I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

With a little more effort, we can finish before the end of the year.

Maybe I can still spend this New Year with Xiaobai. Yes, without the kind of trouble that happens during the National Day holiday.

Touching her stomach, which was ravaged by hunger, Nian eagerly awaited Bai Zhou's return with delicious food.

"Sister's awake. How did you sleep?"

"That's good. I just might not be able to sleep tonight."

He did not disappoint her during the day; he returned carrying a basket of fragrant dishes.

A simple four-dish meal with soup and fragrant rice was enough to feed the immortal well during the day.

The rain outside hasn't stopped yet, but it has turned from heavy rain into a drizzle, and I reckon it will stop by tomorrow morning.

But this has nothing to do with the immortal; the immortal just wants to be close to his younger brother right now.

"Hmm, what did Ah-Xi look like when he was little? I really want to see."

Having heard the story of the true dragon ascending to heaven and being struck down for so long, Nian was extremely curious about the appearance of the young man's cub.

I really want to rub and touch Ah Xi when he was little.

It's so small, it must be a lot of fun to play with.

I'm so envious of Ben Shiyi, he got to find such a wonderful little guy.

"When I was a child?"

By day, he reminisces about how things used to be.

But as time went by, some memories were washed away and became blurred. Now, so much time has passed, he can no longer remember what he looked like when he was a child.

"You can't remember anymore? What a pity."

She sighed regretfully, but soon she came up with a solution.

"Your portrait will definitely be included in the National Day celebrations."

The little one went to the Heavenly Punishment Platform with Eleven. She refused to believe that such a big thing had happened and that the stupid Eleven wouldn't go to see it.

Having seen such a little guy, how could Ben Shiyi not draw him?

"Perhaps."

Perhaps Xi's past self is reflected in the pile of paintings in the painting.

But the past is irrelevant to the present daylight. Knowing what he looked like as a child only satisfies a child's curiosity.

"Sister, let's go to Liding tomorrow."

After such a heavy rain, anyone who is still stuck on the mountain would be a complete idiot.

"Ah."

With his stomach full, Nian leisurely lay down on the bed, half-turning to his side and beckoning to Bai Zhou with his finger.

"Come here."

"?"

Bai Zhou looked at Nian Shuaibao with a puzzled expression.

You just woke up and you already want to play games?

Bai Zhou shook his head, dismissing the idea.

I'm going to Liding tomorrow, so I won't be playing games with him at this time. I guess I just want to tease him out of habit.

In that case, he should cooperate actively.

"I'm coming in, sister."

Lifting one side of the blanket, Bai Zhou made a forward-moving gesture, pouncing on his prey like a hunter.

"Waaah! Don't scratch me!"

Nian kicked her legs haphazardly, and the tickling hand on her waist made her laugh out loud.

"Silly little white thing...don't bite its tail...it's itchy..."

He held the white tail in his mouth, his teeth gently rubbing against the scales, bringing a soft, feather-like tickle.

After playing and frolicking for a while, Nian nestled in Bai Zhou's arms, grabbing and pinching his tail to retaliate for his earlier bullying.

During the day, he held her with one arm and touched the immortal's crimson horn with the other.

The immortal's horns were semi-bent, and his experiences these past few days had led Bai Zhou to discover a new use for them. After several experiments, he confirmed that holding them in his hands while the immortal played the flute provided him with a better and more comfortable experience.

"You're thinking about something shady, aren't you?"

The immortal keenly sensed Bai Zhou's wicked intentions.

"Hmph, how dare you do such a thing to my horn."

Nian turned around and pressed her whole body against him, then reached out with both hands to grab his horns.

Her scumbag brother grabbed her by the corner of his eye and did *that* to her last time, almost making her choke. She'd almost forgotten about that.

"Hmph, next time I'll grab your horns too."

"Okay. Arrest them, you can arrest them all."

Faced with the immortal's utterly disrespectful and insubordinate behavior, Bai Zhou simply smiled and lowered his head, making it easier for her to grab him.

"Don't lie to me."

Nian only touched it lightly before letting go, and didn't take Bai Zhou's words to heart.

A man's horns, especially those of a high-ranking person like Bai Zhou, are no longer just a pair of horns; they are also a symbol of social status.

They can playfully grab each other in private, but it's best to avoid touching each other in public.

A promise is a promise, and its word is as good as gold.

Nestled in Bai Zhou's arms, the immortal found a comfortable position and planned to nap like that for the night. Bai Zhou covered her with a blanket to keep her from getting cold.

After a while... the immortal kicked off the covers, rolled into the bed, and went to sleep in a cool spot. Bai Zhou was left alone by the bedside, smiling helplessly.

【next day】

"Ugh, so much mud."

Once outside the town and off the main road, Nian looked at the land, which had been flooded by rain, and felt a little worried.

Her shoes had just been washed a few days ago; once this water got in, her white shoes would turn into muddy shoes.

"Ah Xi, Ah Xi."

The immortal looked at the young man beside him, who had changed to barefoot, raised his hand and grabbed his collar, looking at him pitifully.

"Sister, come on up."

Bai Zhou squatted down, and Nian chuckled and pounced on Bai Zhou's back.

"Hold on tight, sister, if you fall, you'll turn into a mud doll."

"Hmm, in that case, Ah Xi will have to help me wash it clean."

She put her arms around his neck and laughed and talked with him.

Carrying the year on his back, he walked towards the distant Beiyue Mountain, shrouded in clouds, during the day.

■

A poem testifies to this:

Heaven and earth have five sacred mountains.

Mount Heng is located to its north.

The rocky peaks are stacked heavily,

Strange and unpredictable.

Upon ascending Mount Heng, one is greeted by a breathtaking panorama of verdant pines and cypresses, temples and pavilions, exotic flowers and rare herbs, and strange rocks and secluded caves, forming the famous Eighteen Scenic Spots of Mount Heng.

The eighteen scenic spots each have their own unique charm, like eighteen magnificent scrolls.

The scenic wonders of Beiyue Mountain include the Misty Rain of Cixia Gorge, the Rainbow Bridge over the Cloud Pavilion, the Spring Dawn on the Cloud Path, the Hanging Pine at Tiger's Mouth, the Immortal Traces of Guo Lao, the Crying Birds on the Cliff, the Evening Glow of the Setting Sun, the Sweet and Bitter Spring of Longquan, the Secluded Cave and Flying Cave, the Flowing Clouds in the Stone Cave, the Smoke and Fire of the Thatched Cave, the Golden Rooster Crowing at Dawn, the Jade Sheep Wandering in the Clouds, the Clouds and Flowers of Ziyu Valley, the Brocade of Zhi Tu, the Drunken Moon of the Immortal Abode, the Playing of the Qin on the Chess Platform, and the Pine Breeze on the Peak. Add to this the unparalleled wonder of the Hanging Temple, and the entire landscape of Beiyue becomes a celestial palace, captivating visitors.

"It's truly a paradise on earth."

As a semi-tourist, I also took in all the scenery of Mount Heng.

"Oh, it's starting."

Looking at the true dragon that had already reached the summit and raised the cauldron, Nian warily looked around.

That being, whom the daytime calls "the sky," might launch a sudden attack; she must be on high alert and prepared for battle.

But it's strange.

Even after the daytime connection between the cauldron and the northern mountain's veins, that "heaven" did not appear.

This left Nian both bewildered and relieved, but also made him more vigilant about any unexpected events that might occur around him.

"Sister, it's over."

Daylight returned to Nian's side.

Located in the north, the Northern Peak's primordial energy connects to the planet Mercury. Its mountain is black, and its energy is Yin, which governs the energy of winter. It conceals all things and regulates good and evil, gain and loss, thus making the power it contains appear more "distorted".

Winter is the standard of silence, ending, and things that are not entirely gone; it contains meanings such as disappearance, remembrance, death, decay, snow, and end.

These multiple buffs combined make the power of Beiyue both important and despised in the cultivation world.

Perhaps influenced by "reason," "Tian" felt it was good that the place was taken away, as it might even cause him some trouble.

Unfortunately, among the many blessings bestowed upon him by Heaven during the day is the blessing of "Darkness of this World".

The power of the Northern Peak is more important to him than Mount Taihua and Mount Song, only slightly inferior to Mount Tai, which controls the "Spring of Life".

"I got a great deal."

After telling Nian his speculations, the immortal laughed and mocked the hypocrisy of that "heaven".

"What 'heaven'? When I heard that, I thought it would be some kind of terrifying existence."