Chapter Thirteen: The Beauty Descends

  "Brother Ji Yucen!" A voice called out from outside the door, startling Ji Yucen who was deeply engrossed in his studies. He glanced out of the window and saw that it was already midnight with a bright moon hanging high in the sky and a clear atmosphere all around. He wondered to himself who could be visiting at this hour.

  He pushed open the door and saw a handsome young man standing in the courtyard, wearing a long white shirt with sleeves like a painting, his eyebrows and eyes like a work of art, floating and ethereal. Like silver moonlight, it spilled all over his body, making his icy skin and snowy bones even more striking, unable to express the elegance and refinement that was beyond words, exactly the same as the one he had met before, Shang Qiushui.

  Ji Ruochen was lost in thought, wondering how it was possible that Shang Qiushui had come to her doorstep himself. It had been over a year since they last met, and their previous encounter had only been a brief meeting of acquaintances. Although the three of them had gotten along famously at the time, laughing and chatting together, there had been an undercurrent of unease that still lingered in Ji Ruochen's mind to this day, leaving her with a lingering sense of discomfort.

  Although Ji Ruoxin was thinking this way in her heart, she put on a smile and warmly greeted: "So it's Autumn Water Shixiong! Come, come in quickly and take a seat! What brings Autumn Water Shixiong to Taichang Peak today?"

  Shang Qiushui did not decline and followed Ji Ruochen into the study.

  He had not yet stood firm, but with a flick of his wrist, an ancient Qinghua porcelain vase nearly two feet high was already in his hand. He casually placed the vase on the desk. The vase was still sealed, but a strong aroma of wine had already escaped, and the fragrance wafted up to his nose. Ji Ruochen smelled it and felt that this wine was fragrant, but its flavor was extremely strange, very different from ordinary fine wines.

  The porcelain vase was placed steadily, and Shu Ang immediately held the porcelain vase with his hand, smiling: "I and Master Ruo Chen are just acquaintances, it's been a year since we met. Tonight, I brought wine to your door without warning, Master Ruo Chen must be scolding me for being rash in his heart."

  Ji Ruochen didn't expect Shang Qiushui to speak so bluntly and see through his thoughts, even with a thick skin like copper walls, he couldn't help but blush slightly. However, when his eyes met Shang Qiushui's piercing gaze, her slender fingers like spring onions, and her elegant and agile figure, he immediately felt his throat dry up, his whole body felt like ants crawling on him, extremely uncomfortable, and wished to send the guest away as soon as possible. But Shang Qiushui was an important figure among the young disciples, and Ji Ruochen couldn't afford to offend him without reason, especially since he had come to visit with no disrespect whatsoever, so Ji Ruochen had no excuse to ask him to leave.

  Just as Ji Ruochen was lost in thought, Shang Qiuyue had already pulled up a chair and sat down with a smile: "Little brother came to disturb Master Ruchen tonight, actually there are three things. The first is to congratulate Master Ruchen on his rapid progress, winning the top prize for four consecutive years, and if only the annual examination results are considered, he can be ranked alongside Ji Bingxian."

  Ji Ruocheng hastily said, "Autumn Water Shixiong is overpraising me, the annual exam is just a nominal title and can't be taken seriously. I heard that this year Shixiong suppressed Mingyun and Li Xuanzhen, and took the top spot again, now that's truly something to be happy about."

  But Shang Autumn Water just smiled lightly and didn't decline Ji Ruochen's praise, saying: "Defeating those two is a matter of course, it should be a natural thing. The reason for this will be known to Brother Ruochen later, let's put it aside for now and talk about the second thing. Originally, even if Brother Ruochen got first place in the annual exam, I wouldn't have come to disturb him. But I heard that Brother Ruochen didn't use any external objects this time, his blood was cold, his clothes were thin, and he was decisive like a victory on the battlefield! This kind of heroic spirit is rarely seen. I made a bottle of good wine myself, and it just happens to be ready, so I brought it specifically to drink with Brother Ruochen under the moonlight."

  Ji Ruochen didn't like wine much, but this wine had a strange fragrance that was somewhat alluring, and smelling it made her heart flutter.

  Then he saw Shang Qiushui brewing wine in an ancient blue porcelain bottle, and Ji Ruoxin felt a slight difference in his heart. To know that Ji Ruoxin came from a tavern, personally brewed rough wine, knowing that at the time, it was customary to make wine with earthen jars, one easy to absorb the earth's energy, two is the jar drink also shows a heroic spirit. However, Shang Qiushui used an ancient blue porcelain bottle, although elegant, but ultimately a bit too delicate, not matching the style of strong wine, but rather fitting Shang Qiushui's own rhyme.

  Look at him tonight, wearing a white changshan with dark cloud patterns, his eyes are full of infinite tenderness. The hand that gently holds the porcelain vase is as white as snow, soft as jade, and slender as a finger, its beauty is not inferior to any famous beauty.

  Ji Ruocheng's heart was racing as he gazed intently, and if the person sitting across from him were a woman, he would have been startled to his feet. But it just so happened that the one sitting there was Shang Qiushui! Ji Ruocheng felt as though the air in the study had congealed, and even taking a breath required great effort. He suddenly recalled how Li Xuanzhen had said he wanted to take him to meet an extraordinary person, and how Li Xuanzhen's smile had seemed like a weight lifted off his shoulders when they were drinking and chatting, and in his heart, he felt that something was not quite right.

  The mere thought was simply too unbelievable, even for Ji Ruochen who had seen and experienced much, with a calm and resolute mindset. At this moment, he didn't dare to delve deeper into it. As soon as the thought sprouted, he immediately cut it off at the root, hastily driving it away like a hot iron block.

  Shang Qiushui seemed to be completely unaware of Ji Ruochen's concerns, and directly poured two large bowls of wine, pushing one in front of Ji Ruochen. As soon as the wine left the bottle, it smelled even stranger. Ji Ruochen took a look at the situation and understood that he couldn't get rid of Shang Qiushui for the time being, so he might as well drink to his heart's content. At this point, he no longer declined, picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

  This bowl of wine went down the throat, just like a stream of fire rolling down, where it passed not only did it not have a burning sensation, but instead warmed the internal organs to comfort. After that, a fragrance suddenly rose up and spread throughout the limbs. Ji Rufeng only felt a loud noise, his entire spirit was surrounded by this strange fragrance. The wine's aroma was peculiar, carefully distinguishing, it seemed to be a mixture of hundreds and thousands of different fragrances, constantly changing, endless, worthy of being called infinite aftertaste.

  Ji Ruocheng closed his eyes for a long time before exhaling a mouthful of wine breath and opening his eyes to say, "Autumn Water Shixiong, this wine..."

  Shang Qiushui smiled and said, "This wine is made from a rare grape variety I picked in the Western Mystic Mountains. After brewing, it was steamed and dried seven times, then mixed with various spices. It took three years to mature, and only this one bottle was produced. Unfortunately, the time was too short, so the flavor is limited. The only good thing about this wine is that it's much stronger than ordinary wine. Drinking it in such a heroic manner is the only way to bring out some of its flavor."

  This wine is extremely potent, and with one bowl, Ji Rufeng felt the effects of the alcohol surging up, his cheeks slightly flushed, and the faint worry in his heart earlier also disappeared without a trace. With the worry gone, he should have been carefree and drinking to his heart's content. Moreover, although Autumn Water's handmade fine wine was potent, a cultivator like him was no ordinary person and wouldn't be knocked down by a bottle of strong liquor. As a result, the two of them went back and forth, and in an instant, they had drunk the entire large bottle of grape liquor dry.

  Shang Qiushui's cheeks were like fire, her eyes like water, and under the lamp, her skin was like jade smoke. She was truly a beauty beyond compare. He sighed and said, "This is really wonderful! Come, Ruocheng Shixiong, take advantage of this moment when our spirits are high, I'll bring you to see someone, this will be the third thing tonight."

  Shang Qiushui finished speaking and didn't wait for Ji Ruochen's response. He directly grabbed Ji Ruochen's hand and pulled him away quickly.

  As soon as his hand touched Shang Qiushui's, Ji Ruochen felt like he had been electrocuted and instinctively withdrew his hand. However, Shang Qiushui's movements were swift and decisive, leaving no room for resistance, and she firmly grasped his wrist. Despite her elegant and delicate appearance, Shang Qiushui's true nature was ferocious and overbearing to the extreme. The immense force in her hand was beyond human capabilities, suppressing Ji Ruochen completely and rendering him powerless to resist as she pulled him along in a rapid sprint.

  To be honest, Shang Qiuyu's hand was cold and sticky, the feeling was almost as bad as being held by a smoker. When she was pulled by the smoker, her mind would wander, but when she was pulled by Shang Qiuyu, she felt endless distress. So on their way, Ji Ruodun kept thinking of an excuse to shake off Shang Qiuyu's hand, and unknowingly slowed down her pace.

  Shang Qiushui smiled lightly and said, "If Dusty Shixiong, the time is already late, if we don't hurry up, we won't be able to see that person." As she spoke, she added strength to her hand and pulled Ji Ruocheng to speed up their flight.

  Two people suddenly crossed the rope bridge and turned around the Taishang Daode Palace for half a circle, and in the blink of an eye, they stepped onto the rope bridge leading to Changyang Palace. Perhaps because Ziwu True Person had been closed for too long, and there were few disciples under his door, compared with other palaces, Changyang Palace seemed to be somewhat deserted, with sparse lights.

  Shang Qiushui pulled Ji Ruochen through the palace, not stopping at all, and rushed to a secluded place behind Changyang Palace. They didn't stop until they climbed up a small peak, where they finally stood still.

  Ji Ruocheng suddenly felt the atmosphere thicken, and the night wind that swept by also had a sharp aura. He was puzzled, looked at Shang Qiuyu, saw that he had already retracted his smile, his jade face frosty, his expression extremely solemn, as if he had changed into another person. Ji Ruocheng slightly felt surprised, followed his gaze to look over, saw not far away on the mountain waist built a wooden house, although simple, but leaning against the mountain and overlooking the cliff, with a natural momentum.

  It seems that Ji Chu knew what was on his mind, and Shang Qiushui slowly said: "Brother Ruochen, that is where Ji Bingxian lives."

  It was as if dust had settled, and suddenly he found himself standing in front of a coarse and simple wooden hut. Judging from its size, it was just a straightforward one-room dwelling, probably even more humble than the usual abode of a disciple. On the lintel above the door of the wooden hut, there was a small plaque with the words "Ice Heart" faintly visible.

  Is this wooden house really where Ji Bingxian lives? And what is Shang Qiushui doing, dragging himself to Ji Bingxian's residence in the middle of the night?

  At this time, Ji Ruocheng suddenly heard a strange whistling sound in his ear, which sounded like a giant beast breathing. He turned his head in surprise and saw Shang Qiushui closing her eyes, taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly.

  As soon as he finished adjusting his breath, Shang Qiushui took out a small black axe the size of a palm from his bosom. With a swing in the wind, it instantly transformed into a giant axe with a handle four feet long and an axe head as wide as a car cover! The giant axe materialized in mid-air, falling diagonally, its tip silently and effortlessly embedding itself two feet deep into the hard rock before finally coming to a stop.

  The giant axe was black and heavy, with the handle of the axe faintly visible, and the entire body of the axe was engraved with mysterious patterns, obviously containing some profound mystery. The shape of the giant axe was ancient and clumsy, with a thick and thin handle, looking like it had just fallen into place, its sharpness was not worth mentioning, and looking at its size, it weighed at least several hundred kilograms.

  His right hand, with fingers as slender as orchids, gently grasped the massive axe handle. Under the moonlight, his pale hand formed a striking contrast with the deep black handle. He slowly said, "This axe was forged seven hundred years ago, weighing eight hundred and eighty pounds, ferocious and ruthless, nothing can withstand it, its name is Forgetful."

  At the end of the year, most of the disciples used wooden swords to fight, and Ji Ruochen was seeing such a fierce weapon for the first time. He couldn't help but exclaim: "Autumn Water Shixiong, what is this...?"

  Just then, the autumn water was clear and calm, and a soft voice said, "I'll know right away!"

  He didn't see Shang Qiu's effort, and the giant axe came out of the rock as if it had no weight at all. He also took off his hairpin made of gold and casually threw it to the ground, with a whirlwind rising around him, blowing his black hair into a flying banner!

  Under Ji Ruochen's stunned gaze, Shang Qiushui, with her slender and beautiful figure, held a huge axe, rushing forward like thunder, and in an instant, she had already charged to the front of the wooden house. Then, with one kick, she kicked open the door and rushed inside!

  The wooden door shook violently and let out a screeching noise, but it didn't fall apart. Instead, it slowly closed by itself.

  The wooden house was dark and gloomy, and even with the door open for a short moment, Ji Ruochen's sharp eyes couldn't see what was inside. After Shang Qiu rushed into the house, he only saw the wooden house shake slightly several times, and then there was another flash of light at the window, after which there was no more sound.

  Between the cliffs, under the bright moonlight, that wooden house hung there alone, lonely and peaceful.

  If it weren't for the deep axe marks on the rocks beneath her feet, and the faint scent of Shangqiu water carried by the night wind, Ji Ruoxue would have almost doubted whether she had just dreamed everything.

  In the blink of an eye, half a stick of incense had passed, and the wooden house still stood quietly there, quiet to the point of driving people mad.

  Ji Ruochen couldn't help but rush towards the wooden hut, his heart still worried about Shang Qiushui's safety. Moreover, just now when Shang Qiushui rushed towards the wooden hut, that resolute and decisive momentum was completely unlike a fellow disciple, but rather like...

  She seemed like a stunning beauty facing thousands of troops, not only did she not flee, but instead charged forward with determination. What kind of desperate courage was that!

  Ji Ruochen suddenly woke up, and couldn't help but be shocked by the various strange thoughts that surged in his mind. This Shang Qiushui was very strange, always giving him a kind of inexplicable pressure that made him think wildly.

  He was lost in thought when suddenly a gentle breeze seemed to brush past him. Ji Ruochen stopped in his tracks, staring intently at the few strands of black hair floating gently before his eyes, his entire being as if submerged in icy water for days, numb and almost unable to breathe!

  Ji Ruocheng slowly turned his head around.

  Behind him, several feet away on the ground, a giant black axe was inserted, with its head already half-buried in the rock, it was indeed Forgetfulness!

  Just now this giant axe seemed to have flown from the void, brushing past Ji Ruochen's side, cutting off a few strands of his hair. It then fell silently to the ground, and Ji Ruochen was almost completely unaware!

  The axe is here, where is the man?

  With a creak, the wooden door opened again, and a figure flew out like a kite cut loose from its string, landing lightly at Ji Ruochen's feet.

  The wooden door closed by itself again, and at the moment it opened, Ji Ruochen could still only see a piece of darkness in the wooden house.

  Ji Ruoxuan looked at the wooden house again, and then gazed down at Shang Qiushui's feet, which were completely unscathed but unable to stand up. He felt a chill run down his spine as a wave of coldness surged up within him.

  Shang Qiushui forced a smile and stretched out one hand towards Ji Ruochen, saying: "Brother Ruochen, please help me up... Ah!"

  Ji Ruochen saw that Shang Qiushui was seriously injured and couldn't get up, so he gritted his teeth and pulled him up. But when he heard Shang Qiushui call him "Ruochen brother" instead of "Ruochen shixiong", the meaning seemed to be different. Despite being severely injured and short of breath, Shang Qiushui's voice was still very pleasant to listen to, and his words were soft and endearing.

  Ji Ruoxuan was startled and her hand shook violently, almost throwing Shang Qiuyu back onto the ground.

  Ji Ruocheng's face changed color, and he hastily grabbed Shang Qiushui in mid-air. At this moment, he couldn't afford to hesitate, so he gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and once again recalled the scene of being isolated in the snowy wilderness and facing the ferocious wolves when he was young. Finally, he summoned up a fierce determination that disregarded life and death, wrapped his arms around Shang Qiushui's waist, and pulled him to his feet.

  Shang Qiu's voice was hoarse from coughing several times, and he pointed to the giant axe again, saying weakly: "Ruochen brother, forget...".

  Ji Ruocheng looked at the giant axe weighing 880 jin and said, "This treasure is too big, you'd better change it back."

  Shang Qiu Shui bitterly smiled and said: "My true yuan has already been exhausted, how can I still have the energy to change it?"

  Ji Ruochen was unable to hold back, and could only grab the axe handle with one hand, taking a deep breath and mobilizing his true yuan. With one swing, he lifted the Forgetfulness Axe. As soon as he held it in his hand, Ji Ruochen finally understood what 880 jin truly meant. He hadn't walked far when his hand began to feel a bit sore and numb. Thinking back to how easily Shang Qiushui had swung the axe earlier, like it was weightless, he couldn't help but reevaluate this delicate and refined Northern Pole Palace cultivator.

  Ji Ruochen did not want to disturb the disciples of Changyang Palace, so he supported Shang Qiushui with one hand and dragged Wang Qing with the other, bypassing Changyang Palace from afar and heading towards Suo Bridge.

  As they walked a short distance away, Ji Ruochen couldn't help but ask: "Shui Shixiong, what was that just now..."

  "Tempering."

  "What's going on? How could you be hurt so badly from a spar? Do you have some kind of personal grudge against Ji Bingxian?"

  Shang Qiu Shui lightly smiled and said, "Ice Fairy is my good sister, how could I possibly have a grudge against her? In fact, Ice Fairy's move was already very measured... Hmm, the reason I'm injured like this is because our usual sparring is still somewhat different from what we did just now. The difference lies in that when I fought her, it was to the death, but when she hit me, it could only be considered as sparring..."

  The memorial was silent and still.

  Shang Qiushui coughed a few times, then said: "If Dusty Shixiong, no matter what, you should see Ice Immortal. Being with her, even if it's just for a moment, will definitely not make you regret it."

  "Is she hard to see?" Ji Ruocheng asked in surprise.

  "Bing Xian rarely sees outsiders, and even during the annual exam, one can only see her once. But if you want to see her twice, you'd have to catch up with her cultivation speed - who can do that? However, don't be disheartened, Brother Chén. I have a good method that will allow you to see her whenever you want." Shang Qiushui spoke with a gentle tone.

  Ji Ruochen's expression turned ugly as he hummed and said, "You're not going to rush in like you just did and fight desperately, are you?"

  "If Dust Master Brother is indeed clever!"

  "That's enough."

  "Don't worry, Master Dust, Ice Fairy is a reasonable person, being beaten by her won't kill you..."

  "No!"

  Shang Qiushui let out a long sigh and said, "I thought that if Dust Master were to show off his bravery, he would be somewhat different from Li Xuanzhen. But it turns out he's also useless! I recall that Li Xuanzhen and I originally went to Ice Fairy to spar at the same time, but last year, for some reason, he was either too afraid or couldn't swallow his pride, and since then, he hasn't dared to set foot in Ice Fairy's residence again. So this year, during the annual examination, he won't be my opponent anymore. This is exactly what I meant by 'water flowing into a ditch' - it's only natural that I surpass them."

  Ji Ruochen asked with a strange tone: "So, Autumn Water Shixiong often finds Ji Bingxian to 'cross swords'?"

  "It may take three months at least and half a year at most, but I will make it to Iceheart's place."

  At this time, Ji Ruochen could feel that Shang Qiushui's true yuan was extremely weak, his body was icy cold, and his clothes were completely soaked with cold sweat. Occasionally, he would tremble slightly, showing that the pain was unbearable. Ji Ruochen couldn't help but admire him a little, saying: "It turns out that Autumn Water is also a passionate person, no wonder your cultivation has progressed by leaps and bounds! Having lost repeatedly, yet..."

  He was cut off mid-sentence by Shang Qiushui struggling: "No, it's repeated defeats and battles..."

  "Huh? This... doesn't seem to be any different?"

  "Of course not!"

  "What's different?"

  "What a different momentum!"