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

In the wild and untamed world, in the heart of the demon race.

The wind blew from the north, carrying the stench of decay and blood, howling and wailing, as if the earth itself was weeping.

An ancient palace stands on the black wasteland, its walls made of massive stones covered with runes that gleam in the dark red light of the sky, like countless half-open and half-closed eyes.

The woman in black knelt in the hall.

She was covered in wounds, her clothes were torn, and there was a deep sword wound on her left shoulder that exposed the bone. The blood had congealed and formed a dark brown lump.

Her hair was disheveled, her face was covered in dust, and there was a small bloodstain on the stone slab beneath her knees. She had been imprisoned in the Sword Qi Great Wall prison for seven days and subjected to endless interrogation, but she had not uttered a single word.

On the seventh night, she found a chance to escape. She ran wildly across the wasteland, evading all her pursuers, and it took her five days and five nights to return here.

She kept her head down, not daring to look up at the person sitting behind the desk.

Zhou Mi did not look at her.

He sat at his desk, a wolf-hair brush in his hand, reviewing military reports. His movements were unhurried, his expression calm as still water, as if the person kneeling before him was not a subordinate who had fled in disarray, but a moth that had strayed into the room.

"My Lord, the God of War," the woman in black said in a hoarse voice, her lips cracked and dry. As she spoke, she aggravated the wounds on her face, causing her to wince slightly in pain.

"My subordinates are incompetent, the mission has failed. Ye Yun's swordsmanship far exceeded expectations, and he also has the assistance of the Sword Immortal, the leader of the Sword Qi Great Wall."

Zhou Mi didn't look up; the pen continued moving across the paper. "Tell me his background."

The woman in black took a deep breath and recounted everything she had seen and heard at the Sword Qi Great Wall.

"His four natal flying swords are Golden Light, Purple Cloud, and Cage, as well as an invisible and formless sword of law. His sword of law can sever rules. The 'immortality' law of that peak immortal demon was severed by his sword."

Zhou Mi stopped writing.

He looked up at the woman in black.

His handsome face was expressionless, but something flickered slightly in his deep eyes.

"The Sword of Laws." He repeated it softly, as if savoring the meaning of those four words.

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes."

Zhou Mi put down his pen, stood up, and walked to the window. Outside the window was a dark red wasteland, with a few eerie green flames drifting in the distance, like the eyes of ghosts.

He gazed in that direction, towards the Great Wall of Sword Qi. Ten thousand miles away, there was a city, and a person.

"Four natal flying swords," he murmured. "The swords of law can cut through rules. It's truly remarkable that someone can possess such swordsmanship talent."

He was silent for a moment, then turned and walked back to his desk, taking out an old copper coin from the drawer. The coin was badly worn, its edges blurred. He held it in his palm, looking down at it; the two characters glowed faintly in the dark red light of the day, as if they were alive.

"Although this person's cultivation is high," Zhou Mi said calmly, as if analyzing a game of chess, "he has a fatal weakness."

The woman in black looked up: "Please enlighten me, Your Excellency, the God of War."

Zhou Mi placed the copper coin on the table and gently tapped the two characters with his fingertip.

"His obsession runs too deep. A man who wants to resurrect his deceased wife is most easily manipulated because there is a crack in his heart that can never be filled. As long as you find the right way, you can squeeze into that crack."

The woman in black seemed lost in thought.

Zhou Mi looked at her and suddenly asked, "Do you know why he wanted to resurrect that person?"

The woman in black shook her head.

"Based on my deduction, that person must have saved Ye Yun's life."

The woman in black remained silent.

Zhou Mi smiled.

The smile was faint and gentle, yet it carried an indescribable depth. "People who are sentimental are the easiest to manipulate, because they will give everything for that feeling of being moved."

He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to the woman in black.

Outside the window, dark red clouds moved slowly, as if something was moving through them.

"Go find someone," he said.

Woman in black: "Who?"

Zhou Mi turned around and looked at her.

There was a strange light in his eyes, not murderous intent, not scheming, but something almost gentle.

"A person who should have died."

He stretched out his hand, and the copper coin in his palm suddenly lit up. The light spilled out from the edge of the coin, gathered in the air, and gradually outlined the silhouette of a woman. She was dressed in white, her hair was like a waterfall, her face was aloof, and there was a faint smile between her brows and eyes.

The woman in black's pupils contracted sharply. She had followed Zhou Mi for many years and witnessed him do many terrible things, but this time, a chill ran down her spine.

"This is……?"

Zhou Mi looked at the illusory image in his palm and said softly, "It's just a projection."

He put away the copper coins, the illusory image disappeared, and the hall darkened again, with only the oil lamp on the table still burning, its flame flickering slightly in the wind.

"Find someone who is skilled in illusion," Zhou Mi said. "Have the best one, and have her create a real person based on this illusion. The face, temperament, and aura must be exactly the same."

The woman in black: "Does the God of War mean..."

Zhou Mi smiled and said, "The person in Ye Yun's heart is named Nangong Pushe. There is an empty space in his heart that he is waiting for someone to fill. If we give him someone, he can be of use to us."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the woman in black already understood.

A chill ran down her spine, but she dared not show it and simply bowed her head to obey.

"I'll take care of it right away."

Zhou Mi nodded, sat back down at his desk, picked up the wolf-hair brush, and continued reviewing the military reports.

The pen tip scratched across the paper, making a soft, rustling sound, as if nothing had just happened.

The woman in black stood up and turned to walk out of the hall. As she reached the door, Zhou Mi's voice came from behind her.

"etc."

She stopped walking, but didn't turn around.

Zhou Mi's voice came from behind, calm as still water: "Ye Yun is no ordinary swordsman. His swordsmanship has exceeded my expectations. We can't deal with him using ordinary methods. Illusion is just the first step. There are still more moves to be made. Go and prepare, and wait for my next instructions."

"Yes." The woman in black disappeared into the darkness outside the hall.

The hall fell silent.

"Nangong Pushe." He murmured the name, a smile playing on his lips.

He put the copper coin into his sleeve, stood up, and walked to the window.

"Ye Yun," he said softly, gazing in the direction of the Sword Qi Great Wall, "I have already walked your path. What will you see at the end of reincarnation?"

No one answered him.

Only the wind howled and whimpered, like an unseen hand manipulating something.

Meanwhile, the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

Ye Yun practiced his sword in the backyard of the tavern.

The moon was round, and its light shone on the wine jars, making them glow with a silvery white light. He closed his eyes, and his four natal flying swords slowly swirled around him, their sword light flowing like water, silent and still.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, sheathed his sword, and looked up towards the desolate wilderness.

Under the moonlight, the wilderness was utterly dark; nothing could be seen. But for a fleeting moment, he had a strange feeling, as if someone, from afar, had called his name. Not a voice, but an intuition, an intuition of being watched.

He frowned.

No one answered him.

Only the wind blew from the direction of the wilderness, carrying that familiar, fishy smell.

Ye Yun stood there for a long time, then turned around and walked back to the tavern.

The tavern was quiet. The oil lamps were still lit, illuminating the empty tables and chairs. He walked behind the counter and sat down, taking out the copper coin from his pocket—the same coin Zhou Mi held.

He looked down at it for a long time.

Then he put the copper coins away, picked up the wine cup on the table, and drank it all in one gulp.

Outside the window, the moon slowly moved westward.

The Great Wall of Sword Qi slept in the moonlight, like a weary giant beast curled up on the edge of the wilderness.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, in that ancient palace, Zhou Mi stood by the window, gazing at the same moon.

Under the moonlight, two people separated by thousands of miles each gaze in the same direction.

They didn't know what the other was thinking, but they both sensed that something was approaching.