"Mr. Qi, let me toast you."

Qi Jingchun also raised her glass and gently clinked it against his.

"Respect this human world."

The two drank their wine to the last drop.

Ye Yun poured more for the two of them.

They drank cup after cup in silence, the moonlight slowly shifting from east to west, the flame of the oil lamp flickering in the wind, casting their shadows, long and short, then long again.

The wine in the flask is getting less and less.

Qi Jingchun put down his wine glass, stood up, and patted the wrinkles on his robe.

The moonlight bathed him, casting a silvery glow. His figure appeared somewhat slender in the moonlight, yet straight and steady.

"Ye Yun, we may never meet again. I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Promise me you'll keep an eye on him."

Ye Yun also stood up and looked at the scholar in the blue robe. In the moonlight, his face was thin and his features were gentle, exactly the same as when they first met.

But Ye Yun knew that this would be the last time they met.

He bowed deeply.

"Mr. Qi, may you rest in peace."

Qi Jingchun nodded and turned to walk into the academy.

After taking a few steps, Ye Yun's voice suddenly came from behind: "Mr. Qi."

Qi Jingchun stopped walking, but did not turn around.

Ye Yun stood in the moonlight, watching his back, and whispered, "That child will remember you in the future."

Qi Jingchun remained silent for a moment.

The moonlight bathed him, making his silhouette appear exceptionally lonely in the night. He didn't turn around, but simply uttered a single sentence: "Whether you remember or not is unimportant; he was filled with hope for this world."

Then he stepped into the depths of the academy and disappeared into the darkness.

Ye Yun stood still, gazing in that direction, without moving for a long time.

A night breeze rustled the locust tree leaves. The oil lamp flickered and went out. The moonlight remained bright, shining on the stone table, on the empty wine pot, and on the now-empty seat.

Ye Yun withdrew his gaze, turned around, and walked out of the academy.

No one can stop Qi Jingchun from making her own choice.

All of this can be seen as his calculations about the world and his game with the senior brother, the Sage of Literature.

It is truly enjoyable to fight against people, but to fight against fate is to defy destiny.

Unfortunately, Ye Yun's current cultivation level is insufficient to change all of this.

The world has indeed deteriorated, but what can be done about it?

One person trying to change everything.

Even with three natal characters and three peak cultivation levels of the fourteenth realm, Qi Jingchun still couldn't change that.

Ye Yun didn't know whether the future could be changed.

Right now, all he wants is to become stronger and revive Nangong Pushe.