Chapter 79: Snowfall and Spring Blossoms
That winter proved exceptionally brutal. Several southern prefectures had endured multiple heavy snowfalls since winter's onset, the weather substantially colder than previous years, making survival increasingly difficult for common people. Without adequate clothing and coal to resist the severe cold, casualties mounted steadily.
It began with homeless beggars, their bodies freezing into pitch-black stones by roadsides. Then came residents of remote villages, impoverished shanty towns, and the most vulnerable—elderly and children alike. Because this cold wave descended so suddenly and claimed too many lives at once, lower-ranking officials dared not report upward through official channels. They forcibly buried the frozen corpses and issued prohibitions against anyone leaving their native places.
Consequently, the royal capital of Yan City remained initially oblivious to this unfolding disaster. By the time news could no longer be suppressed and spread throughout the bureaucracy, ministers hurriedly rushed to the palace seeking His Majesty for urgent consultation, only to discover the Emperor wasn't present at all. He had always been this way—departing without warning—but recently his behavior had grown increasingly outrageous, not even sending word of his whereabouts.
Only the young prince remained in the palace, occupying Sima Jiao's customary chair, swinging his legs with childish insouciance while regarding the assembled officials with an innocent expression.
The ministers collectively thought: The country is doomed! It must surely be doomed!
They inwardly condemned and criticized the Emperor's dereliction of duty, then lamented sorrowfully before gathering to debate how to address this once-in-a-century snowstorm catastrophe. After all, the Emperor rarely managed these administrative matters anyway; they possessed the capability to handle it themselves.
Then another problem materialized—not all officials harbored selfless, impartial intentions. Everyone possessed their own agendas and began bickering amongst themselves with mounting acrimony.
While they argued over disaster relief protocols, the Emperor and Noble Consort were actually a thousand miles distant in Nanming Prefecture—the very "disaster area" causing their endless debate.
Two days prior, Liao Tingyan had grown profoundly bored within the palace confines and noticed that the royal capital of Yan City showed no signs of winter snow, while the southern regions suffered under bitter cold. She suddenly felt inclined to witness snowfall firsthand. In the cultivation realm, she hadn't experienced heavy snow for many years and found herself missing it. After brief discussion, she transported the Emperor via flying spiritual vessel to Nanming Prefecture to enjoy the winter scenery.
The vast white expanse of snow and leaden gray sky had transformed this typically elegant southern prefecture into a frozen mountain range. Though undeniably beautiful, Liao Tingyan found her brow furrowing after merely a few moments' observation.
Sometimes possessing such elevated cultivation proved genuinely problematic. Her perception had become extraordinarily powerful—strong enough to penetrate layers of accumulated snow to the frozen corpses beneath. Extending her divine sense further, she could even perceive lingering resentful spirits of the deceased with a single sweep of awareness.
Liao Tingyan lost all desire to appreciate the snow's aesthetic qualities. Her changing expression captured Sima Jiao's attention immediately. The two stood atop a city tower in Nanming Prefecture, where Sima Jiao wore an elegant black fox fur coat. His warm palm brushed against Liao Tingyan's face, wiping away a snowflake that had landed on her cheek with gentle precision.
"What's troubling you? Is the snow not beautiful?"
"Many people have perished here." Liao Tingyan grasped three of his fingers, her spirits noticeably dampened.
Sima Jiao's expression remained impassive. "If that disturbs you, then let's seek snow elsewhere—somewhere without casualties."
Liao Tingyan fell silent momentarily. She had momentarily forgotten that this ancestor had once been a figure who brought bloodshed with mere gestures in the cultivation world. He possessed no inherent concern for such mortal matters.
"Witnessing so many deaths here... makes me uncomfortable," Liao Tingyan clarified carefully.
Only then did Sima Jiao's eyebrows twitch with understanding. "Then let's address the situation."
Liao Tingyan contemplated briefly, then gazed upward at the sky where something flickered faintly above. She suddenly raised her hand with commanding authority, and vast spiritual energy shot toward the heavens, forcibly dispersing the cold snow clouds. The daylight brightened dramatically, and traces of sunlight finally penetrated this place that had remained gloomy for an entire month.
She detected faint thunder rumbling in response but paid it minimal attention, merely glancing at Sima Jiao. Ever since obtaining the spirit fire, whenever she exercised her power, she would hear thunder's accompaniment. But after receiving the spirit fire, she no longer feared those ominous sounds.
It was as though Sima Jiao had granted her not merely the spirit fire itself, but also some fundamental aspect of his own nature—diminishing her fear of this world's dangers.
"It's not confined to Nanming Prefecture. The cold front continues moving southward. If I disperse it now, it will reconverge after some duration." Liao Tingyan decided to summon her demon generals for assistance. After all, working independently proved too exhausting, and saving the mortal world properly required manpower.
She and Sima Jiao established residence at an estate in the Zongjing Mountain suburbs of Nanming Prefecture. The mountain forests remained blanketed in snow that had not yet melted. The thick accumulated snow glistened magnificently in the sunlight, rendering the world clear and luminous. This scenery improved Liao Tingyan's mood considerably.
The demon generals who had been stationed in the royal capital of Yan City arrived promptly, accepting their assigned tasks with bewildered expressions—clearing snow and providing disaster relief to mortals.
One demon cultivator protested weakly, "We... we are demon cultivators, you realize."
Demon General Wie, looking appropriately ferocious, replied sharply, "I also remember we're demon cultivators, but the Demon Overlord apparently doesn't! Why don't you volunteer to remind her personally?!"
The demon cultivator rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Must we truly save these mortals? So many have already perished. The Demon Overlord must be issuing casual orders without serious intent. Why don't we—"
Demon General Wie instantly displayed patriotic loyalty, his bushy eyebrows rising dramatically as he raised one hand authoritatively. "Guards! This individual is defying the Demon Overlord's direct commands. Bind him and escort him to the Demon Overlord for judgment!"
The demon cultivator blanched. "!!!"
One demon cultivator who attempted to secretly disobey orders and collect corpse materials for refinement purposes was immediately incinerated as an example.
The demon generals subsequently led their now-obedient demon cultivators to several severely affected prefectures, dispersing the cold fronts and artificially halting the snowfall. This task wasn't particularly challenging, merely somewhat tedious. After completing their assignments and reporting back, the demon generals received the Demon Overlord's approval and departed with palpable relief.
Demon General Wie proved the fastest among them. As he prepared to withdraw after meeting the Demon Overlord, he happened to encounter Sima Jiao in the corridor. During the period when this former Demon Overlord had ruled the demon realm, everyone had trembled at the mere sight of flames. Wie proved no exception—he had never witnessed such a powerful and ruthlessly brutal Demon Overlord. He had nearly been frightened senseless on multiple occasions. Even though Sima Jiao now inhabited a mortal form, Wie instinctively experienced paralyzing fear.
He couldn't help holding his breath, standing aside desperately hoping this terrifying ancestor would depart without acknowledgment. After all, he cannot perceive me now, Demon General Wie reassured himself internally.
"Wie."
Demon General Wie froze completely, meeting Sima Jiao's penetrating gaze as every hair on his back stood at attention. He saw me! He actually saw me!
After Sima Jiao departed, Wie finally regained his senses, recalling what Sima Jiao had just stated: "Bring the snow to Zongjing Mountain."
He had said only this brief instruction before walking away with characteristic authority.
Wie suddenly clapped his hands together with realization. Hey! The former Demon Overlord remembered my name! Suddenly feeling so honored and proud!
But what precisely did "bring the snow to Zongjing Mountain" signify? Zongjing Mountain was this very mountain range where they currently resided. Did His Excellency desire heavy snowfall on this specific mountain? The current Demon Overlord wanted the snow to cease, while the former Demon Overlord wanted it to continue... Hmm, have I learned too much potentially dangerous information? Am I encountering serious trouble?
Upon hearing this dilemma, one of Wie's subordinates shook his head knowingly. "General, do you recall when the former Demon Overlord governed the demon realm? Whatever his beloved desired, he would provide without hesitation. Even if she made no explicit requests, as long as she displayed interest in something, he would procure it for her. Doesn't this current behavior seem remarkably familiar? In my assessment, either our current Demon Overlord wishes to witness snow, or the former Demon Overlord desires to enjoy snowfall with his beloved!"
Wie clicked his tongue. "Tsk, tsk, having a beloved companion is excessively troublesome!"
Despite this minor complaint, he obediently executed the task, driving the cold front and snow clouds to this uninhabited mountain forest, creating artificial snowfall specifically for the two masters residing in the mountain estate.
Liao Tingyan was meeting with Hong Luo, who occasionally traveled from the demon realm to visit her, invariably bringing numerous specialties from Qinggu Tian to enhance Liao Tingyan's quality of life.
As soon as Hong Luo materialized, she observed Liao Tingyan directing the demon generals with purposeful efficiency. She couldn't comprehend the motivation. "What are you accomplishing? Why bother with such trivial matters when you could be doing anything else?" After all, she was a native demon cultivator who genuinely couldn't fathom Liao Tingyan's actions.
Liao Tingyan didn't elaborate extensively, merely stating, "Perhaps because I am ultimately still a mortal at heart."
Hong Luo rolled her eyes expressively. "With your current level of cultivation, you're claiming to be a mortal?"
Yet no matter how elevated one's cultivation might become, if one's heart remained fundamentally mortal, then one was indeed still mortal. This might explain why she could witness the conflicts and deaths in the demon realm and cultivation world without experiencing emotional disturbance, yet couldn't bear the deaths from snowstorms in this mortal world.
Able to accept necessary sacrifices in a tumultuous existence of cultivation, yet unable to witness preventable disasters in ordinary lives—this was probably the mentality of all fundamentally mortal beings.
Hong Luo had no desire to discuss such philosophical trivialities further. "Forget it. If you want to engage in these small humanitarian gestures, proceed as you wish. They're merely ordinary people anyway."
It was precisely at this moment that Liao Tingyan noticed snow falling outside. She startled initially, then closed her eyes briefly in concentration. Her divine sense detected that the snowfall existed only within this mountain forest—only in what she could perceive before her.
The snow blanketing the pine forest behind the mountain had not yet melted. With this renewed heavy snowfall, the pristine white landscape would probably be maintained for considerable duration.
Liao Tingyan opened the windows wide, welcoming the swirling snowflakes to drift inward, carrying away the warm air from the heated room. She had journeyed here specifically to witness snow, and only one person knew this desire.
Hong Luo was updating her about recent events: "You've remained by his side for half a year now. How much has he remembered? Has he recalled you specifically? How are matters progressing between you two?" As Liao Tingyan's closest friend, she remained perpetually concerned about her friend's romantic situation.
After speaking for some time, she realized Liao Tingyan wasn't responding. She was simply gazing at the snow outside, her face bearing a contented smile.
Never mind, no need to pursue this line of inquiry anymore.
Hong Luo's ears twitched suddenly with supernatural awareness. "I'm finished conversing. I'll depart first. See you next time." With that declaration, she leaped through the window and instantly vanished from perception.
The moment Hong Luo withdrew, Sima Jiao entered. He naturally settled behind Liao Tingyan, embracing her as they watched the snow outside together. Liao Tingyan habitually leaned against his chest with practiced ease. With a slight movement of her fingers, the room's brazier began radiating intensified heat, rendering the air around them as warm as spring despite winter's presence beyond the windows.
When heavy snow falls, the world always becomes exceptionally quiet and contemplative. For a fleeting moment, Liao Tingyan wanted to ask Sima Jiao how much he had actually remembered. The fact that he had orchestrated this snowfall indicated he indeed recalled a considerable amount.
Yet ultimately, Liao Tingyan refrained from asking. She simply felt profoundly secure in his presence.
She had known for extensive time that Sima Jiao would eventually remember everything. After all, he hadn't undergone true reincarnation but rather experienced soul possession within another body.
If reincarnation resembled disassembling a computer's components and reassembling them in entirely different machines, then soul possession was more analogous to reinstalling the operating system on a computer—one that had properly backed up its data. Even if the pregnant woman who bore him hadn't consumed the soul-returning pill, his memories would gradually resurface naturally. Previously, Liao Tingyan simply hadn't known how long this recovery process would require.
To be honest, completely recovering her own memories might prove even more challenging. Because Sima Jiao would naturally remember as he matured and aged, while she required the painful stimulation of her divine soul to recall memories that had been washed away by reincarnation's waters.
Liao Tingyan had embraced a philosophy of "going with the flow" throughout her entire life. She held Sima Jiao's hand, sensing the faint spiritual energy circulating within his mortal body, and slowly closed her eyes with drowsy contentment.
Just let things follow their natural course. Everything in the world becomes increasingly complicated the more one overthinks it.
The snowfall had finally ceased in several southern prefectures. The sole location where it continued falling was the uninhabited Zongjing Mountain range.
Sima Jiao and Liao Tingyan strolled leisurely through the pine forest behind the mountain. A crimson umbrella was thoroughly covered in accumulated snow, transforming it white. A narrow path wound through the forest, leading to a wild pavilion higher up the mountainside. Having nothing more pressing to occupy their time, they decided to ascend the steps and search for the pavilion through the snowscape. Liao Tingyan rarely felt inclined to climb mountains using her own physical effort; typically, she would remain stationary in one comfortable location and "hibernate."
As the saying wisely observed: spring drowsiness, summer lethargy, autumn fatigue, and winter hibernation—these represented the living habits of all working people. Even though Liao Tingyan hadn't qualified as a working person for many years, she still hadn't modified these ingrained tendencies.
The two walked along the mountain path, with Sima Jiao proceeding slightly ahead. Without an umbrella to shield him, snow accumulated on his shoulders with gentle persistence. Liao Tingyan followed one step behind, holding her umbrella to shelter herself from the falling snow. They walked in this configuration, one leading and one following. Liao Tingyan playfully twirled her umbrella, deliberately causing snow to cascade onto Sima Jiao's fox fur coat, which he lightly shook off with practiced ease.
He turned his head, raising one eyebrow in acknowledgment, then continued walking at his leisurely pace, choosing to ignore her teasing provocations.
The wild pavilion perched on the mountain proved desolate and severely dilapidated, mostly broken down and nearly buried beneath snow accumulation. After circling it once in assessment, they strolled toward a withered tree standing beside the pavilion. Sima Jiao reached out and shook the dead tree vigorously, causing the snow clinging to dead branches to instantly cascade onto Liao Tingyan's head precisely as she had folded away the umbrella she'd been using for her performance.
Liao Tingyan stood speechless. "..."
Before she could formulate appropriate retaliation, Sima Jiao broke off the branch that had shed its accumulated snow burden. His fingers tapped along the withered branch with deliberate purpose, which quickly sprouted fresh flower buds that opened into several delicate pink mountain peach blossoms within mere moments.
This was the spring-returning technique—a rather ordinary spell in the cultivation world.
Liao Tingyan remained silent for a contemplative moment, accepting the branch of mountain peach blossoms that revealed its vibrant pink color so strikingly against the white snow.
Sima Jiao then clasped her hand firmly and began leading her back down the mountain path.
"I know what you fear, but as I've stated before, as long as I remain present, you have nothing to fear."
Liao Tingyan swayed the unseasonable peach blossom branch thoughtfully, thinking: What do I have to fear? In this entire world, the only thing I truly fear is you.
But her Emperor was precisely like this branch of flowers—blooming whenever he desired, never yielding to anyone's control or expectations.
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