Becoming a martial arts god starting from the mortician.

The woman stepped across the threshold, her steps unhurried.

Only two red gauze lanterns hung in the courtyard, their dim yellow light not illuminating far. She walked in from the shadows outside the courtyard gate, and the light from the lanterns crept up her body inch by inch, first to the tips of her boots, then to the hem of her clothes, and finally illuminating her sharp-looking face.

The crimson-purple narrow-sleeved long gown was cut very neatly, unlike the ordinary women's dresses. A dark silver leather belt was tightly tied around the waist, and the hem of the gown did not flutter at all when walking.

She walked up to the stone table.

Zhou Wenyuan's gaze first fell on her waist.

A waist tag hangs on the left side.

The iron was a deep, dark black, its surface polished with exquisite precision, without a trace of forging. Only a very narrow silver rim encircled the edge, making the entire token appear even more austere. In the center of the token, seven stars of varying sizes were engraved with silver wire, arranged like a dipper, their lines delicate yet sharp, gleaming with a cold, silvery light under the lamplight.

The last star—at the end of the Big Dipper's handle—is inlaid with an extremely fine red jade, the size of a grain of rice, its color deep and dark, unlike the dazzling brilliance of ordinary gemstones. Only when the light of the lantern sweeps by does that red jade light up for a fleeting moment, revealing a dim, gleaming glow.

The seventh star of the Big Dipper.

Yao Guang.

Wandering Star Messenger.

Zhou Wenyuan slowly released his hand from his waist.

The Great Yan Dynasty's Celestial Observatory had seven envoys from the Big Dipper, belonging to the seven constellations of Tian Shu, Tian Xuan, Tian Ji, Tian Quan, Yu Heng, Kai Yang, and Yao Guang. These seven envoys had no official rank, did not serve in the court, and were not subject to local control; they were solely at the command of the Director of the Celestial Observatory. Wherever the Qi was unbalanced or the celestial mechanisms were disordered, these seven envoys would patrol on behalf of Heaven, executing first and reporting later.

Zhou Wenyuan took two steps back. He subconsciously reached out to pull Shen Qi, only to find that the boy had quietly left the stone table and was standing beside him at some point.

The two exchanged a glance, then silently retreated to the edge of the courtyard, making room for each other in front of the stone table.

Jiang Xinyue stood up.

His previous languid, reclining posture vanished instantly, and he stood ramrod straight. The lantern light fell on his face, revealing a complex expression—a mixture of surprise, helplessness, and above all, a subtle sense of melancholy that only arises after years of not seeing an old friend.

He looked at that familiar face, remained silent for a moment, and then his lips twitched slightly.

"Long time no see, senior sister."

Li Yaoguang chuckled. His laughter was full of joy, as if he had finally let out words he had been holding back for a long time.

She strode to the stone table, and without any ceremony, picked up the wine pot on the table, weighed it in her hand, unscrewed the lid, and took a sniff.

"Wow, aged yellow wine."

She poured herself a glass, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp. The liquid slid down the rim of the glass, and she wiped her lips with her fingertip.

"The last time I came to Chengping to look for you was three years ago."

She put down her wine glass, her tone tinged with resentment.

"And you, without even showing your face, just sent a clerk to the post station to deliver a pot of tea to me—and it was stale tea!"

Jiang Xinyue sat down again, coughed lightly, and took a sip of wine as if to cover up her embarrassment.

"That time... I really couldn't get away."

"Come on." Li Yaoguang pulled over a round stool and plopped down, legs crossed, in a casual posture. "Don't I know what kind of person you are? You just stay in your room flipping through that lousy book of yours, and you're up all day long. Can't get away? When have you ever been busy?"

Jiang Xinyue could only give a dry laugh, lower her head and take a sip of wine, pretending not to have heard.

Li Yaoguang didn't press the matter further. Her gaze swept around the courtyard, landing on the burning silver charcoal brazier at her feet, then sweeping over the half-cooled leftover dishes on the table.

"Spending New Year's Eve drinking at someone else's house." She shook her head, her tone slightly reproachful. "You're a county magistrate, after all. With your mansion furnished like this, you should at least have someone prepare a table and a feast. Instead, you're stuck in this little courtyard freezing."

Jiang Xinyue, holding her wine glass, retorted, "Didn't you also skip New Year's Eve in the capital and come here instead?"

Li Yaoguang curled her lips and her expression became slightly more composed.

She reached for the wine jug and poured herself half a cup. The wine flowed from the spout, swirled in the cup, and she stared at it for a moment before speaking, her voice now more composed.

"Something went wrong at the Northern Border Pass, and my master sent me to inspect it. Chengping County is a necessary stop on the way, so I thought I'd come and see you."

She picked up her wine glass, but didn't drink it; instead, she held it in her palm and twirled it around.

"I went to the Observatory to look for you, but the person on duty said you weren't there. After asking around for a while, I found out you went to one of your subordinates' houses for New Year's dinner."

Jiang Xinyue remained silent.

He was well aware of the situation at the border pass. More than ten days had passed since the urgent secret letter was sent, and as expected, the capital city sent someone. He just hadn't expected it to be his senior sister.

Li Yaoguang didn't mind his silence. Having studied under the same master for many years, she knew her junior brother's temperament all too well.

Jiang Xinyue lowered her head, her gaze falling on the slight swaying of the wine in her glass. After a moment, she spoke softly, "Is Master well?"

"The old man is still very healthy." Li Yaoguang took a swig of wine, seemingly not wanting to discuss the matter.

"There's one more thing."

She placed the wine glass on the table, her gaze passing over the stone table and the charcoal brazier, landing directly on the two quiet figures at the edge of the courtyard.

"My master asked me to come and see the person you mentioned in your letter."

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

A string of firecrackers exploded in the distance, and scraps of red paper drifted in over the courtyard wall, landing on the edge of the charcoal brazier, curling up before burning away silently.

Shen Qi stood beside Zhou Wenyuan, her eyes lowered.

His right hand subtly slipped into his sleeve, his fingertips tightening slightly.

"But the one standing silently in the corner?" Li Yaoguang's voice came, tinged with a hint of teasing.

"Mm." Jiang Xinyue nodded, raised her hand and beckoned to Shen Qi, "Shen Qi, come here."

Shen Qi released his hand from his sleeve, stepped forward, and stopped two steps away from the stone table.

Zhou Wenyuan remained by the edge of the courtyard, watching the scene with a deep gaze.

Li Yaoguang sized up the young man in front of her.

The moonlight illuminated his face, highlighting his clear features and well-defined eyebrows. He wore an ordinary blue cotton robe, slightly faded from washing, yet it looked clean and neat on him, exuding a composed and dignified air. He was neither arrogant nor humble, nor flustered.

"She's not bad-looking," Li Yaoguang said. "Raise your head."

Shen Qi looked up as instructed. His gaze met Li Yaoguang's eyes and brows. He neither flinched nor avoided her gaze; he was completely at ease.

Li Yaoguang's lips curled slightly.

"Why are you being so reserved? I'm not going to eat you."

She stood up and took two steps closer. Her left hand rested on the leather belt at her waist, while her right hand rose, her index finger slightly bent, as if to lift his chin, but then stopped half an inch away, simply to get closer and examine his eyes more closely.

"Not bad." She stared at Shen Qi's pupils for a couple of moments, then slowly nodded. "These eyes are indeed quite beautiful."

Shen Qi lowered his eyes slightly: "You flatter me, sir."

Li Yaoguang retreated to the stone table, sat down with a flick of her sleeve, picked up the wine pot and shook it; it was empty.

She placed the wine pot on the table and glanced at Jiang Xinyue. Helpless, Jiang Xinyue got up and went into the house, returning a moment later with a pot of new wine.

Li Yaoguang took the wine pot, poured himself a cup, and then poured another for Jiang Xinyue.

"Master means that he wants to see this person with his own eyes." She held up her wine glass, her gaze returning to Shen Qi, her tone crisp and clear.

She drawled out the last syllable: "But... well..."

The wine in the glass sloshed.

"The mission at the border is urgent and cannot be delayed. The mess in the north won't wait for anyone; I need to get there as soon as possible."

Li Yaoguang took a sip of wine and put down the glass.

"Stay in Chengping County for now and cultivate diligently. I will take you to the capital to meet your master after I return from the Northern Border."

Shen Qi bowed and clasped his hands together.

"I will obey your orders."

Li Yaoguang suddenly smiled.

"You little rascal, why are you just as quiet as my junior brother?" She glanced at Jiang Xinyue sideways. "No wonder you were taught by that taciturn guy."

Jiang Xinyue sighed, "He's not my disciple."

Li Yaoguang waved his hand, no longer dwelling on the matter.

She reached into her clothes and took out a white porcelain bottle about the size of a thumb.

The bottle's body was smooth and lustrous, with a slightly bluish glaze, resembling that of an official kiln piece, and sealed with vermilion wax. Shen Qi's gaze fell on the bottom of the bottle, where he could vaguely discern a beast's head relief, its fangs slightly bared, the carving exquisite.

Li Yaoguang placed the porcelain bottle on the stone table and pushed it with two fingers.

The porcelain bottle slid off the table and came to a steady stop in front of Shen Qi.

"Beast Heart Pill." She leaned back on the stool. "A few days ago, someone in the south hunted down a strange beast and used its heart and blood to make pills. I have a few of these pills. The pills contain the power of blood and evil. After you break through to the Gang Sha realm, taking them will greatly benefit your cultivation."

She raised her chin.

"Consider it a small gift. Please accept it."

Shen Qi's gaze lingered on the porcelain vase for a moment.

He lowered his eyes, suppressing the greed that surged within him in that instant.

Jiang Xinyue glanced at him, noticing his hesitation, and said with a smile, "Aren't you going to accept it? It's not easy to get something from my senior sister."

Shen Qi then reached out, steadily picked up the porcelain bottle, held it in both hands, and bowed deeply to Li Yaoguang.

"Thank you for the medicine, sir."

Li Yaoguang waved his hand casually.

"Don't call me 'adult,' it sounds so old-fashioned." She glanced at Jiang Xinyue, "How did you raise her? She's like a wooden stake."

Jiang Xinyue raised her wine glass to cover half her face, looking completely innocent: "I really didn't teach him."

"Hmph." Li Yaoguang remained noncommittal, swirling the wine in her glass. "Since Master has instructed me to come and see, we'll all be family sooner or later."

She downed the wine in one gulp, turned the glass upside down on the table, stood up briskly, patted off the specks of charcoal ash on her clothes, and her gaze returned to its solemn state.

"Alright. We've had the drinks and met the people."

"Then we set off north. The matter at the border cannot be delayed."

Jiang Xinyue put down her wine glass and stood up as well.

"Senior Sister," he called out to her.

Li Yaoguang had already reached the courtyard gate. She stopped and turned halfway to the side.

The wind blew by on New Year's Eve, and the lanterns swayed twice, their warm yellow light flickering on her face.

"What exactly happened at the border crossing?" Jiang Xinyue lowered her voice slightly.

Li Yaoguang did not answer immediately.

She tilted her head, as if carefully choosing her words. The courtyard was quiet, with only the occasional soft crackling sound from the charcoal brazier.

"Master speculates that it may be related to the damage to the earth's veins caused by the severe drought in the north. The boundary formation is connected to the earth's veins, and once the earth's veins are damaged, the formation will develop cracks." She finally spoke, her voice much deeper than before.

She paused for a moment at this point.

"But I'm afraid..."

She looked up at the dark night sky beyond the courtyard wall. The northern horizon was sparsely dotted with stars, a deep, dark expanse, even the moonlight swallowed by thick clouds.

"It's not that simple."

The courtyard was deathly silent.

The last piece of silver charcoal in the brazier burned to its end. With a crack, sparks flew out, bounced twice on the blue brick floor, and then went dark and went out.

Li Yaoguang didn't say anything more.

She pushed open the courtyard gate, and a cold wind rushed in. The hem of her crimson dress was lifted by the wind, fluttering for a moment in the light and shadow of the door frame.

She strode into the night.

The figure flashed past the lanterns at the alley entrance, disappearing like a wisp of smoke.

The courtyard gate was wide open.

The wind outside, carrying the smell of gunpowder and scattered snowflakes, rushed in and hit my face, icy cold.

In the distance, the sounds of firecrackers on New Year's Eve rose and fell, crackling and popping in waves. Occasionally, fireworks would rise into the sky, bursting into a burst of orange-red light, illuminating the clouds above Chengping County for a moment before fading into silence.

Jiang Xinyue stood in the courtyard, gazing at the empty alley outside the gate, remaining motionless for a long time.

Zhou Wenyuan walked over, closed the courtyard gate, and bolted it shut.

"Master."

"It's alright." Jiang Xinyue turned around, his expression already back to normal. He bent down and stirred the ashes in the charcoal brazier; the ashes were long gone. "Add some more charcoal. We haven't finished the wine yet."

Zhou Wenyuan responded and turned to move the charcoal.

Shen Qi stood beside the stone table, clutching the white porcelain bottle in his hand. The bottle had been warmed by his touch, and felt smooth to the touch.

He looked down at the porcelain bottle in his palm.

Beast Heart Pill.

Shen Qi carefully tucked the porcelain bottle into his bosom and placed it close to his chest.

New charcoal was quickly placed on the basin. Flames licked the edges of the charcoal, crackling a few times before burning brightly again, and warmth slowly gathered in the small courtyard.

The three of them sat down again.

Jiang Xinyue poured herself a glass of wine and took a sip. Zhou Wenyuan picked up a piece of braised beef that had long since gone cold and chewed on it. Neither of them spoke.

The courtyard was quiet for quite a while.

Zhou Wenyuan, being a seasoned veteran, regained his composure and, forcing himself to stay alert, picked up the teapot to boil water again, muttering, "We still have to celebrate the New Year."

Shen Qi added charcoal and stoked the fire for him.

None of the three mentioned what had just happened again.

Fresh water was boiled, and hot tea was brewed anew. Steam rose gently from the rough earthenware bowl.

Outside the courtyard wall, the sound of firecrackers grew increasingly frequent.

Another Lunar New Year's Eve has finally passed in this not-so-peaceful city.

……